Ace began to notice the pumpkins. They were nearing another building;
in the back,there was a pumpkin patch. Some of them were way too big. "What's with the pumpkins?" she asked.
"Hagrid grows them."
They went around to the front of the hut; Ace thought it looked like something out of a fairy tale. Dumbledore knocked on the door. From inside,a dog began barking.
"Hagrid?" Dumbledore called.
The door opened slightly. A man with a huge,bushy beard stuck his head through the crack. "Afternoon,Professor...Be right out."
A moment passed.
"Did the Doctor give you that lemon drop?"
"Lemon drop?"
Dumbledore handed her a lemon drop.
"Thank you," she said.
"Just don't bang your head while you eat it."
"Headbanging gives me a headache. So does moshing. What about you?"
"Metal has a wonderful,driving beat,but I prefer chamber music."
"Not much room to slam into people."
"No,there certainly isn't."
"I like jazz,too," Ace said.
Dumbledore nodded. "What about punk rock?"
"Well,come on,we practically invented it."
"We did,didn't we?"
"Do all wizards love music as much as you?"
"Music is a kind of magic we all share,wizard or otherwise."
Then the door swung open.
Ace had seen a lot of things traveling with the Doctor,but nothing had prepared her for Hagrid. She tried not to gape at the enormous man.
"Hagrid,may I present Ace."
"Rubeus Hagrid," said the gigantic man. He offered his hand and Ace took it with both of hers. His grip was firm but unexpectedly gentle. He looked like he ate steel for breakfast.
"Give Ace a tour of the grounds,please,Hagrid. Including the forest."
Hagrid raised his eyebrows. "The forest,sir?"
Dumbledore nodded. "Just to be sure. Pardon me,I have a meeting..."
He trailed off; both Ace and Hagrid stared at him for a moment. They
followed his gaze to the sky. There were people in the sky,riding a broom. They circled around once,and then landed near the group.
The Doctor stepped off of the broom. He kissed Madame Hooch's hand.
"Madame,that was exhilarating," he said.
"My pleasure," Madame Hooch said. She was the most interesting teacher yet; she had spiky white hair and golden yellow eyes.
"Did you find anything,Doctor?" Dumbledore asked.
"No,Headmaster." The Doctor said. "Nothing. I'm sorry."
"No need ta be sorry," Hagrid said.
"Doctor,this is Hagrid,our gamekeeper."
The Doctor smiled at Hagrid.
"He's right. I can never have too much reassurance that Hogwarts is safe. Hagrid, Madame,I have an appointment. Give Ace and the Doctor any assistance they may need."
"We shouldn't be here much longer,Headmaster," the Doctor said.
"It was a pleasure meeting you,Doctor." He turned to Ace. "Remember what I told you." His eyes twinkled. Then he turned and left them.
"What did he tell you?" the Doctor asked.
"We talked about all sorts of stuff," Ace said.
A shrill whistle pierced the air; it was coming from inside the hut.
"Forgot about the tea," Hagrid said. "Anyone want some?"
"I would," Madame Hooch said.
Hagrid went back in the hut. He came back with a cup of tea. Madame Hooch accepted it; they waited for her to finish it. She gave the cup back to Hagrid,who put it in one of the pockets of his coat.
"Well,where shall we begin?"
"Where indeed?" the Doctor said. "Where would you start,Hagrid?"
"Here," Hagrid said. "I'd wander around."
"To the greenhouse,maybe,Hagrid?" Madame Hooch teased.
Hagrid's cheeks turned red. "Or the forest. What're yeh lookin' fer?"
"Don't know," Ace said.
"Yeh don't?"
"We'll know it if we see it."
"Then let's try the greenhouse," Hagrid said.
He led them across the campus; as they walked,Madame Hooch hung back.
"You saw Hagrid blush,didn't you?"
"Why did he do that?" the Doctor asked.
"He fancies Professor Sprout. She fancies him. You'll understand better when you see her. Not that I'd ever laugh at the two of them. They're dear friends of mine and I love them both-"
"What was that?" Hagrid asked.
Madame Hooch clapped Hagrid hard on the shoulder. To him,it probably felt like a light tap. "We love you,Hagrid."
"That's somethin' I can't hear enough."
Madame Hooch chuckled.
"Evil laugh," Ace said.
"She's on our side,Ace."
"Madame Hooch?" Ace called.
"-gai. GAI means CHICKEN. If I called you 'big guy'...did you say something, Ace?"
"Are there any evil teachers here?"
"No,there aren't," she said. "Unless you count Professor Snape."
"What's his problem,anyway?"
"He used to be a Death Eater."
"Is that anything like a sineater?" the Doctor asked.
"He lost his way,and became a follower of Voldemort."
