Took long enough, eh? Well at "long last" here's chapter two! Please review when you're done reading! Thanks a bunch!

Chapter 2

Hermione, Ron, and Harry walked leisurely over the wooden bridge at the front of the school. Fellow students swooped and soared over the quidditch field in the distance. Owls could be seen bringing incoming and outgoing mail. Not like the trio cared, they just wanted to go out and have a little fun in the sun.

Ron dropped his books in the shade of a particularly large oak tree and plopped himself down. Harry and Hermione followed suit, although Hermione was much more careful with her supplies. Harry and Ron leaned back and laid stretched out on the ground, closing their eyes in order to get the maximum coolness of the grass beneath their skin. Hermione only watched her friends with a smile before lugging out a heavy book and flipping through it. Ron opened one eye in annoyance.

"Are you really going to study right now?" he asked.

"I just want to go over this one period in my history of magic book before I goof off," Hermione said defending herself. Ron closed his eyes again and sighed; nothing could tear Hermione away from her books.

Minutes passed by with the only sounds being the boys' soft breathing, pages turning, and the wind whistling through the grass. The sun was beginning to get blocked out by sparse clouds and every so often a gust would kick up and threaten to turn Hermione's pages for her. But she didn't care, she was content to sit with her friends and read the day away. Even if they weren't saying anything ('Most likely asleep,' she thought) she still enjoyed their companionship.

Heavy footsteps approached, disturbing the calm that had been cast over the trio. Hermione glanced up and noticed a large, hairy man walking towards them with a jar under each arm.

"Hello Hagrid!" Hermione called out. Harry and Ron sat up and smiled.

"'Ello Hermione! Ron! Harry! How're you lads doing?" Hagrid asked jovially.

"We're good. How're you?" Harry said.

"What's with the jars?" Ron asked, pulling himself up from the ground and moving closer. The jars contained half inch-long electric blue insects with stubby stingers.

"Oh, these are-"

"Billywigs! Hagrid how did you get these? I thought they were native to Australia?"
Hermione exclaimed in fascination.

"Amazing things you can find in the side streets of Diagon Alley," Hagrid laughed.

"So what're you doing with 'em?" said Ron.

"Well, I'm not too sure about the stability of my house, and I've way too many creatures in that there shack to risk! The storm could rip of my roof and take all these little buggers away!" said Hagrid.

"Oh I see," said Ron.

"Where are you going to put them?" asked Harry.

"Filch found me an empty room to put 'em. Say, would kids like to help me move them? There's only a few more creatures to take inside," Hagrid said.

"Sure! I'll help!" declared Harry.

"Yeah, I'll help too," Ron said.

"As will I!" chimed in Hermione.

"Good, good! Follow me and we can go get the Doxies. Ah yes, can't forget about the mokes either. We also gotta take out the nifflers and the blast-ended skrewts!" Hagrid explained. The three students shuddered at the mention of the blast-ended skrewts. They had had their fill of the creatures for a life time.

Trekking back to the little house, Hagrid pushed open the door roughly. The large fire that usually blazed in the corner was reduced to embers. Hagrid obviously hadn't rekindled it recently. Most of the shelves where glass jars and habitats were had been emptied, leaving the cottage looking desolate and desserted. Fang slumbered loudly on the rug in front of Hagrid's massive armchair.

Hagrid walked over to the shelves and handed the jars and cases to the students one by one.

"a'right Harry, you can take the Doxies. Just watch your fingers, they got a nasty bite!" reminded Hagrid as he handed an oversized jar to Harry. Harry didn't have to be reminded though. Clearing out Doxies from the drapes of Sirius's house had been quite a task.

"And 'ere Ron, you can take these two skrewts," Hagrid said. Ron held the glass box nervously. He hated blast-ended skrewts.

'I just hope they don't find a way out,' Ron thought, gulping as he watched the two creatures inside scuttle about angrily.

"Last but not least, Hermione you can take the nifflers," Hagrid said before placing the box in Hermione's waiting arms. Immediately the nifflers started clawing at the side of the box that was pressed up against her chest. Hermione raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"Oh they just want your necklace. No need to worry. The dastardly little things steal anything shiny that they find!" Hagrid explained. Hermione nodded in understanding, touching her time turner necklace with one hand as she held the box in the other. Hagrid picked up the large jar of Billywigs and motioned for the kids to follow him.

"Come on kids, let's get inside before the storm hits," Hagrid said. "Come Fang!" he called after to the black boarhound.

The four of them filed out of the hut, followed closely by the dog, while Hagrid closed the door behind them. Fang sat lazily back down in the pumpkin patch and watched the humans walk away. Wandering back up the hill, Hermione looked up at the sky. It was getting ominously dark, and it wasn't even that late yet!

"Why is it so dark this early? Professor Dumbledore said it wouldn't hit until about 9? It's only...6:30?! Wow, time sure passed by in a hurry," Hermione said shocked, glancing down at her necklace.

