After a successful team try out, in which Harry had found new team members, one in Ron himself, he Harry and Hermione spotted the great grey hippogriff, Buckbeak, that was tethered in front of Hagrid's cabin. He clicked his razor-sharp beak at their approach and turned his huge head toward them.

'Oh dear," said Hermione nervously. 'He's still a bit scary, isn't he?'

'Come off it, you've ridden him, haven't you?' said Ron. Harry stepped forward and bowed low to the hippogriff without breaking eye contact or blinking. After a few seconds, Buckbeak sank into a bow too.

'How are you?' Harry asked him in a low voice, moving forward to stroke the feathery head.

'Missing him? But you're okay here with Hagrid, aren't you?'

Harry, Ron and Hermione were all distracted by the opening of a door nearby, and talking voices, they looked to see Hagrid emerge, Mara Morris and that Auror also exiting the one room house.

'Thank you, Professor Hagrid.' Mara sniffed, the Auror patting her shoulder as she wiped her eyes 'I am sorry.'

'Not to worry,' Hagrid replied strongly 'yeh just forget about that werewolf, yeh hear?'

Harry shot Hermione and Ron a look they both returned 'You ain't the first life he's gone and ruined, he ought to be strung up.' Hagrid look thoughtful for a moment 'not to say all werewolf's are like that scum, o'course.'

Mara's head shook 'I don't know,' she sniffed 'I'm just scared.'

'You ain't got nuthin' to be scared of at Hogwarts.' Hagrid replied

'B-but what if Greyback tries to get me?' asked Mara in a shaky tone

'Listen,' said Hagrid 'Hogwart's is the safest there can be, innit? No dark werewolf, no dark creature, no nuthin is getting through those enchantments.'

'Not to mention the Aurors stationed around the school.' said the boy, smiling slightly at Mara.

'I-I suppose you're both right,' she wiped her eyes 'Dumbledore helped with the enchantments, didn't he..'

'Tha's right,' said Hagrid 'an-' The Gamekeeper went dead still, as he realised Harry, Ron and Hermoine were close by, watching, Mara and Daniel noticed there presence also, and the Auror had to force Mara along as she wouldn't move.

'What do yeh three think yer doing then!' snapped Hagrid 'Spying on people again!?'

'What, no!' Hermione said 'No, we came to see you, Hagrid, we missed you!'

'Hah!' Hagrid roared, the door slamming shut behind him with such a ferocity dust fell from the roof of the hut.

'Come on.' said Harry, glancing back as Mara stood crying further away, the Auror seeming to have difficulty comforting her.

'Oh dear!' said Hermione, looking stricken.

'Don't worry about it,' said Harry grimly. He walked over to the door and knocked loudly.

'Hagrid! Open up, we want to talk to you!' There was no sound from within. 'If you don't open the door, we'll blast it open!' Harry said, pulling out his wand.

'Harry!' said Hermione, sounding shocked. 'You can't possibly-'

'Yeah, I can!' said Harry. 'Stand back-' But before he could say anything else, the door flew open again as Harry had known it would, and there stood Hagrid, glowering down at him and looking, despite the flowery apron, positively alarming.

'I'm a teacher!' he roared at Harry. 'A teacher, Potter! How dare yeh threaten ter break down my door!'

'I'm sorry, sir' said Harry, emphasizing the last word as he stowed his wand inside his robes. Hagrid looked stunned.

'Since when have yeh called me 'sir'?'

'Since when have you called me 'Potter'?'

'Oh, very clever,' growled Hagrid. 'Very amusin'.That's me outsmarted, innit? All righ', come in then, yeh ungrateful little…' Mumbling darkly, he stood back to let them pass. Hermione scurried in after Harry, looking rather frightened.

'Don' even bother askin' me about that Morris kid, alrigh'?' snapped Hagrid, as he stomped around, brewing up tea in his enormous copper kettle 'What happened to 'er, ain't nuthin to be gossipin' about, 'specially not to the likes of yeh three!' he ranted, as the enormours boar hound Fang, pressed his head against Harry's knees. 'I promised Dumbledore I wouldn't say anythin!'

'We weren't going to ask.' Harry retorted, but he couldn't help his curiosity peaking, although was soon distracted as finally, Hagrid slammed down three bucket-sized mugs of mahogany-brown tea in front of them and a plate of his rock cakes. Harry was hungry enough even for Hagrid's cooking, and took one at once.

