Disclaimers: See Chapter 1 for more info.

Acknowledgements: To TooLazyToLogin for giving me the original idea for this series. To DoctorWhovian18, for being my beta-writer/reader for this series, for her ideas on pranking, ideas on other things about the story, her advice and helpfulness, and the list go on. To LOTCR, for her ideas for this story. I'd also like to thank ValueMyHeart for reviewing, following, and favoriting this story. To all my readers who are favoriting, following, and reviewing this story. And I'd also like to thank Frodo and the hobbits for their help with this story as well. Yes, that sounds crazy to the normal readers, but I'm still thanking Frodo and his friends anyway.

Okay, I did my research: according to the Harry Potter Wiki, Hufflepuff did not play in their final match for the Inter-House Quidditch Cup. So, this means we won't see this last match for Hufflepuff or Slytherin for this story. But we will see the Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw, as I know that appears in the books. For now, feel free to read on. Also, as I didn't look up Sam's birthday until today, I realized Sam's birthday is not May 1st but April 6th. So, I've fixed it now. :)

Exactly a week after the Norwegian Ridgeback hatched, Frodo found time to celebrate Sam's birthday. Frodo found Sam as soon as he ate breakfast and handed him a gift: his very own collection of seeds, of plants found in England. Frodo made sure to get the seeds the previous day from Professor Sprout. Sam was impressed.

Frodo reminded him, "For when you get back to the Shire. They're yours."

"Thanks," said Sam.

"So, what are your plans today?" Frodo asked, "Anything special?"

"Just my siblings celebratin' my birthday; same thing every year," said Sam, sheepish.

"Well have a good birthday, Sam," said Frodo.

"Have a good day, Mr. Frodo," said Sam in reply.

It turned out that throughout the day, Sam received various gifts from both Hufflepuffs and his siblings. Even Merry and Pippin pitched in, granting Sam his very own mini-prank, which was actually an owl that turned into a shrew. Sam laughed merrily at the gift. As the day passed, Sam received more gifts from his family, living in the Shire. Sam could admit this was a grand birthday.

During lunch, that same day, Frodo received a strange note by owl from Bilbo:

Dear Frodo,

I must tell you the news! I don't know how you'll take it. Samwise Gamgee is born this year to Hamfast, or as we call him the Gaffer, and Bell Goodchild-Gamgee. Sam's birthday, ironically, is April 6th.

I am sorry this letter is not longer, but I thought I should tell you. Seeing as you already know Sam at Hogwarts, it would be unwise to inform him as he grows up here. But if you want him to know, the decision is yours. I don't know what might happen if you do.

Hope to hear from you soon, dear cousin.

Love, your uncle,

Bilbo

This particular letter made Frodo feel very nervous. Great, now he had two secrets to keep quiet. But he knew Aria was too nosy for her own good. Maybe he would tell her… or maybe not. Why did there have to be such tough decisions?

Aria did ask him, casually, "Whose it from?"

Frodo said, a little hesitant, "Eh, Bilbo. He brought me more news from home."

"What of?" asked Aria.

He should have known as much. However, Frodo's hesitant expression and nervousness shook him to the core. He couldn't tell news like this. Who knew what would happen if he did. But then, he was thinking like a fangirl… silly fangirls. Or maybe they weren't far off.

All Frodo could say to Aria was, "I'll tell you later."

"Okay," said Aria, even though she wasn't sure he would inform her of Bilbo's news. She asked, curious, "When?"

Frodo told her, murmuring in her ear, "Later." Yes, Aria was nosy, but she had a good heart. This was something he admired from her. And that's all that counted.

o-o-o

Later that afternoon, Frodo learned Hagrid named his dragon Norbert. The giant was getting too attached to the beast. Like Harry, Ron and Hermione, Frodo did his best to convince Hagrid that he couldn't keep the dragon. Then Harry came up with a solution: they would tell Charlie, Ron's brother, about Norbert, in an effort to move the dragon to Romania.

