Ohai-yo,

SORRY! I'm a bad man, at least according to most of the women I date, but that's no excuse for making you wait so long for this new chapter. In my defense, I did finish writing this story, including the epilogue. Now it's all down to me typing up the last of it, which I'm working on this weekend. So, I hope you can find it in your hearts to forgive me, and if it helps, I might even post a second chapter tomorrow.

Thanks go out as always to my lovely and talented betas, C & M. They put up with all my crazy ideas, and manage to polish all of them until they shine.

Now go read, and please review.

Chris

Chapter 14: The Problem with Dragons

Ginny,

Well it's just like you thought it would be, several weeks have passed and not a word about anyone being punished for attacking Neville. The professors all act like it didn't happen, but the students know better. Thanks to your idea of talking with Fred and George, an older student always walks to class with us now. The only problem is when it is Percy's turn. Has he always been such a prat, or is that something new?

So far, the Easter break is turning out to be a complete nightmare. We have so much homework to do that we haven't been able to do anything fun for the holiday. Well we did tell Moaning Myrtle that Peeves thought she was cute, and she couldn't have been happier. I've never seen anyone moved that fast, alive or dead. Peeves keeps screaming at her that he doesn't like her, but Myrtle doesn't seem to be listening as she hasn't quit trying to catch him yet. I think, for once, I actually feel sorry for Peeves. Not much mind you, but a little at any rate. Other than that, we've been studying in the library most of the time. In fact, Hermione currently thinks I'm writing an essay for Transfiguration, but I'll do that later.

I still haven't gotten a chance to talk to Professor Snape since I heard him talking to Quirrell in the forest. It's not like he's avoiding me or anything, I can just never find him when he's alone. Dumbledore always seems to show up when I get the chance to talk to Professor Snape, like he's watching us to make sure we can't talk. Maybe that's just nerves talking, but my instincts tell me that Dumbledore does NOT want me talking to Professor Snape.

Speaking of the old man, I know you said your parents really respect him, but he gives me the creeps. Anytime I'm in the Great Hall eating, he's always looking at me. Add that to the whole Professor Snape thing, and what I've told you about regarding his ideas concerning my living conditions, and I just don't trust him. Doesn't help that Ron is always teasing me about the way Dumbledore watches me. It's just really strange.

Enough of that. Did you ask your mom if you could come visit this summer? I know she said Ron and the twins could, but it would be nice if you could as well. If she gives you a hassle about it, let her know that Hermione and my cousin Tonks will be there as well. She graduated from Hogwarts this last summer and now she is training to be an Auror. Don't let that worry you though, she's really great. You've got to see her imitation of Sirius, it's just too funny.

Got to go for now. I think Hermione is on to me because she's glaring at me again.

XOXOXO

Harry.

"Tell Ginny I said hello," growled Hermione.

Harry smiled playfully at the glaring young woman before scribbling a hasty postscript to his letter saying exactly that. Hermione tried to stay angry at Harry, but she could not help but laugh when she noticed his complete lack of guilt about being caught writing to Ginny instead of working on his homework. When he was done writing, he slipped the letter in his bag before turning and smiling roguishly at Hermione.

Ron watched all of this with a small grin on his face. He was not as thick as he acted, and he knew that Harry liked his sister. What he did not know was why Hermione was always teasing Harry about it. Sometimes he wondered if Hermione liked Harry, but recently that seemed to have changed as well. He might not know exactly what had happened, but it the last few weeks Harry and Hermione reminded him more of how he acted around Ginny, like a brother and sister. For some strange reason, that seemed to make Ron feel much better about the whole situation.

For the most part, he and Ginny had spent the better part of two years alone together while the rest of their brothers had been either off at school or working. The time alone together had brought the two siblings closer together, and made him a bit overprotective of her. The strange thing was, Harry now acted the exact same way where Hermione was concerned. Even stranger to Ron was the fact that the way Harry acted around Hermione made him feel better about his friend's relationship with his sister. In fact, if there was one person he knew would always protect his sister, it was Harry.

"He's going to marry her someday," Ron thought to himself. "So long as it isn't too soon, he's only eleven and she's just ten. There is plenty of time for that nonsense later on."

Any further thought about the situation were immediately pushed from his mind by the sound of someone dropping a book in the row behind the small group. Everyone turned around and watched as the hulking form of Hagrid stepped out from behind the shelves and towards them. Harry was a little surprised to see Hagrid in the library but decided not to say anything about it.