"These storms are known for their peculiar timing. You could have the best wizards in the world predict it would hit at one time, and it'll hit hours before or after. Well, either way we better hightail it inside!" Hagrid said, trying to hurry the group inside before it started to pour.

xox Page Break! xox

The four headed inside the castle and up to the third floor. After passing through two doors, the empty room Hagrid was using to store was the second on the left. Hagrid pushed the door open and instantly candles lit themselves, illuminating the room. The entire room was filled with various creatures, and items to take care of these creatures. Ron noticed a rather large supply of Doxy anti-venom and shuddered.

"Set the blast-ended skrewts over there in the corner Ron, Hermione and Harry, set the nifflers and Doxies over there by the pixies. Right there next to the sink," Hagrid directed. Harry and Hermione set down the animal confinements and stopped to look at the pixies. The electric blue things smiled evilly and clawed at their container. Hermione grimaced and led Harry away.

"Thanks a bunch kids, I think I got all of them. Just in time too," Hagrid commented looking out a window as a flash of light traveled across the sky and the rain started falling softly, but definitely picking up strength.

"Shouldn't you get back to your hut, Hagrid?" Ron asked.

"What? And get all waterlogged. That roof I got is the shabbiest one around. No sir, I'm bunking here tonight," Hagrid replied.

"Wait, then what about Fang?" Hermione cried out. Hagrid smacked his head.

"Bah! I didn't notice that blasted coward dog was still sleeping on the rug!"

"We need to go get thim!" Harry said to Ron.

"I'll get him! I forgot my book anyways!" Hermione offered, already half-way through the door.

"Wait! Hermione!" Harry cried, running to the door. He the only thing he a was the disappearance of her robes behind the closing door.

Hermione ran down the stairs looking about wildly. Students were talking wildly in the entrance hall, and slowly making their way to the staircase. She saw her opening and pushed her way through, slipping out of the Entrance Hall. She finally got around the incoming students and ran uninhibited across the bridge towards Hagrid's house. Hermione had to admit, she loved the sound of feet running across wooden planks, so she smiled all the way across the bridge.

Taking a sharp left Hermione ran down the hill towards the hut, passing by the tree they had been resting under. She looked about, before spotting it. Swooping down and picking it up she continued running through the rain.

"Fang! Here boy! Where are you?" Hermione yelled, holding up her hand trying to shield her eyes. In the darkness of the cabbage patch under an overhang Hermione saw some movement. The black dog stood up and looked at Hermione before ambling its way over.

"Come on Fang! We have to get inside the school before the doors lock!" Hermione said, tugging at the dogs' collar. Unfortunately the dog had other plans and refused to move faster than he wanted to. Hermione half- dragged, half-carried the dog up the hill until she saw three figures at the head of the bride.

"Malfoy? What're you doing out here?" Hermione called unto them. Draco spun around and stared down at the wet girl dragging a somewhat limp animal by her side.

"Getting out of the rain, what does it look like!" Draco replied.

"Could I get a bit of help here? Fang doesn't want to budge!" Hermione yelled. Draco stared at her calmly. Crabbe pulled at Draco's robes.

"We gotta get outta here!" he said. Draco continued to stare at Hermione before turning his attention to his comrades.

"Crabbe, go get that dog and get inside. Goyle, keep going," Draco commanded as he went forward to help. Goyle nodded and ran down the bridge. Crabbe bent down and picked up the dog. Fang looked around and licked Crabbe's face. Draco reached an arm out to Hermione as she climbed up the now slippery and muddy hill. But poor Hermione, not one for balance, slipped in the mud and started falling. She closed her eyes and tried to brace herself for impact.

But the impact never came. She opened her eyes and looked up. Draco had run forward and caught her. Hermione blushed a little before standing upright. The rain by now was pouring down on them, and Hermione's hair, for once, was straight! She looked up at him through her mussed mane and watched him stare coldly back at her. His usually slickly gelled hair looked a little stringy and a few blonde pieces hung over his eyes, dripping water down his cheeks. Hermione blushed harder, although she didn't know why. Draco just glared.

"Would you hurry up Granger? I don't want to get stuck outside during this storm!" Draco complained.

"You think I do? Let's go," Hermione said, pushing past him. The pair ran down the bridge side by side and saw they were closing up on Crabbe. Ahead of them, the gigantic metal door to the castle was beginning to close.

"Hurry up! We have to get inside before it locks!" Hermione cried fearfully.

Crabbe was still running ahead of them. As they neared the door, they noticed the space between was growing smaller and smaller.

"Crabbe get in there!" Draco yelled as he pushed Crabbe through the crack. After Crabbe had passed through the gap became even smaller.

"We can't fit! We're not going to make it!" Hermione yelled as the door closed completely. All the various locks could be heard locking from within. Draco and Hermione panted and yelled and banged on the door, but they both knew it was too late. They were stranded outside in the middle of a storm...

Oooh. What will happen next? You'll just have to wait and see! . Tune in next time for...The Magical Storm! Chapter 3!