Special-Boar Ribs

"Maybe I should transplant my scallions over here. Underground, they never get any sunlight, and lately they've been looking more and more wilted." Seeing the vegetable garden lifted Anduin's spirits at once. He quickened his pace, soon drawing close to the cabin.

"Hagrid! Hagrid! Are you there?" Anduin called loudly toward the house.

The cabin door creaked open.

Hagrid ducked as he stepped outside. When he saw Anduin, he greeted him warmly.

"Anduin, I haven't seen you in ages! Come on, come in." Hagrid ushered Anduin into the cabin, giving him his first chance to see the whole place.

Hagrid's Cabin consisted of a single room. Hams, sausages, and pheasants hung from the ceiling. There was a fireplace, with a huge wooden table and chairs in front of it. A large bed stood in the corner, covered with patchwork quilts. Coats hung on the wall beside it, along with all sorts of tools—hammers, axes, and the like. Next to the only sofa stood a large crossbow and a pink umbrella.

"Your place may be small, Hagrid, but it's got everything you need!" Anduin was in a good mood today, especially after seeing the vegetable garden beside Hagrid's Hut.

"Haha, there's nothing special about this old place. Anyway, what brings you here today?" Hagrid scratched his head with a hint of embarrassment, then hurriedly invited Anduin to sit down.

"I've been meaning to visit for a while. I'd only just started at Hogwarts, and there were so many places I needed to get used to. I'm in a good mood today, so I thought I'd come by." Anduin grinned, set the large bundle of seasonings on the table, and climbed onto one of the huge wooden chairs.

"You're very welcome, Anduin. I never got the chance to congratulate you on starting school." Hagrid smiled at him. Now he had time to take a proper look at Anduin, and noticed that he was wearing Slytherin robes. "Good heavens, Anduin! How did you end up in Slytherin Academy? I hadn't even noticed!"

"Yeah, I didn't expect it either. I was surprised when the Sorting Hat sorted me there." Whenever Anduin heard that question, he was reminded of that annoying old hat.

"But I thought you told me you were Muggle-born? Slytherin doesn't usually have many Muggle-born wizards," Hagrid said, still wearing an exaggerated expression.

"Exactly. I've always wondered about the Sorting Hat's choice, Hagrid. I'm only telling you this." Anduin liked the big, honest man, so he decided to share his long-held suspicions. He lowered his voice conspiratorially.

"Mhm, mhm." Hagrid nodded vigorously, his eyes wide as he watched Anduin.

"You know how the Sorting Hat has always been the one to decide which house someone goes into. I suspect that old hat was messing with me. When I put it on, it said I'd be a good fit for almost every house. But after I argued with it a little, the old thing sorted me into Slytherin. There's no way it didn't realize I was Muggle-born. I bet it was holding a grudge!" Anduin told Hagrid what he'd suspected all along.

To Anduin, making excuses by denying the result was something only the weak did, so he'd never let anyone see that he was unhappy about being sorted into Slytherin. He'd already accepted it, too. But Hagrid had a rare, childlike sincerity about him, so Anduin allowed himself a little grumbling in his company.

"Good heavens, how could that happen? But I heard the Sorting Hat's never been wrong. Did you do something that really made it angry?" Hagrid handed Anduin a cup and poured him some water as he spoke.

Would wanting to take it apart count? Anduin grumbled inwardly.

"Since you joined Slytherin, have those nasty Pure-blood families given you any trouble? I can't stand them. And a lot of Dark Wizards and Death Eaters came from Slytherin, so you'll have to be careful," Hagrid continued.

Anduin wasn't sure whether Hagrid meant he should watch out for his safety or be careful not to become a Dark Wizard, but he assured him there was nothing to worry about.

"Ever since I joined the house, I've mostly kept to myself. I only go out for classes, so don't worry, Hagrid. Anyway, enough about that. Look what I brought you." Anduin didn't continue the conversation. Instead, he changed the subject to food.

Anduin liked Hagrid, and he liked the place where Hagrid lived, too. The open space and beautiful scenery all around were so refreshing that he couldn't help chatting with Hagrid a little longer.

"I brought chili sauce, sesame paste, bay leaves, soy sauce, sesame seeds—I've brought loads of seasonings. I'm sick of the food in the Great Hall. I saw all the vegetables you're growing outside. How about I cook a few dishes for you to try?" Anduin's spirits perked up as soon as the conversation turned to food, and he spoke to Hagrid with eager enthusiasm.

Hagrid knew Anduin could cook. He'd tried Anduin's stir-fried Dragon Liver before, and it was the most delicious thing he'd ever tasted. That had left a deep impression on Hagrid, and he'd come to think especially highly of Anduin.

"That'd be wonderful! I've got some good things here, and you've come at just the right time." The moment Hagrid heard Anduin talking about food, he got excited, too, and immediately showed him his latest "collection."

"Look, Professor Kettleburn gave me these a few days ago: Hogwarts's wild boar ribs and a big hunk of leg meat." Hagrid opened a large cupboard in the corner and showed Anduin the ingredients inside, frozen with the Freezing Charm.

Anduin stared at them in astonishment. Calling them a big hunk was an understatement. The ribs and leg together were probably bigger than a whole pig in the Muggle World. Hagrid's home had only one room, but the house and all its furniture were gigantic; otherwise, there was no way the cupboard could have held those two enormous pieces.

"More Magical Creatures meat? Is it edible?" Anduin asked, looking at the enormous slab of meat.

"Of course. It's chewier than ordinary pork. I was going to cure the leg into a ham, and the ribs were meant to feed the Fwooper. Professor Kettleburn's Fwooper had a litter of chicks, and he's going to give me one. Once it's weaned, I'll bring it home, and then I'll have another new member of the family."

So you're planning to feed this enormous piece of Magical Creatures meat to a bird? Anduin could barely keep up with Hagrid's train of thought. Had things really reached the point where he could be this extravagant?