In the afternoon, just before three o'clock, David met Harry and Ronald in the entrance hall. Together, they prepared to visit Hagrid.
Crossing the grassy grounds, they walked along the edge of the Black Lake before arriving at Hagrid's wooden hut. Outside the door, a large crossbow and a pair of oversized rubber boots were placed neatly.
"This is it. Hagrid said he only has one house here. I'll knock," Harry said, turning to David and Ronald before rapping on the door.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
As soon as Harry knocked, a loud crashing noise came from inside, followed by a series of deep barks.
Then, a booming voice yelled, "Back off, Fang! Back off!"
A few moments later, the door creaked open. Hagrid appeared, his massive figure blocking most of the doorway. His wild hair and tangled beard made him look even more rugged than usual. In his hand, he held the collar of a massive black hound.
"Back off, Fang!" he commanded, pulling the dog aside to make way for his visitors.
As they stepped inside, David took in the interior of the hut. It was a single-room dwelling with hams and pheasants hanging from the ceiling. A large copper kettle sat over the fireplace, steam rising from its spout. In the corner was an enormous bed, covered with patchwork blankets.
Near the bed, David spotted a white cloth that, on closer inspection, seemed to be woven from unicorn hair. A few colorful feathers—possibly from rare magical birds like the Silent Bird or the Evil Bird—were scattered nearby. Large, sharp fangs lined the shelf along the wall.
Hagrid was wealthier than he appeared.
His collection of magical materials was worth a fortune. If David ever got his hands on any rare magical creatures, he might be able to trade with Hagrid for some valuable resources.
"Sit wherever you like," Hagrid said, waving them inside. He finally let go of Fang's collar, and the dog immediately bounded toward David, whimpering and wagging its tail.
"This is Ronald Weasley," Harry introduced. "And this is David Adrian."
Hagrid turned to Ronald, his face crinkling with recognition. "Weasley, eh?" He sighed, rubbing his temple. "I've spent half my life chasin' the Weasley twins outta the Forbidden Forest."
Ronald flushed red, embarrassed. He knew exactly what kind of trouble his older twin brothers caused. Fred and George were infamous for their mischief.
Luckily, Hagrid didn't dwell on the topic. Instead, he busied himself preparing refreshments. Soon, he set a tray down in front of them, filled with rock cakes and hot tea.
David watched as Harry and Ronald struggled to take bites of the rock-hard cakes, trying their best to pretend they enjoyed them.
David, whose physical strength had been enhanced through his magical training, could probably bite through the rock cake—but he had no desire to. Instead, he discreetly broke off a piece and fed it to Fang, who gobbled it up without hesitation.
"Take more if you like!" Hagrid said cheerfully. "I've got plenty."
"No, thank you," David replied quickly, shaking his head. "One is enough for me."
Harry and Ronald, who were still trying to nibble at their cakes, silently sympathized.
David then turned to Hagrid and asked, "By the way, Hagrid, do you know where I can find frogs?"
He had just obtained the recipe for Bafe Brain Refresher, a potion that required fresh frog brains. However, frogs weren't commonly used at Hogwarts, and he hadn't found any in Snape's potions classroom.
Hagrid scratched his beard. "Hmm... there's plenty of 'em by the pond in the east. But this time of year, they're hidin'. You'd have to dig 'em out."
David frowned. Digging for frogs sounded like a hassle.
"What about Hogsmeade? Do any shops sell frogs?"
"There's Bruce's Pet Shop," Hagrid replied. "Some o' the magical critters there like eatin' frogs. But yeh can't go to Hogsmeade yet, not till yer third year." He gave them a knowing look. "And don't go sneakin' off neither."
David chuckled. "Of course not. But if I need some, I might ask for your help."
Hagrid nodded. "No problem."
David made a mental note. If Bruce's Pet Shop stocked frogs, he could figure out a way to transport them. The trick was keeping them alive and fresh since the potion required frog brains that hadn't been dead for more than an hour.
Meanwhile, Harry had been lost in thought. After a moment, he hesitantly asked, "Hagrid… is Snape targeting me because of my parents?"
Hagrid shifted uncomfortably. "Snape's like that to all students," he muttered. "Especially Gryffindors."
Harry narrowed his eyes. Hagrid wasn't lying, but he was avoiding the real answer.
Sensing that Hagrid wouldn't say more, Harry decided to drop the subject for now. He could always ask his Aunt Petunia later. Still, this exchange only deepened his suspicion that Snape and his parents had a complicated history.
As they continued talking, Harry's gaze fell on an old copy of The Daily Prophet lying on Hagrid's table. The headline caught his eye:
GRINGOTTS ROBBERY ON JULY 31 – VAULT 713 TARGETED
Harry immediately thought back to when he and Hagrid visited Gringotts. Hagrid had taken something from Vault 713 that day… and now that same vault had been robbed.
Was it just a coincidence? Or had the thief been after the package Hagrid took?
"Hey, Hagrid," Harry said, trying to sound casual. "Did you hear about the Gringotts break-in?"
Hagrid stiffened. "Er… yeah. Nothin' was taken, though."
Harry wasn't convinced. "What kind of vault gets broken into but has nothing stolen?"
Hagrid avoided his eyes and shoved another rock cake into Harry's hands. "Eat up!" he said, grinning.
Harry sighed. Hagrid was hiding something.
After spending some more time chatting, the trio eventually left, their pockets stuffed with extra rock cakes—Hagrid had been too enthusiastic for them to refuse.
But as they walked back toward the castle, Harry's mind was full of unanswered questions.
Snape and his parents.
The break-in at Gringotts.
The mysterious package from Vault 713.
He had a feeling all these things were connected.
And he was determined to find out the truth.
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