"So, what's your honest opinion about the Philosopher's Stone being a fake?" Nora concluded.
McGonagall sighed.
"I would have to say, not out of the realm of possibility," McGonagall said. "Very few people can pull a fast one on Dumbledore like this, but Nicholas Flamel would be the few who could. A forgery so accurate that not even Dumbledore could deduce it wasn't the real deal."
"Flamel wouldn't give up his life's work," Harry said. "I'm almost convinced."
"Unfortunately, we'll never know for sure," Sara said.
"With the benefit of hindsight, the Stone should have never been anywhere in the school, real or fake," McGonagall said. "I can't think of a reason why you would put a temptation like that there."
"Oh, there was a reason," Harry said. "Not just a good reason."
"Okay, time to see what can go wrong now," Sara said. "Gideon, if you please."
"Chapter Fourteen," Gideon said. "Norbert the Norwegian Ridgeback."
"That's a dragon," Astra said slowly.
"Very good, it is," Malfoy said.
"Don't patronize me, Malfoy, not now," Astra said through gritted teeth. "That's a dragon."
"Yes," Kara said.
"It's a dragon," Astra said.
"Yes, Astra, it's a dragon," Harry said.
"Please tell me you don't have to fight a dragon," Astra said.
"Well, not yet," Harry said.
Astra's eyebrow raised at Harry's blase way of saying not yet.
"Oooh, boy," Lita said.
"A Norwegian Ridgeback," Astra said. "One of the most venomous dragons in the world. And it's part of this chapter title."
"It is the most venomous dragon in the world," Ron helpfully chimed in.
"Ron, you're not helping matters," Harry said.
"Can't help it, Charlie lectured me when he found out…." Ron said. "Well, we're going to have to read about it."
"I thought you liked dragons," Kara said.
"I like dragons," Astra said. "But, I don't like the fact of an eleven year old child having to fight one."
"Harry said he didn't, though," Nora said.
Harry wondered what Astra would think about the fourteen year old version of him having to fight a dragon.
"Well, this is going to dredge up some painful memories," McGonagall said. "Let's get started."
McGonagall had a sinking feeling she was about to learn the truth about what happened the night where Harry, Hermione, Neville, and Malfoy were all out of bed. Dumbledore said he looked into the matter, and she accepted it.
She highly regretted all the times she accepted Dumbledore handling things,given what she was learning.
Talking about Quirrell and Harry and Ron encouraging him, with Ron telling off people for laughing at Quirrell's stutter.
"Hearts were in the right place," John said. "But, maybe a little bit of knowledge could be dangerous."
Harry, Ron, and Hermione understood and all nodded.
Hermione's frantic preparation for exams, along with the teacher's giving out a lot of homework over the Easter Holidays to prepare them.
"You really need to settle down," Zari said.
"Don't burn yourself out," Lena said.
"You really do take on too much," George said.
"I…I can't really change that now, can I?" Hermione asked.
"They do have a point," McGonagall said. "While we did give you preparation work to prepare, burnout is a real and serious problem. I've unfortunately had that problem as both a student and a teacher."
Hagrid arrives at the library and claims he's just looking.
"Oh, Hagrid, you are a bad liar," Lena groaned. "He's up to something."
"Up to a whole lot of something," Kara said.
"Hagrid said he wanted a dragon," Astra said.
Everyone else whistled at the conclusion Astra was coming to.
"Yes," Kara said.
"Oooh, I understand," Astra said. "Damn it, Hagrid."
"My thoughts exactly," McGonagall groaned.
Minerva McGonagall really wished she had not polished off that scotch earlier.
Hagrid, Ron, Hermione, and Harry talk about the Philosopher's Stone, Hagrid invites them to his hut later, and they notice something behind his back.
"I know a guy Hagrid's size can't be subtle no matter how hard he tries," Sara said. "But, he has it down to an artform."
Ron goes to discover that Hagrid was researching dragons.
