Rubeus Hagrid was the Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry—and the first true friend Harry Potter ever made. He lived in a wooden cabin on the edge of the Forbidden Forest.
When Sherlock, Harry, and Ron arrived at the hut's doorstep, Sherlock's gaze briefly passed over a crossbow and a pair of rubber galoshes by the door, and he had already formed a preliminary judgment of the man who lived here.
If he had taken the time to closely examine them, he could have learned even more.
But there was no need.
As Harry knocked, barking erupted from within, followed by Hagrid's booming voice yelling for calm.
Moments later, the door opened.
"Hang on."
Hagrid cracked the door and turned to shout behind him: "Back, Fang! Back!"
He strained to hold onto the collar of a massive black boarhound, keeping it from lunging forward—just barely managing to let the three boys inside.
Unlike the enchanted vastness of the Hogwarts castle, Hagrid's hut was as small inside as it looked on the outside.
Hams and pheasants hung from the ceiling, a copper kettle bubbled on the hearth, and a large wooden table and chairs dominated the space. A patchwork quilt covered the bed tucked into the corner.
That's all Harry and Ron saw.
But to Sherlock, this small cottage practically glowed with golden light.
It confirmed exactly what he had suspected:
Even without inspecting the crossbow and boots outside, the contents within were more than enough to reveal Hagrid's character.
Yes, definitely someone worth befriending.
By now Hagrid had let go of Fang, who bounded straight toward them.
Due to his size, Harry and Ron instinctively recoiled in fear.
Sherlock, however, reacted faster.
He had already sized up Fang the moment he laid eyes on him.
So as soon as Hagrid released the collar, Sherlock calmly took a step back and shielded Ron behind him.
To Ron's shock, Fang pounced on him—and began… licking his ears.
"Ugh..."
Watching the 'savage beast' turn into a slobbering puppy, Harry and Ron were left speechless.
Sherlock, as always, spoke at just the right moment.
"Like owner, like dog. Fang, much like his master, is clearly not as fearsome as he looks."
Hagrid: Σ(°△°|||)︴
Was… was that a compliment?
It sounded like praise, but somehow felt odd...
Still, Hagrid was a straightforward sort. He couldn't quite figure it out—so he simply let it go.
Harry took the opportunity to introduce Sherlock and Ron.
As Hagrid piled his freshly baked rock cakes onto plates, he glanced at Ron's freckled face and chuckled:
"Another one of the Weasley clan, eh? Took me half a lifetime just tryin' to keep those twins outta the Forbidden Forest!"
Then he turned to Sherlock. "A Muggle-born prodigy. Heard the professors speak highly of you."
"Sherlock's amazing!" Harry beamed.
It was easy to see how fond he was of Hagrid. To Harry, this gentle giant was the one who'd brought him into the magical world—and changed his life.
Plus, after that disaster of a Potions class, Harry really needed the lift.
He went on to excitedly tell Hagrid about Sherlock's keen observation skills and his talent for deduction. His praise was full of admiration—if not a touch of proud showboating over his "super-genius friend."
At first, Hagrid listened happily.
It was good that Harry had made friends so quickly.
But as the praise went on, Hagrid started to feel like Harry was exaggerating—hyping up a few parlor tricks into feats of brilliance.
After all, Hagrid had once carried infant Harry out of the rubble of Godric's Hollow and delivered him to the Dursleys. And this year, he'd personally brought Harry to Hogwarts.
If anyone had the right to look after him—it was Hagrid.
So, he decided to test this Holmes fellow himself.
"Well then, Mr. Holmes," he said, forcing a grin, "since Harry's talkin' you up so much, how 'bout tellin' me somethin' about myself?"
Harry and Ron leaned forward eagerly.
"Hmm… I'm afraid there's not much I can deduce," Sherlock replied, honest as ever. "Except that you didn't get along with your mother."
The smile vanished from Hagrid's face. He stared at Sherlock in surprise.
After a beat, he spoke: "I don't remember her much anymore... but no, she wasn't much of a mum. How'd you know that?"
"It's really nothing special."
Sherlock shrugged.
"There's a photo of you and your father on the nightstand—worn with age but kept spotless. Meanwhile, the rest of the hut is a bit chaotic. That tells me you value family.
"Your father doesn't appear to be a giant, based on his size, so I deduced you're a half-giant.
"Giants rank each other by height—taller means more respect. At twelve feet, you'd be short by their standards. Your mother isn't in the photo, which, given giant customs, suggests she left early in your childhood and you were raised by your father."
"…Right again," Hagrid sighed deeply, though with a hint of defiance. "What else?"
"You love magical creatures—and know them intimately."
"That's true! But how'd you guess? From Fang?"
"No," Sherlock's eyes swept the room. "From your hut. A dog bed made of unicorn hair and umbrella flower petals. A wind chime strung with Doxy wings. A tablecloth sewn from bat-skin. A carpet woven from puffskein fur…"
Harry and Ron gawked.
They might not know all the materials—but unicorn hair alone cost ten Galleons per strand.
And those fragrant umbrella flower petals? Easily five Galleons and up.
In other words, that scruffy dog bed alone was worth thousands.
And judging from the rest… nothing here was cheap.
They turned to look again at Hagrid's so-called 'shabby' hut.
It wasn't shabby at all.
It was a house of gold.
Harry was merely surprised.
Ron, however, instantly lost all motivation.
Study? What for?!
Why bust your back for seven years when you could just become a Gamekeeper and Keeper of Keys?
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