Master of death

Chapter ten~

Hagrid glanced down at the envelope Dumbledore had given him to deliver as he rode the motorcycle towards his destination, following the mystical trace the letter itself gave to its destination.  Normally an owl would deliver this, but Dumbledore had asked him to deliver it. 
All that was written on the envelope was the name 'Holly', so Hagrid knew who he was delivering the letter to, and was really excited to see how the little tyke had grown up...but the conversation he'd had with Dumbledore before going had left him uncertain and nervous about what he'll find at the letters destination.
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So what can I do fer ya, Professor?" Hagrid asked as he stepped into the Headmaster's office, glancing idly around at all the knickknacks and thingamabobs that filled the shelves. "Everythin' going well fer the new batch of first years?"

"Actually, that's what I need your help with, Rubeus," Dumbledore stated calmly, a pensive frown on his face. "I need you to hand deliver an acceptance letter for a particular new first year."  He slid the letter across the desk, along with the enchanted device that would let Hagrid follow the magic trace that owls used to find their destination. "Really?" Hagrid asked in surprise as he picked up the letter, seeing only the name 'Holly' on the front.  "Blimey, is this for Holly Potter?"

"It is," Dumbledore confirmed. "How come the owls didn't deliver it?" Hagrid pressed.  "Are those Muggles he's living with makin' trouble?" Hagrid asks worriedly. Dumbledore sighed ruefully. "She isn't living with them. As far as I can tell...she never was." Hagrid blinked owlishly at that statement. "Wha? Then where is the tyke?"

"I genuinely have no idea," Dumbledore allowed. "The magic on her says she's with her family, and that she's safe and healthy.  But beyond that, I have no clue. I had hoped that I would have some clue once I received his reply by owl from the Acceptance Letter, but..." His voice trailed off as his expression showed he was rather flummoxed. "Well, what's the problem then?" Hagrid pressed, certain the Headmaster could handle anything.

"The owls refuse to make the delivery."
Hagrid blinked in surprise at that. That was unheard of. "What?"
"I gave the letter to one of the school owls," Dumbledore explained calmly. "He took the letter in his beak, his eyes widened, and he promptly dropped it and fled to the furthest corner of the owlery, letting off the most frightened sounding call I'd ever heard a mail owl make...and the entire rest of the owlery refused to come anywhere near me so long as I held the letter."

"Blimey!" Hagrid declared, rather stupefied. "Somewhere owls won't go?  What kinda place is Holly at, anyway?"

"I'm hoping you can tell me," Dumbledore offered in frustration. "I admit, this might be quite dangerous of a trip-"

"Holly's there, wherever it is," Hagrid stated firmly as he took the letter and tracker. "Not backing down from making sure she's okay." Dumbledore smiled warmly. "Thank you, Hagrid," he offered warmly. "I knew I could count on you."

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And now here Hagrid was, following the tracker on his flying motorcycle. He'd already crossed the Atlantic in his quest, coming down for a gentle landing on the roads of New York as the tracker indicated he was close enough to follow roads rather than risk exposure. The invisibility generator on the motorcycle only had so much juice in it, after all, and he'd drained more than he'd planned coming this far. Still, he had a map of New York, and a bit of driving about should tell him roughly where he was going...as long as he remembered to stay on the right side of the road, which in America was actually the right side..