"Of course," Astra said. "Of course."
Ron gives Harry and Hermione a nice little history lesson on dragon breeding and what dragons were in Britain. Along with a warning of how dangerous wild dragons are.
"Have to admit, that was educational," Nora said
"Yes," Astra said. "You can't tame a dragon. Mum told me that, no matter how much I begged."
"You would have tried to smuggle a dragon egg into the house, if you would have gotten the chance," Harry reminded her. "Come to think of it, you did smuggle what you thought was a dragon egg into the house."
"I was eight," Astra said. "Hagrid's a grown ass man."
"Very grown," Sara said.
"You thought it was a dragon," Kara said.
"Yeah, I thought it was a dragon," Astra said. "This guy swore up and down, it was a dragon egg. I saved my entire allowance for a year to buy it."
"Oh, Astra," Ron said. "Charlie did that too."
"Please tell me it wasn't an Acromantula egg, that some idiot swiped from the Forbidden Forest," Lita said.
"I don't know, Mum found it," Astra said. "Never did get my money back."
"Who sold it to you," Hermione said.
"Some guy named Fletcher, I think he said his name was," Astra said.
"Dung," Fred said.
"He certainly smelled like it, yes," Astra said.
"No, his name is Mundungus Fletcher," John said. "He's a shifty character. I catch him trying to squat at my house about once a month. He took all of your money, didn't he?"
Astra nodded.
"I'll have a talk with him," Harry said.
Everyone who knew better knew it sucked to be Mundungus Fletcher when Harry got ahold of him.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione enter Hagrid's house and it was stifling hot.
"Ideal conditions for hatching a dragon egg," Astra said.
"How were you planning on hiding that thing from your mother, anyway?" Zari asked.
"I didn't think too far past the childlike awe of having my very own dragon," Astra said.
McGonagall said nothing, although she not liking what she was hearing so far.
"I can see why you invited me to witness these chapters," McGonagall said.
Harry asks Hagrid about the Stone, but Hagrid claims he doesn't know anything about what protections are on the Stone.
"Likely for the best," John said. "Because, if my hunch is right, this isn't looking good for Hagrid."
"The teachers all knew what protections we put on the Stone," McGonagall said. "Other than what Dumbledore did at the end."
"Well, that's nice to know," Harry said.
Hermione convinces Hagrid to tell him by flattering him a little bit.
"Well, the best way to get him to talk, other than to load him up," George said.
"A lot cheaper, though," Fred said.
"Very, Slytherin of you, Granger," Malfoy said.
"Are you sure you would have wanted someone like me in your sacred house, Malfoy?" Hermione asked sweetly.
Hagrid tells Harry, Ron, and Hermione about who protected the Stone. And how no one knows about how to get past Fluffy other than himself and Dumbledore.
"And you know, anyone who opened a book on Greek Mythology," Lena said. "Which, I'm guessing the big bad didn't."
"He's not as smart as he thinks he is," Harry said.
"So, we've certainly narrowed it down to a man," Lena said.
"And damn, all my money was on the stuffy librarian," Lita said.
"That would be a twist," Kara agreed.
"Still, surprised that Hermione didn't know," Astra said.
"I didn't know all that stuff Ron told us about dragons earlier," Hermione said. "That was fascinating."
"Thanks," Ron said.
It is boiling and Harry notices the egg in the fireplace.
"Oooh, boy," Sara said.
"Damn it, Hagrid," Astra said.
"He's going to try and explain this," George said.
"And it's going to be like a monkey trying to fly a broomstick," Fred said.
"So, in other words the Gryffindor seeker before Harry joined the team," George said.
"Nah, the monkey would have been a step up," Fred said wincing at the thought of Harry's predecessor.
Hagrid explains how he won an egg in a game of cards with a stranger.
"Damn it, Hagrid!" Astra and McGonagall yelled in unison.
"I told you there was a dragon egg!" Malfoy yelled. "I expect an apology."
