The Wolf and the Raven

Ch 29 - Lone Wolf

After Hogsmeade, they had four weeks until the next full moon. In some ways, it was a relief. They had a whole month before the had to worry about the Animagus process again. For the time, they got to pretend to be average students and focus on nothing more than their studies (and perhaps a prank or two).

Their fun lasted until the first weekend in March, when Branwen finally tried to regain their attention. They needed to secure more moths before the full moon the following week. They decided they would pay Hagrid a visit.

The dark sky was threatening rain that Saturday morning, so they hurried down the path before the heavens opened. When they knocked on the huge door, they heard what sounded like a small explosion followed by loud expletive. An orange light flashed in the window. There was another scuffle, then a loud bang of metal on metal.

The door opened just a few inches and Hagrid peered out on five wide-eyed faces. "Oh, it's you," he grunted. "Come in."

The door opened wider and the students cautiously edged inside.

"Hagrid!" Branwen yelled. "Your sofa's on fire!"

"Oh! So it is," Hagrid laughed nervously and picked up a nearby quilt to smother the flames.

The lid of a pot on the stove rattled. "What's in there?" James asked.

"Oh, nothin', nothin'." The singed couch was still smoking as Hagrid shuffled over to shield the pot from their view. Just then, a spout of flame flew from the pot and the lid crashed onto the hearth. Hagrid jumped aside, and a scaly head poked out, then toppled the pan over. The creature that crawled out resembled a multi-legged turtle with a shell crusted in sapphires.

"That's a Fire Crab!" Remus yelped. "Don't you need a permit to have those?"

Hagrid gulped and grabbed a pair of oven pits before picking up the creature again. "Ugh, yea, yea, you gotta have a permit, o'course. It's uh, in the post on its way to the Ministry right now. Now," he settled the crab into a crate in the corner of the room, "oh, where are my manners? You kids had breakf'st yet? I got bacon and beans on the oven and tea in the kettle."

Now that their attention was no longer on the flammable creature, the scent of breakfast cooking sent their stomachs into a chorus of growls.

Peter grinned. "I could eat." He clambered onto a stool and the others followed suit, a bit more warily when they remembered their last dining experience in the hut.

They weren't surprised to be treated to a similar experience this time. There was toast made from bread cut into slices as thick as bricks (and nearly as tough). The bacon resembled strips of charcoal. Their spoons could stand up in the thick beans and the tea was only slightly better.

Peter seemed not to notice, digging into the meal. The others ate just enough to appear polite.

"So," Hagrid slapped his knee and helped himself to a heaping plate of beans, "you young'uns come down in this weather jus' fer a chat?"

"Well...." Branwen hesitated. Put that way, it seemed rude that they had only come to ask a favour.

Hagrid chuckled at their embarrassment. "'S all right. I think I can guess what you need. More moths, 'm I right?" He winked at Branwen.

She nodded. "Yes please."

Hagrid stroked his beard, his eyes twinkling. "Lemme guess. They weren't a present from no aunt."

"I don't even have an aunt," Branwen blushed.

"You can have mine," Sirius chuckled.

"Not if my life depended on it," James replied under his breath.