Hagrid got up early on the day of the Hogsmeade visit, knowing full well it would take a small miracle to get a seat at the Broomsticks today. He'd been delivered a Most Urgent and Important Owl that morning from Charlie Weasley, imploring that Hagrid meet up with him about half nine for breakfast.

Hagrid lumbered along the path down from the castle to Hogsmeade, whistling tunelessly in the morning air, his moleskin coat keeping him warm against the brisk air. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pipe, which he paused to stuff and light before continuing on, chuckling to himself at the thought that he might look a wee bit like the Hogwarts Express with the way the wind carried the smoke up and away from the pipe like a trail.

The village was still fairly quiet by the time he stowed away his pipe in his coat as he broke through the last copse of trees before the main road. He waved to Minerva McGonagall, who was just sitting on the small porch outside of her little house at the edge of town. She was still in her tartan robes and sipping tea, sitting alone in one of two wooden rockers, and she waved back to him.

"Mornin', Professor!" Hagrid shouted.

"Good morning, Hagrid!" she trilled back. Her voice had lilted with her thick accent ever since Halloween, and he knew she was worried sick about Harry - Cedric, too, but everyone knew how Harry held a particularly special place in Minerva McGonagall's heart. "You're up and at 'em quite early, aren't you, m'dear?" she asked.

"Oh yer know," Hagrid said, "Got to get meself a table at the pub before the whole o' Hogwarts is vyin' for'em!" Charlie's letter had asked he be discreet about their meeting, so Hagrid didn't mention it.

"Aye they should be along soon, shouldn't they?" McGonagall said, squinting up toward the sun. "I suppose I should be putting on some proper attire and getting myself up to the castle. The last thing the children need is seeing an old hag like me in her pyjamas!"

"Aww come now, yeh ain't no hag, an' yeh know it. Yeh look as beautiful as ever, Min," Hagrid said, and he waved goodbye and headed on along the road.

He made it to the Three Broomsticks right about nine as Rosmerta was flipping over the sign on the door to read OPEN and sweeping the dust from the floor out the door and into the road.

"Mornin' Rosmerta," Hagrid mumbled as she stepped aside to let him in. "'ow're yeh doin' today?"

"Oh I'm alright," Rosmerta said, "Be better if my order of Butterbeers had arrived on schedule, but what can ya do? Usual for breaky, Hagrid?"

"Sounds good ter me," Hagrid nodded.

"Comin' right up. You seat yourself, and choose wisely - the real estate in here is about to get rather scarce quickly." Even as they spoke there were Hogwarts kids slipping past them into the warmth of the pub.

Hagrid found himself a spot settled in a corner where he could look out the window and observe all the fun being had. It made his heart swell with love to see all the students smiling and laughing, trading Zonkos toys and eating their sweets without a care in the world. He loved them all so much, it nearly made him weep at times.

Charlie arrived at the same time as his breakfast did. "That looks real good," Charlie said shyly to Rosmerta, "Could I get some as well? Perhaps a bit smaller order though," he added, noticing Rosmerta's generosity of portions for Hagrid's plates. She nodded and hurried away.

Hagrid pushed a plate of sausages into the middle, "Yeh can share mine til yours comes out," hr offered.

Charlie was famished enough to accept the offer, spearing the smallest sausage with a fork. "I've just arrived," he explained. "As fast as dragons fly, it's still a bit of a long ride from Romania anyway. I ought to have worn a face shield, too. We were facing the wind the whole way in and I swear my nose is chapped!"

His face was indeed pink still from riding.

Hagrid's eyes lit up. "Yeh brought dragons with yeh?!"

Charlie replied, "They make fine transportation when you can find a place to park them." He paused to chew a bit of the sausage, then said, "You know there used to be ample dragon parking all over, they were the most popular means of travel, besides broomsticks, and not just for witches and wizards? At a time, even muggle men rode dragons. That was back in the Viking days, so they've largely lost the art, but there are still some muggles who manage to find their way to Fortescue's Academy. It isn't common, but they're among the best trainers, even without magic. I think it's because the loyalties to the rider are stronger, and naturally made, where a lot of wizard trainers will use spells to encourage their dragons to trust them or to subdue them. I've trained Zuzu and Norberta both without using those sorts of spells, I just don't think it's fair to 'em, really. I wouldn't like it if someone subdued me to trick me into being their friend, however wild they are."

For some reason, Charlie thought of Nymphadora Tonks as a dragon and laughed to himself.