"Not now, Mr. Malfoy," McGonagall growled.
"He…he literally thinks that someone would bet a real dragon egg in a game of cards," Lena said in an exasperated voice. "Why?"
"Hagrid's a good guy, but critical thinking has never been his strong suit," Harry said.
"Bless his heart," Zari said.
"This raises so many red flags," Sara said.
"I was eight, he's got to be, what in his sixties?" Astra asked. "Well, I'm guessing it's an actual dragon egg. Oh, this is not going to end well."
"For Harry?" Kara asked.
"Damn it, Hagrid," Astra said. "I was starting to like you too. And I can't be mad at you for wanting a dragon. It's just the way you got it is stupid."
"So, how many of your charges wished for a dragon?" Harry asked Nora.
"Enough where I've appealed to the fairy godmother's union to get dragon wishes banned," Nora said.
"Fairy godmother's have a union?" Hermione asked.
"Of course, "Nora said. "The dental is still crap."
"Right, moving on," Ava said.
Hagrid's big plan to raise the dragon and Hermione's anguished declaration he lives in a wooden house.
"Oooh, yeah, that's a problem," Kara said.
Astra threw her head back and sighed.
"Hagrid," McGonagall grumbled. "Why?"
"And now Harry's going to be worried about Hagrid getting caught," Sara said.
"Pretty much, yeah," Harry agreed.
Ron wonders what it would be like to have a peaceful life.
"Thirty years later, I still don't know the answer to that one," Harry said.
"Peace is overrated," Mick said as he staggered back into the room. "So, what's going on?"
"Hagrid's got an illegal dragon egg," Ava explained.
"He's such a lovable oaf," Sara said.
Hagrid sends a note about it hatching, but Hermione refused to even entertain them skipping Herbology to see it.
"You know, great," Astra said. "For once, you being a control freak is actually a good thing."
"Thanks, I think," Hermione said
"Oh, come on," Fred said. "How many times do you ever get to see a dragon hatch?"
"Seven," Harry said.
"Is that including the time where you resurrected yourself from a dragon egg?" Sara asked.
"No," Harry replied.
"Wait, what?" Hermione asked.
"I can turn into a dragon," Harry said nonchalantly. "Let's keep reading."
Harry ignored the bombardment of questions he was bound to get.
Malfoy overhears them talking.
"I heard enough to think that Hagrid was doing something that he shouldn't be," Malfoy said. "But, you three acting so guilty made me sure of it."
"We needed to become better liars, sooner," Ron said.
"Yeah,you were pants at it," George said.
Fred nodded solemnly in agreement.
Harry, Hermione, and Ron make their way down to Hagrid's hut to see the dragon hatch. And the dragon hatched.
"I don't know how I'm supposed to feel right now," Astra said.
"What do you mean?" Kara asked.
"A small part of me is jealous that Harry got to see a dragon hatch before I did," Astra said. "Another part of me is terrified about what will happen now that there is an illegal dragon which he, Ron, and Hermione are now accomplices to."
"It's not the most illegal thing we've ever done," Harry said.
"Oh, that's for sure," Sara said.
"They played Hagrid for a fool," John said.
"Agreed," McGonagall said.
"See the dragon?" Malfoy asked in a sing-song voice. "Because, that's most certainly is a dragon in there."
"Thirty years, and you really have to bask in being right," Harry said.
Malfoy just responded with a smug smirk.
The dragon almost snaps at Hagrid and Hermione asks the question how fast do Norwegian Ridgeback grow.
"In a few weeks, it's going to be really big," Astra said. "Bigger than Hagrid's entire hut. About twenty five days or so."
"They're fast growers," Ron said.
"Seems like Hagrid did not think too far past the joy of having a dragon," Kara said. "He's like a big kid sometimes."
"Which can be good," Fred said. "But, in this case, not so much."
"Damn it, Hagrid," Astra said. "You would have to get one of the trickiest dragons to deal with."