"Hagrid?" Neville whispered, looking a bit surprised. "What are you doing in the library?"

Hermione wasted no time kicking Neville's leg before trying to cover her friend's odd question. "What he means is that it is very good to see you, Hagrid."

"I know exactly what he means, Hermione," chuckled Hagrid, though he looked a bit nervous. "Not like I'm in here a lot, now is it? To answer your question, I was just looking for some light readin'."

Harry was not fooled for an instant. He had grown closer to Hagrid since his arrival at Hogwarts, and if there was one thing he knew it was that Hagrid was a lousy liar. There was also the fact that Hagrid seemed to be hiding a rather large book behind his back.

"What's wrong, Hagrid?" Harry asked, looking directly into the large man's eyes.

"Don't know what you mean, Harry," Hagrid replied, looking away quickly. "And what are you lot doing in the library on such a beautiful day?"

"We're trying to finish our homework," answered Hermione, not realizing that Hagrid was attempting to change the topic.

"Hagrid," Harry said calmly. "We need to talk to you. Will you be in your hut later?"

"Well actually, Harry," Hagrid began, but Harry cut him off.

"Good," Harry said calmly. "We'll be down to see you around three then."

Hagrid just nodded as he realized that Harry would not be taking no for an answer. Hanging his head, Hagrid silently waved to the four young friends before turning to leave. The old librarian, Madame Pince, followed after him picking up books he accidently knocked off tables and shelves due to his great size.

"Ron," Harry whispered to his friend. "Go see what he was looking at."

"Right," Ron answered with a nod before quietly slipping from the table and around the bookcase.

Hermione looked rather puzzled by Harry's treatment of Hagrid. "What are you thinking, Harry?"

"Yeah," added Neville. "What's up?"

"You were right, Neville," answered Harry. "Hagrid never comes to the library. Fred and George told me one time that Madame Pince always treats Hagrid badly when he's in here, something about him knocking bookcases over, so he avoids the place at all cost."

Hermione looked like she wanted to say something but Neville got there first. What's that got to do with talking to Hagrid?"

"Because I want to know what's going on," sighed Harry. "I trust Hagrid completely, but if he's up to something then I want to know what it is, before it comes back to bite us."

"What makes you think it would affect us?" Hermione asked, finally understanding Harry's concerns.

"Think about it, Hermione," Harry said with another sigh. "What hasn't affected us this year?"

"He's got you there, Hermione," Neville laughed.

Ron returned to the table just then took his seat again, tossing an old, worn book to Harry. Harry caught the book and opened it to see the title before sighing and handing the book to Neville. Neville almost laughed when he saw what the book was about, and then handed it to Hermione. For her part, Hermione just shook her head and began reading. None of them was really surprised, but Harry felt a lump in the pit of his stomach as he thought about what it meant.

"He's got one, doesn't he?" Neville said with a lopsided grin.

"Of course he does," Harry replied, taking off his glasses and rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Probably has it hidden in the bloody forest."

Leaning back in his chair, Ron looked up at the ceiling. "It's illegal, and he knows it."

Hermione snorted as she looked up from the book in front of her. "That wouldn't stop him. Hagrid just can't seem to understand things like that. I mean, really, look at that three headed dog and tell me that dog's not illegal as well."

"True," sighed Harry, putting his glasses back on.

One of the first things that Harry and his friends had learned about Hagrid was the man's love of "interesting" and "misunderstood" creatures. The bigger and nastier the creature was, the better Hagrid liked them. Fang, Hagrid's rather large dog, was just a small example of the groundkeeper's love of large animals. Fluffy was just a more extreme example of Hagrid's obsession. The fact that he saw no danger in creatures like that was a little disconcerting. At least in Fang's case, the large dog was completely harmless, but a dragon would be another thing altogether.

When the four friends finally made their way down to Hagrid's hut, Harry already had some idea of what they would find. Still, he reviewed his mental list of questions for Hagrid. Most he already knew the answers to, but thinking of the questions helped to keep his mind focused on the task at hand. It also would not hurt to have confirmation of some of the things they had already learned. They arrived at Hagrid's hut, Fang already barking from inside. The four of them could not help but laugh since they knew that Fang was nothing but an overgrown puppy, and a coward to boot. As fierce as he sounded, a mouse was scarier than the large animal.

"Back, Fang!" Hagrid yelled as he opened the door. "Fool animal! You act like you don't see this lot almost every weekend."

