On Saturday morning, William, Cedric, and Cho left the castle and crossed the fields, making their way toward the Forbidden Forest.
Hagrid lived on the edge of the forest in a small wooden hut, with a large crossbow and a pair of rubber boots sitting outside his door.
On Thursday, William had received a letter from Hagrid, inviting him over for a little visit, and to have a chance to pet his three-headed dog. Naturally, William invited Cedric, who also brought along Cho.
As William knocked on the door, a series of tense scuffling sounds came from inside, followed by some deep growls. Then Hagrid's voice boomed through the door,
"Back off, Fang! Back off!"
Hagrid cracked the door open, revealing his large, bearded face. Without his usual oil-slicked hair, he looked a bit rugged but much more normal.
"Hold on," Hagrid said, pulling the door open a little wider while restraining a massive black hound by its collar.
The dog was enormous, and its appearance was a bit intimidating. William quickly pulled out a small fish treat, which the dog immediately lunged for, snapping it out of the air before sitting down, tongue out, drooling, and waiting for more.
William reached into his bag and pulled out a bundle, tapping it with his wand. "Engorgio!"
The package grew larger, and William opened it to reveal a huge bag of fish treats. He placed them on the table and also opened a tin of beef bites, setting it on the floor for the dog.
Fang wagged his tail furiously and rushed over to the beef bites.
Everyone gave William a peculiar look. Who carries that kind of thing around?
William shrugged. "These are Boba Tea's snacks. Since he can't finish them all, I figured Fang might enjoy them."
Cho chuckled. "Your cat sure has a refined palate," she said, still remembering how Boba Tea had turned its nose up at her lunch on the train.
Hagrid asked, "Where's Boba Tea, then? I don't see him around."
"He's recovering from some emotional trauma," William replied with a sigh. "He's been spending time with Mrs. Norris to cope."
Ever since that Transfiguration class, Boba Tea had been avoiding Professor McGonagall at all costs. Her Animagus form had clearly left a lasting impression on his fragile feline mind.
"Poor thing," Hagrid said sympathetically.
"Mrs. Norris, that old cranky cat of Filch's—she follows me everywhere around the school, can't get rid of her. I swear Filch must be tellin' her to spy on me."
Hagrid shook his head. "I thought about introducin' her to Fang here, but if Boba Tea's friends with her, maybe it's better not to."
Hagrid looked genuinely regretful, feeling bad for Fang as the dog continued gobbling up the beef bites.
The inside of Hagrid's hut was small but cozy. The ceiling was hung with hams and pheasants, a copper kettle was boiling over the hearth, and there was a large bed in one corner covered with a patchwork quilt.
The three of them sat down on wooden stools.
"This is Cho," Cedric introduced.
"Ah, pleased to meet yeh," Hagrid said, reaching out a massive hand.
Cho, not at all intimidated, shook his hand confidently.
Hagrid, grinning ear to ear, said, "I reckon yeh haven't had breakfast yet?"
He got up and poured hot water into a large teapot, while placing rock-hard scones on a tray. He also crumbled some of the scones into Fang's dish, though Fang just nosed it aside.
The scones were tough enough to crack teeth, but William, Cedric, and Cho did their best to pretend they were enjoying them. It was a good thing Boba Tea wasn't here—things would've been awkward for sure if he was with them.
Fang, having finished his meal, rested his head on William's knee, drooling all over his robes. William chose not to offer any more treats, as Hagrid had already packed away the rest of the fish snacks, leaving Fang rather disappointed.
Hagrid pulled the curtains tight and opened the hearth. Inside the hearth, in a dark, shadowy corner, a ragged blanket was spread out.
The three of them gathered eagerly around Hagrid like little birds, excited to finally meet the legendary three-headed dog.
But the sight that met them wasn't quite what William had expected.
Instead of the regal, majestic beast he had imagined, what stood before him was a creature that could only be described as... ugly. Really ugly.
Its three heads were mismatched in size, causing even the most mild of obsessive-compulsive disorders to flare up.
The largest head had a pair of crossed eyes that made it look particularly ridiculous. The second head, slightly smaller, had teeth that stretched from its mouth all the way down its throat, looking grotesque and unsettling.
The third and smallest head was marred by a large, dark birthmark that covered half its face.
This was... not what he had been expecting.
As Hagrid came near, the three-headed dog tried to squeeze out of its makeshift den, drooling thick ropes of saliva from its many mouths. The drool hung like sticky strings from its sharp, jagged teeth.
Hagrid beamed with pride. He reached up to the rafters and pulled down a fat, dried pheasant, tossing it into the hearth for the dog.
The heads immediately began snapping and growling at each other, fighting over the meat.
"Oi! Big Head! Leave some for Little Head!" Hagrid called out. "Poor Little Head's always starvin'—look how skinny he is!"
Hagrid had apparently named each of the heads: Big Head, Middle Head, and Little Head.
The three-headed dog even had a proper name—Fluffy.
Hagrid grinned from ear to ear. "Ain't she beautiful?"
He reached out to stroke Big Head's forehead, which promptly bit down on his finger, baring its sharp fangs.
"See how strong those jaws are!" Hagrid said proudly. "That's the best compliment a mom could get!"
William, Cedric, and Cho exchanged uneasy glances, wondering if Hagrid had lost himself a bit too deeply in his own world of make-believe.
Hagrid then grabbed some of the leftover fish snacks William had brought and tossed them into the hearth. The three heads immediately started tearing into each other for the treats.
Fang, deeply offended, let out a low growl. Those had been his snacks! He stood on his hind legs and glared at the three-headed puppy, who was trying to suckle from Fang.
But Fang, being a male dog, stared down at his anatomy in confusion before letting out a miserable howl and fleeing toward the door in shame.
"Time for bed now, Fluffy," Hagrid cooed as he gently patted Big Head, singing a lullaby that sounded more like wailing banshees than a soothing tune.
But, surprisingly, the dog's three heads quickly settled down and fell asleep to the awful sound.
Hagrid closed the hearth grate, grinning with satisfaction. "See that? All it takes is a song, and she's right off to sleep. Treats me like her mum, she does."
Cedric, trying to steer the conversation back on track, asked, "Hagrid, does Professor Dumbledore know you have a three-headed dog?"
Hagrid scratched his head, looking sheepish. "Well, I was gonna tell him…"
William raised an eyebrow. "Weren't you supposed to tell him before term started?"
"I... didn't know how to bring it up," Hagrid admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. "What if he says I can't keep her?"
Cedric looked concerned. "That could be a problem, Hagrid. My dad works for the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, so I know the rules. You're not allowed to keep magical creatures like this without a special license. If they find out, they might order her to be put down."
Hagrid's face turned pale.
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