Hagrid held the bottle up to eye level, squinting at the ruby-like liquid with mild skepticism. “Special rat tonic?” he muttered, still wrapping his head around the idea. He’d only just learned today that there was such a thing as a tonic specifically for pet rats—and apparently, it was special.
He glanced again at the bottle. Hagrid didn’t doubt Kyle’s skills; it had taken nearly half an hour to brew this single bottle, which spoke to its quality. He just couldn’t help wondering why anyone would go to the trouble. After all, rats were the cheapest and most common pets around. In Diagon Alley, they cost less than half as much as a toad, and not even as much as a decent bag of owl treats.
Plus, pet rats didn’t live very long—only about seven years, which happened to match the time a young wizard spent at Hogwarts. Other pets, like toads and cats, could live for decades, and owls even longer. Because of this, very few wizards valued their pet rats enough to invest in special remedies.
“Yes,” Kyle said, packing away the stove and cauldron. “This tonic’s for the Weasleys' pet rat. It’s been with them a while now, and each year, before the start of term, Percy Weasley comes by to get some. But since the rat’s now Ron’s pet, I think Percy forgot to let him know about it.”
Hagrid didn’t know Percy all that well, but he did know Ron, the youngest Weasley, who had visited with Harry the day before. But he had a pet rat?
Hagrid thought back, vaguely recalling Ron’s pockets looking unusually full when they arrived, though he wasn’t completely sure. His focus had been almost entirely on Harry, so he hadn’t paid much attention to Ron.
Returning the bottle to Kyle, Hagrid asked, “Apart from rats, can you brew tonics for other pets?”
“Of course. I can handle tonics for the four types of pets allowed by Hogwarts.”
“What about others, like Magical Creatures?” Hagrid asked, curiosity sparking again.
“Magical Creatures are possible,” Kyle answered after a brief pause, “but it depends on the type. Large Magical Creatures, like Fluffy… well, they don’t really need any tonics.”
“What about spiders?” Hagrid blurted out before he could stop himself.
Kyle gave him a curious look. “What kind of spider?”
“It’s, er… an eight-eyed giant—um,” Hagrid hesitated, suddenly scrambling to cover his tracks, “no, I mean, just a regular spider, you know, only… a little bit bigger.”
Kyle raised an eyebrow. “A little bit bigger?”
Hagrid nodded with conviction. “Yes… just a little bit bigger!”
Kyle gave him a long, skeptical look, until Hagrid’s confidence wavered. Finally, Kyle said, slowly, “No…”
Hagrid’s face dropped in disappointment, but then he heard Kyle add, “But… I can try to work something out.”
“What?” Hagrid said, a bit dazed, not yet processing Kyle’s words.
“I can experiment and see if I can develop a suitable tonic for them,” Kyle clarified. “I’ve done similar things before; if you need it, I could give it a shot.”
Coming to his senses, Hagrid beamed with excitement. “That’s fantastic! I mean, if it’s not too much trouble.”
“No problem,” Kyle replied with a shrug, “but I can’t say how long it’ll take. Could be a month… or maybe a year.”
“That’s fine,” Hagrid said cheerfully. “Need any help? Just say the word, and I’ll fetch whatever herbs you need from the Forbidden Forest.”
Though Professor Sprout had moved most of the rare herbs to the greenhouse, the Forbidden Forest was vast enough that with a bit of wandering, Hagrid could usually find what was needed.
“I have plenty of herbs here, so no need to look for more, but…” Kyle frowned thoughtfully. “You’ll need to get me a sample. I need it to test the potion’s efficacy.”
Hagrid’s eyes shifted, and he muttered, “Er… can’t you just use a regular spider?”
“No!” Kyle shook his head firmly. “Different species react differently to herbal mixtures. Even a small difference can turn a tonic into a poison. Take Belladonna root, for example—it’s a great tonic for Murtlap rats, but if you give it to an ordinary rat, it’ll kill it instantly.”
“Oh…” Hagrid hesitated, growing concerned. He wanted the spider tonic to help Aragog, an Acromantula he’d raised as a pet fifty years ago. Now, with Aragog growing old, Hagrid had been hoping to find a way to extend his lifespan. But Acromantulas weren’t ordinary Magical Creatures—they were classified as XXXXX, extremely dangerous, and their ownership was strictly forbidden. No way could he let Kyle know about Aragog.
He could try to persuade Aragog or its descendants not to harm Kyle, but if anyone found out, Kyle would be expelled, just as he had been. Worse, Aragog and his colony in the Forbidden Forest wouldn’t escape eradication.
Hagrid’s face grew determined as he wrestled with his decision. But just as he was about to abandon the idea of the spider tonic, Kyle said thoughtfully, “Wait… if it’s a poisonous spider, we could just use its venom.”
Hagrid’s emotions surged, his mood swinging wildly as he looked at Kyle and said, slightly exasperated, “Could you please say everything at once next time?”
“I’d like to,” Kyle said, scratching his head, “but I’m not too keen on spiders, so my knowledge is limited to a book I read a few years ago. It’s been so long that I really have to dig through my memory to recall things accurately.”
Hagrid started to feel nervous again. “So… this venom you mentioned…”
“Yes, exactly,” Kyle said, locking eyes with Hagrid and smiling suddenly. “Sounds like you might have access to a poisonous spider.”
“Not me, no! I don’t have one,” Hagrid protested, his voice rising as he shook his head vigorously. “I, uh… I have a friend—yes, a friend who’s fond of poisonous spiders. I’m just asking on his behalf.”
“Ohh~~,” Kyle said with a knowing look, “so it’s for your friend, then.”
“Er… yes, that’s right.” Hagrid’s ears turned red, and he quickly looked away, eager to change the subject. “So, uh, how much spider venom would you need? I’ll… I mean, I’ll have him prepare it for you.”
“I’m not sure yet,” Kyle replied, considering the question. “It depends on the potency, but to be on the safe side, the more, the better.”