CHAPTER 12: Give me strength for all I want to do
A/N: Hey guys, Welcome back. Hope you had a great week. Not so much for me as Melbourne went into another lockdown and it's just my bad luck that it happened right on the day the new Suicide Squad movie came out and I couldn't see it. FYI I'm a massive movie buff and it just really pissed me off. Anyway, hopefully my frustration doesn't come through my writing, although I've heard it sometimes can be a good thing. Really happy with how this chapter turned out but I guess me saying that doesn't mean much. Hope you guys enjoy it and without further ado...….Read on...…
Second Floor Corridor, Hogwarts Castle
"C'mon, open up!" Harry was standing before the gargoyle that led to the headmaster's office. There was a permanent scowl etched on his face as he stomped his foot angrily before walking right up to the gargoyle. "I need to see the headmaster, please it's important" He tried one more time as he waited with bated breath, hoping the gargoyle can sense the plea and urgency in his voice.
The stone structure remained still.
"Unhh" he growled, trying really hard not to scream because his frustration and patience had boiled over the tipping point. He walked over to the wall facing the gargoyle before sitting with his back leaning against the wall. He brought his knees up and glared at the statue.
For the past fifteen minutes he tried everything he could for the stone gargoyle to take him to the headmaster's office. That also included him punching the gargoyle at one point that resulted in a cracking sound before blood started dripping from his knuckles.
He looked down at his right ankle where his skin was showing because he had ripped a piece of his trouser to wrap it over his bleeding hand which was really starting to hurt.
He tipped his head back and stared at the wall above the gargoyle, really hoping he had asked Hermione the password to the headmaster's office before coming. 'She surely would've known. And also would've hexed me for waking her up just to ask this' A shudder went through his body when an image of Hermione's angry face flashed through his brain, after he told her what he'd been up to well past midnight.
'What if I don't tell her? Ron could keep a secret, right' He shook his head, thinking that was a bad idea. Not telling her would be even worse. He didn't want her to find out from someone else because that would make her feel betrayed which may damage their relationship even further that what he'd managed to do tonight.
He wasn't going to let that happen. Not now, not ever. If only he hadn't been such an asshole to her. 'I'm going to apologise to her first thing in the morning. Hopefully, she will forgive me...once again'
A few Hours ago, Gryffindor Common Room
The door closed behind Harry as he followed his friends over to the sitting area next to the fireplace. Hermione took a seat on the chair with Ron and Harry sitting on the couch.
He had barely sat down when Hermione asked him what she'd been wanting to so since they found him. "Alright, now tell us everything? Where did you go and what happened, I want all the details" she said in a single breath, her voice filled with eagerness.
"Yeah mate, spit out everything" added Ron, as he made himself more comfortable by taking his shoes off and placing his sock covered feet on the couch. Hermione made a disgusted face but didn't say anything because her curiosity to know what Harry had to say trumped reprimanding Ron for his filthy display of manners.
"Umm okay…..." Hermione frowned seeing Harry nervously shift in his seat as he hesitated to continue.
"What is it Harry" She asked leaning forward and twining and twisting her hands on her lap.
Harry lifted his head and looked her straight in the eye before speaking. "I saw Voldemort"
There was pin drop silence, after the gasp that left both his friend's mouth. He turned his head to look at Ron and saw that he was sporting the same shocked expression as Hermione. After another couple of seconds where he just kept turning his head in both their directions, the silence was broken.
"What-How-What do you mean" Hermione breathed out, her eyes still the size of saucers.
Harry took a deep breath before he explained everything that happened to him in the forest, from him trailing the unicorn blood, to his encounter with Voldemort and then finishing with Firenze saving him.
He didn't mention anything that he learnt at the centaur colony, except how beautiful it was, mainly because he didn't want to break Firenze's trust.
Hermione's mouth was hanging open and her face masked horror by the end of his tale.
Both his friends hadn't spoken a word for couple of minutes and Harry was starting to get anxious.
"Well, say something!" he exclaimed, making them snap out of their thoughts and turn their attention towards him.
"Are you sure?" asked Ron, before quickly continuing upon seeing the disbelief on Harry's face. "I'm not saying you're lying mate but, I mean you said it yourself that you didn't see his face. All you saw were his eyes, I mean it could've been anyone or anything. You said that he was floating in the air. Merlin knows what kind of creatures live in the forest" he finished, panting slightly.
