Post-peace Chaos (Drarry)

Chapter 73

[Harry]

"Hey, Hagrid!" Harry said brightly as he walked into The Three Broomsticks.

"Harry!" Hagrid bellowed and pulled him into a bone-crushing hug. Harry counted three broken ribs.

"Nice ter see yeh, nice ter see yeh! Rosmerta, a pin' o' Fire-whiskey over here, eh?"

"I'll have a Butterbeer," Harry said politely.

He noticed that Hagrid looked different. He looked exhausted, even though he managed to keep up his strength upon seeing Harry. He suspected another illegal magical creature, but that didn't seem like it either. Hagrid's taste usually contained multiple heads, unusually humungous species, or fire-breathing, which most of the time cut and bruised him severely. But Hagrid was in one piece. Just, very, very tired.

The drinks arrived and they toasted. "So, Hagrid, what have you been up to lately? Why couldn't we meet at your hut?"

Hagrid did the tell-tale eye-darting and Harry knew he was definitely hiding something.

"Eh, not much, not much- Bin' busy, house's a mess..."

"So... there's no magical creature kept inside of your house?"

"Merlin, no! Jus' tired, tha's all..." he took an enormous swig from his pint, nearly draining the whole jug. "One more roun', Rosmerta!"

"Hagrid, are you sure you're alright?"

Hagrid looked down from the heavy bags under his eyes. "Ah, alrigh'. I'll let yeh come back ter the cabin with me, bu' yeh better promise not ter tell!"

Harry wasn't sure whether to promise anything so didn't reply.

Hagrid practically poured the whole second pint down his throat in a second and wiped his beard. "Tha's better. Come on, Harry, go' ter show yeh somethin'."

Harry finished his Butterbeer and followed Hagrid down the road of Hogsmeade, toward Hogwarts' grounds.

He felt extraordinarily jumpy as he neared his first home. The castle gradually came into sight, the Forbidden Forest, with Hagrid's little hut... Harry breathed in the familiar 'Hogwarts' scent' and smiled.

Hagrid led him to his cabin but didn't hear Fang's barks. "Is Fang in there?" Harry asked.

"Yep."

"Is he sick?"

"Nope, healthy as a skrewt."

Harry didn't know if that was healthy or not so just nodded. Hagrid unlocked the door and out came an overenthusiastic Fang jumping onto Harry and licking all over his face.

"Hi, Fang!" Harry exclaimed. "Why aren't you barking?"

"Shh, Harry!" Hagrid whispered to him.

"What?"

Hagrid held up a giant finger and beckoned him inside.

Then Harry saw her.

A baby girl, couldn't be over than a few months old, lying peacefully in an oversized crib that seemed to be roughly built by Hagrid.

"Trained Fang not ter bark, or she'll be bawlin' till her eyes dry ou',"

Harry approached the baby. She had short, silvery blonde hair. She cooed quietly in her sleep, melting Harry's heart.

"Hagrid... where did you find her?"

"Bin' doin' some searchin' in Knockturn Alley, foun' her in an alleyway. Poor girl, bin' starvin', didn' even have the strength ter cry."