Hey, guys! So sorry that it took me a long time to post this =( I was working on other things.

Anyway, thanks to:

DearPrudenceGirlHasGoneMad22 - Um...I'm not quite sure. I do know that it'll be a lot lighter than the dark stuff that was in there originally.

- Once again, thanks for pointing that out. =D

TwilightEclps - Aww, I know. I loved writing that.

TheBeginingsEnd - Me too! I live for fluff moments.

Raine44354 - Awww, it feels good to be missed and I know what you're talking about. Now you're making me want to see the movie lol

Crazy-obsessed-potter-chick - Of course I'll continue the story!

Lania Tesle - I'm glad you like my story. I've worked hard on it.

Dreamer - Of course I'd write back. I'm not heartless lol. Anyway, I had a dream like that, too, except for some reason the fifth house's common room was in a secret comparment in the owlry...for some reason...lol

And special thanks to my beta!


Chapter Eight

The Potion Master's Rare Smile


"There, look."

"Where?"

"Next to the tall kid with red hair."

"Wearring the glasses?"

"Is she really Snape's daughter?"

"Did you see his face?"

"Can you see her animal guide?"

"Did you see their scars?"

"Look at the color of her hair and eyes!"

Whispers followed both Harry and Hikosu the moment he left his dormitory and she left Severus' quarters the next day. Severus nearly had a serious heart attack due to worry when he woke to Hikosu trembling violently in his arms. He rose in a panic, trying to calm her down, and only calmed down himself when Cael handed him the vial full of water from the Animalia Life Spring.

When the wolf animal guide fully explained the situation to the Potions Master, he was furious. How dare the Dursleys ignore the letter that outlined his daughter's needs! If she had died then he would have murdered those pathetic muggles in cold blood, consequences be damned!

Severus smiled softly behind his hand when he remembered the paternal feeling that squeezed his chest when he calmly woke his trembling daughter and gently coaxed her into drinking the water from the Animalia Life Spring. He helped her as she blearily dressed into her new uniform and robes – now accented in the purist of whites and would never stain thanks to a healing/cleaning charm the Potions Master cast upon them.

Peaople stared at little Hikosu as Professor Snape walked her to the Gryffindor table, sneering at the Gryffindors behind her back. It was only the beginning, however, of a unique and uncomfortable day. People were lining up outside their classrooms and standing on tiptoe to get a good look at them. They also doubled back to pass them in the hallways, staring and whispering. Harry wished they wouldn't, because he was trying to concentrate on finding his way to classes. At least he shared classes with Hikosu – if it weren't for her calming aura, the green eyed wizard didn't know if he could take the whispering.

There were a hundred and forty-two staircases at Hogwarts. Wide, sweeping ones, narrow, rickety ones, some that led somewhere different on Fridays and some with a vanishing step halfway up that you had to remember to jump.

Then, after all that, there were doors that wouldn't open unless you asked politely, or tickled them in exactly the right place, and doors that weren't really doors at all, but sold walls just pretending. It was also very hard to remember where anything was, because it all seemed to move around a lot. The people in the portraits kept going to visit each other, and Harry was sure the coats of armor could walk despite the odd looks and giggles Hikosu kept sending him.

The ghosts didn't help, either. It was always a nasty shock when one of them glided suddenly through a door you were trying to open. Hikosu was a mess when one of them came near, trying to make peace. She would either hide behind Harry, or use Cael's animal form as a shield. Fortunately he was allowed in the classrooms – as long as he stayed out of the way – or else he would have thrown a fit. Nearly Headless Nick was always happy to point new Gryffindors in the right direction, but Peeves the Poltergeist was worth two locked doors and a trick staircase if you met him and were late for class. He would drop wastepaper baskets on your head, pull rugs from underneath your feet, pelt you with bits of chalk, or sneak up behind you, invisible, grab your nose, and screech, "Got Your Conk!" If Hikosu possessed a voice, she would be hoarse by the many times she had screamed. By the fourth time Peeves scored the silver eyed girl, she burst out in tears.

