At three o'clock sharp, the trio arrived at Hagrid's hut. The gamekeeper was already waiting for them, a plume of smoke rising from his chimney and the kettle already whistling.
"Good to see you lot!" Hagrid boomed, his smile stretching across his broad, bearded face. "Glad you've been keepin' your noses clean. Your punishment's all done with."
Harry and Ron shuffled their feet, offering sheepish grins. Dudley's expression remained placid; to him, punishment was merely a state of mind, and his had been quite untroubled.
"Come on in, come on in! Have a bite to eat. I've made rock cakes," Hagrid said, gesturing proudly to a plate of what looked less like cakes and more like misshapen lumps of granite. He poured three giant mugs of tea and slid the plate towards them.
Dudley picked one up, felt the surprising weight and density in his palm, and with a polite smile, placed it back on the plate.
Harry, ever the diplomat, took one and managed a small, hesitant bite. A moment later, while Hagrid's back was turned, he discreetly slipped the offending cake into his pocket.
Only Ron, bless his soul, foolishly took a large, enthusiastic bite.
CRUNCH.
Harry and Dudley watched as the color drained from Ron's face, his eyes widening in a silent scream of agony. He looked as though he'd just tried to eat the Philosopher's Stone itself.
Struggling to suppress their laughter, Dudley and Harry exchanged a look of shared amusement. Ron glared at them resentfully, rubbing his jaw. They knew. They knew the rock cakes were a dental hazard, and neither of them had warned him. The betrayal was palpable.
"Ahem." Dudley cleared his throat, schooling his features into a serious expression. It was time to get down to business.
"Hagrid, we were wondering… how's that unicorn doing? The one that was injured?" he asked. His tone was simple and direct, yet it carried a subtle weight, a disarming sincerity that invited an honest answer.
"Oh, the unicorn!" Hagrid's eyes lit up instantly. "Recoverin' real well, she is. It's a good thing we found her in time. Another minute and she wouldn't have made it, poor thing."
"She was lucky to have someone like you find her," Dudley praised, his voice laced with an admiration that seemed to resonate deeply with the gamekeeper. "Another wizard might not have known what to do."
A proud, bashful smile touched Hagrid's lips. "Well, I reckon most folk would lend a hand if they saw a pure creature like that hurt. I just… well, I know how to look after 'em, is all."
"I can tell you really love them," Dudley said, his voice a warm, encouraging murmur. He let the compliment settle before expertly shifting the flow of the conversation. "Hagrid, Harry and I grew up with Muggles, so we don't know much about the magical world's creatures. Could you tell us about them? What sort of magical creatures have you raised?"
"Oh, where to start!" Hagrid exclaimed, positively beaming. It wasn't often he found such a captive audience. Children these days were rarely interested in his passions, but Dudley's question seemed to unlock a part of him that was eager to share.
Without any further prompting, Hagrid launched into an excited monologue, detailing the habits and histories of countless magical beasts. He spoke with an encyclopedic knowledge, describing creatures so obscure that even Ron, who grew up in the wizarding world, listened with wide-eyed fascination.
"...and truth be told," Hagrid confided, leaning in conspiratorially, "I've got a lot of experience with the big 'uns. Always thought, if I could just get my hands on one, I'd love to raise a dragon."
Ron's jaw dropped. He whispered frantically to Harry and Dudley, "It's illegal to own a dragon! He's barking mad!"
Dudley ignored him, seizing the opening while Hagrid was so unguarded. "So you've raised large magical creatures before? They must have terrible tempers. Hard to handle, are they?"
"That they are!" Hagrid roared with laughter. "But I've got my ways. Raised a Cerberus once. Named him Fluffy."
Harry and Ron froze.
"Had a right nasty temper on him," Hagrid continued fondly, "but you just play him a bit o' music, and he drops right off to sleep. Quiet as a kitten." He puffed out his chest. "That's the trick with magical creatures. Once you understand 'em, they're easy to handle."
"I see," Dudley nodded, a deep satisfaction settling in his chest. He had the answer.
"Yeah, Fluffy," Hagrid sighed, a look of pure enchantment on his face. "He's a real cutie."
Harry and Ron's expressions had shifted from shock to sheer terror.
"Bought him off a Greek fella at the pub last year," Hagrid reminisced. "Listens to me, he does. He was just a tiny little pup when I got him. Adorable. It's a shame I lent him to Dumbledore. You could've met him otherwise. You'd have loved him, I'm sure."
As Hagrid drifted deeper into his memories, lost in the haze of nostalgia, Dudley gently guided the conversation back on track. "Lent him to Professor Dumbledore? Does the Headmaster also like… little animals?"
"Oh, Dumbledore needed Fluffy to guard somethin' for him," Hagrid said casually. "But I expect Dumbledore likes him too, sure."
"Guard something?" Dudley's question was a perfect picture of innocent curiosity, yet it landed with a precision that made an answer feel like the most natural thing in the world.
"Yeah. Somethin' that belongs to Professor Dumbledore and Nicolas Flamel…"
Hagrid stopped dead. His eyes snapped back into focus as if waking from a long dream. The color drained from his face.
"Oh, gods," he whispered, his voice trembling. "What have I been sayin' to yeh?" He slammed a fist on the table. "Damn it!" He looked furious, not at them, but at himself for his monumental slip-up. He hadn't had a drop of drink, yet he felt as if he'd just confessed the school's greatest secrets while drunk.
"Is something wrong, Hagrid?" Dudley asked immediately, his expression all concern. "You were just telling us about the magical creatures you've raised. That's all." He turned to Harry. "Right, Harry?"
"Yeah, Hagrid!" Harry added quickly, catching on. "We were just thinking how cool it would be if you really did raise a dragon!"
"Uh… is that right?" Hagrid stammered, his panic slowly receding. "Hahaha, yeah. I reckon it would be pretty cool."
Seeing that the boys weren't focused on the name he'd let slip, Hagrid visibly relaxed. They're just kids, he thought, breathing a sigh of relief. Even if they heard the name Nicolas Flamel, they wouldn't know who he is. No harm done.
Dudley took a quiet, deep breath, the subtle, authoritative air he had projected now completely gone. "It's getting late," he said, standing up. "We should probably head back. Have a good weekend, Hagrid."
"Right, right, it is getting late," Hagrid agreed, eager to see them go before he could say anything else. "Best get back to the castle."
After polite goodbyes, the trio left the hut and started the walk back up to the school. The moment they were out of earshot, Ron exploded.
"That Cerberus has a name? Fluffy?! He called that monster tiny and cute?" he sputtered, utterly aghast.
"Nicolas Flamel," Harry said, his voice loud with discovery. "That's the important clue. That thing on the third floor, it has to be connected to him. If we can find out who he is, we'll know what it is!" He paused, a thoughtful frown on his face. "Nicolas Flamel… I'm sure I've seen that name somewhere before."
Dudley said nothing. He gently closed his eyes, his mind already racing, sifting through memories and fragments of knowledge. After a moment of silence, a faint smile touched his lips. "Nicolas Flamel…" he murmured, his voice quiet but certain. "I've heard that name before. Give me a moment."
[Chapter Complete]
***
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