Just a little character building out of boredom :D

[center][h3][i]Ten years earlier......[/i][/h3][/center]

The tent flaps billowed in the breeze but they kept the worst of the dust outside.  Inside, in the centre of the living quarters, the sixty-five year old Hagrid sat across the table from his great nephew, studying the young boy, who was unblinkingly staring back.  They were sat on barrels for seats.  A pile of pallets covered by a dirty sheet was their table, and on it, the playing cards set out for the final 'street' of betting in [i]Hold 'em Poker[/i].

"Come on, old man," his nephew goaded.  "You wanna see what I've got, put your money in."

Hagrid didn't reply nor react, merely thought about the situation.  His nephew was wearing that characteristic one-sided smirk of his.  This was the boy's first hand ever after learning the rules of Poker.  Was he really that lucky, to have something good so soon?  Hagrid was sure he'd explained the rules correctly, and his nephew was sharp enough that he usually only needed to hear something once to remember it.  So either he was indeed lucky... or he was indeed bluffing.  And probability said the latter.

"Alright boy," Hagrid finally spoke.  He put the stones they were betting with into the pot. "Call."  Hagrid placed his cards on the table.  "Two pair."

His nephew's smirk grew into a full blown smile and he threw his cards down on the table, except something was incredibly wrong.

"Three pairs!"

"By Lillith's Grace!"  Hagrid exclaimed. The kid had enough cards to damn-near make a full deck!

"[i]And[/i] a straight!"

"Dante, you're cheating!"

"I'm not," Dante protested.  "Don't be mad because you lost.  [i]'A Valeron holds stoic in the face of both victory and defeat,'[/i] remember."

"Dante, why I oughta..." Hagrid shook his head and made to stand up.  Dante jumped up and ran out of the tent laughing.  Once he was gone and his laughter faded into the background, Hagrid looked down at the cards and started chuckling to himself.  "How in the world did I not see had all those cards on him?"