A/N: Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum. Here I'm again :)

Chapter 10.

"Today we'll brew..." began Professor Snape in a monotone voice, but was interrupted, when someone opened the door. "Detention, Weasley and ten points from Gryffindor."

"But I was..." tried to say the redhead.

"Another point from Gryffindor for telling lies," he said tiredly. "Take a seat."

"My seat is taken," Ron Weasley said.

Professor Snape rolled his eyes and searched for a free place. Hermione cursed inwardly, knowing that she was the only one without a partner. Some third-year Gryffindor managed to trip her and Tracey badly when they were going up the ladder earlier this morning. Hermine wasn't injured, but Tracey broke both legs and was brought to the hospital wing. Nothing really serious according to the school nurse. Tracey was quite happy in fact, because the third-year imbecile got two detentions a week until the year's end.

Slytherins had nothing against tripping Hermione and Tracey themselves, but they never did something dangerous. And after those three tried to take the bullying onto the next level, but were forced to swim at night and serve detentions being caught wandering the halls at night, Slytherins didn't torment them much anymore, recognizing Hermione's strength. She was, however, surprised when Slytherins got angry that someone from Gryffindor dared to hurt them. Hermione found it quite amusing, but didn't want to look a gift horse in the mouth. It felt good to be protected by her own House for a change.

Now she just wished Tracey would be here, because she didn't want to brew any potion with Weasley. She looked at the professor, her eyes pleading him to find another partner for the red-headed boy. Severus Snape looked around one more time, before saying, "Sit down next to Miss Granger. If you ruin her potion you'll serve detentions with me until the end of the term."

Hermione sighed, knowing that he would ruin it anyway. The redhead sat next to her and gave her a glare.

"Like I was saying, before Weasley deigned to attend the class, we'll brew the minor healing potion. Dunderheads that already forgot my explanations and didn't take any notes will have to open the book and follow inferior instructions written there, because I refuse to explain it again, Longbottom."

"I c-copied it d-down, sir," Neville said.

"And why I don't see any notes on your table?"

"I for-forgot to-to b-bring them."

"Finnegan?" Snape looked at Longbottom's partner.

"I... eh... left them in my room too," the boy said and Hermione had to suppress a snort at obvious lie.

"Two points from Gryffindor," Professor Snape said and sat at his table. "You may start to brew now."

Hermione glanced at Weasley and asked, "Do you have notes?"

"No."

She scowled and suggested, "You can borrow mine. I memorized them."

"Don't need your notes," he grunted.

"Do you want to get in detention with Professor Snape?"

The redhead glared at her, but took her notes. They began to work, but Hermione had to look at the boy all the time, making sure he wouldn't mess up the potion. Unfortunately she had to correct him all the time. Ron Weasley had an attention span of a goldfish.

"You should slice the slug, not crush," she said. "Is it so difficult to follow my notes?"

"Like that matters! It would end up in cauldron anyway."

"It does matter. If you'd listen to Professor Snape the last lesson, you would know that sliced slugs are less potent. We don't need highly potent slugs in our minor healing potion."

"Bloody know-it-all," he mumbled, slicing the slug.

"Imbecile."

In the end they managed to get an Outstanding for the potion, but it was the most stressing lesson since she started Hogwarts. And that ungrateful git didn't even thank her for his first successful potion, instead he called her a bloody snake. For a few moments Hermione had an urge to take a knife and slice off his bits.

After the classes she took Naga and went to visit Tracey, but she was asleep and Madam Pomfrey didn't let her to wake her up. So Hermione left the castle and headed towards Hagrid's hut. The man looked quite scary, but she could tell that he wasn't bad. She knocked at his door and was pleased to hear that he was there.

"Fang, back!" she heard the man's voice. Then he opened the door and looked at her suspicious. "What do you want?"

"Eh..." she mumbled confused by his reaction. Was that because she was a Slytherin? "I heard that you're good with magical creatures, sir. I thought you could tell me more about my pet."

"Oh, come on in then," he said letting her in. She stopped for a moment when she saw a huge dog, but was encouraged by Hagrid saying, "Don' worry, Fang's a good boy. Sit down there, I'll make some tea fer yeh."

She waited patiently until he gave her a cup of tea and rock cakes on a plate. After very disturbing attempt to bite on the cake she decided just to drink the tea.

"What did yeh want to know abou' your pet?" he asked.

"I don't know," she said letting Naga out of her robe. "Anything, I've just heard that you know a lot about animals."

