Good Enough | hp

23| Kill Two Birds With One Stone

"It is not Hagrid."

"Well it has to be Hagrid, doesn't it?" Ron looked up at her from the armchair he was sitting in. "He got caught, the attacks stopped."

"Keep in mind," Estella pointed out, "that not moments ago you were ready to ride or die on the ludicrous idea that I stole the diary." Ron reddened.

Harry's consistent pacing echoed around the room, his face taut and grim. "Ron's right. Riddle caught him, remember?

Estella wrung her hands, disbelieving. The two boys had just told her what they'd gotten up to the past few days, including Harry reliving Tom Riddle's memory from within the black diary and Hermione's apparent epiphany moments before she'd gotten petrified.

Estella clenched her jaw. The thought still made her flinch. She wished her twin were here to tell them what to do. 

No doubt Hermione would've already come up with a billion possibilities and the exact plan they needed to extract the information.

I wish I could do that, thought Estella, her shoulders drooping. Will I even be any help?

You will! she protested back, You promised.

She took a deep breath in. She had. "Well, there's only one way to find out," she said, straightening. "We have to go talk to Hagrid."

✰♪

Under cover of Harry's invisibility cloak, Harry, Ron and Estella made their way to Hagrid's hut, only pulling it off when they were right outside his front door.

Seconds after they had knocked, Hagrid flung it open. They found themselves face-to-face, with him aiming a crossbow at them, Fang the boarhound barking loudly behind them.

"Goodness!" Estella stumbled back and Harry caught her. 

She was suddenly hyperaware of his hand on her back and his gaze on hers. She composed herself as best she could and hurried to put some distance between them.

"Oh," Hagrid said, saving Estella from her embarrassment, lowering the weapon and staring at them. "What're you three doin' here?"

"What's that for?" said Harry, pointing at the crossbow as they stepped inside.

"Nothin'... nothin'," Hagrid muttered. "I've bin expectin'... doesn' matter... Sit down... I'll make tea..."

Estella asked," Expecting what?" but Hagrid just shook his head.

He hardly seemed to know what he was doing. He nearly extinguished the fire, spilling water from the kettle on it, and then smashed the teapot with a nervous jerk of his massive hand.

"Are you ok, Hagrid?" said Harry. Then, with a quick glance at Estella, "Did you hear about Hermione?"

"Oh, I heard, all righ'," said Hagrid, a slight break in his voice.

He kept swivelling to look out the windows. He poured the three of them large mugs of boiling water(he had forgotten to add tea bags) and was just putting a slab of fruitcake on a plate when there was a loud knock on the door.

Hagrid dropped the fruitcake. Estella jumped, trying to catch it before it hit the ground. Harry and Ron exchanged panic-stricken looks.

Estella managed to slide her hands below the falling dessert and placed it carefully back on the platter. 

"Estella," Ron hissed, gesturing to her. He and Harry were under the invisibility cloak and had retreated into a corner. 

Estella hurried over to them, shooting one last look at Hagrid before she too crammed under the silvery fabric.