Chapter 10: Hermione and Hagrid

Chapter 10: Hermione and Hagrid

"George, thank you for helping me out!"

Stepping out of the eerie Knockturn Alley and into the bustling Diagon Alley, Harry finally let out a sigh of relief and immediately thanked George.

He felt that if George hadn't escorted him out, the strange and sinister wizards along the way might have devoured him.

"Harry! Harry!"

At that moment, a girl with thick, bushy brown hair came running down the street toward them.

"I'm so glad to see you! Why are you covered in dust? And your glasses..."

"I'm glad to see you too, Hermione."

Harry adjusted his cracked glasses and smiled happily.

"It's a long story."

"Alright, let me fix that for you. *Reparo!*"

Hermione pulled out her wand and cast the Mending Charm on Harry's glasses.

As if time had reversed, the cracked glasses were restored to their pristine condition in just a few seconds.

"I guess I need to practice that spell too."

Harry looked at his now-perfect glasses and couldn't help but sigh.

Unlike Hermione, who had not only mastered all the spells in the first-year textbooks but also learned many others on her own, Harry hadn't even fully grasped the basic spells, including the Mending Charm.

George, standing beside Harry, had the same thought.

The Mending Charm wasn't just for fixing small items like glasses. With enough skill, it could even repair collapsed buildings.

In the Marvel world, this spell alone could earn him a fortune.

"And you are?"

After fixing Harry's glasses, Hermione turned to George, who was standing next to Harry, with a look of curiosity.

"This is my new friend, George. George, this is Hermione Granger."

Harry quickly introduced the two.

George extended his hand with a smile.

"Hello, Miss Granger. You're quite lovely."

"Hello, George."

Hearing George compliment her looks, Hermione's impression of him instantly improved. She happily shook his hand.

Apart from her parents, this was the first time someone had called her beautiful. Plenty of people had praised her intelligence, but this was different.

"Harry, since your friend is here, I should head back. See you at Hogwarts."

After shaking Hermione's hand, George didn't linger. He waved and walked back into Knockturn Alley.

For their first meeting, a simple introduction was enough. Getting too close too quickly would seem forced. Besides, his time was precious, and he needed to continue studying magic.

Most importantly, he had no intention of stopping Lucius Malfoy from secretly slipping Tom Riddle's diary to Ginny.

The diary contained a piece of Voldemort's soul and could manipulate minds. Even with his telepathic abilities, George wasn't confident he could resist its influence, so he had no plans to take it for himself.

There was also no need to try to prevent the incident. With Dumbledore around, it would simply become another trial for Harry, and no student would actually get hurt.

In fact, George was considering how he might benefit from the situation.

"He seems nice. Why haven't I seen him at school before?"

Hermione watched George's retreating figure with a puzzled expression.

George looked about their age, so he should have been in their year or one above. She was sure she would have noticed him.

Harry chuckled.

"He's actually starting his first year at Hogwarts this year. That's why you haven't seen him before."

"Wait, he's younger than us? How did you two meet?"

As Hermione led Harry toward Flourish and Blotts, she asked curiously.

Harry then recounted his recent adventure.

Meanwhile, as George returned to his shop, he was surprised to see a massive figure standing at his doorstep, looking around.

"Massive" was an understatement. The figure was far beyond the height of a normal human.

George estimated the person was about 3.5 meters tall. Even standing close, George doubted he could reach the person's waist. The sheer presence was overwhelming.

"Why is he at my shop?"

George immediately recognized the figure.

It was Rubeus Hagrid, the Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts, a half-giant with a deep love for magical creatures.

Thinking about Hagrid's background, George couldn't help but admire Hagrid's father. The man was a legend.

Normal giants stood around seven to eight meters tall, yet Hagrid's father, a wizard of average height, had managed to... well, *befriend* a female giant and produce offspring. That took some serious talent.

"Sir, can I help you with something?"

George approached and asked.

Hagrid turned and looked down at George. Seeing a young, thin wizard, his tone softened.

"I'm looking for a potion to get rid of flesh-eating slugs. I heard only this shop carries it, but it seems to be closed."

His voice, though gentle, boomed in George's ears due to his size.

"The shop's owner, Mr. Merton, passed away recently in a potion-brewing accident. I've taken over the shop. I know the potion you're looking for—I can get it for you."

George unlocked the door and quickly retrieved a bottle of potion from the counter.

Dora might not have known how to brew potions, but as the shop's assistant, he was well-versed in the properties of all the herbs and potions sold there.

"Slug Repellent Potion. It works on flesh-eating slugs, cabbage caterpillars, and heartworms."

"Oh, thank you, young sir."

Hagrid took the potion with a look of surprise, his face breaking into a satisfied smile.

"How much?"

"That'll be fourteen Sickles."

George smiled and held out his hand.

"That's cheaper than I expected."

Hagrid dug into the enormous pocket of his moleskin coat and pulled out a handful of silver Sickles, counting out fourteen and placing them in George's hand.

He had assumed such a rare potion would cost at least two Galleons.

"I'm in a good mood because I'm starting at Hogwarts soon, so I gave you a half-price discount."

George dropped the Sickles into the cash box and deliberately added cheerfully.

Since he had the potential to become a Magizoologist thanks to his telepathic abilities, he didn't want to waste the opportunity.

Building a good relationship with Hagrid and learning more about magical creatures could be profitable, whether through breeding or other means.

So, after recognizing Hagrid, George decided to befriend him.

Hagrid was warm, kind, and straightforward, making it easy to get along with him.

Sure enough, hearing George's words, Hagrid paused, his demeanor instantly becoming friendlier. He studied George's face and smiled.

"So you're a new student this year! I'm Rubeus Hagrid, the Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts. Come find me when school starts, and I'll make you some rock cakes."

(End of Chapter)