Chapter 5
A visit at Hagrid's
The three kids went down fast across the land, towards the gamekeeper's hut. Harry was happy to see the friendly half giant again, who was a welcomed guest at the Weasleys house. Many things Harry knew of Hogwarts, he had learned from Hagrid's tales.
When the three of them reached the hut, they knocked at the door and waited patiently to get inside. It did not take long and on the inside could be heard the mighty bark of a happy dog. "Down Fang! Get down, my boy! All right! Let us see who pays a visit to the ol' Hagrid on a day like this!", a voice could be heard from the other side of the door and moments later you could see a big man, whose face was covert by a large, unkempt beard. "Ah look at this, the little Harry! Welcome to my cosy hut. So, tell me about your first week at school?" "Oh Hagrid, I had not expected it to be this perfect to come to Hogwarts. So many interesting, new subjects and magic at all…", Hermione started to gush immediately, until Ron stopped her by the following words, "Hy Hermione, breath for a moment. There is still time left today, as it is the weekend. And Hagrid has also enough time to listen to us all!" Hermione just look at Ron sharply, but before the two could start a real fight Hagrid took the opportunity and asked the quiet Harry, "So tell m' Harry! How is it in the tower of you ravens?" Harry smiled a bit, when he thought about the many books, which they had in their common room for the hungry mind to be read.
"Ah, I think it is simply perfect! There is so much to learn, and it seems to be so full of knowledge, like you could just find at Flourish and Blotts. Not to mention the library! I think, if madame Pince would not pull me out of there, I could make myself home at this place.", Harry went on happy. Hagrid smiled friendly, while listening to the boy's words and he saw how much Harry was like his mother Lily. Even if she were sorted into Gryffindor, because of her gentle and kind being many students of her own year and above had often said, that she could have been a Ravenclaw as well. Now Hermione took the word to say, "You wanted to tell us a story about Harrys parents, Hagrid!" "Hm, oh yeah! Lily and James!" The half giant cleared his throat and moved himself up in his gigantic chair to start talking, "Know, I remember quiet well that James was captivated by little Lily since first year. Together with his three friends he came down to my hut uncountable weekends and gushed about her. But many times, she just ignored him totally. I think I have some pictures lying around here…"
He got up and went towards a large dresser right next to his bed and took out of it a large pile of pictures with a group of happy teenagers, sometimes seen at Hogwarts and then again at a wizarding house. The children seemed to be fixed by a picture of a beautifull pair in a wedding dress and a matching suit! "Are… are those… my parents?", Harry mouthed while his eyes went across the faced, which smiled at him from the living pictures.
"Harry? Harry? Harry?", Hermione cried while she tried to get her friend out of his submersion. Slowly, very slowly she and Ron managed to get through to Harry and the boy, with trembling fingers, put down the pictures as far away from him as possible. "Sorry Hagrid! I should not have let this touch me like this! This is a part of my life, which I cannot change anymore. As much as I would like to!" "No, Harry. You do not need to be sorry. You have a good live with the Weasleys but every one of us wishes deep down in our hearts to grow up with our parents. But there are so many people out there, who knew Lily and James. Not only here at school but also later and…. maybe you want me to…. just if you want that is…. I mean. I could try to find some other friends of your parents and ask them for souvenirs of your parents.", Hagrid murmurs and in the next moment found Harry hugging him happily just around his middle.
Smiling the three of them said goodbye to the friendly half giant and went back up to the castle. Reaching it, they first went into the entrance hall where Harry asked if they just wanted to stand around or if he should show them his common room. Ron was happy to agree because, as he said, there would be no Weasley at all who would ever name a different house his home then Gryffindor. As Harry was, so to say, a Weasley by honour it would be fine to give Ravenclaw a 'formal call'!
So, a few minutes later the friends entered the ravens' common room and found a working Penelope Clearwater, who seemed to pore over a particular hard essay. When she heard movement from across the entry, she moved her head and greeted Harry with a smile: "Oh, hello Harry! It is nice to see you found friends of your own. Welcome at our little temple of knowledge." While she spoke, Penelope moved herself out of the bowed position, which let her back muscles make some strange noises. "What kind of essay do you work on, Penny?", asked Harry interested and went next to the prefect. "That one is a quite difficult one for Defence against the dark arts. Quirrell wants us to analyse the theory about Defending the Cruciatus curse by Egbert the cruel from 1215 from today's sight in our very own words. I already took some notes on the second part of the task but could not find enough material about Egbert himself. But do not stress yourself over me, Harry. I will manage. You get up with your friends and enjoy your weekend."
They nodded at the prefect, but Harry stopped for a moment as if he had just gotten a thought, "If you are looking for something where you can really learn something new, I would it with Egbert's second work. It stands in the second row of book-shelfs at the windowsill. I think it is a bit to scary, but it maybe because I am still a first year." The rest he said with a grin before running up the stairs while he could make out a friendly: "Thank you Harry!"
Reaching the top Harry investigated the taken aback faces of his friends. "Why are you looking at me like this?", Harry asked insecure. Ron and Hermione exchanged a glance, before the girl cleared her throat and said: "Ähm Harry, you know that you just gave a fifth year an extremely valuable tip for an extremely difficult subject in Defence Against the Dark Arts. You do not learn such a thing by browsing a book. Did you…" "Stopp Hermione! Bevor you start worrying about me. No, I did not get lost in books about dark magic. All I did was looking a bit more at the shelves in the common room. Then the name caught my eye and as Penny helped me so much last week, I thought I will pay her back that way. That is all!" After these words Hermione nodded and the situation between the friends got better again.
For the rest of the day the children made fun with each other before going down to dinner in the great hall. Like always Harry sat with the prefect and after the meal both took a place at fire, where Harry concentrated on writing quite a long letter. "Say Harry, whom do you write this novel to?", asked Penelope. "This is for Ginny. I promised her to tell as much about Hogwarts as possible. She arrives only next year and as big brother I need to help her as much as I can, so she will have no problems next year." "OK! As big brother, you say. But I believe, and please correct me if I am wrong Harry. Ginny is a Weasley and has more than enough brothers who can give her information about Hogwarts. No, this is no reason at all to get red Harry. Keep on writing. Every girl is happy to get incredibly detailed letters from her friend!" With a very red head and talking gibberish the young Potter took up his things while taking off to the owlery with the friendly laugh of Penelope in his back.
Arriving there he sat down in a windowsill, whistled once, and waited for Hedwig to settled down on his arm. The snowy owl gave of a questioning noise and nibbled trustfully in her master's ear. So, Harry stroked her feathers, gave her the letter and said bevor letting her go into the night: "Get this letter to the burrow, beauty! Ginny is waiting for it for sure." With a strong kick the mighty owl got up into the air and her master's eyes followed her until her silhouette went into the deep night sky. Then Harry went back into the common room and into his bed. It had been a long day!