VI. Investigative
Inquiring intensively into and seeking to expose malpractice, the miscarriage of justice, or other controversial issues.
The Christmas holidays end, and Hogwarts students have to return to school. Jayla stands with her family on Platform 9 ¾ with Yazmin and Mason clinging to her leg tightly on New Year's Day. "Come on, you guys. Not again. I'll be back for the Easter holidays and Dad's birthday." Jayla assures them as she's not being able to move an inch because of their tight hold and looks to her parents for help. Daniel grabs the younger Darkmores off, pulling them into his arms, and Jayla hands over her trunk, full of new outfits, to the attendant, who places it into the car. "I promise I will write weekly to you as we have before and before you know it. I'll be home again for the holidays."
"Promise?" Yazmin and Mason pout when they hear someone calling Jayla's name, and she turns to see Hermione running toward her best friend and engulfs her in a hug, which she returns, smiling, glad to see her.
"Did you like my present?" Jayla asks.
"I did. It was beautiful." Hermione nods, smiling, but it fades, seeing the young Heiress' parents over her shoulder.
"Oh, of course, this is my family I told you about. Daniel and Sophia Darkmore, my parents. And these two rascals are Mason and Yazmin." She gestures to them. "Family, this is my best friend, Hermione Granger. I told you about her in my letters."
"Nice to meet you." Sophia smiles as the family shakes the Muggle-born's hand.
"Nice to meet you all too." Hermione greets them back, and they hear the train whistle, signalling its soon departure.
"Come on, before the train leaves." Daniel urges the girls, and Jayla climbs onto the train after quickly hugging her family again, and the Hogwarts Express pulls away. The young Heiress stays by the door window, waving as she watches her family sadly wave back, and they get smaller the further they go.
"I'm surprised your Mum let you wear that." Hermione comments, looking at Jayla's outfit. "I like it."
"Thanks. I talked to my Mum about my own style of clothes and she took me shopping. It was great." Jayla explains, walking off and finding their compartment.
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑴
The Hogwarts Express arrives after dark, and the girls walk into the Great Hall for the New Year's Day feast, and Jayla spots the boys stuffing their faces as always. The young Heiress walks past the ginger, smacking him on the back of the head, making him shout in anger but stops when he sees the look on her face. "I told you, Ronald Weasley, that I didn't want any sweets as a present. I had to hide them carefully from my brother and sister multiply times." Jayla growls, making Ron shrink. "But tell your Mum I love the sweater." She smiles, sitting next to him, opposite Harry and Hermione. "So, change of subject. Did you get into the Restricted Section?" The two-toned-haired girl looks at Harry, who nods, and she pries for every detail of their Christmas adventures.
"If Filch had caught you!" Hermione shrieks, but Jayla shushes her, seeing the attention she's gaining from the other students. "So you didn't find anything on Nicholas Flamel?"
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑴
The beginning of term starts and the four tweens find themselves in the Library again, looking through tons of books, and Harry couldn't help but think he'd read the name somewhere. Jayla sighs as she skims through another book during the ten-minute break between lessons, knowing she's heard it before, but can't quite place where. "Don't you have Quidditch practice tomorrow?" Hermione asks as they pack away their books and head for Magical Theory with Professor McGonagall.
"Keep the books. We can look in the Common Room.." Jayla suggests, putting them into her bag.
"How are we supposed to carry them?" Ron groans, and she takes the books.
"Isn't that going to be heavy?" Harry asks, watching her bag not grow from the number of books she adds.
"It has an extension charm." Jayla answers, and they walk off, passing Madam Pince, who gives them a suspicious stare.
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑴
Over the weekend, Wood works the team harder than ever. The endless rain outside that has replaced the snow won't damper the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain spirits. The Weasley twins complain that Wood is becoming a fanatic, but Harry is on Oliver's side because if they win their next match, which is against Hufflepuff. They will overtake Slytherin in the House Championship for the first time in seven years. Harry is glad to take his mind off everything when he plays, and his nightmares have almost disappeared as he was tired from all the training. "Will you stop messing around?!" Oliver shouts through the heavy rain, trying to stop the ginger twins from dive-bombing each other and pretending to fall off their brooms. "That's exactly the sort of thing that'll lose us the match! Snape's refereeing this time, and he'll be looking for any excuse to knock points off Gryffindor!" With that piece of badly shocking news, George really does fall off his broom.
"Snape's refereeing?" George splutters through a mouthful of mud. "When's he ever refereed a Quidditch match? He's not going to be fair if we might overtake Slytherin." The rest of the team lands next to George, complaining, too.
"It's not my fault." Wood defends himself. "We've just got to make sure we play a clean game so Snape hasn't got an excuse to pick on us." Harry can't help but think of the last Quidditch game with his near death at Snape's hands.