"'E's real tormented," Hagrid said. "But Snape's one of us."
"We only teach Defense against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts. To learn dark magic, you'd have to go to a school like Durmstrang-"
"Oh,there are more magic academies like this?" the Doctor asked.
"All over the place," Hagrid said. "I shouldn'ta said that."
"Nonsense,Hagrid,I'm sure we can trust them."
"Oh,we won't say a word," said the Doctor.
They came upon not one but three buildings which were obviously greenhouses.
"Adrianna should be in number one today."
She pushed the door open,and-
"STOP RIGHT THERE!"
A burst of guitar blasted from the greenhouse doors.
"AH GOTTA KNOW RIGHT NOW..."
Professor Sprout,her back to the group,swiveled her hips; she sang along with the music. She was covered with dirt from head to toe,which was not a long expanse.
"'Paradise By The Dashboard Light'?" Ace wondered aloud,trying to
comprehend all the weird plants.
"Addie," Madame Hooch shouted.
Professor Sprout spun around. She saw Madame Hooch and grinned.
She clapped once and the music stopped.
"Afternoon,Therese." She almost whispered "Hello,Hagrid."
"'Lo,Sprout," he said,looking at his boots.
"Charmed,Professor," the Doctor said,taking off his hat.
"I didn't know we were having guests today," she said.
"No one else did,either," the Doctor said. "I'm the Doctor. That's my
friend Ace."
"Oh...well,pleased to meet you,Ace. Feel free to look around the greenhouse, if you'd like."
"C'mon," Hagrid said,"I'll show you 'round."
He and Madame Hooch led Ace away.
"You picked a lovely day to visit us," said Professor Sprout. "I take it you met the Headmaster?"
"We did."
"He hired a group of classical musicians to play for the plants one day. They loved it. Jury's out on Meat Loaf. They respond well to
BAT OUT OF HELL II but nothing happened with WELCOME TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD. Of course,they love the Beatles."
"I've never met anyone who didn't. Actually,I have,but they were mostly megalomaniacal lunatics."
"The only negative reaction so far has been for this American band called Limp Bizkit. Nearly killed everything. Ever heard them?"
"Once or twice. Never a whole song."
"They didn't like it at all. Neither did I."
"Professor,I'd like to ask you a few questions."
"Go right ahead."
"Have you seen anything strange lately?"
"I see strange things every day. Strange and wonderful things."
"I know the feeling."
in the back,there was a pumpkin patch. Some of them were way too big. "What's with the pumpkins?" she asked.
"Hagrid grows them."
They went around to the front of the hut; Ace thought it looked like something out of a fairy tale. Dumbledore knocked on the door. From inside,a dog began barking.
"Hagrid?" Dumbledore called.
The door opened slightly. A man with a huge,bushy beard stuck his head through the crack. "Afternoon,Professor...Be right out."
A moment passed.
"Did the Doctor give you that lemon drop?"
"Lemon drop?"
Dumbledore handed her a lemon drop.
"Thank you," she said.
"Just don't bang your head while you eat it."
"Headbanging gives me a headache. So does moshing. What about you?"
"Metal has a wonderful,driving beat,but I prefer chamber music."
"Not much room to slam into people."
"No,there certainly isn't."
"I like jazz,too," Ace said.
Dumbledore nodded. "What about punk rock?"
"Well,come on,we practically invented it."
"We did,didn't we?"
"Do all wizards love music as much as you?"
"Music is a kind of magic we all share,wizard or otherwise."
Then the door swung open.
Ace had seen a lot of things traveling with the Doctor,but nothing had prepared her for Hagrid. She tried not to gape at the enormous man.
"Hagrid,may I present Ace."
"Rubeus Hagrid," said the gigantic man. He offered his hand and Ace took it with both of hers. His grip was firm but unexpectedly gentle. He looked like he ate steel for breakfast.
"Give Ace a tour of the grounds,please,Hagrid. Including the forest."
Hagrid raised his eyebrows. "The forest,sir?"
Dumbledore nodded. "Just to be sure. Pardon me,I have a meeting..."
He trailed off; both Ace and Hagrid stared at him for a moment. They
followed his gaze to the sky. There were people in the sky,riding a broom. They circled around once,and then landed near the group.
The Doctor stepped off of the broom. He kissed Madame Hooch's hand.
"Madame,that was exhilarating," he said.
"My pleasure," Madame Hooch said. She was the most interesting teacher yet; she had spiky white hair and golden yellow eyes.
"Did you find anything,Doctor?" Dumbledore asked.
"No,Headmaster." The Doctor said. "Nothing. I'm sorry."
"No need ta be sorry," Hagrid said.
"Doctor,this is Hagrid,our gamekeeper."
