Running

Chapter 14

Harry had tried to visit Hagrid on occasion during the first semester at Hogwarts but he still felt like he hadn't spent enough time with the half-giant since coming back to this timeline. Their relationship had been developing at a fair pace and Hagrid seemed a little less nervous around Harry this time around, likely because the boy wasn't constantly bugging him about the Philosopher's Stone. As he knocked on the door, he heard a shout of surprise from inside followed by clattering and clanging. Finally, Hagrid cracked open the door, just a little, and peered outside.

"Ah, hello Harry," he grinned nervously, "everything alright?"

"Um yeah," Harry said, trying to look around the large man, "Is everything ok?"

"O'Course! Nothing to see 'ere," Hagrid tried to edge himself around the door and close it behind him, but as he did, Harry saw a glimpse of a round purple object glowing above a fire. The cabin was sweltering hot, despite the harsh winter cold outside and all the curtains were drawn. That's when it hit him.

"Hagrid, is that a dragon's egg?" Harry said in faux surprise as he pushed his way in. Of course, he already knew the answer and was just trying to figure out how to get rid of it without upsetting Hagrid too much. After everything that had happened to him and Hermione at Hogwarts, Norbert seemed like such a small, forgettable incident. 

"Well, er.." The groundskeeper let out a nervous laugh, "Yeah, I suppose you could say something like that."

"Hagrid! There's no way you can keep a dragon egg on school grounds, what if you get caught?"

"I know, Harry I know. But it's just a baby, can't do no harm, not really." Hagrid turned towards the egg and gave it a sad smile as he let Harry sit inside.

"It could sneeze and burn your house to the ground."

"Now don't go saying things like that, accidents happen," Hagrid happily added some dry wood to the pile - much to Harry's dismay.

"It won't be a baby forever, you can't keep a fully grown dragon in here," Harry tried to say as softly as possible. He knew how attached Hagrid was to such creatures and knew how it would devastate him to lose one.

A moment of silence passed. Hagrid let out a heavy sigh, "I know yer right Harry, it was mostly just wishful thinking. Can ye imagine? My very own dragon! And he's gonna need me, he's not got a mummy or anyone lookin' out for him." Harry smiled up at him, "Yeah that does sound cool, but you're risking a lot here Hagrid. What if Dumbledore found out? You'd have broken his trust.'' Hagrid's firm admiration of Dumbledore had never wavered, Harry knew mentioning him would have a greater effect than anything else. "You could lose your job, Hagrid."

"Yeah, yeah I know, I'll have to give him up," Hagrid began sniffling, "I jus' wish I knew he was gonna be in good hands."

"Well, maybe I can help," Harry smiled.

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The stands erupted; it had to be a record, no one could remember the Snitch being caught so quickly, no one but Harry and Hermione anyway. Almost instinctually Harry's first glance when the match started had gone straight to the snitch. He'd dived straight for it at such speed he looked as though he'd apparated. He looked over to a grinning Hermione sitting next to Neville - far from the fistfight ensuing between Draco and Ron; the redhead was clearly losing. The past couple of weeks since the Christmas holidays had been calm, Harry and Hermione spent time as normal students, enjoying themselves, practising with Oliver Wood, spending time with Hagrid, and taking their time before destroying the stone. It didn't feel like there was too much of a rush to destroy it - it was out of Voldemort's hands, Dumbledore didn't know they had it and they had no plans to use it; they had time. Speaking of the Headmaster, he was heading straight towards Harry as he lowered his broom to the ground.