Chapter 20: Letters and Drinks
The keeper of the Hogwarts keys had gone to Hogsmeade to relax a bit after having an argument that day with his son, a rather rare event, but with a common theme most of the time: Dumbledore.
"Rosmerta, another jug, please! "Hagrid asked, raising his hand, as if he were not already visible enough despite having chosen a table in the corner of the establishment...
"Marching!
The half-giant looked at the bottom of his empty mug and exhaled slowly, reminiscing.
It all started a few nights ago when Barnaby came home in a terrible mood, a state Hagrid rarely saw in his son. Seeing the late hour, he thought a good night's sleep would help let bygones be bygones, but it seems he was wrong.
In the following days, Barnaby was restless, distracted, and frowning.
As if reflecting his mood, the various creatures around the castle were equally agitated, making the first-year students, who knew little about them, nervous in turn.
Hagrid even noticed how Calcifer seemed to have gone mute, acting like an ordinary flame. Well, as ordinary as a fire demon could be in his situation.
Imagine his surprise when his son went out for a few hours and finally bought the plot Mr. Scamander had previously offered him, obtaining a property that made him a neighbor to the famous magizoologist.
Hagrid wasn't going to lie; he got a bit scared thinking Barnaby might leave "the nest" on a whim, so he couldn't take it anymore and tried to play his part as a father.
He knew he wasn't being an exemplary father, but he tried hard!
He saw his own father struggle to raise him, and when he saw the basket with the baby that day at his cabin door, he promised himself he would do his best.
Though he'd admit the professors were a great help, he was in absolute panic the first few times the baby cried.
Barnaby told him what happened, about the dangerous mirror and Dumbledore's maneuver, as well as how he prevented the dark artifact from being destroyed.
To say Hagrid was shocked would be an understatement.
In his mind, the Headmaster of Hogwarts wouldn't even consider harboring a dark artifact; he would destroy it at first sight. But out of habit, he wondered if it was some plan of Dumbledore's for the "greater good" as he used to say, requiring the Headmaster to do something distasteful.
Even he was doubtful in this situation, but it was that old man who allowed him to secure a stable job when no one wanted him due to his half-giant condition.
A half-giant whose wand had been broken.
Before he knew it, he was trying to defend the Headmaster with various possible reasons, which led Barnaby to look at him... in a disappointed and sad way.
There were no shouts or harsh words; he just stood there, looking at his father.
Hagrid felt that silence was even more painful than any other reaction.
And here he was tonight, reflecting while drinking a bit of liquid courage, though his constitution made it hard to be affected by just a few head-sized pints.
Rosmerta was a sweetheart for always having a set of mugs that fit his hand, though perhaps it had to do with him drinking three times as much from each one and thus having to pay the equivalent.
Maybe... was Dumbledore wrong this time?
He really couldn't think of any legitimate reason why Harry would be exposed to a dark artifact, much less that he would prevent his son from taking steps to destroy it.
Even if the Headmaster was really keeping it for a "friend," what kind of friend would ask him to store that thing in a school full of young students who are the future of Britain?
Yes, perhaps he told Harry back then that the only place safer than Gringotts was Hogwarts, but for something like that, Hagrid believed the wizarding bank was a much more suitable place.
"Here you go, dear, how's little Barnaby?" Rosmerta served another large mug and secretly added a big bowl of salted peanuts for free. "Oh, I can't call him little anymore, can I?"
"Thanks, Rosmerta," the half-giant thanked her with a smile. "Yes, he's grown so fast it feels like yesterday when I could hold him in one hand. He's doing well, thanks for asking."
Rosmerta nodded and went to tend to the other tables requesting more drinks, but just as she left, a figure covered in a cloak approached and took a seat at Hagrid's table.
"Excuse me, all the other tables are full, do you mind?"
Hagrid paused lifting his mug and unconsciously looked back, noticing that indeed there was no more room to sit, not even at the bar.
Looks like Rosmerta will do good business tonight.
"That's fine, no problem," Hagrid agreed to the request, while subtly pulling the bowl of peanuts closer to himself.
He would share the table, not his snacks.
Time passed, and before Hagrid knew it, the hooded figure said he remembered an urgent matter and left hurriedly.
Hagrid stared in amazement at the dragon egg beside the letters on the table and quickly stowed it in his jacket. Fortunately, he was in the corner of the place, and his figure blocked any prying eyes.
"What a good guy," Hagrid thought. "Saw I was down and suggested we play some card games, he was even interested when I mentioned Fluffy!"
But betting a dragon egg and ending up winning by a narrow margin, that was something he could only attribute to luck.
"Oh, I didn't ask his name…"
Well, what did it matter?
He had a dragon egg!
He was sure Barnaby would be speechless when he told him what happened.
And how right he was...
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
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