Kane didn't notice Hagrid appearing behind him. He remained focused on his task, inching toward the castle one step at a ti while clutching the firewood he'd worked so hard to chop.
Suddenly, the weight in his arms vanished. He looked up to see a massive fellow, nearly three ters tall with a kind, honest face, effortlessly lifting the entire bundle of logs.
"Hogwarts hasn't even started term yet. How'd you end up here?" Hagrid asked as he relieved Kane of his burden.
"Professor Dumbledore brought back. He won't let use magic outside, but I can't survive without it, so I was brought here," Kane replied, opening up easily.
Between eting Dumbledore, Kingsley, and now this giant of a man, the wizards of this world seed remarkably kind. It was a sharp contrast to the stereotypical image of a wizard. Did escaping the Constant make view everything like it's a beginner's starting village?
Hagrid paused to think. "You're... I an, you don't have parents... no, wait, your guardians... look, all you need to know is I don't an no harm.
My tongue just gets tied sotis. I'm Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts."
"Kane Heath. I am indeed an orphan; there's no need to tip-toe around it," Kane said, looking up at Hagrid, who looked like he was about to give himself a panic attack from overthinking his words.
If a guy this big fainted from lack of oxygen, not even Kane's shadows would be enough to drag him back to the castle.
"Sorry 'bout that anyway, Kane... what are you doing with all this wood?" Hagrid asked, eager to change the subject.
"Building a campfire. Unfortunately, I haven't found the right stones yet." Kane looked at Hagrid with his dull, dark-circled eyes. Instinct told him this man definitely had a solution.
Sure enough, Hagrid patted his chest. "That's easy! I'll take you down to the Black Lake later. Plenty of stones there.
And you can build your fire right by my hut if you like. When I was in school, I loved making a fire to roast a few potatoes or so sausages."
Hagrid beckoned Kane toward his hut. Though called a "hut," it was built to accommodate Hagrid's massive fra, making it look quite imposing at first glance—even if the overall aesthetic was "mountain village warehouse."
"Professor Dumbledore's employee benefits are... a bit stingy," Kane comnted politely.
"Strictly speaking, Dumbledore saved from Azkaban and brought here. I'm more than happy with a place like this. Besides, it's not a hardship—if I stand up straight in the castle offices, I'll crack my head on the ceiling," Hagrid explained, defending Dumbledore.
That was the second ti today Kane had heard the na "Azkaban."
"So, what exactly is this place? This 'Azkaban'?"
Hagrid's face instantly turned solemn. "It's the wizard prison. Inside, there's..."
"Okay, say no more," Kane waved a hand. "Looks like we're in the sa boat. Dumbledore saved from Azkaban, too."
Kane rembered the "bad cop" Kingsley ntioning the word with such dramatic flair. Even if he suspected they were just trying to scare a kid, it was a great way to bond with Hagrid.
Hagrid looked both shocked and furious. "Azkaban? You're so young! How could they even think of sending you there? Those Ministry lot are getting more out of hand by the day!"
"Tell about it. Anyway, Hagrid, are we still getting those stones?"
Hagrid snapped out of it, shoved Fang into his doghouse, and led Kane toward the Black Lake.
The shores of the Black Lake offered more than just campfire rocks; there were pebbles, agates, plant fossils, and bits of jade. Kane didn't need the fancy stuff yet, so he just grabbed a few sturdy rocks and headed back to the hut.
Hagrid helped, of course. He was incredibly... literal. He used his moleskin overcoat to carry a mountain of stones that could have crushed Kane flat, piling them outside the hut like a small burial mound.
Kane imdiately set to work. By infusing the firewood with shadow beforehand, the resulting fire would dispel external shadows far more efficiently than burning his own essence.
If it worked, he'd not only get a good night's sleep but might even be able to harvest a few Shadow Creatures to strengthen himself and get rid of those dark circles under his eyes.
Hagrid watched with interest, pulling out a fresh set of flint and steel. He felt that starting a fire manually was far more ceremonial than using magic.
But as he reached for the flint, he saw a mass of dark shadow materialize in Kane's hand. Kane pressed it directly onto the arranged logs.
In an instant, the fire roared to life. To Hagrid's eyes, even though it looked like a normal fla, it felt... eerie. Bizarre. Absurd. Even if it looked warm, there was sothing fundantally "wrong" about it.
"Kane? What... what kind of magic is that?" Hagrid swallowed hard. He wasn't a magic expert, but he knew that creepy shadow wasn't exactly "Light Side" material.
"Shadows. I was born with it. That's why Hogwarts found and why they almost dragged to Azkaban," Kane said casually, waving a hand.
A feeling warr than heat enveloped him. In the Constant, these fires were the only "anchors" of safety. Feeling that familiar warmth allowed his frayed nerves to relax for the first ti in ages.
Hagrid had felt a flicker of panic at the sight of such natural Dark Magic, but seeing Kane just sit there quietly, staring into his "special" campfire with a look of peaceful exhaustion, his fear vanished.
He decided then and there that judging people solely by their magic was a mistake.
I really shouldn't be so jumpy, Hagrid thought.
He sat down on the ground beside Kane. Seeing a fla flicker lower, Hagrid picked up a log and tossed it in. Strangely, the log didn't catch fire. It sat in the flas looking completely unaffected, as if it were made of fireproof asbestos rather than wood.
"What's this then?" Hagrid stared at the log that seed to ignore the laws of physics.
"It needs a bit of... secret sauce." Kane willed a thread of shadow to latch onto the log. Imdiately, it began to burn, making the fire even brighter.
Hagrid looked at Kane with wide eyes, pointing at the pile of wood nearby, eager to help feed the fire.
"Don't. Using too much makes you lose Sanity," Kane refused imdiately.
"Lose Sanity?" Hagrid heard yet another new term.
"Think of it as your brain getting too tired. If it drops too low, monsters will co and try to kill you," Kane explained offhandedly.
Hagrid scratched his head. Well... young wizards always did have vivid imaginations.
Kane saw the look on Hagrid's face and knew he wasn't believed, but he didn't care to explain further.
Suddenly, the bells of Hogwarts rang in the distance. Hagrid stood up and pulled Kane to his feet.
"Sounds like lunch! Let's get going. If you can get on the good side of Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape before term starts, I guarantee your first year'll be brilliant..."
Hagrid trailed off, his expression becoming slightly pained. "Actually... maybe don't worry too much about being 'familiar' with Professor Snape."
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