40

Chapter 40: Honest Hagrid

In the afternoon, around three o'clock, Ethan Adrian met Harry Potter and Ron Weasley in the lobby as they prepared to visit Hagrid together.

Crossing the grass, they reached the edge of the Black Lake and walked a bit further to Hagrid's cabin. In front of the door, they saw a crossbow and a pair of rubber boots.

"This is the place. Hagrid mentioned he only has one house here. I'll go knock on the door," Harry said as he approached.

He knocked firmly on the door: *Thud, thud, thud!*

Inside, there was a sound of objects falling and a low bark from a dog. A moment later, a loud voice called out, "Back off, Fang, back off!"

After a short wait, the door creaked open, revealing Hagrid. His hair was unkempt, his beard tangled, and he looked a bit disheveled. He was holding a black dog collar.

"Back off, Fang!" Hagrid commanded, pulling the black dog aside to let Ethan, Harry, and Ron enter.

Inside, they found a single room with hams and pheasants hanging from the ceiling, a copper kettle boiling on the brazier, and a large bed in the corner covered with ragged bedding. Among the clutter, Ethan noticed a white blanket that looked gray and worn but was actually made from unicorn hair, and some colorful feathers, likely from the Fwooper and the Augurey. He could not spot the huge fangs mentioned earlier.

Hagrid was indeed a hidden gem at Hogwarts, with a surprisingly rich background. Ethan considered that he might exchange magical creatures with Hagrid in the future.

"Make yourselves comfortable, sit anywhere!" Hagrid offered, releasing Fang.

The dog immediately bounded over to Ethan, wagging its tail and whining in a friendly manner.

"This is Ron Weasley," Harry introduced.

"And this is Ethan Adrian!" he added.

Hagrid looked at Ron's red hair and freckled face, shaking his head with a slight grin. "I've spent half my life trying to keep the Weasley twins out of the Forbidden Forest. And now I've got another Weasley here."

Ron's face turned red. He knew his twin brothers were notorious troublemakers, and Hagrid's comment struck a chord. Fortunately, Hagrid didn't dwell on it.

Soon, Hagrid served rock cakes and hot tea. Harry and Ron managed to choke down a few crumbs of the rock cakes, pretending to enjoy them despite their rough texture.

Ethan, however, decided against trying the rock cakes. He broke off a piece and discreetly fed it to Fang, who seemed quite accustomed to and fond of the treats.

"Take some more if you'd like. I've got plenty of rock cakes," Hagrid said cheerfully as he noticed Ethan was almost finished with his.

"No, thanks. I'm good with just one," Ethan declined.

Harry and Ron understood the situation, but since Fang was sticking close to Ethan, they couldn't offer the dog any treats themselves.

"By the way, Hagrid, do you know where I could find frogs?" Ethan asked. He had recently received the recipe for the Brain Elixer, but frog brains were not readily available, and there were no frog dishes on Hogwarts' menu. He hadn't found any in Snape's potion classroom either.

Hagrid thought for a moment before replying, "There are plenty of frogs by the pond to the east, but they might be hiding right now. You'd probably have to dig them out."

Hagrid pointed in a direction and continued, "I don't know if there's a place to buy frogs in Hogsmeade, though. You can only visit Hogsmeade starting in your third year. If you need frogs, I can bring some back for you."

Ethan appreciated the offer but noted that having Hagrid bring them might limit the quantity, as a large number of frogs could spoil quickly.

"That's okay. If I need help, I'll let you know," Ethan said, thinking about using the Traceless Expansion Spell to store frogs if needed.

Ethan planned to use the Brain Elixer for personal use and potentially sell it. He was confident it would be in demand among older students.

"Hagrid, is Snape's hostility towards me related to my parents?" Harry asked. Hagrid had been a key figure at Hogwarts for many years and had known Harry's parents well.

"Isn't Snape like that with all students?" Hagrid replied evasively.

"Especially with Gryffindor students," Harry added.

Hagrid avoided making eye contact and spoke in a disjointed manner, indicating he was reluctant to discuss the topic further. Harry could tell that Hagrid knew more but was not willing to share.

Seeing Hagrid's reluctance, Harry decided to let it go, planning to ask his aunt when he returned home. However, this only deepened Harry's suspicion that something significant had happened between Snape and his parents.

Later, when Harry read about the Gringotts robbery on July 31 in the Daily Prophet, he had more questions. Hagrid's deliberate avoidance and attempts to distract Harry with rock cakes were telling.

On the way back, the trio's pockets were filled with rock cakes, as Hagrid's enthusiasm had made it difficult to refuse his generous offer.

After leaving Hagrid's hut, Harry was deep in thought, troubled by questions about Snape, his aunt's family, and the mysterious package from Gringotts. He suspected that the Gringotts robbery was connected to the package Hagrid had previously retrieved.