"Yeh always was so kind to animals," Hagrid said with a gooey eyed expression. "I remember when yeh first started visitin' the Thestrals with me, an' how kind yeh were to 'em, an' how much they liked yeh!"

Charlie smiled, "They were beautiful."

"I think so too, but yeh know so few people like 'em."

"It's the whole death thing," Charlie replied. "Most people fear things like that."

"Oh I suppose but it ain't fair at all, ain't fair at all!" He scooper some egg onto his mouth and chewed thoughtfully, adding a bit of salt, as Rosmerta returned with Bill's plate before rushing off. "I know, Charlie, yeh can use the paddock behind me cabin if yeh need a place to keep yeh dragon for the night!" Hagrid offered enthusiastically. "I'll reckon you're here to watch our 'arry compete Tuesday, are yeh?"

"Zuzu's a bit bigger than your old paddock, Hagrid, she's takes up half the enclosure we've built for them as it is."

"Them!" Hagrid's eyes lit up. "Yeh mean there's more'n one!"

"There are four, Hagrid," Charlie said.

"Four! Just like there are four Champions," Hagrid chuckled.

"Shhh," Charlie said. Then, lowering his voice, "Exactly like there are four Champions."

Hagrid paused, the words sinking in, and he leaned forward. "Yeh mean ter tell me that the First Task is --?" he cut off when Charlie nodded, holding a finger up over his lips. Hagrid's face went through a range of emotion from rapture to understanding to mild concern to pale-faced horror. "They're puttin' 'em up against -" he mouthed the word dragons, "- without any trainin' or warnin'?!"

Charlie nodded.

Hagrid rubbed his chest, very unnerved, and looking as though the thought were giving him indigestion. "Oh... oh oh oh," he murmured.

"Now I know some schools do visits to the Academy in Seventh - Kettleburn took my class out for a visit, and I've seen the Durmstrang lot at the Academy before, but I'm worried about the other champions."

Especially Harry seemed to be silently tacked onto the sentence.

Hagrid had put down his utensils, suddenly feeling rather un-hungry and nervous, and he stared down at the plate of beans and toast before him. Then he had an idea. He looked up at Charlie and he said, awkward even for Hagrid, "Say Charlie, please can I see 'em? The dragons? Yeh know how I love me a dragon."

Charlie wouldn't have thought anything of the request if only Hagrid hadn't been weird about it. He did know how Hagrid loved dragons - nearly as much as Charlie himself did. But Hagrid looked shy and guilty as he asked and Charlie could tell without even thinking too hard precisely what it was that Hagrid had in mind.

It was what Charlie had hoped he'd get in mind, but also what Charlie couldn't directly tell him to do, either.

"You'd have to come alone though, Hagrid," Charlie said. He would have winked, but Tonks had always said that Charlie wasn't very good at winking. Looks like you're wincing in pain more than winking, she always said, and Charlie didn't think that would much help here - only Tonks properly knew what it looked like when Charlie winked. "The Champions aren't allowed to know about the Dragons. It's against the rules and I'd get in real trouble. Mr. Fortescue said he signed magical contracts saying neither he nor any of his trainers would tell the Champions about the task and I could get in real trouble - or worse, dependin' what the terms are. Trust me, if I could tell Harry I would've done it already.

Hagrid nodded, "Yeh don't have to worry about that, Charlie, I'll be sure to say nothin' to Harry about the dragons."

Charlie eyed Hagrid.

"Jus' maybe you could show me the dragons at night, like, so I could see their fire and all?"

Charlie nodded slowly, "Yeah, alright. I can show you the dragons Hagrid." Then, stressing, "But if any of the champions are seen anywhere near the enclosure --"

"There won't be no Champions bein' seen anywhere near the enclosure." Hagrid nodded solemnly. But inside his head, he was wondering how he might get Harry to come along without telling him and without anybody seeing him. He wondered if Harry might know some sort of spell to turn himself into a dog - he could pretend to be Fang! - maybe the way Professor McGonagall was sometimes a cat wandering 'round his pumpkin patch and chasing mice with the real cats? Or perhaps Harry could shrink himself real small, like, and ride along in one of the many pockets of Hagrid's moleskin coat? He patted the pockets and wondered which one he ought to clean out to make sure it was safe and comfortable for the ickle bitty Harry...

