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Chapter 15 is here! Enjoy...

The days went by pretty quickly after the discussion. They were extremely busy with their exams. Harry's scar hurt now and then. Harry and Hermione knew that it was because of Voldemort being back, but didn't know what to do. John had become someone that the trio didn't talk to anymore. Ron, who didn't understand what was going on, would often ask Harry about it, but Harry would just shrug it off saying everyone was busy. Hermione in particular had completely stopped talking to John. This was noted by everybody in their class, since John and to an extent, Harry and Ron were the only ones who talked to Hermione. Most of the others found her annoying. One day, Seamus even asked John if he had gotten into a fight with Hermione.

One fine day, after the exams were finished, the trio were lying down on the grass.

"Finally, no more revision," sighed Ron happily, stretching out on the grass. "You could look more cheerful, Harry, we've got a week before we find out how badly we've done, there's no need to worry yet."

Harry was rubbing his forehead. "I wish I knew what this means!" he burst out angrily. "My scar keeps hurting – it's happened before, but never as often like this."

"Go to Madam Pomfrey," Hermione suggested.

"I'm not ill," said Harry. "I think it's a warning... it means danger's coming…"

Ron couldn't get worked up, it was too hot. "Relax, Harry!"

Just then, John came running towards the trio, panting, he asked, "Guys, where did Hagrid get the dragon egg?"

"The dragon egg? Hagrid said he won it in a game of cards! Why?" replied Harry.

"Hagrid wants a dragon, and he just happens to get a dragon egg?" asked John.

"He got lucky?" said Ron.

"What if that's not what happened?"

"What do you mean?" asked Harry.

"We should go to Hagrid's right away," said John and looked at Ron. "Ron, there's something we haven't told you, something that I told them not to tell you."

"What?" asked Ron suspiciously.

"We saw something in the forest, during our detention. A cloaked figure drinking unicorn blood."

"Ugh! Why would someone do that?" asked Ron. After a few seconds, he continued, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Ron, unicorn blood is used to keep someone alive. We didn't tell you because we were afraid. We are afraid that it may have been You-Know-Who," replied John.

"What?" gasped Ron.

"And we believe that he's the one after the stone and that's why Harry's scar has been hurting."

"Snape wants to steal the stone for You-Know-Who?"

"We don't know yet," replied John.

"Why are we going to Hagrid's?"

"Ron, what's guarding the stone? Fluffy! That's why we're going to Hagrid's."

They left for Hagrid's immediately and on the way Hermione spoke to John for the first time since he revealed.

"How do you lie so well?" asked Hermione in a whisper, but moved ahead without waiting for a response from John. They went to Hagrid's and their suspicion proved right. Hagrid had in fact told the stranger about Fluffy.

They rushed back to the castle immediately.

"We need to tell Dumbledore about all of this," said Ron. Harry and Hermione glanced at John who nodded. But, just then, a voice from behind made them jump. It was Professor McGonagall.

"What are you all doing inside?" she asked.

"Professor McGonagall, we want to see Professor Dumbledore," said Hermione.

"Professor Dumbledore? Why?"

"It's about the Philosopher's Stone," said John.

"Professor Dumbledore left ten minutes ago," she said coldly. "He received an urgent owl from the Ministry of Magic and flew off for London at once."

"He's gone?" asked Harry frantically.

"I don't know how you all know about the stone," said Professor McGonagall and gave a stern look to John. "But, the stone is well guarded, so I suggest you all go and enjoy the sunshine and stop worrying about the stone." With this, Professor McGonagall left immediately.

"Now, what do we do?" asked Ron.

"We, we... I don't know what we should do," replied John. There was a genuine concern on his face, which both Harry and Hermione noticed. They sat and made plans, but every plan they thought of sounded worse than the previous.

"Hermione, you should wait outside the staff room and follow..." said Harry but stopped talking as he heard a buzzing sound. They all heard a buzzing sound, but none of them knew where it came from, none of them apart from John.

"Is there a bee here?" asked Harry as he was frantically moving his hands around his head. John, meanwhile, had gotten up and had run away to the Gryffindor common room.

"What's up with him?" asked Ron. They all noticed that as John had run away, the buzzing sound too had gone.

"Let's go," said Harry and ran towards the direction John had gone as Hermione and Ron followed. When they reached the common room, they bumped into John who was now going in the opposite direction.

"John! What happened?" asked Harry.

"I have to go, something's happened to Jane," replied John and rushed out of the common room.