"It could be worse," Lita said.
"True,' Astra said. "At least it's not a Hungarian Horntail. Those are monsters. Especially the nesting mothers. Would take my chances with the worst horrors of Hell than one of those personally."
Sara caught Harry's eye as Hermione and Ron winced behind Astra's back.
Malfoy spots the dragon.
"Of course," Lena said. "Of course, he did."
"He really needed a hobby," Fred said.
"Stalking those three was his hobby," Zari said.
"You really should have told Snape," Harry said.
"Pardon, Potter?" Malfoy asked.
"I'm telling you should have told Snape," Harry repeated slowly and clearly. "To avoid what is going to happen next."
"I wanted to make you three sweat a little before I turned you in," Malfoy said.
"And how did that work out for you?" Ron asked.
Malfoy just grimaced.
"It appears you knew about the entire dragon before you told me on that night," McGonagall said. "You sat on that information for how long?"
"Two weeks," Malfoy said.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione try to reason with Hagrid about Norbert Which had grown three times its size in a week.
"You weren't kidding," Nora said.
"I know," Astra said. "It's really a beautiful dragon. But, it can't be near civilized people."
"And it wasn't necessarily little," John said.
"It's just a fire hazard waiting to happen," Mick said. "What if that thing managed to go to the school and started to reek havoc?"
"Damn it, Hagrid," McGonagall said. "And you, as well Mr. Malfoy. You should have told someone the moment you saw the dragon."
"Right, I should have ratted on your three favorites," Malfoy said. "And Hagrid. Got you, McGonagall."
Harry suggests to Ron that they send Norbert to live with Charlie in Romanian.
"All things considered, that's the best idea," Kara said.
"No, the best idea would be to go to a responsible adult," Ava said.
"Given how responsible adults failed me for years, you can see why I didn't," Harry said.
McGonagall flinched. She felt that one.
"What about those two, though?" Astra asked. "Surely, Hermione would trust someone to do the right thing."
"I didn't want Hagrid to get in trouble," Hermione said. "Dumbledore was intimidating and I didn't know how Professor McGonagall would have reacted."
"I would have had to report the matter to Dumbledore," McGonagall said. "Hagrid really shouldn't have put any of you in this position."
"And yet, here we are," Astra said with a grimace.
We find out that Nobert bit Ron
Astra jumped up, mouth open in shock.
"Is that how you lost your arm?" Astra asked.
"No, not from that," Ron said.
"Ridgebacks are venomous," Astra said. "The females of the species are much worse than the males, but it's not a picnic either way."
"Good thing this one's a male then," Kara said.
"Actually, it might be a female," Astra said. "I didn't get a close enough look at it."
"It is," Harry confirmed.
"You were very lucky not to be paralyzed," Astra said.
"Couldn't hold anything in that hand for about a month," Ron said.
Charlie sends a letter agreeing to get the dragon.
"Great, before it bites anyone else," Astra said.
"Getting it up to the tower, that could be tricky," John said. "Especially considering it's not a cooperative bugger."
"That's true," Astra conceded griml.
Harry remarks that he has the cloak which should cover two of them and Norbert.
"Yeah, good luck in getting it to sit still, though," Astra said.
"Well, you could get it into a crate, but good luck with that," John said.
Ron's bitten hand swells and starts turning colors, forcing him to go to the hospital wing.
"You are so fucking lucky," Astra said.
"I know," Ron said. "It was one of the worst pains I've ever experienced in my life."
"Good thing, Pomfrey knows what she's doing," George said.
We learn Malfoy stopped by and Ron's excuse that a dog bit him.
"Serious stalker vibes, here," Kara said.
"Oh, it's a greater love story than Twilight," Lita said wistfully.
"I wanted to see if the idiot actually got himself bitten," Malfoy said.
"Dragon bites aren't a laughing matter," Astra said. "Especially with Ridgebacks. Female Ridgebacks more so. Ron's very lucky he got the care he needed before he was killed."