It did no good though, because the instant they were all inside, Fang knocked Ron and Neville to the ground. Fang had them pinned to the floor with his massive paws and was happily bathing both of their faces with his long and extremely wet tongue. By the time Hagrid managed to pull his dog off the giggling boys, they both looked like they had just showered. Ron's hair was now sticking up to the left, while Neville's was sticking up to the right.

"Very cute," snickered Hermione. "That's a good look for both of you."

This comment earned her two identical, and very rude, hand gestures from the boys as they took their seats. Hagrid handed them both hand towels so they could dry themselves off. Meanwhile, Fang had his head resting in Harry's lap so that the young boy could scratch his ears. Harry really did not mind the attention from Fang, but cleaning the dog's drool off his robes would be a hassle.

"So," Hagrid said, pouring tea for all of them. "What did you lot want to see me about?"

Harry smiled up at his friend, almost feeling sorry for what he was about to ask. "Why in God's name is the Philosopher's stone being hidden here at Hogwarts? And please tell me there is something more than just Fluffy protecting it."

Harry imagined that the look on Hagrid's face had to be very much like the one he had worn when the troll pinned him against the wall on Halloween. The large man stood there, his eyes wide open in shock, pouring tea into an already overflowing mug. Hermione, ever the obsessive neat freak, took the kettle from Hagrid and put it back on the hearth. Grabbing a rag, she started to wipe up the spilt tea while Ron and Neville pushed Hagrid down into his chair. Harry watched all of this, and noticed Hermione motioning with her head towards the fireplace.

"I knew it," thought Harry, seeing a large egg amongst the logs in Hagrid's fireplace. "Can't it ever be simple?"

"H-how do you lot know about that?" Hagrid finally asked.

"It wasn't hard to figure out once Ginny told us who Nicholas Flamel was," Harry said, sipping his tea calmly.

Hagrid looked at Harry with a confused expression. "Who's Ginny?"

"My sister," said Ron proudly. "She's a right smart one, she is. Got to remember and thank her for that. Saved us a lot of time in the library, she did."

"Now we want to know why that stone was brought here," continued Harry. "I know that Dumbledore and Flamel are partners, but why here and not Gringotts?"

"Well it's safer here, isn't it," Hagrid answered, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Harry snorted at that comment. "This place is safer than the premier goblin bank in the world?"

"My brother Bill said that whoever tried to steal it from Gringotts didn't even budge the door to the vault it was in," added Ron.

Hagrid looked startled to see that Harry and his friends had figured out the secret of the Gringotts break in. "You lot figured that bit out as well."

"We did," Neville said with a wry grin. "That's why it doesn't make sense to bring the stone here, Hagrid. It's too tempting to bring it here when it was perfectly safe where it was."

"Now hold on," Hagrid said heatedly. "No one could possibly get in here and take that stone. Not only would they have to get past Fluffy, but there are loads of enchantments blocking the way, including one done by Dumbledore himself."

"So there are other things guarding the stone," Harry thought as he took another sip of his tea. "That explains Professor Snape's comment to Quirrell about his bit of 'hocus-pocus'. I bet Quirrell was one of the people that helped to guard the stone, so he already knows how to get past one of the enchantments."

Harry thought quickly about what to say next. Hagrid was fiercely loyal to Dumbledore and Harry did not want to look like he was attacking the Headmaster. If he did that, Harry was positive that Hagrid would refuse to help them anymore. Harry did not need Hagrid becoming hostile towards him and his friends. There was only one way to get around that, and it was to change the topic quickly.

"Hagrid," he said in his most sincere sounding voice. "What's that in your fireplace?"

"Um… well… you see," Hagrid said, rushing over to put another log on the already roaring fire.

"I know what that is!" shouted Ron, having only just then seen the egg. "Where did you get it, Hagrid? They're really hard to find."

"And they're illegal," Neville added quietly.

"I won it in a game of cards last night at the pub," answered Hagrid. "Bloke seemed rather glad to be rid of it, too."

"You have to turn it in, Hagrid," Hermione said in her stern impression of McGonagall. "If you're caught with it, you'll be in ever so much trouble."

"Trouble doesn't begin to cover it," Neville said firmly. "If you are caught with an illegal dragon egg, it's time in Azkaban for sure."

Harry was about to say something when he suddenly looked closer at Hagrid. The giant man had turned the color of ash and begun to tremble violently. Harry jumped out of his seat and ran over to look at Hagrid, who was now looking at the egg in the fireplace as if he were terrified of it. It seemed that Harry's diversion had somehow turned into a crisis of its own.

