"Miss Black, what have I told you about bringing your pet to class?" Professor Flitwick glowered at me. I shrugged. My almost fully grown bird refused to leave me alone.
"I'm sorry. She doesn't stay. I've tried everything, professor. You have to believe me!" I pulled the bird off my shoulder and put her on the desk. She jumped right back to where she had been perched. He shook his head.
"Next time you set foot in this classroom, there better not be a bird on your person." I nodded and pulled out my book.
Andi, short for Andromeda, wouldn't leave me alone, she followed me where ever I went. I tried putting her in her cage; she opened it. I tried to have Hagrid babysit her; she just ran off. I was at my wit's end. She would crawl into bed with me and one night her tail feathers caught my blanket on fire!
Something about phoenix tail feathers has it where they can expel heat from them, sometimes it could burn you or just warm you up on a cold day. Hermione and the Patel girls thought that she was beautiful. The blasted bird never bothered anyone except me. Everyone spoils her by feeding her chocolates all the time, which is bound to have negative effects of her health or growth.
I was sitting in the Room of Requirement playing the piano. I was alone. Andi had finally learned that I wasn't going to abandon her when I left her in the common room. I had found this room from a hint Dumbledore dropped the other day. He told me that I should try looking for a room I needed when he saw me looking rather stressed one day.
I was seated at a glass grand piano. I was playing all different songs, some were Muggle songs and others were just songs I composed.
I started singing along with one of the songs, eyes closed, fingers finding their ways to the right keys by themselves. I hit the last chord and opened my eyes.
"Wow." Harry said, impressed. He clapped. I felt my cheeks blush bright red.
"How'd you find me in here?" I stood up.
"I dunno, I was just walking around and this big door just showed up, and I thought 'random door, seems legit, better check it out' and you were in here. You are really good." I rolled my eyes and grabbed my book bag.
"I know, we need to get to class, come on," I took his hand and we ran through the hallways to herbology.
I was sitting down in Hagrid's hut. He had obtained a dragon's egg from a man down at the pub and wanted me to be there to watch it hatch. I was sitting at the table with my feet kicked up and Andi curled in my lap, more like troublesome cat than a magical bird at this point.
I heard a knock at the door. Hagrid rushed over and opened it.
"I'm sorry, I'm in no fit state to entertain today, goodbye." I heard three voices chant that they knew about the Sorcerer's Stone. He sighed and let the trio in. I smiled at Harry.
"We think that Snape is trying to steal the Sorcerer's Stone."
"Steal it?! Snape's one of the people protecting the stone."
"Of course! There must be all manner of things protecting it, enchantments, traps, things like that."
"Forget I said that." There was a loud clanging noise from the fireplace cauldron.
I gently put my bird in a pile of blankets on the couch. There was a cracking noise in the cauldron Hagrid was using to heat up the dragon so it could hatch.
"Hagrid, what is that?" Harry asked as I moved over to watch it hatch.
"I know what that is! Hagrid how did you get one?" Ron said aghast.
"What is it?" Harry repeated again with more annoyance.
"It's a dragon." I answered.
"I got it off a man down at the pub," the egg cracked open. A small dragon stumbled out, tripping a little on the slippery shards of the eggs. The little beast burped and shot flames out, barely missing me. Andi got up and clicked at it. They sniffed each other, sizing the other up.
"However are you going to take care of it?"
"Taking care of animals is simple. I told the man down at the pub if I could raise a three headed dog-" The dragon turned to Hagrid and made a series of clicking noises, "Oh he knows who his mummy is." He was so excited, I smiled at him and he beamed happiness.
"What's that little rat doing here?" I stood up and pointed at Malfoy, peering in the window. I threw open the door and ran after his pale blond head as he was running to I could only assume to tell Professor McGonagall that we four had been out of bed. I grabbed the back of his robes just as we reached the woman's office door. She heard the commotion and came out as we tumbled to the ground rolling like two street urchins.
"What are you two doing?" She said, furiously.
"Black, Potter, Granger, and that Weasley boy were all down at Hagrid's." I punched him in the arm.
"Miss Black!" I glowered at Draco.
