Authors Note: I DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT own any of the Harry Potter characters, names, places, things, etc. All of this belongs to the ever legendary J.K Rowling. Please Review, Favorite and Follow!

So sorry for the delay in this chapter! I really have no excuse for its tardiness except that I'm lazy. Guilty as charged! But I finally got Ron into the story and I plan on trying to keep him in it! UGH!

So this chapter is pretty long, hopefully that makes up for the delay, but there may be some spelling errors and such because I wanted this out sooner and don't really have a lot of time to revise. I'll revise it tomorrow! Promise! Thank you for all the support!

Bye! :)

The common room was nearly half full, as it usually was this time of day. Or should I say night? Lately after finding out about Flamel, we had started to focus more on what was set to guard the stone rather than trying to find more about Flamel himself.

So there I sat, snuggled up in a armchair near the fireplace, reading a amusing book called 'Curses and Counter-Curses'. I mean, the book was great in theory, jinxes and curses about jelly-legs and some pimple jinx, but nothing in this book would help us with the stone, unless Quirrell was planning on defeating Snape with the Tongue-Tying curse.

I peered up from the book and watched Hermione as she furiously colored coded her notes and made up study charts, her already frizzy hair appearing bushier. She sighed exasperatedly, shoving her hair out of her face.

"'Mon, the exams are ages away." I spoke up after what seemed like three pink highlighters later.

"In ten weeks," she snapped immediately, snapping a blue highlighter closed. "that's not ages, that's like a second to Flamel."

I rolled my eyes, swiping away a few flyaway hairs. "But we're not six hundred years old. But seriously, what are you studying for, it's not like you don't know everything already."

"Seriously." Hermione asked me agape, bristling slightly. "Are you crazy? These exams Hope, these exams, are what determine if we can head to second year. I should've started studying months ago! I don't know what's gotten into me..."

I shook my head, glancing unsurely at the stack of homework that sat at my feet. Lately, the teachers have been thinking more along the lines of Hermione, handing out ungodly amounts of homework due the very next day. It was frustrating, especially with Hermione muttering the twelve uses of dragon blood under her breath repeatedly and swishing her hand around in practiced wand movements.

I groaned and slammed my book shut, slapping it into my bag before grabbing out my potions essay I needed to finish. I dipped my quill into a nearby ink well, watching as Hermione continued to mutter something about the Levitation Charm.

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"This is stupid." I spat, flipping a page bitterly.

Hermione glanced up briefly, cracking a smile before looking back down at her textbook.

I looked out the nearest window longingly, the clear blue sky and gentle breeze calling me. It was one of the first actual fine days we've had in weeks.

Hermione looked up. "You do realize that books not going to read itself."

I huffed at her. "Yes I do realize that, thanks."

She looked back down at her book, dipping her quill in the ink, smirking. I licked my lips and smiled suddenly. "Hagrid! What are you doing in the library."

Hermione's head snapped up, surprise coloring her features.

Hagrid grudgingly came into view, hiding something behind his back and looking odd standing in the library in a large moleskin overcoat.

"Jus' lookin'." His voice was shifty. "An' what're you lot up ter?" His eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Yer not still lookin' fer Nicolas Flamel, are yeh?"

"Psh, no." I sniggered. "We found out about him ages ago. We also know what Fluffy is guarding, it's the Sorcerer's St-"

"Shhhh!" Hagrid looked around wildly. "Don' go shoutin' about it, what's the matter with yeh?"

"Lots of things." I said brightly. "But there were a few things we wanted to ask you, actually, like what's guarding the Stone-"

"SHHHH! Listen- come an' see me later, I'm not promisin' I'll tell yeh anythin', mind, but don' go rabbitin' about it in here, students aren't s'pposed ter know. They'll think I've told yeh..."

"Mkay, see you later then." I waved at him cheerfully, Hermione bidding him goodbye.

"Whatcha think he was hiding behind his back?" Hermione mussed thoughtfully, tapping her chin with her quill feather.

"Do you think it's got anything to do with the Stone?"

Hermione shrugged, still mulling over the interaction in her mind.

"I'm going to go see what section he was in." I leapt up from my seat and dashed into a isle. When I returned, a handful of books in my arms, I grinned excitedly. I dropped them ceremoniously onto the table.

"Dragons!" I whispered fiercely.

Hermione snatched a few books and began to read them aloud. "Dragons Species of Great Britain and Ireland; From Egg to Inferno, A Dragon Keeper's Guide."

"Hagrid's always wanted a dragon." I informed her. "Told me first time I met him."

