Chapter 79: Hagrid's

An hour later, the four of them went down to the gamekeeper's hut.

"Why are the curtains all down?" Phoenix whispered to Harry.

"Beats me," He answered.

Hermione walked up to the door and knocked.

"Who is it?" Hagrid called. He peeked quietly behind the curtain, but when he realized who it was, he quickly let them in, letting the door shut quietly behind them.

It felt as if Phoenix was in a sauna. They were now getting warm weather, so she didn't understand why Hagrid would have his hut warm as if it was freezing cold outside.

"So, yeh wanted to ask me something'?"

"Yes…"

"Is there anything else guarding the Sorcerer's Stone besides Fluffy?" Phoenix asked, giving Harry an apologetic look for interrupting him. She just wanted to hurry and get to the point so they could leave the boiling hot hut.

Hagrid frowned. "Yeh know I can't tell, yeh that," he said. "Number one, I don' know meself. Number two, yeh know too much already, so I wouldn' tell yeh if I could. That Stone's here fer a good reason. It was almost stolen outta Gringotts… I s'ppose yeh've worked that out an' all? Beats me how yeh even know abou' Fluffy."

Ron gulped nervously, remembering about the way they came about the three-headed-dog. Phoenix just gave Hagrid a small smile, trying so hard not to laugh. 'Yeah, I wonder how Hagrid would react if he found out how we knew about Fluffy.'

"Oh, come on Hagrid, you might not want to tell us, but you do know, you know everything that goes on round here," said Hermione in a warm, flattering voice. Phoenix saw Hagrid's beard twitch and knew he was smiling.

'Go Hermione! You've got him wrapped around your finger!' Phoenix thought.

"We only wondered who had done the guarding, really." Hermione went on. "We just want to know who Dumbledore trusted enough to help him, apart from you."

Hagrid's chest swelled at her words. Harry and Ron beamed at Hermione while Phoenix gave her a "well done girl" smile.

"Well, I don' s'ppose it could hurt ter tell yeh that… let's see… he borrowed Fluffy from me… then some o' the teachers did enchantments…

'Poor Hagrid. I feel so sorry for him. It's just way too easy to get information out of him.' Phoenix thought, as he was still trying to think of everyone.

"Professor Sprout, Professor Flitwick, Professor McGonagall," he ticked off on his fingers, "Professor Quirrell,"

That got the attention of everyone in the room, especially from Phoenix and Harry. She looked over at him and he gave her an "I told you so look". She glared at him.

"An' Dumbledore himself did somethin', o' course. Hang on, I've forgotten someone. Oh yeah, Professor Snape."

"Snape?"

Now it was Phoenix's turn to give Harry the "I told you so look" but knew full well that he and the others would think of some excuse for him to be part of the guardianship.

"Yeah, yer not still on abou' that, are yeh? Look, Snape helped protect the Stone, he's not about ter steal it."

"Thank you, Hagrid!" Phoenix said, confusing him as she looked directly at Harry.

So, an argument wouldn't start, Hermione interrupted her friend, "You're the only one who knows how to get past Fluffy, aren't you, Hagrid? And you wouldn't tell anyone, would you? Not even one of the teachers?"

"Not a soul knows except me an' Dumbledore," said a proud Hagrid.

Phoenix couldn't stand it any longer. Sweat was pouring down her face the longer they stayed in there. A window needed to open, or she would most likely pass out. Well, not really, but that was what she felt.

"Hagrid, can we please open a window? Why do you have it so hot in here?"

"Sorry Phoenix, I can'" he answered. She noticed him glancing at the fire and followed.

"Uh, Hagrid, what's that?" she pointed at what she thought was a huge black egg.

"Ah," Hagrid was getting nervous as he started to play with his beard, "That's, er…."

"Where did you get Hagrid?" Ron moved closer to get a better look at the object everyone failed to answer Phoenix for. "It must have cost you a fortune."

"I won it," Hagrid started. "Las' night. I was down in the village havin' a few drinks an' got into a game o' cards with a stranger. Think he was quite glad ter get rid of it, ter be honest."

"But what are you going to do with it when it's hatched?" Hermione asked.

"Well, I've bin doin' some readin'," Hagrid answered, pulling out a large book from under his pillow. "Got this outter the library."

'Did he really read all that?' Phoenix questioned when she saw the huge thick book in Hagrid's hand.

"What I got there's a Norwegian Ridgeback. They're rare, them."

"Hagrid, you live in a wooden house," Hermione tried to explain.

"Wait a minute, you guys are saying that, that thing is an actual Dragon's egg?" Everyone except Harry looked at her like she was crazy to even ask. Even Hermione looked at her as if she had seen one herself. "What? It was just a question. I'm trying to wrap my head around this entire dragon thing." She rolled her eyes, annoyed at everyone looking at her. "Anyway, Hagrid Hermione has a point, or at least I think she does. Cause dragons…. they breathe fire." She looked around for approval and saw Hermione responding with an eye roll herself.

But Hagrid wasn't paying any attention after a while. He was humming happily as he stroked the fire.