Both Harry and Cael comforted her best they could, Cael glaring at the offending poltergeist for upsetting his charge. When the animal guide was protective, he was really protective. He would morph into his humanoid form, ears pinned back and teeth bared as his eyes narrowed in suspicion. There was nothing he could do against a ghost, but that didn't mean that he couldn't be threatening when he wanted to be. The older girls throughout the castle were jealous of the little silver eyed Animalia.

Although Peeves was bad, even worse than him, if that was even possible, was the caretaker, Argus Filch. Harry and Ron managed to get on the wrong side of him on their very first morning…and he just hated Hikosu because of Cael. He was a 'filthy animal' according to him. Anyway, Filch found Harry and Ron trying to force their way through a door that unluckily turned out to be the entrance to the out-of-bounds corridor on the third floor. He wouldn't believe they were lost, was sure they were trying to break into it on purpose, and was threatening to lock them in the dungeons when they were rescued by Professor Quirrell, who was passing.

Filch owned a cat called Mrs. Norris, a scrawny, dust-colored creature with bulging, lamplike eyes just like Filch's. She patrolled the corridors alone. Break a rule in front of her, put just one toe out of line, and she'd whisk off for Filch, who'd appear, wheezing, two seconds later. Filch knew the secret passageways of the school better than anyone (except perhaps the Weasley twins) and could pop up as suddenly as any of the ghosts. The students all hated him, and it was the dearest ambition of many to give Mrs. Norris a good kick.

And then, once you had managed to find them, there were the classes themselves. There was a lot more to magic, as Harry and Hikosu quickly found out, than waving your wand and saying a few funny words. Poor Hikosu found out during her first lesson that since she was unable to speak she would have to go to either the Headmaster, Professor McGonagall, or her father to study nonverbal magic. It was a lot harder than it seemed and tired the young one out immensely, but she trooped on.

They had to study the night skies through their telescopes every Wednesday at midnight and learn the names of different stars and the movements of the planets. Three times a week they went out to the greenhouses behind the castle to study Herbology, with a dumpy little witch called Professor Sprout, where they learned how to take care of all the strange plants and fungi, and found out what they were used for.

Easily the most boring class was History of Magic, which was the only one taught by a ghost. Professor Binns had been very old indeed when he had fallen asleep in front of the staff room fire and got up the next morning to teach, leaving his body behind him. Binns droned on and on while they scribbled down names and dates, and got Emeric the Evil and Uric the Oddball mixed up.

Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher, was a tiny little wizard who had to stand on a pile of books to see over his desk. At the start of their first class he took the roll call, and when he reached Harry's name he gave an excited squeak and toppled out of sight. Once he righted himself and got to Hikosu's name, he toppled out of sight again. It was quite humorous.

Professor McGonagall was again different. Harry had been quite right to think she wasn't a teacher to cross. Strict and clever, she gave them a talking-to the moment they sat down in her first class.

"Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts." She said. "Anyone messing around in my class will leave and not come back. You have been warned. Oh, and Miss Snape? Would you mind if your animal guide would be seated in the front by my desk so I can make sure he won't distract you during your studies?" at this Hikosu shook her head with a smile. Cael whined playfully, but sulked up towards the front.

Then she changed her desk into a pig and back again. They were all very impressed and couldn't wait to get started, but soon realized they weren't going to be changing the furniture into animals for a long time. After taking a lot of complicated notes, they were each given a match and started trying to turn it into a needle. By the end of the lesson, only Hermione Granger had made any difference to her match; Professor McGonagall showed the class how it had gone all silver and pointy and gave Hermione a rare smile.

The class everyone had really been looking forward to, except for Hikosu who favored Care of Magical Creatures, was Defense Against the Dark Arts, but Quirrell's lessons turned out to be a bit of a joke. His classroom smelled strongly of garlic, which everyone said was to ward off a vampire he'd met in Romania and was afraid would be coming back to get him one of these days. His turban, he told them, had been given to him by an African prince as a thank-you for getting rid of a troublesome zombie, but they weren't sure they believed this story. For one thing, when Seamus Finnigan asked eagerly to hear how Quirrell had fought off the zombie, Quirrell went pink and started talking about the weather; for another, they had noticed that a funny smell hung around the turban, and the Weasley twins insisted that it was stuffed full of garlic as well, so that Quirrell was protected wherever he went.