"But it's against our laws." She pointed out with furrowed eyebrows. "Dragon breeding was outlawed by Warlocks' Convention of 1709, everyone knows that."

I blinked at her. "I didn't know that. How do you even know that?! But, there aren't any wild dragon in Britain, right?"

"Course they are." She shrugged. "I don't know what breed, but I bet there are."

I looked off in the direction Hagrid had disappeared to. "What is he up to?"

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Later at Hagrid's hut you could tell that something was up. It wasn't anything prominent, just the fact that the curtains were closed, but Hagrid rarely ever closed his curtains. I traded a glance with Hermione and knocked sharply on the door. "Who is it?" He had asked before he would even let us in.

Inside was boiling hot, a fire blazing inside the grate, despite the fact that it was a rather warm day. Hagrid handed us each a cup of tea. "So, yeh wanted to ask me somethin'?"

"Yes," I began quickly, getting straight to the point. "we were wondering if you could tell us what's guarding the Stone, you know, apart from Fluffy."

Hagrid frowned at me. "O' course I can't. Number one, I don't know meself. Number two, yeh know too much already, so I wouldn' tell yeh if I could. That's stone here's fer a good reason. It was almost stolen outta Gringotts, I s'ppose yeh've worked out an' all. Beats me how yeh even know abou' Fluffy."

"Oh, come on Hagrid, you might not want to tell us, but you do know. You know everything that goes on round here." Hermione blinked up at Hagrid innocently, speaking in a warm and flattering voice. "We only wondered who had done the guarding really, who Dumbledore had trusted enough to help him, apart from you of course."

Hagrid's chest swelled with pride.

I positively beamed at her.

"Well, I don't s'pose it could hurt ter tell yeh that, let's see, he borrowed Fluffy from me... Then some o' the teachers did enchantments. Professor Sprout- Professor Flitwick- Professor McGonagall- an' Dumbledore himself did somethin' o' course. Oh, an' Professor Snape, too." He ticked them all off on his fingers.

"Snape?"

"Yeah, yer still not abou' that, are yeh. Look, Snape helped ter protect the Stone, he's not about ter steal it."

So that's why he was after Quirrell, Snape I mean. It probably wasn't that hard to find out how the other teachers had guarded. So all he needed was how to get past Fluffy and Quirrell's spell.

"You're the only one who knows how to get past Fluffy, right Hagrid." I asked after a moment, uncertain. "You wouldn't tell any of the other Professors, would you?"

"Not a soul knows except me an' Dumbledore." Hagrid replied proudly.

"Well... that's something." Hermione muttered to me lowly. "Hagrid, couldn't you open a window? I'm dying."

"Can't, Hermione, sorry." Hagrid glanced subconsciously over at the fire. I frowned and glanced over too.

I gasped. "Hagrid, what is that?"

But I already knew what it was. In the heart of the fire, under the kettle, was a large, black egg.

"Ah, that's-" Hagrid fiddled with his beard.

"Where did you get it?" Hermione asked, couching closer to the egg.

"Must have costed you a fortune." I crouched down beside her.

"I won it. Las' night. I was down in the village Havin' a few drinks an' got into a game of cards with a stranger. Think he was quite glad to get rid of it, ter be honest."

"What are you going to do with it once it's hatched?" Hermione looked up at Hagrid, swatting my hand away from the egg in the process.

"Well, I've bin doin' some readin'." Hagrid motioned at the large books covering his bed. "Got this outta the library, Dragon Breeding for Pleasure and Profit, it's a bit outta date, o' course, but it's all in here. Keep the egg in the fire, 'cause their mothers breathe on em, an' when it hatched, feed em on a bucket o' brandy mixed with chicken blood every half hour. An' see here, how ter recognize diff'rent eggs, what I got there is a Norwegian Ridgeback. They're rare, them."

Hermione blinked at him incredulously, looking at me in pure exasperation. "But Hagrid, you live in a wooden house."

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I bit into a piece of toast, making a face when a few strands of my hair came with it. Hermione snorted, going back to her porridge in a vain attempt to hide her sniggers. I slowly pulled a saliva engulfed hair strand out of my mouth, flicking my hand so it fell to the floor. It was just then that an owl swooped down beside me, dropping a small tear of parchment before flying off. I snatched it up before Hermione could. It read: It's hatching.

I looked at Hermione expectedly. "So we are skipping Herbology right?"

Hermione looked at me appealed. "No Hope, we aren't."

I pouted. "Oh c'mon Mione, how many dragon hatchings as we ever going to witness!?"

"No, we've got lessons and we'll get into trouble." I peered over her shoulder as she spoke. "And I can't imagine the trouble Hagrid would get into when someone finds out what he's-"

I clamped a hand over her mouth, receiving a ticked off glare in response. "Shh! Shush!"