"Hagrid?" Harry said, trying to get the man's attention. "What's wrong?"

When Hagrid finally turned to face the young wizard, Harry finally knew for the first time in his life what real terror looked like. Turning to his friends, Harry motioned for them to step outside so he could talk to the gigantic man on his own. They looked confused, especially Hermione, but they finally left.

"Okay," Harry said once the door was closed. "Tell me what's going on."

"I can't go back there," whispered Hagrid, his eyes darting around the room as if expecting someone to jump out of the shadows.

"You can't go back where?"

"Azkaban," whispered Hagrid, his voice filled with terror. "I can't go back there."

Harry was stunned. He knew all about the wizard prison, but the thought that Hagrid had been a prisoner there shocked him to the core. Hagrid might be many things, but Harry could not imagine that he was a criminal. It just did not make sense.

"It was years ago," Hagrid continued in the same terrified whisper. "It was all a mistake, but they didn't want to let me go. Finally took Dumbledore vouching for me to make them release me."

Breathing a sigh of relief, Harry patted the large man's hand to try and comfort him. It all made sense now. Hagrid was so loyal to Dumbledore because the old man had rescued him from Azkaban. From what Harry had heard, if Voldemort himself rescued Harry from that awful place, he would have sworn his loyalty to the crazed psychopath. Now he understood Hagrid's terror and that even if he was not the cause of it, he was the trigger. As soon as that thought crossed his mind, Harry knew the solution.

Rushing to the door, Harry pulled it open and called to his friends. "Get in here. We've got work to do."

Within a matter of moments everyone was back inside and waiting expectantly for Harry to explain what was going on. Even Hagrid was watching the young Gryffindor. Harry barely paid any attention to the stares that followed him as he paced back and forth, his mind racing with ideas and solutions.

"Is your fireplace connected to the Floo Network?" Harry asked.

Hagrid nodded but then looked worriedly at Harry. "You can't send the egg anywhere that way, it would get lost. You might hurt the wee baby."

"I didn't plan on sending it through the Floo, Hagrid," Harry said calmly, trying not to laugh at the idea of calling a dragon a "wee baby." "Hermione. Can you conjure a flame hot enough to keep the egg warm while we use the fireplace?"

"I think so, Harry," she said calmly, but her eyes betrayed the fact that she was a little nervous. "I'll need something to conjure it in that won't burn though."

Neville grabbed a large garden spade from beside Hagrid's door and handed it to Harry. "This should do the trick, and you'll need it to take the egg out of the fire anyway."

"Good idea, Neville," said Harry as he handed the spade to Hagrid. "You'll have to hold the egg for Hermione while she keeps it warm."

Hagrid nodded before gently scooping the large egg out of the fire. Hermione wasted no time, drawing her wand and casting the same spell on the spade that she had used to keep them warm before Harry's first Quidditch match. This was a much hotter version of that spell and Harry could tell it was taking all of her concentration to keep the fire burning.

"What do you want us to do, Harry?" asked Ron, Neville standing right beside him.

"Neville," Harry said, turning towards the dark haired boy. "Keep an eye on Hermione. If she starts looking tired, take over for her. Tell him what he needs to know, Hermione."

As Hermione started explaining the spell to Neville, Harry turned to look at Ron. "You get to be the messenger boy, mate. I need you to get in touch with your brother Charlie in Romania. Can you do that for me?"

"Sure thing, Harry," Ron said with a wide grin, understanding what Harry had in mind. "Where's your Floo powder, Hagrid?"

"Pink jar on the mantle," answered Hagrid, in awe at how quickly the four children had taken control of the situation.

With a wide grin, Ron grabbed the small pink jar. Within moments, the youngest Weasley boy had his head buried in the green fire. They were in luck. Charlie was home and Ron quickly explained the situation to his older brother. Hagrid watched all of this with a surprised look on his face. It amazed him how Harry had fallen into the role of leader so easily and how well his friends followed his instructions. By the time Ron pulled his head out of the fire, Hagrid understood exactly why Harry was so special.

"Ok, Hagrid," Ron said with a wide grin on his soot covered face. "Charlie is going to contact a friend of his at the Ministry and inform them that he requested your help in retrieving the egg from a poacher. If anyone asks you, he called you last night and you went to confront the poacher, eventually tricking him into giving you the egg."