Harry was relieved that he and Hikosu weren't miles behind everyone else, though, in his opinion, Hikosu had it much harder than he did. He couldn't fathom having to learn the spells the nonverbal way. He supposed it was just saying the spell in his head and then willing the magic to work, or something along those lines.

Anyway, lots of people had come from Muggle families and, like them, hadn't had any idea that they were witches and wizards. There was so much to learn that even people like Ron didn't have much of a head start.

Friday was an important day for Harry and Ron. They finally managed to find their way down to the Great Hall for breakfast without getting lost once.

"What have we got today?" Harry asked Ron as he poured sugar on his porridge.

"Double Potions with the Slytherins," said Ron. "Snape's Head of Slytherin House. They say he always favored them – we'll be able to see if it's true…but he seems a tad bit nicer lately. Maybe it's 'cause of Hikosu." He said. Harry shrugged but grinned when Hikosu was escorted to their table by the Potions Master himself.

Have a nice breakfast, Papa. She said to him, giving him a hug around the waist. Severus uncharacteristically smiled for everyone to see; he couldn't help but be happy around his daughter. He bent down and kissed her forehead, ignoring the strange looks he drew as he made his way to the high breakfast table.

"Morning, Hikosu." Harry said, giving her a side hug as she sat down. She smiled widely and nodded to the boys, scooting over so that the humanoid Cael could sit and eat.

"You know, I wish McGonagall favored us," said Harry. Professor McGonagall was head of Gryffindor House, but it hadn't stopped her from giving them a huge pile of homework the day before.

Just then, the mail arrived. Harry and Hikosu had gotten used to this by now, but it had given them a bit of a shock on the first morning, when about a hundred owls had suddenly streamed into the Great Hall during breakfast, circling the tables until they saw their owners, and dropping letters and packages onto their laps.

Hedwig hadn't brought Harry anything so far. She sometimes flew in to nibble his ear and have a bit of toast before going off to sleep in the owlery with the other school owls. This morning, however, she fluttered down between the marmalade and the sugar bowl and dropped a note onto Harry's plate. Harry tore it open, with Hikosu looking over his shoulder, and read it. It said, in a very untidy scrawl:

Dear Harry an' Hikosu,

I know you get Friday afternoons off, so would you like to come and have a cup of tea with me around three? I want to hear all about your first week. Send us an answer back with Hedwig.

Hagrid.

Harry borrowed Ron's quill, scribbled yes, please, see you later on the back of the note, and sent Hedwig off again.

It was lucky that Harry had tea with Hagrid to look forward to, because the Potions lesson turned out to be the worst thing that had happened to him so far.

At the start-of-term banquet, Harry had gotten the idea that Professor Snape disliked him. By the end of the first Potions lesson, he knew he'd been wrong. Snape didn't dislike Harry – he hated him.

But…he had to go to a meeting after the class and before he went to Hagrid's hut…so maybe he didn't hate Harry as much as he let on.

Potions lessons took place down in one of the dungeons. It was colder here than up in the main castle, and would have been quite creepy enough without the pickled animals floating in glass jars all around the walls.

Snape, like Flitwick, started the class by taking the roll call, and like Flitwick, he paused at Harry's name. His eyes flickered to his daughter, who was sitting next to Harry, and smiled. He winked at her before he turned to the boy.

Don't worry about Papa, Harry. He doesn't mean anything. Just remember that he's teasing. Hikosu commented, but the green eyed boy wasn't too sure about that.

"Ah, yes," Professor Snape said softly, "Harry Potter. Our new - celebrity."

Draco Malfoy and his friends Crabbe and Goyle sniggered behind their hands. Snape finished calling the names and looked up at the class. His eyes were black like Hagrid's, but they had none of Hagrid's warmth. They were cold and empty and made you think of dark tunnels.

"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making," he began. He spoke in barely more than a whisper, but they caught every word – like Professor McGonagall, Snape had the gift of keeping a class silent without effort. "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses…I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death – if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach." He actually cracked a smile as he looked towards his daughter and the green eyed child next to her. By the awed look on her face he could tell that she would become a fairly decent potion brewer in her own right.

