Go check on Hagrid

Hermione realized that she hadn't seen Hagrid in quite some time. He hadn't even come up to the castle for meals. She checked the marauder's map and saw that Peeves was outside Filch's office, likely setting up a trap using his new dungbomb. Hermione figured this was as good a time as any. She decided to leave the map and wand behind again, as she saw no real reason for them at the moment.

She stepped out of the portrait hole, and she could still hear the Fat Lady and Violet quietly giggling. They were apparently still talking about her.

Hermione stepped outside into the bright sunlight and crossed the grounds. As she neared the edge of the grounds, she saw smoke coming from Hagrid's chimney. He'd likely have some tea ready.

She knocked on his door. "Hagrid? Are you there?"

"Is that you, 'ermione?" She heard Hagrid's gruff voice on the other side of the door. Hagrid opened the door to see Hermione standing there. "What're you doin' here? Not sick, are yeh? Come in, come in!"

Hermione entered the hut. She looked around, but noticed that Fang, Hagrid's great boarhound was missing. "Hagrid... Where's Fang?"

Hagrid looked down. "He... He's got that scrofungulus!"

"What?!" Hermione cried. "How? I thought you had to breath air from someone who had it!?"

"Fang did breathe it in!" Hagrid said, glumly. "That Hufflepuff, Taylor... likes animals, he does. Soon as he saw Fang, he wanted ter meet him... I couldn't say no ter that!"

"And the night that stinkin' squib got Taylor sick, Taylor came here after dinner to play with Fang an- an..." Hagrid began to break down into tears. "Madam Pomfrey don't want no animals in the hospital wing... St. Mungo's wouldn't take him, either. Had ter take him to a specialist in Diagon Alley. Same place Filch sent that cat o' his, matter o' fact. Special transportation an' all, just to keep Fang's air from reaching anyone else!"

"Oh Hagrid... I'm so sorry..."

"Fang's in good hands... He'll be all right again soon..." Hagrid put on a brave face. "But how 'bout you, 'ermione? Thought if you didn't have the plague yerself, you'd be out o' the castle for sure, gettin' with Ron!"

Hermione blushed. "I... I had to stay here, Hagrid. I had..." she had to think of a lie quick. "I had to stay for homework."

Hagrid's eyes narrowed. "Yeh. Right." He got up and pulled a letter. "Harry said yeh'd gotten scrofungulus! I thought it must've started with yeh, but here yeh show up, while Professor McGonagall's up in the hospital wing working with Madam Pomfrey day and night with students still sick!"

Hermione felt the color in her face drain. She'd been caught.

"What's goin' on?" Hagrid demanded. "If yeh weren't sick, why wouldn't yeh want to get out o' the castle? It can't've been homework, yeh could do that with the Weasley's! And why," he concluded, "are yeh wearing that silver collar?"

Hermione looked up. She had forgotten how intimidating the half-giant could look when upset.

"If... If I tell you... You need to promise not to tell anyone. Not Harry, not Professor McGongall, NO ONE."

Hagrid was taken aback. Hermione didn't normally ask Hagrid to keep her secrets. But he did remember when she did the same when he had tried to raise a dragon in his hut...

"Alright, Hermione... I swear on Aragog's grave. Now... What's happening?"

Hermione let it all spill out, from that fateful night in the prefect's bathroom to Hogsmeade to Quidditch to Peeves now getting involved.

Hagrid was stunned. "Well... I don't know nothing about these house tasks... But if Dumbledore says yer fine, then I say yer fine, too..." He awkwardly rubbed the back of his head. "So... is that one of the robes yeh borrowed? Surprised yeh got yer name tag in it."

Hermione shook her head. "Oh no, this was one of my old robes. I modified it to fit me again."

Hagrid's eyes widened. "How... did yeh modify it?"

"Using the clothes refitting spell from-" Hermione began, nonplussed at Hagrid's tone.

"How long ago was it?!" Hagrid said, looking scared.

"A-about an hour ago. Hagrid, what's wrong? What's happ-" But then Hermione felt it. The robe was shrinking!

Hagrid turned around to not look at Hermione. "Don't yeh know why wizards and witches still hafta buy school supplies? It's all enchanted! Can't copy books or robes or make more potion ingredients... All the sellers in Diagon Alley magicked, it see! And when yeh enchant robes, they go back ter the way they were when yeh first bought them, any adjustments yeh made between now and then be damned!"

Hermione panicked. She looked down as thread was being **** out of the robes, long lines of thread whizzing out from her robes as it shrunk. She had hoped it might have stopped the way it was before she had used her magic, but it was only getting smaller! Seams began to rip apart, as her current size was far too much for the robes she had worn when she was 11!

In a matter of seconds, the robes had ripped off of her, unable to contain her adult form. Hermione clasped her hands over her privates. "Hagrid! Have you gotten a new wand yet? Can you fix it!"

"No, 'ermione!" He answered, still turned so as to protect her modesty. "Minsitry's still bumbling about, trying to figure out if I can learn magic again yet! Not that reparin' now will do yeh any good..."

"What... What do you mean, Hagrid?"

"If yeh fixed it, it would be the way it was when yeh first bought it, wouldn't it? Robes for a first-year! Yeh'd have to go all the way back to Diagon Alley to get it adjusted by the seller!"

Hermione was nervous now. She was naked in front of one of her oldest friends, and but she had no interest in him seeing her. "Do... Do you have any Gryffindor robes here? Something I can wear that won't get me in trouble with the Slytherins?"

"I... might. Gimme half a mo'" Hagrid moved to a dusty old trunk on the side of the hut. He began to dig inside and pulled out what looked like a very old Hogwarts robe. It must have been twice Hermione's size!

Hagrid tossed it behind him " 'ere yeh are!" He exclaimed, still not looking at Hermione. "Tha' there's an antique, it is! Take care of it!" As Hermione put the robe on, she saw the old name tag on it. Rubeus Hagrid - Third Year.

"Hagrid..." Hermione gasped. "Was this one of your robes?"

"Yep. That's from my last year at Hogwarts." Hargrid said proudly. "Kept it all these years, not that any other students could fit in it. Can I turn around now?"

Hermione got the robe on, but it was very long. The sleeves hung down to the floor, and if she wasn't careful, she'd trip over the robe itself. Not to mention that she had to wrap it around her twice to get the button in place just to keep it from sliding right off her!

"Yes, Hagrid. I'm decent now."

Hagrid turned around. "Alright... Now listen..." Hagrid looked at her seriously. "I plan ter stay here in me hut fer now. I don't want ter catch yeh au naturel. An' if yeh come ter say hello again, just make sure ye've got some clothes on, alright?"

"Of course, Hagrid... I'm sorry for getting you involved with this..."

"Now don't you worry!" Hagrid reassured her. "I made yeh tell me, an' that's my fault. I'll won't breathe a word of this ter anyone. An' don't worry 'bout me. The house-elves'll bring me food. Now... Yeh'd better get back up to the castle and put some clothes on that'll fit yeh better."

Hermione turn to the door, pulling up the hem of the robe as much as she could so that it reached just above her ankles. "I'll send this back by owl as soon as I can, Hagrid!" Hermione said.

"Don't worry about it, Hermione!" Hagrid called after her as she walked across the lawn. "If the Ministry lets me back in school, I'll be gettin' new robes for myself!"