Hermione ripped me hand off her mouth and huffed. "What?"

"Malfoy." I mouthed.

Hermione slowly turned in her seat just in time to see a very excited Malfoy walk off. "I don't like the look on his face." I sniffed.

Hermione looked at me worriedly. "How much do you think he heard."

I shook my head. "Too much I'm bettin'."

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Hermione had allowed us to go and visit Hagrid after Herbology, which is exactly what we did, nearly throwing down our towels immediately when the bell rang. We met a greatly flustered, but excited Hagrid right outside the door. He ushered us in. "It's nearly out."

Hermione and I ran over and promptly sat in a few chairs, bringing them closer to the table. The egg now had a large crack down its side, something inside was moving and making funny clicking noises.

Suddenly, actually rather fast, there was a crunching noise and the egg split open. Oddly enough the dragon looked like an odd, crumpled umbrella... It's spiny wings were huge compared to its tiny jet black body, it's nostrils were wide upon his narrow snout, the 'horns' were only stubs and its orange eyes bulged.

It sneezed, shooting out a couple of sparks.

"Isn't he beautiful?" Hagrid murmured lovely, going to pat the thing on the head only to have it snap at Hagrid with sharp fangs.

I wondered briefly how he knew it was a male, but forget it a second later as Hagrid spoke again in a lovey-dovey, lovesick manner. I stared at him."Ah bless him, he knows his mummy."

Hermione glanced around the small confinement that was Hagrid's house. "Hey, Hagrid. How fast do Norwegian Ridgebacks grow?"

Hagrid opened his mouth to answer, bushy beard twitching, when his face drained of all color. He leapt up and ran over to the window.

I studied him curiously. "What's the matter?"

"Someone was lookin' through the gap in the curtains. It's a kid, runnin' back up ter the school."

Hermione and I bolted towards the door, managing to both open the door and run into each other in the process, peeking out. There was no mistaking him, even at such a distance.

Draco Malfoy had seen the dragon.

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"Why won't he just let it free?" Daphne asked me the next day in our 'regular hangout', the library.

"Hagrid said Norbert was too little and that he'd die out there alone." Hermione told her, taking her fist out of her cheek and setting it on the table.

"Who's Norbert?" Theodore asked suddenly.

Everyone turned to look at him. Harry sighed. "Have you been listening at all?"

"Um...no."

"At least he admitted it." I muttered as Harry explained that Norbert was said dragon in question.

Daphne glanced over at me. "So, what's he gonna do with him when, you know, he gets to big."

"That's the point," I explained. "we have to get Hagrid to get rid of Norbert, but I just don't know how."

"Wait, we're killing the thing?!" Theodore snapped his head up to stare at us all.

"No!" We cried simultaneously, Harry smacking Theodore upside the head.

"M'kay geesh." He muttered, rubbing his head with a pout.

"So, let me get this right. Somehow, with some miracle, we have to get Norbert out of Hogwarts without Hagrid getting caught and hope that Malfoy doesn't turn you all in?" Harry required deliberately.

Hermione and I traded a look. "Yes."

"So... any ideas?" Daphne asked up suddenly, pulling a sugar quill out of her mouth and looking at us all expectantly.

"No." I replied rather hastily, shaking my head, which was hard mind you in my current position. I was sitting in one of the overly large beanbag chairs the library had, resting my feet up into the air with my head smushed against the carpet.

Hermione shook her head negatively, as did Harry, and as did Theodore after a jab at his ribs.

I rearranged my shoulders, thinking. Something occurred to me as I slowly sat myself up. "Hey, I think I've got an idea."

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"Hey Ron!" I yelled as I entered the common room, Hermione lingering behind me.

Ron looked up from watching Dean and Seamus play a game of chess. "Oh, hey Hope, Hermione."

Hermione smiled timidly, glancing over at me. "I've been meaning to ask you-"

"Why would you want to ask Ickle Ronniekins anything?" A voice said from my left.

I looked over and jumped. "George!" I swatted at his chest.

"What?" The other twin, who I knew for a fact was Fred, appeared beside George.

I raised an eyebrow. "Nu-uh. You my friend are Fred, he's George."

"I'm afraid you're mistaken my dear." Fred shook his head fondly, patting my head.

I swatted at his hand. "I know that you're Fred and he's George, I told you two, you can't trick me."

George grinned at me while Fred huffed. "Whatever, come on Freddie."

George winked at me. "Coming Georgie."

I rolled my eyes exasperatedly. "Honestly, how can you live with those two?"

