In the years to come, Jack would never quite remember how he managed to get through his exams when he felt like almost falling asleep during every one, and felling sick thanks to the heat.
Yet the days carried on and each one feeling a little warmer than the last thanks to summer coming, and he hadn't gotten very sick just yet.
Although he did spend as much time as he could in the Room of Requirement which he always wished up to be like a giant freezer.
The written exams were the worst, Jack thought thanks to how hot the large classroom was where they took them using new Anti-Cheating bewitched quills.
But the practical ones weren't so bad, at least then Jack could take a seat in the shade and try and stay cool until he was called up.
Professor Flitwick called them in to see if they could make a pineapple tap dance across the desk, and some other tricks.
Professor McGonagall watched them all turn a mouse into a snuff-box – points given for how pretty the box was, but taken away if it still had ears, whiskers, or a tail.
Snape breathed down their necks while they tried to remember how to make a Forgetfulness potion – pretty ironic if Jack had to say so but he thought he did ok.
Harry also did as best as he could what with the constant pains in his forehead which had been bothering him ever since their trip into the forest.
Neville just thought Harry had a case of exam nerves because Harry couldn't sleep, but the truth was Harry kept being woken up by his old nightmare, except now there was a mysterious cloaked figure in it blood dripping around it's lips.
On hearing this, Jack tried to make Pitch stop doing this, but the King of Nightmares had told him it was not he who was giving the boy these stories as he slept.
Although Ron and Hermione didn't really have it easy either. Sure they didn't have scars on their foreheads that constantly hurt them, nightmare that kept waking them up, or felt like they would throw up thanks to overheating, but they still had the exams to do as well.
Their last exam, History of Magic, was today.
One hour of answering questions about batty old wizards who invented self stirring cauldrons and they would be free until the results came in a few weeks.
When they were told to put down their quills and the papers were collected, Jack was one of the first ones out of that stuffy classroom and went into the grounds taking shelter in the shade of one of the trees by the lake, jumping into the branches.
Soon Harry, Ron and Hermione joined him, the girl going on about how she didn't need to have learnt something she was fussing about the last few days.
Jack ignored her and turned his attention to the lake where the Weasley Twins and Lee Jordon were playing with the Giant Squid.
Something had been not feeling right, all day but he couldn't quite work out what and being in that classroom didn't help. But now that he was out here where it was a little cooler, he could think again.
"No more revision," Ron said sighing as he laid back on the grass "You guys could look more cheerful Harry and Jack, we've got weeks before we find out how bad we did."
"That's not why I'm miserable," Jack said coming down and walking to the edge of the lake looking across it. "I'm not sure what, but something's not right here at this school, I can feel it."
"And I wish I knew what this means!" Harry burst out angrily rubbing his forehead "My scar keeps hurting, it's happened before but never like this."
While they argued over Harry's scar, Jack went over to Fred and George and consulted with them his feelings.
"Maybe there is something not right and the magic is trying to warn you," Fred suggested after hearing the news.
"Yeah but what..." Jack asked trying to think about what might be wrong. What had happened over the last few months that wasn't right? Then...
"Hey guys... how much trouble would someone get into if they were found with an illegal dragon egg in their pocket?" he asked remembering what Ron had said about it being against the law.
"Big big trouble I can tell you," George said as Fred nodded.
"And how good is Hagrid at keeping secrets if he's had a few drinks?" Jack continued.
"Well he's not all that good with secrets if he's sane is he?" Fred asked.
Thanking them Jack turned back to the others and said they had to go see Hagrid.
"Why?" they asked but got up and began to follow him as he had already ran off.
o0o
Outside Hagrid's hut he was sitting in a chair his sleeves and trousers rolled up and shelling peas.
"Hullo," he said smiling seeing them "Finished your exams? Got time fer a drink?"
"Yes please," Ron said but Jack said there wasn't time.
"No we need to ask you something Hagrid," he said trying to be calm "That night you won Norbert, what did the stranger look like, who was he? And what did you talk about?"
"Dunno, never saw his face, kept his hood up," Hagrid said thinking "Kinda hard to remember right because he kept buying me drinks. Mighta just been a dragon dealer. Lets see... I think we got to talking about Hogwarts and I told him that I was the Game Keeper."
Slowly looking nervous now, getting to where Jack was heading Harry and the others sat down with Jack to hear Hagrid's story.
"He asked me what kinda creatures I helped look after here... So I told him... and said all I ever really wanted was a dragon... an' then he said he had one and we could play cards for it if I wanted. But he wanted to be sure I could handle it, saying he didn't want it to just go to anybody. So I told him, after Fluffy, a dragon would be easy..."
"Did you tell him you to calm a Cerberus down?" Jack asked hoping he didn't.
