During the last few months, while Nova was forging Helena"s body, Harry, Ron, and Hermione, were off doing their own thing. Well and even though Nova had asked Hermione to stay out of trouble and to not get caught up in Harry and Ron"s idiocy. She still managed to get caught up in it. First off Hagrid had somehow managed to get a dragon egg and had the idea that he would be able to raise it in his wood cabin. Hermione didn"t understand why Hagrid would attempt to do such a thing but knew it would be hard to go and inform someone since Hagrid was a friend to them. When Harry and Ron weren"t around Hermione would go see Hagrid to see if he could wait and talk to Nova about the dragon, but since Nova was preoccupied, Hagrid said that he had it all under control. As he had put it, after raising Fluffy and dragon would be a piece of cake.Now when the dragon had hatched, Hermione had to admit that it was a little adorable, even though it was a x.x.x rated threat at being a hatchling, and she wondered if Nova was to have any children would they be human in appearance or would they have dragon like features. But as she thought about it, she caught herself and started to blush. Though surprisingly the baby dragon seemed to be quite tame and was very well behaved, Ron said it might have had something to do with it"s species, but Hermione didn"t feel that was the case. But after a while the dragon was starting to get too big for the house. So they formed a plan to send it to Ron"s brother, Charlie, who often dealt with Ridgebacks.
On the night of the send off everything was going according to plan but because Ron got bit by the dragon. He had to go to the hospital wing and left Hermione and Harry to deliver a dragon that was as heavy as they were. Hermione was extremely thankful for being able to use magic when she found out it would just be her and Harry. And after Hermione thought everything was going smoothly on the way back after the delivery, she found out that she was very wrong. Half way back to the dorm, the castle started to shake, and if Hermione had to guess it was the worst shaking that she had ever felt in the castle. She was extremely tempted to go back up to Nova"s forge and find out what he was doing to cause this much ruckous, and as she was deep in thought she lost her footing on the staircase and tumbled down it. Somehow bringing Harry down with her. And wouldn"t you know it, they both landed at the feet of Professor McGonagall, who had Neville lurking in her shadow.
When it was all said and done, not only did they receive detention and points lost to the House Cup, but Hermione felt the urge to throttle Nova for distracting her and the person who designed the anvil to disperse force through the castle. When they got to the detention they were joined by Filch and Malfoy who was caught on the same night as them while trying to find the cause of the quakes.
When it was all said and done with Hermione decided that she wouldn"t go into the Forbidden Forest without Nova, as Hagrid had said that the forest had changed alot since a dragon had made its nest in the forest and the Lava lake that was slowly cooling had somehow attracted firebased monsters. Hermione felt that Nova really needed to be reigned in after he seemed to be causing more indirect trouble for regular people.
If Hermione had to guess then all the trouble really started to happen after their finals. As the Trio finished finals, they found themselves sitting down resting. Then all of a sudden Harry stood up.
"Where"re you going?" said Ron sleepily.
"I"ve just thought of something," said Harry. He had turned white. "We"ve got to go and see Hagrid, now."
"Why?" panted Hermione, hurrying to keep up.
"Don"t you think it"s a bit odd," said Harry, scrambling up the gra.s.sy slope, "that what Hagrid wants more than anything else is a dragon, and a stranger turns up who just happens to have an egg in his pocket? How many people wander around with dragon eggs if it"s against wizard law? Lucky they found Hagrid, don"t you think? Why didn"t I see it before?"
"What are you talking about?" said Ron, but Harry, sprinting across the grounds toward the forest, didn"t answer.
Hagrid was sitting in an armchair outside his house; his trousers and sleeves were rolled up, and he was sh.e.l.ling peas into a large bowl. "Hullo," he said, smiling. "Finished yer exams? Got time fer a drink?"
"Yes, please," said Ron, but Harry cut him off. "No, we"re in a hurry. Hagrid, I"ve got to ask you something. You know that night you won Norbert? What did the stranger you were playing cards with look like?"
"Dunno," said Hagrid casually, "he wouldn" take his cloak off." He saw the three of them look stunned and raised his eyebrows. "It"s not that unusual, yeh get a lot o" funny folk in the Hog"s Head -- that"s the pub down in the village. Mighta bin a dragon dealer, mightn" he? I never saw his face, he kept his hood up."
Harry sank down next to the bowl of peas. "What did you talk to him about, Hagrid? Did you mention Hogwarts at all?"
"Mighta come up," said Hagrid, frowning as he tried to remember. "Yeah... he asked what I did, an" I told him I was gamekeeper here.... He asked a bit about the sorta creatures I took after... so I told him... an" I said what I"d always really wanted was a dragon... an" then... I can" remember too well, "cause he kept buyin" me drinks.... Let"s see... yeah, then he said he had the dragon egg an" we could play cards fer it if I wanted... but he had ter be sure I could handle it, he didn" want it ter go ter any old home.... So I told him, after Fluffy, a dragon would be easy..."
