1Disclaimer I do not own Harry Potter

Chapter 10

Norbert the Norwegian Ridgeback

The month came and gone, but the stone seemed to still be safe. Quirrell appeared to be looking thinner and paler, but seemed to have not given up any information to Snape. Saphira, Harry, Ron, and Hermione would listen at the door to Fluffy's chamber just to make sure the Cerberus was still guarding the stone. Saphira and the others began to stand up for Quirrell now that Snape was pressuring him.

Other than the worries about the stone Harry, Saphira, Hermione, and Ron also had exams coming up. Ron, Saphira, Harry seemed to feel that they had plenty of time left to study and Hermione felt like she had no time. Hermione was pushing them to study harder, and with the homework, the teachers were giving them that wasn't really possible. Why the teachers felt the need to increase the homework toward the end of the year Saphira could not understand. She still found the subjects very easy but that doesn't mean it doesn't take long to write extremely long essays. One day while doing their homework in the library they noticed Hagrid standing in a row of books looking down at something.

"Hey Hagrid." said Saphira

"What are you looking at?" asked Ron

"Nothin'." answered Hagrid shiftily then he looked suspicious at the four of them. "Yer not looking for Nicolas Flamel, are yeh?" he asked

"No we found him ages ago." said Ron "and we know that Fluffy is guarding the Sorcerers Stone."

"Shhhhh!" said Hagrid "Don't talk about it! You'll get us all in trouble."

"Well we were wondering if we could ask you some questions about the stone. Like what is guarding it other than Fluffy." asked Harry

"No. I'm sorry, I can't tell you anything you kids already know too much."

"Please Hagrid." asked Saphira pleadingly

"Well, Im not promisin ya anything but, come and see me later." he said and then shuffled away with his back away from them.

"That was odd. What was he hiding." wondered Hermione out loud.

Ron then walked over to where Hagrid was. When he returned he had a pile of dragon books with him.

"Hagrid was looking up information on dragons." Ron said

"Hagrid told me that he always wanted a dragon." said Harry

"But Dragons are super dangerous not to mention illegal." Said Ron

"Ya but something you will learn about Hargid is that the more illegal and dangerous the animal the more Hargid will like it." said Saphira

"But there aren't wild dragons in Britain are there?" asked Harry

"Ya there are, Common Welsh Green and Hebridean Blacks." said Ron "but like I said they're illegal."

"Then what is Hagrid up to?" asked Hermione

oOo

Later that day the four of them went over to the gamekeepers house. When Hagrid answered the door he was acting strangely suspicious. It felt like a furnace inside the little house. The source of the heat was a fire blazing in the fireplace, despite it being a hot day.

"So ya wanted to ask me somthin?" asked Hagrid

"Well we were wondering if you could tell us what is protecting the stone apart from Fluffy." said Harry

"Sorry I can't. Firstly cuz I don't know meself and second you kids already know too much. The Stone is safe here, it was almost stolen from Gringotts.

"Oh please Hagrid you must know. We were only wondering who Dumbledore trusted to guard the stone other than you." said Hermione

"Very well done." whispered Saphira to Hermione

"Well I guess I could tell you that." said Hagrid "Lets see there was Professor Sprout, Flitwick, yer mom Saphira, then there was Quirrell, Dumbledore did somthin, and oh ya Snape.

"Snape!" all four chorused

"Yep. You all rant still against him are ye. Snape is tryin to protect the stone." said Hagrid

"Hagrid," began Saphira "are you sure that you are the only one who knows about how to get past Fluffy."

"Yep just me and Dumbledore." he responded

"Hargid could you open a window it is boiling." asked Harry

"No sorry can't." he responded looking over at the fire the others did too and they saw a big black egg in it.

"Oh Hagrid, you didn't." said Saphira

"Where did you get it?" asked Ron

"I won it last night in a game of cards." he said proudly

"What do you plan to do with it?" asked Hermione

"Well I've been readin up on the subject, so I know what I gotta do. What I've got here is a Norwegian Ridgeback. They are pretty rare they are." he said proudly

"Oh Hagrid." Saphira sighed

oOo

Now along with there worries about the Sorcerers Stone the four friends were also worrying about Hagrid and what was going to happen with the dragon. Not to mention the fact that they were getting so much extra homework they were going crazy. However one day at breakfast Hedwig brought Harry a note from Hagrid saying that the egg was hatching. On their way to Herbology Ron and Hermione were arguing about the dragon, when Harry noticed that Malfoy was listening. Saphira didn't like that smirk on his face and the one that grew on Riddles when he leaned over and whispered something to her.

At their morning break they went down to Hagrids and watched the baby hatch. It was not very pretty looking. The dragon was all scaly and slimy, but from the look on Hagrids face it could have been baby Jesus. Hagrid was cooing the dragon until he looked out the window and paled as he saw two figures running away, one had short blonde hair and the other had long black hair, they were both wearing black school robes that were laced with green. It was Riddle and Malfoy, and they had seen the dragon.

oOo

The four friends tried to convince Hagrid to let the baby go, but he insisted on keeping it and was making up excuses to keep the beast. Harry one day had the idea to write to Ron's brother and ask if he could take the dragon. The next few days went by smoothly, however it could not last on Wednesday night Harry, Hermione, and Saphira were alone in the common room when Ron came in with a bloody rag wrapped around his hand were Norbert had bitten him. Some good news came that night as well, Hedwig had returned with a letter from Ron's brother saying that on Saturday two of his friends would be able to get the dragon.

Ron was taken to the hospital wing the next day due to the green shade his hand had turned. Finally, Friday had come and they were in their last class of the day, Potions when another incident happened. Snape had paired the class together and Saphira and Alexis were forced to work together when both were sent to the hospital wing while cutting up some Flitterbloom tentacles they discovered they were coincidently both allergic to the plant. Madam Pomfrey had said that they needed two stay there at least through Sunday leaving only Harry and Hermione able to bring Norbert to Charlie's friends.

"We will be fine." said Harry to Ron and Saphira in the hospital wing Saturday afternoon "we have the invisibility cloak so that will help us."

"Okay just be careful you guys." Saphira said "Ron getting bit was strike one, my allergic reaction was strike two, and you know what the Muggles say three strikes and were out.."