Merlin's Snake: The Philosopher's Stone

Halloween

Malfoy couldn't believe his eyes when he saw that they were still at Hogwarts the next day, looking tired but perfectly cheerful.

Indeed, by the next morning Harry, Ron and Faye thought that meeting the three-headed dog had been an excellent adventure, and they were quite keen to have another one. Daphne, Blaise, Tracy, Hermione, and Neville were a bit more hesitant though.

In the meantime, Harry filled them in about the package that seemed to have been moved from Gringotts to Hogwarts, and they spent a lot of time wondering what could possibly need such heavy protection.

"It's either really valuable or really dangerous," said Ron.

"Or both," said Faye, racking her brain for an answer. But as all they knew for sure about the mysterious object was that it was about two inches long, they didn't have much chance of guessing what it was without further clues.

Neither Neville nor Hermione showed the slightest interest in what lay underneath the dog and the trapdoor. All Neville cared about was never going near the dog again, and Hermione was angry at them for blatantly disobeying the rules.

All they really wanted now was a way of getting back at Malfoy, and to their great delight, just such a thing arrived in the mail about a week later. As the owls flooded into the Great Hall as usual, everyone's attention was caught at once by two long, thin packages carried by twelve large screech owls.

Faye was just as interested as everyone else to see what was in these large parcels, and was amazed when the owls soared down and dropped it right in front of Harry, knocking his bacon to the floor. She was even more shocked when the second one dropped in front of her. They had hardly fluttered out of the way when another two owls dropped letters on top of the parcels.

Faye ripped open the letter first, which was lucky, because it said.

DO NOT OPEN THE PARCEL AT THE TABLE.

It contains your new Nimbus Two Thousand, but I don't

want everybody knowing you've got a broomstick or they'll

all want one. Marcus Flint will meet you tonight on the

Quidditch field at seven o'clock for your first training session

Professor M. McGonagall and Professor S. Snape.

Faye had difficulty hiding her glee as she handed the note to the Snakes to read while Harry handed his to the Lions.

"A Nimbus Two Thousand!" Ron moaned enviously. "I've never even touched one." They left the hall quickly, wanting to unwrap the broomstick in private before their first class, but halfway across the entrance hall they found the way upstairs barred by Crabbe and Goyle. Malfoy seized the package from Harry and felt it.

"That's a broomstick," he said, throwing it back to Harry with a mixture of jealously and spite on his face. " You'll be in for it this time, Potter, Adder, first years aren't allowed them." Tracey couldn't resist it.

"They're not any old broomsticks," she said, "They're Nimbus Two Thousands. What did you say you've got at home, Malfoy, a Comet Two Sixty?" Ron grinned at Harry as Tracey stuck her nose at him.

"Comets look flashy, but they're not in the same league as the Nimbus."

"What would you know about it, Weasely, you couldn't afford half the handle," Malfoy stepped back as Faye's eyes narrowed dangerously, but he plowed on. "I suppose you and your brothers have to save up twig by twig." Before Ron or Faye could say anything, Professor Flitwick appeared at Malfoy's elbow.