Hermione Granger and the Sorcerer's Stone

Hagrid's Secret Pet

Hermione, Ron, and Harry were quite surprised that in the next few weeks Quirrell had held out against Snape.

The three would occasionally press their ears against the door to make sure Fluffy was still growling uneasily in the corridor.

Hermione was quite proud of Ron and Harry for their kindness towards Quirrell ever since they heard the bad news. Harry would smile at him randomly and Ron would tell of anyone who had enough nerve to go on about how hilarious Quirrell's stutter was.

Hermione had more pressing things on her mind though other than the Sorcerer's Stone.

She had been so wrapped up in this situation that she had forgotten to begin studying for exams!

There were only ten more weeks until exams! She must have been going mad, to have neglected this information. Of course the Sorcerer's Stone was important but Hermione absolutely didn't know what she'd do if she failed this test.

"I cannot believe the two of you aren't studying!" nagged Hermione.

"Hermione, the exams are ages away," snapped Ron.

"Ten weeks! That's not ages, that's like a second to Nicolas Flamel."

"But you're not six hundred years old. Anyway, what are you studying for, you already know it all," said Ron simply.

"What am I studying for? Are you crazy? You realize we need to pass these exams to get into the second year? They're very important, I should have started studying a month ago, I don't know what's gotten into me. . . ."

.       .        .

One day Hermione was sitting in the library, reciting the twelve uses of dragon's blood while Ron and Harry struggled to study. Hermione simply did not understand why it was so hard for them. Suddenly, Hermione looked up to the sound of Ron's voice. 

"Hagrid! What are you doing in the library?" 

Hagrid shuffled towards them and appeared to be hiding something behind his back.

"Jus' lookin'. An' what're you lot up ter? Yer not still lookin' fer Nicolas Flamel, are yeh?"

"Oh, we found out who he is ages," sighed Ron. "And we know what that dog's guarding, it's a Sorcerer's St -"

"Shhhh!" shrieked Hagrid.

"Don' go shoutin' about it, what's the matter with yeh?"

"There are a few things we wanted to ask you, as a matter of fact," said Harry, "about what's guarding the Stone apart from Fluffy -"

"SHHHH!" screamed Hagrid. "Listen - come an' see me later, I'm not not promisin' I'll tell yeh anythin', mind, but don' go rabbitin' about it in here, students aren' s'pposed ter know. They'll think I've told yeh -"

"See you later then," said Harry and Hagrid left, hands behind his back suspiciously.

"What was he hiding behind his back?" wondered Hermione.

"Do you think it had anything to do with the Stone?" 

"I'm going to see what section he was in," said Ron, desperate to get out of work. 

He came back a minute later with a pile of books. He slammed them down on the table. "Dragons!" whispered Ron. "Hagrid was looking up stuff about dragons! Look at these: Dragon Species of Great Britain and Iceland; From Egg to Inferno, A Dragon Keeper's Guide." "Hagrid's always wanted a dragon, he told me the first time I met him," explained Harry.