Chapter 14
As promised the boys ran down to Hagrid's Hut as soon as they had eaten a quick breakfast. For running in the halls though, they had been reprimanded by Filch, who was still sniggering from the other evening. Luckily though, he had not awarded them any more detentions or taken away any points, though, Filch never did, so perhaps it was beyond his power to actually do such deeds.
They found Hermione out in Hagrid's garden; she was admiring his pumpkins that were growing exceptionally large for the Halloween banquet coming up. She was obviously trying to butter Hagrid up a bit before she burst into questions about Snape, the wolf, and what was going on.
Hagrid himself was leaning over a paddock fence where two little furry creatures were bounding around. The Half giant towered over the fence and it looked as if it'd snap over his weight. His dark beard appeared as straggly as usual. Harry and Ron approached the fence and looked over. Hagrid stepped over the fence and scooped one of them up; it made a frustrated noise since it was halted in mid bound from the game with its sibling.
"Bearogs! 'Ren't they precious?" Hagrid cooed, nuzzling the furry creature to his face. The animal was covered in dense black fuzz and appeared to have an extra set of legs and another head to its shoulders. On it's paws were a set of rater nasty looking jagged claws. It let out a bleating sound and wriggled trying to get free. "Wannuh hold him?" Hagrid held out the cub and it squirmed more.
Ron backed up, and Harry politely said "No thank you."
Hagrid shrugged and set down the Bearog and upon touching the ground it went bounding after its sibling, growling playfully as it tackled. Hagrid pointed to them, "That there is Mellitus, she's the female, real sweetie. And that be her brother Effervo, he's a bit of the wild one himself." He smiled at his pets before continuing "Today we're gonna be trimmin' their fur and claws, they needs a bit of a clippin' so that thur winter fur will grow in."
Ron blanched, "Going to cut those. long. sharp. pointy.nails?"
"Shure!" Hagrid beamed and stepped over the fence, "Now wha' did yuh need from meh Hermione?"
Hermione stepped over, leaning on the fence, looking to the playing Bearogs, but speaking clearly. "What do you know about wolves Hagrid?"
Hagrid looked at her a moment and scratched his beard, "Well, wolves, yuh know, thur like wild dogs, we don't have much of em round here though. Lest you wanna count the werewolves, but thur in the Dark Forest." He drifted off into silence, "Uh so why do yuh wanna know ahgain?"
"Professor Snape had a wolf running around the grounds last night." Hermione explained.
"Yuh? Hmm. Sounds like Aconite, so. wha do yuh need to know about that?" Hagrid asked.
"Well. isn't it a bit dangerous for him to be letting a wild animal run around like that?" Hermione asked, looking to Hagrid.
"Naw, she's tamed." Hagrid assured them.
"Didn't seem tame last night." Ron muttered.
Hagrid suddenly got an alarmed look to his usual friendly self. "She didn't bite yuh did she?"
Ron shook his head.
"No, the thing seemed to just threaten." Harry said.
Hagrid sighed looking relieved and started laughing, "Well that's uh good news to hear!"
"Why?" Hermione asked.
Hagrid looked around, "No reason, none a'tall." He started over towards the hut, "How's about a spot of tea befur class?"
Hermione ran after him, "Hagrid! We need to know! What's going on?"
Hagrid shook his head and stepped into his hut, Harry and Ron jogged after. Inside the hut, Hagrid was busying himself boiling water in a teakettle. When the three stepped in, Hermione looking miffed with her hands on her hips, Ron looking dumbfounded, and Harry looking jus plain curious, Hagrid suggested that maybe they take Fang for a walk. Fang was Hagrid large hound dog that happened to be sprawled out across a chair. When they refused, Hagrid frowned and sat down, pouring out the tea for them. "Nothin's goin on," he said quietly, though since he had a loud voice, it really did not sound very quiet.
"Since when's Professor Snape had that thing?" Harry asked.
"Er. well I guess I can tell yuh tha much. He's had her round for quite some bit, uh. got her right before yuh came here." Hagrid said, sipping his tea.
"Why haven't we seen her before?" Hermione asked.
"Thas. uh cuz he lets her out at night, ya see, Aconite's kinda skittish." Hagrid said lightly.
"I doubt that," Ron said, "When she ripped the cloak off me and Harry she seemed pretty sure of herself!"
Hagrid rubbed the back of his neck, a light sweat had appeared on his skin, "Uh. uh. well It's bout time we cleaned up, yuh know, classes startin and all." Hagrid grabbed the dishes, striding over to the water basin, washing them. With Hagrid's back turned to them, it was apparent that no more questions would be answered for now.