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑴
Harry heads back to the Gryffindor Common Room after practice, leaving the rest of the team back at the stadium. The ravenette enters the room to find Ron and Hermione playing Chess while Jayla reads a book. "Don't talk to me for a moment," Ron says as Harry sits next t him, trying to concentrate as he tries beating Hermione since Chess is the only thing she ever loses. "I need to concen-." He catches sight of his friend's face. "What's the matter with you? You look terrible."
"Snape is refereeing the match." Harry reveals in a hushed tone, so no one else will overhear them.
"Don't play." Hermione demands at once.
"Say you're ill," Ron suggests.
"Pretend to break your leg." She suggests, making Jayla rolls her eyes.
"Really, break your leg." He replies, and the young Heiress laughs.
"He can't do that." Jayla tells them.
"And why not?" The redhead asks.
"There isn't a reserve Seeker. If he backs out, Gryffindor can't play at all. And we lose." She explains, and before they can say anything else, Neville topples into the Common Room, somehow managing to climb through the portrait hole with his legs stuck together with the Leg-Locker Curse. Everyone looks at the boy, laughing, except Hermione and Jayla, and the bushy-haired girl perform the counter-curse, allowing his legs to spring apart, getting to his trembling feet.
"What happened?" Hermione inquires, leading him over to sit with the boys.
"Malfoy," Neville answers shakily. "I met him outside the Library. He said he'd been looking for someone to practise that on."
"Go to Professor McGonagall!" She urges him.
"Report him!" He shakes his head in denial. "I don't want more trouble." The shaking boy mumbles.
"You've got to stand up to him, Neville!" Ron encourages him. "He's used to walking all over, people, but that's no reason to lie down in front of him and make it easier."
"There's no need to tell me I'm not brave enough to be in Gryffindor, Malfoy's already done that." Neville chokes, and Jayla sighs.
"Shut up." Jayla snaps, surprising them, and Harry gives Neville the last Chocolate Frog he got for Christmas from Hermione. "We all find our courage at different times. You were placed in Gryffindor by the Sorting Hat for a reason. It saw something in you that you clearly don't see."
"Yeah. You're worth twelve of Malfoy." Harry adds, seeing Neville is close to tears. "Jayla's right. The Sorting Hat chose you for Gryffindor, didn't it? And where's Malfoy? In stinking Slytherin." That gets a weak smile from Longbottom as he unwraps the Frog.
"Thanks, Jayla, Harry… I think I'll go to bed… D'you wand the card, you collect them, don't you?" Neville asks, giving Harry the card and walks away while the spectacled boy looks at the Famous Wizard card.
"Dumbledore again." He sighs. "He was the first one I ever-." He gasps, and Jayla does too. "I've found Flamel! I told you I'd read the name somewhere before, I read it on the train coming here - listen to this: Professor Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the Dark Wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of Dragon's blood and his work on Alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel.!"
"I love listening to Grandfather Michael's stories of when he was an Auror back in America." Jayla muses, watching Hermione jump to her feet, more excited than when she got her first good score.
"Stay there!" Hermione yells, sprinting upstairs to the girls' dormitories, and the boys look mystified, looking at Jayla.
"She's getting a book." Jayla informs them, and the bushy-haired girl dashes back with an enormous old book.
"I never thought to look in here!" She whispers excitedly. "I got this out of the Library weeks ago for a bit of light reading."
"Light?" Ron questions, seeing the sheer size of the book.
"Girl, you need to get out more." Jayla comments, both getting told to be quiet, and Hermione flicks frantically through the pages, muttering to herself, but soon finds what she's looking for.
"I knew it! I knew it!" Hermione cheers.
"Are we allowed to speak yet?" Ron questions grumpily, but she ignores him.
"Nicolas Flamel." She whispers dramatically. "Is the only known maker of the Philosopher's Stone!"
"The what?" The boys question, making the girls roll their eyes.
"Honestly, don't you two read? Look - read this." Jayla groans, pushing the book toward them.
The ancient study of Alchemy is concerned with making the Philosopher's Stone a legendary substance with astonishing powers. The Stone will transform any metal into pure gold. It also produces the Elixir of Life, which will make the drinker immortal. There have been many reports of the philosopher's Stone over the centuries, but the only Stone currently in existence belongs to Mr Nicolas Flamel, the noted Alchemist and opera-lover. Mr Flamel, who celebrated his six hundred and sixty-fifth birthday last year, enjoys a quiet life in Devon with his wife, Perenelle (six hundred and fifty-eight).
"See?" Hermione says when the boys finish reading. "The dog must be guarding Flamel's Philosopher's Stone! I bet he asked Dumbledore to keep it safe for him because they're friends, and he knew someone was after it. That's why he wanted the Stone moved out of Gringotts!"
"A Stone that makes gold and stops you ever dying!" Harry exclaims, drawing some attention.
"Extra credit." Jayla lies.
"No wonder Snape's after it! Anyone would want it." He adds.
"And no wonder we couldn't find Flamel in that Study of Recent Developments in Wizardry." Ron marvels. "He's not exactly recent if he's six hundred and sixty-five, Is he?"