Ron knew he was lucky. Charlie told him he was lucky once he found out.
"Madam Pomfrey knew it wasn't a dog," McGonagall said. "She would have had to report such an injury to Dumbledore. Although, he never mentioned it to me."
"Big surprise there, Minnie," John said.
"She would have been able to recognize a dragon bite," McGonagall said. "And I suspect she might have figured out it was Hagrid."
"And yet, we're still smuggling an illegal dragon out of Hogwarts," Harry said while wincing. "Nice to see the adults are on the ball as usual."
It was McGonagall's turn to wince at Harry's not so subtle jab at their negligence in this situation.
Ron realizes he left the note in the book that Malfoy wanted.
"Stupid!" Ron groaned. "Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!"
"Too late to do anything now," Hermione said.
"Rookie mistake," George said.
"Well, that could complicate things," Lena said.
"Oooh, just a little bit," Nora said.
The plan could not change. Harry and Hermione have to stick to the plan, with Malfoy not knowing about the Invisiblity Cloak.
"At least you got that ace to pull out," Kara said.
Harry and Hermione visit Hagrid, with Fang and his bandaged tail, to tell him about the plan.
"Poor Fang," Kara said.
"Tricky stage indeed," Sara said.
"The only one who could take care of a baby dragon properly, is a mother dragon," Astra commented.
"That what Natalie told you?" John asked.
"Yes," Astra said.
Norbert bites Hagrid's leg and Hagrid reassures Hermione and Harry that he's only playing, only a baby.
"And is he still playing when the third-degree burns happen?" Mick asked.
"Hagrid will defend his pets to the end," Harry said.
Ron grimly nodded. Second year was coming. The worst example of Hagrid's blindness to his pets in Ron's opinion.
"You almost got to admire a guy for his loyalty," George said.
"And his insanity," Fred remarked.
Harry and Hermione arrive, with Hagrid having packed Norbert in a crate.
"At least Hagrid managed to get him in a crate," John said. "I thought for a minute that you were going to have to try and get up all the way up there underneath the cloak."
"That would have been a catastrophe if we tried," Hermione said.
"Yes," Harry agreed.
"Still so much that can go wrong," Astra said.
"Please tell me the crate got magically reinforced," Zari said.
"Somehow, Hagrid managed to make it sturdy enough," Harry said. "I didn't ask too many questions. I just wanted the damn thing gone."
"Wise, Harry," McGonagall said. "Considering the circumstances."
They were rapidly approaching a point where McGonagall regretted being so short with Harry and Hermione. Unfortunately, there was another security breach that night which put McGonagall on edge.
They would get to that when they got to that.
The poor Teddy bear gets its head ripped off.
"Yikes," Sara said.
"Well he wasn't lonely," Lita said. "Got a friend to chew its head off."
"Move," Astra murmured. "Get the damn thing up to the tower and get out of there."
"I wish it was that easy," Harry said.
"Mmm hmm," Hermione agreed.
McGonagall and Malfoy have their meeting, and takes twenty points off of Slytherin and puts him into Detention, despite Malfoy's claims that Harry Potter has a dragon.
"You were going to try and catch them in the act," Sara said.
"And you got caught yourself," Kara said.
"Serves you right for being a little creeper," Nora said.
"I'm…I thought that I could see the dragon, and prove that they were up to something," Malfoy said.
"Please tell me you weren't going to snatch the dragon and run it all the way down to Professor Snape, or someone like that," Hermione said.
"I…I didn't think that far ahead," Malfoy said. "After Potter escaped the trophy room, I wanted to catch him on something. And before anyone says anything, I know it was petty."
"At least you've admitted that much," Kara said.
"You really should have told Snape," Harry reminded him.
"Yes, Potter, I should have," Malfoy said.
Hermione's declaration she could sing because Malfoy had detention. Harry advises her not to.
"Harry Potter might not be the hero we want all of the time," Fred said.
