Scar Mates

FLUFFY

The next afternoon found Snape stomping across the front lawn down to Hagrid's hut. Hands folded inside his clock, hood up against the damp, fall weather, he marched to the front door and pounded on it heavily. He was rewarded with frantic, canine howling, followed by loud footsteps making their way to the door.

"I'm comin', I'm comin', 'old on jes a minute." The door was pulled open, the large man leaning down to restrain the lunging dog. "Professor Snape! T'what do I owe the honor? Come in, come in. Fang! Back yeh go. Go on now. Go back to yer fire and lie down."

Snape followed Hagrid into the hut, closing the door behind him. Standing uncertainly, he watched the burly man settle the dog down on the rug in front of the fire.

"C'mon there. 'Ave yerself a seat."

Snape wrinkled his nose in distaste as he moved a quilted throw from an overstuffed chair that smelled of animal hair. He sat, sinking deeply into the seat, his knees pointing ridiculously into the air.

"How 'bout a nice cuppa tea? I jes baked some raisin scones, still warm I bet."

Snape demurely accepted and watched with some amusement as the man puttered about fixing tea. As he watched, he thought back to the last time the two of them had met to discuss Hagrid's assignment to choose and care for the magical creature in the Seven-fold Grid.

Snape looked at Hagrid in disbelief.

"You have to be joking. You're actually suggesting a Manticore?" He had difficulty controlling his normally well-modulated voice.

"It'd be perfect, yeh see! It can shake off jes abou' any charm, an' it's rare, so most wizards wouldna

had any dealins' with it..."

Snape interrupted him. "-And it nearly always devours its attackers and its sting causes instantaneous death. There would be no reparable damage, just corpses!" Despite his efforts to control his reaction, he was finding it difficult to stifle the sarcasm that was threatening to creep into his voice.

"Oh, well, that's what I thought yeh'd be lookin' fer."

"It's more than a little extreme, Hagrid. I doubt that even you would be safe."

Hagrid's face fell as he scratched his chin. Making a mark on his list, he straightened his shoulders, and said, "Okay, well, I see what yeh mean. I got plenny more here. The Yeti..."

Snape's feet hit the floor as he abruptly sat up. "Absolutely not! I refuse to even discuss it." He was unable to conceal his exasperation. The two men stared at each other for a moment, then Hagrid began again, clearing his throat.

"Here's a good un. The Hippgriff. It can be tamed by someone who know what ee's doin'. I had a few..." He trailed off at the expression on Snape's face.

"No, I don't think so. All they require is to be approached in a certain manner. A skilled wizard would be able to do so."

Now both men were silent, glaring at each other. Hagrid waited a beat, then hastily spit out, "Erumpent. They're fearsome beasts. I know a chappie from down at the pub who..."

Snape sighed, trying not to roll his eyes. "You are correct. They do appear fearsome. However, they won't attack unless extremely provoked, and when they do attack, whatever they inject with their horn explodes. Poppy, not to mention Filch, would never forgive us."

Hagrid was not to be stopped. "I got it! A Graphorn!

"No!" Snape hissed.

"Troll!" Hagrid challenged.

Snape sat back. "Ah, yes. There will be a troll, but not at your end of it."

Hagrid cocked his head sideways in question.

"Don't even ask, as you don't need to know. Next?"

Hagrid studied his list once more, his eyes brightening, then pronounced, "Griffin!"

"Hmm, well, a prospect worth considering. They could be used in a venture such as this, but it takes a good while to earn their trust. I believe we would have to acquire one from Greece, and we haven't the time, as we need to be up and running in a matter or weeks."

Hagrid was now fingering the edge of his list nervously. Not looking at Snape, he said, "Sphinx."

Snape snorted. "That's actually the best of the lot, Hagrid." He narrowed his eyes as he thought, while Hagrid watched him hopefully.

"However, remember that this will be your part of the grid to manage, Hagrid. The creature doesn't suffer fools lightly. It's very intelligent and will want you to answer riddles and solve puzzles."

Hagrid gaped at him. "Yer not serious, righ'?"

