Hermione Granger and the Sorcerer's Stone

Harry's Brave Plan

Ron had fallen asleep in common room, waiting for them.

Harry shook him awake violently. "BROOMSTICK FOUL!" screamed Ron suddenly as he woke up. Hermione almost burst out with laughter but Harry looked serious.

"Be quiet, do you want us all to get another detention?" asked Harry.

At this Hermione put her hand over her mouth and sat down.

"When we were in the forest Malfoy and I saw this scary cloaked figure, he was bending over a unicorn and drinking its blood. Malfoy was such a coward he ran off. My scar hurt really badly, but Firenze, the centuar - the blond one you saw me on, Hermione - he saved me. He told me that anyone that drinks unicorn blood will be saved from death even if their just a second away from it. But also the drinker will live a cursed life from the moment the blood touches their lips. But I didn't understand. Who would be willing to risk that just to save their own life? I'd rather die, but then Firenze explained. Who has been waiting for years on end to return to power and cling onto life? I think - I think it was Lord Voldemort."

Harry began to pace up and down the fire. He appeared to be shaking.

Hermione almost gasped but she contained herself.

Harry had said the Dark Lord's name. Everyone in the wizard world knew not to say it! Even the books that did explain what had happened the night Harry died and in the wizarding war the books only said the name once then referred back to You-Know-Who."

"Snape wants the Stone for Voldemort . . . and Voldemort's waiting in the forest . . . and all this time we thought Snape just wanted to get rich. . . ."

"Stop saying the name!" whispered Ron in a terrified manner.

Hermione too felt quite uncomfortable around Harry as he said this.

"Firenze saved me, but he shouldn't have done so. . . . Bane was furious . . . he was talking about interfering with what the planets say is going to happen. . . . They must show that Voldemort's coming back. . . . Bane thinks Firenze should have let Voldemort kill me. . . . I suppose that's written in the stars as well."

"Will you stop saying the name!"

Hermione was very scared now. The Dark Lord was trying to kill Harry once more?!

And nobody knew about this but them - the stupid first years that had lost Gryffindor one hundred and fifty points to return a dragon to its natural habitat. Hermione finally gathered up the courage to speak.

"Harry, everyone says Dumbledore's the only one You-Know-Who was ever afraid of. With Dumbledore around, You-Know-Who won't touch you. Anyway, who says the centaurs are right? It sounds like fortune-telling to me, and Professor McGonagall says that's a very imprecise branch of magic."

They all looked at the windows. Light was starting to come in.

"I suppose we'd better go to bed," said Ron.

.        .       .

Hermione was absolutely exhausted when she woke up.

A night of four hours sleep and she had exams today?! She had to sleep in thirty extra minutes just to prove to herself she'd had a good enough rest, but she knew she hadn't. She got out of bed (still before her roommates) and went down to breakfast.

Hermione always went over her exams every night so she was sure to pass the next day.

The whole school seemed ready for exams to end, but the Gryffindors were looking forward to it more than others. They wanted to earn back the points Harry, Hermione, and Neville had lost them.