The Doctor smiled at Hagrid.
"He's right. I can never have too much reassurance that Hogwarts is safe. Hagrid, Madame,I have an appointment. Give Ace and the Doctor any assistance they may need."
"We shouldn't be here much longer,Headmaster," the Doctor said.
"It was a pleasure meeting you,Doctor." He turned to Ace. "Remember what I told you." His eyes twinkled. Then he turned and left them.
"What did he tell you?" the Doctor asked.
"We talked about all sorts of stuff," Ace said.
A shrill whistle pierced the air; it was coming from inside the hut.
"Forgot about the tea," Hagrid said. "Anyone want some?"
"I would," Madame Hooch said.
Hagrid went back in the hut. He came back with a cup of tea. Madame Hooch accepted it; they waited for her to finish it. She gave the cup back to Hagrid,who put it in one of the pockets of his coat.
"Well,where shall we begin?"
"Where indeed?" the Doctor said. "Where would you start,Hagrid?"
"Here," Hagrid said. "I'd wander around."
"To the greenhouse,maybe,Hagrid?" Madame Hooch teased.
Hagrid's cheeks turned red. "Or the forest. What're yeh lookin' fer?"
"Don't know," Ace said.
"Yeh don't?"
"We'll know it if we see it."
"Then let's try the greenhouse," Hagrid said.
He led them across the campus; as they walked,Madame Hooch hung back.
"You saw Hagrid blush,didn't you?"
"Why did he do that?" the Doctor asked.
"He fancies Professor Sprout. She fancies him. You'll understand better when you see her. Not that I'd ever laugh at the two of them. They're dear friends of mine and I love them both-"
"What was that?" Hagrid asked.
Madame Hooch clapped Hagrid hard on the shoulder. To him,it probably felt like a light tap. "We love you,Hagrid."
"That's somethin' I can't hear enough."
Madame Hooch chuckled.
"Evil laugh," Ace said.
"She's on our side,Ace."
"Madame Hooch?" Ace called.
"-gai. GAI means CHICKEN. If I called you 'big guy'...did you say something, Ace?"
"Are there any evil teachers here?"
"No,there aren't," she said. "Unless you count Professor Snape."
"What's his problem,anyway?"
"He used to be a Death Eater."
"Is that anything like a sineater?" the Doctor asked.
"He lost his way,and became a follower of Voldemort."
"'E's real tormented," Hagrid said. "But Snape's one of us."
"We only teach Defense against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts. To learn dark magic, you'd have to go to a school like Durmstrang-"
"Oh,there are more magic academies like this?" the Doctor asked.
"All over the place," Hagrid said. "I shouldn'ta said that."
"Nonsense,Hagrid,I'm sure we can trust them."
"Oh,we won't say a word," said the Doctor.
They came upon not one but three buildings which were obviously greenhouses.
"Adrianna should be in number one today."
She pushed the door open,and-
"STOP RIGHT THERE!"
A burst of guitar blasted from the greenhouse doors.
"AH GOTTA KNOW RIGHT NOW..."
Professor Sprout,her back to the group,swiveled her hips; she sang along with the music. She was covered with dirt from head to toe,which was not a long expanse.
"'Paradise By The Dashboard Light'?" Ace wondered aloud,trying to
comprehend all the weird plants.
"Addie," Madame Hooch shouted.
Professor Sprout spun around. She saw Madame Hooch and grinned.
She clapped once and the music stopped.
"Afternoon,Therese." She almost whispered "Hello,Hagrid."
"'Lo,Sprout," he said,looking at his boots.
"Charmed,Professor," the Doctor said,taking off his hat.
"I didn't know we were having guests today," she said.
"No one else did,either," the Doctor said. "I'm the Doctor. That's my
friend Ace."
"Oh...well,pleased to meet you,Ace. Feel free to look around the greenhouse, if you'd like."
"C'mon," Hagrid said,"I'll show you 'round."
He and Madame Hooch led Ace away.
"You picked a lovely day to visit us," said Professor Sprout. "I take it you met the Headmaster?"
"We did."
"He hired a group of classical musicians to play for the plants one day. They loved it. Jury's out on Meat Loaf. They respond well to
BAT OUT OF HELL II but nothing happened with WELCOME TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD. Of course,they love the Beatles."
"I've never met anyone who didn't. Actually,I have,but they were mostly megalomaniacal lunatics."
"The only negative reaction so far has been for this American band called Limp Bizkit. Nearly killed everything. Ever heard them?"
"Once or twice. Never a whole song."
"They didn't like it at all. Neither did I."
"Professor,I'd like to ask you a few questions."
"Go right ahead."
"Have you seen anything strange lately?"
"I see strange things every day. Strange and wonderful things."
"I know the feeling."