The Giants Rage, Chapter 3
When the time came for the vampire to check in on his wards progress, he found the rituals he forced upon him to be working even better than he had expected, the physical enhancements being the more obvious but less impressive. In the relatively short span of time, Hagrid had managed to overachieve the expectations set and managed to control all spells he made with a great deal of skill, yet simple in approach.
"You have performed as needed, Halfling. The boy of prophecy, Harry Potter, needs to be relocated from his current address at the Dursleys to this location." Upon saying so, he slid a piece of paper over to Hagrid, which he read then promptly burnt. "As you command. Do you have any specifics as to how I need to do this?" The vampire merely smirked. "Continue doing as you have done. Ensure that any suspicion thrown onto you is displaced by whatever means necessary. When you have done so, within the week at the latest, I expect you to find and slaughter these wizards." He slid another piece of paper, on which were 49 names of unsuspecting wizards and witches. "You do not need to know why, merely that you must, or, as expected, your loved ones will suffer." He said this in a dry monotone, then continued on in his more usual tone of mockery and superiority. "When the child has reached his new home, you will return here to find the next part of your orders. The next time I visit will be in two years' time, Halfling. Do not disappoint."
After he was sure the vampire had left half an hour later, Hagrid released a sigh. He had gotten back a large part of his personality over the past year, and he had been dreading coming face to face with the monster that had stripped it away in the first place. Sure, he was grateful for the enhancements placed upon him in a detached sense, and acknowledged that him being taught what the vampire wished had changed him for the better, but he was still worried that any little action or thought left unchecked would anger him, mostly due to his mind being unable to stop thinking ten thoughts per seconds. Ironically, nine out of those ten thoughts continuously projected that worry towards the vampire, effectively dampening and hiding the remaining one thought, which he deliberately did not think about. It was more relying on an instinct of what to do that he managed to interact with the vampire, as a part of his acknowledged that if he were to try anything else he would fail rather spectacularly. Much like crabby acknowledged Hagrid as someone he couldn't escape, so he didn't bother anymore, and was the occasional test subject of Hagrid. Sighing yet again, he began formulating plan after plan on how to go about removing the boy who lived from his home, and moved into action two hours later.
Having travelled by foot and boat to the station where the train would stop, thus leaving the range of the castle wards, Hagrid looked around for the customary floo, grabbed the powder, bent down to fit into the fireplace, and then clearly stated "Wisteria Walk, Little Whinging." As Arabella Figg was only recently posted to keep watch on Harry, her schedule was known to those in the order, thus allowing Hagrid easy transportation to her house while she was out. Walking out of the fireplace and dusting himself off, the first thing he heard was a meow, followed by several more, and when he turned around, he saw at least twelve cats and kneazles.
A glint former in Hagrid's eyes, and a genuine smile that split up half his face was put on display. "Why, hello there…" He said, causing several meows to stop as they sensed what was coming. "Ohohoho, I'm coming back for you pretties later, yes I am…" he muttered to himself, all thoughts momentarily geared towards how to most effectively kidnap both the prophesised child from the wards Albus Dumbledore himself put up and, a much more difficult and nightmarish task, how to take Arabella Figg's cats and kneazles away from her without getting caught.
Meanwhile, in Diagon Alley, Miss Figg suddenly sneezed violently, startling the nearby animals she was looking at while in the pet store. In a complete monotone, she said "I do believe someone is about to die a vicious and horrible death", then smiled sweetly, going on with her day.
Hagrid suddenly developed a chill, looking around him in suspicion. Lowering his gaze in thought, he focused his mind on not taking any of her cats and leaving them alone. The chill noticeably lessened. Absently, he lifted his hand and swept off the bead of sweat that formed above his eyebrows, then back to the baby across the street, Harry Potter.
Deciding that the simplest approach was the best, he decided to simply walk over until he was a foot away from the boundary, and called out for all the neighbours to hear. "Ho there, the Dursley family! Hello! I have news for you!" And so he continued to shout and yell, ignoring the opening curtains and peering eyes, until Vernon opened his door and came marching out to meet him.
"What in the blazes are you doing, man?!" Hagrid simply smiled and motioned to the house he came from, very deliberately not stepping foot on the ward line. Much like the vampire would avoid doors without being invited in. He studiously crushed that thought, amusing as it may have been.
When the two overweight men had reconvened inside Arabella Figg's house while she was absent, Hagrid closed the door and said a simple sentence. "I'll pay you $2000 to take that boy off of your hands and remove the freak." Vernon stared in shock at him for a minute, multiple thoughts racing through his head, but it was inevitable what he would choose.
"Make it $5000 and you have a deal." Hagrid nodded, pulling out the money. "You'll need to bring him here. I'll be gone soon as we're finished."
With the prophesised child in his possession, a clay brick transfigured into a wad of money gone with Vernon, and a sackful of cats slung over his shoulder, Hagrid was a happy half-giant. He looked back to the Dursley household, smiled, then left a message for Miss Figg to find on her table.
"Got rid of your cats. Payment $200. Vernon Dursley."
He was a happy half-giant indeed.