Loki Odinson And The Sorcerer's Stone

Chapter 11; Puzzles

(Told from Loki's point of view)

In the following weeks, exams were being held for every class. Some were written exams, and some were practical, like the one where we had to transform a mouse into a snuffbox right in front of Professor McGonagall.

Hermione and I felt that we did phenomenally on our exams, but Harry and Ron were slightly skeptical. They didn't feel the need to look over their exam papers after every test like Hermione, so instead we would head down to a tree beside the lake.

At the end of exams, we were sitting against the same tree like we always do, Ron obsessing over the fact that our first year was coming to a close.

Harry continued to remind us how much his scar hurt, and I was getting annoyed every time this came up. Even today he brought it up again, talking about how it might be a sign that the Stone was in danger.

But he abruptly stopped speaking in the middle of the conversation, and stood up quickly.

"Where are you going?" Hermione asked.

"Don't you think it's funny that Hagrid's always wanted a dragon, and some cloaked stranger just so happens to be carrying an illegal dragon egg in his pocket? Lucky he found Hagrid, right?" Harry starts, leading us toward Hagrid's hut.

I knew where he was going with this. "Don't tell me you're assuming it was Snape who had the egg."

"That's exactly what I'm thinking! Loki, you aren't always right, ok? I have a good feeling that Snape is trying to steal it!" He retorts.

I scoff angrily but say no more, and follow Harry down to Hagrid's hut.

Hagrid let us in gratefully, but Harry started drilling him with questions regarding the stranger he met in the Hog's Head. Hagrid seemed taken aback at first by these questions, but he answered them nonetheless.

"...I told 'im Fluffy's a piece 'o cake if yeh know how to calm him down, jus' play him some music and he'll be straight off ter sleep—"

Hagrid broke off, looking horrified.

"I shouldn'ta told yeh that!" He sputtered, but Harry grabbed my arm and he pulled me away from Hagrid's door, all the way up to the entrance hall.

"We have to tell Dumbledore." Harry said immediately, heading down the hallway. "Hagrid told that stranger how to get past Fluffy, whoever it was." He added, glaring at me. "It must have been easy once he got Hagrid drunk. I just hope Dumbledore believes us..."

We started to run up toward his office, but we were stopped by McGonagall. She turned toward us suspiciously.

"What are you guys doing inside?" She asked.

"We have to see Dumbledore." Hermione said bravely.

"Dumbledore has left for an emergency at the Ministry of Magic and flew off for London at once." She replied coldly.

"He's gone?" Harry asked, shocked.

"He's a very busy man—" she started.

"It's about the Sorcerer's Stone." I say abruptly. She drops the books in her hand and looks at me strangely.

"How do you know—"

"We think someone's going to steal it!" Harry says.

McGonagall looked back at us, and gathered up the books on the ground. She assured us that the Stone was safe, and then told us to go back outside.

Once she was out of earshot, Harry started to speak.

"It's tonight. Snape is going to steal it tonight. Since he knows everything now and Dumbledore is out of the way—"