Forgotten

Book 1 Ch 14

I had gotten through my end of the year exams without the same worries that everyone else seemed to face. The materials had been painted in my head since I was young and reinforced with years of practice. The tension that everyone had been storing up for weeks seemed to melt away after they all completed their last test.

"No more studying," Ron said. He seemed the most happy that his exams were over. "You could look more cheerful, Harry, we've got a week before we find out how badly we've done, there's no need to worry yet."

My eyes moved from Lee and the twins who had been playing with the giant squid to my brother. His hand rubbed at his scar. I frowned at the sight, wishing that there was more that I could do for him. Unfortunately, no one else survived the Killing Curse in known history, so there were no remedies I could make to help ease the pain.

"I wish I knew what this means! My scar keeps hurting -- it's happened before, but never as often as this."

"Go to Madam Pomfrey," Hermione suggested.

"I'm not ill," said Harry. "I think it's a warning... it means danger's coming...."

"Harry, relax, Hermione's right, the Stone's safe as long as Dumbledore's around. Anyway, we've never had any proof Snape found out how to get past Fluffy. He nearly had his leg ripped off once, he's not going to try it again in a hurry. And Neville will play Quidditch for England before Hagrid lets Dumbledore down."

"I've been keeping an eye on the door every time I get a chance, and it seems untouched." I said.

"How much different can a door look?" Ron asked.

Harry jumped to his feet, causing me to jump slightly. My eyes scanned the grounds as I reached for my wand tucked away in my robes. Harry had turned a ghostly white.

Ron yawned. "Where're you going?"

"I've just thought of something," said Harry. "We've got to go and see Hagrid, now."

Hermione and I hurried after him. I waved goodbye to the twins and Lee and turned before they could say goodbye back.

"Why?"

"Don't you think it's a bit odd that what Hagrid wants more than anything else is a dragon, and a stranger turns up who just happens to have an egg in his pocket? How many people wander around with dragon eggs if it's against wizard law? Lucky they found Hagrid, don't you think? Why didn't I see it before?"

Harry had a point. Dragon eggs were extremely difficult to obtain. For someone to just stumble across Hagrid with an egg was highly suspicious.

"What are you talking about?" said Ron, but Harry didn't hear him.

Hagrid was in front of his cabin by the time that we got there. A bowl of peas sat in front of him.

"Hullo," he said. "Finished yer exams? Got time fer a drink?"

"Yes, please," started Ron.

Harry interrupted him. "No, we're in a hurry. Hagrid, I've got to ask you something. You know that night you won Norbert? What did the stranger you were playing cards with look like?"

"Dunno," said Hagrid, "he wouldn' take his cloak off."

I exchanged looks with the others.

"It's not that unusual, yeh get a lot o' funny folk in the Hog's Head -that's the pub down in the village. Mighta bin a dragon dealer, mightn' he? I never saw his face, he kept his hood up." Hagrid said.

"What did you talk to him about, Hagrid? Did you mention Hogwarts at all?" Harry asked.

"Mighta come up," said Hagrid. "Yeah... he asked what I did, an' I told him I was gamekeeper here.... He asked a bit about the sorta creatures I took after... so I told him... an' I said what I'd always really wanted was a dragon... an' then... I can' remember too well, 'cause he kept buyin' me drinks.... Let's see... yeah, then he said he had the dragon egg an' we could play cards fer it if I wanted... but he had ter be sure I could handle it, he didn' want it ter go ter any old home.... So I told him, after Fluffy, a dragon would be easy..."