Adrian Craddock and The Philosopher's Stone

The Forbidden Forest

As the four were walking back to their dormitories, Harry began to speak.

"Hagrid always wanted a dragon. He told me so the told me so the first time I met him."

"It's crazy and, worse, Malfoy knows." said an agitated Ron.

"I don't understand. Is it that bad?" asked Harry.

"It is. It's very ba-" Aiden trailed off, feeling his pockets. "Cachu. I dropped my wand. You three go on without me."

While the others went ahead, Aiden went back and, after a few minutes, managed to find his wand. Arriving at Gryffindor Tower, he saw his three friends looking quite down in the Common Room.

"I assume something happened?"

It was Harry who answered, not even lifting his head from his hands.

"McGonagall caught us. She took 150 points of us and gave us detention."

"On the plus side, Malfoy got the same." said Ron, trying to be positive but failing.

Aiden tried shook his head before moving to sit on the sofa.

"You know, if I didn't drop my wand, I would be with you in detention. I might just join you guys, since I deserve it too, and besides you never know if that detention might be dangerous."

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "And how exactly would you do that?"

oOo

The next night saw a Slytherin and three Gryffindors following the caretaker, Mr. Filch, on a path to the Forbidden Forest.

"A pity they let the old punishments die. There was a time detention would find you hanging by your thumbs in the dungeons. God, I miss the screaming." Filch sighed and turned around, glaring at the students' shocked faces before resuming. "You'll be serving detention with Hagrid tonight. He's got a little job to do inside the dark forest."

Unbeknownst to Filch, however, was a fourth Gryffindor who was with them, hiding under an Invisibility Cloak. Aiden was not hiding his disgust at the old punishments at all.

The party eventually made it to Hagrid's Hut and waited until he came outside. The man then stepped out of the door with a crossbow, a lantern and a quiver of arrows/bolts.

"A sorry lot this, Hagrid." Filch said before noticing Hagrid sniffling. "Oh good God, man! You're still not on about that bloody dragon, are you?!"

Hagrid didn't even hid his sniffling. "Norbert's gone. Dumbledore sent him off to Romania to live in a colony.

" Well, that's good news, isn't it? He'll be with his own kind." said Hermione, trying to make to Hagrid feel better. This seemed to upset him more.

"Yeah but what if he don't like Romania? What if the other dragons are mean to him? He's only a baby after all."

Filch rolled his eyes (with as much dignity as a man with a receding hairline, wearing a mullet after the 1980's could muster) and said: "Oh for God's sake, pull yourself together, man. You're going into the Forest after all. Got to have your wits about you."

"The Forest?!" screeched Malfoy. "I thought that was a joke!" We can't go in there: students aren't allowed. And, besides there are..." As if on que, a howl could be heard deep within the Forest. Malfoy's voice reduced to a barely heard whimper of "...werewolves."

"Oh, there are more then werewolves on those trees, lad. You won't find one of course, 'cause the Moon isn't full but you might find worse. You can be sure of that." Filch then gave his lantern to Malfoy before walking back to the castle. Harry snatched the lantern, thinking Malfoy would take it woth him if he ran away. The blond ponce couldn't even glare before Hagrid led them into the Forest.