.wasn..I,.didn..wan..owls.followin..me.all.over.the.place.‐.ruddy.Dementors!
.Yeh.re.not.serious?..
.Yeah,.1.am,.they.turned.up.in.Little.Whingmg.and.attacked.my.cousin.and.me,
.and.then.the.Ministry.of.Magic.expelled.me.‐..
.WHAT?..
.‐.and.I.had.to.go.to.a.hearing.and.everything,.but.tell.us.about.the.giants.first...
.You.were.expelled!..
Tell.us.about.your.summer.and.I.ll.tell.you.about.mine...
Hagrid.glared.at.him.through.his.one.open.eye..Harry.looked.right.back,.an.expression.of.innocent.determination.on.his.face..
.Oh,.all.righ.,..Hagrid.said.in.a.resigned.voice..
He.bent.down.and.tugged.the.dragon.steak.out.of.Fang.s.mouth..
.Oh,.Hagrid,.don.t,.it.s.not.hygien—..Hermione.began,.but.Hagrid.had.already.slapped.the.meat.back.over.his.swollen.eye..
He.took.another.fortifying.gulp.of.tea,.then.said,..Well,.we.set.off.righ..after.term.ended.‐..
.Madame.Maxime.went.with.you,.then?..Hermione.interjected..
.Yeah,.tha.s.righ.,..said.Hagrid,.and.a.softened.expression.appeared.on.the.few.inches.of.face.that.were.not.obscured.by.beard.or.green.steak...Yeah,.it.was.jus.
.the.pair.of.us..An..I.ll.tell.yeh.this,.she.s.not.afraid.of.roughin..it,.Olympe..Yeh.know,.she.s.a.fine,.well‐dressed.woman,.an..knowin..where.we.was.goin..I.wondered..ow.she.d.feel.abou..clamberin..over.boulders.an..sleepin..in.caves.an.
.tha.,.bu..she.never.complained.once...
.You.knew.where.you.were.going?..Harry.repeated...You.knew.where.the.giants.were?..
.Well,.Dumbledore.knew,.an..he.told.us,..said.Hagrid..
.Are.they.hidden?..asked.Ron...Is.it.a.secret,.where.they.are?..
.Not.really..said.Hagrid,.shaking.his.shaggy.head...It.s.jus..that.mos..wizards.aren..bothered.where.they.are,.s.long.as.it.s.a.good.long.way.away..But.where.they.are.s.very.difficult.ter.get.ter,.fer.humans.anyway,.so.we.needed.Dumbledore.s.instructions..Took.us.abou..a.month.ter.get.there.‐..
.A.month?..said.Ron,.as.though.he.had.never.heard.of.a.journey.lasting.such.a.ridiculously.long.time...But.‐.why.couldn.t.you.just.grab.a.Portkey.or.something?..
There.was.an.odd.expression.in.Hagrid.s.unobscured.eye.as.he.surveyed.Ron;.it.was.almost.pitying..
.We.re.bein..watched,.Ron,..he.said.gruffly..
.What.d.you.mean?..
.Yeh.don..understand,..said.Hagrid..The.Ministry.s.keepin..an.eye.on.Dumbledore.an..anyone.they.reckon.s.in.league.with..im,.an..‐..
.We.know.about.that,..said.Harry.quickly.keen.to.hear.the.rest.of.Hagrid.s.story,
.
.we.know.about.the.Ministry.watching.Dumbledore.‐..
.So.you.couldn.t.use.magic.to.get.there?..asked.Ron,.looking.thunderstruck,..you.had.to.act.like.Muggles.all.the.way?..
.Well,.not.exactly.all.the.way..said.Hagrid.cagily...We.jus..had.ter.be.careful,
.
.cause.Olympe.an..me,.we.stick.out.a.bit.—..
Ron.made.a.stifled.noise.somewhere.between.a.snort.and.a.sniff.and.hastily.took.a.gulp.of.tea..
.‐.so.we.re.not.hard.ter.follow..We.was.pretendin..we.was.goin..on.holiday.together,.so.we.got.inter.France.an..we.made.like.we.
I.
was.headin..fer.where.Olympes.school.is,..cause.we.knew.we.was.bein..tailed.by.someone.from.the.Ministry..We.had.to.go.slow,..cause.I.m.not.really.s.posed.ter.use.magic.an..we.knew.the.Ministry.d.be.lookin..fer.a.reason.ter.run.us.in..But.we.managed.ter.give.the.berk.tailin..us.the.slip.round.abou..Dee‐John.—..