Chapter 6: Is That a Dragon?

Thanks to my beta, darrelldeam, for all his help in making this easier to read for you, my readers. All mistakes are still my own.

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The months that passed were mostly uneventful, Harry and Hermione continued to exercise and study with their group. While Hermione was the only one that maintained top five status grade wise, the rest of the group made a good standing. Neville, Greg, and Vincent thanked them over and over for the improvement of their grades.

Harry, Hermione and all the other muggleborn were learning loads about the wizard world. The more they learned the more they agreed with Millie. Though there were some aspects that did intrigue them. Such and Quidditch for Harry and the Department of Magical Creatures for Hermione, which she found out can be headed by muggleborns. That didn't mean they still wouldn't study during the summer, just that they did have options open.

The group, in various sizes and Houses, would visit Hagrid. He welcomed everyone and always had tea and rock cakes at the ready for visitors. So, it was surprising when one day Hagrid tried to turn them away.

Harry, Hermione, Neville, and Sally-Anne were knocking on his door one spring day. It was still chilly with Scotland's normal chill. Though the sky was bright and blue, with lazy white clouds drifting across it, the bite was still in the air. That, however, didn't explain why all the shutters and the door were closed and there was enough smoke coming from the chimney that indicated that there was a roaring fire going. It wasn't quite that cold.

Harry tentatively knocked on the very warm door. They heard Hagrid's dog, Fang, barking, and Hagrid telling him to be quiet. The large man's footsteps came closer to the door and then it opened only a crack. One beady eye peeped out.

"Now's not a good time ter visit. Really busy right now. Come back later, yeah?" the half giant said through the crack. His beady eye looked at them like he was hiding something. It was shifty, and Hagrid had never been good at lying.

"Hagrid, what's going on? Why are all your shutters closed? It's not that cold out," the ever-inquisitive Hermione asked.

"Now ya need to not be gettin' into my business, missy," Hagrid said then added with fondness at the hurt look on the bushy-headed girls face. "'ermione, sometimes adults need to be doin' things that littl' children need to not be knowin' about."

"I know, Hagrid, I just want to help if I can," Hermione said, still upset at being snapped at by someone who she considered a friend. For all his size, sometimes it was hard to remember that Hagrid was indeed an adult.

"Well…" Hagrid said taking in the sad faces. "I suppose it'll okay if you come in for littl' bit." He opened the door just enough to let them in and then promptly closed it.

"Wow, Hagrid, it's hotter than Hades in here," Harry commented as he shed his robe to ward off the heat. It was like a furnace in the little hut. There was actual sweat dripping down the wooden walls.

"Well… ya see… I, ummm, err, got me a dragon's egg," the big man said tentatively, but with a proud puffing of his massive chest.

Hermione arched an eyebrow and the rest of the group looked on in shock.

"Ummm, Hagrid, you do know those are illegal, don't you?" Neville asked, as the only pureblood here, he knew the laws better. His gran made sure that he knew, she was a stickler for stuff like that. Though Hermione was catching up, she wanted to be well informed. Not that she ever wanted a dragon, but she thought her male friends might try to raise one.

"Not to mention you live in a wooden hut," offered Sally-Anne shyly from her seat next to Harry on the large couch that took up one wall in the hut. That and there were loads of flammable things hanging from the rafters.

"Where did you get the egg, Hagrid?" Harry asked some suspicion in his voice. He knew from experience that Hagrid was easily manipulated. He and Hermione had done it once themselves when they wanted information. They felt bad about it after the first time and never did it again. They had seen the twins talk themselves out of trouble a few times.

"Won it in a game of cards down in 'ogsmeade," Hagrid said proudly as he brought tea to the table and some rock cakes on a huge plate.

"Oh, don't you think it's odd that someone would carry around an illegal dragon's egg?" Hermione asked, getting where Harry was coming from.

"Not really, though he did seem rather anxious to be rid of it, come to think of it," the gentle man said rubbing his beard in thought. Then he shrugged it off and poured tea into large cups. To him it was not strange to carry animals or eggs in one's pockets. He had owl eggs and dormice in his.

"Well, that really doesn't matter," Neville said not understand why the questions were being asked and bringing the conversation back to his point. "What matters is that Hagrid now has an illegal dragon's egg. He needs to get rid of it —fast. He could pay an enormous fine or go to Azkaban if he is caught." He worried that the man would go to jail. He knew that Harry and Hermione like the gentle giant. He was fond of the man himself. "Azkaban," he stressed.