"Jane? Who's Jane?" asked Ron, looking at the other 2 who were just standing still trying to understand what was going on.

"Jane's his Aunt," replied Hermione.

"What's happened to her? Where is he going?" asked Ron. There was chaos amongst the 3 as they couldn't make head or tail of what was going on. They waited in the common room for 10 minutes, but John didn't show up. It was soon dinner time and John still hadn't been seen. As they made their way to the great hall, they met Professor McGonagall on the way.

"Professor?" called out Hermione.

"Yes, Miss Granger?"

"When will Professor Dumbledore be back?"

"He's a very busy man, I don't know when he'll be back," replied McGonagall sternly.

"Professor, do you happen to know where John is?" asked Harry.

"He didn't tell you? Mr Smith has gone home, his Aunt was attacked earlier today."

"What?" gasped Hermione as both Harry and Ron looked at Professor McGonagall in shock.

"How is she? Who attacked her?" asked Harry.

"We don't know, Mr Potter. I'll inform you when we find out more," replied McGonagall.

The trio walked slowly to the table when Harry glanced at Hermione looking worried.

"Do you think it's a coincidence that right now, in Hogwarts, both Dumbledore and John aren't there?" asked Harry in a whisper.

"No, the stone will be gone today," replied Hermione gloomily.

The trio returned back to the common room pretty soon as they were all worried about the stone and also what had happened with John's Aunt. Harry and Hermione weren't sure if they even believed it, but because Professor McGonagall had said it, they thought it must be true.

"Why didn't he tell us?" asked Ron.

"What are you talking about?" asked Harry.

"John! Why didn't he tell us that his Aunt got attacked?"

"I don't know, Ron! Maybe he was in a rush, maybe he himself didn't know at the time. I mean, last we saw him, he said something about his Aunt being in trouble and left." replied Harry.

"He has been a bit distant recently, hasn't he? Think about it, ever since you all came back from the forbidden forest, he has seemed a bit distant," said Ron.

Harry and Hermione glanced at each other wondering what to say. Harry was actually feeling a bit guilty about how things had turned out. Sure, he felt lied to at first, he didn't know how to behave around John who was suddenly a much older man than himself, but the more he thought about it, he also felt a bit grateful for the fact that John was there that night. If not for him, Harry wondered if he'd have been caught by that man and You-Know-Who. He was also worried about keeping John's secret from Ron. Most of all, he was now worried about the stone. If John was right about Quirrell, then Quirrell would try and get the stone for You-Know-Who today. Hermione on the other hand had been furious that John had lied to her, that he had been lying to her for months. She didn't know how to process the fact that John wasn't actually their age, but older, much older. She was also frustrated at not knowing how he had de-aged himself in the first place.

"We don't know, Ron! Maybe he has been, I haven't really noticed. We have been busy with exams since then," replied Harry.

"You two stopped hanging out as well, did you two have a fight or something?" asked Ron looking at Hermione.

"Ron! Would you just let it go? No, we haven't had a fight, we have just been busy with the exams," snapped Hermione. There was silence between the 3 for a few seconds, and then Harry spoke up.

"I have been thinking, I'm going to go and get the stone first before You-Know-Who gets it."

"What?" asked Hermione.

"No you can't!" said Ron.

"Why not?" asked Harry.

"If you're caught by someone, you'll be in trouble," replied Hermione.

"And, how are you going to get past all the enchantments that are placed as security? And what if Snape sees you there?" asked Ron.

"And, what am I going to do sitting here? Watch the stone being taken by.. Qui… You-Know-Who?" retorted Harry.

"So, what's the plan?" asked Ron.

"I'll take my invisibility cloak with me, and I'll figure something out once I reach the trapdoor. I just remembered, Hagrid gave me a flute for Christmas. I'll use that to get past Fluffy. After that, well… after that, I'll figure something out," replied Harry.

"I? We're coming with you mate," said Ron.

"Yeah, you're going to need all the help you can get," added Hermione.

"Will the cloak cover all 3 of us?" asked Ron.

"I… don't know!" replied Harry.

They waited for the common room to get empty, and once it had, Harry got his invisibility cloak and the flute that Hagrid gave for Christmas from his trunk. They were stopped by a brave Neville, but Hermione hit Neville with the body-bind spell, and they got past him easily.

The trio had thus begun their midnight adventure successfully.

That's all lads! Willl be back soon with Chapter 16