As it turned out, to Frodo's relief, Hagrid agreed that they could send an owl to Charlie, asking him about their plan. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Frodo hoped this arrangement would work, but then Frodo had enough trouble keeping secret to his other friends about the illegal dragon. He wondered how many more secrets he would keep, but he admitted to himself he was very good at keeping secrets. Some things were better left out of his hands.

o-o-o

Frodo learned the next week the Quidditch match between Hufflepuff and Slytherin was cancelled. What this meant was Hufflepuff and Slytherin were done for the rest of the school year. While Frodo had some relief – his mind preoccupied with the Sorcerer's Stone and Norbert the Norwegian Ridgeback – he took pity on Sam. Finding the hobbit by himself Tuesday morning, shortly after they finished eating breakfast, Frodo joined Sam over at a bench in the Entrance Courtyard.

Frodo gave some encouraging words to his friend: "It's not your fault, Sam. These things happen. It's a game, you know."

"I know, Mr. Frodo," said Sam, timid. "I just… I hoped…" He stammered forward, eventually getting out what he needed to say: "You're lucky. Ravenclaw gets to play, as does Gryffindor."

"At least Lotho doesn't have to worry about his team, but then they're Slytherins," said Frodo.

Sam replied, knowing he sounded foolish, "Amy cheers on Slytherin. Even though she says they're not all bad, I think she encourages them more than she lets on."

Frodo chuckled sheepishly, "I know she does. I'm just glad we don't get to hear about Lotho's antics."

"You're a good hobbit, Mr. Frodo," said Sam.

Frodo added, delighted by the comment, "And you're a good friend."

Sam blushed in embarrassment. "You're only saying that…"

"No, I mean it. You are a good friend to have around. We need more people like you," admitted Frodo.

There was silence between them, but it was mutual. All Frodo and Sam knew was they officially reached the beginnings of their friendship. They had no idea where that friendship would take them, but each knew this moment meant something.

o-o-o

Thursday morning, on his way to class, Frodo spotted Harry, Ron and Hermione. Harry had a note for him, which he passed to him as they walked past each other. Unfolding the parchment, Frodo read the message to himself. It was in Harry's scribbled handwriting, but it read loud and clear:

Frodo,

Charlie's going to take Norbert at midnight on Saturday. Ron is in the hospital wing. Norbert bit him last night. Meet us at the top of the tallest tower Saturday night, before Charlie's friends arrive. Hermione and I will bring Norbert.

See you then,

Harry

Frodo grinned to himself. They were going to do it. Getting Norbert to the tallest tower would not be easy, but the astronomy tower was their best chance of getting the illegal dragon out of Hogwarts. He hoped they weren't caught. Lucky for him, Frodo could move unseen, but the best he could manage before the spell wore off an hour or two of being invisible. He would have to be stealthy and swift if he were to reach the tallest tower on time.

Making sure no one saw the letter Frodo re-folded the parchment. He stuffed it inside his satchel for safe keeping.

o-o-o

Saturday evening came faster than Frodo knew. Even though Aria wanted to talk to him, it wasn't hard for her to guess how anxious he was. Eventually, Aria gave up, yawning in an effort to stay awake.

"Don't stay up too late, Frodo," said Aria. "I'm going to bed."

"Okay," said Frodo, nodding.

"Goodnight," said Aria, standing up and making her way to the door leading to the Girls' Dormitory.

Frodo replied, sweetly, "Goodnight."

Aria looked back with such joy. She was so happy to be in Ravenclaw.

The second Frodo made sure the Ravenclaw Girls' Dormitory door was closed and Aria's footsteps faded, Frodo checked the clock. 10:10 p.m. He had to leave now. Making sure no one was around, Frodo used his hand magic on himself to turn his body invisible. Good. Now as long as he wasn't in any lights, his shadow wouldn't be seen. It had been a while since he used his invisibility spell, so he nearly forgot how to turn his shadow invisible. Either way, it was time to leave the Ravenclaw Common Room for the astronomy tower. He would have a long journey ahead of him.

