Harry Potter 04 - Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

never seen before. Firs’ task … ah, but I’m not supposed ter say.’
    ‘Go on, Hagrid!’ Harry, Ron and Hermione urged him, but he just shook his head, grinning.
    ‘I don’ want ter spoil it fer yeh,’ said Hagrid. ‘But it’s gonna be spectacular, I’ll tell yeh that. Them champions’re going ter have their work cut out. Never thought I’d live ter see the Triwizard Tournament played again!’
    They ended up having lunch with Hagrid, though they didn’t eat much – Hagrid had made what he said was a beef casserole, but after Hermione unearthed a large talon in hers, she, Harry and Ron rather lost their appetites. They enjoyed themselves trying to make Hagrid tell them what the tasks in the Tournament were going to be, however, speculating which of the entrants were likely to be selected as champions, and wondering whether Fred and George were beardless yet.
    A light rain had started to fall by mid-afternoon; it was very cosy sitting by the fire, listening to the gentle patter of the drops on the window, watching Hagrid darning his socks and arguing with Hermione about house-elves – for he flatly refused to join S.P.E.W. when she showed him her badges.
    ‘It’d be doin’ ’em an unkindness, Hermione,’ he said gravely, threading a massive bone needle with thick yellow yarn. ‘It’s in their nature ter look after humans, that’s what they like, see? Yeh’d be makin’ ’em unhappy ter take away their work, an’ insultin’ ’em if yeh tried ter pay ’em.’
    ‘But Harry set Dobby free, and he was over the moon about it!’ said Hermione. ‘ And we heard he’s asking for wages now!’
    ‘Yeah, well, yeh get weirdos in every breed. I’m not sayin’ there isn’t the odd elf who’d take freedom, but yeh’ll never persuade most of ’em ter do it – no, nothin’ doin’, Hermione.’
    Hermione looked very cross indeed, and stuffed her box of badges back into her cloak pocket.
    By half past five it was growing dark, and Ron, Harry and Hermione decided it was time to get back up to the castle for the Hallowe’en feast – and, more importantly, the announcement of the school champions.
    ‘I’ll come with yeh,’ said Hagrid, putting away his darning. ‘Jus’ give us a sec.’
    Hagrid got up, went across to the chest of drawers beside his bed and began searching for something inside it. They didn’t pay too much attention, until a truly horrible smell reached their nostrils.
    Coughing, Ron said, ‘Hagrid, what’s that?’
    ‘Eh?’ said Hagrid, turning around with a large bottle in his hand. ‘Don’ yeh like it?’
    ‘Is that aftershave?’ said Hermione, in a slightly choked voice.
    ‘Er – eau-de-Cologne,’ Hagrid muttered. He was blushing. ‘Maybe it’s a bit much,’ he said gruffly. ‘I’ll go take it off, hang on …’
    He stumped out of the cabin, and they saw him washing himself vigorously in the water barrel outside the window.
    ‘Eau-de-Cologne?’ said Hermione in amazement. ‘Hagrid?’
    ‘And what’s with the hair and the suit?’ said Harry in an undertone.
    ‘Look!’ said Ron suddenly, pointing out of the window.
    Hagrid had just straightened up and turned round. If he had been blushing before, it was nothing to what he was doing now. Getting to their feet very cautiously, so that Hagrid wouldn’t spot them, Harry, Ron and Hermione peered through the window and saw that Madame Maxime and the Beauxbatons students had just emerged from their carriage, clearly about to set off for the feast, too. They couldn’t hear what Hagrid was saying, but he was talking to Madame Maxime with a rapt, misty-eyed expression Harry had only ever seen him wear once before – when he had been looking at the baby dragon, Norbert.
    ‘He’s going up to the castle with her!’ said Hermione indignantly. ‘I thought he was waiting for us?’
    Without so much as a backward glance at his cabin, Hagrid was trudging off up the grounds with Madame Maxime, the Beauxbatons students following in their wake, jogging to keep up with their enormous strides.
    ‘He fancies her!’ said Ron incredulously. ‘Well, if they end up having children, they’ll be setting a world record – bet any baby of theirs would weigh about a ton.’
    They let themselves out of the cabin and shut the door behind them. It was surprisingly dark outside. Drawing their cloaks more closely around themselves, they set off up the sloping lawns.
    ‘Ooh, it’s them, look!’ Hermione