"Wow, that's really serious," Sally-Anne said, being muggleborn she didn't know the laws like Neville did. She was still slightly intimidated by the giant and his huge dog, but she didn't want to see him arrested.

"It'll be alrigh'. Don't yer four fret none, I know what I'm doin'," Hagrid said in confidence. He had always wanted a dragon and would not be swayed easily. "Got me a book from the library and everythin'. Tells me all I need ter be knowin'." The look he gave was like a kid with a new chemistry set.

The small group argued with him some more, but he wasn't going to listen to children, so eventually they left and tried to come up with a plan.

"We should tell someone," Neville said and then held his hands palm out to ward off the protest. "He's not going to listen to us, we're kids. Besides, isn't it better he gets in trouble with a professor or the headmaster than arrested and sent to Azkaban?" he asked in a serious tone. He shoved his hands in his pocket after asking. It wasn't cold, but he didn't want to wave them around.

Harry and Hermione shared a look and nodded in understanding. "We'll talk to Millie," Harry stated to the other two. "Let's keep it between ourselves until we get some advice from her." He turned and started walking to the castle, the others following.

Everyone in the study group knew Millie and her friends. They came by once a month to make sure the kids in their study group were doing okay. If the kids were floundering, the older ones helped and came by more often. Millie had been a great help in getting Neville to understand potions, while Crabbe was good at potions, he had no concept in tutoring. Neville had offered to pay Millie, but she waved it off and said it was good practice for the summer.

It took a better part of the day to track down Millie. She was with her own group in the same classroom the firsties used. They knocked on the doorway of the open door. Doors were to remain open if you were using the classroom for studying. A few of the upper years looked up at the knock and nudged Millie letting her know the kids were there.

Millie excused herself and went to them, nodded her head further down the hall and indicated they should follow.

"What's up firsties? Why do you guys look so serious?" she asked when they got far enough down the hall so as not to disturb the other studiers.

"We have a problem," Harry said, taking charge. He looked sheepishly around and made sure there was no one listening. He didn't want Hagrid to get in trouble. "We went to visit Hagrid earlier and we found out he has a dragon's egg and is trying to hatch it," he whispered not wanting rumors to spread. He didn't' know how far his voice would carry to the room of students down the hall.

Millie's forehead scrunched at that bit of news. "How is that your problem? Hagrid is an adult, yeah. If he wants to take the risk of getting into trouble that is not your problem," she stated firmly, knowing that no one would listen to children, if they decided to tell anyone.

She also knew they'd get in major trouble if they decided to help the gentle giant, but what she said she felt was true and she was not going to let a group of firsties get in trouble helping a man who should know creature laws better than anyone.

"But…" Harry protested loudly and then dropped his voice, "he is our friend. Shouldn't we help him?" he asked, ever the one to jump in to help someone. It was a bad habit of his.

Millie softened her face and knelt down so she could look Harry right in the eye. She knew all about his 'saving people thing' with as many times as she had had to talk him out of getting in trouble this year.

"Harry," she said, putting a hand on his shoulder, "he is an adult and knows the laws better than you do. There is no reason for you to protect him," she explained.

"But…" he said, only to stop when she raised her hand.

"I know he comes off as a kid," she said, lowering her hand, "but he is in his sixties, and you are eleven. If it makes you feel better, we can go and tell McGonagall. She, as another adult, can go and talk to him. She'll listen to me, I've never caused any trouble for her, yeah," she offered in compromise, giving his shoulder a squeeze.

Harry knew she was right. You would think being around kids year-round that professor would listen to them, but that made them more inclined not to. He knew kids lied to get out of trouble and some like the Weasley twins often said things just to stir up trouble. From what little he learned about his dad. He was the same way when he went here. So, he nodded his dejected head and the rest of the group sighed in relief.

Millie made an appointment with Professor McGonagall, since school was in session this time, not like at Christmas and the professor had more time. It came two days later, and Millie had talked the kids out of going to Hagrid's in the meantime. She didn't want them caught up in any of this mess, besides knowing Harry he would get in to trouble if he was anywhere near the situation. Though she went herself and tried to talk to the man, but it was for naught. So, she informed him that she was going to inform the professor and if she couldn't influence him that it was on his own head.

Hagrid hadn't liked it, but still would not be persuaded.

