Tea With Hagrid

Saturday dawned grey and misty, threatening to rain later on. The three Slytherin friends went down to breakfast leaving Crabbe and Goyle snoring away. Blaise had already left. They found him at the end of the Slytherin table and said good morning as they found seats further down. Pancakes were served that morning. Draco's eagle owl brought sweets from his mother as usual which he shared with those around him. The bulletin from yesterday was still fresh in their minds and Draco and Ron took turns giving Harry advice on flying. They gave different advice and fought over everything.

By the time they had all finished eating there were few people left in the hall. The trio left the hall and found Fred and George waiting just outside. Apparently they were waiting for Ron.

"Ron! We have to talk," Fred called out.

"Uh… What about?" Ron figured he had a pretty good idea what it was about anyway.

"You're in Slytherin!" George cried, proving Ron right.

"I can't believe it!" Fred added.

"A Weasley in the Snake's house!"

"How could you!"

"What will people say?"

"What will Mom say?"

"There's nothing wrong with being in Slytherin," Harry interrupted.

"Our whole family has been in Gryffindor. Weasleys have always been in Gryffindor. It's practically tradition for Weasley's to be in Gryffindor!" George shouted, waving his arms around for emphasis.

"Looks like there was finally someone in your family good enough for Slytherin," Draco smirked. Fred and George gave him a dirty look.

"No one asked you, Malfoy," George snarled. Draco's smile widened, as he saw Snape approaching behind the twins. Fred was about to add to that comment when,

"What's going on here?" Professor Snape inquired eyeing the twins.

Draco answered quickly, "They were just congratulating their brother on being in Slytherin."

"Is that so?" Snape raised an eyebrow, "Well now you've done that you can just run along."

Fred and George slunk away. Snape turned to thyounger boys, he frowned at Harry briefly before addressing Ron. "Ron Weasley. Quite a few people were surprised when you were put in my house. Nevertheless, you will uphold the house of Slytherin to the best of your ability, understand?" Snaped loomed over him menacingly.

"Yes, sir," Ron mumbled.

"Not to worry, Professor," Draco piped up, "I'll see to it that we'll always be seen as upstanding model students," he smiled cheekily.

Snape stared at him for a moment or two. "You two are friends?" he asked slowly.

"We three, yes," Draco corrected.

"Fine, then," Snape shook his head and huffed, which may or may not have been a laugh then disappeared down the hall, muttering something about Hell being a very cold place right now.

"That went well." Draco said cheerfully.

"'Upstanding model students'?" Harry quoted in disbelief.

"Not to worry, my dear Harry. After all, you're only in trouble if you get caught!"

"Sometimes you scare me, Drake," Harry shook his head.

"Thanks! Let's get back to the common room… Ron?" Ron was staring at his shoes.

"Ron, don't worry about them. They'll get used to it," Harry tried to cheer Ron up.

"And if they don't we could always turn their hair green," Draco added with a grin.

"Huh? Green? What good would that be?" Harry asked him.

"What? Would you prefer blue? Or maybe purple, yeah or cyan! Cyan is good," Ron had to laugh at Draco's enthusiasm. They went back to their dorms as Draco continued to suggest various odd things they could do to the twins. Back in the common room Ron and Harry played a game of chess. Harry lost -- badly.

After it had stopped raining, around three o'clock, Harry, Draco and Ron prepared to go to Hagrid's house. Hagrid lived in a small wooden house at the edge of the forbidden forest. Just outside the door of the hut were a crossbow, a shovel, and a very large pair of gloves. Harry knocked on the door. Immediately, barking could be heard inside, as well as Hagrid's voice shouting.

The door opened and Hagrid stuck his head out. "Ah, Harry! Good ter see yeh. Back Fang!"

"Hi Hagrid! I brought some friends with me. I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all – the more the merrier! Fang, back!" Hagrid struggled with the huge boarhound trying to clear the doorway. The boys squeezed in surveying the only room. Pheasants and hams hung from the ceiling. A huge bed took up one corner.

"Make yerselves at home." Hagrid said cheerfully. He let go of Fang who bound over and started licking the ears of whom ever he could reach. Ron was the unfortunate victim.

"This is Ron. You already know Draco," Harry introduced.

"Another Weasley, eh? I spent the last two years chasin' yer twin brothers away from the forest."

Ron frowned. "Well you don't have to worry about me, you won't catch me when I go in there."

"When you go in there?" Draco asked, raising one eyebrow.

"I meant if."

"Yeh shouldn't be goin' at all!" Hagrid barked.

"It's a joke! I was joking!" Ron waved his hands in front of him defensively while Harry and Draco snickered.

Hagrid set out some rock cakes as he grumbled and poured some tea. The rock cakes nearly broke their teeth but the tea was actually quite good. They talked about different things until Harry got a chance to ask Hagrid about Snape. Hagrid told him it was nonsense; Snape would have nothing against him. But Hagrid didn't meet Harry's eyes and quickly changed the subject.

As Harry was considering this odd reaction he looked down and noticed a paper clipping lying on the table. Harry read the title GRINGOTTS BREAK-IN LATEST. The clipping said the vault that had been broken into had been emptied earlier that day. Harry noted the date was the same as when Harry himself had been there. Harry thought back to that day and remembered Hagrid had emptied another vault when he was there. Now Harry had even more to think about than when he arrived.

Walking back to the castle later Harry filled in his friends about the clipping and about the visit to the Gringotts vault.

"Maybe they have nothing to do with each other. Could be a different vault," Ron said.

"I guess. But it's a weird coincidence if it is," Harry replied.