Disclaimer: See Chapter one

Author's note: I'm really sorry for being late on the update. Was so busy with getting through the end of the summer and starting school again. I hope you like!

Chapter 10: Norbert the Norwegian Ridgeback

Time passed quickly at Hogwarts. Hermione began nagging Rhian and the boys to start studying for the end of term exams. She had made out study schedules for all of them causing Ron to groan in annoyance.

"Hermione, the exams are ages away." Ron complained as he looked at the strict study schedule she had handed him.

Hermione glared at him. "Ten weeks Ron." She growled. "That's not ages, that's like a second to Nicholas Flamel."

Ron rolled his eyes. "But we're not six hundred years old," Ron reminded her. "Anyway, what are you studying for, you already know it all."

Rhian who had been lying across the bed sat up abruptly know where this would lead. "Alright you two, enough." She hissed becoming annoyed with the bickering going on between her two friends.

"You are impossible." Hermione huffed gathering her books and exiting the first year boy's dorm. A few moments later they heard the girls dorm door slam shut.

Rhian sighed in annoyance. "Should listen to her Ron." She said gathering her own books to head to the library.

"But…but she's mental." Ron spluttered.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Rhian wait up." He called running after his sister.

Rhian paused in her step and looked behind her to see Harry sprinting towards her. "I'm headed to the library want to come with?" she asked.

"Sure"

Glancing at Harry's troubled expression Rhian nudged her brother in the ribs. "What are you thinking about?" she asked curiously.

Harry shrugged with a sigh. "Was thinking about the possibility that things won't work out and I'll be sent back to the Dursleys."

Rhian stopped and turned to face Harry. "You know that won't happen." She replied.

"I know" He whispered shuddering at a thought.

Placing a hand on his shoulder Rhian squeezed lightly. "They were that bad?" she asked referring to Harry's relatives.

Harry nodded. "I hope I never have to go back there."

"You won't." Rhian chirped. "Besides I think Dad will be paying them a visit at the end of the year."

The two laughed trying to imagine the confrontation. They spoke no more about the relatives as the entered the library and got to work on homework.

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A few months later as the four were sitting at a table in the far corner of the library Rhian looked up when she heard Ron give out a frustrated sigh as his eyes wandered over to the window. Outside it was a perfect day, sunny and warm.

"I can't concentrate." Ron muttered closing his book with a thud.

Hermione rolled her eyes as she continued to write out notes from the large tome in front of her.

Rhian's eyes left the page and glanced around before stopping on strange sight. "Hagrid!" she called grabbing the half-giant's attention.

Hagrid shuffled over to their table hiding something behind back. "What are you doing here?" Ron asked curiously.

"Jus' lookin'," Hagrid replied. "An' what're you lot up ter?" He asked looking suspicious. "Yer not still lookin' fer Nicholas Flamel, are yeh?"

"Oh we found out about him ages ago." Ron said. "And we know it guarding…"

But Hagrid shushed him. "Come an' see me later, an' don' be goin' 'round talkin' 'bout it."

The four nodded as Hagrid turned and left the library quickly. Ron had gotten up from his seat and wandered over to the section Hagrid had been around. Pulling a book off the shelf Rhian saw a puzzled look cross Ron's face.

"What is it Ron? What was he looking at?" Harry asked.

Ron hurried back to the table. "Dragons" he whispered so that no one would hear him. "Hagrid was looking up Dragons or more precisely how to raise one."

"Hagrid has always wanted one." Harry said. "He told me so when he picked me from the Dursleys."

"Even so." Hermione whispered. "It's against our laws. Dragon breeding was outlawed by the Warlock's Convention of 1709, everyone knows that. It's hard to stop muggle's from noticing us if we're keeping dragons around."

Ron nodded in agreement. "You should see the burns Charlie got off wild ones in Romania."

"What in the hell is Hagrid up to…" Rhian wondered.

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An hour later when the quartet arrived at Hagrid's hut they were confused to find the windows shut and curtains closed.