Harry was about to open his mouth when Hermione interjected. "I think Ron's got a point Harry, I remember Hagrid saying that the deeper you go into the forest, the more dangerous creatures you come across and you had gone quite far. It could be a creature that we don't know about and may learn in the future."
"Yeah, Hermione's right" Ron nodded his head as Harry looked at him. "You should've told Hagrid about it, I'm sure he would've known. We can ask him tomorrow"
"Yeah" agreed Hermione.
Harry watched his friends in complete shock as they continued talking. He was gobsmacked by their reaction as he never thought they wouldn't believe him. His shock was quickly wavering off, only to be replaced by a feeling of betrayal and anger.
"Or maybe it was a dementor" said Hermione, her eyes wide in shock as if she had just solved the mystery.
"What is a dementor?" asked Ron, a small frown on his face.
"I read about them in a book about dangerous creatures. They guard Azkaban, a prison where all wizards and witches are sent after they have been found guilty. The book mentioned that-"
"I DON'T CARE ABOUT A BLOODY BOOK" yelled Harry.
Hermione stopped talking as she stared in shock at Harry, completely caught off guard by his outburst.
His nostrils were flaring, and his face was red in anger as he glared down at his friends. "I can't believe that after everything we've been through, you won't believe me-"
"Harry, it's not that we don't believe you-" Hermione tried to explain before he cut her off once again.
"And dismiss what I told you as if it meant nothing and come up with your own stupid theories"
"Mate, we do believe you, it's just that-"
"Cut it off Ron, if you really believed me, you wouldn't have dismissed it aside so easily." he said facing him.
Hermione stood up from her chair as she came to stand closer to Harry, who had also stood up during his outburst. "But Harry, we do believe you, we're only saying that there could have been other possibilities." She put a hand on his shoulder when he was about to speak as she continued. "Listen to me Harry, put yourself in our place. You just told us that after walking around for 10-15 minutes, you saw someone sucking the blood out of a unicorn and that someone, whose face you didn't see was Voldemort, a person you've never met before and whose been dead for over 10 years now." She paused, hoping for him to see reason as she watched him slowly calm down before he sat back down.
"But-"
"Is it possible that you tried to convince yourself it was him?" she asked, kneeling in front of him.
He looked up at her in shock. "Why would I do that?" he whispered in disbelief.
She gave him a sad smile before speaking. "I think you know why Harry…... You so desperately want to meet him that in a situation when you thought you were going to die, your mind started playing tricks on you. But he is dead Harry" she finished.
Few moments passed by before Harry shook his head. "I know what I saw, and I believe it one-hundred percent." He looked up at her from staring at the ground. "Plus, you don't know he's dead. No one does. Even Prof. Dumbledore wasn't sure when I asked him so forgive me if believe him and not you" He spat out. A look of hurt flashed through Hermione's face to which Harry didn't pay any attention even if he saw it.
Hermione nodded her head before getting up and taking a step back. "Okay"
"What do you want to do then?" asked Ron, who had been silently watching their interaction the entire time. All he wanted to do at the moment was knock some sense into Harry to see it from their perspective and also punch him for hurting Hermione. But he didn't want to make this whole situation even messier.
Harry turned his head in his direction. "I don't know" He shrugged his shoulders before getting to his feet. "I'm going to bed. See you guys' tomorrow" with that he headed towards the stairs.
…...
Back to Present
He couldn't sleep no matter how much he tried. The moment his head hit the bed he was overcome with guilt by how badly he treated Hermione. He saw the hurt he caused her when he said he'd rather believe Dumbledore than her. All she was trying to do was help him. It's all she's been trying to do since even before we became friends, and instead of appreciating her support and thanking her every waking minute I keep hurting her'
After giving up hope of getting any sleep he got out of bed and after a five-minute discussion with himself as he padded around the boy's dormitory, he decided to talk with the headmaster about the events in the forest.
But that had been an utter failure and waste of time as he stared into the eyes of the gargoyle. "Mocking me are you" he said sarcastically, wanting nothing more than to punch its face, but then he looked at his right hand which was absolutely throbbing in pain now and the thought raced out of his mind.
He stood up and was about to leave when he heard the tapping noise of footsteps. His eyes turned wide in shock as he stood frozen to the spot, unable to move. He was about to make a run for it when he came back to his senses, but it was too late by that point as the person turned the corner before stopping once their eyes landed on him.
"P-Potter?" Harry breathed a sigh of relief as he realised it was Prof. Quirrell. Even though he was a teacher, he was much more lenient than all the other teachers and hardly gave students any detention.
