Finally! Here it is, the next chapter, and hopefully I can get the rest out quicker from now on.
Hopefully is not the same as definitely, unfortunately.
Disclaimer: I do not own the actual Harry Potter
Claimer: I DO own THIS Harry Potter
…
It became a bit of a habit between the three of them that every day, either Ron, Hermione, or Harry would sneak towards Fluffy's door, press an ear to it, and make certain the dog was still guarding the trapdoor. Fluffy soon noticed their coming and going, and this week the dog's heads would hover right by the door and growl loudly whenever it smelled one of the three of them. It was sort of comforting - even if the dog wouldn't hesitated to rip them to shreds, given the chance.
The weather was turning very warm, almost summerish, and as if that reminded the teaching staff that the term was going to end eventually, the class reviews for the end-of-term tests had begun. As if that wasn't enough - and judging from the way Hermione talked, it most certainly wasn't - the school's homework load was stepped up.
Everyone in Gryffindor Tower spent the Easter holiday listening to the bushy-haired witch's recitation of correct wand movements, proper pronunciation of incantations, MANY details from her extensive Transfiguration notes, correct proportions of Potions' ingredients…Ron was heard muttering more than a few times that he'd preferred it when Hermione wouldn't so much as give him the time of day.
At one point, becoming very tired of being stuck amongst all this complaining and bickering, Harry had actually written to Hagrid and asked if she could visit him until things settled down. The reply he sent back said that unfortunately, he was very busy, and that he didn't want her to risk doing well in her studies by running off to drink tea with him at all hours. This seemed most unusual, especially since Hagrid had not been seen doing any of his gamekeeper duties for at least a week.
When Harry made the mistake of asking Hermione what she thought of this, the other witch had replied that Hagrid had probably just taken ill and he was right, she did need to focus on her studies. A little annoyed by the brush-off - even though Hermione did have a perfectly valid point - Harry decided she ought to go for a walk, just to cool off her nerves.
There was one particular corridor where almost no one ever went. There were no classrooms in this corridor, but it had many windows which opened to the outside, and the view of the grounds and the lake were wonderful from that height. Harry had discovered it not long after her arrival at Hogwarts, and it was here she went to whenever the press of so many bodies got too much to bear. And none of Harry's previous visits to the window corridor had ever shown that anyone else had ever entered it besides her.
That was, of course, rubbish: Filch and Mrs. Norris, at least, who knew every inch of the castle, must certainly use this corridor sometimes. But Harry had never found any other students in the window corridor before - until now.
Much to Harry's surprise, none other than Draco Malfoy, the smitten Slytherin himself, was staring out one of the opened windows. It was one of the bigger ones, and the very same one that Harry herself liked to look out of. Malfoy's gaze didn't seem to be on anything in particular: he was staring into the distance, appearing lost in thought. Even more interesting, though, was that Malfoy was alone. Normally, two of the other Slytherin first years, Crabbe and Goyle, trailed Malfoy everywhere, as if they were his personal bodyguards. And Crabbe and Goyle could certainly perform that duty, as they out-massed two-thirds of the student body already.
But right now, Crabbe and Goyle were nowhere to be found. Harry decided that leaving and finding somewhere else to curl up was a splendid idea, but she had not backed away more than two steps before Malfoy noticed her presence. He blinked at her quite sheepishly.
"I didn't see you were there," Harry half-mumbled, taking another step backwards as she make her excuse.
"…No, its all right," Malfoy said, stopping Harry in her tracks with the unexpected tone in his voice.
Granted, she hadn't heard much from Malfoy besides 'Sneering' and 'Fawning', but now Malfoy sounded…quiet. Tired, almost…
"I don't wish to disturb you…I shall head back to my common room," Malfoy continued, stepping away from the window and moving as if to walk past where Harry was standing, back to wherever the Slytherin common room was.
"You're not," Harry said without thinking.
Malfoy paused and blinked at her again, clearly confused.
"Err…you aren't disturbing me, I mean," Harry clarified, "There's certainly plenty of space at the window for the both of us…"
Hesitantly, Malfoy returned to the window, and just as hesitantly, Harry joined him. What a stupid idea it had been to open her mouth - now things were twice as uncomfortable for both of them, and the idea of coming to the corridor (for Harry, at least) was to try and lose stress, not get more stress.
"So…" Malfoy said, clearly grasping for some sort of topic to make this seem less strange than it really was, "…You're in Gryffindor. Ah…how is that?"
"It's…fine," Harry answered, not looking at the boy while she spoke, "…Sometimes it…gets a bit loud."
"Huh," said Malfoy, who was also averting his gaze.
