"Hermione, the exams are ages away!" Ron groaned, normally he wouldn't care about her studying habits, but lately, she has gotten even more serious about it. Going as far as making study schedules and color-coding all her notes. To make things worse, she had been going as far as getting after us to study just as much. I tried to go along for a little bit but grew bored quickly.
"Ten weeks. That's not ages! That's like a second to Nicolas Flamel!" She snapped back.
"But we're not Nicolas Flamel." Ron and I responded and he continued, "Anyway, what are you studying for, you already know it all." This drew Hermione's full attention to him and I scooted away and closer to Harry in case he said something stupid.
"What am I studying for? Are you crazy?" I snorted and nodded, causing Harry to grin as well. "You realize we need to pass these exams to get into the second year? They're very important, I should've started studying months ago! I honestly don't know what's gotten into me..." I sighed and got closer to her. "Mione, you will be fine."
As the weeks went on, we realized Professor Quirrell must've been stronger than we thought because every time we were on the third floor and we pressed our ears against the forbidden corridor, we could still hear Fluffy behind it. Quirrell, on the other hand, looked as if he was about to break any second. He had noticeably lost weight and became even paler than he already was and we were concerned. Not just for the stone, but for him as well. Ron had made it his mission to yell at anyone who tried to make fun of Quirrell's stutter while Harry, Hermione, and I always made sure to send him a big smile of encouragement when we saw him, even if he didn't know the reasons behind them.
The professors were taking the second term very seriously and piled more and more homework on us each day and it made Harry and I realize a large chance of the reason first-years didn't play Quidditch was so they could have a year to get used to Hogwarts and not worry too much. But that wasn't the case for us. We still had practices multiple times a week, where we'd try out new tricks and maneuvers between us, and sometimes at the end of practice, Oliver Wood and I would spend time throwing goofballs for Harry. Gryffindor had also participated in a few friendlies between the other houses (minus Slytherin- which was kind of sad but they never wanted to join) and it gave us a chance to test our new moves on other people who didn't know about them, although Oliver did make sure we never gave it 100% so the teams didn't know exactly what we were capable of.
With all of this going on, Easter break wasn't near as fun as Christmas was. We spent most of the time studying and getting caught up on assignments. Which really meant Hermione and I had to help the boys with their homework and check it so they weren't failing, though Ron never missed a chance to complain about how we're "family" and how I "should support him" by giving him all my answers.
"No Ronald, you are not going to cheat off my papers!" I snapped at him after he had asked for the fifth time. He held his hands up in surrender and scooted further down the bench.
"I'm never going to remember this," He groaned to Hermione and Harry while looking outside to see the sun finally showing for the first time in weeks, he huffed to himself when he noticed no one was listening to him until he shouted, "Hagrid! What are you doing in the library?" Causing the librarian to shush him. When we looked up, Hagrid had come toward us while obviously hiding something behind his back.
"Jus' lookin'... And what 'ter you guys up ter?" He squinted at us adding, "Not still looking for Nicolas Flamel, are yeh?" I was more focused on what he was holding than the conversation.
"Oh, we found out about him forever ago!" Ron said as if it was no big deal. "We also know that the dog is guarding the Sourcerer's Sto-"
"Shhhh!" Hagrid warned, looking around anxiously to make sure no one was listening. "Don' go shouting about it, what's the matter with yeh?" He continued to scold him.
"There are a few things we'd like to know, actually," Harry started. "About what's guarding the stone other than Fluffy-" But Hagrid cut him off again. "Shh! Watch it!"
"Hey Hagrid, whatcha got there?" I asked, trying to get his mind off of getting after the boys. Hagrid froze, looked around, and shook his head. "Nothin'" He tried to lie, but I just raised his eyebrows and he sighed. "Jus' come round my hut an' see me later. I'm not promisin' to tell you anythin' but don' go blabbin' about it here! Students aren't supposed to know, they'll think I told yeh." And with that, he moved faster than I had ever seen him move as he left the library. I turned to face the others, completely confused but also excited.
"What do you guys think he was hiding?" Hermione asked, just as curious as I was.
"Do you think it had anything to do with the stone?"
"I'm going to see what section he was in," Ron stated as he stood up and went toward where the half-giant had been. "I'm kind of impressed he thought to do that." I pointed out, making Harry and I laugh a little while Hermione just rolled her eyes with a smile.
Ron came running back toward us with a pile of books in his arms. "Dragons!" He whispered. "He was looking up stuff about dragons! Look at these: Dragon Species of Great Britain and Ireland, From Egg to Inferno, and A Dragon Keeper's Guide."
"Hagrid's always wanted a dragon. He told me the first day I met him." Harry said matter of factly. I shared a worried glance with Ron.
"But it's against our laws," Ron started. "Dragon breeding was outlawed by the Warlocks' Convention of 1709, everyone knows that! It's hard to stop Muggles from noticing us if we're keeping dragons in the backyard. Either way, you cant train dragons, they're too dangerous."
"Charlie does have some nasty burns from some wild ones in Romania," I added. I remember when he first got them, actually. He was devastated. Not only because the burns that he received were permanent, but also because they had executed the dragon who caused them. He cried all night and I felt horrible that there wasn't much I could do other than lay by him and try and comfort him.
