.o..course,.but.if.it.wasn..fer….well….the.special.circumstances.I.m.abou..ter.explain.to.yeh,.I.d.leave.righ..now,.before.she.s.go..the.chance.ter.do.it.in.front.o.
.the.whole.school,.like.she.did.with.Trelawney...
Harry.and.Hermione.both.made.noises.of.protest,.but.Hagrid.overrode.them.with.a.wave.of.one.of.his.enormous.hands..
.It.s.not.the.end.o..the.world,.I.ll.be.able.ter.help.Dumbledore.once.I.m.outta.here,
.I.can.be.useful.ter.the.Order..An..you.lot.ll.have.Grubbly‐Plank,.yeh.ll.‐.yeh.ll.get.through.yer.exams.fine…..
His.voice.trembled.and.broke..
.Don..worry.abou..me,..he.said.hastily,.as.Hermione.made.to.pat.his.arm..He.pulled.his.enormous.spotted.handkerchief.from.the.pocket.of.his.waistcoat.and.mopped.his.eyes.with.it...Look,.I.wouldn..be.tellin..yer.this.at.all.if.I.didn..have.ter..See,.if.I.go….well,.I.can..leave.withou.….withou..tellin..someone….because.I.ll.‐.I.ll.need.yeh.two.ter.help.me..An..Ron,.if.he.s.willin....
.Of.course.we.ll.help.you,..said.Harry.at.once...What.do.you.want.us.to.do?..
Hagrid.gave.a.great.sniff.and.patted.Harry.wordlessly.on.the.shoulder.with.such.force.Harry.was.knocked.sideways.into.a.tree..
.1.knew.yeh.d.say.yes,..said.Hagrid.into.his.handkerchief,..but.I.won.….never…
.forget….well….c.mon….jus..a.little.bit.further.through.here….watch.yerselves,
.now,.there.s.nettles…..
They.walked.on.in.silence.for.another.fifteen.minutes;.Harry.had.opened.his.mouth.to.ask.how.much.further.they.had.to.go.when.Hagrid.threw.out.his.right.arm.to.signal.that.they.shoud.stop..
.Really.easy..he.said.softly...Very.quiet,.now…..
They.crept.forwards.and.Harry.saw.that.they.were.facing.a.large,.smooth.mound.of.earth.nearly.as.tall.as.Hagrid.that.he.thought,.with.a.jolt.of.dread,.was.sure.to.be.the.lair.of.some.enormous.animal..Trees.had.been.ripped.up.at.the.roots.all.around.the.mound,.so.that.it.stood.on.a.bare.patch.of.ground.surrounded.by.heaps.of.trunks.and.boughs.that.formed.a.kind.of.fence.or.barricade,.behind.which.Harry,.Hermione.and.Hagrid.now.stood..
.Sleepin.,..breathed.Hagrid..
Sure.enough,.Harry.could.hear.a.distant,.rhythmic.rumbling.that.sounded.like.a.pair.of.enormous.lungs.at.work..He.glanced.sideways.at.Hermione,.who.was.gazing.at.the.mound.with.her.mouth.slightly.open..She.looked.utterly.terrified..
.Hagrid,..she.said.in.a.whisper.barely.audible.over.the.sound.of.the.sleeping.creature,..who.is.he?..
Harry.found.this.an.odd.question…..What.is.it?..was.the.one.he.had.been.planning.on.asking..
.Hagrid,.you.told.us.‐..said.Hermione,.her.wand.now.shaking.in.her.hand,..you.told.us.none.of.them.wanted.to.come!..
Harry.looked.from.her.to.Hagrid.and.then,.as.realisation.hit.him,.he.looked.back.at.the.mound.with.a.small.gasp.of.horror..
The.great.mound.of.earth,.on.which.he,.Hermione.and.Hagrid.could.easily.have.stood,.was.moving.slowly.up.and.down.in.time.with.the.deep,.grunting.breathing..It.was.not.a.mound.at.all..It.was.the.curved.back.of.what.was.clearly.—.
.Well.‐.no.‐.he.didn..want.ter.come,..said.Hagrid,.sounding.desperate...But.I.had.ter.bring.him,.Hermione,.I.had.ter!..