Also, in the past couple of months Harry really started to warm up to him. They often talked during class, just the mundane things, nothing important, which started with asking each other about their day and progressing from there on. Harry learnt a bit about his past, about his family, which consisted of his parents and a younger sister, who he loved talking about. He also found out that he wanted to learn to fly, a hobby he recently picked up and asked Harry if he wouldn't mind giving him a lesson or two, a request Harry was more than happy to accept as he loved being in the air.
So, he gave the professor some tips during their three sessions up until now. Harry was quite surprised to find out that he was actually quite good and would've have believed he had been flying all his life if he hadn't told him so.
He wasn't the only one surprised as Quirrell told him that he was equally shocked as he had never flown before, which made Harry respect him even more and also because the same thing happened to him.
Quirrell came out of the shadows and walked over to him. The light from the fire making his features more prominent.
Harry noticed that he was sweating. "Professor? I don't want to be rude but you're sweating" he said.
Quirrell stammered before coming up with a response. "Oh, yes. I sleepwalk sometimes you see." Harry nodded his head in understanding. "I have been doing it since I was young. Even before I came to Hogwarts." He paused before adding. "As a student that is"
"Oh"
"Anyway, I-I just woke up when I hit my head against the wall on the third floor. I don't even know ho-how I made it that far wit-without bumping into something ear-earlier" He chuckled nervously before continuing. "I was just heading to my quarters now. Wh-What about you, what are d-doing he-here?" he asked.
"Oh, I just came to see Prof. Dumbledore but forgot that I didn't know the password." He smiled nervously, hoping he would get out of detention.
Quirrell squinted his brows in confusion. "Prof. Dum-Dumbledore?" He asked, turning his head towards the gargoyle before facing him once again. "This late? Everything al-alright Ha-Harry?" He asked, showing concern.
"Umm yeah, I just had to tell him something" he said, looking down.
Quirrell put a hand on his shoulder and gave him a friendly smile. "What is it? Y-you c-can tell me and I'll ma-make sure to tell the head-headmaster"
Harry stared at him intently as he thought about what to say or not say, more specifically. Even though he trusted Quirrell than most teachers, it still wasn't enough for him to tell him what he was going to say to Dumbledore. Instead, he opted for another option, thinking he might learn some new information and whether Prof. Dumbledore trusts Quirrell.
"I just heard some students talking that they listened upon a conversation between two teachers." Quirrell nodded his head for him to continue. "Apparently the teachers were talking about a big dog on the third floor. Not only that but that he was guarding a trap door." He looked for any sign of surprise on Quirrell's face, but he just kept looking at him with a blank look.
"I asked Prof. Dumbledore about it one morning you see, and he confirmed it. Saying that the dog was guarding something precious. Anyway, I never thought about it again because he told me to not worry about the dog as that was my big worry because I'm quite scared of dogs" He paused, as a small smile came over Quirrell's lips. "But tonight, me and my friends were serving detention in the forest with Hagrid and somehow I got separated from them. When I was trying to find them, I came across this person who was sucking the blood out of a unicorn. I've never seen or heard something like that before and for some reason couldn't shake it off my mind.
Then it came to me, what if that person is trying to steal what is under the trap door and thought the headmaster should know about it. That's why I'm here" he finished, watching Quirrell's expression with rapt attention.
"Oh Harry, y-you d-don't need to w-worry about tha-that" stuttered the Defence against the dark arts, Professor.
"Really?" 'C'mon say it, professor. I need you to say it, so I know' "But he was really scary, professor, he would've killed me if it wasn't for a centaur. What if he gets past the door?" He held his breath as he waited for his response. 'It's now or never'
"Don't worry ab-about it" he then leaned in closer. "Y-you see even if h-he gets through the do-door, he won't get much further because he would come across even tougher challenges than getting past the dog"
Harry released a sigh of relief, inwardly. That's all he wanted to know. If Prof. Quirrell knew about the challenges which only the teachers knew about, then it meant that Dumbledore trusted him. But still, he wanted to be sure.
"What challenges, professor?" he asked, doing his best impression of looking sincere.
"I wou-wouldn't worry ab-about that, Ha-Harry" Harry's face when fell before he heard Quirrell mutter something under his breath. "Besides, I only know about one" His face lit up as he looked at Quirrell who had a massive scowl on his face.
