This chapter, which would be about Norbert in the series, is gonna be broken up into 2 chapters, like in TKC. I was planning to make it just one whole chapter, but it really didn't work that well.
Also, while yes, I am putting Ron and Hermione missing moments that are in TKC so yall can see them in Hermione's POV, I may also add on some more, just to give them even more growth. It'll probably start happening more when I reach Prisoner of Azkaban.
What yall think? Leave opinions in a review.
I also just realized as I was writing this chapter that I am going to need to also do Harry and Hermione missing moments as well. Harry and Hermione didn't spend as much time alone together as she and Ron did, but they did have times where Ron wasn't around, especially in POA and GOF. So this should be fun to attempt to do. Especially since in some cases of the series, Harry seemed to gloss over those moments too or really didn't put a lot of effort into his thoughts of them.
Which is on brand for Harry anyways, lol.
Chapter 16: The Father of Dragons
Weeks had passed, and despite our fears, nothing seemed to be happening. Quirrell, to my surprise, looked braver than I ever thought possible. He wasn't his usual stammering, terrified self anymore. He walked the halls without trembling or glancing over his shoulder constantly. Perhaps he was tougher than we gave him credit for—or just better at hiding his nerves.
We still pressed our ears to the third-floor corridor door every time we passed, just to make sure Fluffy was still growling or snoring. Snape, of course, was his usual unpleasant self, though I swear he was getting more irritable by the day. We had also taken to being nicer to Quirrell, encouraging others to do the same. He looked like he could use a bit of kindness, though Harry and Ron claimed it was just to make up for how awful Snape was.
To keep our minds busy, I'd started drawing up study schedules for the three of us and meticulously color-coding my notes. It was the perfect way to ensure we'd ace our end-of-year exams. Harry and Ron, unsurprisingly, didn't share my enthusiasm.
"Hermione, the exams are ages away," Harry said one afternoon as I laid out the schedule.
"Ten weeks," I corrected sharply, tapping my timetable for emphasis. "That's not ages. That's like a second to Nicolas Flamel."
"But we're not six hundred years old," Ron muttered, leaning back in his chair with a sigh. "Anyway, what are you studying for? You already know you'll get A's."
I was appalled. "What am I studying for? Are you crazy?" I said, my voice rising in a mixture of disbelief and panic. "You realize we need to pass these exams to get into the second year! They're very important! I should've started studying a month ago, I don't know what's gotten into me!"
"I could ask the same thing," Ron mumbled to Harry, who snickered.
"I heard that!" I snapped, crossing my arms and glaring at them both.
Unfortunately for them—and everyone else—the teachers seemed to agree with me. The Easter holidays were packed with so much homework that it was almost impossible to enjoy them. Well, it was less enjoyable for me because of the panic I was having, not because of the studying. I kept Harry and Ron on their toes, reciting the twelve uses of dragon's blood or practicing wand movements during any spare moment.
"I'll never remember this!" Ron groaned one afternoon, throwing his quill down and staring longingly out the library window. Outside, the sun was shining, and I could tell he was daydreaming about flying or something. Anything just to be outside.
"No rest for the determined," I reminded him, ignoring his theatrical sighs.
Just then, we spotted Hagrid in the library. He was standing awkwardly in a corner, looking suspicious as he tried to hide something behind his back. Naturally, we couldn't resist investigating.
"Hagrid! What are you doing in the library?" Ron asked, leaning forward with a curious grin.
"Jus' lookin'," Hagrid muttered, clearly shifty.
"What are you lot up ter?" he added, narrowing his eyes at us. "Yer not still lookin' fer Nicolas Flamel, are yeh?"
"Oh, we found out who he is ages ago," Ron said casually, waving it off like it was old news. "And we know what that dog's guarding, it's a Sorcerer's St—"
"SHHHH!" Hagrid hissed, his eyes darting nervously around the room. "Don' go shoutin' about it, what's the matter with yeh?"
"There are a few things we wanted to ask you, as a matter of fact," Harry said smoothly. "What's guarding the Stone apart from Fluffy?"
"SHHHH!" Hagrid said again, his face turning pink. "Listen, come an' see me later. I'm not promisin' I'll tell yeh anythin', but don' go rabbitin' about it in here. Students aren' s'pposed ter know—it'll look like I told yeh!"
"See you later, then," Harry said with a grin.
As Hagrid shuffled off, we noticed he was still clutching something behind his back.
"What was he hiding behind his back?" I wondered aloud, narrowing my eyes.
"Do you think it has anything to do with the Stone?" Harry asked.
"I'm going to see what section he was in," Ron said, jumping up from his chair. A minute later, he returned, his arms full of books and a worried look on his face.
"Dragons," he whispered, showing us the titles: Dragon Species of Great Britain and Ireland; From Egg to Inferno, A Dragon Keeper's Guide.
"Hagrid's always wanted a dragon," Harry said thoughtfully. "He told me so the first time I ever met him."
