"Reckon 'bout three then. Fang'll be happy he loves people. Why doncha bring Hedwig along with ya? She was such a pretty bird." Hagrid says.
"Will do, see you tomorrow Hagrid, we've got to get back to the common room before curfew." Harry says, waving goodbye to the man.
"H've a good nigh' you three. Don' stay up too late!" Hagrid says, waving them off.
Entering the common room, the trio find themselves a secluded couch off to the side and take a seat.
"Hagrid's friendly isn't he?" Padma says.
"Yeah, he's the one who told me I was a wizard. Guess he just wants to check on me. Says he knew me when I was a baby." Harry says.
"Ooh! Little baby Harry in Hagrid's big hands! I bet you could wrestle his fingers." Padma coos. Harry flushes and Hermione laughs at his misfortune.
"After we go to Hagrid's tomorrow, do you mind if I borrow Hedwig Harry? I want to send another letter to my parents." Hermione asks.
"Of course Hermione, just let me know anytime you need to use her. Sorry we haven't really found any wizards who live close to your parents though." Harry says.
"Oh it's fine. They'll just have to deal with replying to my letters when they come." Hermione says.
"Well, we've got a bit of time before we have to go to bed, how about we work on our subjects a bit for Monday? I've got an idea for my DADA lecture, but I do still need to research it." Harry suggests. The pair of girls agree and all three pull out their materials. A comfortable silence falls over them as they simply work and enjoy each other's company. As the night drags on though a series of yawns sweep through the trio, and they gather their notes and say their goodnights to each other, before heading to their respective rooms.
The September air was refreshing to the trio as they walked from Hogwarts castle to Hagrid's hut at the edge of the forest, Hedwig circling over their heads. Hagrid's house nestled itself near the edge of the large clearing that held Hogwarts's grounds, the Black Lake, and the fields near the Quidditch pitch. A decent sized garden could be seen in front of the hut that grew pumpkins that were as large as Harry was. The trio make their way up to the door and knock, Hedwig taking the opportunity to land on Harry's shoulder.
"Come on in you three! Door's unlocked." The voice of Hagrid says, and Harry obliges, opening the door.
Hagrid's shack was very obviously lived in. The walls of the building were lined with shelves and photos to the point that it appeared there was no space left. A small kitchen could be seen from the entrance, and next to it was a rough approximation of a sitting room, in that there was a table and a few places to sit. The giant form of Hagrid stood in the kitchen in front of what appeared to be a brick oven, and standing near him was a very large black dog with a droopy face.
"Welcome Harry, H'rmione… Padma? Did I get that right? Sorry if I didn't, I'm still workin' on it." Hagrid says, turning around to wave hello. On his hands were giant gloves made of a light brown leather, and in one hand he held a baking tray that appeared to have some type of scone.
"Yes I'm Padma, it's okay Hagrid. Thanks for inviting me!" Padma says, doing a small curtsy.
"Oh good. An' you all are welcome t' come on by whenever. Always like c'mp'ny. This here's Fang, he might look scary but he's a big softy." Hagrid says, moving into the 'sitting room' with the scones. Fang follows dutifully behind.
"Oh! He's cute! Look at the big boy!" Padma says, her voice raising as she attempts to smush the dog's face. He seems to enjoy the attention greatly.
"Well lookeh' ther' Fang. Ye made a fren'." Hagrid says, sitting down on the large couch, placing the tray of scones on the table. "Fresh from the oven them, I'd wait a minute or two befur' gettin' one."
"Thanks for the warning." Hermione says, looking sheepish. She's quite obviously a little intimidated by the large man.
"So Hagrid, I feel weird asking but what do you do here at Hogwarts?" Harry asks.
"Oh! No worries. I'm the Keeper o' the Keys. Although mostly I'm the groundskeeper. I make sure that the things in the Forbidden Forest stay there, and handle odd jobs that need doing." Hagrid says.
"What's in the Forbidden Forest anyway? What makes it forbidden?" Hermione asks.
"Oh, well there's an Acromantula colony, they're these big ol' spoiders. They're the primary reason you aren't allowed in there. There's a colony o' centaurs, Ministry calls em' dangerous, but they're a good lot. A few Unicorns, and some other critters roaming about. Sometimes Professor Kettleburn has me grab something from there to show off in a class, like a Niffler, or a Kneazle." Hagrid says.
"What are those? They're no animals I've ever heard of." Harry asks.
"Oh, a Niffler is kind of like a mole with a long nose. They love shiny thing and hoard them in their stomach pouch. They're okay as pets if you train them well. Kneazles are like very intelligent cats, but they're also much bigger. A kneazle is as big to me as a normal cat is to you. If they take a likin' to ya though, they're great pets. Good judges of character too." Hagrid says, giving a hearty chuckle.
"They seem neat, we don't have Professor Kettleburn though, what does he teach?" Hermione asks.