"So, you put one enchantment too?" he asked. Quirrell furrowed his brows in confusion. "Oh, never mind, it's not like you need to tell me, or that I need to know about it" He chuckled nervously, hoping he did a decent job covering up.
Apparently, he did as Quirrell watched him with amusement.
"So, d-did Prof, Dumbledore men-mentioned anything else to you" asked Quirrell nonchalantly, as he looked at his nails.
"Huh?"
He looked at Harry out of the corner of his eyes. "You know w-when you asked him abo-about the dog?"
"Oh, umm...Not really." If he had looked up, he would've seen Quirrell's face fell for a second. "He mentioned that only the teachers who put up the enchantments knew how to get past them, which I'm sure you already know about" He lifted his head towards him before continuing. "But other than that, nothing" he shook his head.
"Very g-good, Harry," Quirrell gave him a large smile as he patted his shoulder. "Why d-don't you get b-ack to you-your dormitory now, I wouldn't want y-you to sl-sleep during my less-lesson in the morning" They both chuckled as Harry nodded his head.
"Don't worry Professor, I have history of magic right after your lesson. I'll be sure to get in a good nap during that" finished Harry, bringing out another bout of laughter in the silent halls of the castle.
"Good night, Professor,"
"Good night, Harry," Quirrell said.
Harry turned around and started walking in the opposite direction. He had only taken a few steps when Quirrell stopped him. "Harry?"
Harry turned around to face him. "Yes, professor?" he asked.
Harry watched him stare at him for a moment before saying "Nothing. Good night" said Quirrell with a smile.
Harry smiled back and nodded his head once before turning around and heading towards the staircase to the upper level.
He reached the seventh floor and was about to turn left when he stopped and looked to his right at the staircase to the upper level. He stood on the spot for several seconds before making up his mind and headed towards the stairs.
Harry opened the metal bar door to the astronomy tower before walking in, leaving the door open behind him. He walked over to the balcony before leaning his elbows on the railing and looking off into the distance.
He knew he wasn't going to get any sleep with his thoughts so muddled at the moment, and it was only a couple of hours till sunrise, so coming out here seemed a good an option as any.
He didn't know why but his thoughts took him to the Dursleys. How much has their life had changed since he left for Hogwarts, or has it stayed the same. Did they ever think about him?
He didn't think so but his last couple of interactions with his aunt, especially the last time he spoke to her seemed as if she was trying to make amends with how bad she had acted towards him over the years. He didn't pay it much thought at the time because he was fuelled by his anger at the time and didn't even want to give her a chance.
But now, as he watched the lake simmer in the moonlight, he realized there were always two sides to a story and no matter how much he still hated her, he wanted to listen to her story. He wanted to know what she had to say for how she treated him, why she let her husband and son treat him as if he was worse than a low-life scum, who broke into their home, and they had to take care of him.
More than anything he wanted to know more about his mother. Even though he could ask Dumbledore who could share a lot about her, or even Firenze, who by his own admission said that aside from his father he knew her the best which he doubted if he was being perfectly honest, he wanted a different perspective.
A perspective of a sister, who grew up with her and knew personal things about her that no one alive could know. Maybe not even his father since he remembered Hagrid once saying that his mother absolutely despised his father till their seventh year and mentioned that she was alone most of the time he saw her and didn't spend much time with her classmates, which meant that his aunt was the only person growing up who could have the answers to what she was like when she was his age or during her teens.
He knew they weren't the best of friends from what little his aunt had told him but still, you can learn a lot about a person when living under the same roof even if you don't like them, something he one hundred percent believes in because still to this day he knows a lot more about Dudley than anybody else. He knows about his fears, what makes him happy, what makes him angry, what he likes to do, secrets he hides from even his parents and a lot more stuff he much rather not think about. He knows all this about him not because Dudley ever shared it with him but because they're of the same age and going through the same stuff and figuring it out on the way. He doesn't even need to talk to him to know what his mood is like at any given moment, it's just a feeling that's so ingrained in him, something he can't explain in words.
He knew what he had to do to get what he wanted, that wasn't the problem, it was the dilemma of being brave enough, of putting himself in a vulnerable position to achieve it.
His thoughts were interrupted by a shooting star as it raced across the sky in a downwards trajectory. Harry was in awe as he followed it with his eyes, completely mesmerized by it. Just as its light was fading away, Harry closed his eyes.
'Give me strength for all I want to do'
He opened his eyes just in to see the star shine brightly than it ever did before disappearing into the vastness of space. A small smile appeared over his lips as a strand of hair came over his eyes which he swept away before patting his hair down.