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑴
The following day in Defence Against the Dark Arts, the class copy down the different ways of treating Werewolf bites and the boys are still discussing what they'd do with a Philosopher's Stone if they had one. "I'm going to play," Harry announces after Ron reminds him of the upcoming Quidditch match with Snape refereeing. "If I don't, all the Slytherins will think I'm just too scared to face Snape. I'll show them… It'll really wipe the smiles off their faces if we win."
"Just as long as we're not wiping you off the Pitch." Jayla warns him, giving the ravenette a slight blush at her concern.
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑴
Harry becomes increasingly nervous as the match draws closer, and even the rest of the team isn't too calm, either. The idea of winning the House Championship is splendid, this is the first time anyone has beaten Slytherin in nearly seven years, but will Gryffindor be allowed to, with such a biased referee? "What's on your mind?" Jayla asks, sitting next to Harry in the Quad, making him jump from deep thought.
"The game." Harry replies.
"It's got to be more than that." She comments.
"I feel like I'm losing my mind. I keep seeing Snape wherever I go." He replies, and she smiles.
"I don't doubt it. He seems to hate you more than anyone." The young Heiress remarks, giggling.
"Thanks." The ravenette boy laughs. "Do you think he can read minds?"
"Merlin! Could you imagine half the things we thought of that man, and he could read our minds?" Jayla jokes, making him laugh. "Don't think about it. Just think, win."
"Thanks." Harry smiles.
"I probably shouldn't tell him about Legilimency yet." She decides, smiling.
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑴
The next day, it's finally Gryffindor vs Hufflepuff, and Hermione, Jayla and Ron find a place in the stands next to Neville, who doesn't understand why they look so grim and worried or why they have their wands. "Now, don't forget, it's Locomotor Mortis." Hermione reminds Ron, growing concerned for their friend.
"I know." Ron snaps. "Don't nag."
"You fight like an old married couple." Jayla mutters, glad she came up with the idea, thanks to Neville and Malfoy.
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑴
In the changing room, Harry gets dressed while zoning out Wood's pep talk and grabs his Nimbus 2000 about to leave, but Oliver takes .him aside, needing to talk to him. "Don't want to pressure you, Potter, but if we ever need an early capture of the Snitch, it's now. Finish the game before Snape can favour Hufflepuff too much." The Gryffindor Captain warns him, growing distressed with the twins' playing around at practice.
"The whole school's out there!" Fred announces, peering out of the door. "Even - blimey - Dumbledore's come to watch!" Harry's heart does a somersault.
"Dumbledore?" Harry squeaks, dashing to the door to double-check and sees Fred is right, spotting the silver beard within the crowd in the announcer's box. Harry feels absolute relief, thinking he's safe with the Headmaster watching, which explains why Snape looks so angry as they march onto the Pitch.
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑴
Everyone watches the team walk onto the Pitch and sees an angry Snape storm on too. "I've never seen Snape look so mean." Ron comments, noticing the steaming Potions Master. "Look - they're off. Ouch!" Looking back, they see Draco standing with Crabbe and Goyle.
"Oh, sorry, Weasley, didn't see you there." Malfoy grins broadly at his friends on their way to the Slytherin stands. "Wonder how long Potter's going to stay on his broom this time? Anyone want a bet? What about you, Weasley?"
"100 Galleons on Gryffindor to win." Jayla suggests, looking at her cousin, who grins.
"Sure." He agrees, and they watch the match, seeing Snape award Hufflepuff a penalty because George hit a Bludger at him. Hermione keeps her fingers crossed in her lap, squinting fixedly at Harry, whos circling the game like a hawk, looking for the Golden Snitch. "You know how I think they choose people for the Gryffindor team?" Malfoy questions loudly, staying behind them as they watch Snape award Hufflepuff another penalty for no reason. "It's people they feel sorry for. See, there's Potter, who's got no parents, then there's the Weaskley's who've got no money - you should be on the team, Longbottom, you've got no brains." Neville goes bright red, turning in his seat to face Draco.
"I'm worth twelve of you, Malfoy." Neville stammers, making the Slytherin goons howl with laughter, but Ron, not daring to take his eyes off the game, encourages his friend.
"You tell him, Neville," Ron tells him.
"Longbottom, if brains were gold, you've be poorer than Weasley and that's saying something." Draco teases him.
"Coming from you. I think that's ridiculous." Jayla comments, turning to face her cousin, annoyed by his constant taunts.
"Jayla!" Hermione shouts. "Harry -!"
"What? Where?" She yells, spotting Harry suddenly going into a spectacular dive, drawing gasps and cheers from the crowd. Hermione stands up, putting her crossed fingers in her mouth as Harry streaks toward the ground like a bullet.
"You're in luck, Weasley, Potter's obviously spotted some money on the ground!" Draco jokes, and it's too much for Ron as he finally snaps before Malfoy knows what's happening; the redhead is on top of him, wrestling the blond to the ground. Neville hesitatingly joins, clambering over the back of his seat to help.
