The Young Padfoot *Book One*

Birth of a Dragon

Quirrell had manged to prove me wrong. Here was me thinking that he was some weak pushover but actually, sure he was getting skinnier and paler, but it didn't seem like he had cracked yet.

It had become a habit now that whenever we walked past the third-floor corridor, we would check if Fluffy was still in there but pressing our ears against the door. Also, Snape was still in his usual bad-tempered mood meaning Quirrell hadn't told him a thing. Whenever any of us passed Quirrell, we would give him an encouraging smile and I had even heard Ron telling people off for laughing at Quirrell's stutter.

However, as the weeks passed, Hermione started to worry more and more about the upcoming exams. She had drawn up a revision table and had forced me to do the same, which part of me was thankful for as if she hadn't made me do it, I probably wouldn't have for some time. Harry and Ron, on the other hand, weren't as pleased about it.

"Hermione, the exams are ages away," Ron reminded her for the tenth time that day.

"Ten weeks. That's not ages, that's like a second to Nicholas Flamel," Hermione snapped back.

"Yeah, but we're not six hundred years old," I told her, as I flicked through my 'The Dark Arts: A Guide to Self-Protection' book.

"Anyway, what are you revising for, you already know it all," Ron added.

"What am I revising for? Are you mad? You realise we need to pass these exams to get into second year? They're very important, I should have started studying a month ago, I don't know what's got into me," Hermione said.

Unfortunately for Ron and Harry, the teachers seemed to share Hermione's view. They had started to pile so much homework onto us that I had a feeling I would be in second year before I finished it all. The Easter Holidays definitely weren't as fun as the Christmas Holidays. Although I will admit, even I was having trouble concentrating with Hermione sitting next to me muttering about the twelve uses of dragon's blood or practising wand movements. We spent 90% of our time nowadays in the library revising.

"I'll never remember this," Ron burst out one afternoon, making me jump. It was usually so quiet in here so any loud noise like that set everyone off. None of us said anything until we heard what Ron had to say next. "Hagrid? What are you doing in the library?"

We all looked up from books, even Hermione, and saw Hagrid shuffling into view with a hand behind his back. He looked very out of place in his massive moleskin coat.

"Just looking," Hagrid said suspiciously. "An' what're you lot up ter? Yer not still lookin' fer Nicholas Flamel, are yeh?"

"Oh, we found out who he is ages ago," I said casually.

"And we know what that dog's guarding, it's the Philosopher's Sto—" Ron began.

"Shhh. Don't go shoutin' about it, what's the matter with yeh?" Hagrid exclaimed, looking round to see if anyone was listening.

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

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

"See you later, then," Harry replied.

Hagrid gave us all one last warning look before he shuffled out of the library.

"What was he hiding behind his back?" Hermione asked when he had left.

"Do you think it had something to do with the Stone?" Harry asked.