More silence followed his little speech. Harry and Ron exchanged looks with raised eyebrows. Hermione Granger was on the edge of her seat and looked desperate to start proving that she wasn't a dunderhead.

"Potter!" said Snape suddenly. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

Powdered root of what to an infusion of what? Harry panicked, somehow sending his thought to Hikosu. She looked over to him, shocked, and then smiled widely. Severus saw her smile and smirked to himself. It wasn't that he didn't like Harry, on the contrary – he was Lily's son – he just wanted to make sure that he would take care of his little girl.

Harry glanced at Ron, who looked as stumped as he was; Hermione's hand had shot into the air.

"I don't know, sir," said Harry.

Severus' lips curled into a smirk while his eyes twinkled. The first years looked at him with bewilderment since they had heard of his cruelness…but this man seemed like a playful bat or something.

"Tut, tut – fame clearly isn't everything." He said, and then he winked at Harry. Harry looked back with his mouth wide open. The school's harshest teacher winked at him – a Gryffindor!

Severus ignored Hermione's hand.

"Let's try again. Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"

Hermione stretched her hand as high into the air as it would go without her leaving her seat, but Harry didn't have the faintest idea what a bezoar was. He tried not to look at Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, who were shaking with laughter. Snape gave the trio a glare, which calmed them down, but gave his daughter a small smirk.

"I don't know, sir."

"Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming, eh, Potter? Or did you just not retain the information, no matter how much you read it?" Severus joked, making his daughter giggle. The charm on her wrist jingled and Harry caught the sparkle in her eye.

Harry…Papa's just playing with you. Don't sweat it. She commented, earning a mental snort from Cael as well. Poor guy had to sit next to Severus' desk, which was at the very front of the room…but he wasn't allowed to move or anything because of the potion ingredients.

Harry forced himself to keep looking straight into those cold eyes, except now he could detect the hint of a smile in their deep orbs. Harry had looked through the books at the Dursleys', but did Snape expect him to remember everything in One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi?

Severus was still ignoring Hermione's quivering hand.

"What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?"

At this, Hermione stood up, her hand stretching toward the dungeion ceiling.

"I don't know," said Harry quietly, smiling back at the professor. "I think Hermione does, though, why don't you try her?"

A few people laughed; Harry caught Seamus' eye, and Seamus winked. Snape, however, was not pleased. He wasn't angry at Harry, he was angry at the fact that the other students thought it was alright to laugh in his classroom.

"Sit down." He snapped at Hermione. "For your information, Potter, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death. A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons. As for monkshood and wolfsbane, they are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite. Well? Why aren't you all copying that down?" he glare at the rest of the class. Hikosu had started writing it down as soon as her father started talking and she had told Harry to do the same. They, along with Hermione, were the only two who had written the notes before the rest of the class got their writing equipment out.

"Oh…and five points to Gryffindor…for being brave enough to stand up to a Professor who was being verbally abusive, Potter." The Potions Master quietly said as he passed the green eyed boy. Hikosu smiled up at her father as he passed. He, in return, gave her his rare smile – it was a smile only reserved for his daughter.

Things, however, didn't improve for the Gryffindors as the Potions lesson continued. It wasn't due to the fact that he 'hated' the ones outlined in red; it was due to the fact that they were frustrating him with their mistakes. Severus put them all into pairs and set them to mixing up a simple potion to cure boils. He swept around in his long black cloak, watching them weigh dried nettles and crush snake fangs, criticizing almost everyone except Malfoy, Harry, and Hikosu.

He was just telling everyone to look at the perfect way Malfoy had stewed his horned slugs when clouds of acid green smoke and a loud hissing filled the dungeon. Neville had somehow managed to melt Seamus' cauldron into a twisted blob, and their potion was seeping across the stone floor, burning holes in people's shoes. Within seconds, the whole class was standing on their stools while Neville, who had been drenched in the potion when the cauldron collapsed, moaned in pain as angry red boils sprang up all over his arms and legs.

A sharp tug on Harry's sleeve brought his attention to the silent girl next to him. She was his partner and the two of them had, unfortunately, been seated next to Neville. Upon seeing that Hikosu's arm was starting to sprout ugly boils, he quickly gained the attention of the professor.