"Come on, Harry!" The girls scream, leaping onto their seats, watching Harry speed straight at Snape, and the girls don't even notice Malfoy and Ron rolling under their bench or the scuffles and yelps coming from the whirl of fists from the fight between Neville, Crabbe and Goyle. Up in the air, Snape turns on his broomstick just in time to see something scarlet shoot past him, missing him by inches and seconds later, Harry pulls out of the dive, raising his arm in triumph, and the Snitch clasped in his hand. The stands erupt into cheers as it is a new record; no one can remember the Golden Snitch being caught so quickly.
"Ron! Ron! Where are you?" Hermione shrieks, not looking away as the girls dance up and down on their seats.
"The game's over! Harry's won! We've won! Gryffindor are in the lead! I'll take my money soon, Cousin!" Jayla cheers, hugging Parvati in the row in front and then Hermione. Harry jumps off his broom, a foot from the ground, shaking his head in disbelief at winning the game in barely five minutes. Gryffindor come spilling onto the Pitch, and Harry sees Snape land nearby, white-faced and tight-lipped, but a hand lands on his shoulder, and he turns to see Dumbledore smiling at him.
"Well done." Dumbledore congratulates him quietly. "Nice to see you haven't been brooding about that mirror… been keeping busy… excellent…." Gryffindor students surround Harry, lifting Harry onto their shoulders while Hermione, Jayla and Ron stand in the distance, jumping up and down; the redhead cheers through a heavy nosebleed.
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑴
Harry leaves the changing room alone later, taking his Nimbus 2000 back to the broom shed, not remembering when he feels as happy as he does now. He's proud of himself, knowing he's not known for just his famous name any more. Walking through the damp glass, Harry relives the last hour in his head as the evening air smells sweeter because of their victory and finally reaches the shed. Harry finds himself leaning against the wooden door and looks up at Hogwarts castle, admiring its windows glowing red in the setting sun. "I did it. I showed Snape…." He smiles and sees a hooded figure coming swiftly down the front steps of the castle, clearly not wanting to be seen, walking quickly toward the Forbidden Forest. The victory fades from Harry's mind as he watches, recognising the figure's prowling walk. Snape sneaks into the Forest while everyone else is at dinner. "What's going on?" Harry jumps back on his broomstick and takes off, gliding silently over the castle, watching Snape enter the Forest at a run, and he follows.
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑴
The trees grow thick, so Harry can't see Snape and flies in circles, lowering himself and brushing the top branches until he hears voices. Gliding toward them, and lands noiselessly in a towering beech tree and climbs carefully along one of the branches, holding tight to his broom, trying to see through the leaves. Below, in a shadowy clearing, stands Snape, but he isn't alone. Quirrell is there, too. Harry can't make out the look on his face, but he's stuttering worse than ever. Harry strains to catch what they're saying. "... d-don't know why you wanted t-t-to meet here of all p-places, Severus…."
"Oh, I thought we'd keep this private." Snape sneers, his voice icy. "Students aren't supposed to know about the Philosopher's Stone, after all." Harry leans forward as Quirrell mumbles something, but Snape interrupts him. "Have you found out how to get past that beast of Hagrid's yet?"
"B-B-But Severus, I -" Quirrell stutters in fear.
"I warned you. You don't want me as your enemy, Quirrell." Snape snaps, taking a step toward him.
"I-I don't know what you -" He quivers.
"You know perfectly well what I mean." The Potions Master snaps, and an owl hoots loudly, startling Harry, nearly making him fall out of the tree, and he quickly steadies himself in time to hear Snape. "- your little bit of hocus pocus. I'm waiting.".
"B-But I d-d-don't -" Quirrell stumbles.
"Very well." Snape cuts him off. "We'll have another little chat soon when you've had time to think things over and decide where your loyalties lie." He throws his Cloak over his head and strides out of the clearing. It is almost dark now, but Harry can see the DADA Professor standing quietly as though he is petrified.
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑴
"Harry, where have you been?" Jayla demands when he walks into the castle.
"We won! You won! We won!" Ron shouts, thumping him on the back. "And I gave Malfoy a black eye, and Neville tried to take on Crabbe and Goyle single-handed! He's still out cold, but Madam Pomfrey says he'll be all right - talk about showing Slytherin! Everyone's waiting for you in the Common Room. We're having a party, Fred and George stole some cakes and stuff from the kitchens. And Jayla won 100 Galleons off Malfoy too!"
"Never mind that now." Harry tells them breathlessly. "Let's find an empty room. You wait 'til you hear this…."
"This way," Hermione says, leading them into one of the misused rooms nearby, and Harry quickly checks inside to ensure Peeves isn't lurking around.
"So we were right. It is the Philosopher's Stone, and Snape's trying to force Quirrell to help him get it. He asked if he knew how to get past Fluffy - and he said something about Quirrell's "hocuspocus" - I reckon there are other things guarding the Stone apart from Fluffy, loads of enchantments, probably, and Quirrell would have done some anti-Dark Arts spell which Snape needs to break through -." Harry explains.
