(1) Lux Brumalis (R. Weasley)

Chapter Forty-Five

Hagrid's cabin seems to be a more unwelcoming building than they are used to. All the curtains are closed. The lights barely flicker through them. For a cabin that seems so warm and inviting and cosy normally. That's what is so endearing about it. Pixie and Harry share a look and she shrugs. Whatever is going on with Hagrid, obviously implies that he is trying to keep people away. Like she said; nothing good. Harry then raises his hand to knock on the door.

"Who is it?" Hagrid asks from the other side of the door. The quartet shares a look before Harry turns to the door.

"It's us" Harry answers. "Harry....and Ron and Hermione....and Pixie"

"I'm last?" Pixie asks him.

"It's just the way it came out" Harry argues softly. He honestly didn't think about the way it came out. The door swings open and Hagrid quickly ushers them inside.

"Sweet Salazar..." Pixie complains, pulling at her shirt. "It's hot in here" Ron nods in agreement, undoing the buttons of his collar. It is stiflingly hot inside of Hagrid's cabin. Like a sauna and a sweat-lodge had a baby. It's unbearable.

"Tea?" Hagrid asks them. "Stoat san'wiche'?" It is obvious the four kids are struggling with the heat. Surprised by it.

"No, thank you" Harry answers, waving Hagrid off as the larger man moves around the room, clearly very nervous about them being here.

"So....yeh wanted to ask me somethin'?"

"Yes," Harry steps closer to his friend. "We were wondering if you could tell us what's guarding the Philosopher's Stone apart from Fluffy" Hagrid then frowns.

"O' course I can't," Hagrid argues. "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 abou' Fluffy."

"Oh, come on, Hagrid," Pixie tries softly, cooing. "You might not want to tell us, but you do know, you know everything that goes on around here," Her voice is warm, flattering. Hagrid's beard twitches as he smiles, taken in. "We only wondered who else Dumbledore trusted enough to help him, apart from you of course" She smiles sweetly at him and Hagrid's chest swells. Hermione, Harry and Ron watch Pixie, a little in awe, a little surprised, a lot grateful.

"Well, I don' s'pose it could hurt ter tell yeh that..." Hagrid folds. "let's see...he borrowed Fluffy from me...then some o' the teachers did enchantments...Professor Sprout, Professor Flitwick, Professor McGonagall" Hagrid ticks them off on his fingers as he talks them through it. "Professor Quirrell...an' Dumbledore himself did somethin', o' course. Hang on, I've forgotten someone. Oh yeah, Professor Snape."

"Snape?" Harry asks.

"Yeah" Hagrid agrees and then looks around them. "Yer not still on abou' that, are yeh?" Pixie is the only one that shakes her head, because as far as she is concerned, Severus is her uncle and their teacher and nothing more. "Look, Snape helped protect the Stone, he's not about ter steal it."

"You're the only one who knows how to get past Fluffy, aren't you, Hagrid?" Harry asks, quickly, anxious about it. "And you wouldn't tell anyone, would you? Not even one of the teachers?"

"Not a soul knows except me an' Dumbledore," Hagrid answers, proudly. Harry relaxes and turns to his friends.

"Well, that's something," He mutters and then turns back to Hagrid. Each of them sweltering in their uniforms. "Hagrid, can we have a window open? I'm boiling."

"Can't, Harry, sorry," Hagrid argues, his eyes flicker over to the fire, Harry's eyes follow him.

"Hagrid.....what's that?" Hermione, Ron, and Pixie all look over at the fire now too, and it is very clear what that is. It's a huge, black egg in a pot, hanging over the fire.

"Ah," Hagrid breaths, fingers coming up to fondle his beard nervously. Trying to look anywhere but at the four of them. "That's....er...." Ron moves to the fire.

"Where did you get it, Hagrid?" Ron asks as he crouches to get a closer look. "It must've cost you a fortune."

"Won it," Hagrid corrects them. "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"

"And that's not at all suspicious?" Pixie asks as she moves to peer over Ron's shoulder.

"But what are you going to do with it when it's hatched?" Hermione counters.

"Well, I've bin doin' some readin'," Hagrid admits as he moves to his bed and pulls out 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." Hagrid appears very impressed with himself. Very pleased. But Pixie couldn't help but think if one glaringly obvious thing, and she isn't the only one.

"Hagrid, you live in a wooden house" Hermione points out. Pixie nods in agreement. Because that's the problem that she sees. Fire. Wood Thatched roofing. Bad idea. That's like kindling. Not to mention size. She took a glance at that book, she saw how big they get. Hagrid's hut is barely big enough for him, let alone a fully grown dragon. Hagrid ignores the warning though. He hums. Happy. Merry. Excited. As he stokes the fire under the egg.

......

Pixie doesn't know what to think of the dragon egg. She knows that it's dangerous now, and in the future, it's going to be a real problem in the future. This is a dragon. A dragon. That's not a pet puppy. Hagrid could get into some serious trouble if he is caught with it. And they could get in trouble because they know about it. She doesn't want to get expelled. She likes being here. She likes being able to learn magic and to experiment. To push herself. To push her brain. To make friends. She never really had any. She was Tony Stark's daughter, which meant that people either stuck up to her or kept their distance, especially kids her own age, back at primary school. Now she has real friends.

"Ow" Pansy complains, Pixie blinks, her mind returning to what she was actually doing. Pansy sits on her bed with her, cross-legged as Pixie works on her project. Pansy pulls her fingers away from the circuit board in between them then sucks on the stab wound on her finger from Pixie's screwdriver. She was distracted by Hagrid's new friend.

"Pans" Pixie whispers. "I'm sorry, I was distracted" She sets the screwdriver down.

"Yeah, about what?" Pansy asks as she goes through the books on the bed to find a healing one.

"Just...."

"Your Gryffindor friends?" Pansy counters, she's not accusing or mocking, she is just genuinely asking. Whilst Pixie knows she spends a lot of time with Harry, Ron, and Hermione, the majority of her time is still spent with Pansy. They are often partnered in class, they sit together during meals, they literally live and sleep in the same room. Pansy is her best friend, even if all they do is homework, eat, sleep and class. The exciting stuff might happen with Harry, Ron, and Hermione, but Pansy is her safe friend. That sounds horrible in her head. It's not like that with them. She genuinely likes Pansy. And she likes that she's not running around after weird three-headed dogs and strange stones and dragons. She likes that all Pansy wants to do is talk about classes and movies and music. She likes that Pansy keeps her grounded. Keeps her in her work and her normality. "Look, whatever it is" Pansy starts as she flicks through the book. "Don't get into too much trouble"

"Because of house points right?" Pixie asks, Pansy shakes her head

"No, because I get the feeling they'll get you hurt, Pix" Pansy argues. "You already broke your nose, you took on a troll...and we are in our first year" Pixie snorts. "You can't pace it out over all seven"

"Aww...you're worried about me" She teases and Pansy gives her a look. Pixie worries her lips and then lets out a breath. "Okay, I get it" She assures Pansy. "If I say I will be careful, will you stop worrying?" Pansy lets out a breath and shoots Pixie a look that tells her that it has not alleviated her worries about her friend. That she is still worried about her getting involved with Harry and the others.