"Thank you for the umbrella, Hagrid."
As she knocked on the wooden door of the Hunting Cabin, Alice handed the umbrella back to Hagrid. Noticing the old man's gaze, she introduced with a smile, "This is Daphne."
"Oh, come in."
Hagrid ushered the two of them inside.
"Albert was worried you wouldn't be able to make friends at school. It seems his worries were completely unnecessary."
Dad really worried too much. How could I possibly fail to make friends?
Alice swept her gaze over the empty Hunting Cabin and suddenly asked, "Hagrid, where's Fang?"
"Fang passed away last winter. I buried him by the edge of the Forbidden Forest." Hagrid set the umbrella on a nearby rack and brought over the tea and snacks he had asked the House-elves to prepare in advance.
"Passed away?"
Alice was momentarily dazed. Thinking of Fat Cat Tom, who was still alive and well at home, she silently sighed to herself. Not every Tom Cat got to be so lucky.
"That's true. Fang was very old. Passing on was probably a relief for him." Alice felt a little downcast, but she soon pulled herself together and looked up at the elderly man beside her.
"Hagrid, have you ever thought about getting another dog?"
"Hmm, I haven't decided yet."
"A lot of people in Avalon keep Swallowtail Dogs. They aren't picky eaters, they never betray you, they're very cute, and they live longer than ordinary dogs."
"Ahem, a friend said he'd give me a dog last time." Hagrid coughed lightly and changed the subject. "I heard everyone's calling you a genius now."
"Alice really is amazing. She learns everything the moment she sees it. It feels like she's just playing around."
Daphne, who had been unable to get a word in since earlier, naturally picked