2 Kids Who Are Not Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone

The Astronomy Tower

"What are we going to do?"

It was late at night, and Harry and Hermione were alone in the common room. The fire was dying, but they'd given up trying to tend it.

"We've got no choice," said Hermione miserably. She felt like tearing her own hair out, but instead coped by pacing back and forth from the fireplace to the windows. "It's too late to change our plan now, we haven't got time to send Charlie another owl, and anyway I don't even want to think about what's going to happen to Hagrid if anyone finds out."

"But there's no way we can do it ourselves, Hermione," Harry reminded her. "He's just too big, and I know you're really good, but I don't think we're powerful enough to levitate it all the way up to the Astronomy Tower either. Not with just the two of us, anyway." Hermione sighed. He was right, of course, but so was she. She couldn't remember facing such an impossible situation in her life.

"How quickly d'you think dragon bites heal?" she asked, attempting a smile that Harry didn't return.

"Whole lot longer than three days, I reckon," he said grimly.

"I hate this dragon," she moaned, head sinking into her hands. "And I hate Hagrid, as well."

"You don't hate Hagrid," said Harry automatically, but his voice lacked its usual conviction. They were quiet for a few moments, and as Hermione slowly raised her head to stare into the glowing embers in the fireplace, a thought struck her. She and Harry didn't have to do it alone--there was one more person at Hogwarts who knew about the dragon. Harry would never agree, not in a million years, which meant she'd have to be very tactful in her approach. This might be their only chance to get rid of Norbert, and she refused to lose it just because Ron had gone and got himself bitten.

                                                                                          ~~~

Hermione decided it was best to approach Draco while Harry was at Quidditch practice. The chance that he would happen upon them was slim, but she preferred to eliminate it entirely. She found him in the library finishing the enormous pile of homework Professor McGonagall had set them that week, and quickly pulled him to their secluded spot near the Restricted Section.

"I need you to do me a favor," she said matter-of-factly, before he could speak. "And I'm willing to play Chess for it. If you win, I'll owe you a favor, anything you like. But if I win, you've got to help me." Draco frowned, confused.

"With what?" he asked.

"I'm not telling you unless I win," she said flatly. He studied her for a few moments, clearly torn between intrigue and suspicion. Intrigue won.

"All right, then," he agreed. "I'd better start thinking of favors I'd like from you," he added, giving her a hint of a grin.

It was by far the longest and most taxing game they'd ever played. Hermione had studied Draco's patterns and techniques closely over the past months, and she now knew him well enough to tell by the set of his jaw or the glint in his eye whether his next move would be an attack or a defense. She was concentrating with everything in her, and she could tell that Draco noticed her fresh determination; in fact, he seemed invigorated by it. They had been playing for nearly an hour when she saw her chance. Grinning slightly, she moved her Queen.

"Checkmate." Draco froze. He scanned the board closely, searching desperately for a way out, but she'd done it. For the first time, she'd won.

"Well done," he said quietly, and when he looked up, she could tell he was impressed. "What is it you need me to do, then?"