"But it's against our laws," Ron said, lowering his voice. "Dragon breeding was outlawed by the Warlocks' Convention of 1709. Everyone knows that. It's hard to stop a Muggle from noticing us if we're keeping dragons in the back garden. Anyways, you can't tame dragons, it's dangerous. You should see the burns Charlie's got off wild ones in Romania."
"But there aren't wild dragons in Britain ?" asked Harry.
"Of course there are." answered Ron. "Common Welsh Green and Hebridean Blacks. The Ministry of Magic has a job hushing them up, I can tell you. Our kind have to keep putting spells on Muggles who've spotted them, to make them forget."
"So what on earth is Hagrid up to?" I wondered, my mind racing.
"There's only one way to find out," Ron said, pulling me up from my chair and steering me toward the door.
I sighed, knowing full well he was using this as an excuse to escape studying. But even I couldn't deny that I was curious—and just a little bit worried.
The knock on Hagrid's door felt heavier than usual. His hut's curtains were drawn, which was odd. Hagrid rarely bothered with privacy.
"Who is it?" Hagrid called, his voice gruff and cautious. When he opened the door and saw it was us, he yanked us inside so quickly I nearly tripped over the threshold. He slammed the door shut and bolted it behind him.
It was unbearably hot inside. The fire roared in the hearth, making the air feel thick and stifling. I tugged at my collar, reminded of what it felt like inside Gran-Gran's house during summer. She had a staunch refusal to use the air conditioner, claiming that fans were sufficient. They weren't.
"So, yeh wanted to ask me somethin'?" Hagrid asked, his usual jovial tone replaced with a nervous edge.
Harry got straight to the point. "We were wondering if you could tell us what's guarding the Sorcerer's Stone apart from Fluffy."
Hagrid frowned deeply, shaking his head. "O' course I can't. Number one, I don' know meself. Number two, yeh know too much already, so I wouldn' tell yeh if I could. That Stone's here fer a good reason. It was almost stolen outta Gringotts. I s'ppose yeh've worked that out an' all? Beats me how yeh even know about Fluffy."
"Oh, come on, Hagrid," I said sweetly, tilting my head just so. "You might not want to tell us, but you do know. You know everything that goes on around here. We only wondered who had done the guarding, really. We wondered who Dumbledore trusted enough to help, apart from you."
Hagrid's face softened, and he grinned. Harry and Ron exchanged triumphant glances.
"That was brilliant," Ron whispered to me.
And I meant every word I'd said. Hagrid did seem to know everything about the castle. But I also knew how to get the information we needed.
"Well," Hagrid began, clearly flattered, "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, Professor Quirrell, an' Dumbledore himself kind sumthin', o' course. Hang on, I've forgotten someone. Oh yeah, Professor Snape."
"Snape?" we all said at once. My stomach twisted uncomfortably.
"Yeah," Hagrid confirmed. "Yer not still on abou' that, are yeh? Look, Snape helped protect the Stone, he's not about ter steal it."
Ron muttered just loudly enough for Harry and I to hear, "Well, if he's protecting it, why's he trying to steal it?"
Harry and I nodded in agreement.
"You're the only one who knows how to get past Fluffy, aren't you, Hagrid?" Harry asked. "And you wouldn't tell anyone, would you? Not even one of the teachers?"
"Not a soul knows 'cept me an' Dumbledore," Hagrid said proudly.
"Well, that's something," Harry muttered. "Hagrid, can we have a window open? I'm boiling."
He wasn't kidding. So was I. My skin felt clammy, and my jumper stuck uncomfortably to my back.
"Can't Harry, sorry," Hagrid said, glancing nervously toward the fire.
We followed his gaze.
"Hagrid, what's that?" Ron asked suspiciously, leaning forward.
I squinted. It looked like a large, oddly shaped stone in the middle of the flames. Or maybe a giant ball.
"Ah," Hagrid stammered, "That's... er..."
"Where did you get it, Hagrid?" Ron asked, crouching closer. "It must've cost you a fortune."
"Won it," Hagrid said proudly. "Las' night. I was down in the village havin' a few drinks, an' I got into a game o' cards with a stranger. Think he was quite glad ter get rid of it, ter be honest."
I gasped. It wasn't a ball or a stone—it was a dragon egg.
"But what are you going to do with it when it's hatched?" I asked, incredulous.
Hagrid launched into a detailed explanation of the books he'd read and how prepared he was to take care of it. My heart sank when he mentioned it was a Norwegian Ridgeback. I'd read about those in a book that Ron's brother who tamed dragons had given him. They were notorious for being aggressive and difficult to handle.
"Hagrid, you live in a wooden house!" I exclaimed, gesturing around the hut as if he needed reminding.
But Hagrid wasn't listening. He hummed happily, stoking the fire like a proud expectant parent.
"Wonder what it's like to have a peaceful life," Ron muttered as we trudged back to Gryffindor Tower. I couldn't help but agree.
A few days later, at breakfast, Hedwig swooped down and dropped a note into Harry's lap. It had only two words:
It's hatching!
