𝑨𝒎𝒖𝒍𝒆𝒕 - ʜᴊᴘ x ᴏᴄ [𝐌𝐀𝐉𝐎𝐑 𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆&𝐑𝐄𝐖𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆]

𝟐𝟑

   ─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

ᴘᴜᴍᴘᴋɪɴ ᴊᴜɪᴄᴇ

   ─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Hermione, Ron, and Harry were obsessed with the trapdoor and the Philosopher's Stone.

Cassiopeia tried—really tried—to talk them out of it.

"Look, just leave it," she told them one evening in the common room. "We're eleven. We don't need this kind of responsibility in our lives."

But, of course, none of them listened. It seemed they had no interest in leading peaceful lives.

Meanwhile, Hermione had found another obsession—exams.

"You have to colour-code your notes, Ron!" she exclaimed one day in the library, her quill scribbling furiously across the parchment.

Their professors had gone berserk, assigning an overwhelming amount of homework. Ron groaned, rubbing his temples as he slouched in his chair.

"Calm down, Hermione. Exams are ages away."

Cassiopeia smirked, flipping open her Transfiguration textbook. "Woah, chill out, Granger."

Hermione turned to her this time, eyes narrowing. "You're a topper, aren't you? I thought you'd have started revising months ago."

Cassiopeia chuckled. "Oh, please. I start studying the day before the exam."

"What? That's definitely not fair!" Hermione huffed, glaring at her. "I put in more effort than you, but you get better marks. Marks you don't deserve."

Cassiopeia rolled her eyes. "First of all, Granger, it's not my fault I'm this brilliant—so brilliant that I can finish studying almost anything in a few minutes. Second of all, I do smart work, and you do hard work."

That wasn't the first time Hermione had insisted she didn't deserve her marks, and Cassiopeia was getting tired of it.

She had tried to be friends with Hermione, ignoring everything her family had taught her. If her grandfather knew she was even attempting to befriend a Muggle-born, he'd probably murder her. He had always told her not to look their way.

But lately, Cassiopeia wasn't sure she agreed with that anymore. Penelope Clearwater, a Ravenclaw in Percy Weasley's year, and Justin Finch-Fletchley, a Hufflepuff in her own, had proven to be some of the kindest people she'd met at Hogwarts.

As these thoughts swirled in her mind, Ron suddenly sat up, eyes widening. He had noticed something no one else had.

Hagrid shuffled awkwardly in his oversized moleskin coat, looking utterly out of place in the library.

"Just lookin'," he muttered, shifting something behind his back.

Harry and Cassiopeia exchanged a glance, eyebrows raised.

"And what are you lot up 'ere for?" Hagrid asked, his voice suddenly suspicious. "Yer not still lookin' for Nicolas Flamel, are yeh?"

"Oh, please," Cassiopeia scoffed. "We figured that out ages ago."

"And we know what that dog is guarding," Ron added eagerly. "It's a Philosopher's Ston—"

"SHHHHHH!" Hagrid hissed, looking around frantically. "Don't go shoutin' about it! What's the matter with yeh?"

Harry ignored him. "There are a few things we wanted to ask, actually. About what's guarding the Stone apart from Fluffy—"

"SHHH! Listen—come an' see me later. Students aren't supposed ter know. They'll think I've told yeh—"

"We'll come see you later, then," Harry said quickly.

As Hagrid hurried off, Hermione frowned. "What was he hiding behind his back?"

"I don't know," Cassiopeia said, closing her book. "But he looked really suspicious."

"Wait, let me see what he was looking at," Ron said, wandering over to the section Hagrid had just left.

Seconds later, his eyes widened. "Dragons!" he whispered. "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..."

"Hagrid's always wanted a dragon," Harry mused. "He told me so the first time I met him."

"That's so sick!" Cassiopeia said, practically bouncing in excitement. "I love dragons!"

"No, it isn't! It's illegal!" Ron said, exasperated. "You're just like Charlie!"

Cassiopeia grinned. "I take that as a compliment, Ronniekins."

"But there aren't any dragons in Britain, are there?" Harry asked.

"Of course there are!" Cassiopeia said. "Common Welsh Green and Hebridean Blacks! Brilliant creatures, they are. Absolutely brilliant."

"Yeah, and the Ministry has to keep putting spells on Muggles who spot them," Ron added. "To make them forget."

"So... what on earth is Hagrid up to?" Hermione asked.

Half an hour later, they knocked on the door of Hagrid's hut.

The curtains were drawn, and when Hagrid called, "Who's it?" he only opened the door a crack before quickly ushering them inside and shutting it behind them.

The hut was boiling. Despite the warm weather outside, a blazing fire roared in the grate.

Hagrid busied himself making tea and offering them stoat sandwiches—which they all refused—while the others talked about the Philosopher's Stone and the trapdoor.

Cassiopeia, however, had noticed something.

A large, oddly shaped kettle was sitting by the fire. Suspicious, she stepped closer and lifted the lid.

"No, don't!"

But it was too late.

Inside, nestled in a pile of warm embers, was a huge, black egg.

Cassiopeia gasped. "Aww, I love it!" she said, crouching down to get a better look. "Which species is it?"

Hagrid hesitated before grinning proudly. "Norwegian Ridgeback."

"Oh, native to Norway, aren't they?* It looks a lot like the Hungarian Horntail, doesn't it? Ahh, I love dragons.*"

Hagrid blinked at her in surprise. "How d'yeh know so much about dragons?"

Cassiopeia grinned, eyes still fixed on the egg. "Because I'm absolutely fascinated by them, of course."

Hagrid chuckled. "Should hatch in a few days, I reckon."

As he excitedly explained the hatching process, Cassiopeia watched the egg with pure awe, fingers itching to reach out and touch it.