"So you mean the Stone's only safe as long as Quirrell stands up to Snape?" She questions in alarm.
"It'll be gone by next Tuesday." Ron comments.
"Idiot." Jayla mutters. "We need to figure something out."
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑴
Weeks pass, and the four tweens keep an eye on Quirrell, who seems braver than they thought but sees he's getting paler and thinner, possibly not having cracked yet. When they pass the third-floor corridor, Harry, Ron, Jayla, and Hermione press their ear to the door to check if Fluffy is still growling inside. Snape sweeps in his usual bad temper, which surely means the Stone is still safe. Whenever Harry passes Quirrell, he gives him an encouraging smile, and Ron starts telling people off for laughing at the Professor's stutter. Hermione, however, has more on her mind than the Philosopher's Stone. Jayla keeps thinking of everything they've learned and can't help but think something else might be up. "Hermione, the exams are ages away." The boys remind the bushy-haired girl as she draws up revision timetables and colour-codes her notes.
"Ten weeks." Hermione snaps at them. "That's not ages. That's like a second to Nicolas Flamel."
"But we're not six hundred years old." Ron reminds her. "Anyway, what are you revising for? You already know it all."
"What am I revising for? Are you mad? You realise we need to pass these exams to get into the second year? They're very important, I should have started studying a month ago, I don't know what's got into me…." Hermione spirals, and Jayla sighs.
"Calm, Hermione. Breath." Jayla says, trying to calm her down. "Remember. We have a ton of homework. The Professors seem to be thinking on those times. Just think."
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑴
Jayla forces Ron and Harry to spend most of their free time in the Library, moaning and yawning as they try to get through all their extra work. "I'll never remember this." Ron bursts, throwing his quill down, looking longingly out of the Library window. It is the first fine day in months. The sky is clear, forget-me-not blue, and the feeling in the air that summer is coming. "Hagrid! What are you doing in the Library?" Ron exclaims, spotting the half-giant shuffling into view, making Harry look up from his book on Magical herbs and fungi, seeing the Groundskeeper hiding something behind his back. He looks very out of place in his moleskin overcoat.
"Jus' lookin'," Hargrid replies in a shifty voice that gets their interest at once. "An' what're you lot up ter?" He looks suddenly suspicious at the tweens. "Yer not still lookin' fer Nicolas Flamel, are yeh?"
"Oh, we found out who he is ages ago." Jayla tells him.
"And we know what that dog's guarding. It's a Philosopher's St -." Ron says, making the others shush him, and Hagrid looks around quickly to see if anyone is listening.
"Don' go shoutin' about it. What's the matter with yeh?" Hagrid scolds him.
"There are a few things we wanted to ask you, as a matter of fact." Harry says, looking at him. "About what's guarding the Stone apart from Fluffy -."
"SHHHH!" Hagrid angrily shushes him. "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' s'posed ter know. They'll think I've told yeh -."
"See you later, then." Harry smiles, and Hagrid shuffles off, leaving the tweens.
"What was he hiding behind his back?" Hermione wonders. "Do you think it had anything to do with the Stone?"
"I'm going to see what section he was in." Ron suggests having enough homework, and he comes back a minute later with a pile of books in his arms, slamming them down on the table. "Dragons!" He whispers. "Hagrid was looking up stuff about Dragons! Look at these Dragon Species of Great Britain and Ireland; From Egg to Inferno, A Dragon Keeper's Guide." He reads the book titles.
"They're quite good reads." Jayla comments, making the others look at her. "What? I like Dragon."
"Hagrid's always wanted a Dragon. He told me so the first time I ever met him." Harry remarks, deep in thought.
"But it's against our laws," Ron argues.
"So?" Jayla questions.
"Dragon-breeding was outlawed by the Warlocks' Convention of 1709. Everyone knows that. It's hard to stop Muggles noticing us if we're keeping Dragons in the back garden - anyway, you can't tame Dragons. It's dangerous. You should see the burns Charlie's got off wild ones in Romania." Ron explains, thinking of his older brother.
"But there aren't wild Dragons in Britain?" Harry questions, frowning.
"Of course there are." He replies.
"Common Welsh Green and Hebridean Blacks." Jayla smiles, imagining them. "The Ministry of Magic has a job hushing them up, I can tell you. Our lot has to keep putting spells on Muggles who've spotted them to make them forget."
"So, what on earth's Hagrid up to?" Hermione wonders.
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑴
An hour later, Jayla walks into the Common Room in a grey jumper and black jeans and puts on her Cloak, joining the boys and Hermione about to head to Hagrid's place. "We should be okay. Mostly everyone is at the feast now. But we'll have to be quiet. Okay, Ron?" Jayla warns them.
"I AM quiet!" Ron shouts, proving her point, and she tilts her head, looking at him. "Sorry."
