Harry's sister

chapter sixteen

"What are you talking about?" said Ron, but Harry, sprinting across the
grounds toward the forest, didn't answer. Hagrid was sitting in an armchair outside his house; his trousers and sleeves were rolled up, and he was shelling peas into a large bowl. "Hullo," he said, smiling. "Finished yer exams? Got time fer a drink?" Ron seemed happy for the offer and said "Yes, please," but Harry cut him off. "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 casually, "he wouldn' take his cloak off." He saw the three of them looking stunned and raised his eyebrows. "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." Harry sank down next to the bowl of peas while I was dumbfounded at how I hadn't realized it before.

"What did you talk to him about, Hagrid? Did you mention Hogwarts at all?" I asked "Mighta come up," said Hagrid, frowning as he tried to remember. "Yeah... he asked what I did, an' I told him I was gamekeeper here.... He asked a bit about the sorta creatures I look 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..." I groaned at the stupidity, I loved hagrid like a crazy uncle but he could be very... Dim sometimes.

"And did he -- did he seem interested in Fluffy?" Harry asked, i could tell he was trying to keep his voice calm. "Well -- yeah -- how many three-headed dogs d'yeh meet, even around Hogwarts? So I told him, Fluffy's a piece o' cake if yeh know how to calm him down, jus' play him a bit o' music an' he'll go straight off ter sleep --" Hagrid suddenly looked horrified. "I shouldn'ta told yeh that!" he blurted out. "Forget I said it! Hey -- where're yeh goin'?" We didn't speak to each other at all until we came to a halt in the entrance hall, which seemed very cold and gloomy after the grounds.

"We've got to go to Dumbledore," Harry said. "Hagrid told that stranger how to get past Fluffy, and it was either Snape or Voldemort under that cloak -- it must've been easy, once he'd got Hagrid drunk. I just hope
Dumbledore believes us. Firenze might back us up if Bane doesn't stop him. Where's Dumbledore's office?" They looked around, as if hoping to see a sign pointing them in the
right direction, even I didn't know where dumbledore's office was. "We'll just have to --" Harry began, but a voice suddenly rang across the hall. "What are you four doing inside?" It was Professor McGonagall, carrying a large pile of books. "We want to see Professor Dumbledore," I said.

"See Professor Dumbledore?" Professor McGonagall repeated, as though this was a very fishy thing to want to do. "Why?" Harry swallowed nervously. "It's sort of secret," he said, I sighed as Professor McGonagall's nostrils flared. "Professor Dumbledore left ten minutes ago," she said coldly. "He received an urgent owl from the Ministry of Magic and flew off for London at once."

"He's gone, Now?" Harry said fervently. "Professor Dumbledore is a very great wizard, Potter, he has many demands on his time --" Harry interrupted her saying "But this is important." Professor McGonagall huffed and said "Something you have to say is more important than the Ministry of Magic, Potter?"

"Look," I said, fed up with beating around the bush, "Professor -- it's
about the Sorcerer's stone --" whatever McGonagall had expected, it wasn't that. The books she was carrying tumbled out of her arms, but she didn't pick them up. "How do you know --?" she spluttered. "Professor, I think -- I know -- that Sn- that someone's going to try and steal the Stone. I've got to talk to Professor Dumbledore." Harry insisted, She eyed him with a mixture of shock and suspicion. "Professor Dumbledore will be back tomorrow," she said finally. "I don't know how you found out about the Stone, but rest assured, no one can possibly steal it, it's too well protected." Harry didn't seem to want to give up and said "But Professor --" but McGonagall interrupted him saying "Potter, I know what I'm talking about," She bent down and gathered up the fallen books. "I suggest you all go back outside and enjoy the sunshine." She said before walking away.