"Unfortunately, yes." Snape was rapidly tiring of the process by now. Hagrid crumpled his list, and threw it towards the cold fireplace. Snape sat thinking, drumming the fingertips of one hand on the table top. Hagrid settled back in his chair, one hand scratching Fang's head, the dog having come to rest it on his knee. They stayed this way for some time, until Hagrid suddenly sat forward , grabbing the dog's face with his pudgy hands, and cooed in a singsong voice to the animal.

"Ah, Fang, yer a good dog. The answer's sittin' righ' here in front 'o me face."

Snape sat up and frowned. "Surely you don't mean..."

"Nah, not Fang. He's afraid o' his own shadow. But he gave me an idea. Yeh got time fer a little walk, Professor?"

Now Snape did roll his eyes. "Where, Hagrid? We really must decide on something today."

"I know. I know. Jes humor me , will yeh? Yeh won' be sorry, I promise." He looked pleadingly at Snape.

Snape wasn't too sure. Nevertheless, he agreed. "Very well, lead the way."

Snape balked slightly as they entered Forbidden Forest, but trekked on, realizing that if anyone was safe there it would be Hagrid. After walking for some time, they came to a small clearing. Snape followed Hagrid across, then stopped short as they came upon a large cage-like enclosure. It was the size of a small room, with metal stripping across the sides and top. Something large was snoring loudly at the bottom of the enclosure. As Snape drew closer, he saw that it was a large, grey animal with...

Grabbing Hagrid roughly by his coattails, he jerked him backwards. "Hagrid!" He hissed. "What is it?"

"That's Fluffy," Hagrid whispered.

"That's...what?"

"Fluffy. He's mine. I bought 'im off a feller down the pub before Christmas. Kept 'im in me hut till he got too big teh manage. Fang was a little put out, I can tell yeh."

Snape had not moved, still ten feet away from the pen

"Hagrid, what exactly is it? It's got two heads that I can see. You've been handling him all these months? Is it...legal?" He couldn't pull his eyes away from the beast, half in fascination, the other half in self-preservation.

"The Greek feller says he's a Melacanus, rare in these parts. Yeh find'em mostly in the Meda...Mida..."

"Mediterranean." Snape finished for him.

"Yeh, that's it. Got three heads, dog heads, with a full set 'o fangs in each 'o them. He's righ fierce, but I know how teh make 'im tame as a baby." They both stood side by side now, watching the slumbering beast. Snape felt a small surge of optimism. If Hagrid said it was fierce, then it probably was downright lethal. But as Hagrid still seemed to have all his body parts intact, perhaps it would be manageable.

"It's a carnivore, I presume?"

"A what?"

"What does it eat, Hagrid?"

"Oh, that one's a pure meat-eater. I get everything ready to feed 'im, and then I jes..."

Snape put up a hand to stop him. "I don't want to know how you calm him, Hagrid. Only you should know that. That is why the seven pars of the grid are separate. Only the designer of each part will know how to neutralize it."

"Oh. Righ'. Well, I can calm 'im. 'E thinks I'm 'is mother, and there is a trick to it. Yeh jes have teh..."

"Hagrid!" Snape snapped. "Do not tell me!"

The big man's face fell. "Oh yeah, I forgot."

Snape turned and walked to the middle of the clearing, then turned and waited for Hagrid to join him.

"Hagrid, let's see what it...he can do. Wake him, please."

A slow smile spread across the big man's face.

Hagrid's voice intruded, bringing Snape back to the present. "Professor, yeh alrigh'?"

Snape gave the man a genuine smile. "I was just remembering the first time you took me out to see...Fluffy."

Hagrid broke out into a large grin. "Yeh had yer misgivins' didn' yeh? Well, I knew he'd be perfect."

Snape allowed himself another smile. "Yes, he has turned out rather well. I admit that I had my doubts, but no longer."

Hagrid was beaming now. Snape did not often pay him a social visit, let alone an off-handed compliment.

They chatted for another half-hour, then Snape took his leave. As he walked over the grounds to the castle, he thought that he rather liked Hagrid, all his idiosyncrasies aside. The Grounds Keeper had treated him kindly during his student years, when most others had not. The man amused him, too, and that was a rarity nowadays.