The sound of footsteps made him turn his head towards the door. Unfortunately for him he didn't have time to hide as in the next couple of seconds a figure appeared at the threshold of the door.
They stared at each other with blank looks on their faces, not even blinking because that would be a sign of weakness and that was the last thing either one of them wanted. Twenty seconds into their staring contest, during which no one moved a muscled, they both blinked simultaneously.
Harry went back to his earlier position of leaning over the railing as his eyes swept over the waterfall but this time, he didn't turn his head at the sound of footsteps.
He could see from the corner of his eye the other person walk over to the railing before copying his position as he put his elbows on the railing.
The silence was palpable between them but also completely natural. Seconds trickled into minutes which turned into hours during which not a word was spoken.
However, their positions changed over the two-hour period from leaning against the railing to sitting against the wall to even lying down on the concrete floor but always completely aware of their surroundings, just in case.
Harry's lips twitched at the corner as he watched the sun starting to peek from behind the mountains.
Both pair of eyes, the emerald green and the steel blue, were totally enraptured as they watched the sun rise, a first for one of them but for the other, something he had seen numerous times through the window of his bedroom back home, but never like this.
The scenery presented before their eyes was one out of fairy tales as the top half of the mountains tinted orange and a red hue came over the lake. After completely soaking in the image to his memory, Harry turned around before making his way towards the door and without looking back left the astronomy tower.
…...
Harry slowly closed the door behind as all his dormmates were still sleeping before walking over to school bag. He took out a small piece of parchment and a quill and bottle of ink. He walked over to his bed before kneeling on the ground and placing the parchment on his bed. He placed the bottle of ink on his desk before taking the cap off and dipping his quill in it.
He racked his brain for a few seconds, wondering how best to word what he wanted to say, before shaking his head and placing his quill on the parchment and scribbled a line. He read the line a couple of times, thinking it was quite good.
'Be more respectful' said a voice in his head that sounded a lot like Hermione's. Harry rolled his eyes before begrudgingly adding another word.
'I want to learn about my mother. Tell me everything. Please.'
He folded the parchment before walking out of the dorm and down the stairs. He was halfway cross the common room when a voice stopped him in his tracks.
"Harry?" He turned towards the fireplace where Hermione was standing behind the couch watching him with a frown.
"What are you doing up so early?" she asked, before coming over to him.
He was speechless for a moment, slightly shocked to find her up so early, he knew she got up earlier than everyone else, but he wasn't expecting this early.
"What are you doing up?" Hermione seemed a little taken aback by his question before answering.
"I'm always up this early" Surprised by her admission, Harry looked over at the clock.
"5.45? You get up at 5.45?" He asked, completely bewildered.
Hermione took a step back, not expecting to be scrutinize the first thing in the morning, that too by her best friend.
"Umm...5.30 actually" she said in a small voice.
Harry shook his head in disbelief. "Ron's right. You're mental" He watched her eyes turn wide before they narrowed into slits.
"Oh really. Anything else you two say behind my back that you'd like to tell me" He saw her face turning red at a rapid pace as she took a step towards him.
"No, No, No!" he exclaimed, putting his hands up. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it that way"
"Then what way did you mean it? You called me mental straight to my face. How else am I supposed to take it?" Harry's eyes turned wide as he saw her eyes shining.
He grabbed her hands. "Hermione, I'm so sorry. For everything. For the way I treated you last night and now this morning. I didn't mean any of it. I swear I would never hurt you intentionally and would make sure that I don't do it unintentionally as well from now on" Hermione wiped at her eyes before a smile came over her lips.
"Do you forgive me?" He smiled in return.
"Yes, I'm sorry too for overreacting. I tend to do it a bit" she said as Harry dropped her hands.
"Just a bit" Harry demonstrated with his forefinger and thumb, making Hermione chuckle before her eyes turned wide.
"What happened to your hand?" she asked.
"Oh, I'll tell you about it on the way"
"What do you mean?"
Harry grabbed her hand before walking towards the exit. "C'mon, I'll show you."
…...
They were standing in the owlery, watching Hedwig fly away as the sun shone brightly on the snowy white owl.
"I think you made the right decision, Harry" Hermione said, turning her head towards him.
"You think so?" he asked, still watching the bird.
"I do. Think about it this way. You don't have anything to lose right?" Harry looked at her as a smile came over his lips.
