Harry Potter 05 - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

completely. ‘Not so much as a warning! Outrageous behaviour!’
    ‘COWARDS!’ bellowed Hagrid; his voice carried clearly to the top of the tower, and several lights flickered back on inside the castle. ‘RUDDY COWARDS! HAVE SOME O’ THAT – AN’ THAT –’
    ‘Oh my –’ gasped Hermione.
    Hagrid took two massive swipes at his closest attackers; judging by their immediate collapse, they had been knocked cold. Harry saw Hagrid double over, and thought he had finally been overcome by a spell. But, on the contrary, next moment Hagrid was standing again with what appeared to be a sack on his back – then Harry realised that Fang’s limp body was draped around his shoulders.
    ‘Get him, get him!’ screamed Umbridge, but her remaining helper seemed highly reluctant to go within reach of Hagrid’s fists; indeed, he was backing away so fast he tripped over one of his unconscious colleagues and fell over. Hagrid had turned and begun to run with Fang still hung around his neck. Umbridge sent one last Stunning Spell after him but it missed; and Hagrid, running full-pelt towards the distant gates, disappeared into the darkness.
    There was a long minute’s quivering silence as everybody gazed open-mouthed into the grounds. Then Professor Tofty’s voice said feebly, ‘Um … five minutes to go, everybody.’
    Though he had only filled in two-thirds of his chart, Harry was desperate for the exam to end. When it came at last he, Ron and Hermione forced their telescopes haphazardly back into their holders and dashed back down the spiral staircase. None of the students were going to bed; they were all talking loudly and excitedly at the foot of the stairs about what they had witnessed.
    ‘That evil woman!’ gasped Hermione, who seemed to be having difficulty talking due to rage. ‘Trying to sneak up on Hagrid in the dead of night!’
    ‘She clearly wanted to avoid another scene like Trelawney’s,’ said Ernie Macmillan sagely, squeezing over to join them.
    ‘Hagrid did well, didn’t he?’ said Ron, who looked more alarmed than impressed. ‘How come all the spells bounced off him?’
    ‘It’ll be his giant blood,’ said Hermione shakily. ‘It’s very hard to Stun a giant, they’re like trolls, really tough … but poor Professor McGonagall … four Stunners straight in the chest and she’s not exactly young, is she?’
    ‘Dreadful, dreadful,’ said Ernie, shaking his head pompously. ‘Well, I’m off to bed. Night, all.’
    People around them were drifting away, still talking excitedly about what they had just seen.
    ‘At least they didn’t get to take Hagrid off to Azkaban,’ said Ron. ‘I ’spect he’s gone to join Dumbledore, hasn’t he?’
    ‘I suppose so,’ said Hermione, who looked tearful. ‘Oh, this is awful, I really thought Dumbledore would be back before long, but now we’ve lost Hagrid too.’
    They traipsed back to the Gryffindor common room to find it full. The commotion out in the grounds had woken several people, who had hastened to rouse their friends. Seamus and Dean, who had arrived ahead of Harry, Ron and Hermione, were now telling everyone what they had seen and heard from the top of the Astronomy Tower.
    ‘But why sack Hagrid now?’ asked Angelina Johnson, shaking her head. ‘It’s not like Trelawney; he’s been teaching much better than usual this year!’
    ‘Umbridge hates part-humans,’ said Hermione bitterly, flopping down into an armchair. ‘She was always going to try and get Hagrid out.’
    ‘And she thought Hagrid was putting Nifflers in her office,’ piped up Katie Bell.
    ‘Oh, blimey,’ said Lee Jordan, covering his mouth. ‘It’s me who’s been putting the Nifflers in her office. Fred and George left me a couple; I’ve been levitating them in through her window.’
    ‘She’d have sacked him anyway,’ said Dean. ‘He was too close to Dumbledore.’
    ‘That’s true,’ said Harry, sinking into an armchair beside Hermione’s.
    ‘I just hope Professor McGonagall’s all right,’ said Lavender tearfully.
    ‘They carried her back up to the castle, we watched through the dormitory window,’ said Colin Creevey. ‘She didn’t look very well.’
    ‘Madam Pomfrey will sort her out,’ said Alicia Spinnet firmly. ‘She’s never failed yet.’
    It was nearly four in the morning before the common room cleared. Harry felt wide awake; the image of Hagrid sprinting away into the dark was haunting him; he was so angry with Umbridge he could