Sirius Black's daughter - Athena Black (Book 1)

Fifteen

Athena was getting really annoyed with the trio. Every time they passed the third-floor corridor, Harry, Ron, and Hermione would press their ears to the door to check that Fluffy was
still growling inside. Snape was sweeping about in his usual bad temper. He seemed to have softened towards Athena. Whenever Harry passed Quirrell these days he gave him an encouraging sort of smile, and Ron had started telling people off for laughing at Quirrell's stutter. While Athena just scowled.

Hermione, however, had more on her mind than the Sorcerer's Stone. She had started drawing up study schedules and colorcoding all her notes. Harry and Ron wouldn't have minded, but she kept nagging them to do the same.

"Hermione, the exams are ages away."

"Ten weeks," Hermione snapped. "That's not ages, that's like a second to
Nicolas Flamel."

"But we're not six hundred years old," Ron reminded her. "Anyway, what
are you studying for, you already know it A."

"What am I studying for? Are you crazy? You realize 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 gotten into me...."

"You know guys, she does have a point." Athena said matter-of-factly. "Well you guys could read a chapter from one subject each day, that will surely pass you two."

Unfortunately, the teachers seemed to be thinking along the same lines as Hermione and Athena. They piled so much homework on them that the Easter holidays weren't nearly as much fun as the Christmas ones. It was hard to relax - Well except for Athena - with Hermione next to you reciting the twelve uses of dragon's blood or practicing wand movements. Where as Athena was with Draco helping him. He seemed to be faster than Harry and Ron when compared.

"I'll never remember this," Draco burst out one afternoon, throwing down
his quill and looking out of the window.

"Oh, but you have to." Athena said in a sing song voice. "Well, I've got to go now, or else they will start wondering where I am."

"Urrghh, Bye. I'll try and memorize them bye tomorrow." Draco replied in an annoying voice.

When she was behind a shelf, she heard Ron say, "Hagrid! What are you doing in the library?"

Hagrid shuffled into view, hiding something behind his back. He looked very out of place in his moleskin overcoat.

"Jus' lookin'," he said, in a shifty voice that got their interest at once. "An' what're you lot up ter?" He looked suddenly suspicious. "Yer not still lookin' fer Nicolas Flamel, are yeh?"

"Oh, they found out who he is ages ago," said Athena in a bored tone. This caused the four to jump.

"And we know what that dog's guarding, it's a Sorcerer's St --" Ron started.

"Shhhh!" Hagrid looked around quickly to see if anyone was listening. "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," said Harry, "about what's guarding the Stone apart from Fluffy --"

"SHHHH!" said Hagrid again. "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'pposed ter know. They'll think I've told yeh--"

"See you later, then," said Harry.

Hagrid shuffled off.

"What was he hiding behind his back?" said Athena thoughtfully.

"Do you think it had anything to do with the Stone?"

"I'm going to see what section he was in," said Ron. He came back a minute later with a pile of books in his arms and slammed them down on the table.