I bet you all weren't expecting this! This chapter just came to me a bit easyier then some of the others, so I posted this first. Also I would also like to ask every one to please check out Imagen99's story "The Other Hogwarts" I'm betaing it! And if you haven't read or seen Coraline don't worry about that, you don't need to, to understand the story.
And who's gotten into Pottermore! I have! I love McGonagall's history and etc.. And no I won't tell you. You need to find out yourself.
Disclaimer: I own nothing, except a Maple wand with Unicorn hair 10 ¾ inches slightly springy, great wand for high achievers
I apologize if there's any obvious spelling mistakes. My roommate is yelling at me to go to bed.
To say that Harry's mind was completely on the exams would be a lie. Even with Minerva helping them out, he kept expecting Voldemort to jump out from behind a desk at any moment.
The week leading up to the exams almost seemed to drag on ,as long as the week of exams. Minerva had been quizzing them so hard on Transfiguration, that Harry was almost positive that she wanted to beat the other teachers by having the highest exam scores.
Then the actually exams showed up. It was sweltering inside the classrooms where they spend entire class periods doing tests and written exams. But then there were the practical exams as well. Harry felt he did much better on those then the written.
His scar had been throbbing ever since the encounter in the forest. It made him worried, like something was about to happen. And although he knew she didn't mean to, Hermione was making his headache a lot worse.
"Can you believe Professor Flitwick didn't include the softening charm? I thought for sure last week he had hinted it would be in there. He also brought up the properties of Alohomora but he didn't even mention Colloportus, which is quite ridiculous because when you think about it the two spells do go together."
"Hermione! Just stop you're giving me a headache." Harry shouted at her as they left their last exam and headed outside to enjoy the fresh air. "Sorry," he mumbled catching the look on her face, "but my scar just keeps hurting."
"Go to Madam Pomfrey." She said immediately.
"I'm not ill, I think it means danger's coming…" Ron rolled his eyes at the both of them.
"Guys relax! The Stone's safe as long as Dumbledore's around. Fluffy took a bite out of Snape's leg last time he tried he's not going to be to eager to try again." Harry nodded but he had this feeling lurking in his head, that they were missing something.
"I'm sure it's just the exams Harry, I read though half my Transfiguration notes last night before I realized we had already done that exam." Hermione said trying, in a different way, to perk him up.
Harry nodded absentmindedly. They were right of course Hagird would never betray Dumbledore by telling someone how to get past Fluffy… but … what if?"
He jumped to his feet and took of towards Hagrids sprinting as if his life depended on it.
"Where are you going? Ron said panting to catch up with him. Hermione was panting behind them.
"Trust me we have to go see Hagrid now!"
"Why?" Hermione asked finally catching up to them.
"Don't you think it's odd that what Hagrid wants more then anything is a dragon and then a stranger shows up and just happens to have one? Why didn't we see it before?"
"What?" Ron said extremely confused, but Harry had already come up to Hagrid's.
"Hey you lot, got time fer a drink?"
"Yes please!" Ron said heading towards Hagrid, Harry stopped him.
"No sorry Hagrid we're in a hurry, we have to ask you something. That night you won Norbert, what did the stranger you were playing cards with look like?"
"I dunno, he left his cloak on." Hermione looked stunned and looked at Hagrid as if he was crazy. " It's not uncommon, yeh get a lot of funny lookin people in Hog's Head, he could'a easily been a dragon dealer.
"What did you talk to him about Hagrid?" Harry asked. "Did you mention you work at Hogwarts?"
"Mighta come up." Hagrid said softly trying to remember. "He… asked what I did, and I told im, bout all the creatures I look after… so I told him… an ' said I'd always really wanted was a dragon… an' then… well I can't remember to well cause he kept buyin me drinks… he told me he had a dragon egg an' we could play card fer it if I wanted… but he didn't just want ter give it out te anyone…so I told him after Fluffy, a dragon would be easy…"
"And did he seem interested in Fluffy?" Harry asked, trying to keep his voice neutral.
