Ron's POV

School Grounds

After Exams

End of term exams had just finished, and I was stuck listening to Hermione gloat about them. Because she played her cards just right, she was able to act the 'genius brainy girl'. I was stuck being the idiot. So I had to throw away half the tests I took, 'cause I wasn't supposed to get good grades on them.

As we walked, Harry kept wincing. He claimed it was just his scar, which, unfortunately, didn't seem like it could be lethal. Still, Hermione looked worried, so she kept her guard up. Which really stinks, because when she's really protective, it's hard to even set up for an attack.

This whole Voldemort thing is proving to be both a blessing and a curse.

On one hand, the guy's trying to kill Harry, so that's good.

On the other hand, he makes Hermione really uptight and protective, which makes things difficult.

Then Harry gets a breakthrough. He realizes that the person who gave Hagrid my dragon egg must be somehow connected to Voldemort.

He runs over to Hagrid's hut and demands the identity of the dragon egg thief.

"I dunno. I never saw his face, he kept his hood up," Hagrid responded.

Harry gave some 'hard' 'persuasive' and 'persistent' wheedling, and half a second later, Hagrid was blathering the entire contents of his conversation with the mysterious dragon thief.

One thing he did let slip of importance. The way to get past the three-headed dog.

Hermione's POV

On the Way to McGonagall's Office

Armed with the knowledge of how to get past Fluffy, it seemed only too easy to get the stone.

I think Ron must've noticed my concealed excitement, because he relentlessly fired easily blocked attempts as Harry led the way to Professor McGonagall's Office. Ron must hope to preoccupy me, so I'll have no time to seek out the stone myself.

Of course, as soon as Harry's safe in bed, I'll make my way down anyway. My mind was already racing for ideas of how to get past other obstacles.

Between planning and blocking, I wasn't even really paying attention as we ran in McGonagall's Office.

As soon as Harry gets to the front of the office, we learn that Dumbledore was away. Instead of asking how the headmaster could be reached, he instantly blurts out everything we learned, and his certainty that someone was going to steal the stone.

Someone has got to teach him how to be discrete, I thought, as McGonagall proceeded to tell us off for knowing about the stone.

After we left, Harry confided to us some of the most alarmingly convoluted logic.

Harry was certain that Snape, because he was mean to Harry, was after the stone to give to Voldemort to restore him to his power. Somehow, Harry reasoned that Snape must've given Hagrid the dragon egg, and now knows how to get past Fluffy and must be heading down the trapdoor tonight because Dumbledore wasn't here to stop him.

Before I could even respond, Professor Snape lurked behind us.

"Good afternoon. Now, what would three young Gryffindors, such as yourselves be doing inside on a day like this?"

My mind was so busy racing, I just stammered at him, acting like an idiot.

He warned us about acting like we were "up to something," and swooshed off.

"Now," I said, trying to clear my head, "what do we do?"

"We go down the trapdoor. Tonight."

Ron's POV

Gryffindor Common Room

That night

Despite Hermione's protests, Harry refused to call off his unbelievably stupid plan.

If these enchantments protecting the stone are supposed to hold off an incredibly powerful wizard, then what hope did he have?

Answer: none, none at all.

Hermione's POV

Slowly, quietly, we tiptoed down to the common room. Ron was already making this harder, I could already sense a spell. Ron had put a basilisk eye curse on something in the common room. If the cursed person or animal looked anyone in the eye, they'd be dead.

The fortunate thing about it, was that it was easily destroyed, but Ron had to upper hand.

Namely, he knew what had the curse, and I didn't.

Ron looked irritated. Apparently, the cursed thing was in view, but it wasn't looking at us.

"Trevor," he finally hissed, trying to get its attention. All of our eyes stupidly turned toward the frog.

Harry frowned at Ron, who quickly covered his tracks. "Uh, you shouldn't be here," he said stupidly.

I quickly started getting rid of the curse, but Harry was starting to look at it…

"Neither should you," came a voice. Harry's head jerked up, to face Neville Longbottom, who had showed up, and was threatening to stop us. I quickly removed the spell. Ron wasn't putting up a fight, which struck me as odd, until I realized he had done an enraged spell on Neville.

The boy didn't realize it, but I knew if he engaged in combat, he would be unbeatable.

"Neville, I'm really sorry about this," I said, whipping out my wand. "Petrificus Totalus!"

There was silence as he fell to the ground.

I whipped around glaring at Ron.

He backed up slightly. "Hermione, you're scary sometimes. Brilliant, but scary."

I rolled my eyes. I knew it was just a cover up, but still. Ron had never made an actual sincere sounding compliment, and really, a bunch of students calling me a know-it-all doesn't really count as a compliment from someone who's judgment matters…

Of course, it wasn't like Ron's judgment meant anything. I snapped myself out of my trance in time to stop Ron from shoving Harry down a staircase.

Ron's POV

As we headed toward the third floor corridor, I was going through mental notes.

On the off chance that we got through alive, I couldn't let Hermione get the stone. No way, no how.

Finally we made it to the door, which we opened.

Instantly, I noticed something was off.

Harry's invisibility cloak was blown off of us. Quickly surveying the room, I noticed the harp playing in the corner and the dog was asleep.

Harry noticed this a minute later. "Wait a minute… he's snoring!"

Thank you, genius.

Harry set about a plan of action, while Hermione cast a complicated spell to unlock the trap door. She had resigned that Harry was going to try get through this at all costs, so now she was trying to help him.

Me? I was busy stopping the harp from playing.

It took them nearly a full minutes to realize this.

For Harry, this was quick, but I was a little disappointed that Hermione didn't notice.

I hadn't realized I placed myself so directly in front of the dog until I felt a thing of drool land on my shoulder.

"Eurgh," I grumbled.

Harry and Hermione turned around, to face the dog.

Harry started yelling, with Hermione and I joining in, to play along. Besides, yelling at such dog is the best way to anger it.

So Harry had the genius plan of leaping down the trap door.

Idiot, I thought, a split second before Hermione leapt after him, yanking me down with her.