As promised the boys ran down to Hagrid's Hut as soon as they had eaten a quick breakfast. For running in the halls though, they had been reprimanded by Filch, who was still sniggering from the other evening. Luckily though, he had not awarded them any more detentions or taken away any points, though, Filch never did, so perhaps it was beyond his power to actually do such deeds.
They found Hermione out in Hagrid's garden; she was admiring his pumpkins that were growing exceptionally large for the Halloween banquet coming up. She was obviously trying to butter Hagrid up a bit before she burst into questions about Snape, the wolf, and what was going on.
Hagrid himself was leaning over a paddock fence where two little furry creatures were bounding around. The Half giant towered over the fence and it looked as if it'd snap over his weight. His dark beard appeared as straggly as usual. Harry and Ron approached the fence and looked over. Hagrid stepped over the fence and scooped one of them up; it made a frustrated noise since it was halted in mid bound from the game with its sibling.
"Bearogs! 'Ren't they precious?" Hagrid cooed, nuzzling the furry creature to his face. The animal was covered in dense black fuzz and appeared to have an extra set of legs and another head to its shoulders. On it's paws were a set of rater nasty looking jagged claws. It let out a bleating sound and wriggled trying to get free. "Wannuh hold him?" Hagrid held out the cub and it squirmed more.
Ron backed up, and Harry politely said "No thank you."
Hagrid shrugged and set down the Bearog and upon touching the ground it went bounding after its sibling, growling playfully as it tackled. Hagrid pointed to them, "That there is Mellitus, she's the female, real sweetie. And that be her brother Effervo, he's a bit of the wild one himself." He smiled at his pets before continuing "Today we're gonna be trimmin' their fur and claws, they needs a bit of a clippin' so that thur winter fur will grow in."
Ron blanched, "Going to cut those. long. sharp. pointy.nails?"
"Shure!" Hagrid beamed and stepped over the fence, "Now wha' did yuh need from meh Hermione?"
Hermione stepped over, leaning on the fence, looking to the playing Bearogs, but speaking clearly. "What do you know about wolves Hagrid?"
Hagrid looked at her a moment and scratched his beard, "Well, wolves, yuh know, thur like wild dogs, we don't have much of em round here though. Lest you wanna count the werewolves, but thur in the Dark Forest." He drifted off into silence, "Uh so why do yuh wanna know ahgain?"
"Professor Snape had a wolf running around the grounds last night." Hermione explained.
"Yuh? Hmm. Sounds like Aconite, so. wha do yuh need to know about that?" Hagrid asked.
"Well. isn't it a bit dangerous for him to be letting a wild animal run around like that?" Hermione asked, looking to Hagrid.
"Naw, she's tamed." Hagrid assured them.
"Didn't seem tame last night." Ron muttered.
Hagrid suddenly got an alarmed look to his usual friendly self. "She didn't bite yuh did she?"
Ron shook his head.
"No, the thing seemed to just threaten." Harry said.
Hagrid sighed looking relieved and started laughing, "Well that's uh good news to hear!"
"Why?" Hermione asked.
Hagrid looked around, "No reason, none a'tall." He started over towards the hut, "How's about a spot of tea befur class?"
Hermione ran after him, "Hagrid! We need to know! What's going on?"
Hagrid shook his head and stepped into his hut, Harry and Ron jogged after. Inside the hut, Hagrid was busying himself boiling water in a teakettle. When the three stepped in, Hermione looking miffed with her hands on her hips, Ron looking dumbfounded, and Harry looking jus plain curious, Hagrid suggested that maybe they take Fang for a walk. Fang was Hagrid large hound dog that happened to be sprawled out across a chair. When they refused, Hagrid frowned and sat down, pouring out the tea for them. "Nothin's goin on," he said quietly, though since he had a loud voice, it really did not sound very quiet.
"Since when's Professor Snape had that thing?" Harry asked.
"Er. well I guess I can tell yuh tha much. He's had her round for quite some bit, uh. got her right before yuh came here." Hagrid said, sipping his tea.
"Why haven't we seen her before?" Hermione asked.
"Thas. uh cuz he lets her out at night, ya see, Aconite's kinda skittish." Hagrid said lightly.
"I doubt that," Ron said, "When she ripped the cloak off me and Harry she seemed pretty sure of herself!"
Hagrid rubbed the back of his neck, a light sweat had appeared on his skin, "Uh. uh. well It's bout time we cleaned up, yuh know, classes startin and all." Hagrid grabbed the dishes, striding over to the water basin, washing them. With Hagrid's back turned to them, it was apparent that no more questions would be answered for now.