-Rivalry Forged in Unity-

Rivalry Forged in Unity-Chapter 16; The Secret to Fluffy

One day, I was walking into the courtyard after me and Malfoy had our exam. I held my hand to my arm against my scar, wincing.

Malfoy approached.

"Alright there, Lancaster?" He asked.

"My scar...It keeps burning." I said.

"It's happened before." Malfoy said.

"Not like this..." I said.

"Maybe you should go see Madam Pomfrey." Malfoy said.

"I think it's a warning, Malfoy..." I sighed. I looked ahead, seeing Hagrid playing music at his hut.

"Of course..." I said with a look of realization, making my way to Hagrid.

"What?" Malfoy asked.

"Don't you think it's odd that what Hagrid wants more than anything is a dragon, and a stranger turns up who just happens to have one?" I said. "I mean, how many people wander around with dragon eggs in their pockets? Why didn't I see it before?" I huffed.

We ran over to Hagrid.

"Hagrid! Who gave you the dragon egg? What'd he look like?" I asked urgently.

"I don't know. I never saw his face, he kept his hood up." Hagrid told us.

"Well, you and he must've talked, though." I said.

"Well, he wanted to know what sorta creatures I looked after, of course." He said. "I told him, I said 'After Fluffy, a dragon's gonna be no problem.'"

"Did he seem interested in Fluffy?" I asked.

"Well, of course he was interested in him." Hagrid said. "How often do you come across a three-headed dog, even if you're in the trade?" He said. "But I told him, I said, 'The trick with any beast is to know how to calm him.' Take Fluffy for example. Just play him a bit of music and he falls straight to sleep." Hagrid said.

Me and Malfoy looked at eachother.

"I shouldn't have told you that." Hagrid said.

We both ran off.

"Where're you going?" He called out, but we ignored him.

We ran to McGonagall's classroom.

"We have to see Professor Dumbledore, immediately!" I said to her.

"I'm afraid Professor Dumbledore isn't here." McGonagall told us. "He received an urgent owl from the Ministry and left immediately for London." She said.

"He's gone, now? But it's important! This is about the Sorcerer's Stone!" I blurted out.

Her eyes widened. "How do you know-" I cut her off.

"Someone's going to try and steal it!" I said.

"...I don't know how you two know about the Stone, but I assure you it is perfectly well protected." McGonagall said. "Please, quietly go back to your dormitories, now." She said.

I sighed, walking out with Malfoy.

"That was no stranger Hagrid met, it was Snape. Which means, he knows how to get past Fluffy." I said.

"And with Dumbledore gone-" Malfoy got cut off.

"Good afternoon." Snape's voice echoed through our ears. We both swallowed.

"Now what would a young Gryffindor, and a young Slytherin such as yourselves be doing inside — on a day like this?" Snape asked.

"U-Uh..." I stuttered. "W-We were just..." I muttered.

"You ought to be careful. People will think you're..." Snape looked at me. "...up to something." He said, before walking away.

"Now what do we do?" Malfoy asked.

"...We go to the trapdoor, tonight." I said.

"But...how will we get past Fluffy?" He asked me.

I thought for a moment.

"You had a guitar. In your room. Do you know how to play?" I asked.

He nodded. "A bit...' Malfoy said.

"Then bring it tonight. That's how we'll get past Fluffy." I told him.

He nodded, agreeing to bring his guitar.