portrait hole ("Stand and fight, you yellow-bellied mongrels!"), down through the empty castle and out through the oak front doors. 

They made their way slowly down the lawn, making a shallow trench in the glittering, powdery snow, their socks and the hems of their cloaks soaked and freezing. The Forbidden Forest looked as though it had been enchanted, each tree smattered with silver, and Hagrid's cabin looked like an iced cake.

Ron knocked, but there was no answer.

 "He's not out, is he?" said Hermione, who was shivering under her cloak. 

Ron had his ear to the door.

 "There's a weird noise," he said. "Listen -- is that Fang?" 

Harry and Hermione put their ears to the door too. From inside the cabin came a series of low, throbbing moans. 

"Think we'd better go and get someone?" said Ron nervously. 

"Hagrid!" called Harry, thumping the door. "Hagrid, are you in there?"

 There was a sound of heavy footsteps, then the door creaked open. Hagrid stood there with his eyes red and swollen, tears splashing down the front of his leather vest. 

"Ywve heard?" he bellowed, and he flung himself onto Harry's neck. 

Hagrid being at least twice the size of a normal man, this was no laughing matter. Harry, about to collapse under Hagrid's weight, was rescued by Ron and Hermione, who each seized Hagrid under an arm and heaved him back into the cabin. Hagrid allowed himself to be steered into a chair and slumped over the table, sobbing uncontrollably, his face glazed with tears that dripped down into his tangled beard.

 "Hagrid, what is it?" said Hermione, aghast. 

Harry spotted an official-looking letter lying open on the table.