Chapter 62

"Albert, how are you doing?" Shannon asked.

At lunchtime, Shannon sat down next to Albert. She was worried that he would be upset because of the points deduction and extra homework set by Professor Snape. The silly girl thought she was the reason for him being set a higher word count.

"I'm alright. Why? what's the matter? Why do you look so sad?" Albert said. He took out two slices of freshly baked bread that had been toasted to a perfect crispness. Albert then spread a generous helping of mayonnaise on one slice, and a dollop of mustard on the other. Next, he carefully layered crispy lettuce leaves and juicy slices of plump red tomatoes onto the bread. Finally, he added the pièce de résistance - several strips of sizzling smoked bacon.

The flavours of the BLT melded together in a tantalising symphony of smoky, savoury, and tangy notes. As he took his first bite, he closed his eyes and savoured the explosion of taste in his mouth. The crispy bread gave way to the juicy tomato, which mingled with the salty bacon and tangy condiments to create a sensation that was both comforting and indulgent.

"How are you able to eat?" Shanna asked as she stared at the BLT in front of her eyes. "Are you not worried you offended Snape and he'll get back at you for your cheekiness?"

"No," Albert said without hesitation as he took another bite of his BLT. "Even if I offended him, I wouldn't tell you."

"Shannon, you know he won't tell you. But do you know who will?" George said as she fined his slice of apple pie.

"No, I don't. Please enlighten me," Shannon said with a soft giggle.

"Well, it looks like the Weasley twins must tell this fair maiden of how the prince and the bat started a war," Fred said, using his hands as big gestures.

"The tale begins on the eve of the eve of the start of our treacherous schooling life. The prince and his three brave accolades ventured deep into the castle searching for unsolved mysterious and hidden treasure beyond your wildest dream."

"We had succeeded. We had found one. But the sun had fallen, and the bat had awoken. Using his keen sense of hearing, he heard our heartbeat. He had found us. During our confrontation, the three accolades fled away as the prince thought a brave battle. He battled valiantly and although injured, the prince had survived. And the bat? He fled back to his cave."

"What battle and how was Albert injured?" Shannon asked.

"Albert asked to take a picture of Professor Snape."

"Albert probably hurt his pride."

"Snape said, for his cheek, he was going to ask him tough questions."

"And try to reduce his ego and watch him like an eagle while he made his potion."

"And since those did not work, Professor Snape gave him extra homework," Lee said as he chimed in.

"Cough, you are wrong about what you said. What do you mean, reduce my ego?" Albert asked. "Maybe Professor Snape thinks my potion talent is good, and he is going to give me special attention. He wants to cultivate my talent."

"Yeah, yeah, that's what you think," the twins said.

Shannon was amused by their interaction, but she still asked, "Are you sure you're going to be alright? Do you need my company while you do them?"

"No, I'll be alright. I just need to add a paragraph or two extra," Albert said. "I'm going to the library to find a book to help me with the potion and charm homework."

"Merlin's saggy tits, you actually plan to go to the library to do homework. Snape set it today. We still have a week before we need to hand it in," Lee said as he and the twins looked at Albert incredulously.

"It won't take too long," Albert said as he took the last bite of his BLT. "Besides, it's better to do homework now rather than worrying about it later."

"If you don't mind, can I come with you?" Shannon asked. "Two heads are better than one, and we could find the books we need quicker."

The Weasley twins and Lee Jordan frantically moved away from them, from fears of catching a terrible case of Doing-my-homework-early itis. They were afraid Albert would ask them to join him and drag them along. 'There is so much time left till the deadline, so why do it now' was the thought racing through their mind.

"Okay!" Albert said.

"Ahem, we are..." Fred said as he changed the subject swiftly. "We are going to look outside the castle later. Do you want to join us, Lee?"

"Just don't go into the Forbidden Forest," Albert said as he raised his eyebrows.

"We didn't say we were planning to go to the Forbidden Forest," George said with a frown. "How dare you? How dare you assume we would do something like that?"

"So you haven't thought about that. Look, I've known you long enough to know when you're planning to do something irresponsible and dangerous," Albert said.

"Fine, you got us. We were planning to visit the outer region of the Forbidden Forest," Fred said.

"We heard Hagrid's Hut is there, so we might visit him," George said.

"And the Forbidden Forest is one of the few places we haven't visited," George said.

"We will not do something reckless, like trying to go the centre," Fred said.

"Okay!" Albert said. "I'll go with you."

"Let's go, then!" The twins stood up and urged Albert to follow them.

"Wait, let me finish my sandwich first," Lee said as he stuffed it in his mouth.

"I'll meet you inside the library at two o'clock. Until then," Albert said as he waved goodbye.

"Bye," Shannon said as she waved back.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hagrid's hut was a peculiar sight pushed away to toward the edge of the Forbidden Forest. It had been haphazardly cobbled together from a patchwork of materials and looked like a small, rickety cabin from the outside. The roof was made of weathered, mismatched tiles, and the walls were a hodgepodge of logs, stones, and roughly hewn planks of wood. Despite its rough exterior, the hut had a certain charm to it. A ramshackle fence of twisted branches and brambles surrounded the structure, and a small garden of pumpkins, herbs, and other plants grew nearby.

The Ground Keeper raised his head and stared at the four boys walking toward the entrance of the Forbidden Forest. "Lads, don't go beyond there. There are terrible things hidden in the depths of the forest. Only a few who go to that point make it out alive. I don't want to collect any more bodies thing year."

Albert raised his head and looked at the half-giant and his three-headed dog. The Cerberus was chewing on a large piece of sausage.

"He giant," Lee Jordan muttered. Although he had seen Hagrid once, he didn't realise how big he was. Looking at him now, there was no doubt he was afraid.

"Are there really were werewolves and a vampire coven in the Forbidden Forest?" Albert asked. Albert remembers from his memory Hagrid was a gentle soul.

Fred pulled Albert's hand back, cowering. If Albert didn't know about Hagrid, he would also act like Fred.

The half-giant waked over loomed over them, his shaggy hair and beard giving him the appearance of a wild, unkempt beast. The young student couldn't help but stare in wonder at Hagrid's massive size, which made him feel insignificant in comparison. If he had to guess, Hagrid was about just over three and a half metres (12 foot). He was dressed in a patchwork coat and a pair of moleskin trousers, which were tucked into a pair of large, mud-splattered boots.

Albert took out a steak that he took from the Great Hall during lunch and walked towards the Cerberus. The low growling directed at the approaching boy stopped once the Cerberus smelt the steak. It let the boy approach him. Albert placed the steak down and the Cerberus jumped at it. While it was mauling the steak, Albert gently caressed one of its three heads.