Chapter 4

"Daddy, me and nanny are back from Hogs'de!" said a just over two year Harry as he ran in to the hut, his grand mother sharp on his tails. In the past year he had got even faster and stronger, and he made Minerva feel older than she ever had. He was so young. He was such a force in her life too.

Opening the door that lead out in to the pumpkin patch, Harry flung himself in to his dad's arms with such force that it gave Minerva a fright. He was such a trusting lad (what reason on earth did he have not to be), but what happened the day no one was there to catch him. Then again hopefully that day was never going to come.

But Hagrid picked his son up at ease with out worrying and kissed his fore. They spent so much of there time together that he had missed the boy in just the week they had been apart

"D'ja have a good time son?" he asked as he ruffled Harry's hair happily.

"Yeah! I was a good boy so nanny got me some sweets, went we went honey duk's" he said to his father proudly.

"Good lad." said Hagrid as he looked over at the deputy head, who had completely soften too the nearest thing she was ever going to get a grandson due the fact she had never had a child of her own.

"He was," she said to the boy's dad backing up what he had said. "Do you still need me to have him tonight?" she asked smiling.

It was a rare thing that Harry had to go and stay in the castle at night, but when Hagrid had a job to do in the forest he wasn't going to leave the lad in the hut alone was he?

"Please." said Hagrid to her nodding.

"No daddy, let me come!" protested Harry who knew just where his dad was going. Ever since he had got to Hogwarts he had been taught by his father about creepy crawlies and he wanted to met a few in the forest.

"Not yet Harry, wait till you're a bit older son." was the reply his father gave to him causing his grand mother to sigh heavily in despair. That was just the kind of attitude that was going to lose him Harry. If the ministry ever found out that he had taken Harry in to the forest lord only knows what they would do. Certainly they would take the boy away from the family and home he loved.

Harry sighed as well at what his father had said. Well he guessed it was not all bad. He was going to go in with his dad one day when he went up to the castle, he was allowed to go in to the Gryffindor dorms to see Charlie and Bill sometimes so maybe tonight was going to be one of those times.

Still, it wasn't time yet to go. He still had the entire afternoon with his dad.

Struggling free of his father he run back in to the hut to do some drawing. He liked it a lot. He found it relaxing. Especially, he enjoyed trying to draw Fang.

"I'll see you tonight then child." His grand mother said as she kissed his head and waved by to his dad who he knew was going to be out there in the pumpkin patch well in to the afternoon yet. At three o'clock was the usual time he stopped work so that he, Harry and Fang could go over to the lake for a bit of a play.

As they got there Harry turned to his dad.

"What is in there daddy?" he asked as he looked at the forest.

"Lots of animals. I'll take you in with me one day, just not yet. You're still a bit small." he said.

Harry hated it when his father said that. When wasn't he going to be small compared with his dad? Running up to him from where he had been sitting, Harry jumped on him as if rugby tackling his huge father.

Hagrid could do nothing but sit there and laugh at his son's feeble attempts to not to hurt him but just to start a play fight.

Finally, about five minutes latter as Hagrid completed his tickle attack Harry was forecd to admit his dad had beat him.

"Ok, stop it!" he squirmed.

"What's da magic phrase?"

"You're the best daddy in the world and I love you!" he said.

"Good boy Harry." said Hagrid as she stopped and pulled his son in for a cuddle close which Harry returned gratefully. Kissing his son on the cheek, Hagrid picked him up and walked back to the hut. He had to get ready for tonight.

As time went on Harry's curiously for the forest grew and yet he knew he could do nothing about it. Not till his daddy was ready to take him in there. Just as always his night with his nanny went smoothly and by eight the next day he as back with his father who he would beg for stories about what had happened the previous night and he listened contently to Hagrid, who old them to his son with the same excitement.

In time as he lived with fang and his dad he knew Hagrid had so many pets in the forest who he knew he was going to met one day,he guessed it was only natural that he should want a pet of his own and own day when he was playing at his aunt and uncle Weasley's he found one.

It was only small, just a common garden rat in fact, though curiously with just three claws on one of its front hands.

"I am going to take him home to show daddy!" Harry told his aunt molly happily as he stroked his new pet rat with pride.

"And I am sure your daddy is going to be very happy with that," laughed Molly. Hagrid had been, she knew, deciding on whether to get the boy a pet of his own any way.

With Harry's birthday coming up so quick and all maybe, it was an early present.