"Course he was interested in Fluffy, how many three – headed dogs d'yeh meet. So I told him, Fluffy's a piece of cake if you know how to calm him, just play him a bit o' music and he'll go right to sleep…" He suddenly looked horrified. "I shouldn'ta told yeh that!" he shouted. "Forget I said it! Where're yeh goin'?"
The trio had taken off running back up to the school only pausing to catch their breath in the entrance hall.
"We have to go to Dumbledore. Hagrid told that stranger how to get past Fluffy, and if it was Snape under that cloak… I just hope Dumbledore believes us. Where's his office?" They all looked at each other rather stupidly. They had never been told where exactly Professor Dumbledore's office was. Harry gave a loud groan.
"What are you three doing inside?" They wheeled around to see Minerva, carrying a large pile of transfiguration textbooks. The three exchanged swift looks. They had all come to admire Professor McGonagall and after staying with her they had no doubt she was their favorite teacher, but to tell her about this…"
"We need to see Professor Dumbledore." Hermione said bravely. Minerva gave her a shrewd look over top of her glasses.
"Why?" She said slowly, as if she knew they were up to something. Hermione's eyes flicked over towards Harry, now what? Harry felt he could say nothing else.
"It's sort of a secret." He said softly but wished he hadn't at once, because her nostrils flared.
"Professor Dumbledore left ten minutes ago." She said still looking at them curiously. Harry knew she suspected them of something , and if they hadn't been standing in the entrance hall she probably would have demanded to know what exactly the secret was.
"He's gone now?" Ron said shocked.
"But this is important." Harry continued pleading with Minerva to listen to them.
"Harry," She said slipping back to his first name. "What could you have to say that is more important then the Minister of Magic?"
"Look," he glanced at Ron and Hermione briefly and they nodded. "Professor – it's about the Sorcerer's stone—"
She had not been expecting that, the books she had been carrying tumbled out of her arms and she stared at them shocked. Sneaking out late didn't seem so bad now.
"How in the world do you know?" she started.
"Professor, we think … that S… that someone's going to try and steal the Stone. I've got to talk to Professor Dumbledore." She continued to stare at them.
"Professor Dumbledore will be back tomorrow." She lowered her voice as a group of fifth years walked by. "I don't know how you found out about the Stone but I can personally assure you it is protected well."
"But professor!"
"I know what I'm talking about." She said shortly. She did not want them anywhere near the enchantments placed around the stone. "I suggest you go outside and enjoy the sunshine. And if I see any of you near that door, I will personally make sure you do not leave the room tonight." And she gathered her books and walked away.
"It's going to happen tonight." Harry whispered, once he was absolutely sure that she had gone. "He's going though tonight, he's already got Dumbledore out of the way. He sent that note, I just know it."
"But what can we—"
"Good afternoon." A dark voice said from behind them. Snape was standing there looking down at them. "You shouldn't be inside on a day like this," he said looking at them oddly.
"We… we were just…" Hermione started.
"You might want to be more careful, people might think you're up to something." He got an odd smile on his face. "Gryffindor can't afford to lose anymore points can they." He glared at them one last time and walked in the direction of the staff room. They headed as if they had started to go outside. They stopped once he disappeared from view.
"Right here's what we've got to do." He whispered to them. "One of us is going to keep an eye on Snape."
"That'll be you Hermione." Ron said.
"Why me?"
"Isn't it obvious. 'Oh Professor Flitwick, I think I got question fourteen b wrong'…"
"Oh shut up." She said but she headed towards the staff room.
"And we're going to stay outside the third-floor corridor." Harry said and they sprinted up the stairs. It didn't work though as soon as they reached the door, Professor McGonagall showed up and lost her temper.
"In my quarters now!" She said quietly. They moved quickly, when she went that soft it meant she was really mad. She marched them up those stairs and into her quarters without another word. Harry had rarely ever seen her this mad before. She sat them both down on the couch and glared at them with disappointment and anger. It didn't help that Ron was fidgeting, Harry dug his elbow into his side.
"Well?" Minerva said looking at them. "What did I just tell you?"