"…And…how is Slytherin?" Harry asked, thinking they might as well try to keep this parody of a conversation going.
Malfoy looked surprised she'd even asked. Harry wanted to take back the words she had spoken (all of them), but there was no way to do that now.
"…It's fine," Malfoy replied, "Everyone is…usually quiet."
"I see," Harry said.
There was minute of awkward silence. Harry was wracking her brains for something to say, and eventually managed to pull out, "…Professor Snape doesn't like me."
"…Professor Snape doesn't like anyone," Malfoy said.
"He seems to like you," Harry pointed out.
"Does he?" Malfoy said.
Harry turned to see if the boy was trying to tease her. Malfoy's expression was calm, unrevealing of his thoughts.
"He gives you points in every class," Harry said, "And talks about your 'vast Potions talent'. I think that would suggest like, as opposed to dislike."
"It would, wouldn't it?" Malfoy agreed.
His expression hadn't changed and Harry was starting to feel annoyed. Was he making fun of her or something?
"You're teasing me," Harry accused.
Malfoy's expression finally changed: now he looked confused again.
"Teasing you?" Malfoy asked.
"You keep answering me in questions. You're making fun of me, aren't you?" Harry said, "I was perfectly happy with the two of us trying to have a civil conversation, but if you are going to be like that, then I'm leaving."
Making good on her threat, Harry pushed herself away from the window. Malfoy's sudden protest stopped her from going any further, though.
"I'm not!" Malfoy exclaimed.
"Aren't you?" Harry replied.
"I'm not making fun of you," Malfoy insisted, "I am trying to hold a civil conversation with you. I'm…just not very good at it, that's all."
Harry felt a laugh bubbling inside her and forced it down. Fat load of good making Malfoy upset would do!
"That's…odd," Harry finally said.
"I'm…odd?" Malfoy blinked.
"I thought important pureblood families like yours were supposed to be good at everything ever invented, ever," Harry clarified, "What with you telling me as much when we met…about ten times."
"Ah…" Malfoy had the decency to look embarrassed now, "My father…isn't one for casual conversation. So, he saw no need to train me in that area, as he did for everything else."
"So, you came up here to practice?" Harry asked.
Malfoy opened his mouth to answer, then paused.
"Now you're the one teasing me," Malfoy said.
"I am?" Harry blinked.
"Stop that! If you won't let me talk like that, then you can't do it either!"
Harry couldn't completely suppress her chuckles this time, and turned to look outside again until she got herself back under control. Malfoy seemed to understand that she wasn't teasing him to be cruel - really, she wasn't! - and turned back to stare outside as well.
'If Ron came by here,' Harry thought, suddenly uneasy, 'He'd probably accuse me of fraternizing with the enemy or something. We probably look very cozy…'
"There he is again," Malfoy said, changing the subject abruptly, "That large fellow who works the boats."
Harry blinked at him for a second, then looked where Malfoy was pointing. Down on the ground was a large lump, dragging a smaller thing with it that might have been a sapling of some tree out of the Forbidden Forest. It was a very hairy-looking lump…oh.
"That's Hagrid," Harry said, "He's the gamekeeper."
"How do you know him?" Malfoy asked.
"He took me shopping for my school things, in Diagon Alley," Harry explained.
"That was when I met you," Malfoy offered.
"You and half the wizards in Britain met me that day," Harry sighed, recalling the fervent crowd inside the Leaky Cauldron with dismay, "I even met Professor Snape and Professor Quirrell."
"Snape and Quirrell?" Malfoy asked, "Snape hates Quirrell. They wouldn't be hanging around together."
"I met Quirrell first, then I met Snape after I met you," Harry said, "Quirrell was in the Leaky Cauldron, and Snape was going into the Apothecary. I doubt they were hanging around together."
As Malfoy seemed to mull over this information, Harry looked for Hagrid again. It looked like he was busily chopping the sapling into short sticks, and carrying the sticks over to the squashed lump that was his hut from this distance and angle.
"Huh, he's chopping firewood," Harry mused aloud.
"His house can't be that cold this time of year, can it?" Malfoy wondered.
"What do you mean?" Harry asked.
"That must be the third tree he's pulled out of the forest today," Malfoy replied, "And I saw him chopping up five more yesterday, and six more the day before that. You can even see the smoke from here."
Malfoy pointed at the hut-lump, and sure enough, a steady pillar of smoke was pouring out of the top.
"What in the world?"
Harry turned and headed down the corridor, aiming for the stairs. Hagrid was up to something, and Harry had a feeling that it was not going to end well. She had almost reached the doors to the lawn when a shout reached her ears.
"Oi! Harry, wait for me!" Ron shouted again, taking the stairs two at a time.
