Before leaving the Forbidden Forest, Hagrid even helped Albert dig up a few truffles. They were scarce, and in the end, he didn't find many.
As Hagrid opened the door to his hut, Fang, the black hound, bounded out, happily circling them and sniffing everywhere. Albert knelt to stroke Fang's head, calming him.
Hagrid placed the truffles on the table, picked one up, and examined it. "Are you sure these will taste good charcoal-grilled?"
"Leave it to me!" Albert said confidently, outwardly steady as a mountain, inwardly just as determined.
"If you want to fish, I've still got some fresh meat here. You can use it as bait." Hagrid pointed to a large wooden barrel in the corner.
"What's this?" Albert asked, raising an eyebrow at the raw meat. He had smelled blood, which turned out to be coming from the barrel.
"Food for the Thestrals. In winter, it's harder for them to find prey, so I feed them to help the younger herd survive. The rest is Fang's dinner," Hagrid explained, rubbing the dog's head.
"Are you sure these truffles are edible?" Lee Jordan asked, staring at them.
"Of course," Hagrid said, lighting the firewood in the hearth, setting a copper kettle to boil, and stepping outside to fetch a bucket of well water.
Albert fetched a sharp knife, scraped dirt from the truffle roots, washed them clean, then raised his wand. With a complex gesture, he cast a drying charm, evaporating the moisture instantly.
"You don't seem like a first-year," Hagrid said softly, watching Albert's deft spellwork. "Your use of magic exceeds my imagination. Hard to believe you're from a Muggle family."
"Yeah!" George muttered. "I'd bet two silver sickles he knows more than a second-year."
Albert ignored them. "Hagrid, do you have olive oil?"
"I've got some left. I'll fetch it."
"Please."
Albert sliced the truffles thinly.
"You're stingy!" Lee Jordan scoffed, holding up a slice. "What's the point of eating something so thin?"
"If they're thin, they'll cook better," Albert retorted, brushing olive oil over them. He transfigured a piece of wood into a grill, picked out glowing charcoal with tongs, placed them in a brazier, and set the grill above. "Finally, it feels like a barbecue."
"You're making too much fuss," Fred said, rolling his eyes.
"Hm, this tastes good," Hagrid said, tossing a grilled truffle into his mouth. He chewed and nodded. "Very good—just too little."
Fred and the others exchanged glances, then quickly devoured the golden truffles.
"Chewy."
"Wouldn't it taste better with salt?"
"Needs sauce."
"You scoundrels, you ate all mine!" Albert exclaimed, glaring at them.
"George ate yours!" Fred and Lee Jordan pointed at him.
"Ahem, there's still plenty on the plate," George coughed, grabbing a sausage. "Let's grill these instead."
"Wait until I finish the truffles," Albert said impatiently, continuing his work.
The barbecue didn't last long—the truffles were too few. Each got only a few slices, but all admitted they were delicious, leaving a lingering aftertaste.
Afterward, they grilled Hagrid's homemade sausages and drank tea before reluctantly returning to the Gryffindor common room.
As for Hagrid's biscuits, they politely declined; their teeth weren't strong enough to chew them.
Back in the common room, Gryffindor's victory celebration was still going, though most cakes and pies were gone. Only toffee and a few vegetable pies remained.
"Where did you go?" Angelina asked curiously.
"We went into the forest with Hagrid," George said proudly.
"The gamekeeper actually took you?" Angelina was astonished.
"Albert persuaded him," Fred explained. "We also heard Professor Kettleburn lives in the forest."
"Are you joking?" Sanna leaned in.
"No, it's true. We met a witch visiting him—something about an Occamy," Lee Jordan said.
"What's an Occamy?" Sanna asked.
Lee Jordan faltered, then looked at Albert.
"An Occamy is a two-legged, winged creature from Asia. It can shrink or grow at will—large enough to fill all available space, or small enough to fit it."
"I'm curious how you know so much," George teased. "Memorized Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them?"
"Occamy eggs are an ingredient in Felix Felicis," Albert said irritably. "So I researched them."
"By the way, the shell of an Occamy egg is pure silver—sterling silver," Albert continued, enjoying their shocked expressions. "Gilderoy Lockhart once used them to make Occamy Egg Yolk Shampoo. It really could 'lock in shine.' But it was too costly and dangerous, so it was only sold on the black market—and quickly vanished."
"Why?" Sanna asked.
"Too expensive," Albert said simply.
"No wonder Felix Felicis is so costly," Fred sighed.
"It's not just costly—it's practically unobtainable," Albert said irritably. "I looked up the ingredients. They're extremely rare and expensive. And if the brewing fails, it's a disaster for any Potions Master."