.Blimey,.Hagrid,..said.Ron.quietly..
.So,.how.come.it.s.taken.you.so.long.to.get.home.if.you.were.only.there.for.three.days?..asked.Hermione..
We.didn..leave.after.three.days!..said.Hagrid,.looking.outraged...Dumbledore.was.relyin..on.us!..
.But.you.ve.just.said.there.was.no.way.you.could.go.back!..
.Not.by.daylight.we.couldn.,.no..We.just.had.ter.rethink.a.bit..Spent.a.couple.o.
.days.lyin..low.up.in.the.cave.an..watchin...An..wha..we.saw.wasn..good...
.Did.he.rip.off.more.heads?..asked.Hermione,.sounding.squeamish..
.No,..said.Hagrid,..I.wish.he.had...
.What.d.you.mean?..
.I.mean.we.soon.found.out.he.didn..object.ter.all.wizards.‐.just.us...
.Death.Eaters?..said.Harry.quickly..
.Yep,..said.Hagrid.darkly...Couple.of..em.were.visitin..him.ev.ry.day,.bringin.
.gifts.ter.the.Gurg,.an..he.wasn..dangling.them.upside‐down...
.How.d.you.know.they.were.Death.Eaters?..said.Ron..
.Because.I.recognised.one.of..em,..Hagrid.growled...Macnair,.remember.him?
.Bloke.they.sent.ter.kill.Buckbeak?.Maniac,.he.is..Likes.killin..as.much.as.Golgomath;.no.wonder.they.were.gettin..on.so.well...
.So.Macnairs.persuaded.the.giants.to.join.You‐Know‐Who?..said.Hermione.desperately..
.Hold.yer.Hippogriffs,.I.haven..finished.me.story.yet!..said.Hagrid.indignantly,
.who,.considering.he.had.not.wanted.to.tell.them.anything.in.the.first.place,.now.seemed.to.be.rather.enjoying.himself...Me.an..Olympe.talked.it.over.an..we.agreed,.jus..
.cause.the.Gurg.looked.like.favourin..You‐Know‐Who.didn..mean.all.of..em.would..We.had.ter.try.an..persuade.some.o..the.others,.the.ones.who.hadn.
.wanted.Golgomath.as.Gurg...
.How.could.you.tell.which.ones.they.were?..asked.Ron..
.Well,.they.were.the.ones.bein..beaten.to.a.pulp,.weren..they?..said.Hagrid.patiently..The.ones.with.any.sense.were.keepin..outta.Golgomath.s.way,.hidin.
.out.in.caves.roun..the.gully.jus..like.we.were..So.we.decided.we.d.go.pokin.
.round.the.caves.by.night.an..see.if.we.couldn..persuade.a.few.o..them...
.You.went.poking.around.dark.caves.looking.for.giants?..said.Ron,.with.awed.respect.in.his.voice..
.Well,.it.wasn..the.giants.who.worried.us.most,..said.Hagrid..We.were.more.concerned.abou..the.Death.Eaters..Dumbledore.had.told.us.before.we.wen..not.ter.tangle.with..em.if.we.could.avoid.it,.an..the.trouble.was.they.knew.we.was.around.—..spect.Golgomath.told..em.abou..us..At.night,.when.the.giants.were.sleepin..an..we.wanted.ter.be.creepin..inter.the.caves,.Macnair.an..the.other.one.were.sneakin..round.the.mountains.lookin..fer.us..I.was.hard.put.to.stop.Olympe.jumpin..out.at..em,..said.Hagrid,.the.corners.of.his.mouth.lifting.his.wild.beard,
.
.she.was.rarin..ter.attack..em….she.s.somethin..when.she.s.roused,.Olympe…
.fiery,.yeh.know…..spect.it.s.the.French.in.her…..
Hagrid.gazed.misty‐eyed.into.the.fire..Harry.allowed.him.thirty.seconds.of.reminiscence.before.clearing.his.throat.loudly..
.So,.what.happened?.Did.you.ever.get.near.any.of.the.other.giants?..
.What?.Oh….oh,.yeah,.we.did..Yeah,.on.the.third.night.after.Karkus.was.killed.we.crept.outta.the.cave.we.d.bin.hidin..in.an..headed.back.down.inter.the.gully,