"Sorry." I said, meeting her eyes. "Hagrid was hatching a dragon and wanted me to be there." I hoped that would smooth over the fact we were out of bed after hours.
"Hagrid hatched a dragon?" She was shocked. I smacked my face, it was a secret.
"Professor, you have to understand that we weren't doing anything." I said as she ushered us into her office. I was told to sit in the back while Malfoy told his half of the story, riddled with sneers and unnecessary commentary about my friends. There was the sound of the doors opening at the end of the hall. McGonagall strode quickly out of the room. Malfoy looked over at me and smirked. I made to get up and hit him and he flinched. I sat back down. Harry, Ron, and Hermione came in and I got up to stand with them.
"I'm very disappointed in the four of you." She met all of our eyes. Draco looked over at us and laughed. "Which is why I'm giving you five detention." I smirked at Malfoy and his look of utter shock.
"Professor, I think I must have misheard you. Did you say all five of us?" She nodded.
"You too, Mr. Malfoy, were out of bed with the rest of them." He looked aghast. We were dismissed with the instruction to see Mr. Flinch tomorrow night. On our way out I caught McGonagall's eye and she nodded at me with a slight smile.
"So you got yourself detention, huh?" Fred said, jumping over the back of the couch I was sitting on. I looked at him and sighed.
"I thought maybe that Old McGonagall'd let Harry and the others off, but nope."
"It's really not that bad." George followed his brother and landed on the other side of me.
"I don't think it will be, but I have a sinking suspicion that they're going to take Hagrid's dragon from him." I laid my head back and rubbed my eyes.
I felt so bad about letting it slip that Hagrid was hatching a dragon. I should have just made up another lie.
"Heard you punched Malfoy," I nodded at Fred's statement.
"In the arm, nothing to get too worked up about."
"The way he was telling it, you'd think you had broken his entire arm."
"He's a wuss." Harry walked down the steps and I stood up. "Ready to go?" I asked him, he nodded. Ron and Hermione walked over to us.
"And Nora," I looked back over at the twins. They were smiling, "If you could, try and make the rumors true." I rolled my eyes and took Harry's arm.
We met Mr. Flich right outside the Great Hall.
"I remember the days," he grumbled, "back when we used to hang kids up by their thumbs in the dungeon. I do so miss the screaming…" He pushed open the door and we made our way down to Hagrid's hut. I frowned at Hagrid. Dumbledore had sent his dragon off to Romania to be with others of his kind. "You're not still on about that bloody dragon, are you?" Hagrid sniffed and checked his cross bow. I glared at Malfoy and he stepped away from me. "Get it together man, you're going into the forest. You have a special task."
"He was just a baby, what if the others don't like him?" Flich shook his head and dropped the heavy lantern into Harry's arms and walked back up to the school.
We all solemnly marched into the dark foreboding forest. We came upon a tree that had a silvery substance on it.
"What's that?" Harry asked.
"Unicorn blood," Hagrid rubbed some between his fingers. "Found one dead last week, this one is badly injured. We need to find it." Saying we needed to split up, Hagrid took Ron and Hermione.
"Then I get Fang," Malfoy spat. I looked over at him,
"He's a bloody coward, so you two will be great friends." I spat. Harry and I started walking in the direction Hagrid told us. Malfoy trailed behind. I pulled out my wand and used it as a torch. The farther into the woods we got, the less I wanted to be there. I took Harry's hand as we made our way down a tangled mass of roots to a little gully. Malfoy stood at the top and watched us. I turned and saw a cloaked figure drinking from the unicorn we were searching for. I stepped in front of Harry to protect him. He groaned and pressed his fingers to his scar. The figure looked up at us.
"Stay away!" I said loudly, but my voice wavered because I was more than a little afraid.
The thing moved closer to us, swooping up and coming ever nearer. I raised my wand, even though I knew no defensive spells. I heard a thundering of hooves and I turned. A centaur jumped over us, I tackled Harry to keep him from being hit. We sat there and watched the half man half beast scare away the monster. He turned and extended a hand to help me up. "You, young lady, are stupidly brave. You should have just run away when the thing drew near you."
"I'm not into running away from a fight." I said, helping Harry up.
"So much courage in such a young girl… most would call it stupidity"
"Why was that thing drinking unicorn blood?" I asked. The centaur looked down at me.
