The brisk wind wove through the children's hair as they ran across the field, eager to share their newfound knowledge. Soon they arrived to the small, old, wooden hut. Pounding on the door all four stood squished on the steps.
The door opened and a giant man replaced it. His wild beard and hair covered everything, but his glowing eyes. He was wearing an apron and looked, as if, he had been in a sauna, sweat was pouring down from his hairline, his beard soaking it all up.
"Oh hello." He in his jolly voice, "I can't talk today, sorry."
Hagrid started to close the door. Just before it shut, all four children yelled, "We know about the Philosopher's Stone!"
Hagrid parted the door open, "Right, well...C'mon in."
Shuffling in, each kid took a seat in a peculiar place. The hut had one room, kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom connected. Hagrid had an assortment of herbs hanging on the ceiling and a couple animals out and about.
"Ol right, so yer know 'bout the Philosopher's Stone." Hagrid said.
"Yes," Hermione started, "And we think Snape is trying to steal it, we just don't know why."
"Hermione!" Hagrid said rather upbeat, "Enough abo' Professor Snape, he's one of the ones Protectin' it!"
The kids faces light up, Hagrid's eyes grew wide, "I shouldn't 'ave said that, I should not 'ave said that."
Everyones next thoughts were shut off by a rattling noise from the fireplace. Hagrid looked over, as if forgetting what he had put in there.
"Oh." Hagrid popped up, grabbing a pair of dragon skin gloves, he pulled a large metallic looking egg out and placed it on the table.
Hermione's face scrunched together, "Hagrid, what is that?"
Ron's face light it, "I know what that is!" Suddenly he became quite confused, "But Hagrid, how did you get it?"
"Oh I, uh, I bought it off a man from the pub. Seemed eager to get rid of it, not sure why." Hagrid said rather sheepishly.
Draco looked at Hagrid like he was crazy, "You're not sure why!? That's a bloody dragon egg! It's illegal!"
Hagrid glowered at Draco, "Who invited the Malfoy boy?"
"We did." Harry said.
"Really?" Hagrid said in a disbelieving tone.
Ron nodded profusely. Hagrid eyed Hermione, catching Hagrid's eye Hermione sat up straight and lifted her chin.
"Yes, he's our..." Hermione looked at Draco, "Friend."
"Well I'll be, never thought it wou' happen." Hagrid looked out the window, "Who's that?"
Outside the window were two first year boys, Crabbe and Goyle. They were staring at Hagrid's table, where the baby dragon had hatched.
"Crabbe and Goyle." Draco said through clenched teeth.
"You know 'em?" Hagrid asked.
"Yeah, they're...aquintences."
Crabbe and Goyle noticed they had been sighted and started running towards the castle.
"We'd love to stay Hagrid," Harry said as the four got up and heading for the door, "Really, but we have to...take care of something."
Pushing the door open all four kids chased after Crabbe and Goyle. The two boys had gotten quite a head start, by the time the four caught up, Mcgonagall was there.
The next night Draco, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Crabbe and Goyle were following Filch to Hagrid's hut. All six children got detention for staying out passed hours.
"Detention!" Draco exclaimed to his three friends, "This is insulting."
"Well it's not like we're innocent." Hermione said.
"Yeah," Ron agreed. "We can't just go up to Mcgonagall and say, hey! It's ok that we broke curfew and helped Hagrid hatch an illegal dragon, because we learned about the Philosopher's Stone and how Fluffy is guarding it! We also learned that a bunch of professors are protecting it, and I know we're not supposed to know any of this or go in that forbidden corridor, but guess what! We did both!"
"Well when you say it like that we're horrible students." Harry said.
"I prefer the term curious." Hermione said giving Harry a smug smile.
They arrived to Hagrid's hut, finding him outside holding a large crossbow, his beard dewed with tears.
"They took him," Hagrid said through sniffles, "Norbert."
"Oh don't tell me you're still mourning over that dragon." Filch said criticizing Hagrid, "Get over yourself you man."
Hagrid wiped a tear from his eye, Crabbe and Goyle snickered.
Filch looked back at the kids, "Goodluck in the forbidden forest, I'll see you all at breakfast tomorrow, if you make it." Filch gave them a disgusting smile and left.
"The forbidden forest!?" Draco exclaimed, "I though that was a joke!"
"We have some importan' business to take care o'." Hagrid said, "Lets go."
