Shifted: Book One

Chapter Six - Hagrid's Hut

Hazel was buzzing with excitement. She couldn't wait to meet Hagrid! Her hands glided along the beige, stone banisters as Hermione and herself walked down the moving staircase and into one of Hogwart's hallways.

The castle had a familiar scent to Hazel. It smelled like home; like the warm breeze on a summer evening, like old books and baked goods, like autumn leaves and cinnamon and honey all infused into one. The scent travelled up her nose and danced around her. She felt completely consumed by the school, nothing could interrupt her. Well, until-

"Well well, who's this?", spoke a loud and very distinctive voice.

"Looks like we've got Granger and the new Gryffindor", said the other voice, sounding very similar to the first.

"I see you've both lost your white beards now!" Hermione said, as she laughed to herself.

The two, tall ginger boys, were stood in front of Hazel and Hermione with folded arms and mischievous smirks.

"I see you've still got some white strands on your head!", the boy on the left said with a wide grin.

"Must be from all that stress over studying", said the boy on the right, with raised eyebrows.

Hermione hit them both with the books she had held in her hand, but laughed it off. She looked to Hazel, who had a contained smile, as though she was trying to keep her laughs held in.

"Hazel, this is-", Hermione began to say, as she was interrupted by the ginger twins.

"I'm Fred, this is George, my not-so good looking twin", Fred spoke with confidence.

"I'm George, and that's Fred, I'm definitely the better looking twin", George replied back, with his smirk still printed on his face.

Hermione inhaled as she closed her eyes and let out a joyous sigh.

"I see you've both made quite the impression on Hazel, I'm sure she'd love to chat but we've got to get to Hagrid's", Hermione said.

The twins looked at each other, exchanged smirks, and looked back at the girls.

"We know a shortcut to Hagrid's if you'd want to use it", said Fred.

"It's a lot quicker-", George answered after Fred, but before he could continue, Hermione interrupted him.

"Nice try, we're not falling for it! Now go and find someone else to prank, Ron could use some cheering up", Hermione said as she took Hazel's arm, and they walked off laughing.

Fred and George watched them walk off, and caught a glimpse of a small, orange-looking object in the pocket of Hermione's robe. They exchanged looks, and laughed as they walked off in the opposite direction.

Moments later, that orange-looking object sizzled, as a huge puff of green mist flew into the air above Hermione and Hazel and the once sweet smelling scent of the school was replaced with a rather vulgar and unsettling one. Hermione and Hazel swiftly turned around to see Fred and George, at the opposite end of the hall laughing and waved as they walked round the corner.

Hermione and Hazel pinched their noses whilst laughing to themselves, the students around them, however, were not pleased, and rushed away from them and the smell they were surrounded by. It was as if the horrific scent has stained the school walls. Hermione confidently took out her wand and clearly spoke out a spell.

"Scourgify!", she declared.

Within seconds, the mist, and the scent, had vanished and the sweet Hogwarts scent was back. Hazel looked at Hermione with amazement, it was the first time she had seen a real life spell. It made the whole experience of Hogwarts that much more realistic, and Hazel was over the moon.

"That should get rid of the smell", Hermione spoke, as both the girls chuckled and continued their walk to Hagrid's Hut.

It didn't take them long to arrive at the hut. The abalone stone, mossy home was sat on a freshly trimmed lawn of lime green, surrounded by apricot and mustard pumpkins and pine tinted leaves. In the middle of the pumpkin patch, a scarecrow with a grizzly carved face on a tangerine pumpkin for a head wore a cream shirt and a long, cedar draped jacket with carmine lining. The jacket had rips and holes, which was assumed to be a result of the black crow bird that sat on the scarecrows arm. Hazel and Hermione walked to the front of the scratched door.

"Just a moment", a deep but friendly voice called out.

The sound of pots and pans clashed against each other as a large giant opened the door.

"Ah, Hermione! What a lovely surprise, and this must be Hazel, well come in, come in, it's quite chilly out!", the man said.

Hazel and Hermione shuffled in and sat down on a surprisingly comfy, wooden stall right by a fire pit that was boiling some sort of stew in a charcoal cauldron. Hazel scanned the room, she noticed hundreds of tools and objects she had never seen before. She then turned her attention to Hagrid.

He was very large and tall, he had long, frizzy brown hair that matched his beard. He had warm dark eyes; they were a deep, earthy brown - the color of the earth after torrential rains. But there was something else in them, something glistening. Glistening like an old copper penny being examined in the warmth next to powerful flames that were licking the safety glass door of an old fireplace. His eyes told a story of innocence and joy. He wore a smile on his face that turned his plumped cheeks salmon. Hagrid was dressed in a big tortilla-coloured shirt with a matching coat all under a sleeveless jacket made up of hunter, prussian and tawny patches. He wore dark brown trousers and paired with huge, cosy brown boots. He looked brave, but he looked as though he couldn't hurt a fly - he was a big, friendly giant.

"I see you got a letter from the Ministry of Magic", Hagrid announced, as he put the fire out and lifted the heavy-looking cauldron out the fireplace and onto the circular table just beside it.

"I did, Diagon Alley sounds exciting!", Hazel said, smiling.

Hagrid chuckled and smiled back.

"There's nothing else like it!", he said.

A sudden and almost chaotic movement formed inside the cauldron, Hazel then realised, it wasn't a stew boiling in there at all.

"What's inside that cauldron, Hagrid?", Hermione asked intriguingly.

Hagrid put on his burnt oven mitts and tried to contain what was inside.

"He's a feisty fellow, that's who he is", Hagrid said as the cauldron shivered and shrieked before it's lid exploded off, revealing a burnt orange mist to rise from inside.

A skeleton-like claw grabbed the outside rim of the cauldron; it's off-white, long nails scratched against the sides. A sharp hissing sound echoed inside the big pot, as though something hot inside was sizzling. Suddenly, making Hazel and Hermione jump out their seats, a tiny but mighty purple-ish dragon jumped out and landed in Hagrid's cradling arms. The dragon had a small head but big, blue eyes; blue like the deep waters of the Atlantic sea. His filed but short teeth stuck out his grinning mouth and his long tail was covered with silver scales. He looked like a menacing, fiery beast but was anything other that dangerous.

"Don't be scared now, he's only a baby! Isn't he a beauty?", Hagrid said, with a huge smile across his slightly, smoke-covered, face.

"He just needs a bit of a bath", he said, whilst gently putting him back in the black cauldron, still lightly bubbling with warm water.

Hazel and Hermione shared a smile, they loved how gentle and friendly Hagrid was with other creatures, no matter how they looked.

"Well would you look at the time! It's time to get you to Diagon Alley, Miss Jones! Not a minute to waste, let's go!", Hagrid said, quickly taking off his burnt oven mitts and guiding Hazel out the door with him.