Chapter 8

As they holidays went on Anna felt more and more like an out cast of her group of friends she had made. She had thought that the four of them, herself, Hermione, Harry and Ron were a team but evidently since that day in the in the library.

But it had provided useful for one thing. She had another clue.

The name Flamel.

She had non idea why but she felt it had some thing to do with the elixir of life, the stone where ever it had been hidden.

Sighing in her father's chambers for it was still the holidays and she had plenty of time to do what she wanted with looked at him

"Child what ever is on your mind for I know something is driving you crazy in here, go out side girl and get fresh air." he told her agitated. "Clear your head girl."

He had been trying tot pin Quirrell for weeks now and it had come to no avail for him and as much as he loved his darling child she was being rather restless today.

Well actual he thought to himself not just of late. She had been in a strange mood for a while now. 3ever since she had asked about the stone.

Nodding she went over and gave him a kiss.

"Ok dad, I'll see you a bit later on ok?" she asked him.

"Very well puss," he said to her.

When she was walking out side she saw the trio. They waved a called her over when they saw her.

This was the bit that she really got confused by.

When they weren't talking about the secret, what ever it wa,s the four of them were now such great friends. So why weren't they letting her in.

"Hey guys," she said to them. "Where are you off to?"

"Hagrid's, want to come with us!" offered Hermione.

"Yeah," she nodded. She hadn't yet seen the giant that week and she was beginning to otherwise visit him a lot and make friends with him.

Arriving at the hut they knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" Hagrid asked them.

"It's us four," Ron called back to him.

When they got inside the hut they all found it hot. Anna hadn't in fact been in a building this hot since the day she had lost here mother.

Ron saw her pale and by now all three knew she had lost her mother and in what circumstances.

"do you want to go back?" he asked her quietly.

"No," she shook her head. S he knew she wasn't going to be able to duck out every time things got uncomfortable for her she had to go forward not back..

Harry almost wished that this time Hermione hadn't invited Annabelle along with them., s he worshipped her father but he knew he was trying to get to the stone and that had to be his main thought. He had to figure out the last part to the jigsaw now.

"Hagrid we know that the philosophers stone is what fluffy is guarding, but what else is?"

!"I cant tell yer that Harry and yer no I can't." he said to the boy "number one I don't know my self and number two yer no too much already. The stone is here for a good reason. It was almost stolen out off gots.s - I su-pose yer worked that out Anna all. Beats me how yer even no about fluffy."

How ever all it took from Hermione was a bit of flattery to get him to open his mouth.

"The teachers are helping out." he told them. "There's fluffy from me. The there is professor Sprout, professor, Flitwick, McGonagall, Quirrell and Dumbledore, and the last one Snape." he said giving Annabelle a smile.

"Snape," said Harry a bit disbelieving.

"Yer ain't still going on about him are you? Listening, Snape is one off the people trying to defend the stone. He ain't trying to steal it."

"My father wouldn't do something like that," said Annabelle though she still wasn't sure why Harry had said what he had.

"Of course he wouldn't yer three would do well ter listen ter Anna she knows him best of yer all."

"I know," said Harry slightly bitterly. "Hagrid," said Harry. "Can we open a window?" he asked because of the heat.

"Sorry Harry cant," said the half giant.

"Hagrid what is that," said Ron referring to what was boiling in a cauldron in the middle of Hagrid's hut. .

"Ah," said Hagrid quite nervous about telling them obviously.

"Where did you get it Hagrid?" asked Ron recognizing it. "It must have cost you a fortune." he added.

"I won it," s aid Hagrid. "Las night, I was down in the village, havin a few drinks an' got in to gamma of cards with a stranger. Think he was quite glad to get rid of it actually."

"But what re you going to do with it when it's hatched?" asked Hermione motioning towards the dragon egg.

"Well I've been doing some reading." he said to the four some.

'So that's why he was in the library," thought Annabelle.

"Got dis outta the library - dragon breeding for oppleasure and profit - it's a bit outta date o' course but its all in here. Keep the egg in the fire cause there mothers breathe on em see, an when it hatches, feed it in a bucket of brandy mixed with chicken blood every half an hour. And see here - how ter recognize different eggs, this is a Norwegian Ridgeback. They're rare them." he said to the group of kids in the hut.

He looked pleased, unlike Hermione.

"Hagrid you live in a wooden house," she pointed out.

Anna agreed. This was a very good point.

-----

Hagrid had a dragon. A illegal dragon.

And her others friend thought her father was a crook.

Just brilliant, thought Anna.

With all this going on she did the only thing she could think of. Go back to her Slytherin roots, and think about her next move.

She had to find out what fluffy was that was for sure and she had to find it what part it had to play in all of this.

"Are you ok Annabelle?" Pansy awaked.

"Fine," she uttered.

Later that day she re joined the trio. She had her head straight

"Hermione," Ron said as he tried to persuade her to miss class. "How many times are we going to get to see a dragon egg hatch?" he asked her.

"But we've got class." she protested.

"I'll go to Hagrid's," said Annabelle.

"Shut up.," Harry told them as Draco walked passed.

Annabelle didn't see what they had against one another but the seed had been planted long before she had come tot her fathers care.

In the end it was decided that they would go after Herbology so off they went once class was over.