Charlie was still eyeing Hagrid, a slightly amused bend to his mouth and then he said, "Alright, well if you think you can manage without telling or without any Champions being seen 'round the enclosure, then you can come and see. Meet me 'round midnight or so, if you leave out from your Cabin and go 'round the Forest - you know where the old Bowtruckle trees are? Come 'round there and you'll see the enclosure just out of view of the castle. Not a long walk, just past the pitch, really."

Hagrid nodded, he'd been out there just last week, Dumbledore had sent him out there to catch the bowtruckles and bring them back for some temporary care up at the castle... And it occurred to Hagrid then that perhaps this very event was why Dumbledore had sent him out to get the bowtruckles and he chuckled with understanding. Very clever of Dumbledore, getting the bowtruckles carefully tucked away without ever sayin' nothin' about the First Task being why. Very clever.

Charlie and Hagrid fell into conversation, then, talking about some of Charlie's recent adventures with Norberta and Zuzu. He had taken a picture of Rubeus the dragon curled up in Norberta's nest for Hagrid, which had a tear in it because Rubeus had tried to eat the photograph when Charlie showed it to him afterward. Hagrid found the bitten bit endearing and said he'd put it right by his bedside. They discussed the possibility of Hagrid visiting him in Romania next summer, once the students had gone home.

"Maybe Tonks can come along with me," Hagrid suggested.

Charlie flushed and shrugged, "Maybe."

Truth be told, he and Tonks had had a small row the night when the Expelliarmens were playing. Hagrid had left with Oliver Kent and not seen the fight, but when Charlie had caught up with her, she'd downed another glass of mead and was getting a bit shaky on her feet, and had offered to walk her home before the sickness had laid in...

She'd said to him, "Just go home alright?"

"But what if you fall down walking back from the pub?" Charlie had asked, "You could get hurt. You know, there are dragons that eat fermented fruit and get drunk on them if they eat enough of them and they've been known to fall right off the edges of cliffs and --"

"Get a load of this guy going on and on about dragons," laughed the lead singer, his arm around Tonks. "Hey don't worry about it, alright, buddy? I'll take care of her."

"Yeah Charlie, just go home," Tonks had repeated.

The next day had been the row when Charlie had showed up at the door of her flat to check on her and she'd answered the door in the Expelliarmen's lead singer's plaid shirt.

"You don't understand this stuff, Charlie," she had said, and Charlie felt hurt and had just gone back to Romania.

They hadn't talked since.

Hagrid could tell Charlie didn't want to talk about Tonks, and he changed the subject and they continued on talking.

It was nearing on to noon when Charlie finally said he had to go. "I'm the only one who knows how to feed Zuzu without getting burnt up," he said, laughing nervously.

"Well yeh best go and get 'er fed then and I'll be 'round later t'night - like we discussed," Hagrid added lowly.

Charlie nodded, "Alright. See you 'round midnight then, Hagrid," he said, and he hurried out of the pub.

Hagrid sat back in his seat and thanks Rosmerta when she came by and asked if he wanted anything else. The other tables were getting full and she was looking frazzled, and he was about to say no and give up his table for some of the waiting students, but just then Mad-Eye Moody thumped up to his table and eyed the empty seat Charlie had vacated.

"Anyone sittin' here with you, Hagrid?" he asked gruffly.

"Not a one," Hagrid replied.

"Care if I join you?" Moody sat without waiting for Hagrid's answer and turned to Rosmerta, "I'll take a plate of chips and some of that fish you've got cooking."

Rosmerta laughed, "Always peeking on the kitchen with that eye of yours..." but she nodded and assured him she'd be back with it shortly.

Moody shifted in the seat, pulling his leg up onto the bench beside himself and rubbing the spot where the wood met his flesh with a grunt of discontent. "This thing'll be the death of me," he muttered, shaking his head.

Hagrid hadn't known Moody to complain about his leg - but then again it was likely Moody had been walking quite a lot that morning and more than usual on the whole, what with traversing the entire castle and now here it was a Hogsmeade weekend and all. Usually the old Auror was a silent sufferer of small pains, too busy putting up a tough front to complain and risk being seen as weak in anyway - even a perfectly respectable way, like pain in his severed limb. Hagrid looked away as Moody scooted up his trouser leg and unhooked the wooden appendage to rub at the end of the nub where his knee was simply gone. Moody certainly wouldn't want anyone staring at that, whatever the case.

"How the ruddy hell'd you manage a table in this kind of crowd, Hagrid?" he asked, looking up.

