Chapter Six – Hagrid's Hut

"Oy! Harry, over here!" Ron called at the lunch table, as Harry Potter walked into the Great Hall to eat.

Harry had done what Dumbledore asked. He skipped his Care of Magical Creatures class (despite wanting to see Hagrid desperately), and had gone to his dormitory instead. But he couldn't keep his mind on what Dumbledore wanted him to think about. How were the Dursleys so important to Harry? He did have a horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach; who wouldn't, when you find out that three people who you've lived with for so long were dead? Yet Harry couldn't understand why he was supposed to just fall over and cry his eyes out, for the family who had tortured him for fifteen long years.

The only thing that came to mind that made him feel like vomiting, only for a minute, was the fact that the closest thing he had to his mother was gone. Lily's sister was dead, just like her. Harry was sure that Lily would be devastated. But when he thought about how Aunt Petunia had treated him all these years, he couldn't help but fell slightly relieved he would never have to face another day in their household again.

"Hey, Ron, Hermione," said Harry as he sat next to Ron at the table. Hermione stared at him from across the table. Harry recognized the face; she was analyzing him.

"Okay, Harry. What happened? Your pale," stated Hermione as she bit into her large sandwich.

"Nothing, Hermione," he lied. "Nothing important, at least."

"Aw," Ron said, his mouth full of tuna, which sprayed all over Harry, "c'mon, 'Arry, wha' 'Umble'ore hafta say?"

Harry sighed. "Well, Snuffles was there."

Hermione grinned. "Really? How is he?"

"Fine." But Harry rethought that answer. Truth was, Sirius seemed very disturbed and upset by the Dursleys deaths. "Actually, he was really upset."

"Why?"

"The Dursleys are dead," Harry said, with no emotion in his voice.

Hermione and Ron both gasped.

"WHAT?!" cried Hermione, dropping her sandwich. "You're kidding!"

Harry stared at Hermione. "What's the big deal? I mean, so what? They're the Dursleys."

Tuna was spilling out of Ron's open mouth. "Harry...." Ron was unable to finish.

"WHAT IS SO HORRIBLE ABOUT THEM BEING DEAD?!" yelled Harry, causing a few other Gryffindors to eye him.

"Well for one thing," Hermione said, "did Dumbledore tell you how they died?"

Harry stared at her. He realized that Dumbledore hadn't told him how they died. "Er—no."

"I doubt it was a car crash that killed them," said Ron. "I mean, Harry, I'd think that you could figure it out..."

Harry gaped at Ron, not knowing what to say. He couldn't figure out what Ron and Hermione were so shocked about. Then, like a bolt of lightening, he realized they must have been killed by—

"Voldemort?!" he whispered. Ron winced at the name. "But...what could he want with them? They're just Muggles."

"Muggles who are the only family to Harry Potter, a.k.a., You-Know-Who's worst enemy!" said Ron.

"And, Harry," said Hermione, "he obviously wanted something from them. Did the Dursleys have anything in their possession that Voldemort would want? Anything that'd he'd kill for?"

"Besides me?" Harry said. "No. Nothing. I mean, they're Muggles. And not just Muggles, but Muggles who hate, and I mean HATE wizards. They'd never have anything that'd be of use to Voldemort."

"Say He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, will you please?!" Ron said hastily. Then added, "Well Harry, he must have wanted something. Otherwise, there was no point. It wasn't as if he went to the house looking for you. He'd know you're here, at Hogwarts. And under Dumbledore's care. He wouldn't forget that."

Harry stared at his lunch, no longer the least bit hungry. He had to know why the Dursleys were killed. And if they really were killed by Voldemort.

"But what if they weren't killed by Voldemort?" he questioned.

Ron turned back to his tuna. "Then that was one hell of a car crash."

Harry just sat there at the table, flabbergasted. The Dursleys, killed by Voldemort. It had never occurred to him. Never once had he worried about how Voldemort's rebirth could effect them. He had always assumed them to be safe.