"But there aren't any wild dragons in Britain?" Harry asked. He literally read you a title about dragon species in Britain, dork. I thought to myself while smiling slightly.
"Of course there!"
"Common Welsh Green and Hebridean Blacks are two," I told him as I tried to remember what Charlie had taught me.
"The Ministry of Magic has a job gushing them up, I can tell you. Our kind has to keep putting spells on Muggles who've seen them." Ron continued on for me.
"It's kind of creepy when they finish each other's thoughts," Hermione whispered to Harry, who nodded in return. "But why?" He asked us.
"They obliviate them. To make them forget." I inform him as we started to pack up all our things. He "Oh'd" with a nod before Hermione asked, "So what on earth is Hagrid up to?"
"That's what I'm wondering, too, Hermione. Although I worry because it is Hagrid and I don't have a very good feeling about this... That man can see the good in any creature." I gave her a sad smile.
When we walked down the path to Hagrid's hut, the first thing we noticed was all of his windows and curtains were closed. "He did say to meet him here, didn't he?" I checked with the others as they nodded.
When Harry knocked, instead of a door opening, Hagrid called out, "Who is it?" Once Harry told him it was us, he opened the door and quickly rushed us inside the hut and shut the door behind us. It was burning up in the room and he even had his fire roaring. He made us some tea, but I politely declined and just took some cool temperature water.
"So... Yeh wanted to ask me somethin'?"
"Yes." Harry told him, "We were wondering if you could tell us what's guarding the Sourcerer's Stone other than Fluffy." Very direct.
"O' course I cant." He frowned. "Number One, I don' know myself. Number Two, yeh know too much already, so I wouldn' tell yeh if I could. The Stone's here for a good reason. It was almost stolen outta Gringotts- I suppose you've worked tha' all out?" We nodded to his question and he let out a sigh. "O' course yeh have. Beats me how yeh even know abou' Fluffy." I let out an awkward laugh, hoping they wouldn't tell him about the many rules we had broken in one night.
"Oh, come on Hagrid! You might not want to tell us, but you do know. You know everything that goes on around here!" Hermione told him in an attempt to butter him up. You could see the edges of his beard moving, meaning he must be smiling, and meaning she knew exactly what she was doing.
"We only wondered who had done the guarding, really. We are curious who else Dumbledore trusts enough to help him, apart from you." I added, beaming up at him.
"Well, I suppose it couldn' hurt to tell yeh that... Let me see... He borrowed Fluffy from me... Then some o' the teachers did enchantments... Professor Sprout, Professor Flitwick, Professor McGonagall... Professor Quirrell did somethin'. And Dumbledore himself added somethin' as well." He paused for a moment. "Oh yeah! I almos' forgot. Professor Snape!" We all snapped our heads to look at each other. Oh no...
"Snape?" We all shouted, giving each other the same look.
"Yeah... Yer not still on abou' that, are yeh? Look Snape helped protect the Stone, he's not about to steal it." Right, but if Snape was one of those protecting it, it means he knows who else is and most likely what they did. When I looked at the other three, I could tell they were thinking the same as I was.
"You're the only one who knows how to get past Fluffy, right Hagrid?" Harry asked him. "And you wouldn't tell anyone, would you? Not even the teachers?"
"Not a soul knows except me an' Dumbledore." Hagrid proudly told us and we all collectively released the breath we were holding.
"Well that's something," Harry responded as he wiped the sweat off his forehead. "Hagrid, can we have a window open? I'm boiling." We all chimed in, in agreement.
"Can't, Harry, sorry." He said, not sounding sorry at all while stealing a glance at the fire. I followed it and noticed something I hadn't before.
"Hagrid, what's that?" Harry and I asked in unison. But honestly, we all already knew. In the fire, underneath the kettle, was a large black egg. It was a dragon egg.
"Ah..." Hagrid tried to come up with something but fell short. Ron and I both got up to give it a closer look.
"Where did you get it, Hagrid?" Ron asked but still continued to stare at the egg. "It must've cost you a fortune..."
"Won it, I did. Las' night. I was down in the village havin' a few drinks an' got into a game 'er cards with a fellow. Think it was glad to get rid of it." He seemed almost too proud of this. I took a glance at Hermione and we looked around the house.
"But what are you going to do with it when it's hatched?" She asked.
"Well, I've been doin' some readin'." He started, going over to his bed, pulling out a large book. "Got this from the library- Dragon Breeding for Pleasure and Profit. Yeah, it's a bit outta date but it's all in here. Keep the egg in fire, cause the mothers breath on them and all tha', an' when it hatches, feed it on a bucket o' brandy mixed with chicken blood every half hour. And see 'er, how to tell and recognize differn' eggs." He started to show Harry the book that he had dog eared.
"It's a Norwegian Ridgeback," I told him, finally standing up and looking at him. "Woah! They're really rare!" Ron exclaimed, amazed. Hagrid was pretty amazed by the egg as well, but Hermione wasn't.
"Hagrid, you live in a wooden house." She told him slowly as if she was trying to make a point, but he wasn't giving her any mind.
Now we had something else to add to our list of worries this year. The dragon egg and making sure no one found out Hagrid had it in his hut. How hard could that be?
I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. If you did, please let me know and give it a like! I think that may be one of my favorite Hermione lines, what about you guys?