"Drinking the blood of a unicorn will keep you alive even on the cusp of death." I looked at the slain white beast. "But as soon as the blood passes your lips, you will live a half-life."
"What was it?" Harry asked, rubbing his scar.
"There are many things in these woods who have no real explanation. I suspect you know what lies hidden inside Hogwarts as we speak?"
"The Sorcerer's Stone."
"You should take care, Harry Potter. When The Dark Lord fell, there were more than a few beasts in these woods who wanted to see you dead."
I saw Hagrid run over with the others. "Good evening, Firenze. See you've met our young Mr. Potter and Ms. Black." The centaur ducked low.
"This is where I leave you. You are safe now, Harry Potter." The half-man half-horse looked at me. "I have a sneaking suspicion that I will see you again." I shrugged with an unintentionally mischievous smirk.
"You can't be serious. You are not going to go get the Sorcerer's Stone." I said in a hushed tone. I hoped my fiery determination in my eyes conveyed the proper level of anger at Harry's plan. "I forbid it." He shook his head.
"Well, we are going to get it before Snape does."
"You're crazy, and I told you that it's not Snape." We were supposed to be studying for our end of the year exams. Harry and I were sitting in the Great Hall with our books and papers strewn about us. Andi was scampering around under the table looking for mice to play with. Honestly, the bird was spoiled and acted like a lap cat.
"How do you know?" Harry said, defensive.
"Why wouldn't he have stolen it sooner?"
"Because Dumbledore's here."
"So then it's safe."
"For now, but I'm going to get it, one way or another." I shook my head and the twins moved in beside me. They kept passing me notes about how hard the tests are and how they almost didn't make it out alive. I just looked over at them each time they passed a piece of parchment to me with a vacant stare.
They didn't like the lack of rise they were getting out of me and after a while they just pointed out the mistakes in my transfiguration homework for me to fix.
I was staying up late in Snape's office. Final exams were over and he had given me an advanced potions book to look at.
"Wouldn't this work better if I crushed the beetle, instead of trying to cut it?" I held up the slippery little bug and Snape nodded, watching my movements.
I used the side of my blade to crush all the goo out and pour it into my simmering cauldron.
"Can you hand me the dragon liver, please?" I asked, pointing to a jar above his head. He waved his wand. The liver floated casually down onto my cutting board. I carved off a chunk and Snape returned it to its potion bath to preserve it for later. I thoughtfully sliced it up into thin strips. "Harry thinks you're going to steal the Sorcerer's stone."
"That would explain why those three were acting so strange today."
"What?"
"Never mind, your potion is burning." I finished up and realized that it was really late.
"I need to go to bed, goodnight professor." I put my book in my bag and trudged up the steps with my wand as a flashlight. The paintings on the walls complained about the light so I lowered it and kept moving quickly. I had to wake up the fat lady to tell her the password. I walked into the common room and tripped over something on the floor. I sat up and saw that Neville had been petrified.
"Harry!" I said in an angry whisper. "One second, Neville, I'll fix you." I grappled for my wand on the floor and waved it, freeing Neville from his paralysis.
"Thanks, Nora."
"Any time, just go to bed now Neville," he nodded dumbly and I ran back out of the tower. It was quite the trek back down to the dungeons. I threw open the door, "Professor! They've gone to get the stone!" Snape's head snapped up and I nodded. He quickly walked over to me and grabbed my shoulder.
"We must get them." He took us back up to the third floor corridor. Fluffy was waiting for us. Snape stunned the dog and we jumped down the dark tunnel. We landed in a piled of thick black coils that snaked around my body. I tensed up.
"Snape, what's going on!?"
"Relax, it'll let your body go." I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. I dropped onto the stone floor beneath. Snape landed on his feet and helped me up.
We went into the next chamber, hundreds of keys flew lazily through the air. Snape waved his wand and a single key fell to floor. He used this rusty key to unlock the door.
"Hermione! Ron!" I ran over to the two kids. Ron needed some medical attention. "Where's Harry!?" I said nervously.
"He went on ahead." Hermione pointed at the next door.
"Professor, take care of them," a look of shock came over his face.
