"Well done Harry! Proud o' yer."
Hagrid clapped Harry on the shoulder sending him tumbling forward. The kettle whistled over the open fire as the four first years shuffled around Hagrid's hut, clambering into a seat. Harry and Ron perched on the side bench while Bella and Hermione settled themselves in Hagrid's large arm chair. He placed steaming cups of tea in front of the youngsters and a plate of cauldron cakes that were as hard as rocks. Hagrid sat down on his large bed and took a sip from his teacup, small droplets oozing down his bushy beard.
"That was some trouble with yer broom, Harry." Hagrid commented, lifting a cauldron cake to his lips and taking a bite.
"It was Snape!" Hermione replied. "He jinxed Harry's broom."
"Don' be stupid" Hagrid exclaimed, spitting cauldron cake everywhere. "Snape is a Hogwarts professor, he wouldn' curse yer broom."
"He's angry with me." Harry said.
"Why would Snape be angry with yer?"
The four shared a look as Harry contemplated the best way to answer. He opted to go with the truth.
"Because I found out that he was bitten by that three-headed dog on Halloween after he tried to get past it." Harry explained.
Hagrid dropped the teacup with a crash as his tea sloshed all over the floor and all down his front.
"How do yer know about Fluffy?" He asked grimly.
"Fluffy?" Bella questioned as Ron exclaimed "That beast has a name?"
"He's mine, I lent him to Dumbledore to guard the -" Hagrid's eyes went as wide as saucers as he realised he had said too much.
"Yes?" Said Harry eagerly.
"Don' be askin' me anymore questions. It's top secret it is." Hagrid replied.
"But Hagrid." Ron whined. "Snape's trying to steal it."
"He would do nothin' of the sort. He's a Hogwarts professor."
"Then why did he jinx Harry's broom?" Bella asked.
"I know a jinx when I see one Hagrid." Hermione cut in.
"You have to keep eye contact." Bella added.
"And Snape wasn't blinking." Hermione raised her eyebrows at Hagrid.
"Yer wrong!" Hagrid fumed. "Now i'm tellin' yer, forget about fluffy, forget what it's guardin'. Yer meddlin' in dangerous things, things that don' concern yer. It's top secret, between Dumbledore and Nicholas Flamel."
Hagrid clamped a hand to his mouth as he realised, again, that he had said too much.
