In the British wizarding world, being a Hufflepuff is kind of like holding a chastity plaque in ancient society — a symbol of uprightness.
When it comes to Hufflepuff, you might say they're a bit slow, not the brightest, and just average in academics.
But if you accuse them of being sneaky, deceitful, or manipulative — nine out of ten people would spit in your face.
That's the power of their golden reputation.
And clearly, that golden Hufflepuff name worked especially well on someone like Hagrid, who had a straightforward personality.
"Come in."
Hagrid opened the door. Wayne let go of Fang, who gazed longingly at him as he walked inside.
The fire in the hearth was crackling energetically, occasionally popping loudly, filling the entire hut with a warm, cozy glow.
There was a small stool inside, but no table. Wayne didn't mind and sat directly on it.
Hagrid sat down on his bed.
"So... Lawrence? What brings you here?"
"Just call me Wayne," he said casually, making up an excuse. "I heard about you from Harry. He said you're a really kind and helpful person."
"So, when I ran into a bit of trouble, you were the first person who came to mind."
Wayne wasn't worried about Hagrid checking stories with Harry afterward — he had mentioned Hagrid before, just not in such glowing detail.
And with Harry's brain, even if Wayne hadn't said a thing, he could easily convince him he must've just forgotten.
Hearing this, the half-giant chuckled awkwardly.
Whether it was Wayne's flattery or the fact that Harry spoke positively about him to a friend, it clearly made him happy.
Just a moment ago, he had been acting all official, but now his tone turned warm and friendly.
The half-giant got up, walked to the fireplace, and came back carrying a thirty-inch iron tray and a cloth bag. When he opened it, a pile of sweets spilled out.
"Have some candy and one of my salt-crusted meat pies — just made them this morning."
Wayne smiled as he picked up a piece of candy, but politely passed on the pie.
Was that thing even edible? It looked harder than a brick.
"Is there something you need help with? Just so we're clear, I won't do anything that breaks school rules."
Hagrid rubbed his hands as he asked.
"Of course not. Actually, I just need some materials to make a few little trinkets," Wayne replied, waving his hand while discreetly spitting out the candy.
Ugh. Way too sweet.
"I see," Hagrid finally relaxed, thumping his chest with a loud boom.
"What do you need? If I can get it, I'll help you for sure."
"That's great!" Wayne beamed and listed out his needs.
Feathers from a Harpy and a Fwooper, scales from a Cockatrice, unicorn hair, bones from a Knarl, and eggs of the Ashwinder.
"That's it?" Hagrid asked again. "Any specific quantity?"
"Not much. Just a small amount — this is just for practice," Wayne replied while casually glancing at Hagrid. Then, as if unintentionally, he added:
"If you could get some venom from an Acromantula, that'd be perfect."
"Acromantula venom…" Hagrid frowned. "The rest is easy. But I don't have that right now. Next time I'm in Hogsmeade, I'll try to find some for you."
"You sit tight, I'll go get the materials from the cellar."
Watching the half-giant's large figure walk out the door, Wayne was slightly surprised.
Not quite as simple-minded as he seemed.
What Hagrid had just said about going to Hogsmeade to help him find Acromantula venom was clearly just a cover; the real purpose was simply to keep him from knowing that such dangerous creatures were lurking in the Forbidden Forest.
This small act of cleverness slightly changed Wayne's impression of him.
As expected, you can't underestimate anyone. You have to keep the right attitude.
About ten minutes later, Hagrid returned, carrying a large burlap sack on his back as he walked in.
"Take a look—see if this is enough. If not, I can go pick up some more from the forest."
Wayne took the sack, feeling the weight in his hands. When he opened the top, he instantly fell silent.
The sack was crammed full—feathers, bones, and even Ashwinder eggs—stuffed together like garbage.
A bunch of snowy white feathers were clumped together, and Wayne recognized them at a glance: unicorn hair.
Any wizard with a bit of common sense knew how rare and valuable these were.
The best unicorn hairs, used in wand-making, could sell for five Galleons each. Slightly lower quality ones were still prized ingredients in beautifying potions, going for ten Galleons a pouch—with only about a dozen hairs in each.
And this bundle Hagrid had... had to be at least several dozen hairs.
There were many white clumps alone in the sack.
Including the rest of the items, this whole bag easily amounted to several hundred Galleons in value.
Wayne looked at Hagrid with completely different eyes.
Now this was a real tycoon!
"Still not enough?" Hagrid scratched his head in worry when Wayne said nothing. "Then you'll have to wait a bit more. I'll head back into the forest and look for more."
"It's enough, it's enough! This is more than enough for me to practice with," Wayne quickly reassured him.
This haul had far exceeded his expectations—enough to last well beyond Christmas.
"Thank you so much, Hagrid."
The giant broke into a smile. "No problem! If you ever need anything else, just come find me. I don't use this stuff anyway."
He wasn't wrong—Wayne had just spotted a blanket in Hagrid's hut entirely woven out of unicorn hair.
Such waste of heavenly materials!
Deciding right then and there to maintain a good relationship with this raw-material supplier, Wayne took out a gift he had prepared ahead of time.
"The house-elves told me you also tend the school's vegetable garden. These potions are for repelling garden gnomes and pests—please accept them."
"Brilliant!"
Hagrid's eyes lit up. "Those gnomes and puffapods are driving me mad. You're a lifesaver, Wayne!"
"We're friends, aren't we?"
In an instant, the half-giant was moved to tears.
...
Thanks to Hagrid's generosity, Wayne left the hut with a huge sack over his shoulder and a box of rock-skin pies in his hand.
When he got back to the Hufflepuff common room, Cedric was watering the plants inside and noticed Wayne all loaded up.
"What happened, did you rob someone?"
Wayne kept a straight face. "No, just had a chat with a friend. These are some local specialties he gave me."
"What kind of specialties?"
"Meat pies. Here, take one." Wayne handed him the box and walked back to the dormitory.
Cedric opened the box and sure enough—meat pies, still steaming.
His Hufflepuff instincts kicked in, and he took a big bite without hesitation.
"Oww! My tooth!"