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑴
The four tweens knock on the door of the Groundskeeper's hut, surprised to see the curtains are all closed. "Who is it?" Hagrid calls before letting them in and shuts the door quickly behind them. It is stiflingly hot inside. Even though it is such a warm day, the grate has a blazing fire. Hagrid makes them tea, offering them stoat sandwiches, which they refuse. "So - yeh wanted to ask me somethin'?"
"Yes." Harry answers as there is no point beating about the bush. "We were wondering if you could tell us what's guarding the Philosopher's Stone apart from Fluffy." Hagrid frowns at the raven-haired boy.
"O' course I can't." He answers. "Number one, I don' know meself. Number two, yeh know too much already, so I wouldn't tell yeh if I could. That Stone's here fer a good reason. It was almost stolen outta Gringotts - I s-pose yeh-ve worked that 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 says warmly, in a flattering voice. Hagrid's beard twitches, and they can tell he's smiling. "We only wondered who had done the guarding, really." She goes on. "We wondered who Dumbledore had trusted enough to help him, apart from you." Hagrid's chest swells at those last words. The others beam at Hermione.
"Well, I don' 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 -." He ticks them off on his fingers. "Professor Quirrell - an' Dumbledore himself did somethin', o' course. Hang on, I've forgotten someone. Oh yeah, Professor Snape." The Groundskeeper explains.
"Snape?" The others question, thinking of the grumpy man.
"Yeah - yer not still on abou' that, are yeh? Look, Snape helped protect the Stone. He's not about ter steal it." Hagrid assures them, but the tweens all think the same thing.
"If Snape is protecting the Stone, it must be easy to find out how the other teachers have guarded it. He probably know everything - except maybe Quirrell's spell and how to get pass Fluffy." The four tweens think together.
"You're the only one who knows how to get past Fluffy, aren't you, Hagrid?" Harry implores him. "And you wouldn't tell anyone, would you? Not even one of the teachers?"
"Not a soul knows except me an' Dumbledore." Hagrid replies proudly.
"Well, that's something." Jayla mutters to the others.
"Hagrid, can we have a window open? I'm boiling." Harry requests, pulling at his jumper.
"Can't, Harry, sorry." Hagrid apologises, and the ravenette notices him glancing at the fire and looks too.
"Hagrid - what's that?" He asks, but he has a feeling he already knows. He looks into the very heart of the fire, and underneath the kettle is a vast, black egg.
"Ah." The Groundskeeper says nervously, fiddling with his beard. "That's - er…"
"Where did you get it, Hagrid?" Ron asks, crouching over the fire and looking closer at the egg. "It must've cost you a fortune."
"Won it." He answers. "Las' night. I was down in the village havin' a few drinks an' got into a game o' cards with a stranger. Think he was quite glad ter get rid of it, ter be honest."
"But what are you going to do with it when it's hatched?" Hermione wonders.
"Well, I've bin doin' some readin'." Hagrid answers, pulling a large book from under his pillow. "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, see, an' when it hatches, feed it on a bucket o' brandy mixed with chicken blood every half hour. An' see here - how ter recognise diff'rent eggs - what I got there's a Norwegian Ridgeback. They're rare, them." He looks very pleased with himself, but Hermione isn't.
"Hagrid, you live in a wooden house." She points out, but Hagrid doesn't listen, humming merrily as he stokes the fire.
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑴
"Wonder what it's like to have a peaceful life." Ron sighs at breakfast, thinking of all the evenings they've struggled with, all the extra homework from the teachers, and the revision timetables Hermione made for him and Harry. Hedwig flies down toward Harry, dropping off a note from Hagrid. It's hatching. Ron wants to skip Herbology and go straight to the hut, but Hermione doesn't want to hear it.
"Mione, how many times in our lives are we going to see a Dragon hatching?" Jayla pleads with her best friend.
"We've got lessons, we'll get into trouble, and that's nothing to what Hagrid's going to be in when someone finds out what he's doing -" Hermione reasons.
"Shut up!" Harry whispers, spotting Malfoy a few feet away, stopping dead to listen. Harry grows worried about how much he'd heard or the look on his face. Ron, Jayla and Hermione argue all the way to Herbology, and in the end, Hermione agrees to run down to Hagrid's with the others during their morning break. When the bell rings from the castle at the end of their lesson, the four tweens drop their trowels at once, hurting through the ground to the edge of the Forest.
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑴
Hagrid greets them, looking a little flushed and excited. "It's nearly out." He ushers them inside. The egg lies on the table. There is a deep crack in it. Something is moving inside, and a funny clicking noise coming from inside. They all draw their chairs to the table, watching with bated breath. There's a scraping noise at once, and the egg splits open. The baby Dragon flops onto the table.
"It isn't exactly pretty." Harry ponders, looking at the creature, crumpled, black umbrella. Its spiny wings are enormous compared to its skinny jet body, and it has a long snout with wide nostrils, stubs of horns and bulging, orange eyes. It sneezes. A couple of sparks fly out of its nose.