"But people saw me playing cards with 'im," protested Hagrid.

"Well that's one way of tricking him into giving you the egg," grinned Harry.

"Anyway," continued Ron, "Charlie's friend will probably be around tomorrow to collect the egg. She'll be made aware that you are taking steps to make sure the egg hatches properly, so no worries there."

"So, I won't be in any trouble?" asked Hagrid in disbelief.

"Nope," grinned Ron. "You were acting on behalf of an employee of the Romanian Dragon Preserve in order to return the egg to them. My dad may come out with Charlie's friend to help you, if you need it."

Harry felt rather good about the outcome of the situation, and was delighted to be able to help Hagrid. Just as soon as his ribs healed from the hug Hagrid had given him, Harry was sure things would return to normal for the gamekeeper. They were all a little worse for wear after the happily crying man hugged them, but a little discomfort was worth dispelling Hagrid's fears concerning Azkaban.

When they finally took their leave of Hagrid's hut, Hermione had fallen asleep. Keeping her spell burning as hot as they needed had exhausted the young witch, who had refused Neville's offers to help her. Much to everyone's surprise, Ron asked their assistance in lifting Hermione on to his back so he could carry her back up to the school. Ron blushed for a moment or two, but Harry saw the determined look in his friend's eyes. As they walked up to the castle, Hagrid waving happily at them and promising them his help if they ever needed it, the three boys and sleeping girl made their way back to their common room.

Harry had debated asking Hagrid for more details concerning the protection around the Philosopher's stone, but decided against it. Hagrid seemed to want to spend time with his precious dragon egg before it was picked up by Charlie's friend. It still seemed mental that Hagrid would be so attached to the egg. Maybe it had something to do with Hagrid being lonely, or maybe he really was just mental. In either case, Harry was not about to ruin his friend's last night with the egg with questions about things he did not want to talk about.

Finally arriving at Gryffindor tower, Harry saw that Ron was sweating heavily from carrying Hermione. Harry had offered to take her from him, but Ron had refused the offer. He also noticed that there was a small smile on the sleeping girl's face as she rested her head on his shoulders. Watching his friends, Harry wondered exactly what Hermione was dreaming about, and why Ron looked so determined not to fail her.

Once there were inside the common room, which was thankfully empty at the moment, Ron carried his sleeping passenger over to the largest of the couches in the room. With a slightly surprising gentleness, Ron kneeled with his back to the couch, letting Hermione fall back on to the couch without waking her. Even more surprising was when the red haired boy continued to slide down onto the floor, still between her thighs. He looked completely exhausted, and when the still sleeping Hermione suddenly reached up and started to stroke Ron's hair, he was asleep in second.

Harry and Neville watched the strangely intimate an yet innocent moment with smiles on their faces. They watched as Ron laid his head against Hermione's thigh as she ran her fingers through his hair. Both had contented smiles on their sleeping faces, and Harry did not have the heart to wake them. Harry just watched for a moment, before turning to Neville.

"We never say a word about this," he whispered to Neville.

"Agreed," Neville whispered. "I just wish I had a camera. This would make great blackmail material."

"Too right it would," Harry agreed with a soft chuckle.

Neville ran down to the Great Hall to see about getting them some sandwiches while Harry stayed in the common room to guard his sleeping friends. Fortunately for him, no one bothered them, and since the couch was facing away from the portrait hole, no one could see where Ron was currently sleeping. Harry took a seat in one of the nearby chairs and watched his friends as they slept. Hermione continued to play with Ron's hair as she slept, and Ron's face was still covered in a peaceful smile. It was a tender and sweet sight that filled Harry with a sense of protectiveness concerning his friends. What was strange was that he was also a bit jealous of them, but he pushed that feeling aside forcefully.

Neville returned after about a quarter of an hour with several sandwiches. Just as Harry looked over at the dark haired boy, he heard a startled gasp and realized that Hermione mush have woken up. Turning back to her, Harry tried very hard to stifle his laughter at the sight of her blushing face. It did not help that for all her apparent embarrassment, Hermione was still playing with Ron's hair.

Harry decided it was best if he got Hermione's attention before she either fainted or started screaming. As Neville approached from behind Hermione, Harry made quick eye contact with the young man and shook his head. Neville understood and stopped, waiting for Harry's signal that everything was all right. That done, Harry coughed quietly to get Hermione's attention. She instantly looked up at him, her face even redder now.