"Brilliant!" Ron said excitedly. "We can ditch Herbology and then—"
"We aren't skipping anything!" I cut in firmly.
"Hermione," Ron whined, "how many times in our lives are we going to see a dragon hatching?"
"We've got lessons, we'll get into trouble, and that's nothing compared to what'll happen when someone finds out what Hagrid's doing!" I exclaimed.
"Shut up!" Harry hissed suddenly. Malfoy was only a few feet away, watching us closely.
We hurried to Herbology, but Ron wouldn't let up.
Come on Hermione, let's just skip it! We would hardly be missed! How many times do you think you will see a dragon hatching in your life?" Ron argued.
"No!" I said firmly. "I refuse to skip class for some silly dragon that will get all of us into trouble!"
"Silly dragon? Silly dragon?! It's a bloody Norwegian Ridgeback!" Ron said, flabbergasted.
"I don't care what kind it is! I'm not going to fail because a dragon is hatching out of its egg! A dragon that isn't supposed to be here in the first place!" I snapped.
I heard Harry groan from behind us.
"You're never going to fail because you're already top of the class, Hermione, damn! Come on, live a little!"
"No Ronald! We are going to class!"
"You're never going to fail because you're already top of the class, Hermione, damn! Come on, live a little!" Ron begged.
"No Ronald! We are going to class!"
Suddenly, Ron jumped in front of me and dropped to his knees. He really had resorted to actual begging.
"Hermione, I'm begging you!" Ron pleaded, linking his hands together. "We will more than likely never get an opportunity to see this ever again in life! You've read about dragons right? Think of it as a hands-on project. Instead of reading about it, we can witness it! Please Hermione? I'm literally begging you!"
I sighed and rolled my eyes. If I was going to be honest with myself, I really didn't want to miss seeing a real dragon hatch from an egg. That and Ron's literal top made me feel like I had his fate in my hands, which made me feel sillily on top.
"Alright." I said. "BUT we go AFTER Herbology, as soon as first break starts. And after that, we go to our next class."
Harry and Ron each latched onto me, showing me with thank youse.
"Get off!" I laughed.
When the lesson ended, we bolted to Hagrid's hut. He flung the door open before we could knock.
"It's nearly out," he said breathlessly, ushering us inside.
The egg lay on the table, cracks webbing across its surface. We crowded around as the shell gave a sharp crack and fell away. The dragon flopped out, shiny and black with spiny wings that looked too big for its body. Its long snout twitched, and when it sneezed, sparks flew from its nostrils.
"Isn't he beautiful?" Hagrid whispered reverently.
The dragon snapped at his fingers, revealing sharp, glinting teeth. I exchanged a worried look with Harry and Ron. Beautiful wasn't the word I'd use. More like terrifying.
"Hagrid, how fast do Norwegian Ridgebacks grow, exactly?" I asked.
Hagrid was about to answer when suddenly his mouth was agape as he jumped up, eyes staring at a window.
"What's the matter?" asked Harry.
"Someone was lookin' through the gap in the curtains. It's a kid! He's runnin' back up ter the school."
Harry bolted to the door and looked out. He turned and looked solem at us and we instantly knew.
It was Malfoy. And he had seen everything.
For the next week, Malfoy's smug and sneaky face had the three of us on edge. We knew he had seen the dragon, and we knew it was only a matter of time until he told someone. We were actually surprised he didn't run off and tell someone that day. We spent the whole week trying to convince Hagrid to do the right thing. For himself, as well as the dragon.
"Just let him go." Harry pleaded. "Set him free."
"I can't." said Hagrid. "He's too little. He'd die."
The dragon was now three times bigger than it had started out and was starting to be able to blow small flames, with smoke swirling out of its nose. Hagrid hasn't been keeping to his duties at all as groundskeeper. All his focus was on the dragon. His hut looked a ghastly mess, with chicken feathers laying around.
"I've decided to call him Norbert." said Hagrid, looking at the dragon as if it were a kitten."He really knows me now, watch. Norbert! Norbert! Where's Mummy?"
Ron gave a whisper in Harry's smile, to which Harry nodded. I couldn't help but think about how barmy this whole situation was.
"Hagrid." said Harry loudly, "give it two weeks and Norbert's going to be as long as your house. Malfoy could go to Dumbledore at any moment."
"I - I know I can't keep him forever, but I can't jus' dump him, I can't." Hagrid said glumly.
Harry then turned quickly to Ron. "Charlie." he said.
"Oi mate. You're losing it too." Ron said, feeling his forehead. "I'm Ron, remember?"
I laughed. It was funny for two reasons. One being what Ron said, and two because I knew what Harry had meant when he said his brother's name.
"No, you git, Charlie! Your brother, Charlie. In Romania. Studying dragons." he said, smacking my hand away. "We could send Norbert to him. Charlie can take care of him and then put him back in the wild!"
"Brilliant!" Ron said. "Why did I not think of that before? How about it, Hagrid?"
It took some convincing, but eventually Hagrid agreed, so Ron wrote a letter to Charlie, explaining everything, and urging him to write back quickly.