Atlas Malfoy and how history repeats itself

Part 11

Not too long into the new term, Hermione has dragged us all to the library. She heaves a book onto the table and says, "I took this out over the holiday for a bit of light reading."
There must be over eight hundred pages in this book, and Ron is first to let her know, "That's light?"
Hermione ignores him and continues, "Well, Nicholas Flammel is the owner of the philosipher's stone. I think this is what Snape wants and this is what Fluffy is hiding."
"The what?"
"A legendary substance with incredible powers. It lets people become immortal." I summarise as I skim over the large paragraph.
"Immortal?" Ron scoffs.
"It means you can't die." Hermione rolls her eyes, as Ron glares.
"I recon this is mental. Honestly, I am not going to Hagrid for any more information. He has to be giving us a red herring!" I protest.

We arrive at Hagrid's well after dark. He pours us tea, and I say, "Is the stone really under that trapdoor? Does the dog really guard it? We think Snape is after it."
"Why 'course it is! And, you trust me, Snape is not going to be trying to steal it. He's one of the teachers who protects it."
"One of them?" Hermione tilts her head before saying, "Oh, how could I not think of this! There are spells and enchantments aren't there?"
"Well, yeah, but-"
Hagrid is cut off by the cauldron above his fireplace. I turn to it, where I watch in horror as he pulls out a big black egg. Ron looks on in awe and says, "Blimey Hagrid. That's a dragon egg!"
"It is!" Hagrid looks so proud, whereas me and Hermione want to both scratch at the door until it opens. It cracks open and a little black dragon pokes his head out.
"How'd you get it?" Ron asks, still totally in awe.
"Won it in a pub."

Hermione and I pull away as Ron says, "That's a Norwegian Ridgeback."
"His name's Norbert. Aww, look at 'im. He knows his mummy." Hagrid coos over him and suddenly gets this cold, worried look on his face.
"What?" I say, rising to my feet, "What is it?"
"Who's that?" Hagrid asks, motioning to the window with his head. I turn round as Ron says, "Malfoy."
Hagrid looks at me and I say, "Twins. His name is Draco. If we're going to call people by their last names, I imagine the Weasley's are going to have some issues."
Harry snaps, "Can we not argue about last names right now? Might just be a me thing, but god, we have a bigger issue on our hands."

I stand awkwardly in front of McGonigal's desk, not daring to look up in case I see Draco's stupid, smug face and break his nose.
"Nothing, I repeat, nothing, gives a student permission to walk around the school at night. Now, one hundred and fifty points will be taken from Gryffindor. All five of you will have detentions due to your behaviour."
"Excuse me professor, but perhaps I heard you wrong? You said all five of us?" Draco says, the mask he built up starting to break.
"As honourable as your intentions were, you too Mr Malfoy, were out of bed after hours."

The next night, I'm taken to Hagrid's hut with everyone else. I hold Hermione's hand and say, "So, let me get this straight, to stop students sneaking out of bed after hours, they're sending students out of bed, after hours?"
We arrive at Hagrid's and it's clear he is really upset. Filch stops and says, "You're not seriously still sad over that dragon. He's gone to Romania."
"What if he doesn't like it?" Hagrid says. I hear Draco groan and I snap, "Shut up Draco. He's sad, and just because the only emotions you feel are ones such as smugness and jealousy doesn't mean that we don't."
Hermione grimaces and Filch says, "For god's sake, pull yourself together. You're going into the forest after all."
"The forest?" Draco's voice rings out, "I thought you were kidding. Wait till my Father hears about this."
"I'll go back on my promise." I snap, holding out the vials. He shrinks away and I shudder, following everyone into the forest.

Hermione clings onto my arm and my jaw drops as Hagrid says, "Now, Draco and Harry will be going off to go find whatever is hurting unicorns. Everyone else with me."
"Fine then. I get Fang." Draco snaps. We separate and I say to Ron, "I'll give you a galleon if we make it out alive."
Ron nods and says, "If we don't?"
"Then I wont? I think you'll be a bit too dead to be too bothered though."
Hermione laughs a little, and it's hardly a minute before I hear Draco screaming like a baby. He appears a second later, screaming incoherently. I slap him and say, "DRACO MALFOY! WHERE IS HARRY POTTER? CALM DOWN."
He stops screaming and says, "Some cloaked thing eating the unicorn's neck. Harry is probably dead, we should run while we still can."
I turn to Hagrid, who is already starting to race back down Draco's path. We follow, crashing into Harry who is stood with a Centaur. My jaw drops and I hug Harry. He doesn't pull away till I do and I say, "Are you okay?"
"It was Volde-"
"SHUSH!"
"He who must not be named..."

"Can't you see? We got it all wrong. Snape didn't want the stone for himself. He wanted it for Voldemort. With the stone, Voldemort will be strong again."
"Please stop saying his name," I hiss, "It's bad enough listening to my parents bang on about how he might come back, never mind the possibility he really is. I'd rather you say anything. You know who, Dark Lord, He Who Must Not Be Named. Anything but... his name."
"Why wont you say it? Surely with parents like yours it's fine?" Ron asks, turning his wand over in his hands. I scoff, "Please, if you knew anything about my parents, you'd be scared to make eye contact with any muggle born. If I ever referred to You Know Who with anything other than, My Lord or The Dark Lord, I would die. I'd be murdered."
"Anyway," Hermione says, "If he comes back, you don't think he'd try to... kill you? Do you?"
"I think if he had the chance, he might've killed me tonight." Harry says. I groan as Hermione says, "Hold on. What are we forgetting? Who is the one person Voldemort always feared?"
"Stop saying his name!"
"Dumbledore. As long as Dumbledore is around Harry, you're safe."