"You have nothing to be embarrassed about," Harry whispered just loud enough for her to hear him. "He carried you up here on his back all the way from Hagrid's hut. Once he put you down, he fell asleep. I doubt he even realized where he was at when he did. No one but Neville and I have seen you two like this, and we will never tell anyone. I stayed to watch over you while Neville went to get us some food."

He said all of this quietly, and firmly, so that she would understand that everything was okay. She nodded her head before looking down at the sleeping boy between her thighs. Harry thought it was funny that even now Hermione was still playing with Ron's hair. When she looked up at Harry, Hermione looked calmer and smiled at him.

That lasted for only a second though, as Ron picked just that moment to turn his head slightly, brushing his lips across Hermione's bare thighs. Hermione let out a sound that reminded Harry of a mouse for some reason, and he watched as her face turned even redder than before.

"Time to wake him up, I think," Harry whispered again, watching Hermione nod vigorously at his suggestion. "Whatever you do, don't move until he's awake."

Hermione nodded again and tried to remain perfectly still. Harry had to smile though when he looked down at her hand which caused her to look down at it as well. She looked confused for a moment, not remembering when she had started playing with Ron's hair, or why she was still doing it. Harry just kept smiling when she slowly pulled her hand away from Ron's head with a sad and wistful look on her face, her cheeks slightly red. He filed the image away for use at some point in the future.

"Hungry, Ron?" Harry asked suddenly.

Neville almost laughed as he watched his red haired friend sit straight up. Hermione quickly pulled her skirt down, clamping her legs together, her ears a dark crimson that Neville could see right through her hair. When Ron stood up, she quickly scooted over to the far end of the couch so that he would not realize where he had been sleeping just moments before. Harry chuckled softly as Neville handed the eternally hungry boy a large sandwich, which Ron wolfed down as if he had not eaten in weeks.

The four friends sat talking until it was finally time to make their way up to their beds. Ron complained that he was not that tired. In fact, according to him, his earlier sleep was the best that he could ever remember having. Of course, Hermione turned a bright red at hearing Ron's statement, but Harry also noticed that her hand seemed to be twitching, almost reaching out to touch Ron's shoulder when he said it. Harry just smiled and watched and Ron and Neville made their way up to the first year boys' dorm.

"Thank you, Harry," Hermione said softly.

Harry nodded and smiled back at her. "You're welcome, Hermione. I would never let you two get hurt. I do have one question."

"Yes?" she asked, looking at him seriously.

With a perfectly straight face, Harry looked the young girl in the face. "Teddy bears?"

He could not help but laugh as Hermione's face turned the brightest shade of red that he had seen from her so far. Her hands instantly flew to her skirt, clamping it against her legs.

"Harry!" she hissed, her face once again turning red. "How could you look?"

"I didn't do it on purpose," he chuckled, "but now you can consider us even for you telling Ron and Neville about the X's and O's. Now I know what to get you for your birthday, a nice big teddy bear."

"Harry Potter," growled the young witch. "If I ever get something like that from you, I will personally make you regret that you were ever born!"

"Okay. Okay," he said with a wide grin. "I promise that I will never give you anything with a teddy bear on it."

"Doesn't mean Ron won't though," he thought as Hermione walked up the stairs to the girls' dorm room. "Especially if I keep suggesting it to him over the summer."

Thinking his day could not be any more surprising, Harry found Ron still wide awake when he entered the first year boys' dorm. The youngest Weasley boy was sitting on the edge of his bed staring off into space. It was only after Harry walked over to his bed and started getting ready for some well-earned sleep that Ron finally said something.

"It's really odd, Harry," Ron said in a soft voice. "I feel like I'm missing something. After I woke up downstairs, I just keep thinking that there is something I need but I can't figure out what it is. Does that make sense?"

"I know exactly what you mean, Ron," smiled Harry. "Don't worry about it for now. I'm sure in time you'll figure out what it is. Trust me."

"Okay, Harry," replied Ron as he slipped under his covers.

The next day found the four friends spending most of their time down at Hagrid's hut. Mr. Weasley had arrived early that morning with a rather pretty blonde woman. It turned out that the woman was Charlie's friend at the Ministry, and she was the one who would be taking possession of the "rescued" dragon egg. Placing the egg in a special bag, enchanted to keep the egg perfectly safe and warm, the young woman could be heard saying that she was personally going to deliver the egg to Charlie. A few minutes later, after hugging Mr. Weasley and waving to Ron, she walked off towards the main gates of the school.

