Frost Moon Ⅳ

With the world truly starting to go sideways, Rowan finally shouted, "Hagrid, I'm going to throw up," causing Hagrid to hastily set her down back onto the floor.

"Sorry, Rowan," Hagrid sincerely apologized. "I jus' got excited dat's all."

"Okay," Rowan weakly grunted holding onto the table to steady herself and looking rather green, before slumping down into her chair to find that Fang is still chewing on the raisin cookie that hasn't softened the least bit.

"Er, what kind of ring, do you think Olympia might like, Rowan?" Hagrid hastily asked with his one-track mind.

Rowan privately thought to herself, 'the expensive kind,' as she recalled the glittering rings on Madam Maxime's fingers. Still trying to be tactful, she replies, "I'm certain that she will love anything that you give her, Hagrid, as long as it is something from you."

"I got jus' the thing," Hagrid gleefully replied as he hurried over to a drawer and reached inside. Searching blindly for a bit, loud rattling can be heard inside of round, rock-like sounds of things being tumbled around this way and that. Finally, after some time, his face brightens up as he feels and finds the largest large lump of rock, and successfully pulls it out. "M' ma brought it with her and said it was for me," he proudly said as he showed Rowan a roughly cut gem the size of Hagrid's fist.

Rowan makes a loud choking sound at the sight of the very large uncut diamond. "I'm certain that Madam Maxime will adore it," Rowan drily remarked. "In fact, it's so large, you may want to have the goblins cut it down, Hagrid to create an entire jewelry set."

"Yeah, it will make it that much special!" Hagrid excitedly said. "Mum brought some other gems for me too. She said they were just pretty rocks she collected, and she no longer had any use for dem. She kept one pouch for herself and gave one over to me. I'm not sure how much the goblins will give me for them, but I hope it's enough to cover the cost for the ring."

Rowan had the rather distinct feeling that Hagrid's mother unknowingly had gifted her son a rather large fortune. Still, she didn't want Hagrid to get robbed, because, well, the goblins only stuck EXACTLY to the terms of a contract. "Hagrid, tomorrow morning, I'll have Terry write to his father, Mr. Greengrass, he's an expert at judging the accurate price for jewelry. He'll be sure to help you when negotiating with the goblins at Gringotts."

"That's mighty nice of ya, Rowan," Hagrid replied with a beaming smile, before putting the large gemstone away in the clattering drawer full of roughly cut gemstones.

Full of cheer, Hagrid sits down happily full of great hope and plans. Gulping down a mouthful of tea, he says, "I almost forgot, Rowan. Ya never told m' about the Great Horned Snake. I haven't seen her at all, I'd love to study her closer!"

"She's a secret, for now, Hagrid," Rowan sternly said. "And as to why she is here, well, she is the guardian of Hogwarts."

Hagrid fiercely nods his head in understanding. "I thought as much," and makes a zipping motion with his hand. "Still, when it's free and ya know out in the open, I'd really like it if I could get a closer look at her."

"I'm sure, she wouldn't mind that when the time comes," Rowan honestly answered. Nadira rather liked attention if the merpeople were anything to go by. Lots of attention….

"Dat's awfully good," Hagrid said with a beaming smile lighting up his handsomely rugged face. "By the way, Rowan, I got something else I want to discuss with ya."

"Which is what exactly?" Rowan a bit warily asked.

"I've been speaking with Professor Kettleburn about the ban on experimental breeding created by Mister Newt Scamander," Hagrid earnestly explained. "We were discussing as to the reason why or why not it might be a good idea."

"And why is that, Hagrid?" Rowan reluctantly asked already afraid to find out.

"Well, jus' think on all the fantastic creatures that we are missing out on," Hagrid enthusiastically said. "Why I'd want to see what would occur between the crossing of Manticores and Fire Crabs. I can already imagine what a glorious sight they would be! I even know jus' what I'd call them, Blast-Ended Skrewt's!"

