Chapter 10: Hermione and Hagrid

Support me and be 20 chapters ahead of webnovel:

patreon.com/Draco_

*****

"George, thank you so much for getting me out of there!"

Once Harry had escaped the eerie Knockturn Alley and arrived in the bustling, lively Diagon Alley, he let out a sigh of relief and immediately thanked George.

He felt that if George hadn't helped him, the strange and sinister wizards in Knockturn Alley might have caused him real trouble.

"Harry! Harry!"

At that moment, a small girl with thick, bushy brown hair came running up from the street.

"I'm so glad to see you! Why are you covered in dust, and what happened to your glasses?"

"I'm glad to see you too, Hermione."

Harry adjusted his cracked glasses and smiled warmly.

"It was an accident."

"Alright, let me fix that for you. Reparo!"

Hermione pulled out her wand and cast the Repairing Charm on Harry's glasses.

As if time had reversed, Harry's glasses, which had been covered in cracks, were restored to pristine condition within seconds.

"I guess I need to practice this charm more," Harry remarked, admiring his now perfect glasses.

He wasn't like Hermione, who not only mastered all the spells from their first-year textbooks but also learned many others on her own. Harry still hadn't completely mastered even the basic spells, including the Repairing Charm.

George shared similar thoughts.

The Repairing Charm wasn't limited to fixing small objects like glasses; with enough skill, it could even repair collapsed buildings.

In the Marvel world, just this spell alone could make him quite a bit of money.

"And who is this?"

After fixing Harry's glasses, Hermione turned her attention to George, who was standing next to Harry, her expression showing curiosity.

"He's a new friend of mine, George. George, this is Hermione Granger."

Harry quickly made the introductions.

George extended his hand with a smile.

"Hello, Miss Granger. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Hello, George."

Hermione's opinion of George soared when he complimented her appearance. She happily shook his hand.

It was the first time someone other than her parents had called her beautiful, though she'd received many compliments on her intelligence.

"Harry, since your friend has arrived, I should be heading back. See you at Hogwarts!"

After shaking hands with Hermione, George didn't linger. He waved and walked back into Knockturn Alley.

A brief introduction was enough for their first meeting; there was no need for a deeper interaction, which might have seemed too deliberate. Besides, George's time was valuable as he needed to continue studying and researching magic.

Most importantly, he wasn't planning to interfere with Malfoy's plan to secretly give Tom Riddle's diary to Ginny.

The diary contained a fragment of Voldemort's soul and could corrupt minds. Even with his own mental abilities, he wasn't confident he could resist its influence, so he decided not to get involved or take it for himself.

There was no need to try and stop it, especially with Dumbledore around. It would end up being just another trial for Harry, with no real harm coming to any young witch or wizard.

George was considering whether he could take advantage of the situation for his own gain.

"He seems pretty nice. How come I've never seen him at school before?"

Hermione asked, watching George's retreating figure with a hint of curiosity.

George appeared to be around her age, so he should either be in the same year or one year above her. It was strange that she hadn't seen him before.

Harry chuckled and explained, "He's actually just started his first year at Hogwarts this year, so of course, you haven't seen him before."

"Oh, he's younger than us. How did you get to know him?"

As Hermione and Harry walked toward Flourish and Blotts, she asked with interest.

Harry then recounted his recent experience.

Meanwhile, when George returned to the store, he was surprised to see a massive figure standing outside, peering into his shop.

Massive was an understatement; the figure was so tall that it seemed to exceed the limits of normal human height.

Upon closer inspection, the figure appeared to be about three and a half meters tall. George would have to stretch just to reach its waist, and the presence was imposing.

"What's this guy doing outside my shop?"

From the figure's appearance and stature, George immediately guessed who it was.

Indeed, standing before him was Rubeus Hagrid, the Keeper of Keys and Grounds, Keeper of the Forbidden Forest, and Professor of Care of Magical Creatures at Hogwarts—who possessed both wizarding and giant blood.

Reflecting on Hagrid's lineage, George couldn't help but admire Hagrid's father, Mr. Hagrid. It was truly impressive.

Normally, giants are around seven or eight meters tall. The fact that Mr. Hagrid, a man of normal height, was able to marry a giantess and have offspring was quite remarkable and worthy of admiration.

"Excuse me, sir. Can I help you with something?"

George approached and asked.

Hagrid turned and looked down at George. Seeing a rather small wizard, he softened his tone and replied, "I'm looking for a potion to repel flesh-eating slugs. I heard that only this apothecary has it, but unfortunately, it seems to be closed."

Although Hagrid's voice was gentle, his immense size made it sound as if he was shouting.

"This apothecary's owner, Mr. Merton, passed away recently while brewing potions. I've taken over the shop, and I can find the potion you need."

George unlocked the door and quickly went to the counter to retrieve a vial of the potion.

Though Dora was not skilled in potion-making, she was well-versed in herbology and the functions of all the potions in the shop to attract and assist customers.

"This repellent potion is effective not only against flesh-eating slugs but also against cabbage caterpillars and broccoli worms."

"Oh, thank you, young shopkeeper."

Hagrid accepted the potion with some surprise and a satisfied smile.

"How much is it?"

"Generously priced at fourteen Sickles," George said with a smile, extending his hand.

"That's much cheaper than I expected."

Hagrid pulled out a handful of silver Sickles from his enormous moleskin coat pocket, counted out fourteen coins, and placed them in George's hand.

He had expected such a rare potion to cost at least two Galleons.

"Since I'm about to start at Hogwarts and I'm in a good mood, I've given you a discount."

George put the fourteen Sickles into the counter's box and said cheerfully.

Since he had the potential to become a Magizoologist, thanks to his ability to communicate with animals, it would be foolish to waste it.

Building a good relationship with Hagrid and learning more about magical creatures would be beneficial, whether for earning money or enhancing his abilities with magical creatures.

Thus, upon recognizing Hagrid, George decided to make a connection.

Hagrid was warm, kind, and straightforward, making it easy to build a good relationship.

Indeed, hearing George's words, Hagrid was visibly taken aback. His demeanor immediately became much friendlier. He looked at George's face and smiled, saying, "So you're a new student this year. I'm Rubeus Hagrid, the Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts. Once school starts, you should come visit me. I'll make you some rock cakes."

(End of Chapter)