"Not to go near the door?" Ron asked.
"Precisely." She glared. "And where did you go?"
"To the door." They said together. Is this what it's like when Fred and George make Mum mad, Ron thought wildly.
"Do I even want to know where Hermione is?"
"She went to find Professor Flitwick, she was worried because she got a question wrong on the exam." Minerva glared at them again. It was easy enough to see if this was true.
"Do you remember what else I said earlier?" They both shook their heads and looked at the floor. "I said if I caught you by the door I would make sure you wouldn't leave this room tonight." They both looked horrified.
"But exams just ended—"
"We didn't do anything—"
"Be thankful I'm not giving you detention for sneaking around in the forbidden corridor!" She closed her eyes and sighed, trying to calm herself down. "You will stay in my quarters for the rest of tonight, and I will personally place a charm on your door that will tell me if you cross the threshold of that room… Don't even try to tell me that not fair Ron. I'm doing it for your own safety." She glanced at the clock that hung in the quarters, "I will be grading exams in my office, I will see you if you leave." And she strode out the door. Ron whistled when she left.
"I don't think I've ever seen her that mad." He said looking at Harry. Harry agreed. Even when she had caught Hermione and him at the astronomy tower she hadn't looked quite that mad. But then he grew angry. Who was she to lock them in here? They were trying to save lives; they were trying to stop Voldemort from coming back! They didn't deserve to be treated like five year olds in time out! Harry shared these views with Ron who nodded in complete agreement.
"At least Hermione is still on Snape's tail." However no sooner then he had said that then Hermione strolled in.
"I'm sorry Harry!" she cried. "Snape came outside the staff room and asked me why I was there and I told him I was waiting for Professor Flitwick and he went and got him. By the time I had asked Flitwick the question Snape had disappeared." She said down in between them on the couch.
"Well that settles it." Harry said standing up. "I'm going out tonight and I'm going to try to get the Stone first."
"You're mad!" Ron cried.
"You can't Harry it's dangerous."
"Not to mention how are you suppose to get past the lioness with her claws bared." Ron said pointing towards the door to Minerva's study.
"Don't you understand! If Snape gets the Stone, Voldemort will be back. You've all heard about what it was like last time, if he takes over their won't be a Hogwarts to come back to, it'll be some sort of school for the dark arts!"
"I'm going through that trapdoor tonight and nothing you two say will stop me." He glared at them.
"Alright Harry." Hermione whispered glancing at the door, but it was sound proof, McGonagall hadn't heard a word.
"I'll use the invisibility cloak, I'm lucky I got it back." The cloak had appeared at the end of his bed about a week ago with a note taped on it "just in case".
"But will the cloak cover all of us?" Ron asked.
"Huh?" Harry said staring at them.
"You didn't really think that we'd let you go it alone did you?" Hermione said. "I'd better start looking though my books."
"But if we're caught you two will be expelled too."
"Not if I can help it Filtwick told me in secret that I got a hundred and twelve on my exam, they're not throwing me out after that."
"But what are we going to do about the charm?" Ron asked. Harry looked stumped and Hermione confused.
"What charm?" she asked having missed Minerva mini lecture at the boys.
"In order to make sure we stay in the room she's placing a charm on the door that tells her when we enter and leave a room." Harry said suddenly very grumpy. How in Merlin's name were they suppose to get past that? Hermione frowned hard and sat back down on the couch.
"But can the spell tell the difference between entering and leaving?" She asked them both.
"I don't believe so, she just said if we crossed it." Hermione suddenly broke into a huge grin.
"I have a plan, it's mad and risky but it just might work." They leaned in and listened to Hermione's plan.
"If that works I'll be amazed." Ron said. "Are you sure?" But Hermione had glint in her eyes. She was determined to make it work.
"It's risky, extremely risky but it just might work." Harry said grinning.
HAHAHA! I bet you all hate me right now. I hadn't planned to update this next but it came to me easier then the other stories. However because I know that you'll be asking Cats in the Cradle and Rewriting the future, will have a new chapter up next week or sooner. I'm halfway done with both of them.