"I've always heard Hogwarts' end of the year exams were frightful, but I found that rather enjoyable." Hermione grinned.
"Speak for yourself." Eileen giggled.
"You speak for yourself!" Ron protested, "according to Charlie, you could help him with his O.W.Ls when you were, what, six?"
A groan from their friend broke the argument, "All right there, Harry?" Ron asked gingerly.
"My scar. It keeps burning."
"Perhaps you should see the nurse."
"I think it's a warning." Harry groaned, shutting his eyes, when he reopened them he saw Hargrid's hut, and then everything made sense. "Of course!" Harry took off jogging, his friends close behind.
"What is it?" Hermione asked.
"Don't you think it's a bit odd that what Hagrid wants more than anything is a dragon, and a stranger shows up and just happens to have one?" They approach Hagrid, who is playing on his flute. "I mean, how many people wander around with dragon eggs in their pockets? Why didn't I see it before? Hagrid, who gave you the dragon egg?"
"What did he look like?"
"I don't know. I never saw his face. He kept his hood up."
"The stranger, though, you and he must have talked."
"Well, he wanted to know what sort of creatures I looked after. I told him. I said: After Fluffy, a dragon's gonna be no problem."
"And did he seem interested in Fluffy?" Hermione questioned.
"Well, of course he was interested in Fluffy! How often do you come across a three headed dog, even if you're in the trade? But I told him. I said: The trick with any beast is to know how to calm him. Take Fluffy, for example, just play him a bit of music and he falls straight to sleep." The four gape.
" I shouldn't have told you that." The group take off. "Where are you going?! Wait!"
McGonagall's classroom. They come tearing in and run up the aisles between desks. They pass a ghost, Peeves, and stop at the desk.
"We have to see Professor Dumbledore, immediately!"
"I'm afraid Professor Dumbledore is not here. He received an urgent owl from the Ministry of Magic and left immediately for London."
"He's gone?! Now? But this is important! It's about the Philosopher's Stone."
McGonagall was shocked, "How do you know about it, did your father tell you this, Eileen?"
"No, ma'am."
"Someone's going to try and steal it."
"I don't know how you four found out about the stone, but I can assure you it is perfectly well-protected. Now, would you go back to your dormitories? Quietly." After exiting McGonagall's class, they walk down the hallway.
"That was no stranger Hagrid met in the village. It was Snape, no offense Eileen, which means he knows how to get past Fluffy."
"Look, just because my dad is the Dungeon Bat doesn't make him a villain!"
Severus suddenly appears behind them, "Good afternoon. Now, what would three young Gryffindors and my daughter be doing inside on a day like this?" His eyes were mainly focused on Eileen.
"Uh, we were just," Hermione couldn't lie, not on the spot."
"You want to be careful. People will think you're up to something." Severus placed a hand on Eileen's soulder in place of a hug before walking away, his mind filled with worry.
"Now what do we do?" Ron asked, hushed.
"We go down the trapdoor. Tonight." Eileen replied, watching her father walk away.
Classes came and went, as did lunch and dinner. It was finally nightfall, Harry eagerly told Eileen about how they stunned Neville a few minutes prior to their meetup. The four are under the Invisibility cloak, sneaking along the corridor.
"Ow! You stood on my foot!" Hermione hissed.
"Sorry." A flame lights. Hermione draws out her wand and points it at the door.
"Alohomora." The door opens and they go in.
"Wait a minute he's sleeping."
"Snape's already been here. He's put a spell on the harp." Eileen bit her tongue to prevent saying something she'd later regret. They approach the sleeping dog.
"Uh. It's got horrible breath!"
"We have to move its paw." Eileen stated, matter-of-factly.
"What?!"
"Come on!" Harry was the first to move; he grabbed the paw blocking the door. Soon all four of them were lined up against the paw. "Okay. Push!" They strain and move it and open the door.
"I'll go first. Don't follow until I give you a sign."ileen stated, Fluffy's eyes open, the four friends suddenly become aware of the silence. "If something bad happens, get yourselves out. Does it seem a bit quiet?"
"The harp. It stopped playing." Hermione whispers as drool from one head comes down on Ron's shoulder.
"Ew! Yuck! Ugh." All four kids look up and see Fluffy standing there. He barks and growls, thrashing, breaking the harp and dives at them.
"Jump! Go!" They all jump through the trapdoor.