Rhian knocked on the door and was confused more by the tone of voice Hagrid used to ask. "Who is it?"

"It's us Hagrid" Harry responded.

Hagrid opened the door ushering them in quickly into the hut before shutting the door behind them. It was extremely hot inside

"Hagrid what are you doing?" Rhian asked glancing over at the pot hanging above the fire.

The half-giant ignored her question as he made them tea and offered rock cakes which they politely refused.

"So…yeh wanted to ask me somethin'?"

Harry nodded. "We were wondering if you could tell us what is guarding the stone besides Fluffy." He stated.

Hagrid frowned at them. "O' course I can't," he replied. "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 good reason. It was almost stolen outta Gringotts… I s'ppose yeh've worked that out an' all?" Beats me how yeh even know 'bout Fluffy."

Rhian had kept her eye on the pot which by now was rocking gently back and fourth. After a few minutes the pot started to rock harder.

"Um Hagrid what's in there?" she asked taking a few steps back.

Hagrid turned red as he stumbled over his words. "It's…er…"

"I know what it is!" Hermione exclaimed. "It's a dragon egg."

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

Hagrid shrugged happily. "Won it down at 'he pub in the village. What I got here is a Norwegian Ridgeback, there rare them."

Hermione worried her bottom lip. "Hagrid what are you going to do with it when it hatches?"

The half-giant gave a look like she had a second head. "Keep it of course."

Rhian groaned. "Hagrid your house is made of wood. Dragons breathe fire." She said trying to reason with him.

"Hagrid I think its hatching." Ron said suddenly alerting the others.

Jumping up from his seat Hagrid hurried to the fireplace pulling thick cooking mitts on his hands. Reaching into the pot and pulled out a black egg and placed it on the table.

The egg rocked violently as the baby within tried to kick itself out. The four Gryffindors crowded around the kitchen table as small cracks began to appear in the smooth black surface.

All at once there was a scraping noise and the egg split open. The baby dragon flopped onto the table. It wasn't exactly pretty; it looked like a crumpled, black umbrella. Its spiny wings were huge compared to its skinny jet body; it had a long snout with wide nostrils, the stubs of horns and bulging, orange eyes.

"Isn't he beautiful?" Hagrid murmured as he reached out to stroke the baby's head but got a nip on the finger from sharp fangs instead.

"Bless 'im he knows his mummy." Hagrid said happily,

The four first years shared an uncertain look. "Hagrid, how fast do Norwegian Ridgebacks grow?" Hermione asked nervously.

Rhian saw the color drain from Hagrid's face as he looked up to answer. "Hagrid what's wrong?" she asked glancing in the direction he was looking. "Uh oh…" she whispered seeing what he saw.

"What?" Ron asked looking between the two pale faces.

Rhian gulped. "Malfoy was looking in the window. He saw the baby."

Everyone's eyes grew wide as they rushed to the door in hopes of stopping him, but it was too late. The blonde Slytherin was already pulling the doors of the castle open.

For the next few hours the four friends tried to reason with Hagrid that he needed to get rid of the baby whom Hagrid had named Norbert. But whatever they said to him went in one ear and out the other.

It wasn't until later that evening that the quartet returned to the castle tired of trying to convince the half-giant that keeping Norbert was a bad idea. Rhian was just climbing the stairs when she stopped abruptly and the other three walked into her.

"What was that for Rhian?" Ron asked rubbing his nose where he had ran into Harry's back.

Rhian just pointed. Standing at the top of the stairs was Draco Malfoy who had a smirk on his pale face. Beside him is what made her stop. Professor McGonagall stood there with a look of disappointment on her face.

"I would have never believed it of any of you. Mr. Malfoy says you were out of the castle after hours. Explain yourselves."

A:N/ Sorry for a cliffy but I wanted to get this out to you guys before you started to lose hope in me. I will try really hard to update but school comes first. I hope you enjoy!