King of Lightning [HP FANFIC]

"Maybe I should transplant the green onions I planted here; they never get enough sun underground and have been wilting lately." Anduin's mood lifted when he saw the vegetable garden, and his steps quickened until he was almost at the hut.

"Hagrid! Hagrid! Are you there?" Anduin shouted toward the house.

The hut's door creaked open slightly.

Hagrid bent down and stepped out, and when he saw it was Anduin, he greeted him warmly.

"Anduin, it's been ages since I last saw you! Come in, quickly!" Hagrid enthusiastically welcomed Anduin into the hut, and only then did Anduin get a full look at the inside of Hagrid's hut.

Hagrid's hut had only one room, with hams, sausages, and pheasants hanging from the ceiling. There was a fireplace, with a huge wooden table and chairs in front of it. In one corner of the room was a large bed with a patchwork quilt, and on the nearby wall hung a coat and many tools like hammers and axes. Next to the only sofa, there was also a large crossbow and a pink umbrella.

"Hagrid, your place may be small, but it has everything!" Anduin was in a good mood today, especially after seeing the garden next to Hagrid's hut.

"Ha ha, what is there to praise about this run-down place of mine? Tell me, what brings you here today?" Hagrid scratched his head a little shyly and quickly invited Anduin to sit down.

"I've wanted to visit you for a while. I just started at Hogwarts, and there are many places I need to get familiar with. Since I'm in a good mood today, I thought I'd come see you." Anduin smiled, placing a large bag of seasonings on the table, and climbed onto one of the big wooden chairs as he spoke.

"You're very welcome, Anduin. I didn't even get a chance to congratulate you on your admission before." Hagrid smiled at Anduin. Only then did Hagrid have time to look at him closely and noticed Anduin was wearing a Slytherin uniform. He exclaimed in surprise, "Goodness, Anduin, how . . . how did you get into Slytherin? I hadn't even noticed."

"Yes, that surprised me too. I was quite shocked myself when the Sorting Hat assigned me." Every time Anduin heard that question, he always thought of that annoying broken hat.

"But I remember you told me you weren't a Muggle-born, right? Slytherin rarely accepts Muggle-born wizards, do they?" Hagrid said with an exaggerated expression.

"Yes, I've always been curious about my house choice, Hagrid. I'm only telling you." Anduin was very fond of that simple man and decided to share with him his long-held suspicions, speaking mysteriously.

"Mmm-hmm, mmm-hmm." Hagrid nodded his head like a mortar pounding garlic, staring at Anduin with wide eyes.

"You know that the house you're assigned to is always decided by the Sorting Hat. I suspect that broken hat is up to something. When I put it on, I clearly heard it say that almost every house suited me. But after arguing with it for a few sentences, that broken hat sorted me into Slytherin. It can't possibly not know I'm Muggle-born. If you ask me, it must hold a grudge against me!" Anduin told Hagrid his suspicions.

For Anduin, defending himself by denying the result was a sign of weakness, so he never showed dissatisfaction with being sorted into Slytherin in front of others. In fact, he had already accepted the decision, but Hagrid had a childlike innocence that Anduin appreciated, so he rarely allowed himself to complain in front of him.

"Oh my, how could that be? But they say the Sorting Hat never makes mistakes. Did you do something that made it particularly angry?" Hagrid handed Anduin a cup and poured water as he spoke.

'Would trying to take it apart to see how it works count? That would be like trying to split a person in half to see how their insides work,' Anduin thought to himself.

"Since you entered Slytherin, have those pure-blood families given you any trouble? Those people are the worst, and many dark wizards and Death Eaters come from Slytherin. You must be careful in the future." Hagrid looked at Anduin and continued.

Anduin didn't know if Hagrid was warning him to watch out for his safety or to be careful not to become a dark wizard, but he still reassured him.

"After entering the house, I've basically kept to myself, not going anywhere except classes, so don't worry, Hagrid. Oh, let's not talk about that anymore. Look what I brought you." Anduin didn't continue the conversation and changed the subject to food.

Anduin not only liked Hagrid very much, but also loved the place where he lived. The surroundings were vast and beautiful, which made him feel refreshed and happy, so he couldn't help but say a few more words.

"I have chili sauce, sesame paste, bay leaves, soy sauce, and sesame seeds. I brought a lot of seasonings. I eat in the Great Hall at Hogwarts, and I'm already tired of the food there. I saw you planted many vegetables outside your house. How about I prepare some dishes for you to try?" Anduin's spirits lifted when talking about food, and he spoke enthusiastically to Hagrid.

Hagrid knew Anduin's cooking skills; he had already tasted Anduin's stir-fried dragon liver, and it was the most delicious flavor he had ever experienced. Because of this, Hagrid had a particularly deep impression of Anduin and regarded him differently.

"That's wonderful! I have quite a few good things here recently, so you've come at the perfect time." Hagrid was also very excited when he heard Anduin talk about food and immediately showed him his current 'collection.'

"Look, these are pork chops from a tebo warthog and a large piece of pork leg that Professor Kettleburn gave me a few days ago." Hagrid opened a large cabinet in the corner of the room, revealing the ingredients frozen by a freezing charm, and said to Anduin.

Anduin couldn't help but stare in amazement at first glance. That was more than just a large piece; the size of the pork chops plus the pork leg combined was probably bigger than an entire pig in the Muggle world. Although Hagrid's hut only had one room, all the furniture, including the house itself, was gigantic. Otherwise, it would be impossible for that cabinet to hold those two massive pieces.

"Is it magical animal meat again? Is it edible?" Anduin asked, looking at the gigantic pork chops.

"No problem, the meat is tougher than regular pork. I was planning to cure the pork leg into a ham, and the pork chops were for feeding the nifflers. Professor Kettleburn's niffler had a litter of pups, and he plans to give me one. I'll take it when it's weaned, and then I'll have a new member here."

So, you're planning to feed that huge piece of magical animal meat to a dog? Anduin could barely keep up with Hagrid's train of thought. Had he really reached that level of humble bragging?