"Isn't he beautiful?" Hagrid murmurs, reaching out a hand to stroke the Dragon's head.
"Leave me alone!" The Dragon hisses, and Jayla stops the Groundskeeper as the creature nearly snaps at his fingers, showing pointed fangs.
"Bless him. Look, he knows his Mummy!" He exclaims, startling the Dragon.
"He's your Mama." Jayla whispers to the Norwegian Ridgeback.
"Mama?" The Dragon questions, looking at her. The young Heiress hears a female voice but needs to correct the Groundskeeper.
"Yes." She smiles.
"Hagrid. How fast do Norwegian Ridgebacks grow, exactly?" Hermione wonders, but before he can answer, the colour suddenly drains from his face, leaping to his feet and runs to the window.
"What's the matter?" Ron asks, looking at the panicking Groundskeeper.
"Someone was lookin' through the gap in the curtains - it's a kid - he's runnin' back up ter the school." Hagrid informs them in a panic, and Harry bolts to the door, looking out. Even at a distance, there is no mistaking him. Malfoy has seen the Dragon.
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑴
The week goes on, and the four Gryffindors grow nervous, seeing the lurking smile on Malfoy's face. They spend most of their free time in Hagrid's dark hut, trying to reason with him. "Just let him go." Harry urges the half-giant. "Set him free."
"I can't." Hagrid refuses. "He's too little. He'd die." The tweens look at the Dragon, who's grown three times in length in just a week. Smoke comes furling out of its nostrils. Hagrid needs to do his gamekeeping duties because the Dragon keeps him busy. There are empty brandy bottles and chicken feathers all over the floor. "I've decided to call him Norbert." He looks at the creature with misty eyes. "He really knows me now, watch. Norbert! Norbert! Where's Mummy?"
"He's lost his marbles." Ron mutters in Harry's ear.
"Mummy!" Norbert hisses, looking at Hagrid.
"Precious." Jayla smiles, looking at the majestic creature.
"Hagrid, give it a fortnight, and Norbert's going to be as long as your house. Malfoy could go to Dumbledore at any moment." Harry warns him, seeing the half-giant bite his lip.
"I - I know I can't keep him forever, but I can't jus' dump him, I can't." Hagrid tears up, and Harry suddenly turns to the redhead.
"Charlie." He exclaims.
"You're losing it, too." Ron comments. "I'm Ron, remember?"
"No - Charlie - your brother Charlie, in Romania. That's studying Dragons." Jayla tells him, knowing what Harry's thinking.
"We could send Norbert to him. Charlie can take care of him and then put him back in the wild." Harry explains his idea.
"Brillaint!" Ron exclaims. "How about it, Hagrid?" In the end, Hagrid agrees that they can send an owl to Charlie to ask him.
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑴
The following week drags by, and it's Wednesday night. Hermione, Jayla and Harry sit alone in the Common Room long after everyone has gone to bed. The clock on the wall chimes midnight when the portrait hole bursts open. Ron appears out of nowhere, pulling Harry's Invisibility Cloak. Having gone down to Hagrid's hut, helping him feed Norbert, who is now eating dead rats by the crate. "It bit me!" Ron exclaims, showing them his hand wrapped in a bloody handkerchief. "I'm not going to be able to hold a quill for a week. I tell you that Dragon's the most horrible animal I've ever met, but the way Hagrid goes on about it, you'd think it was a fluffy little bunny rabbit. When it bit me, he told me off for frightening it. And when I left, he was singing it a lullaby."
"Poor thing must have been scared of the red hair." Jayla jokes, teasing Ron, helping heal his hand when there's a tap on the dark window.
"It's Hedwig!" Harry announces, hurrying to let her in. "She'll have Charlie's answer!" The four tweens put their heads together to read the note.
Tuesday, 5th May 1992
Dear Ron,
How are you? Thanks for the letter - I'd be glad to take the Norwegian Ridgeback, but it won't be easy getting him here. I think the best thing will be to send him over with some friends of mine who are coming to visit me 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.
They look at each other. "We've got the Invisibility Cloak," Harry assures them. It shouldn't be too difficult - I think the Cloak's big enough to cover two of us and Norbert." it must have been a mark of how bad the last week has been that the other three agree with him. Anything to get rid of Norbert - and Malfoy.
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑴
By the next morning, there is a hitch as Ron's bitten hand has swollen twice its usual size. He doesn't know whether it is safe to go to Madam Pomfrey - will she recognise a Dragon bite? By the afternoon, he has no choice. The healed cut has turned a nasty shade of green. It looks as if Norbert's fangs are poisonous. Harry, Jayla and Hermione rush to the hospital wing at the end of the day, finding Ron in a terrible state in bed. It's not just my hand." Ron whispers. "Although that feels like it's about to fall off. Malfoy told Madam Pomfrey he wanted to borrow one of my books so he could come and have a good laugh at me. He kept threatening to tell her what really bit me - I've told her it was a dog, but I don't think she believes me - I shouldn't have hit him at the Quidditch match, that's why he's doing this." His friends try calming him down.