"Been here since breakfast with ol' Charlie Weasley," Hagrid said, "Talkin' and catchin' up an' the like."

Moody nodded slowly, then asked, "Talking about the dragons were you?"

Hagrid flushed. "What dragons? No, no talking about dragons, not with me, nope... I've not been talkin' to nobody about no dragons at all."

Moody's voice lowered, "It's alright, I know about the dragons, you don't need to be faking it with me. I'm the one what's vetted all the trainers, made sure they weren't sneaking in any Death Eaters through the Academy."

"Death Eaters? At the Dragon Academy?" Hagrid asked, "Why would there be Death Eaters --"

"Well we know somebody's after Harry Potter and they're after him by means of the Tournament, aren't they?" Moody said darkly. "Makes sense they might come in as though they're visitors. Got to keep my eyes on everything, keep him safe from people who think they're serving the Dark Lord somehow, people who think they can help him out somehow."

"Help him out? You Know Who? How's that?"

"You know he wants Potter, and it's just a matter of time before the Death Eaters get wind and want to try to earn their way back in --"

"Back inter what, exactly?" Hagrid asked.

"Doesn't matter," Moody grumbled, "I said too much. But the point is I know about the dragons and you don't got to be talking on egg shells 'round me with it. The question is how are you going to tell Potter?"

Hagrid flushed even deeper red. "Tell Harry? I can't tell Harry, he's not supposed ter know, why would I be tellin' Harry?"

"He's three years the junior on the other Champions, isn't he? Kid needs a boost or he'll never make it to the Third Task, will he?"

"I s'pose, but --" Hagrid lowered his voice, "I ent supposed ter tell just not sure how to do it without tellin' or him bein' seen."

"Hmm, that is the question isn't it?" Moody murmured, and he sat back as Madam Rosmerta returned with his fish and chips and steins of ale for them both.

Hagrid drank both tankards as Moody produced his flask and pushed the stein away as he inspected the fish closely, eating it with a fork he pulled from his own coat pocket.

Hagrid made suggestions how he might get Harry the information on the dragons - everything from leaving books about dragons laying about his cabin and inviting him over for supper to writing it down on a note, "I don't suppose writin' it down is technically tellin' him, is it, do yeh think?"

They'd been at it for sometime when Moody suddenly sat up and his magical eye went whizzing about with interest. "What's wrong?" Hagrid asked, looking 'round, turning to peer at the wall, through which Moody's eye was staring. "What are yeh seein'? Sommat the matter?"

"Potter might've just answered for us what can be done for it," Moody said quietly.

"How's that?" Hagrid asked.

"Did you know Mr. Potter has the ability to be invisible?" Moody asked lowly.

Hagrid said, "Well he has that cloak of his and -- OH." Hagrid's eyes lit up and he grinned as Mad Eye nodded and turned to reattach his leg. "Oh Harry's cloak. That's it, that's how he can be there without bein' seen and if I don't tell him what he's comin' for --"

"There you go," Moody nodded, "That's exactly how we solve it." He slid off the bench and winced as he put weight on it. "Let's go pay Mr. Potter and Miss. Granger a little visit."

Hagrid nodded and followed after Mad-Eye to where Hermione was sitting at a table, looking over a notebook that she had laid out in front of herself, sipping a butterbeer. Her lips were moving as she read the words... or, rather, as she spoke quietly to the invisible person beside her, Hagrid thought knowingly.

Moody let out a low laugh and Hagrid looked at him with question. "Seems Harry forgot he can't be seen by the normal eye," Moody murmured, "He's just waved to you."

Hagrid smiled.

They arrived at the table and Hagrid said, loudly, "All right, Hermione?" He grinned down at her conspirationally.

"Hello," Hermione answered. She peered up at him with an innocent expression on her face, her fingers smoothing the pages of her notebook.

Moody limped around the table and bent down. "Nice cloak, Potter," he said lowly.

Hagrid grinned when he heard Harry's confused voice, quietly ask, "Can your eye - I mean, can you --?"

"Yeah, it can see through invisibility cloaks," Moody said, "And it's come in useful at times, I can tell you.... Like right now."

Moody moved aside to let Hagrid step up to the table, which he did awkwardly, kicking Hermione's chair so she squeaked and caught her butterbeer bottle just before it knocked over. Hagrid whispered, "Harry? Harry meet me tonight at midnight at me cabin." He smiled, "And wear that cloak."