Ron shrugged with a smile. "I lock myself up in my room pretty much... but it's pretty amazing you can tell them apart, I can't even do that."

Dean and Seamus snorted while I laughed. "Eleven years later..." I joked.

Ron grinned. "Right, so, uh, what did you need again?"

"Oh! Right! Can we talk to you?" I motioned at Hermione and myself.

Ron shrugged, standing up. "I suppose..."

"Great!" I grabbed his hand and proceeded to drag Ron out of the common room, finally resting right outside the Fat Lady's portrait.

"So," I began after a glance over at Hermione. "it would seem, in a certain uh light, that we're in trouble and we need your help."

Ron's eyebrows rose. "My help?"

We both nodded. "Yea, so, would you help?"

"Can I get more details?" He questioned.

Hermione looked at me. "Um, not really. I mean usually yes, but not now. It's sort of secret."

If it was possible Ron's eyebrows raised even higher. "It's secret? So, ok, is it dangerous, illegal?"

"Why would you ask that?" Hermione asked in surprise.

Ron grinned at me. "Hope's just like Fred and George, so I'm just guessing. Was I right?"

I grinned back at him. "It involves illegal smuggling, and if you dare say drugs I will hex you, and I think you'd be a valuable asset."

"What are we smuggling?" He asked in amusement.

"But there's one, how should I word this, draw back." I ignored his question, thinking about what his reaction would be.

"And that is?"

"You'd be working with Slytherins." I cringed as Ron made a face and made to walk back into the common room.

I grabbed his arm. "Oh come on, they're not going to hurt you! Please, Ron, we need your help."

Ron looked between Hermione and I, judging our now desperate faces. He sighed. "Fine. But I'm leaving the-"

"Yeah, yeah. I get it." I cut him off. "Don't tell no one, meet us in the library tomorrow after lunch."

"The library-" he began, but it was Hermione who cut him off.

"Honestly Ronald, it's just a library, you can survive one day in it."

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I giggled at something Theodore said, flipping my feet off the table. "Hey Ronnie!"

Ron glared at the nickname, taking a seat beside me and watching the Slytherins warily. I rolled my eyes. "So, anyway-"

"Wait, so how big is Norbert now?" Harry asked suddenly, reopening our earlier conversation.

I sighed dramatically, which was of course, ignored.

"Big." Was all Hermione replied. "Smokes starting to come out of his nostrils already."

Ron looked at me in confusion. "Ok, well, we need your help smuggling a dragon." I deadpanned.

Ron's mouth dropped open and I closed it with a snap of his jaws. "A dragon?!"

I nodded, shooting Theodore a strange look as he asked a rather strange question about Norbert. "Yeah..." I began to explain our whole situation and by the end of it our table had grown quiet and Ron blinked at me for a moment.

"And how can I help with, with this?"

"I remember George saying something about a brother... Charlie was it?" I questioned. "Says he does something with dragons for his job."

Ron's eyes lit up. "Oh, yeah. Charlie works at a dragon reserve in Romania."

"You think you could get him to take Norbert." Harry questioned with a hint of excitement.

Ron shrugged his shoulders. "I can send him a letter."

A second later a quill and a piece of parchment were being thrown at him, an ink well slid across the table. "Then get to it." Daphne ordered. It was hard to pinpoint if she had meant to act so strict or if it was all a façade.

Ron popped open the ink well, dipping his quill in, muttering something about pushy snakes.

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I glanced up when Ron dropped a letter onto my Potions book. I looked at him before looking down at the letter.

Dear Ron,

How are you? Thanks for the letter- I'd be glad to take the Norwegian Ridgeback, but it won't be easy bringing him here. I think the best thing will be to send him over with some friends of mine who are coming to visit next week. Trouble is, they mustn't be seen carrying an illegal dragon.

Could you get the Ridgeback up the tallest tower at midnight on Saturday? They can meet you there and take him away while it's still dark.

Send me an answer as soon as possible.

Love,

Charlie

"Awe, your brothers all cute." I heard Hermione mutter over my shoulder.

I looked back up at Ron. "That would be tricky, seeing as that's after curfew..."

Ron nodded, sitting down beside us. "That's what I was thinking, but I bet we can find someway to get it done."

"Someone could act as a distraction." Hermione piped up.

"I vote for...not myself."

Ron chuckled. "I'm the reason you can finally get rid of the thing, offer me up and the deals off."

Hermione rolled her eyes at us.

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"I can't believe Hagrid agreed to this."

"Well, Norbert would be with other dragons, so naturally it makes sense he would say yes."