"And did he -- did he seem interested in Fluffy?" Harry asked, trying to keep his voice calm.
"Well -- yeah -- how many three-headed dogs d"yeh meet, even around Hogwarts? So I told him, Fluffy"s a piece o" cake if yeh know how to calm him down, jus" play him a bit o" music an" he"ll go straight off ter sleep --" Hagrid suddenly looked horrified.
When Hermione heard this should couldn"t help but feel bad for Hagrid, but at the same time she wondered if there was ever a limit to being simple minded.
"I shouldn"ta told yeh that!" he blurted out. "Forget I said it! Hey -- where"re yeh goin"?" Harry, Ron, and Hermione didn"t speak to each other at all until they came to a halt in the entrance hall, which seemed very cold and gloomy after the grounds.
"We"ve got to go to Dumbledore," said Harry. "Hagrid told that stranger how to get past Fluffy, and it was either Snape or Voldemort under that cloak -- it must"ve been easy, once he"d got Hagrid drunk. I just hope Dumbledore believes us. Firenze might back us up if Bane doesn"t stop him. Where"s Dumbledore"s office?"
"It is up on the other side of the school, but we can"t get in it has a stone guard blocking the door." Hermione told them.
"How do you know?" Ron asked.
"Don"t you listen to anything I say, remember the conversation I had with Nova, Dumbledore and McGonagall were present as well." Hermione seriously wondered why she bothered with these two sometimes.
"What are you three doing inside?" It was Professor McGonagall, carrying a large pile of books.
"We want to see Professor Dumbledore," said Hermione, rather bravely, Harry and Ron thought.
"See Professor Dumbledore?" Professor McGonagall repeated, as though this was a very fishy thing to want to do. "Why?"
"It"s sort of secret," he said, but he wished at once he hadn"t, because Professor McGonagall"s nostrils flared.
"Professor Dumbledore left ten minutes ago," she said coldly. "He received an urgent owl from the Ministry of Magic and flew off for London at once."
"He"s gone?" said Harry frantically. "Now?"
"Professor Dumbledore is a very great wizard, Potter, he has many demands on his time as they need council on what she be done with the dragon on the school premise. And the Minister, bless him seems to be afraid of his own shadow and keeps doubting people. I don"t know how he expects to keep his position.
"But this is important." "Something you have to say is more important than the Ministry of Magic, Potter?"
"Look," said Harry, throwing caution to the winds, "Professor -- it"s about the Sorcerer"s Stone --"
Whatever Professor McGonagall had expected, it wasn"t that. The books she was carrying tumbled out of her arms, but she didn"t pick them up. "How do you know --?" she spluttered.
"Ms. Granger did you tell them anything about the Stone." McGonagall asked. She turned a fierce gaze to Hermione.
"No Ma"am." Hermione quickly said.
"Professor, I think -- I know -- that Sn- that someone"s going to try and steal the Stone. I"ve got to talk to Professor Dumbledore."
She eyed him with a mixture of shock and suspicion. "Professor Dumbledore will be back tomorrow," she said finally. I don"t know how you found out about the Stone, but rest a.s.sured, no one can possibly steal it, it"s too well protected."
"But Professor --"
"Potter, I know what I"m talking about," she said shortly. She bent down and gathered up the fallen books. I suggest you all go back outside and enjoy the sunshine."
"It"s tonight," said Harry, once he was sure Professor McGonagall was out of earshot. "Snape"s going through the trapdoor tonight. He"s found out everything he needs, and now he"s got Dumbledore out of the way. He sent that note, I bet the Ministry of Magic will get a real shock when Dumbledore turns up."
"Well there is a good chance that they won"t be surprised." Hermione thought she was actually losing faith in this form of government.
"Hermione why would McGonagall think that you would know about the Stone?" Harry asked.
After thinking about it, Hermione decided to tell them the truth, "Well funny story actually turns out Nova had found it during the holiday. And is currently using it for a project."
"Wait he found it??" Ron said.
"Yes Ron, keep up."
"You make it sound like he found an apple. But doesn"t that mean he is in danger now?"
"Ron would Nova be in danger? He can turn into a dragon." Hermione asked, she was honestly worried about Ron"s brain.
"Yeah Ron"s right this. Is Voldemort we are talking about. Once he finds out that the Stone isn"t on the Third Floor anymore he is going to hunt Nova down. We have to stop him and Snape from getting to Nova."
"Yeah Harry"s right Hermione. Who knows what will happen." Ron interjected.
"So here is the plan tonight we will go to the Third Floor and do what we can to prevent Voldemort from finding anything out." Harry said.
When Hermione heard this she had the urge to rub her head, she knew she should have listened to Nova when he said that these two were looking to get themselves killed. But they are just going to look and see it"s not like Voldemort can read minds.
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Hey Hermione has great reasoning. Of course Voldemort cant read minds
What do you think he is a mind reader?