A/N: I just officially got rid of my writer's block. Please, save the applause. Also, about 2 people have told me that Lina is too Mary- Sue. I agree. I have made my character nearly perfect, but in my defense I must say 2 things: I will give her flaws, pretty soon, and a dark past. And, don't you think Harry Potter's nearly perfect? I mean fate and everything on his shoulders? Oh well. Before I forget, my first ever reviewer, Carlanime, supposedly has me on author alert, but she hasn't been reviewing! Please, feedback!!!
Chapter Sixteen
Lina was having trouble falling asleep when she heard someone walking out of the boy's dormitory. She thought nothing of it until an hour later, when she heard footsteps running back up into the dormitory and then shuffling around. She got out of bed silently, and crept down to the common room. Harry and Ron were just getting under the invisibility cloak. She hid herself and jumped out the window when they left, landing expertly in the snow. She ran out to the forest, unaware that someone was watching her.
"So the mirror thing tells you something, whether the future or the past?" Harry and Ron had filled Lina in on what had happened the night before, and she was trying to help them make sense of it over breakfast. "I guess." Harry seemed unhappy, but Lina didn't mention it. "That's cool, though. You could learn a lot from it, if you learn how to work it."
"Now, you sound like Hermione," said Ron. "And trust me, one of her is enough." Lina leaned over and punched his arm.
"That's what Hermione would have done if she were here," she answered. "No, that's what you would do if you were Hermione," said Harry. All three of them laughed. "What's the joke, Potter?" drawled a familiar voice. "Go away, Malfoy," said Ron. Malfoy bowed to Lina and walked away. Lina laughed again. "What?" asked Harry, staring at Malfoy's back with hate. "He's funny," she answered. "Not funny to laugh with, but funny to laugh at," she explained, seeing Ron's shocked look. "He tries to suck up to me because he knows I'm fey. He probably thinks I'll, like, do him favors or something. But that's a stereotype." Ron stared at her. "Don't you ever stop?" "Stop what?" Lina asked innocently. "Don't mess with her, mate!" grinned Harry, finishing his egg.
Hermione returned with the rest of Hogwarts a few days later. She was disappointed that they still hadn't found anything on Nicholas Flamel. "Well, we can always do more research," she said brightly, much to Ron's chagrin.
One day Hermione stormed over to the table where Lina, Harry, and Ron were working. She slammed an enormous book onto the table and seated herself, saying, "I can't believe I've been so stupid. I took this out weeks ago for a bit light reading." She began to flip through the pages as Ron said, "You call that light reading?" Hermione made a face but kept looking. "Here it is! Nicholas Flamel is the only known maker of the Sorcerer's Stone! That's what Fluffy's guarding!" "But that means--" "It means that someone must have tried to steal it!" "But who?" asked Harry thoughtfully. "Snape!" exclaimed Ron. "He hexed your broom, Harry, and he's in Slytherin. You saw him threatening Quirrel, and he's always hanging around like an over- grown bat!" "Makes sense. But we can't just accuse him. I mean, he's a teacher!" "Hermione, just because you think teachers are all saints, doesn't mean that's true you know!" Lina was exasperated. "We still need proof though." Hermione was resolute. "I guess she's right," sighed Lina, admitting defeat. "But we can at least ask Hagrid. He should know about this."
They walked down the grounds to Hagrid's hut in Harry's invisibility cloak. The lights were on, but his curtains were drawn and they had to pound on the door several times before he opened up. "I'm very busy right now, so uh, I'll see yah," he said nervously. He kept glancing back over his shoulder. "We know about the Sorcerer's Stone," they said in unison. "Shhh!" Said Hagrid all right, come in!" He ushered them in and shut the door quickly.
"Hagrid, we think Snape is going to try and steal the Stone," said Ron. "What! Professor Snape? He's one of the teachers protecting the Stone! He's not about to steal it!" He glanced at the kettle on the stove.
"Now, if you don't mind, I'm very busy, so please show yourselves out." Hagrid pulled on a pair of oven mitts. He heaved a large, black- brown oval shaped thing out of his kettle. As he set it on the table, Lina said, "Hagrid, is that--?" "It is! I've seen them before," said Ron. "But how did you get one? They're illegal!" "I won off someone in Hogsmeade."
All of a sudden, the thing began to shake and tremble. Then a black head broke out of it. "A dragon!" breathed Lina. "He's a Norwegian Ridge- Back!" said Hagrid proudly. While Hagrid boasted, Lina felt in the corner of her mind, the dragon reaching out tendrils of thought. Hey, there, said Lina. Blaaaah! Thought the dragon, as he belched out a tiny flame. It set Hagrid's beard on fire. "Hagrid," said Lina suddenly. "You don't mean to keep it, do you? You can't!" Hagrid was about to protest, but Hermione said, "She's right. Hagrid, you live in a wooden house!" Hagrid paid them no mind. "Hey there, Norbert! Oh, he knows his Mommy!"
As they walked back up to the castle under the cloak, Lina said, "He's mental if he thinks he can keep it. Maybe I have something in one of my books."