"Who exactly was that girl, Ron?" asked Hermione in a tone so cold that Harry shivered.

Ron missed her tone completely though, and smiled back at her. "That's Lucy Pevensie, Charlie's old girlfriend. They dated before he moved to Romania. They're still really good friends, and mum hopes she'll convince Charlie to move back home."

"That name seems really familiar," mused Harry, not being able to place where he had heard it before.

"No idea, mate," continued Ron. "She's a real good match for Charlie though, and I used to love listening to her tell stories about her grandmother when she came to visit. Pure fantasy, but great fun all the same, especially the bits about the lion."

Harry stopped dead in his tracks and watched the blonde girl as she walked away. He slowly turned to look at Hermione, who with her voracious reading habits had also recognized the young girl's name. Hermione looked as surprised as Harry did, but neither got a chance to say anything when Ron called out to his father.

Mr. Weasley was just as nice as Harry remembered him being. Ron made the introductions quickly, and Neville took an instant liking to the older Weasley. With Ron's introduction of Hermione as the "smartest witch in our year," the Weasley patriarch was soon making a good impression on her as well. By the time Mr. Weasley had to leave, Hermione had already explained the concept of a toilet plunger and a hula-hoop to the ever curious man. Harry and the others just laughed as she patiently explained the most mundane Muggle items to Mr. Weasley before they said their farewells.

For Harry and his friends, it was a very enjoyable day. After Mr. Weasley left, they checked on Hagrid to make sure he was doing all right. It had been hard on the gamekeeper to turn over the dragon egg, but they hoped he knew it was for the best. To their surprise, rather than finding Hagrid depressed and mourning the loss, he was rather pleased to announce that Miss Pevensie had suggested he visit the Romanian Dragon Preserve that summer to check up on the hatchling. Harry could not help but breathe a little easier after seeing the happy expression on his large friend's face. Now they could put their dragon troubles behind them.

So, after such a nice a peaceful day, it came as something of a horrible surprise when four hooded figures jumped out from behind several trees and began casting spells at Harry and his friends. One minute the friends were laughing, and the next moment they were fighting. Wands snapped out, but what Harry did surprised everyone, including his attackers. With a speed that seemed more magical than natural, Harry closed the distance between himself and the largest of the four attackers. Never even bothering to draw his wand, Harry jumped on the larger figure and began raining punches down upon the hooded face of his attacker.

Years of fighting bullies back home had taught Harry many things, including the value of running away if the opportunity arose. It had also taught him that although fighting never proved anything, winning tended to mean you were not the one visiting the nurse's office when the fight was over. Harry's friends watched in shock, as he dodged not one, but three beams of brightly colored energy as he continued to pummel the larger boy until he collapsed under the blows. Meanwhile, the other three attackers began firing spells at Ron and the others.

"HARRY!" yelled Ron.

Harry turned from the now bleeding and crying form of Goyle, lying on the ground at Harry's feet, to see a sight that terrified him more than anything ever had before. Laying on the ground behind his other two friends, a bright red spot of blood on her face, lay Hermione. The sight of his friend laying there on the ground enraged Harry in a way that nothing ever had before. Without thinking, Harry turned back to his attackers and began kicking Goyle until the boy passed out.

The smallest of the four attackers, a young girl from the sounds of her panicked screams, turned and ran for the school when Neville and Ron dropped their wands and resorted to their fists. Ron, just as furious as Harry, ripped the hood off his attacker and revealed the face of Crabbe. If the larger Slytherin boy thought he had an advantage in size, he was quickly proven wrong when Ron knocked him off his feet with one blow to the face. There was a gush of blood from Crabbe's nose as the large boy collapsed.

Neville, as luck would have it, got his chance for revenge against Draco Malfoy. Malfoy had tried to run when he realized that things were not going as planned, but Neville was quicker. Grabbing Malfoy by his shoulder, Neville spun the pale-skinned Slytherin around and right into the path of the Gryffindor's fist. The sound Neville's fist made when it made contact with Malfoy's jaw as rather like the sound of someone Apparating, and Harry was tempted to look over his shoulder to make sure that no one was there. As Malfoy's eyes rolled up into his head, Harry knew the fight was over and it was time to see to Hermione.

Before he could reach her, Harry watched Ron scoop the unconscious girl up in his arms. Being as gentle as he could, Ron took off for the hospital wing as fast as he could. In what seemed like a spectacular case of déjà vu, they once again ran past several stunned looking teachers, including Minerva McGonagall.

