Nico di Angelo Attends Hogwarts

Chapter 13: Exams and Hagrid

Once everyone was safely returned to the castle, Harry, Ron, Hermione and Nico rushed to find someplace to discuss what they had discovered. Draco had gone back to his common room, and did also try to hurry Nico along with him, though did so unsuccessfully, Nico having wanted to speak with the trio instead. Neville had also already returned to his dorm, accompanied by Professor Mcgonagall.

Nico was told, and trusted, to return to his dorm on his own, though he had no true intention of doing so. After Harry, Ron and Hermione were escorted to their common room by Filch, Nico crept silently through the hallways, following them. The son of Hades watched the trio step into their common room and saw Filch turn and leave before finally making his way to go into their common room as well.

After waiting for about a minute, Nico shadow traveled into their common room, and unsurprisingly found Harry, Ron and Hermione huddled around the fireplace, quietly whispering among themselves. He walked over to them silently, not wanting to make any unnecessary noise.

"I'm here." whispered Nico once he was close enough. Harry, Ron and Hermione all jump and turned around frantically, though luckily none of the screamed.

"Nico! What are you doing here!?" hissed Hermione, who was astonished that a Slytherin was standing in the Gryffindor common room.

"Well, I had to tell you all what happened, did I not?"

"But how did you get in here?" asked Ron.

"I came through the portrait, did you not here me?" asked Nico, feigning confusion.

"You know the password? How?" questioned Harry.

"I overheard you lot say it to get in." replied Nico.

"You're going to get us all killed." said Hermione, exasperated while also moving over to make more space for Nico to sit.

After Nico sat, he and Harry launched straight into explaining what they had heard from Firenze.

"It's got to be Snape!" said Ron once the pair were finished explaining. Nico looked doubtful, though did see the reasoning behind the hypothesis.

"Look, regardless of whether it is Snape who is trying to get the stone or not, someone is. It doesn't matter who specifically, all that matters is that we stop whoever it is. It may be Snape, you're right, but it could also be someone else, someone who is just covering up their path very well." pointed out Nico.

"Fine," said Ron. "But I will say that everything points to Snape-"

"And I agree, but we are also lacking evidence."

"WHAT EVIDENCE IS LACKING?!" Ron burst out.

"Ron be quiet!" hissed Harry and Hermione at the same time. Ron seemed to have realized how loud he was and quickly made way to cover his mouth with his hand.

"Sorry." he whispered.

"We need to go through that trapdoor." said Harry, dismissing the previous incident.

"I think we should speak with Hagrid first." said Hermione. "See if we can coax any information out of him." Nico nodded in agreement, and after discussing a bit more, the quartet agreed on visiting Hagrid rather soon, though they did delay their visit for about a week due to the end of the year exams, which were to take place very soon. Nico then left hastily, this time through the portrait, and did then shadow travel back to his dorm. Luckily, Draco was already asleep as was everyone else, so Nico changed and crept into bed without anyone noticing him.

—

The next couple days were spent studying profusely, preparing for the exams. The Sorcerers Stone was not once spoken of, all of the quartets concentration being on studying. Nico spent his time in the library with Draco, Blaise and Theo, reviewing all that they needed to know.

Nico wasn't that worried about exams, because even though he had dyslexia and ADHD, he was still a very good student due to his intelligence. Nico also didn't have to worry about his dyslexia anymore after having Professor Dumbledore preform a spell to have him be able to read and write perfectly fine.

Once the exams date had finally arrived, Nico had to make a pineapple dance across Professor Flitwicks desk. For transfiguration, Professor Mcgonagall watched them turn a mouse into a snuff box. For potions, Nico was forced to remember how to make a forgetfulness potion, which he though was rather ironic. Their last exam consisted of answering questions about old wizards who invented Self Stirring Cauldrons, and though Nico paid nearly no attention in that class, he rather thought he passed with good marks.

The rest of the afternoon was spent discussing the exams with friends and also joyfully welcoming the fact that they were free from their studies until next year. It was only when he was going to bed that Nico thought of the Sorcerers Stone. He, Harry, Ron and Hermione had planned their meeting with Hagrid to be the day after exams, right after breakfast.

Nico awoke the next morning, a bit later than usual. He made his way down to breakfast quickly, and after eating a bit of toast, he wandered over to where Harry, Ron and Hermione sat.

"Ready?" he asked them. They ran down to Hagrid's, wanting answers as soon as possible.
They were let in by Hagrid, though Hagrid did not seem to be very enthusiastic to see them.

"How did you get the dragon egg?" demanded Nico cutting right to the chase. Hermione elbowed him, as she had wanted to take a different approach to getting the information out of Hagrid.

"Not this again..." groaned Hagrid. Nico only glared at him, which unsurprisingly, got Hagrid to begin to speak. "Alrigh',well. Meh was at a bar an' someone came up to meh. He bough' be a drink an' we spoke a bi'. We played cards, and I won the dragon egg from him."

"What did he look like?" asked Harry.

"We'll, I ne'er really saw his face, he had a hood of course."

The trio shared a look, and mutually agreed that it must have been Snape. Nico didn't look at them, instead still staring at Hagrid.

"What did you tell him?" he demanded once again.

"We'll, I told him how to ge' pas' Fluffy. Told him he jus' needed to play a bi' of music and tha' he then falls right asleep." said Hagrid. This time, the four looked at each other, the look of panic on their faces. They thanked Hagrid and ran out, despite Hagrid yelling at them to come back. While running, they discussed how the man in the hood must have been Snape, and how he'd had a dragon egg with the intention of giving it to Hagrid. They ran to Dumbledore, though instead ran into Professor Mcgonagall.

"We need to see Dumbledore." said Harry, out of breath.

"He isn't here. He went to London just moments ago." said Professor Mcgonagall.

"Professor, it's about the Sorcerers Stone." he said again. Professor Mcgonagall looked baffled at this, not know how or why they could have found it out.

"We think someone is trying to steal it." said Hermione.

"I can assure you, the Sorcerers Stone is under tight protection. Nothing will be able to get it, it is perfectly safe. Now I suggest you stop worrying about it, and instead perhaps run along, go outside, it's nice weather out." she said, and walked away.

"What are we to do now?" whined Hermione.

"We go through the trapdoor. We get the stone before Snape can." said Harry.

"Harry, that's dangerous!" replied Hermione.

"It's necessary." said Nico, speaking for the first time in a while. "We can't let Snape, or anyone else, get their hands on the stone."

"Fine." said Ron, and though Hermione still looked very hesitant, she would be coming with them because everyone else was.

"When?" asked Hermione.

"Tonight."

Word Count: 1311