It took all of five seconds for Harry to sprint up to the boys' dormitories to fetch the Invisibility Cloak and the Marauder's Map from his trunk.
When he returned moments later, the core four crept through the portrait hole and covered themselves hastily in the Cloak - Ron and Charlie had grown so much that they now needed to crouch to prevent their feet from showing - then, moving slowly and cautiously, they proceeded down the many staircases, pausing at intervals to check on the map for signs of Filch or Mrs. Norris. They were lucky; they saw nobody but Nearly Headless Nick, who was gliding along absent-mindedly humming something that sounded horribly like 'Weasley is our King'.
They crept across the Entrance Hall and out into the silent, snowy grounds. With a great leap of his heart, Charlie saw little golden squares of light ahead and smoke coiling up from Hagrid's chimney. He set off at a quick march, the other three jostling and bumping along behind him. They crunched excitedly through the thickening snow until at last they reached the wooden front door. When Charlie raised his fist and knocked three times, Fang started barking frantically inside.
"Hagrid, it's us!" Charlie called through the keyhole.
"Shoulda known!" said a gruff voice.
The core four beamed at each other under the Cloak; they 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.
"Merlin's beard, keep it down!" said Hagrid hastily, waving wildly over their heads. "Under that Cloak, are yeh? Well, get in, get in!"
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"I'm sorry!" Hermione gasped, as the four of them squeezed past Hagrid into the house and pulled the Cloak off themselves so he could see them. "I just - oh, Hagrid!'
"It's nuthin', it's nuthin'!" said Hagrid quickly, shutting the door behind them 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 Charlie 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 them all, trying to lick their faces.
"Told yeh, nuthin'," said Hagrid firmly. "Want a cuppa?"
