Unexpected talent

Ron thanked Merlin for knowing in advance that the oil was for the castle torches and not for use in the kitchens.

"Well, that should be enough," Barnaby nodded as he observed the vat brimming with toad oil. "Thanks, Gamabunta."

"No problem, that's what... huh?" Gamabunta, who had been about to leave with the boxes of doxy larvae, paused and looked at Ron.

Ron froze under the giant toad's gaze.

"I have never seen such a great talent, such a heroic bearing, and such a determined look," Gamabunta spoke in a low voice, not taking his eyes off Ron. "He has the potential to practice a perfect Sage Mode, take the place of the Toad Sage, and lead my toads."

Barnaby looked at Ron for a moment, then seemed to understand what was happening and chuckled slightly.

"Barnaby, I'll borrow this talent for a while!" Gamabunta reached out toward Ron.

"What? Noooo!" Ron tried to turn and flee, but Gamabunta easily grabbed him with his hand.

"Stay still, kid! You might make the future leader of my toad clan fall!" the giant toad complained.

Question marks almost materialized above Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

With a careful motion, Gamabunta pulled from Ron's hood a toad that had been hiding there for who knows how long.

Hermione recognized the toad.

Harry did too.

Ron, meanwhile, was flailing his legs in the air, wondering what was happening, unable to turn his head 180 degrees.

"Well, Trevor certainly has a unique talent," Barnaby nodded as he did nothing to stop Gamabunta's actions. "I'll explain it to Neville, but remember to let him return home occasionally."

"Don't worry," Gamabunta nodded, and with a burst of smoke, he disappeared along with the boxes of doxy larvae and Trevor.

Ron fell face-first onto the grass when he was released without warning.

Barnaby stood in the middle of the clearing and approached the trio as the smoke dissipated, fanning his hand to clear the remaining air. His staff floated beside him, coughing out some smoke from its comically carved wooden mouth.

"We're done. How about a drink at my place before heading back to the castle?" he proposed, unfazed by all the events that had transpired in just a few minutes. The vat of oil shrank, and he tucked it into an inner pocket of his jacket.

"Yes, please," Ron desperately needed something to divert his attention, and food had always been his go-to option.

Harry and Hermione felt their throats dry from the scare, so they also nodded at the proposal. They didn't yet know that students could visit the kitchen to get some snacks from the house-elves outside of meal times with pleasure.

In fact, they didn't even know about the existence of house-elves.

Once they entered the cabin, they couldn't help but look around curiously.

The rustic appearance was undeniable. They saw a large fur rug on the floor, some sausages hanging from the ceiling beams alongside various dried plants and herbs, a small pile of firewood next to the roaring fireplace, and several pieces of furniture that seemed to have been carved by and for Hagrid due to their dimensions.

But... wasn't it a bit small for two people?

Especially remembering Hagrid's size.

"Do you have a dog?" Ron asked, noticing the rag bed next to the fireplace.

"His name is Fang, but he's with my father on patrol now," Barnaby said as he opened a small door that looked like a pantry and started rummaging through things. "He's quite a cowardly dog, but perhaps he has something special. I don't think any ordinary dog would have lasted so long with us, especially after entering the Forbidden Forest so many times."

He pulled out a bottle with an orange liquid inside and floated four cups through the air, placing them in front of them and pouring a bit into each.

Ron quickly took a drink and almost spat it out in surprise.

"This isn't pumpkin juice!" he exclaimed.

Barnaby also poured himself some and took a sip calmly.

"It's orange juice," Harry happily licked his lips. "It's quite sweet."

"How can it be cold?" Hermione finished her drink and, without waiting any longer, asked the question on her mind. She had seen that the juice wasn't refrigerated.

"Magic," Barnaby responded, tracing a rainbow with his hands while wiggling his fingers dramatically.

Hermione felt that the red-haired boy was doing it on purpose.

She was right.

"I see you haven't changed much," Barnaby rolled his eyes at Hermione's not-so-intimidating glare and showed them the bottom of the cup, which had tiny marks they didn't recognize. "The cups are enchanted to chill the drinks served in them. It's not complicated and very convenient for summer."

"We had similar ones, but Fred and George tried to use them for a prank, and they broke," Ron said, not too surprised by something so "common" in the magical world. "Can I have another?"

"Sure," Barnaby poured him some more and put the bottle back in its place. "Your brothers should learn to control themselves a bit with the pranks. Some are in quite bad taste."

"If you don't mind me asking, what's your history with my brothers?" Ron looked at Barnaby with interest, as few people had managed to keep the twins respectfully at bay.

Ron thought that only Dumbledore and his mother had that privilege, so his surprise when he learned that they were cautious around another boy was not small.

Harry also paid attention with interest, and Hermione remained silent, but her ears were perked up.

"They just chose to prank at the wrong time," Barnaby shook his head without going into further details.

Before they could insist, they all started at hearing a fifth voice.

"That's an understatement; they almost killed someone!"