'Hagrid,' said Hermione timidly, when he joined them at the table and started peeling his potatoes with a brutality that suggested that each one had done him a great personal wrong, 'we really wanted to carry on with Care of Magical Creatures, you know.'

Hagrid gave another great snort. Harry thought some bogeys landed on the potatoes, and was inwardly thankful that they were not staying for dinner.

'We did!' said Hermione. 'But none of us could fit it into our schedules!'

'Hagrid,' Ron said in a startled tone, interrupting Hermione 'these rock cakes, did you-?'

'Mara made 'em,' snapped Hagrid 'taught me a new recipe.'

'Mara?' questioned Harry, Ron looking sceptically at the rock cake in response 'she can cook?'

'Ar',' replied Hagrid, glaring at Harry 'she said that house elf, Dobby taught her when he was in the Malfoy's service.'

Hermione rose her eyebrow up at Harry in interest, and took one of the rock cakes off the table.

'Well, I guess that's good, but, shouldn't that have been Mrs Malfoy's job?' Hermoine said, tentatively taking a bite from a rock cake, her eyes in the same surprise Ron's had been.

'Doubt she ever cooked when Dobby was living there,' said Harry 'Mrs Malfoy and Mara don't get on.'

'Can't say I blame her.' said Ron, grabbing another rock cake, perhaps deciding since Dobby had been a driving force that the rock cake could be trusted.

'Yeah,' said Harry 'so I doubt cooking lessons were on the top of that old mare's list-nor Lucius Malfoys.'

'I heard Mr Malfoy wasn't exactly nice to her,' said Ron, shaking his head 'a right nasty temper on him, I reckon.'

'Yeah,' Harry frowned 'Dobby did mention Mara was scared of him, Lucius Malfoy, stayed out of his way most of the time whenever she could.'

'Wasn't her boggart Lucius Malfoy?' Hermoine asked, brushing her hands off crumbs 'In her third year? Remember, when Lupin taught us how to duel them?'

'That's right, she couldn't defeat it.' said Harry 'It's probably changed now, though.'

'You're most likely right.' frowned Hermione

There was a funny squelching sound and they all looked around: Hermione let out a tiny shriek, and Ron leapt out of his seat and hurried around the table away from the large barrel standing in the corner that they had only just noticed. It was full of what looked like foot-long maggots, slimy, white, and writhing.

'What are they, Hagrid?' asked Harry, trying to sound interested rather than revolted, but putting down his rock cake all the same.

'Jus' giant grubs,' said Hagrid.

'And they grow into…?' said Ron, looking apprehensive.

'They won' grow inter nuthin',' said Hagrid. 'I got 'em ter feed ter Aragog.' And without warning, he burst into tears.

'Hagrid!' cried Hermione, leaping up, hurrying around the table the long way to avoid a barrel of maggots, and putting an arm around his shaking shoulders.

'What is it?'

'It's…him…' gulped Hagrid, his beetle-black eyes streaming as he mopped his face with his apron. 'It's…Aragog…I think he's dyin'...he got ill over the summer an' he's not gettin' better…I don' know what I'll do if he…if he…We've bin tergether so long…' Hermione patted Hagrid's shoulder, looking at a complete loss for anything to say. Harry knew how she felt. He had known Hagrid to present a vicious baby dragon with a teddy bear, seen him croon over giant scorpions with suckers and stingers, attempt to reason with his brutal giant of a half-brother, but this was perhaps the most incomprehensible of all his monster fancies: the gigantic talking spider, Aragog, who dwelled deep in the Forbidden Forest and which he and Ron had only narrowly escaped four years previously

It was Ron that Harry noticed, his gaze staring out the dirty window as Hermione tried her best to comfort Hagrid-it seemed she wasn't the only one having issue, as the Auror was still outside, trying to calm Mara Morris down.

'Please, Mara!' The Auror plead 'I-I don't know what to..'

'You don't have to do anything,' she sobbed 'why are you even pestering me!' she barked 'you won't leave me alone, please just go AWAY.' she growled, Daniel gasping as her hands slammed against his chest to push him far from her.

'Wait! Mara!' Daniel bellowed, rubbing his chest as he marched after her 'You can't go in there! The Forbidden Forest is barred from students!'

'Please!' he begged in a mighty panic, as he chased after her towards the trees with such a determination that even Harry and Ron were surprised at his devotion, as they watched from inside the hut, Harry reckoned he ought to mention this to Hagrid, despite the Half Giant's current breakdown.