"Miss Black, I—" I was already running through the door and down the flight of stairs. I was met with a wall of dying flames. Harry was unconscious. I doused the flames with water I conjured and kneeled down next to my friend.
"Harry, wake up, you have to wake up. Harry!" My heart thundered in my chest; I had failed Dumbledore. I had failed to protect Harry. I had failed Harry. I stroked his hair off his forehead and shook him. I saw a beautiful big red gem by his hand; the Sorcerer's stone. I reached for it and put it in my pocket. Harry murmured. I hugged him. Snape came barreling down the steps and I handed him the stone out of my pocket. He stashed it away and picked up Harry.
We all made our way out of the maze and to the hospital wing.
I was sleeping in a chair next to Harry's bed. He still hadn't woken up fully yet. I heard footsteps and opened my bleary eyes.
"Professor?" I asked Dumbledore.
"I see you're still here, Miss Black." I yawned and looked at Harry. He stirred and opened his eyes. I squeezed his hand and smiled.
"Welcome back to the land of the living, sleepyhead." Dumbledore chuckled at my greeting and picked up a box of Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans.
"Professor, what happened to the stone?" Harry asked as I handed him his glasses.
"It has been destroyed."
"What about Mr. Flamel?" I asked.
"He has enough potion to last him until his affairs are in order." Harry looked like he had something else to say. "What happened down in the dungeons with you and Professor Quirrell was a secret. So, obviously, the entire school knows." I furrowed my brow. I still had not heard the entire story of what happened down there.
"Why… Why couldn't I touch him, sir?"
"You're mother loved you very much. When she cast herself between you two the night you got your scar, she created a protection that would keep Voldemort from touching you."
"Wow, so Voldemort was Professor Quirrell?" I looked away and smiled, "Maybe Fred, George, and I shouldn't have enchanted those snow balls to hit him in the back of the head then."
"It is a little more complicated than that, Miss Black, but it doesn't surprise me that you and the Weasley twins hit Voldemort with snow balls." Dumbledore chuckled softly and looked through the jelly beans. "I once had a very bad experience with Bertie Botts when I was younger."
"Oh really?" I said.
"Yes, I had the unfortunate luck of eating a vomit flavored one." I grimaced. "But I suppose that a nice toffee wouldn't hurt." He popped a light brown bean into his mouth and chewed. Harry and I watched him. "Alas, ear wax." He smiled at us both and told me that I could sleep in one of the beds since they weren't filled. Harry and I laughed and he told me all about how he had defeated, for now, the Dark Lord for the second time.
I was standing on the train platform with Andi on my shoulder. She was still smaller than Fawkes, but she was a great deal younger, too. I ran up to Neville and hugged him, slipping Trevor the toad into his jacket pocket.
"Promise me you'll write to me this summer?" I said with a smile tinged with sadness.
"Of course!" He smiled and hurried onto the train. Seamus ran up to me and quickly hugged me.
"See you next year?" He said with a self-conscious grin. I nodded.
"You're not going to get rid of me that easy." He nodded and went to get in line with Dean. I saw Harry with his two best friends. He waved at me and made his way to me. I hugged him tightly. "You better stay out of trouble, Harry James Potter." I said with a stern look.
"I have the mirror so we'll stay in touch, no worries, Nora." I hugged him again. Hagrid lumbered over and Harry hugged him.
"See you guys." I waved to Hermione and Ron. Just before the train was supposed to pull out of the station the twins ran to me and hugged me together.
"Don't get into too much trouble without us, Nora Black." I kissed each of their cheeks and could have sworn they blushed a little.
"Get your butts on the train or I'll be stuck with you all summer." They jumped onto the train and waved to me as it left the station.
It was sad to watch all my friends pull away. Hagrid put his hand on my shoulder. The weight of which made my knees buckle a little. Andi crawled from my shoulder to Hagrid's.
"So Nora, what do you want to do now?" The train was almost out of sight.
I looked up at the ragged looking half-giant. "Hagrid, I want to have fun." I walked with Hagrid back to his hut as he told me all about the beasts that lived on the school's grounds.
I put my hands in the pockets of my jacket and found a folded paper. I opened it and kept unfolding all the little extra pieces and it was completely blank.