Once he used his hand magic on his feet, making sure the footfalls were muted, Frodo darted past the common room's door. He ran down the spiral staircase and into the seventh-floor corridor. This was going to be easy…

"MEOW!" cried Mrs. Norris.

Oh no, thought Frodo. He would have to sneak around her. Relieved not to be near any torches, Frodo waited until Mrs. Norris had walked down the corridor and disappeared around the corner. Sighing in relief that Filch's cat was no longer in sight, Frodo snuck down the corridor in the other direction, heading straight for the door to the Grand Staircase. He slipped through without being noticed.

Remembering his shortcuts, and the ones that he traveled with Aria, Frodo arrived at the astronomy tower. As he climbed up the stairs, his invisibility cloaking spell wore off. He was visible. Frodo tried using his hand magic to make himself invisible again, but found the spell was wearing him down. Stopping himself from making the full cast, Frodo figured he would have to wait a while before trying again. Still, he was lucky he wasn't caught.

Trying something simpler, that didn't drain his energy, Frodo used his hand magic to make a clock appear. 11:30 p.m. Good, he still had enough time to relax and give his hand magic a break. Using his hand magic a second time, Frodo made the clock vanish.

Reaching the top step, Frodo moved past the huge globe, standing on a metallic pedestal in the centermost part of the room, and approached the balcony railing. The view of the night sky, the castle, and the Black Lake was amazing. Once his eyes adjusted, he was able to see the vista. There were days when he was impressed by the castle. Oh, how he wished he didn't act so sour when he arrived at Hogwarts his first time here.

Minutes passed and soon Harry and Hermione arrived with Norbert. The moment they took off their cloaks, Hermione got Frodo's attention, "Hey Frodo."

Snapping out of his reverie, Frodo turned around, right as Hermione and Harry joined him on either side. Norbert thrashed about inside his crate. Frodo couldn't have been happier to see them. Jokingly, Frodo asked the two, "What kept you? Where's Ron?"

"Ron's in the hospital. Norbert bit him," said Hermione.

Harry said in his defense, "You try carrying a dragon all the way through the corridors and stairs of the castle. It isn't easy."

Frodo chuckled guiltily, "I doubt it would be." He admitted, "I could have helped you."

Harry gave it some thought. "Well… I didn't think of that."

"I don't see why not. I'm not a hobbit here," said Frodo. He looked down at his feet, and admitted as a recovery, "Well, maybe a little."

"Maybe," said Hermione, giggling.

Harry shushed them. He was glad they were talking in whispers. "Remember, we don't want anyone catching us. Filch could be wandering nearby."

"Good point," Frodo murmured. He was lucky Harry was on his side, or he was on Harry's. Either way, he was happy to enjoy his conversation with Harry and Hermione.

Minutes passed before Charlie's friends arrived by broomstick. The four friends greeted Harry and Hermione. The second they saw Frodo, Charlie's friends knew right away what to say.

Joking, Charlie's first friend said to his mates, "Look who's joined us. Are you Ron's friend?"

"Of course he is," said Charlie's second friend. "Look at his robes. How strange they are."

"I'm a hobbit. Frodo Baggins is my name. It's a pleasure to meet you all," said Frodo, introducing himself.

Charlie's third friend said, "Let's get to work, now while we still have the night."

Charlie's fourth friend said, "We should be grateful. It's not often we have a Halfling – eh, Hobbit working with us."

Frodo took that as a compliment. He felt more relaxed around Charlie's friends. The joking and cheery behavior helped ease his nerves, given all the sneaking around he would have to do on his way down the astronomy tower. Once Charlie's friends showed Frodo, Harry and Hermione how to harness Norbert, the rest was easy. Frodo waited until Harry and Hermione shook hands with the others before it was his turn. He wondered why he was always last.

"It's nice meeting you, Frodo. Hope to see you around, whenever you visit Romania," said the fourth friend.

"When does Frodo Baggins ever have time for the likes of us?" asked the third friend, jokingly.