Rowan almost spits out the tea, she had in her mouth. That hideous creature from Potter's time! It was an extremely evil-tempered creature with gray, shiny armor with a poisonous tail and that expelled fire from its backside. Why in heavens name did Hagrid want to bring forth such an atrocity to life!

Taking a deep breath, Rowan tries to be kind with her wording but decides in the end that subtly is wasted on Hagrid. "Hagrid," she solemnly said, "forcefully creating a creature has never brought anyone joy to the creation and only served to herald far more trouble to the wizarding world than its worth."

"What da ya mean, Rowan?" Hagrid protested in bewilderment. "I ain't aiming to harm anyone that's for sure!"

"Then let me ask you this, Hagrid," Rowan gravely continued. "Herpo, the Foul created the Basilisk. Yes, indeed one of the most incredible and marvelous creatures to behold, but just as deadly. A creature hated on sight and hunted for its mere existence. Tell me, Hagrid, do you believe that a Basilisk lives a joyous or even a fulfilling life?

Hagrid opens his mouth to speak but is unable to as Rowan speaks right over him. "On the contrary, Basilisks live in cruel confinement most of their lives usually slaughtered before entering adulthood and growing far too dangerous to control. There is a large black market on Basilisk parts and venom as they are considered rare and useful, and the Ministry of Magic can only do so much to prevent illegal transactions. For where there is a buyer, there is always a supplier. More importantly, will you condemn an entire creature's existence for your own self-satisfaction, Hagrid? I thought you better than that."

Hagrid lets out a weak protest but is unable to deny Rowan's words. A flush of shame appears on his ruggedly attractive face as Hagrid wilts with embarrassment. "I guess, I was jus' so excited, Rowan that I forgot myself," he murmured before pulling his head up and recovering.

Pounding on his muscular chest, Hagrid loudly declares, "But it won't happen again, Rowan, no sire! I ain't going to repeat the same mistakes of the past! We're here to protect the magical creatures of the world because that's what a true wizard and witch does!"

"Precisely," Rowan murmured in approval, before pulling out her silver engraved watch to glance at the time. "It is getting rather late, Hagrid, and though I very much enjoyed our discussion, I best be heading back."

"Of course," Hagrid hastily said as Rowan rose to her feet and slipped her pocket watch back into its place.

Pulling up her hood, Rowan pauses and turns to gaze at Hagrid for a moment. "Before I go and lest I forget Hagrid, how is your family and Aragog doing?"

"Great!" Hagrid exclaimed with a beaming expression. "'Dere have been a couple of mishaps 'ere and 'dere, but nothing to worry about. M' mum's been really good at hunting, and m' stepdad, Filfor, is not too bad. And m' brother, Grawp, he's so bright, Rowan! It was hard at first, but now he's learning to speak and even to write!

"Well, I'm glad," Rowan murmured truthfully. No doubt, Grawp was easier to control at this present age and with his two parents still present. There was very little doubt in her mind that by the time Hagrid found Grawp in Potter's time that Grawp had been orphaned at a relatively young age. Under such circumstances, Grawp grew up neglected and subjected to violence from the other giants, Grawp's potential to learn had largely been squashed to smithereens from his rough childhood.

Hagrid happily mumbles about his family for a bit, before scratching his face. "Aragog and his kin are doing jus' fine, Rowan, thanks for asking. They're a bit annoyed by m' family, but they're alright since Aragog said so."

"Hmm," Rowan hummed for a moment, before lying, "Well, thank you for tea and the prepared sweets, Hagrid, they were lovely."

"Oh, well, if you like dem so much, Rowan, I can pack up a few to take!" Hagrid enthusiastically replied much to Rowan's distress.

"No, no, there is no need Hagrid," Rowan hastily said. "I'm certain that your brother will enjoy the sweets."

"Blimey, how'd you know, Rowan?" Hagrid asked in utter astonishment.

Rowan's face carefully goes blank not to reveal her inner thoughts. "Just a guess," she said aloud, while internally thinking that only Giants would have a taste for such rock-hard food that or Trolls. They must have a rock-hard indigestion system, because otherwise such sweets were guaranteed to plug anyone else up if not straight up kill them from constipation!