"Ron? What is it? …And wasn't Hermione helping you with your homework?" Harry asked.
Ron make a face of pure disgust at the thought of his homework. Then the red-head grinned, partly mischievously and partially sickly with fear.
"The thing is, I talked her into going for all her extra books - so I would 'have all my resources available' - and since boys can't go up the girls' staircase…"
"You waited until she was upstairs and then ran," Harry sighed, "Oh Ron…I know you hate your homework, but Hermione is the best witch in our house. She's going to make your life miserable for this."
"I know!" Ron exclaimed, sounding completely panicked now, "Please, mate! You have to hide me until she gives up trying to kill me!"
'Hermione's not going to just try,' Harry sighed to herself.
"Fine. I was just going to check on Hagrid anyway. Come on, Ron, before Hermione figures out which way you went."
"Already ahead of you!" Ron yelped, and ran out the doors.
They made it the short distance to Hagrid's hut without any problems, unless you counted Ron's constant checks over his shoulder for signs of a rampaging Hermione. Harry knocked on the door, and there was a short pause before it was unlatched and cracked open enough for Hagrid's face to peer out.
"Oh! Hullo there, Harry! Hullo, Ron!" Hagrid greeted them.
"Hi Hagrid," Harry said, "Sorry to bother you, but we hadn't seen you for a while, and I was getting a bit worried."
"Ah," Hagrid said, sounding a whole lot less happy now, "Err…really, it's been nuthin' teh worry 'bout. An' I really shouldn' be distractin' yeh from yeh schoolwork, really -"
"Hide me!" Ron cried suddenly, "I can see her coming over the lawn!"
And Ron dove through the door, forcing it open just enough to wriggle inside past the startled Hagrid. Not three seconds later, Ron exclaimed, "Ugh! Why's it so hot in here?"
"Err…" Hagrid sheepishly opened the door wider, just enough for Harry to get inside, before closing and latching it again.
The temperature inside Hagrid's hut was murderously hot, no doubt to the roaring bonfire in Hagrid's fireplace. Underneath Hagrid's table, Fang was lying and panting, and Ron was doing an eerie imitation of the boarhound not too far away.
"Hagrid, why on earth are you keeping it so hot in here?" Harry asked.
"Ah…well, I guess yeh should know," Hagrid said, and walked to the fireplace.
Sitting in the fire was a iron pot. Hagrid used tongs to lift the pot out of the fire, and something in the pot rolled around noisily. Awkwardly, Hagrid held out the pot, warning Ron and Harry to be careful not to touch it. In the pot was a big, blackish-colored egg.
"Oh Hagrid," Ron said, going white, "You didn't."
"Didn't what?" Harry asked.
"Won it offa chap in the Hog's Head," Hagrid said, sounding proud as he returned the pot to the fire.
"That egg?" Harry asked again.
"Hagrid, you know they're outlawed, don't you?" Ron pointed out.
"I don' see wha' all the fuss is," Hagrid replied.
"What are you two talking about!" Harry snapped, finally drawing their attention her way.
"Sorry Harry, I forgot you wouldn't know," Ron said.
"That I wouldn't know what?" Harry asked, irritated beyond belief now.
"That egg is a dragon egg," Ron said, jerking a thumb towards the pot sitting in the fire, "But breeding dragons was outlawed in 1709, everyone knows that."
"Oh! That was why you wanted that book from the library!" Harry exclaimed, remembering the last time she and Hagrid had spoken.
"A book?" Ron blinked.
"Is it going to hatch soon?" Harry asked Hagrid.
"Next week," Hagrid admitted.
"Does the Headmaster know what you're doing?" Ron asked, "Did he ask you to find something to defend the stone besides Fluffy, then?"
"…And how do yeh know 'bout THAT!" Hagrid exclaimed, suddenly looking furious.
"Err...we guessed?" Ron lied.
Hagrid didn't look like he believed Ron, but still looked quite annoyed. After a few more questions, Hagrid admitted that yes, Dumbledore had visited for tea last week, he'd seen the egg, but the Headmaster hadn't commented on it at all.
"Nobody can tame a dragon, they're really vicious," Ron was saying now, "Hagrid, if the board of directors finds out that you were going to raise a dragon, they'd have you sacked!"
"I ain't gonna be -" Hagrid started, then paused.
"Who is that?"
A face, half-hidden by the curtains, had indeed been at the window, but by the time Hagrid, Ron, and Harry had gotten outside, their watcher was a black and white blur, hightailing it to the school as fast as he could go.
"Malfoy!" Ron cursed.
Malfoy, it seemed, had followed Harry to Hagrid's hut, and he had heard everything.
…