Millie, Harry, and Neville went to the appointment, they decided that the fewer the better. If the other two were needed McGonagall could call them. They knocked on the door and went in on the 'enter'. They took the seats in front of the large parchment cluttered desk.

"Thank you for seeing us, Professor. I know you're busy with the end of the year coming up, so we appreciate it," Millie said, feeling bad to be dumping this on the already harried woman. She could tell from all the parchment on the desk that the woman was overwhelmed.

"I always have time for my lions. What can I do for you Mr. Potter and Mr. Longbottom and Ms. Foster?" the formidable professor asked as she straightened up some of the clutter. She looked at them with little hope that they weren't going to burden her further.

"Hagrid has a dragon's egg, and he is trying to hatch it," Millie bluntly said, getting straight to the point. There was no point beating around the bush.

McGonagall's mouth opened in shock for a minute then she shook her head and seemed to realize who they were talking about and decided she really wasn't shocked. "Oh, that man," she fumed, like she didn't have enough to worry about. "I assume you have already tried to talk him out of it. I know you are his friends." She looked at Harry and Neville.

"Yeah," Harry said sheepishly, looking down at the floor he still felt like he was betraying his friend.

"Mr. Potter, look at me," McGonagall said firmly, knowing how children thought and she wanted to nip that in the bud.

Harry lifted his head and looked at his Head of House.

Her face softened a little but was still firm. "You need to know that sometimes you need to tell adults things you do not want to. Imagine if you would that Hagrid was successful in hatching this dragon and it grew. Where would he keep it? There is nowhere in Hogwarts that he could hide a dragon. If he were to try and keep it in the Forbidden Forest, the centaurs would protest, and we have enough problems keeping the peace with them."

"I guess," Harry said, still feeling bad.

"Now think of how many people would be killed or hurt if there were a full-grown dragon roaming the forest," she continued, looking sternly over her glasses. "Hagrid, for all he is good with creatures, is not trained to handle a dragon. One needs magic to control one and Hagrid does not possess a wand. Do you understand?" she asked, though she could see she was not getting through to him. Harry had a guilt complex the size of the castle. She looked at Millie and hoped this child… no woman now, could make him understand.

"Harry," Millie said, drawing his attention to her, "do you think I'm a bad person?"

"What? NO! Of course not," Harry protested loudly. He would never think that about Millie.

"But I told the Professor, here, about your cloak. Isn't that the same thing?" the older girl said, looking at him like she'd be hurt if he thought that, but she needed him to understand.

"Well, no, I knew you were going to," Harry denied. It wasn't the same thing in his head. Besides she was a girl, girls did that. He felt like he was going behind his friend's back and tattling.

"And I told Hagrid we were coming here, yeah. I told him that it wasn't up to you kids to solve his problems and that I was going to tell an adult. So, it is the same thing," she explained, scanning his face to see if there was any understanding.

Harry thought about it for a minute and then decided that Millie hadn't been wrong yet. She talked them out of looking into what was hidden in the castle, he made a note to ask her about that, and saved them loads of hours in research and probably kept them out of trouble. Reluctantly, he nodded his head in agreement; his guilt was lifted a little. Though he, like most boys his age, felt like a tattletale.

"I want you three to not say or do anything. Let us professors take care of this," McGonagall demanded. She would go and tell Dumbledore, who always seemed to fix Hagrid's messes. She did feel it imperative that she not tell him where she got her information though. She didn't like the attention the headmaster paid to Harry. He was too fixated on the boy.

"Thank you, Professor," Millie said as she led the firsties out the door, knowing a dismissal when she heard one.

After they were back in the common room Harry asked his question, "Hey, Millie, did you ever find out anything about the third floor?"

"Yeah, me and my mates are keeping an eye out. The problem is all the professors are patrolling the area and they all look in the door. Though only Quirrell and Snape seem brave enough to go inside. They both come out right quick, so they are probably just checking to make sure that the cerberus is still unharmed. This does tell us that the thing they are protecting is well looked after, yeah," she explained without giving her favorite firstie anything to perk his need to help.

"Oh, okay, I just wanted to make sure," Harry said relieved that it was taken care of.

In the end they found out from Ron that Dumbledore had gotten ahold of one of his brothers, Charlie, who was a dragon handler, and had the dragon egg taken away before it hatched. Hagrid seemed to get over it quick enough, so the headmaster must have given him something in return, but they never knew what.