The Next Generation

Meeting Hagrid

 The Gryffindors and Slytherins had two classes together: Transfiguration and Defense Against the Dark Arts. The Gryffindors and Ravenclaws had one; Charms. During Transfiguration that day, Albus passed Scorpius the notice about Hagrid's, and where they were going to meet. After class, they headed down to the greenhouses, where Rose was already waiting. They could see Hagrid's hut in the distance, and headed towards it. A minute late they arrived, and Rose knocked on the worn, wooden door, which was opened moments later. In it's frame stood Hagrid, wearing a huge smile on his face, and looking much bigger now that he was closer.

"Hello, Albus! I see you've brought some friends," he said, looking delighted. "This must be Rose, then?" he asked Albus.

"Yeah, that's Rose, and this is Scorpius," he said.

Hagrid nodded to Scorpius, then gestured for them to come in. "Would yeh lot like some tea?" he asked them, and began pouring water into a kettle before any of them could answer. Albus sat down in a seat at a large round table, followed by the other two. Several minutes later, Hagrid set the tea down along with another tray containing oddly shaped pastries, which he claimed were rock cakes. "Made 'em fresh this mornin'!" he told them. To be polite, they all took one, but didn't bother to go back for more because they were supposedly full. "So, the lot of you are in Gryffindor, I assume?" Hagrid asked them.

"No, actually," Rose answered. "Albus is in Gryffindor, but I'm in Ravenclaw, and Scorpius," she said, throwing him a glance, "is in Slytherin."

"Ah, I see, your mother was a clever one," he said to Rose, but he ignored Scorpius.

"Your parents," he said, gesturing to Albus and Rose, "were the biggest bunch of trouble makers. But what they did was always for a good reason, even if their ideas were a bit, how do I put it... absurd. And then, they skipped their seventh year, and set out to find... but you already know about that, of course."

"Wait, what? They skipped their seventh year, and what?" Albus interrupted, shocked.

"Oh, your parents haven't told ya?" he said, just as shocked. "Well, then, I'd better not say any more."

"But, wha—?" He glanced at Rose, who didn't meet his eye, so he figured she already knew whatever it was he didn't.

"Your parents were every bit good, I ensure ya. Now, you don't want to be late for your next classes!" he said, dismissing them, although they still had more time.

Scorpius closed the door behind them after stepping outside, and sarcastically muttered, "that went well." Without another word, they sulked back up to the castle. Albus couldn't help feeling a little hurt that his father had left him in the dark. He knew that he could probably find the answers he was looking for in the library, but he wanted to hear the truth from his father.