"Yeah, but how are we going to do this?" I asked, cutting through Daphne and Harry's conversation.

"What?" Harry asked stupidly.

"How are we going to get Norbert up to the Astronomy tower at midnight?" I repeated.

"Oh, don't worry, I've got that covered." Was all Harry said before he tried to continue his discussion.

"Care to share it to the class?" I asked dryly. Hermione and Ron swiveled in their seats to look at him expectedly.

Harry seemed to consider before he repented with a rather over the top sigh. "Fine, you can't tell anyone though-"

"Seriously? We're smuggling an illegal dragon after curfew and we're going up to the Astronomy Tower which is restricted. I'm pretty sure no ones going to tell." Ron pointed out dully.

Harry bit his lip. "Fine, well, we can get up to the Astronomy Tower without getting caught cause I have an Invisibility Cloak..."

"A what?!"

"An Invisibility Cloak." He repeated, waiting for our reactions.

I looked at Hermione and Ron who seemed to shocked to speak. I shrugged. "That really doesn't surprise me, where'd you get it?"

Harry faltered. "Uh, um, our dad."

I nodded, thinking, locking away that little piece of information for later. "Huh... So, we're good then?"

"Yeah, but who's going to bring Norbert up to the Tower?" Hermione finally questioned, seeming to have gotten over the face that Harry had an invisibility cloak.

"I don't want to and I'm afraid Theo would be to loud." Daphne looked apologetically at Theodore.

He shrugged. "I didn't think a cage, myself and one other person would fit under it anyway."

"So, the smaller people then." Ron clarified.

Harry nodded. "But also strong enough to help support the cage."

"Ok, so Harry, Ron, Hermione and Hope." Theodore looked at each of us pointedly. "Who wants too?"

"Nope." Hermione said quickly, scooting her chair backwards.

"I don't care." I spoke up after a moment of having several pairs of eyes land on me. "Why do you guys always look at me?"

"It seems like something you would want to do?" Ron offered up.

"True, alright fine, I'll do it." I looked at Harry and Ron. "Who's gonna be my partner?"

"How about you Ron, not that I'm backing out or anything, (Sure.) hush Daphne, but these are his brother's friends." Harry glared at the blonde.

Ron nodded. "Alright, sure." He looked at me. "Looks like we're partners."

No one noticed the blonde head duck behind a shelf of books, a smirk upon his pointed, pale face.

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I held the silvery bundle of cloth that was the Invisibility Cloak, marveling at how soft and thin it was. Harry had handed it over to me that night after dinner. I stood inside Hagrid's freakishly warm hut, standing next to Ron as Hagrid said goodbye to Norbert. Ron had looked at the dragon in wonder the first time he had seen him, but after Norbert had tried to make a snack out of Ron's leg, he quickly decided distance was his friend.

"He's got lots o' rats for the journey an' some brandy." Hagrid told us in a muffled voice. "An' I packed his teddy bear in case he gets lonely."

Ron looked at me oddly when a ripping noise came from the crate.

"Bye-bye Norbert." Hagrid sobbed. "Mummy will never forget you!"

I shifted there awkwardly throughout the teary exchange, tossing the Invisibility Cloak over us and the cage when it was time to leave. The trek up to the Astronomy Tower was long and tiresome, honestly I had no idea how we had managed to make it al the way up without collapsing. We had neared the last corridor to the tower when something made us stop in our tracks, nearly dropping the crate. We shrank further into the shadows. A lamp flared.

Professor McGonagall came around the corner, holding Malfoy by the ear. "Detention and twenty points form Slytherin! Wandering around in the middle of the night, how dare you-"

"You don't understand, Professor, Hope Potter's coming- she's got a dragon!"

"What utter rubbish! How dare you tells such lies! Come on- I shall see Professor Snape about you, Malfoy!"

Ron let out a breath when they had left.

Finally at the top of the tower and cloak free did Ron grin wickedly. "Malfoy's got detention! I could sing!"

"I dare you too."

"I said could Hope, could."

We both sat down upon the ice cold floor, a breeze tickling our hair. Nearly ten minutes later ten broomsticks appeared from the darkness. As it turned out, Charlie's friends were a cherry lot, explaining the harness they had brought along to suspend Norbert between them. I thanked them happily, Ron telling them to tell his brother he said hi. We grinned and each other when you could no longer spot Norbert and gave each other a high-five.

We both started to hop down the stairs of the tower, radiating happiness. Nothing could spoil this moment.

We turned a corner and came face to face with Filch, who gave a nasty smile at the sight of us. "Well, well, well, we are in trouble."

We had left the Invisibility Cloak at the top of the tower.

"Oh shit."