"But, he's the hero we need," George said.
Hermione just rolled her eyes at the antics of the twins, although she was smiling.
Harry and Hermione moved up to the tallest tower. A quartet of figures appeared outside, hovering on broomsticks near the tower. Harry shrugged off the Invisibility Cloak and dropped it onto a chair.
"We have the package," Harry said.
"Oh, good, you're on time," a young Asian man said with a smile. "I'm Jae."
'And I'm Tulip, hi," a redheaded girl said.
"And I'm Barnaby," a good natured larger man said. "And you're Harry Potter."
"Not so loud, Barnaby," the fourth figure, with their face obscured said. "Bring the package over slowly."
"We got a nice little set-up rigged," Barnaby said. "Can carry this little guy between our broomsticks. Careful now, don't want to drop it."
"Good, should be nice and secure," Jae said. "CJ? You got it?"
"Yeah, I got it," CJ said.
"I can't believe I'm smuggling a dragon for Harry Potter," Jae said.
"Technically, it's for Hagrid," Barnaby said. "Can't believe he actually got a dragon egg."
"All nice and snug," Tulip said. "We should fly. You two better watch out for Mrs. Norris and Filch. Careful now."
The harness secured Norbert's crate. Harry and Hermione both smiled as they watched Charlie's friends zoom off into the night, with the crate containing Norbert.
Hermione shifted nervously.
"Let's go," Harry said.
"So, CJ?" Lita asked. "Were they…"
"The inspiration for the main character in the Hogwarts Mystery mobile game, yes," Harry said.
"Barnaby, he works at Luna's creature preserve," Ron said. "I met him a couple of times. Good bloke."
"Yeah, he is," Harry said.
"What's with the cloak and dagger?" Sara asked. "For this CJ."
"That's a long story," Harry said. "But, it's not my story. But it's not the last time we'll see CJ."
"Will you tell me later?" Sara asked.
"Bits and pieces will come up, as the story unfolds," Harry said.
Astra sighed in relief. The dragon was out of there. She could breathe.
"Hey, everyone want to see us do something really stupid and careless?" Harry asked.
Astra could not even speak. She just gasped and groaned.
Harry and Hermione run into Filch. And they forgot the Invisibility Cloak.
Sara, Zari, George, Fred, and Kara all face-palmed. Astra had been beyond any words or gestures at this point.
"Hey, in the excitement of getting the dragon out of there, we may have forgotten something really important," Harry said.
"So, you got caught," George said.
"Rookie mistake forgetting the cloak," Harry said.
"Yeah, don't throw away an advantage like that, "Sara said.
"So, Filch caught you," John said.
"Too late for it to really matter," Malfoy said.
"And now, Minnie's going to give you an arse chewing," John said.
"Harry, a word?" McGonagall asked.
Harry nodded and walked off with McGonagall. The two moved their way to a more secure location.
"That lot was there that night," McGonagall said. "On the same night, the Sunken Vault was tampered with."
"That was me," Harry said.
"It was…how?" McGonagall asked.
"Future me," Harry said. "I had a good reason."
"Care to elaborate?" McGonagall asked. "Because, with that security breach is why I was harder on you than I should have been."
"Well, wouldn't be the first time I got screwed over for something I technically didn't do yet," Harry said. "And the damage has been done, for both things. Although that does explain why you took so many points off of me that night. Although, you should have taken as many off of Malfoy."
"Yes, in fairness, I should have," McGonagall said.
The two returned to the rest of the group.
"I suppose we should not have expected everything to go completely right," Kara said. "Well, time for the fallout to that."
"I can hardly wait," Astra dryly said. "Dragons are wild animals, and should never be pets. Moral of story."
"Glad we all learned something," Malfoy said.
"And when you see a dragon, report it immediately," Harry said.
"Why are you so adamant about this?" Lena asked.
"Oh, we'll find out soon," Lita said.
"Next chapter," Harry said.
To Be Continued.