"I'm sure if we drop Charlie a word, he'll let Frodo come and visit us," said the second friend.

"Let's do it when we get back," said the first friend.

The fourth friend told Frodo, shaking his hand, "Cheers, Frodo."

"And to you," said Frodo, grateful to have met them. He told the four friends, "Take care of Norbert."

"Oh, we will," said Charlie's friends in unison. Grabbing their broomsticks, they flew out of the astronomy tower and into the night sky. The harness carrying Norbert was secure, for the crate did not drop nor the straps loosen.

Frodo felt relief the further the crate was away from the castle. Eventually, it was out of sight. But something inside him felt pity for the dragon. He said to Harry and Hermione, murmuring softly, "Maybe we should have kept Norbert a little while longer."

"You can't be serious," said Hermione, murmuring back in shock. "Frodo, Hagrid couldn't keep a dragon, especially one that was illegal. It would be wrong."

"I know, but still…"

Harry intervened, telling Frodo in a whisper, "Frodo, Norbert's in safer hands now."

"That's true. I hadn't thought of that…" Frodo stopped in his tracks. He tried his hand magic again, hoping to turn invisible, but his hand magic drained him once again. Great. How was he supposed to sneak back to Ravenclaw Tower without…

"Well, well, well," Filch whispered, "we are in trouble."

Frodo had reached the bottom of the tower with Harry and Hermione. He hadn't realized he continued walking. He thought he'd stopped and tried his magic. How had he reached the bottom of the stairs? Maybe he was sleepwalking. Or rather… he didn't know.

As he followed Filch, Harry and Hermione, Frodo thought of the things he could say, anything of interest. But he knew he would choke out the truth. He was good at telling the truth. However, Harry glared at him to keep quiet. He knew Frodo well, and Frodo had a feeling Harry knew just what he would tell Professor McGonagall. Frodo chose then to keep to himself, his feet shuffling and doing their best not to trip on anything or even themselves as he walked.

The four arrived at McGonagall's study on the first floor. Filch told Frodo, Harry and Hermione to take a seat, while they waited for McGonagall to arrive. Frodo followed the direct order so quick he felt a huge sadness seep into his skull. He never felt so terrible. He knew what sneaking around would do. Now, he was in deep trouble. There was no backing out, but… Frodo didn't want to know what his parents or his Uncle Bilbo thought when they heard the news.

McGonagall arrived shortly after with Neville. Neville did his best to explain to Harry that he was going to warn him, but Harry did his best, in a silent manner, to shut him up. This however didn't settle McGonagall's anger.

"Explain yourselves," said McGonagall.

Frodo had no words. He looked at the other two, but Hermione had fallen silent. Frodo wanted to speak, but his jaw wouldn't open. When it did, his voice was still, as if a toad had lodged itself in his throat, forcing him not to say anything.

McGonagall clearly had something to tell the four. She claimed they fed Draco Malfoy with a story about a dragon, just so they could sneak up the astronomy tower. It wasn't true and Frodo wanted to tell McGonagall his experience, but then so did Harry about the truth.

McGonagall did get to their punishment. She was shocked at Harry and Hermione's behavior. Then she pointed out to Frodo, in a strict voice, "Mr. Baggins, as part of the hobbit race attending Hogwarts, I expected you to represent your kin better." She told her four students, "All four of you will receive detentions. Fifty points will be taken from Gryffindor and Ravenclaw." She stopped Frodo from complaining, "Yes, Mr. Baggins, that means Ravenclaw."

"Fifty?" said Harry, gasping.

"Fifty points each," said McGonagall.

Frodo was shocked. All those points he helped Ravenclaw win – from his classes mainly – they were now lost. Well, he hoped not all the points were lost, but then… oh, he couldn't think straight. He had this feeling Aria would not be pleased.

I know this is a rough place to stop a chapter. Well, heroes always have their low point; besides, we knew this was coming, as it is in the first Harry Potter book, too, concerning Harry, Hermione and Neville. Feel free to leave a review and let me know what you think. Okay, bye. :)