"It'll all be over at midnight on Saturday." Hermione assures him, but this doesn't soothe him at all.
"Midnight on Saturday!" He yelps in a hoarse voice, bolting upright, breaking into a sweat. "Oh no - oh no - I've just remembered Charlie's letter was in that book Malfoy took. He's going to know we're getting rid of Norbert." Before Harry, Jayla and Hermione can say anything, Madam Pomfrey comes over and makes them leave, saying the redhead needs his sleep.
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑴
"It's too late to change the plan now." Harry groans at the girls. "We haven't got time to send Charlie another owl, and this could be our only chance to get rid of Norbert. We'll have to risk it. And we have got the Invisibility Cloak, Malfoy doesn't know about that."
"I'll go. Hermione will stay here, and keep an eye out for Draco." Jayla suggests.
"Okay." They agree.
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑴
Jayla and Harry find Fang, the boarhound sitting outside with a bandaged tail when they come to tell Hagrid, who opens a window to talk to them. "I won't let you in." He puffs. "Norbert's at a tricky stage - nothin' I can't handle." His eyes fill with tears when they tell him about Charlie's letter, although it might have been because Norbert just bit him on the leg." Aargh! It's all right, he only got my boot - jus- playin' - he's only a baby, after all." The baby bangs its tail on the wall, making the windows rattle. Harry and Jayla walk quickly back to the castle, feeling Saturday can't come soon enough.
"I wish I had a Dragon." Jayla pouts, making Harry laugh.
"You've been what Norberts like. Do you really want to give it a try?" Harry asks her as they enter the castle.
"I wouldn't get a Norwegian Ridgeback. Maybe a Chinese Fireball or Romania Longhorn." She jokes and sees the funny look he's giving her. "I'm joking. You seriously need to read up on things."
"Thank." He grumbles.
"You're welcome."
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑴
The friends feel sorry for Hagrid when it comes time for him to say goodbye to Norbert if they aren't worried about what they must do. It is a very dark, cloudy night, and Harry and Jayla are a bit late arriving at Hagrid's hut because they were waiting for Peeves to get out of their way in the Entrance Hall, where he was playing tennis against the wall. Hagrid has Norbert packed and ready in a large crate. "He's got lots o' rats an' some brandy fer the journey," Hagrid informs them in a muffled voice. "An' I've packed his teddy bear in case he gets lonely." From inside the crate comes the sound of ripping as if the poor teddy was having its head torn off. "Bye-bye, Norbert!" Hagrid sobs as Harry and Jayla cover the crate with the Invisibility Cloak and step underneath it. "Mummy will never forget you!"
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑴
They will never know how the pair managed to get the crate back up to the castle. Midnight ticks closer as they heave Norbert up the marble staircase in the Entrance Hall and along the dark corridors. Up another staircase, then another - even one of Harry's short cuts didn't make the work much easier.
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑴
"Nearly there!" Harry pants, reaching the corridor beneath the tallest tower.
"We'd better be!" Jayla groans when suddenly there's movement ahead of them, making them almost drop the crate. Forgetting they were already invisible, they shrink into the shadows, staring at the dark outlines of two people grappling with each other ten feet away. A lamp flares. Professor McGonagall leads Malfoy by the ear in a tartan dressing gown and a hairnet.
"Detention!" McGonagall shouts. "And twenty points from Slytherin! Wandering around in the middle of the night, how dare you -!"
"You don't understand, Professor, Harry Potter's coming - he's got a Dragon!" Draco cries, feeling the sting in his ear.
"What utter rubbish! How dare you tell such lies! Come on - I shall see Professor Snape about you, Malfoy!" She shouts, and the tweens go up the steep spiral staircase to the top of the tower, which seemed much easier after their almost encounter with Malfoy and McGonagall.
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑴
Harry and Jayla step out into the cold night air, throwing off the Cloak, glad to breathe properly again. "I bet he wishes he'd gone to Snape." Jayla giggles.
"I bet." Harry chuckles, and they wait, with Norbert thrashing about in his crate.
"Hush now, Norberta." She hums, calming the Dragon down.
"I want Mama!" Norbert shouts, hitting the side of the crate again when four broomsticks come swooping down out of the darkness. Charlie's friends are a cheery lot. They show Harry and Jayla the harness they'd rigged up, so they can suspend Norbert between them. They help buckle Nortbet safely into it, and then Harry and Jayla shake their hands with the others and thank them very much.
At last, Norbert is going… going… gone. They slip back down the spiral staircase, their hearts light as their hands; now Norbert has gone. No more Dragon - Malfoy in detention - what can spoil their happiness? The answer is waiting at the foot of the stairs. As they enter the corridor, Filch's face looms suddenly out of the darkness.
"Well, well, well." Filch whispers menacingly. "We are in trouble." They cringe, having left the Invisibility Cloak on top of the tower.