"Yeah, you're right. What do I have to lose" He said the last part looking back up.
"Of course, I'm right, I've never been wrong" said Hermione, making Harry smile even wider. "C'mon, you need to get your fixed" she said before turning around as Harry followed her. "I still can't believe you went to Prof. Dumbledore's office after midnight. Do you have any idea how much trouble you could get into?" Harry smiled as he walked behind her as Hermione continued to admonish him.
…...
Potions Classroom
"So, are you going to ask him or not?" whispered Ron next to him.
"Not now, Ron. How many times have I told you. After class" grumbled Harry, sneaking a glance at Snape, who was sitting behind his desk, his gaze sweeping from one corner of the room to the other, no student hidden from his vision.
"You may not get the chance later. We've seen him leave even earlier than we do, and that's weird. Have you ever seen a teacher who wants the class to end even more than the students?" Ron paused, as he looked at Snape with a frown with a small hint of admiration. "There's definitely something wrong with him"
"Yeah, you don't have to tell me"
"See? Finally, you believe me now" Ron said a little too loudly as he found himself being glared down by Snape the next second. He ducked his head before scribbling down the lines written on the board.
The ringing of the bell signalled the end of the class. Students started to gather up their belongings before making their way out of the room.
Harry hurriedly packed his books as he kept looking over at the front of the room. His vision got blocked by a sea of students leaving the room.
"Crap" he muttered, as he put his school bag over his shoulder and started making his way in the opposite direction than everyone else.
He pushed people out of his way, tip toeing on his toes to see if Snape was still at his desk. Unfortunately for him his view was blocked by Crabbe and Goyle, who were two of the tallest students in their year.
After much pushing and prodding, he finally made his through. He released a sigh of relief upon seeing Snape still sitting on his desk, writing on a parchment.
He walked over to him before stopping before his desk. He cleared his throat to make his presence known.
"Yes, Mr. Potter" Harry's eyes turned wide, wondering how he knew it was him without looking up.
He came out of his shock before speaking. "Umm professor, I wanted to ask you a question regarding the chapter we did today."
"What of it?" said Snape, eyes still on the parchment before him.
Harry walked around his desk to stand beside him. Snape lifted his head and looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
"I wanted to show it to you" explained Harry, before taking out his potions book from his bag, all the while his eyes lingered on Snape's right leg, which was covered by his cloak.
"Mr. Potter" Harry quickly shifted his gaze towards him. "What was your question?"
"Oh, just that if you could explain what we went through today" He went back to staring at his leg, wishing he would move it.
"You want me to go over an hour's lecture that I just explained... again" He drawled over the last word, his face showing no emotions.
Harry gulped before slowly nodding his head.
"Is this your attempt at a joke, Mr. Potter, because I can assure you, I do not find it funny. I would highly recommend you stop and not dig the whole any deeper that you find yourself in if you value your free time."
Harry solemnly nodded his head before putting his book back in his bag. He started walking towards the exit where Hermione and Ron were waiting for him when Snape stopped him.
"Your assumptions may be right" Harry turned to look at him. "But not for the reasons you think" with that Snape went back to scribbling on his parchment.
Harry's eyes turned wide as he understood the meaning behind what the potions teacher said.
He turned back around before walking out of the classroom.
"Amateur" muttered Snape, as he dipped his quill in the ink.
He met Hermione and Ron standing outside the classroom before they started walking down the hallway. "So?" asked Ron.
"I couldn't see" Harry shook his head. A disappointed look came over Ron's face before Harry continued. "But he said that 'Your assumptions may be right, but not for the reasons you think'"
Hermione's eyes turned wide as she looked at him. "He knows!" she exclaimed. Harry nodded his head. "He knew why you went up to him"
"Yeah, but that still doesn't answer our question" said Ron, as the turned left to the courtyard.
"I think it does" said Harry, making them look at him. "At least, half of it. I mean he basically told us that he got injured by Fluffy, the question is why"
"Hmm" nodded Ron.
"Was it just a regular check-up or did someone try to steal the stone last night" added Harry.
"Was he trying to steal it and told us so we won't suspect it was him because he was being half honest" said Ron, as they crossed the courtyard. The grounds were filled with students as the classes were finished for the day. Everyone seemed to be having a fun time.
Harry didn't say anything as they continued walking ahead. "Let's sit over there" Hermione pointed towards a patch of lush green grass to their right. They walked over to it and put their bags down. They were about to sit down when a voice stopped them.