"Oh dear God," she prayed silently. "Please, not again."

Following after the three running boys, Professor McGonagall arrived at the hospital wing only moments after they did. There was a great deal of shouting as Ron laid Hermione on one of the beds and Madame Pomfrey began examining the young girl. Pushing the three boys back, the matron pulled the privacy curtain around her patient, leaving the three boys looking pale and worried.

"What happened to Miss Granger, Mr. Potter?" McGonagall asked, trying to draw the attention of the three boys.

"Malfoy and his flunkies attacked us as we were walking back to the castle from Hagrid's hut," Harry answered, not bothering to turn to face her.

"There were four of them," added Ron. "They had their hoods pulled up to hide their faces. They started attacking and Hermione got hit by something."

"One of them, a girl I think, ran off when we started fighting back," Neville said coldly. "We took care of the other three though."

"What do you mean by that, Mr. Longbottom?" asked the now worried Transfiguration teacher.

"He means," Harry said coldly, "that we beat them until they stopped trying to fight back. Then we brought Hermione here."

"So you admit to injuring other students?" asked the voice of Albus Dumbledore from the doorway.

Harry looked over at the Headmaster as he walked into the room. Behind him floated the three bodies of Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle. The three Slytherins were still unconscious as Dumbledore waved his hand and they each settled down on an empty bed.

"Yes, Headmaster," Harry answered coldly. "I fully admit that we were attacked by Malfoy and his friends, including a young girl that ran away. We defended ourselves after they attacked us, and did what needed to be done in order to end the fight quickly."

Dumbledore looked livid as he turned back to face Harry. "You call this defending yourselves? Mr. Malfoy's jaw is broken and Mr. Goyle has multiple broken ribs. As for Mr. Crabbe, his nose is broken and his left eye is completely swollen shut in addition to a concussion."

"Headmaster," interrupted Harry. "After they injured Hermione, we did what we had to in order to stop the fight quickly."

"By savagely beating three of your fellow students!" roared Dumbledore. "I've heard more than enough! One hundred points will be deducted from Gryffindor for each of you, and you will each receive a detention!"

Professor McGonagall had been listening quietly until she heard the Headmaster's punishment for the Gryffindors. "Albus! Isn't that a little extreme given the circumstances? They were defending themselves from an unprovoked attack."

Dumbledore did not even bother to answer the Deputy Headmistress. Instead, he turned and left the room before anyone else could say a word. Minerva McGonagall had never been so outraged in her entire life. She could not help but wonder where the man she had always respected had gone to, and who this new person was that had taken his place.

"Misters Potter, Longbottom, and Weasley," the Head of Gryffindor house said quietly as she turned back to look at her students.

"Yes, Professor?" they each replied through gritted teeth.

"Fifty points to each of you for quick thinking in getting Miss Granger here after she was attacked," McGonagall said quietly, but firmly. "Also, twenty-five point to each of you for your help in assisting our groundskeeper in his duty to help the Ministry to retrieve that dragon egg."

Harry could not help the smile that suddenly appeared on his face as McGonagall handed out the points. She had not completely canceled out Dumbledore's overzealous punishment, but it was better than nothing.

"You three did rather severely beat Mr. Malfoy and his friends," she continued, "so I cannot completely excuse your actions. However, I believe that the circumstances were ones in which you could not be expected to just let yourselves be attacked. Miss Granger's injuries may have also clouded your judgment in this matter."

"Thank you, Professor," the three boys chorused.

"Don't thank me yet," McGonagall said with a scowl. "There is still no acceptable excuse for fighting, but that goes for Mr. Malfoy and his fellow Slytherin students. I will be speaking to Professor Snape about this incident and I will see to it that Mr. Malfoy and friends all receive the same punishment as you three. If you have any idea who the fourth person was who attacked you, I will make sure that they are also punished."

"We just know it was a girl, Professor," supplied Neville. "Fairly short, too, but that could be any of the first year Slytherin girls."

McGonagall nodded and looked over at the curtains around Hermione's bed. Then looking over at the three Slytherin students, she waved her wand to draw the curtains around their beds as well, sealing them as well so the boys would not cause more trouble when they awoke. Harry had said that Albus was lax in his duties to protect the students, and sadly, here was the proof of those accusations.

"I just hope we find a solution before someone dies," thought the professor as she took a seat to wait with the three young men from her house.