Eternal Despair (Harry Potter/OC)

𝟠: Norbert

Quirrell, however, must have possessed more courage than they had given him credit for. In the weeks that followed, he appeared to grow paler and thinner, but he showed no signs of breaking under the pressure.

Every time they passed the third-floor corridor, Enzo, Harry, Ron, and Hermione would press their ears against the door to ensure that Fluffy was still growling inside. Snape continued to sweep through the hallways in his usual bad temper, which they took as a sign that the Stone was still secure.

Whenever Harry encountered Quirrell, he offered him a supportive smile, and Ron and Enzo had even begun chastising anyone who mocked Quirrell's stutter.

Hermione, on the other hand, was preoccupied with more than just the Sorcerer's Stone. She had taken to creating detailed study schedules and meticulously color-coding her notes. The boys wouldn't have minded, except she constantly nagged them to follow suit.

"Hermione, the exams are ages away," Enzo groaned.

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

"But we're not six hundred years old," Ron reminded her. "Anyway, why are you studying so hard? You already know everything."

"What am I studying for? Are you mad? 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..."

"Unfortunately, you've caught a case of contact laziness," Enzo said, closing his eyes.

The teachers seemed to share Hermione's sense of urgency. They assigned so much homework that the Easter holidays were nowhere near as enjoyable as Christmas had been.

It was hard to relax with Hermione beside them, constantly reciting the twelve uses of dragon's blood or practicing wand movements. Groaning and yawning, Enzo, Harry, and Ron spent most of their free time in the library with her, struggling to complete all their additional work.

"I'll never remember this," Ron exclaimed one afternoon, throwing down his quill and gazing longingly out the library window.

"If I imagine hard enough, I can feel the comfort of my bed," Enzo said, resting his head on the pile of books on the table.

It was the first truly fine day they'd had in months. The sky was a clear, forget-me-not blue, and there was a distinct sense that summer was approaching.

Harry, who was researching "Dittany" in One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi, didn't look up until Ron said, "Hagrid! What are you doing in the library?"

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

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

"Oh, we found out who he is ages ago," Ron said impressively. "And we know what that dog's guarding; it's a Sorcerer's St-"

"Shhhh!" Hagrid quickly glanced around to see if anyone was listening.

"Don't go shoutin' about it, what's the matter with yeh?"

"There are a few things we wanted to ask you, actually," Enzo said. "About what's guarding the Stone apart from Fluffy-"

"SHHHH!" Hagrid repeated. "Listen-come an' see me later. I'm not promisin' I'll tell yeh anythin', mind, but don't go rabbitin' about it in here. Students aren' s'pposed ter know. They'll think I've told yeh."