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〃No；〃 Harry said； shrugging。 〃So what？〃
He knew immediately； from the look Ron was giving him； that he was once again revealing his ignorance of the wizarding world。 Brought up by the Dursleys； there were many things that wizards took for granted that were revelations to Harry； but these surprises had bee fewer with each successive year。 Now； however； he could tell that most wizards would not have said 〃So what？〃 upon finding out that one of their friends had a giantess for a mother。
〃I'll explain inside；〃 said Ron quietly； 〃c'mon。。。〃
Fleur and Roger Davies had disappeared； probably into a more private clump of bushes。 Harry and Ron returned to the Great Hall。 Parvati and Padma were now sitting at a distant table with a whole crowd of Beauxbatons boys； and Hermione was once more dancing with Krum。 Harry and Ron sat down at a table far removed from the dance floor。
〃So？〃 Harry prompted Ron。 〃What's the problem with giants？〃
〃Well； they're。。。 they're。。。〃 Ron struggled for words。 〃。。。 not very nice；〃 he finished lamely。
〃Who cares？〃 Harry said。 〃There's nothing wrong with Hagrid！〃
〃I know there isn't； but。。。 blimey； no wonder he keeps it quiet；〃 Ron said； shaking his head。 〃I always thought he'd got in the way of a bad Engorgement Charm when he was a kid or something。 Didn't like to mention it。。。〃
〃But what's it matter if his mother was a giantess？〃 said Harry。
〃Well。。。 no one who knows him will care； 'cos they'll know he's not dangerous；〃 said Ron slowly。 〃But。。。 Harry； they're just vicious； giants。 It's like Hagrid said； it's in their natures； they're like trolls。。。 they just like killing； everyone knows that。 There aren't any left in Britain now； though。〃
〃What happened to them？〃
〃Well； they were dying out anyway； and then loads got themselves killed by Aurors。 There're supposed to be giants abroad； though。。。 They hide out in mountains mostly。。。〃
〃I don't know who Maxime thinks she's kidding；〃 Harry said； watching Madame Maxime sitting alone at the judges' table； looking very somber。 〃If Hagrid's half…giant； she definitely is。 Big bones。。。 the only thing that's got bigger bones than her is a dinosaur。〃
Harry and Ron spent the rest of the ball discussing giants in their corner； neither of them having any inclination to dance。 Harry tried not to watch Cho and Cedric too much； it gave him a strong desire to kick something。
When the Weird Sisters finished playing at midnight； everyone gave them a last； loud round of applause and started to wend their way into the entrance hall。 Many people were expressing the wish that the ball could have gone on longer； but Harry was perfectly happy to be going to bed； as far as he was concerned； the evening hadn't been much fun。
Out in the entrance hall； Harry and Ron saw Hermione saying good night to Krum before he went back to the Durmstrang ship。 She gave Ron a very cold look and swept past him up the marble staircase without speaking。 Harry and Ron followed her； but halfway up the staircase Harry heard someone calling him。
〃Hey…Harry！〃
It was Cedric Diggory。 Harry could see Cho waiting for him in the entrance hall below。
〃Yeah？〃 said Harry coldly as Cedric ran up the stairs toward him。
Cedric looked as though he didn't want to say whatever it was in front of Ron； who shrugged； looking bad…tempered； and continued to climb the stairs。
〃Listen 。。。〃 Cedric lowered his voice as Ron disappeared。 〃I owe you one for telling me about the dragons。 You know that golden egg？ Does yours wail when you open it？〃
〃Yeah；〃 said Harry。
〃Well。。。 take a bath； okay？〃
〃What？〃
〃Take a bath； and…er…take the egg with you； and…er…just mull things over in the hot water。 It'll help you think。。。 Trust me。〃
Harry stared at him。
〃Tell you what；〃 Cedric said； 〃use the prefects' bathroom。 Fourth door to the left of that statue of Boris the Bewildered on the fifth floor。 Password's 'pine fresh。 ' Gotta go 。。。want to say good night…〃
He grinned at Harry again and hurried back down the stairs to Cho。
Harry walked back to Gryffindor Tower alone。 That had been extremely strange advice。 Why would a bath help him to work out what the wailing egg meant？ Was Cedric pulling his leg？ Was he trying to make Harry look like a fool； so Cho would like him even more by parison？
The Fat Lady and her friend Vi were snoozing in the picture over the portrait hole。 Harry had to yell 〃Fairy lights！〃 before he woke them up； and when he did； they were extremely irritated。 He climbed into the mon room and found Ron and Hermione having a blazing row。 Standing ten feet apart； they were bellowing at each other； each scarlet in the face。
〃Well； if you don't like it； you know what the solution is； don't you？〃 yelled Hermione； her hair was ing down out of its elegant bun now； and her face was screwed up in anger。
〃Oh yeah？〃 Ron yelled back。 〃What's that？〃
〃Next time there's a ball； ask me before someone else does； and not as a last resort！〃
Ron mouthed soundlessly like a goldfish out of water as Hermione turned on her heel and stormed up the girls' staircase to bed。 Ron turned to look at Harry。
〃Well；〃 he sputtered； looking thunderstruck； 〃well…that just proves…pletely missed the point…〃
Harry didn't say anything。 He liked being back on speaking terms with Ron too much to speak his mind right now…but he somehow thought that Hermione had gotten the point much better than Ron had。
CHAPTER TWENTY…FOUR
RITA SKEETER'S SCOOP
Everybody got up late on Boxing Day。 The Gryffindor mon room was much quieter than it had been lately； many yawns punctuating the lazy conversations。 Hermione's hair was bushy again； she confessed to Harry that she had used liberal amounts of Sleekeazy's Hair Potion on it for the ball； 〃but it's way too much bother to do every day；〃 she said matter…of…factly； scratching a purring Crookshanks behind the ears。
Ron and Hermione seemed to have reached an unspoken agreement not to discuss their argument。 They were being quite friendly to each other； though oddly formal。 Ron and Harry wasted no time in telling Hermione about the conversation they had overheard between Madame Maxime and Hagrid； but Hermione didn't seem to find the news that Hagrid was a half…giant nearly as shocking as Ron did。
〃Well； I thought he must be；〃 she said； shrugging。 〃I knew he couldn't be pure giant because they're about twenty feet tall。 But honestly； all this hysteria about giants。 They can't all be horrible。。。 It's the same sort of prejudice that people have toward werewolves。。。 It's just bigotry； isn't it？〃
Ron looked as though he would have liked to reply scathingly； but perhaps he didn't want another row； because he contented himself with shaking his head disbelievingly while Hermione wasn't looking。
It was time now to think of the homework they had neglected during the first week of the holidays。 Everybody seemed to be feeling rather flat now that Christmas was over…everybody except Harry； that is； who was starting （once again） to feel slightly nervous。
The trouble was that February the twenty…fourth looked a lot closer from this side of Christmas； and he still hadn't done anythin