He needed to get off the topic.

"How's Hagrid?" he asked, still not touching his food.

Hermione looked up at Ron, and said, "Well...I don't know."

"What?" asked Harry. "Didn't you go to class?"

"Of course!" she said. "But Hagrid wasn't there. Grubbly-Plank was there. Remember her? She did the unicorn lesson last year, when Rita's column about Hagrid came out."

Harry nodded, remembering all too well the article, and the panic when he didn't see Hagrid teaching that day. "Where's Hagrid, then?"

Ron shook his head. "We don't know. She told us not to ask any questions, she claimed she didn't know any more than we do."

Harry thought for a moment, then said, "Could he be out with Madame Maxime?"

Hermione looked up, a strange smile on her face. "Why Harry!" she said, then began to giggle insanely.

Ron raised one eyebrow at her, giving her a very confused look at her, and turned back to Harry. Harry gave him a confused look as well, and Ron just rolled his eyes, shrugged his shoulders, and mouthed "girls". Harry laughed and nodded.

Hermione composed herself, and then said, "Why would you think that, Harry?"

"Well, remember last year? He said that Dumbledore had a special task for him...but he wasn't allowed to tell us. He also said that Madame Maxime ("Olympe, you mean," said Ron) may go with him. Said he thought he had persuaded her."

Hermione stared at him thoughtfully, then said, "Oh! Yes! Now I remember." She pouted. "But...where could they have gone?"

"Remember how Dumbledore had said we need to get the giants on our side?" said Ron. "Well, who better to go talk to them than Hagrid and," he clasped his hands together, brought them up next to his ear, and said in a high pitched voice, "Olympe?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "Mature, Ron. But what you said...it makes sense. They must have gone out to those caves that the giants now live in." He smiled. "That must be where they are."

Hermione pouted even more. "Fine. But I'd still like to know if he's okay or not." She took a bite of sandwich, swallowed, and said, "I mean, don't you think he'd send us an owl or something? At the least, and owl?" She looked at Harry and said, "Did he send you anything for your birthday?"

Harry shook his head. "I just assumed he was busy with Dumbledore. I didn't really pay attention to it," he said.

Hermione sighed, obviously unsatisfied.

"Mmm," said Ron, his mouth once again spiting tuna everywhere. "Wattif we go to 'is 'ouse?" He swallowed. "See if he left any clues."

"But Ron! We'd be breaking in! We couldn't possibly..."

"If we get caught," Harry said, "we'll just say we were looking for him. I mean, it wouldn't be that far from the truth."

Hermione gave an uncomfortable look, but nodded. "Okay. But if Snape catches us...."

"Speaking of which," Ron said, his face suddenly going red. "Harry, you'll never guess what Snape said to Hermione."

Ron replayed what happened in potions.

"WHAT?!" shouted Harry. "Snape SAID WHAT?!"

"I know. A teacher. A bloody teacher!" Ron said, biting into his bread hard and ripping it angrily. "Can you believe the git?"

Harry didn't say another word until lunch was over.

^*^*^

"—Ow, Ron, you stepped on my toe—"

"—Ouch! Harry, be careful—"

"—Geez Hermione, how big are your feet—"

The three friends hid under Harry's Invisibility Cloak, which used to be owned by his deceased father, James. James had left it in Dumbledore's possession, and in Harry's first year, Dumbledore had given it to him as a Christmas present.

As they made their way down the stairs, Harry cursed under his breath, and said, "I wish I had the Mauderer's Map right now."

"Where is it?" asked Ron.

"I had given it to Moody, remember?" Harry sighed unhappily. "It's probably back in Filch's cabinet....not being put to good use...."

Ron groaned at the thought. "Fred and George would freak out...Don't let them know, Harry. They'd kill you. Probably rip your limbs off and—"

Hermione coughed.