"Professor!" he exclaimed, gently holding up the silver eyed girl's injured arm. Severus was by them in a flash, as was Cael, and gently took hold of his daughter's injured arm.

"Idiot boy!" snarled Severus, clearing the spilled potion away with one wave of his wand. "I suppose you added the porcupine quills before taking the cauldron off the fire?"

Neville whimpered as boils started to pop up all over his nose.

"Take him to the hospital wing," Severus spat at Seamus. Then he rounded on Ron and Hermione, who had been on Neville's other side.

"You – Weasley, Granger – why didn't you tell him not to add the quills? Thought he'd make you look good if he got it wrong, did you?" this was so unfair that both of them opened their mouths to argue, but since they hadn't lost any house points they thought better of it.

Cael gently used some of his particular animal guide magic on his charge, dulling the pain and stopping the boils from spreading, as Severus collected their potions. As each group was finished, they were allowed to leave and, eventually, everyone save Ron, Hermione, Harry, and Hikosu were left.

"Potter, follow me. I want to have a word with you. Granger, Weasley, you are dismissed." And with that he led Harry, Hikosu, and Cael to his office in the next room. Cael led the silver eyed Animalia over to a comfortable wingback in the corner, gently rolling the sleeve to her uniform up so that he could work more of his magic.

"Be still, little one. It won't hurt a bit, I promise." He said, closing his eyes and concentrating. One hand hovered over the injured arm as both Harry and Severus stood behind the two. As the wolf male opened his eyes again, they seemed to glow in the dark room. His hand started to glow as well, reversing the effects of the potion that landed on Hikosu's arm. Soon, the arm looked as good as new.

Thanks, Cael. Love you. She said, giving her protector a kiss on the cheek. He nodded, suddenly shifting to his animal form.

Ah, yes, I may have forgotten to mention that healing takes a bit out of me, I'm afraid. And before you ask, Harry, I am tied to Lady Hikosu by our magic source, the Earthen Magic. Therefore, I am able to use my magic and transfer it to her in order to heal. When she gets older she will be able to do the same for me and for any other animal guide she may acquire. The wise animal guide said. Harry closed his mouth and his cheeks flushed a bit. Instead of replying to the animal guide's comment, the green eyed boy turned to face the Potions Master once again.

"You wished to speak with me, Professor?" he asked, nervously fiddling with the sleeve of his robe. Severus turned his attention from his daughter to that of the boy standing next to him.

"Ah, yes." He murmured, motioning for the boy to follow him out of the hearing distance of his daughter.

"I wanted to warn you, boy. My daughter holds you in high regards. I can see that the two of you have already formed a deep bond, but listen well. If you so harm a hair or her head or even make her think about crying…I will brew a potion so lethal that you'd wish you'd been hit by the most power Cruciatus Curse and slip it into your morning pumpkin juice. Don't think I won't, Potter." He warned, eyes like dark coals glimmering in the darkness of his study. He let the warning sink into Harry's brain before he gave the boy a ghost of a smile.

"But on much lighter terms…how would you feel about coming to live with me? Hikosu is my daughter and I will not have her living with those muggles you dare to call family any longer. The details are being worked out, but, if I'm right, the two of you can come live with me during the summer months when Hikosu turns thirteen, which is the turning point of an Animalia."

Harry's mouth dropped open again. He couldn't believe it. Severus Snape, the most feared professor at Hogwarts, was offering to give him a place to live.

"I must admit that my home isn't the brightest or the most inviting, but it has four walls and a roof. Plus…I live near your mother's old home." The older man trailed off as he remembered the small and comfortable home he knew as the Evans household.

"No! It…it seems great, Professor. I'd be happy to live with you and Hikosu…anything to get away from the Dursleys…" he muttered, earning a quiet chuckle from his professor.

As Harry, Hikosu, Cael's wolf form, Ron and Hermione – who had waited for them – climbed the steps out of the dungeon about ten minutes later, the green eyed boy's mind was racing. He was conflicted; he wanted to live with Hikosu, but could he even risk living with someone who seemed to hate him? Or did Severus just enjoy picking on him?

"Cheer up," said Ron, "Snape's always picking on Fred and George. Can I come and meet Hagrid with you?"