Hagrid led the kids into the forest, an eerie chill filled the air, Harry felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up. There was a reason that it was called the forbidden forest, it was perfectly lethal.
Hagrid stopped, pointing towards the ground, there was a dead unicorn. Reaching down Hagrid dipped his fingers up a silver solution and smelled it.
"I found a dead one a couple days ago, this one was killed just recently. We need to find the thing who did this." Hagrid looked at the kids, "O'lright, we're going to split into teams. Crabbe, Hermione and Ron yer with me. Harry, Draco and Goyle, you're together."
"Fine, but we get Fang." Draco said.
"O'lright," Hagrid shrugged, "But he's a real coward."
The groups spilt up, Hagrid's group going one direction, Harry's going the other.
"This is disgusting," Draco said as they walked, "It's peasants work."
"If I didn't know any better I'd say you were scared Malfoy." Harry snarkly replied.
"Scared? Not me Potter." Draco scoffed.
Suddenly Harry grabbed his scar, he fell to the ground. Fang and Goyle ran away.
"Harry!" Draco exclaimed, "Harry what happened!?"
"My scar! It--" Harry looked up, just ahead of him and Draco was a unicorn lying on the ground, above it was a cloaked being, drinking its blood. Both boys face paled.
"Harry." Draco hissed, "Get up, we need to find Hagrid."
Harry stayed on the ground, clutching his scar, "I-I can't."
"Fine, I'm getting Hagrid, stay hidden." Draco turned and ran in the direction they had come.
Harry kept his eyes on the cloaked being, his scar stinging with blinding pain. The being looked up, he saw Harry.
Harry's heart raced, trying to back up, the being cane toward him. Closer and closer, Harry was caught in a root, he couldn't get up. The being was about to get to him, when hooves shot out.
A horse jumped over Harry and kicked the being, then it fled. The pain left Harry's scar. Getting a closer look Harry realized that the horse was half man.
"Thank you." Harry said.
"Harry Potter," the centaur said, "You need to leave, many creatures in this forest would like to hurt you."
"How do you know my name?"
"You're well known in the wizarding community, now you must go."
A light flashed behind Harry. Hagrid followed by Ron, Hermione, Draco, Crabbe, Goyle and Fang came up."
"You o'lright Harry?" Hagrid called.
"I'm fine." Harry called back.
"Good, we best be gettin' back."
Hagrid took Harry from the centaur and led the kids back to the castle.
"Now go right to bed, you've had an excitin' enough night." Hagrid ordered.
"Ok." Each child said.
Harry, Ron, Hermione and Draco ran to the Gryffindor common room. They sat by the fire, talking about what had happened.
"Harry, what happened in the forest?" Hermione asked.
"We were walking and all of a sudden my scar hurt. It was a blinding pain, I fell to the ground. Draco left to get help and then the person drinking unicorn blood came at me. I couldn't see it's face, but the centaur attacked it and then it fled. The pain in my scar left right after that." Harry explained.
"Harry," Hermione said, "What if it was...you-know-who?"
"Voldemort?" Harry questioned. Ron and Draco shot him demeaning looks, "Sorry, you-know-who?"
"Yes," Hermione said, "He's the one that gave you that scar, and no one knows if he's dead."
"But why would he be drinking unicorn blood?" Harry asked.
"For immortality." Draco said looking at the fire, then to his friends, "Unicorn blood will give you eternal life, save you an inch away from death, but you get stuck with a curse, a half life. A tortured life."
Hermione gasped, "Snape's after the Stone for you-know-who!"
"What!?" Each boy exclaimed.
"Think about it, for a moment. Snape used to be a Death Eater, loyal to you-know-who. If you-know-who needs eternal life, he'll need the Philosopher's Stone."
"But he's too weak." Harry interrupted.
Hermione nodded, "Exactly, so who would he send to retrieve if? A Death Eater and someone who knows at least one of the spells guarding the Stone."
"That's why it hasn't been stolen yet!" Draco added, "Snape doesn't know how to get through all the spells, he's taking his time to figure it out and then steal it."
Hermione smiled at her friends, "It seems we need to pay Dumbledore a visit, but tomorrow. It's much passed hours and we need our sleep. Goodnight boys." Hermione headed for the girls dormitories.
"Goodnight Hermione." The boys called heading towards the boys dormitories.
It seemed the four had cracked the case.