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Aurora Areli
NO SOONER HAD HERMIONE spoken than she and I separated from Harry and Ron, all of us running up to our respective dormitories.
While I only threw on my cloak and grabbed some gloves, Hermione took the time to search through her trunk for a scarf, her own gloves, and one of her knobbly elf hats. I waited for her impatiently, urging her to go faster. We were only going down to Hagrid's cabin, it wasn't like it would take long. Plus, Harry was bringing the Invisibility Cloak, and it was always warm under there.
Finally, Hermione allowed me to drag her back down to the common room. The boys were already there, looking just as impatient.
"Well, it's cold out there!" Hermione said defensively, as Ron clicked his tongue impatiently at her unnecessary getup.
The four of us crept through the portrait hole and hastily covered ourselves with the Cloak — Ron had grown so much that he now needed to crouch to prevent his feet showing. Then, moving slowly and cautiously, we proceeded down the many staircases, pausing at intervals to check the Marauder's Map for signs of Filch or Mrs Norris. Luckily, nobody was out but Nearly Headless Nick, who was gliding along absent-mindedly humming something that sounded too similar to "Weasley is our King". Then, we crept across the Entrance Hall and out onto the silent, snowy grounds.
With a great surge of excitement, I saw that the windows in Hagrid's cabin were lit with golden light ahead of us, and smoke was coiling up from the chimney. Harry was clearly very happy as well; he picked up his pace so much that Ron, Hermione and I had to hurry through the thickening snow to keep up, but I didn't think any of us minded.
When we reached the wooden front door, Harry raised his fist and knocked three times. Inside, Fang started barking frantically.
"Hagrid, it's us!" Harry called through the keyhole.
"Shoulda known!" a gruff voice said from the other side.
All of us beamed at each other under the Cloak; by the tone of Hagrid's voice, he was pleased. "Bin home three seconds . . . out the way, Fang . . . out the way, yeh dozy dog . . ."
The bolt was drawn back, the door creaked open and Hagrid's head appeared in the gap.
I gasped loudly, but I don't think anyone heard over Hermione's scream.
"Merlin's beard, keep it down!" Hagrid said hastily, staring wildly over our heads. "Under that Cloak, are yeh? Well, get in, get in!"
"I'm sorry!" Hermione gasped, as the four of us squeezed past Hagrid into the house and pulled the Cloak off. "I just — oh, Hagrid!"
"It's nuthin', it's nuthin'!" Hagrid said quickly, shutting the door behind us and hurrying to close the curtains. But Hermione and I continued to gaze up at him in horror.
