Marauders - Always - Part One

CXCII: Please Can I See 'Em

Hagrid got up early on the day of the Hogsmeade visit, knowing full well it would take a small miracle to get a seat at the Broomsticks today. He'd been delivered a Most Urgent and Important Owl that morning from Charlie Weasley, imploring that Hagrid meet up with him about half nine for breakfast.

Hagrid lumbered along the path down from the castle to Hogsmeade, whistling tunelessly in the morning air, his moleskin coat keeping him warm against the brisk air. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pipe, which he paused to stuff and light before continuing on, chuckling to himself at the thought that he might look a wee bit like the Hogwarts Express with the way the wind carried the smoke up and away from the pipe like a trail.

The village was still fairly quiet by the time he stowed away his pipe in his coat as he broke through the last copse of trees before the main road. He waved to Minerva McGonagall, who was just sitting on the small porch outside of her little house at the edge of town. She was still in her tartan robes and sipping tea, sitting alone in one of two wooden rockers, and she waved back to him.

"Mornin', Professor!" Hagrid shouted.

"Good morning, Hagrid!" she trilled back. Her voice had lilted with her thick accent ever since Halloween, and he knew she was worried sick about Harry - Cedric, too, but everyone knew how Harry held a particularly special place in Minerva McGonagall's heart. "You're up and at 'em quite early, aren't you, m'dear?" she asked.

"Oh yer know," Hagrid said, "Got to get meself a table at the pub before the whole o' Hogwarts is vyin' for'em!" Charlie's letter had asked he be discreet about their meeting, so Hagrid didn't mention it.

"Aye they should be along soon, shouldn't they?" McGonagall said, squinting up toward the sun. "I suppose I should be putting on some proper attire and getting myself up to the castle. The last thing the children need is seeing an old hag like me in her pyjamas!"

"Aww come now, yeh ain't no hag, an' yeh know it. Yeh look as beautiful as ever, Min," Hagrid said, and he waved goodbye and headed on along the road.

He made it to the Three Broomsticks right about nine as Rosmerta was flipping over the sign on the door to read OPEN and sweeping the dust from the floor out the door and into the road.

"Mornin' Rosmerta," Hagrid mumbled as she stepped aside to let him in. "'ow're yeh doin' today?"

"Oh I'm alright," Rosmerta said, "Be better if my order of Butterbeers had arrived on schedule, but what can ya do? Usual for breaky, Hagrid?"

"Sounds good ter me," Hagrid nodded.

"Comin' right up. You seat yourself, and choose wisely - the real estate in here is about to get rather scarce quickly." Even as they spoke there were Hogwarts kids slipping past them into the warmth of the pub.

Hagrid found himself a spot settled in a corner where he could look out the window and observe all the fun being had. It made his heart swell with love to see all the students smiling and laughing, trading Zonkos toys and eating their sweets without a care in the world. He loved them all so much, it nearly made him weep at times.

Charlie arrived at the same time as his breakfast did. "That looks real good," Charlie said shyly to Rosmerta, "Could I get some as well? Perhaps a bit smaller order though," he added, noticing Rosmerta's generosity of portions for Hagrid's plates. She nodded and hurried away.

Hagrid pushed a plate of sausages into the middle, "Yeh can share mine til yours comes out," hr offered.

Charlie was famished enough to accept the offer, spearing the smallest sausage with a fork. "I've just arrived," he explained. "As fast as dragons fly, it's still a bit of a long ride from Romania anyway. I ought to have worn a face shield, too. We were facing the wind the whole way in and I swear my nose is chapped!"