Another Dursley

Exploding Chocolate

  Harry sprinted up to the boys' dormitories Ron at his tail.

I frowned,"I'm not even out of these clothes yet."

"Come with me."Hermione pulled me with her up the Girls dormitories.

She allowed me to rinse off the sweat and dress in some of her warm clothes before we rushed down to the common room where Ron and Harry waited impatiently with the Invisibility Cloak and the Marauder's Map at hand.

"I had to change at some point."I said defensively, as Ron clicked his tongue impatiently.

We crept through the portrait hole and covered ourselves hastily in the Cloak--Ron had grown so much he now needed to crouch to prevent his feet showing--then, moving slowly and cautiously, we proceeded down the many staircases, pausing at intervals to check on the map for signs of Filch or Mrs. Morris.

We were lucky; we saw nobody but Nearly Headless Nick, who was gliding along absent-mindedly humming something that sounded like "Weasley is our King".

We crept across the Entrance Hall and out into the silent, snowy grounds. With a great leap of heart, little golden squares of light could be seen ahead and smoke came coiling up from Hagrid's chimney. Harry set off at a quick march, which had us jostling and bumping along behind him trying to keep up. We crunched excitedly through the thickening snow until at last we reached the wooden front door. When Harry raised his fist and knocked three times, a dog started barking frantically inside.

"Hagrid, it's us!"Harry called through the keyhole.

"Shoulda known!"said a gruff voice.

We beamed at each other under the Cloak; we could tell by Hagrid's voice that he was pleased. "Bin home three seconds . . . out the way, Fang . . . out the way, yeh dozy dog . . ."

The bolt was drawn back, the door creaked open and Hagrid's head appeared in the gap.

Hermione screamed making me cover her mouth and give her a look.

"Merlin's beard, keep it down!"said Hagrid hastily, staring wildly over their heads. "Under that Cloak, are yeh? Well, get in, get in!"

"I'm sorry!"Hermione gasped, as the four of us squeezed past Hagrid into the house and pulled the Cloak off, so he could see us,"I just--oh, Hagrid!"

"It's nuthin', it's nuthin'!"said Hagrid hastily, shutting the door behind us and hurrying to close all the curtains, but Hermione continued to gaze up at him in horror.

Hagrid's hair was matted with congealed blood and his left eye had been reduced to a puffy slit amid a mass of purple and black bruising. There were many cuts on his face and hands, some of them still bleeding, and he was moving gingerly, which made me suspect broken ribs. It was obvious that he had only just got home: a thick black travelling cloak lay over the back of a chair and a haversack large enough to carry several small children leaned against the wall inside the door. Hagrid himself, twice the size of a normal man, was now limping over to the fire and placing a copper kettle over it.

"What happened to you?"Harry demanded, while Fang danced around trying to lick our faces.

"Told yeh, nuthin'"said Hagrid firmly. "Want a cuppa?"

"Come off it,"said Ron,"you're in a right state!"

"I'm tellin' yeh, I'm fine,"said Hagrid, straightening up and turning to beam at us all, but wincing. "Blimey, it's good ter see yeh three again--had good summers, did yeh?"

"Hagrid, you've been attacked!"said Ron.

"Fer the las' time, it's nuthin'!"said Hagrid firmly.