Chapter 62: Hagrid and Fang
This is... this is so humiliating!
Walking along the path outside Hogwarts castle, Lyra covered her face, wishing she could cast a Cruciatus Curse on herself... It was too humiliating!
And if I keep 'wishing' like this... the three Unforgivable Curses won't be enough.
She knew Miss Granger, of course. The girl she met on the train at the beginning of term... and since arriving at Hogwarts, she was the student who asked the most questions.
But... but... just now, as a professor, I was... schooled... or rather, helped... by my own student.
Either way, Lyra couldn't be happy about it!
However... Miss Granger did point me in a direction.
That's right, Hagrid... If I can ask Hagrid for help... maybe I won't have to go to Hogsmeade personally?
I won't have to squeeze through crowds of students...
Lyra felt slightly relieved.
She raised her wand lightly and walked through a thicket. Afterward, the hooded and masked Professor Hamilton reappeared.
She certainly couldn't ask Hagrid for help as a student... After all, Hagrid didn't know any Miss "Hamil Lyra."
According to Miss Granger's note, it should be here, right?
Looking at the hut by the woods not far away, Lyra pressed her lips together and took a deep breath. Asking someone for help was a daunting task.
Especially when that person was Hagrid. Although he was a good person, his massive size was... truly terrifying.
Hagrid alone has the oppressive presence of about 0.75 Professor Snapes...
"Oh? Professor Hamilton?"
"Ah!" The sudden greeting from behind startled Lyra. She instinctively raised her wand and stumbled back a few steps.
"It's just me, Hagrid." The newcomer smiled. His towering figure made Lyra press her lips together and carefully put away her wand.
"H... Hagrid..."
Have you also learned Dumbledore's trick of appearing whenever I mention you?
"Were yeh lookin' fer me?" Hagrid was carrying a large package, looking like he had just returned from somewhere.
"Ah... yes..." Hagrid's words reminded Lyra. She took a deep breath and organized her words. "I wanted to ask you a favor, Hagrid... I heard... heard you were going to Hogsmeade, and I hoped you could help me bring back some ingredients for making Wolf-mph!"
"Ah, no... it's W-W... Wolfsbane Potion..."
"...ingredients..."
What started as a smooth sentence trailed off into a whisper after she bit her tongue.
"Wolfsbane Potion ingredients?" Hagrid paused. He scratched his head. "I am goin' ter Hogsmeade... but I don't really know what goes into Wolfsbane Potion."
"I... I can write it down... and then..." Lyra stammered. "And then... and then you can help me..."
My face must be bright red... Lyra thought.
And I've completely embarrassed myself in front of Hagrid... biting my tongue... How could a professor over sixty years old do something like that?
"But I don't really know how ter pick ingredients." Hagrid said, a bit troubled. "I don't know potions."
"Makin' Wolfsbane Potion is supposed ter be tricky, right?" Hagrid paused. "If I buy the wrong stuff..."
"Ah... that... that's true..." Lyra realized this as well. If Hagrid bought the wrong ingredients, or if there was something wrong with them... it was very likely the entire batch of Wolfsbane Potion would be ruined.
I don't have many Galleons right now... even with Mr. Lupin's subsidy...
"By the way, Miss Hamilton, are yeh busy later?" Hagrid asked, seemingly confused about something. "Why don't yeh go yerself?"
"Because... because I..." Lyra nervously picked at the hem of her robes. She couldn't bring herself to admit she didn't know the way.
That would be too humiliating... I just embarrassed myself in front of Miss Granger... am I going to do it again in front of Hagrid?
"But I... don't... have... anything to do later..." Lyra stammered, avoiding the main question.
"That's good." Hagrid walked to the hut door and put down the package. "Let's go ter Hogsmeade together, then?"
"It ain't far, just ten minutes or so."
"Ah! T... T... Together?" Lyra quickly backed away, waving her hands. "No... no... there must be a lot of people there..."
"I..."
"Shouldn't be as crowded as Diagon Alley." Hagrid shrugged. "Besides, if we go together, I can help yeh carry stuff."
"Yeh don't look like yeh can carry a lot of potion ingredients."
Ah... actually, my money can't buy that many ingredients anyway, and I have a spatial storage book...
But none of that matters, Hagrid... what matters is... I'm a little scared...
"Let's go, Miss Hamilton." Hagrid didn't seem to notice Lyra's reluctance. He laughed loudly and opened the door, calling out a dog from inside.
"This is..." Lyra's attention was instinctively drawn to the dog. She had always liked small animals, or rather, she had a fondness for magical creatures in general.
You see... they're smart, but they don't talk... aren't they much easier to get along with than wizards and Veela-eating Muggles?
Mainly because they don't talk...
"This is Fang, my dog." Hagrid bent down and patted the dog's head. "He looks a bit fierce, but he's actually a coward."
Is... is that so?
Watching Hagrid, Lyra instinctively wanted to pet the dog, but she was a little afraid... What if he's unhappy...
"Do yeh want ter pet him?" Hagrid chuckled, seeing Lyra looking longingly at Fang. "Fang won't bite."
"Then... excuse me... Mr. Fang... Fang..." Lyra whispered, bending down and reaching out to touch Fang's head.
"Woo..." Seeing a person suddenly approach, Fang instinctively backed away a few steps, but sensing no malice from Lyra, he carefully raised his head.
So... so warm... Lyra's hand touched Fang's head, and she instinctively stroked it back and forth.
So... so cute...
"Ah!"
Fang seemed happy; he suddenly stuck out his tongue and licked Lyra's hand, causing her to scream and jump back.
"Oh! Bad Fang!" Hagrid pulled on the leash. "Yeh really are a bad dog!"
"He's just like that." Hagrid scratched his head sheepishly. "Licks any cute girl he meets..."
Am I a cute girl?
Lyra instinctively looked at her somewhat wet hand. She felt Fang might just be hungry?
Besides, I'm not a girl... I'm an adult!
But if Fang comes along... Lyra somehow felt much more relaxed. At least if Hagrid really gets hungry, he'll eat Fang first, right?
Ah, of course that's a joke. Lyra no longer believes Hagrid eats people.
Certainly not!
However... it would be even better if Fang could take her to Hogsmeade alone.