In the afternoon, around three o'clock, Ethan met Harry and Ronald in the lobby, and they prepared to visit Hagrid together.
Crossing the grass, they reached the edge of the Black Lake and walked a little further until they arrived at Hagrid's cabin. A crossbow and a pair of rubber boots lay by the door.
"This is Hagrid's Cabin. Wait a second, I'll go knock," Harry said, turning to Ethan and Ronald as they reached the door.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
Along with Harry's knocking, Ethan and the others clearly heard the sound of things falling and a low bark from inside the house.
Then, a booming voice shouted, "Back off, Fang! Back off!"
After a moment, the door finally creaked open, and Hagrid stepped out. His hair was messy, his beard tangled, and he held a black dog collar in his hand, looking somewhat disheveled.
"Back off, Fang!" Hagrid commanded as he pulled the dog aside to make way for Ethan and the others.
Once inside, they saw there was only one room. Hams and pheasants hung from the ceiling, a copper kettle was boiling over a fire in the hearth, and a large bed, covered in a patchwork quilt, stood in the corner.
There was also a white blanket that looked gray and unremarkable, but Ethan recognized it as unicorn hair. Some colorful feathers lay around, likely from a Fwooper or a Diricawl. However, Ethan couldn't spot any of the huge fangs.
Clearly, Hagrid was a secretive rich man at Hogwarts with some valuable possessions.
In the future, if Ethan could get some magical creatures that Hagrid was interested in, he could possibly trade with him.
"Make yourselves at home, sit anywhere!" Hagrid said cheerfully, letting Fang go.
But as soon as Fang was freed, he dashed to Ethan's feet, whimpering in a friendly manner.
"This is Ronald Weasley!" Harry introduced, "And this is Ethan Adrian!"
Hagrid, busy setting things up, turned around and looked at Ronald's red hair and freckled face. He sighed, rubbing his temples.
"I've spent nearly half my life trying to keep the Weasley twins out of the Forbidden Forest."
Truly, the amount of trouble Fred and George had caused Hagrid was immeasurable.
Ronald's face flushed. He knew his brothers all too well. They were the ultimate pranksters.
Thankfully, Hagrid mentioned it only once and moved on.
Soon after, Hagrid served tea and rock cakes. Harry and Ronald struggled to bite into the hard cakes but did their best to act like they enjoyed them.
Ethan, however, had no interest in testing his teeth on the rock-hard cakes, despite his enhanced physical strength. He discreetly broke off a piece and fed it to Fang, who happily devoured it.
"I've got plenty more rock cakes if you want seconds!" Hagrid said with a smile when he noticed Ethan finishing his piece.
"No, thanks. I'm full after just one," Ethan politely declined, shaking his head.
Harry and Ronald shared a knowing look but had no such luck feeding their rock cakes to Fang, who remained close to Ethan.
"By the way, Hagrid, do you know where I can find frogs?" Ethan asked. He had recently acquired the recipe for a Brain Elixir that required frog brains, but frog brains weren't exactly a common ingredient at Hogwarts.
Ethan hadn't found any in Snape's potions classroom, and with limited access to Diagon Alley, he was unsure of where to look.
"Frogs? There's plenty near the pond to the east, but they're probably hiding now. You'd have to dig them out," Hagrid replied, pointing in the direction.
Ethan nodded, knowing the task would be too much trouble. Flying a few frogs out with a spell would be easier than digging for them.
"Are there any frogs for sale in Hogsmeade?" Ethan asked. Transporting frogs from Diagon Alley or Knockturn Alley would be difficult and expensive.
"There are some at Bruce's pet shop," Hagrid said, "Some of the animals there like to eat frogs and mice. But you can't go to Hogsmeade until your third year, so don't even think about sneaking out. I can bring some back for you if you need them."
"Thanks, Hagrid, I'll let you know if I need any," Ethan replied, realizing that having Hagrid bring frogs would only provide a small amount. He needed larger quantities for his elixir.
Ethan planned to use the Brain Elixir for himself, but he also intended to sell it to other students. The elixir would be especially popular among fifth, sixth, and seventh years preparing for exams.
"Hagrid, is Snape targeting me because of something to do with my parents?" Harry asked, remembering that Hagrid had been the keeper of keys at Hogwarts for many years and was friends with his parents.
"Snape's like that with all students," Hagrid said evasively, avoiding Harry's gaze. "Especially with Gryffindors."
Harry noticed Hagrid's hesitation but decided not to push further. He could ask his aunt when he returned.
This only made Harry more certain that something had happened between Snape and his parents.
Then Harry brought up an article in the Daily Prophet about a robbery at Gringotts on July 31st, and Hagrid became even more evasive, trying to shut Harry up with more rock cakes.
On the way back, their pockets were stuffed with rock cakes. Hagrid had been too enthusiastic for them to refuse.
But Harry left Hagrid's hut with more questions than answers.
Now he had to think about Snape and his family, and the mysterious package from Gringotts. He suspected the robbery had something to do with the package Hagrid had collected earlier.
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