In the British wizarding society, being a Hufflepuff carried the same weight as a chastity monument in ancient times.
You might call Hufflepuffs slow, dim-witted, or academically average.
But accuse them of deceit or trickery? Nine out of ten would spit at the suggestion.
It was a golden reputation.
The Hufflepuff badge worked particularly well on straightforward souls like Hagrid.
"Come in then."
Hagrid stepped aside. Wayne released Fang and entered under the dog's wistful gaze.
Inside, the hearth blazed fiercely, occasional crackles sending warmth radiating through the entire cabin.
The hut contained a small stool, but no table. Wayne didn't mind and simply sat down on it.
Hagrid sat on his bed.
"That Lawrence, was it? What brings yeh here?"
"Just call me Wayne," Wayne said, casually making up an excuse. "Harry mentioned you to me. He said you're a very kind and helpful person.
"So, when I ran into trouble, you were the first person I thought of."
Wayne wasn't worried about Hagrid later checking with Harry—he had mentioned Hagrid before, just not in such detail.
With a mind like Harry's, even if he'd never brought up Hagrid, Wayne could easily convince him he'd simply forgotten.
Hearing this, the half-giant broke into an embarrassed smile.
Whether it was Wayne's flattery or the fact that Harry had spoken of him to his friends, both were enough to make him very happy.
His previously formal attitude instantly warmed.
The half-giant stood and went to the fireplace, returning with a thirty-inch-wide iron tray and a cloth bag. He opened the bag, and a cascade of sweets tumbled out.
"'Ave some sweets, an' me salt-crust pies—baked fresh this mornin', they were."
Wayne smiled and picked up a sweet but politely declined the pies. Were those even fit for human consumption?
They looked harder than bricks.
"So, what d'you need me help with? Just know I won't help yeh break any school rules," Hagrid said, rubbing his hands together.
"Of course not. I just need some materials to make a few little things," Wayne said, waving a hand and discreetly spitting out the candy.
Bloody hell, it was far too sweet.
"Oh, is that all?" Hagrid visibly relaxed and thumped his chest with a booming sound. "What d'you need? If I can get me hands on it, I'll definitely help yeh out."
"That's brilliant." Wayne brightened and listed his requests:
Diricawl feathers, Jobberknoll feathers, Runespoor scales, Unicorn hair, Graphorn bones, and Ashwinder eggs.
"Tha's it?" Hagrid asked after listening. "Any specific quantities?"
"Just a small amount—it's only for practice." Wayne glanced at Hagrid and then added casually,
"Though if you could get some Acromantula venom, that'd be even better."
"Acromantula venom..." Hagrid's brow furrowed. "The rest are easy enough, but I don't have any Acromantula venom on hand. Next time I go ter Hogsmeade, I'll look fer some fer yeh."
"You keep eatin'—I'll go fetch the materials from the cellar."
As the giant's figure disappeared out the door, Wayne was slightly surprised. Not as simple-minded as he'd assumed.
Hagrid's claim about getting the Acromantula venom in Hogsmeade was clearly a lie—just a way to avoid letting Wayne know such dangerous creatures lived in the Forbidden Forest.
This little bit of cunning slightly altered Wayne's opinion of him.
Truly, no one should be underestimated. He'd have to adjust his mindset.
About ten minutes later, Hagrid returned, hauling a large sack over his shoulder.
"See if this is enough. If not, I can always nip inter the Forest and gather more."
Wayne took the sack, his arms sagging under the weight. He opened it and immediately fell silent.
It was crammed full—various feathers, bones, and Ashwinder eggs all jammed together like rubbish.
Among them, a clump of snow-white hair caught his eye.
Unicorn hair. How precious these items were, any wizard with common sense knew perfectly well.
The highest quality Unicorn hair, suitable for wand-making, could fetch five Galleons per strand. The lower-grade ones, still useful for beauty potions, sold for ten Galleons a bag, containing barely a dozen strands. And Hagrid's bundle... there had to be at least several dozen. The bag alone held quite a few white clumps.
Add in the other items, and this entire sack was easily worth several hundred Galleons.
The way Wayne looked at Hagrid had completely changed. Now this was a true tycoon!
"Still not enough?" Seeing Wayne's silence, Hagrid scratched his head in frustration. "Well, yeh'll have ter wait a bit longer then. I'll go inter the Forbidden Forest ter search fer more."
"No, no, this is plenty! More than enough for me to practise with." Wayne hurriedly reassured him. This haul had far exceeded his expectations—it would last him well past Christmas without issue.
"Thank you so much, Hagrid."
The half-giant broke into a grin. "Don't mention it. If yeh ever need anythin' else, just come find me. I've got no use fer this stuff anyway."
And he wasn't wrong—Wayne had just spotted a bloody blanket woven entirely from Unicorn hair in the man's possession.
What a waste of treasures!
Resolving to maintain good relations with his new supplier, Wayne also pulled out the gift he'd prepared in advance.
"The house-elves mentioned you're the one who tends to the school's vegetable gardens. These potions are for repelling garden gnomes and pests—please take them."
"Brilliant!" Hagrid's eyes lit up. "Those gnomes an' Doxies've been drivin' me up the wall. Yer a lifesaver, Wayne."
"We're friends, aren't we?"
In an instant, the half-giant was moved to tears.
Under Hagrid's enthusiastic farewells, Wayne hoisted the sack over his shoulder, grabbed a box of rock cakes, and left the hut.
...
On his way back to the Hufflepuff Common Room, he ran into Cedric, who was watering the plants inside. Spotting Wayne laden with packages, Cedric wandered over.
"Did you just rob someone?"
Without batting an eye, Wayne replied, "No, just had a chat with a friend. He gave me some local specialities."
"What kind of specialities?"
"Rock cakes. Here, have them." Wayne handed over the box and headed straight for his dorm.
Opening it, Cedric confirmed it was indeed rock cakes—still steaming hot.
True to his Hufflepuff instincts, he took a bite without hesitation.
"Bloody hell! My teeth!"