"What ye' three up to now" They looked over at Hagrid walking over to them. He had a huge smile on his face as a pair of dead rodents were hanging around his neck. Hermione had a horrified expression on her face as Hagrid got closer to them. She took a step back, wanting to be as far from him as possible.
Hagrid stopped a couple of feet before them. "Enjoyin' the weather are we" he said with a grin, seeing a little too happy for a man who was carrying dead animals.
Ron was the least bothered of the three as he answered him. "Yeah, thought we do our homework out in the open you know, as you said the weather is pretty good"
Hagrid nodded his head before looking at Harry. "Alright there, Harry"
"I'm good, how are you, Hagrid?" he asked with a smile.
"Fantastic!" boomed Hagrid. "Can't wait to cook these delicious puppies today" He pointed towards the rodents.
Harry gulped before nodding his head. "Good luck" Ron looked at him weirdly, but he paid him no intention.
An awkward silence hung upon on them like a wet sock. Hagrid cleared his throat loudly. "Well, I best get going, Fang will be missing me by now" Hagrid chuckled unnecessarily before walking.
"Good luck?" said Ron in disbelief, looking at Harry.
"I don't know why I said that"
Ron shook his head before sitting down, cross legged. Hermione followed him and started taking out her books. She looked up at Harry who was watching Hagrid as he made his way towards his hut, greeting people on his way.
"Everything alright, Harry?" she asked.
Harry didn't answer her right away as he kept staring at Hagrid's back.
"Harry?"
"Don't you find it a bit weird that some stranger, whose face Hagrid couldn't see and who was wearing an all-black cloak, just happened to have a dragon egg on him that is almost impossible since it's illegal." he started moving towards Hagrid. Hermione and Ron stood up before catching up to him.
"I mean think about it" continued Harry, as he quickened his pace. "Why would he have a dragon egg on him, and then just give it to Hagrid because he lost a game of cards"
"Hagrid mentioned that maybe he wanted to get rid of it," said Hermione.
"Then why didn't he just hand it over to him. If he really wanted to get rid of it, he could've left it anywhere" Hermione's eyes turned wide as she caught on to where Harry was going with this. "No, it was all his plan. To get information out of Hagrid and I think I know what it is"
They reached Hagrid just as he was about to open his door.
"Hagrid!" Hagrid looked over his shoulder at them before turning around.
"Hey" he said.
"I need to ask you something" said Harry, approaching him.
"Okay"
"You said that you couldn't see the face of the person who gave you the egg, right?"
"Yeah, that's right. He was wearing a cloak over his head and a mask that covered his face. He mentioned that he caught a bad flu and didn't want to spread it"
"Okay, but do you remember what you talked to him about. Anything in particular"
Hagrid furrowed his brows in contemplation. "Mmm...Just regular stuff you know." he said before adding. "Not a lot of deep conversation happens between 2 guys who are drunk, let me tell you" He chuckled but stopped when no else found it funny.
"C'mon Hagrid!" insisted Harry. "Anything comes to mind"
"Wait, now that I think about it, he kept bringing up Fluffy quite a lot"
Harry's eyes turned wide, and he looked at Ron and Hermione who were sporting a similar expression. He turned back to Hagrid with hope shining in his eyes. "Fluffy?"
Hagrid nodded his head. "Yeah, I don't remember all the details of how Fluffy came into discussion, but he kept asking things like 'How I took care of such a dangerous beast and stuff like that'. I said to 'em that there is nothing dangerous about Fluffy if you know what you're doing. You play him a bit of music and he's out like a light" Hagrid didn't notice the look of horror on the three students as he released a sigh while looking into the horizon. "I sure do miss that big oaf"
His reminisce of the Fluffy was interrupted by Harry, who charged over to him.
"Hagrid, do you remember anything else? Anything you may have said to him about Fluffy or the stone," said Harry.
Hagrid looked at him with confusion in his eyes. "Stone? What stone-" Realization dawned upon him as his face became stricken before his eyes turned wide in shock. "No" gasped.
Harry quickly turned around before dashing towards the castle. Hermione and Ron right behind him.
"HARRY! WAIT" shouted Hermione, who was struggling to catch up to him as Harry gained more speed, increasing the distance between them.
They reached the castle as Hermione kept shouting. Out of breath and with no energy to continue further, she stopped before screaming at the top of her lungs. "HARRY" Harry stopped in his tracks as he was about to turn left at the end of the corridor.
