Can it all be true?
Disclaimer: I own nothing here except the idea for this story.
"What is that," asked Hermione pointedly.
"What," the half-giant responded sheepishly.
"Hagrid, you know bloody well what," added Harry.
"Oh… him…He's my pet."
"Where did you get him?" asked Ron, joining the inquiry.
"Down by the sea."
"Down by the sea… the sea, which sea," Hermione questioned further.
"Will yeh be quiet? Don't make a scene, what difference does it make which sea."
"Oh, Hagrid…not again," whimpered Hermione sympathetically.
"I don't know what the big deal is, this one is different."
"How, how is this one different," asked Harry skeptically.
"He's older, he's already grow'd up".
"Well, we can see that," replied Ron snarkily.
"What happened, where did he come from," asked Hermione, "He looks so sad."
"Only a girl would think that can look sad," Ron sighed.
"Ronald!!"
"Well, okay, only a girl and Hagrid," Ron snickered.
Hermione glared at Ron for a moment before Harry continued, "Seriously, Hagrid, what's the story?"
"Well, you see, he's magic."
"Well, yeah, we know that" said Harry, "All of their kind are magic"
"This one can talk."
"What!! He can talk?" Ron blurted.
"Shhh, will yeh keep yer voice down. Yes, he can talk."
"And," Ron asked "what does this talking beast say?"
"He's not a beast, be nice he can hear yeh."
"He can talk and he is sensitive, oh hell," Ron complained.
"Will you be quiet?" Hermione whispered, "I want to hear this."
"Okay, okay," Ron said sheepishly.
"It is a sad story, he had such a great friend, a little boy, His friend, some chap name Jack or somethin' other, he abandoned him."
"The bloody git," Ron spat.
"Ronald!!"
"Oh, sorry, go ahead," murmured Ron.
"Well this chap would come to see him an' brin' gifts an' other fancy stuff. He liked to call him his rascal. They would frolick in the autumn mist, near a land called Honeely."
"Honah Lee??" both Harry and Hermione asked at the same time.
"Yes, tha''s it, Honah Lee, why, yeh heard o' it before?"
"Yes.., well maybe," Harry said quickly, "Please continue."
"What's the big deal with Honah Lee" asked Ron
"Shh, let Hagrid continue," whispered Hermione, in shock from what she was hearing.
"Anyway, He an' this Jack fellow…"
"Jackie, was his name Jackie," interrupted Hermione impatiently
"Yeah tha''s it, Jackie, Jackie Page, pen, paper?"
"Paper, Jackie Paper," asked Harry quietly.
"Yeah, tha''s it, how did yeh know?"
Harry and Hermione glanced quickly at each other.
"Can it all be true?" Harry mouthed.
"We'll explain later, please continue," Hermione added quickly.
"Um…okay," Hagrid said seeming unsure then continued. "Anyway, this Jackie chap would come an' visit him by the sea. They would play together an' travel around on a boat. This Jack chap would sit up on his tail an' lookout fer Pirates an' kings an' princes."
"Oh, how fun," giggled Hermione.
Ron rolled his eyes as he said quietly "Girls…"
"Anyway, they wasn't afraid o' those pirates, no not 'em. All he had to do was roar out his name an' they would lower their flag."
Pausing a moment then Hagrid continued, "So they would spend the days playin' an' frolickin' in the sea near honeely."
"Honah Lee" corrected Hermione automatically.
"Shh," said Ron with a triumphant smile.
"Anyway, yeh know tha' dragons live forever, but not so little boys. He started to like other toys, his painted wings an' giant rings weren't good enough anymore."
"Aww," Hermione said as she was wiping the tears from her eyes.
"Then one cold night it happened, this Jack chap came no more. He was so sad he never roared again."
"He ceased his fearless roar," Harry said quietly.
"He bent his head low down, his green scales fell like rain. He no longer went to play along the merry road."
"Cherry Lane," corrected Hermione
"How do yeh know all this," Hagrid asked.
"I said already; we'll tell you later, please continue," was Hermione's only reply
"He was so sad, he was no longer brave. Without his life-long friend he sadly crawled into his cave," Hagrid explained.
"That is sad," admitted Ron.
"And tha' is where I found him. In tha' cave. I was out explorin' an' jus' found him there. He was all alone o' course, most people wouldn't even have noticed what he was, he was as still as a stone. But I knew o' course. I went back fer months, jus' talkin' to him an' finally convinced him to come live here. Or at least to visit, he talks fondly o' the times he would frolick in the autumn mist an' o' his home called Honeely."
"Hagrid," asked Hermione quietly.
"Hmmm"
She could barely whisper, "What's his name?"
"I reckon I never asked him his name. We were to busy talking about his story."
Harry and Hermione looked at each other and said at the same time
"We think you should call him Puff."
"Well, if he agrees," Hagrid questioned.
"Oh, he will…" Harry said knowingly, with Hermione nodding at his side.
"Hey, so now it's yer turn, how do yeh know all this?"
"Oh, its lunch time, I'm starving. We'll have to tell you later," Harry replied with a grin
"Yeh better come straight back here after lunch," bellowed Hagrid to their retreating forms.
As the 3 walked back to the castle Harry began to whistle and Hermione to hum, the same strange magical tune.
A/N: Yes it is Puff the Magic Dragon originally written by Leonard Lipton and Peter Yarrow.