"Really? When did that happen?" Harry's eyes lit up at Ron's words. It had been more than two months since term began, and Hagrid still hadn't appeared. Although Sirius and Lupin had told him that Hagrid was away doing something for Dumbledore, Harry was still a little worried.
Naturally, he was delighted to hear that Hagrid had returned.
"Just now, I think? I saw smoke rising from the direction of Hagrid's Hut, so I watched for a while, and then I saw him, and Fang too."
"What are we waiting for, then?" Harry broke into a broad smile. "Let's go and see him."
"That's exactly why I came to find you." Ron nodded repeatedly.
This time, even Hermione raised no objections. Although reading was important, Hagrid's return was clearly a little more important.
The rain outside had eased considerably, but it hadn't stopped. Harry and the others went back to their dormitories first, put on slightly thicker clothes, then met at the entrance to the Castle.
Although it was already getting dark, that was clearly because of the rain. It wasn't yet too late to leave the Castle, so they didn't need an Invisibility Cloak or Invisibility Magic. They only had to get back to the Castle before curfew.
The rain had made the path from the Quidditch pitch to Hagrid's Hut very muddy. Fortunately, Harry and the others were all fairly capable young wizards now, and they hardened the ground a little. Although it was still not particularly easy to walk on, at least they didn't get covered in mud.
From a distance, Harry could see light shining through the windows of Hagrid's Hut, with wisps of smoke rising from the chimney on the roof.
Beaming, Harry and the others quickened their pace and reached the door of Hagrid's