He turned around to see Ron supporting Hermione on the opposite end of the corridor. He hurried back to them as Hermione leaned against the wall before sliding down, her breathing extremely ragged.
"Hermione!" exclaimed Harry, as he reached her before kneeling in front of her and putting his hand on her shoulder. "Are you alright?" concern shining in his eyes.
Not yet able to speak, Hermione nodded her head.
"Give her a moment" said Ron, who was also breathing heavily.
Harry nodded his head. "I'm sorry" he apologised to both.
"It's alright" wheezed Hermione. She took a few deep breaths before speaking. "Harry, we have to think about it first before taking any actions" she reasoned.
"But Hermione, there is nothing to think about" argued Harry before continuing. "You heard what Hagrid said, he told the person how to get past Fluffy. We have to tell Dumbledore, now"
"Harry! Hagrid told the stranger about Fluffy months back." She paused, letting that sink in. "Remember...the stranger knew how to get past Fluffy before even Halloween"
"Before Halloween?" asked Ron.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Honestly, don't you guys pay attention. When we went to Hagrid the day after Halloween to ask about Fluffy, he already had the egg, which means that he had already told the stranger all about Fluffy"
Harry furrowed his brows in confusion. "Wait, then how come there was blood on the floor. If the stranger knew how to get past Fluffy-"
"Maybe he didn't succeed in his first attempt" Hermione cut him off. "Or may be even the next attempt. The truth is we don't know how long it took him to get past Fluffy, or maybe he still hasn't"
Harry shook his head. "I don't believe that. Look, I'm sure whoever is doing this is working for Voldemort since he's not strong enough, yet." Ron seemed uncomfortable at the mention of Voldemort's name as Hermione looked deep in thought. "I mean we know what the stone does, and no one wants it more than Voldemort. It's the only thing that can bring back to life and make him immortal. That's why he is drinking unicorns' blood, to keep himself alive" He paused before continuing. "And I bet you anything he won't choose a person so weak that couldn't even get past a dog, no matter how big, not to mention when he knows how to get past him."
Hermione nodded her head as Harry took deep breaths. "I agree with you" A small smile came over Harry's lips. "But...that doesn't mean they know how to get past the enchantments put by the teachers. Everybody would've known if the stone was stolen which means either he or she is still trying to figure out how to break the enchantments or they're waiting for something else"
"But what would they be waiting for?" asked Ron.
Hermione shrugged her shoulders. "I'm not sure except one thing. Every book I've read about Voldemort always mentions one thing, and not just the books but I've also heard it from Prof. McGonagall and Prof. Sprout when they were chatting in the green house one time" She paused for a dramatic effect before continuing. "That there was one person Voldemort feared and he never attacked Hogwarts even at the height of his power because of him" She didn't need to say who it was because Ron and Harry already knew.
She then looked at Harry. "If he didn't come to Hogwarts when he was invincible, then I'm sure he won't be coming now and maybe that's why the stone is still untouched. Maybe it has to do more with the headmaster than figuring out how to get past the enchantments."
"But Voldemort doesn't need to enter the castle. Whoever is working for him can bring it back to him," said Harry.
"It's just a theory Harry" she shrugged her shoulders. "But I think we'll get in a lot of trouble if we go to Dumbledore or tell the teachers about anything we know. Don't forget that it is a very high chance that one of the teachers could be trying to steal it. I don't think that would end well for us."
Harry looked dejected as he plopped down on the floor. "But we could tell Dumbledore right, I mean we know he's not trying to steal it" he persisted.
"I still think we'll get in trouble" said Hermione.
He looked at Ron, hoping he would back him up, but he simply shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not sure mate. Look, you guys call it and I'll be okay either way"
Harry turned to Hermione, and they stared at each other. Harry put his hand in his pocket while his eyes were still locked with hers. He brought his fist forward, hanging it between them before slowly opening it.
A wry smile came over Hermione's lips as the coin revealed itself. She looked back at Harry who now had a smirk on his lips.
"Really?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
Harry nodded his head before flipping the coin high in the air.
"Heads"
The coin twirled in the air before landing safely between Harry's clasped hands.
He waited a moment to open his hands.
"Guess we're going with your idea then," said Ron as everyone looked at the coin.
A/N: So guys, what did you think. Post your comments and let me know your thoughts. We're nearing the end of Harry's first year and I'm really excited to bring it you guys unless you all tuned off after this chapter. HA HA...…. Anyway, I'll see you guys in a week's time. Have a good one.