"Ah he's beautiful," Hagrid said looking at the snake. "After I heard that a student would bring a winged basilisk to Hogwarts, I read a lot abou' them."

"You can hold it, if you want, sir."

"And it's just Hagrid." He smiled and reached for Naga, who immediately winded around the man's hand. "Wings aren't developed yet. Would want to see 'im fly."

"Do you know when they'll develop?"

"They're almost there. A year at most," he said as Fang began to sniff the snake. "Back, Fang. Yeh don't want 'im to bite yeh."

"You like dogs, sir?"

"Yes. Shame I don't see Fluffy much these days," he said playing with the snake. "Your fangs are in a great shape, boy."

"Fluffy?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah, a three-headed dog I bought from a Greek chappie las' year."

"I heard that they're huge," she said.

"Yes, they're big."

"Must be dangerous."

"No, Fluffy is good-natured, yeh just gotta know how to calm him down. Say, do yer house-mates bother yeh? I know that yeh're a Muggleborn."

"Well, they do," she said. "But it's getting better. They mostly ignore me now."

"Good fer yeh, then."

"Do you have any other creatures you can show me?" she asked faking the interest.

"Of course! Wonna take a look at Hippogriffs?" he asked enthusiastically.

"Sure! I'd love it."

"Yeh've no classes anymore?"

"No."

"Then let's go, I'll show them to yeh. But yeh should listen to me. Don't go near to them, alright?" he warned her heading towards the door.

"Yes, I understand," she said as she stood up, following Hagrid.

Hermione decided that she liked Hagrid, he was very good-hearted, but a bit... lonely? Yes, he was. It certainly didn't seem that many students or teachers talked to him. She felt guilty for deceiving him, but she wouldn't do anything bad and therefore there was no reason to feel like that, wasn't there?

"There!" Hagrid exclaimed pointing with a finger. "Stay behind me."

She looked where he was pointing to and gasped. "They're so big, I didn't imagine them like this!"

"They're beautiful, aren't they? Very proud creatures, don't insult them."

"I wasn't going to," she said. "Can we go any nearer?"

"No, Hippogiffs are too dangerous for firs' years. And they won't like yer pet. Just look from here."

Hermione sighed and nodded. "Do they let humans near?"

"Yeh gotta follow special rules to do that."

"And the three-headed dog? Did it let you near?"

"Yes, Fluffy likes music. Calms him down. I believe if yer know how to approach the animal, it will let yeh."

So, to go past Fluffy she had to get some musical instrument. But what does Fluffy protect? Hermione couldn't find any way to ask Hagrid something that would give her a hint without alerting him about her intentions...

"Can I see Fluffy too? I would love it!" she said.

Hagrid laughed and answered, "No, I lent him to Dumbledore to guard the stone... " He frowned and added, "Shouldn't have said that."

"Sorry, I just..."

"'Is alright, I'll show yeh Fluffy later. Maybe next year."

"Thank you, I'll be waiting!" she exclaimed.

The stone. What is the stone he was talking about? What kind of stone should be guarded by a Cerberus? It has to be very expensive or dangerous. Why would the Headmaster bring this stone to the school and place a dangerous creature to guard it? No, Professor Quirrell had said that he had been helping to protect the stone too. So teachers placed their own protections too. The stone has to be very valuable.

She was returning to the castle when she heard Pansy.

"Found a new friend, Mudblood?"

"Sod off, Parkinson," Hermione said.

"A Mudblood and an Oaf, you're perfect to each other. Didn't know you liked big... Oafs," Parkinson continued to taunt. Naga hissed at her, but she said, "Your snake doesn't scare me. I know that if your snake hurts a student there will be consequences for you."

"Yes, but if you're dead it wouldn't matter to you, right? Besides you would have to prove that I had done something wrong. You know, Naga can take you everywhere. I'm curious what would happen to you if he'd just leave you at the Hippogriffs' nest, on the bottom of the Lake or in the middle of the Forbidden Forest? No one would be able to prove that I have something to do with that and I'm sure you wouldn't be alive to tell."

"You wouldn't do that," Parkinson said taking a step back.

"Try me. Leave me alone and you'll be alright," Hermione said and moved to the castle.

Hermione sighed trying to calm down. She hated these inbred idiots. Hermione had two hours until curfew and decided to go to the library in a hope to find something about the stone, but in end there was nothing helpful there and she went to the bed. It wasn't until she closed her eyes lying on the bed, that one particular stone came to her mind. The Philosopher's stone.