"Well course I did, I had to tell him so he knew I wasn't lying that I knew how to handle him. And so I said 'Just play him a bit of music and he'll fall right to sleep'."
Jack and the three looked horrified, Jack on his feet in a second and racing back to the school, Harry Ron and Hermione quickly after him, Hagrid calling for them to come back.
They didn't stop until they reached the Entrance Hall.
.
"Peeves!" Jack called out, surprising the others by not being out of breath.
With a 'Pop' there he was.
"Yes Jackie?" he asked beaming.
"Where's Dumbledore's office, we need to talk to him now."
Frowning but feeling something was off today too, Peeves told them "Second floor, next to the tapestry of Bertha the Brave, behind the goblin. Password's Sugar-snaps. But won't do you much good Jackie, he's not here at the moment," he said quickly as the kids were about to go looking for the office.
"What do you mean he's not here at the moment?" Harry asked, worried.
"I mean Potty, that Dumbledore's nor here," Peeves said now flying upside down "Got message from somewhere saying he was needed elsewhere and so he left. Why's it matter anyway Jackie?" he asked flipping back up and looking to Jack.
Before Jack could answer McGonagall came down the staircase asking them what they were doing inside, ignoring Peeves.
"It's about the Philosopher's Stone, Professor," Jack said getting right to the point "And yes we know about it, so what? The point is we think someone's going to try and steal it within the next 24 hours."
"Well I don't know how you possibly found out about the stone, but I can assure you that it is excellent protection, by seven tasks. Nobody would be able to get it."
"But Professor," Harry said trying to be calm "What if the person trying to steal it is one of those people who helped protect it?"
"Enough," she said firmly, not listening "You four go back outside and enjoy the sunshine, Peeves, just go," she said before turning to leave.
"WHY DON'T YOU ADULTS EVER LISTEN TO US KIDS!" Jack said loudly some of his hair turning white and edges of his eyes turning blue, as he turned to the stairs and raced up them with Peeves heading for the third floor.
"Frost! Get back here at once!" McGonagall called after him, but he didn't listen so she went after him.
Back in the Entrance Hall, Harry Ron and Hermione started making plans to go through the trapdoor that night.
o0o
Outside the door to the forbidden corridor, Jack made an ice key, used it, slipped inside, told Peeves to play some music, dodged Fluffy and went down the trap door, thinking that if he got there before Quirrell, he could get the stone and save it meaning he couldn't get it.
He'll deal with all the trouble he's in when he gets back. He's first job is to protect the kids.
Once he was in, Peeves stopped and disappeared to the Owlery sending a note to Jack's friends - well, he wasn't as bad everyone thought, but if anyone found out about this, he would deny it.
o0o
Jack didn't show up for dinner that night. Nor was he in the common room or dormitory, making Harry, Ron and Hermione very worried.
"Better get the cloak," Ron said quietly as the last few people went up to bed.
Nodding Harry went to get it and also picked up the flute Hagrid gave him for Christmas.
He ran back down to the common room.
"Better try it on here just to be sure that it does cover all of us – if Filch spots one of our feet wandering along on it's own –"
"What are you doing?" a voice from the behind an armchair called.
They all quickly turned to see Neville there, with Trevor in his hand who seemed to be trying to escape again.
"Nothing Neville, nothing," Harry said hiding his cloak behind his back, but Neville saw their guilty faces.
"You're going out again..." Neville said not believing them.
"No, no, no," Hermione said "It's not like that Neville, why don't you go back to bed?"
Harry looked up at the grandfather clock by the door. They couldn't afford to loose anymore time, Snape right now could be playing Fluffy to sleep.
"You can't go out," Neville said "You'll get caught again and Gryffindor will be in even more trouble."
"You don't understand, this is important, and Jack might be in trouble," Harry said, but Neville, although he liked Jack as a good friend, wouldn't hear of it and went to the portrait hole to block the door.
"I won't let you do it," he said "I'll - I'll fight you!"
"Neville." Ron said with fury "Get out of the way and don't be an idiot –"
"Don't call me an idiot!" Neville called out "I don't think you should be breaking rules! And you and Jack were the ones who told me to stand up to people!"
"Yes but not to us," Ron said in exasperation "Neville, you don't know what you're doing."
Neville was just getting ready to fight him, when he was hit by a full body bind and a ball of gold sand hit his face making him fall asleep.
The three looked to the boys staircase and saw Fred and George, one nodding them to get going, the other coming over to get Neville and take him to bed.
Confused but accepting it, Harry, Ron, and Hermione put the cloak on and got going to the third floor corridor.
.
On the journey to the trapdoor however, it seemed like something was going to come and take out before they got there, but somehow they made it to Fluffy's door and saw it was already ajar.
