Chapter 10. Meeting The Groundskeeper

As soon as I gave Abarrane her name. I heard the loud ringing from my wand become much stronger, and almost dropped it from the vibrating it was doing. Abarrane was frozen as well, keeping her suckers engaged tightly around me, refusing to let go for even a second. She then brought her other arms to me, holding each one tightly to my clothes and body while she wrapped me up in her embrace. She then dragged me underwater again. I held my breath while she brought me closer to her body. Opening my eyes I saw her glowing yellow eyes, mesmerizing me, and keeping me calm while she moved me to her main body again.

While she rubbed me against her, the loud ringing was almost deafening, even under the waves I could still hear the loud ringing. However I began hearing something among the loud ringing. It was almost like the ringing was a kind of static, staining the real message coming through. However emotions came through. That I already figured out from being around Abarrane, or Rane as I thought about calling her for short. I could feel all the happiness, and delight she had while hugging me like this, but there was something else I could hear from my wand.

I listened the best I could under the circumstances, but all that came through were a few feminine words in Parseltongue. “Than- … Amaze- … You- … Nice…” She then noticed me tapping her for air, and I felt her embarrassment while putting me back onto land. I gasped for air, letting out shallow chuckles from how surprisingly cute this massive monster could be. I placed my wand on her last tendril she was receding from me. “It was fun. I’ll be back tomorrow.”

She tugged my arm one last time before descending beneath the waves. Val was quick to come up from the waters, and slither up my arm I held out for him, and into my robe. “Achoo!” I then sneezed from the chill in the air, and shivered while making my back to the castle. ‘I need some way to dry my clothes quickly.’ I thought while walking up the unused path to the lake. “Kid! You a’right!?”

I jumped, and snapped my vision towards the giant that first brought us to school. He came rushing over, worrying about me along the way. “Here, we can get to my cabin an’ get you warmed up.” I sighed and nodded while figuring what cabin he was leading me to. ‘Sorry I thought your house was a storage shed… Hagrid, I think your name was.’ He opened the door, and ushered me inside, ignoring the sopping mess I was making.

“Ov’r ‘ere.” He said while lighting a fire inside his hut. I looked around, appreciating the rundown, yet homey atmosphere to this place. “‘Ere, you can dry your clothes while I make something to warm you up.” He said while giving me a blanket to cover myself after I would hang my robes by the fire. I nodded at him in silence, I didn’t know how to really talk to people when they were being nice aside from my parents. Hagrid left me, and moved to what I assumed was his kitchen in the back room.

I was thinking about how strange all this was. I had never been to a place like this before. Also the fact I was a Slytherin, but this man was helping me. ‘Is he trying to make me lower my guard? I know Slytherin’s are rightfully hated by the rest of the school, but stick around because of our rich heritage.’ I decided to just take him up on his offer and disrobed myself to warm up. ‘I don’t have a choice though, if teachers find out I was with Abarrane, they might do something to her. Luckily this guy seems like a groundskeeper. A position of low importance.’

“Stay hidden under the blanket.” I said to Valdemar while he slithered on the ground while I took my robes off. “Ok!” He cheered while slithering up my arm, wriggling his tail in happiness. “This man is nice! I like this place!” I wondered if Val had an innate sense of others, and if they were a threat. I was definitely unsure about Abarrane when we first met, but now I felt a strong connection between us. ‘Is Hagrid the same way?’

Just as I finished my thoughts, the giant man came from the other room with a couple bowls of something hot, judging from the steam. “Normally I make this in the fire, tastes better that way, but I thought you needed the space.” He chuckled while handing me one of the bowls. I grabbed it with a nod, and looked to see a kind of porridge. “It may not be up to snuff for a Slytherin, but I like it.” I frowned as I stared at the bowl, and quickly took a mouthful of the stew.

“What are you, stupid?” I said after gulping the hot potato stew, enjoying the flavors that this man could make in such run down conditions. Hagrid squinted while he watched me take another gulp of the good tasting stew. “Slytherin’s have manners. Even if food tastes bad, hospitality dictates you eat every bite.” I scowled while greedily eating every bite the bowl had to offer. Hagrid was silent as I did so, but broke out into a hearty laugh while taking the seat beside mine.

When he did, Val took the opportunity to strike a bite himself from the bowl, taking a larger piece of potato into his unhinged jaw, and swallowing it whole. “This is good! Why did you make it sound like it wasn’t? Did you not want me to have any?” I sighed while Hagrid’s laugh dimmed, seemingly unknowing of the hissing I was emanating. “I understand.” He chuckled while taking a gulp of his stew as well. I watched the fire in a daze, while we both remained silent for a bit after that.

Hagrid finally broke the silence with a question. “If you don’t mind me ask’n… Do you know why she has a fascination with you?” My frown deepened while I stared at the dancing flames in the fireplace. “How should I know? I never heard of her until she dragged me down on the first day. Now she does the same thing while I was just walking around.” I spoke in a harsh tone, but Hagrid just nodded in contemplation while also staring at the crackling flames. “Just… In all my ‘ears she never touched a single student. She’s rarely even let herself be known. Many students don't even know she exists.”

I fought a small smirk that was trying to appear from how she deemed me as someone special. “I’d like ta ask you ta not try an’ harm her young man.” Hagrid pleaded with me to not go after Abarrane, breaking me from my thoughts. The very idea of anyone doing harm to that cheerful squid filled my heart with malice, and rage. Visions of my own father harvesting a magical creature I had gotten to know for potion making reemerged inside my mind, feeding into my wrath. The whole cabin began to shake while all the loose things inside started to move about randomly.

I took a deep breath to help keep my emotions back in check, and rechain my burning hatred for all people that hurt and hunt innocent creatures. “I will do as I please… Don’t try shackling me to your ideals…” I turned to see Hagrid holding his hand close to his waistband, obviously ready to draw his wand at any second.

I scoffed while grabbing my now dried robe. I then made my way to the door, blanket still around my shoulders, hiding Val from Hagrid’s piercing gaze. I opened the wooden door, and stopped just at the doorstep. “I thank you for your hospitality, but don’t imagine that you have an understanding of me over the brief discussion we’ve had.” I closed the door behind me, and quickly slipped my robe on, leaving his blanket on the stone step I deemed clean enough to rest on. I folded it neatly, and made my way back to grab my books before heading off to more classes.

Hagrid thought about the young boy’s parting words. In between his harsh words, it almost seemed like the boy was actually angry that Hagrid had even thought the boy would attack the giant squid. Hagrid was on edge after feeling the immense power that the boy emanated. He almost instinctively grabbed at where his wand used to be. The boy then suddenly reigned in his emotions, and gave his parting words. Hagrid had seen young angry wizards tossing things around accidentally, but never anything this strong.

However that wasn’t what Hagrid was left questioning about the young boy. Hagrid wondered why the boy was so wrathful all of a sudden. He thought back to what he said, and was confused about a Slytherin being so angry about a mythical creature. Out of all the students, Slytherin’s were always the most spiteful of his class. Having one that cared so much about beasts was something that Hagrid simply couldn’t understand. He was left wondering if the young boy was caring or not.