"You're not coming down with a cold, are you?" asked Ron.

"No, it's allergies," Hermione said. "Why do you care?"

"Don't want to catch it."

They made their way outside, where it was dark enough for them to take off the Invisibility Cloak. The air was only slightly chilled, as it was the end of September. Harry, Ron, and Hermione made their way to Hagrid's hut, not caring if they made noise while they walked.

Harry stepped up to one of the windows, which was covered with a thick, black curtain. He shook his head to Ron and Hermione, telling them he couldn't see inside. They hurried over to the front door, and Ron cursed when they found it locked.

"Honestly!" Hermione said. "Have you learned nothing as wizards?" She pulled out her wand, and whispered, "Alohomora!" which caused the door to unlock, allowing them entry.

She smiled smugly at the pouting Ron.

The hut looked the same, except there was nothing cooking, no treacle fudge sitting somewhere in a pan. There were no dirty clothes on the bed, and the absence of the kind old boarhound, Fang, was unnerving.

"It's so strange," whispered Ron. He picked up a book lying on the table, looked at it, then put it back down.

Hermione sulked. "Harry, there's nothing here. Nothing to tell where Hagrid could be, or if he's okay."

"Wait," Ron said suddenly, looking at a pan near the back door. "Look. It's feces. Probably Fang's."

Harry and Hermione hurried over. They grabbed their nose when the got close enough—the stench was horrible.

"Well, obviously Fang left recently," Hermione said, her voice sounding congested since she was holding her nose. "It's still fresh."

"Unless it's not Fang's," Harry said.

Ron raised an eyebrow. "Harry, there is no way a man Hagrid's size could make something that small..."

"NO," Harry said. "It could be his."

Harry pointed to an owl which was perched on the beam across the ceiling. The owl, a magnificent Great Horned owl, swooped down and landed on Harry's shoulder. He nipped at Harry's ear, in an affectionate way. Harry smiled; he was used to owls because he had one himself—a Snowy owl named Hedwig.

"Oh," Hermione gasped, "he's beautiful!" She stroked the owl gently a few times, then waited for his approval of her. The owl hooted softly, and flew to her shoulder. He nipped her ear, tenderly enough so that it didn't hurt her.

"Is it Hagrid's?" asked Ron, looking at Harry.

Harry shrugged. "I have no idea. I've never seen that owl before." Harry paced around the hut again, looking at everything he could, trying to find some evidence that Hagrid had been there, and was okay.

Hermione, with the owl still on her shoulder, said, "Harry, let's go back to our room. We'll take the owl with us…see if Dumbledore knows him. I'm sure Dumbledore will be willing to tell us where Hagrid is."

"Okay," Harry said, disappointed. "At least we found the owl."

"Is there a name tag anywhere?" asked Ron.

Hermione looked at the owl. "What's your name?"

The owl hooted happily, and flew to the table near the fireplace. On the table was a gook, lying open. It was a recipe book, which was already opened to the recipe for—

"Treacle fudge," Hermione said, with a slight hint amusement. "Your name is Treacle?"

The owl hooted.

"Alright then, Treacle," Harry said, "is your owner named Hagrid?"

Treacle hooted.

Harry smiled. "Okay…good. You're new to Hagrid, aren't you?"

He hooted.

"Do you know if he's okay?"

Treacle remained silent.

"Does that mean you don't know?"

Treacle hooted.

Hermione groaned. "Well, we haven't gotten anywhere, have we?"

Ron frowned also. "Let's just take him back to the common room. We can take care of him. Maybe even use him to send a letter to Hagrid…might as well ask the man himself if he's okay. Treacle could find him…or, if it's okay with harry, we could use Hedwig." Ron smiled slightly. "I doubt Pig even knows who Hagrid is. He'd be clueless sending him a letter."

Harry nodded. "Well take care of Treacle." He turned back to the bird. "Would you like that?"

Treacle just hooted.