At five to three they left the castle and made their way across the grounds. Hagrid lived in a small wooden house on the edge of the forbidden forest. A crossbow and a pair of galoshes were outside the front door.

When Harry knocked they heard a frantic scrabbling from inside and several booming barks. Then Hagrid's voice rang out, saying, "Back, Fang, back."

Hagrid's big, hairy face appeared in the crack as he pulled the door open.

"Hang on," he said. "Back, Fang."

He let them in, struggling to keep a hold on the collar of an enormous black boarhound.

There was only one room inside. Hams and pheasants were hanging from the ceiling, a copper kettle was boiling on the open fire, and in the corner stood a massive bed with a patchwork quilt over it.

"Make yerselves at home," said Hagrid, letting go of Fang, who bounded straight at Ron and started licking his ears. Cael, still in his wolf form, settled down in front of the seat that Hikosu had chosen to sit at and she was busy laughing at Ron's misfortune. Like Hagrid, Fang was clearly not as fierce as he looked.

I'm just glad you don't do that to me, Cael. The silver eyed girl chuckled in her mind.

I could if you wanted, little one. And he grinned, well he grinned as much as he could in his wolf form. This earned another round of snickers from the female Animalia.

"This is Ron," Harry told Hagrid, who was pouring boiling water into a large teapot and putting rock cakes onto a plate.

"Another Weasley, eh?" said Hagrid, glancing at Ron's freckles. "I spent half me life chasin' yer twin brothers away from the forest."

The rock cakes were shapeless lumps with raisins that almost broke their teeth, but Harry and Ron pretended to be enjoying them as they told Hagrid all about their first lessons. Fang rested his head on Harry's knee and drooled all over his robes, much to Hikosu's amusement.

Harry and Ron were delighted to hear Hagrid call Filch "that old git."

"An' as fer that cat, Mrs. Norriss, I'd like ter introduce her to Fang sometime. D'yeh know, every time I go up ter the school, she follows me everywhere? Can't get rid of her – Filch puts her up to it." Hikosu wasn't too happy about that comment. She loved animals and had taken a liking to the Maine Coon.

Harry told Hagrid about Severus' lesson, and about the little talk they shared when Cael was fixing up Hikosu's arm. The other three males thought it was particularly funny, but the silver eyed girl blushed deeply throughout the story.

"How's yer brother Charlie?" Hagrid asked Ron. "I liked him a lot – great with animals."

Harry wondered if Hagrid had changed the subject on purpose. While Ron told Hagrid all about Charlie's work with dragons, Harry picked up a piece of paper that was lying under the tea cozy. It was a cutting from the Daily Prophet.

GRINGOTTS BREAK-IN LATEST

Investigations continue into the break-in at

Gringots on 31 July, widely believed to be the

work of Dark wizards or witches unknown.

Gringotts goblins today insisted that nothing

had been taken. The vault that was searched had in

fact been emptied the same day.

"But we're not telling you what was in there, so

keep your noses out if you know what's good

for you," said a Gringotts spokesgoblin this afternoon.

Harry remembered Ron telling him on the train that someone had tried to rob Gringotts, but Ron hadn't mentioned the date.

"Hagrid!" said Harry, "that Gringotts break-in happened on my birthday! It might've been happening while we were there!" Hikosu gave a silent gasp, eyes widening as Cael rested his head on her lap in order to keep her calm.

There was no doubt about it, Hagrid definitely didn't meet Harry's eyes this time. He grunted and offered him another rock cake. Harry read the story again, letting the silver eyed girl read over his shoulder. The vault that was searched had in fact been emptied earlier that same day. Hagrid had emptied vault seven hundred and thirteen, if you could call it emptying, taking out that grubby little package. Had that been what the thieves were looking for?

As Harry and Ron walked back to the castle for dinner, their pockets weighed down with rock cakes they'd been too polite to refuse, Harry thought that none of the lessons he'd had so far had given him as much to think about as tea with Hagrid. Hikosu had said that she would meet up with them later, something about going to talk with Professor Snape about something. Harry went back to his thoughts. Had Hagrid collected that package just in time? where was it now? And did Hagrid know something about the package that he didn't want to tell them?