A Potter Secret

Trouble with Norbert

Daytime. It is all snowy. Harry is out in a main courtyard, bundled up, with Hedwig on his arm. He stops and she lifts off, soaring away into the sky. When she returns, it is spring time.

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In the library. Harry and Ron are seated, reading, with a small kitten prancing around the table. Hermione comes up with a huge book. She thumps it onto the table. Harry jumps. "I had you looking in the wrong section! How could I be so stupid? I checked this out a few weeks ago for a bit of light reading," Hermione says. Both Harry and Ron jump as she sets down the book that seems bigger than Hermione herself.

"This is light?" Ron asks, shocked.

Hermione glares. "Of course! Here it is! "Nicholas Flamel is the only known maker of the Sorcerer's Stone!"" Hermione reads.

"The what?" Ron and Harry asks.

"Honestly, don't you two read? "The Sorcerer's Stone is a legendary substance with astonishing powers. It will turn any metal into pure gold and produces the Elixir of Life, which will make the drinker immortal"," Hermione continues.

"Immortal?" Ron asks.

"It means you'll never die."

"I know what it means!"

"Shh!" Harry shushes.

""The only stone currently in existence belongs to Mr. Nicholas Flamel, the noted alchemist, who last year celebrated his 665th birthday!" That's what Fluffy's guarding on the 3rd floor. That's what's under the trapdoor the Sorcerer's Stone!" Hermione realizes. They all look at each other.

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Isabella scurries towards the potion classroom where Severus is watching sixth years take a test. She bites his cloak and pulls at it. Severus looks down and nods. "Percy, you're in charge. Anyone mutters a syllable while I'm gone and their assignment is failed."

Severus walks out of the room and into his private lab. "Isabella, what's wrong? You know better than to interrupt my classes."

"They know," Isabella hisses as she transforms back. "Harry and Ron and Hermione; they know about Nicholas Flamel and about the Sorcerer's stone. They're making the connections and they think they know everything but they don't and I'm scared their going to do something to get themselves hurt or worse."

Severus nods, hugging her as she sobs. "Don't worry. I'll make sure Grandpa Dumble and Grandma Minnie know, alright? They'll be alright."

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Night time. Hermione, Ron and Harry are running across the wet ground to Hagrid's hut. They knock on the door and it opens. "Hagrid!" Harry calls.

Hagrid, clad in oven mitts and an apron, greets them, "Oh, hello. Sorry, don't wish to be rude, but I'm in no fit state to entertain today."

He starts to close the door but the three kids call out, "We know about the Sorcerer's Stone!"

"Oh," Hagrid replies, opening the door.

They all come into Hagrid's small hut. "We think Snape's trying to steal it," Harry explains.

"Snape? Blimey, Harry, you're not still on about him, are you?" Hagrid asks.

"Hagrid, we know he's after the Stone. We just don't know why."

"Snape is one of the teachers protecting the Stone! He's not about to steal it!"

"What?" Harry asks.

"You heard. Right. Come on, now, I'm a bit preoccupied today," Hagrid insists.

"Wait a minute," Harry insists. Ron and a big black boarhound, Fang, meet. Fang sniffs Ron. "One of the teachers?"

Hermione sits in a large chair. "Of course! There are other things defending the Stone, aren't there? Spells, enchantments."

"That's right. Waste of bloody time, if you ask me," Hagrid assures. Hermione looks at Ron, who is being sniffed in the face by Fang. Ron shuffles away. "Ain't no one gonna get past Fluffy. Hehe, not a soul knows how. Except for me and Dumbledore. I shouldn't have told you that. I shouldn't have told you that." A cauldron over a fire begins to rattle. "Oh!" Hagrid hurries over and grabs something. "Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! Ooh!" puts the thing, an egg, on the table. The group crowds around.

"Uh, Hagrid, what exactly is that?" Harry asks.

"That? It's a its um-" Hagrid stutters to explain.

"I know what that is! But Hagrid, how did you get one?" Ron asks.

"I won it. Off a stranger I met down at a pub. Seemed quite glad to be rid off it, as a matter of fact," Hagrid explains. The egg rattles and cracks. Pieces fly off as a dragon emerges. It squeaks and slips on an egg piece.

"Is that a dragon?" Hermione asks.

"That's not just a dragon. That's a Norwegian Ridgeback! My brother Charlie works with these in Romania," Ron explains.

"Isn't he beautiful? Oh. Bless him, look. He knows his mummy. Hehe. Hallo, Norbert," Hagrid greets. The dragon squeaks as it looks at Hagrid.

"Norbert?" Harry asks.

"Yeah, well, he's got to have a name, doesn't he?" Hagrid replies. Ron laughs. "Don't you, Norbert?" raises fingers back and forth across Norberts chin. "Dededede." Norbert backs away, hiccups and blows a fireball of fire into Hagrid's beard. "Ohh! Oooh, ooh, ooh, well he'll have to be trained up a bit, of course." Norbert hiccups. Hagrid sees someone looking in the window. "Who's that?" The person scampers away.

"Malfoy," Harry mutters.

"Oh, dear," Hagrid replies.

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The three are walking back through a corridor. An owl screeches. "Hagrid always wanted a dragon. He told me so the first time I met him," Harry replies.

"It's crazy. And worse, Malfoy knows," Ron replies.

Harry turns to him. "I don't understand. Is that bad?"

"It's bad," Ron says, looking forward. They stop as McGonagall, in her nightgown, appears.

"Good evening," McGonagall greets. Malfoy appears smugly beside her.

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McGonagall's classroom. The three accused are standing in front of McGonagall's desk, while Malfoy is feet away, smirking. "Nothing, I repeat, nothing gives a student the right to walk about the school at night. Therefore, as punishment for your actions, 50 points will be taken," McGonagall says.

"50?!" Harry demands in shock.

"Each. And to ensure it doesn't happen again, all four of you will receive detention," McGonagall says.

Malfoy nods, then his smile vanishes as he steps forward. "Excuse me, Professor. Perhaps I heard you wrong. I thought you said "the four of us.""

"No, you heard me correctly, Mr. Malfoy. You see, as honorable as your intentions were, you too were out of bed after hours. You will serve detention with your classmates," McGonagall assures. Harry, Ron and Hermione grin, and Draco sags.

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