A Twist in the Story (A Harry Potter fanfic)

Chapter 22: Norbert equals More Trouble

Final exams are coming and students are as stressed as ever. Hermione and I have been studying every hour of everyday. I stay up late every night and just study in the common room until... 2:00 a.m.?

"Angelica, how late did you stay up last night?" Katrina asked taking in my messy appearance. "2 a.m. every night" I answered groggily. "That's bad for your health." Laurence warned me. "I can't bear to fail our exams" I yawned. "You're suffering!!!" Katrina slapped the table, some students turned their attention to her but I just kept my eyes on the window staring at it blankly with my eyes half closed. "Not gonna work." I said and yawned again.

During Transfiguration I nearly fell asleep as we were taking lectures...again. Harry looked horrible as me, his eye bags are bigger than mine and his eyes are reddish. "Hermione made us stay up till 4a.m. to study." He said yawning, "I just want to sleep the entire day."

"You're not the only one." I said and my gaze fell to Ron who looked even worse and Hermione who was already suffering but she was still wide awake. How can she do that?!

It's not just the exams we were worried about, it's also on the issue with Snape and the sorcerer's stone. You'd think all this stress is already killing but nooooo! Another thing added to my problems. This is totally the last thing that I need.

It was our free period and Katrina & Laurence insisted I take a nap. I can't say no. As I was headed for our common room, I heard someone call my name. "Angelica! Hey Angelica!"

I turned to see my bro----Harry running towards me."Yeah?"

"We need to go to Hagrid's" he informed me. "Nowwwww?" I groaned but I try not to sound whiny. "Tonight" Harry laughed. "Oh okay, that's a relief." I nodded.

"Where are you heading?"

"Common room. I'm giving in." He laughed again and nodded. "I guess I should too." We bid goodbye and parted ways. Do you really think I'm comfortable around Harry now? Of course......... NOT!

Every time he gets near me my heart beats a thousand a minute and a stupid annoying voice keeps insisting I tell him the truth. I didn't expect that I would have to keep the truth from my own brother!

Sighing, I continued to head for the common room. When I got in, I dragged my feet up the staircases to the dormitories and when I reached my beautiful and comfy bed and fell asleep quickly.





RINGGGGGGGGGGGGG!

"What the----?!"

I sat straight up with my eyes wide open. I was awaken by the sound of my heart attack-giving alarm clock. I looked at the time it was-------- IT'S 3:45?!?!?!??!?!?!

I slept through 3 subjects!!!!!!!!!! I AM SO HORRIBLY IN TROUBLE! I ran downstairs and grabbed my bag. I got a piece of parchment and wrote some sort of an excuse letter. I quickly ran towards our DADA classroom. When I got there everyone was chattering loudly. I knocked on the door and silence followed. I opened the door and took a peek inside. "Professor Quirrell? I'm so sorry I'm late." I said blushing furiously. "T-t-that's okay m-miss Potter. Any particular r-reason why y-you are l-late?"

I entered and gave him the letter I made. Then he laughed.

"Yes... okay I u-understand. T-take your s-seat" I walked over to my seat with my head hung low. I'm soooooo EMBARRASED



I'll skip what happened for the rest of the day for your sake, it's nothing but boring. But if you count: Snape taking a whole lotta points off Gryffindor and Ravenclaw simply because I didn't turn the ladle clockwise or Harry didn't add the exact measurement of what ever the hell powder, interesting then there you go.

That night, it was probably 12:00 am when we left the castle grounds to go to Hagrid's. It was weird because when we got there, the curtains were closed and the windows are shut and when we knocked Hagrid had to ask who we were before letting us in and sharply locking the door when we entered.

"What's up?" I asked curiously.

But Hagrid didn't answer me. "So--- yeh wanted to ask me somethin'?"

"Yes," Harry answered immediately "We were wondering if you could tell us what's guarding the sorcerer's stone apart from Fluffy?"

Hagrid frowned at all of us.

"O' course I can't! Number one, I don' know meself. Number two, yeh know too much already, so I woudln' tell yeh if I could. That stone's here fer a good reason. It was almost stolen outta Gringotts-I s'ppose yeh've worked that out an' all? Beats me how yeh even know abou' Fluffy." He told us.

"Oh come on Hagrid you might not want to tell us, but you do know, you know everything that goes on round here," Hermione said flatteringly. On the corner of my eye I saw Hagrid smile a bit. I shook my head grinning at Hermione, this girl is brilliant.

"We only wondered who had done the guarding, really." She continued.

"We wondered who Dumbledore had trusted enough to help him, apart from you." I added.

Hagrid's chest swelled up at those words. The boys grinned at Hermione and me.

"Well..." He started we all leaned forward eagerly. "I don' s'pose it could hurt ter tell yeh that... let's see... he borrowed Fluffy from me... then some o' the eachers did enchantments... Professor Sprout---Professor Flitwick--- Professor McGonagall---Professor Quirrell--- an' Dumbledore himself did somethin', o' course, Hang on, I've forgotten someone. Oh yeah, Professor Snape."

All of our eyebrows shot up.

"SNAPE?" We all said at the same time.

"Yeah---yer not still on abou' that, are yeh? Look, Snape helped protect the Stone, he's not about ter steal it."

NOW THAT IS A TWIST IN THE SITUATION! But look at it, if Snape had been in on protecting the Stone it must have been easy to find out how the other teachers had guarded it. He probably knew everything! I suppose I'm not the only one who was thinking that.

"You're the only one, who knows how to get past Fluffy, aren't you Hagrid?" I asked quite nervous. "And you wouldn't tell any one would you? Not even one of the teachers???" Harry added.

"Not a soul knows except me an' Dumbledore" Hagrid grinned. I sighed of relief; the stone is safe from Snape's slimy hands. "Well, that's something" Harry muttered to us. I glanced at Ron and stifled a laugh, Fang was trying to lick his face and Ron was inching away from him.

Then Hagrid's huge cauldron started rattling. We all turned to look at whatever was making the racket.

"What the heck is that?" I asked.

Hagrid looked away from us nervously, turned to the cauldron and took a big black egg and placed it on the table. We crowded around it. "Uhm...."

"Where did you get it, Hagrid???" Ron exclaimed eagerly.

"Won it, las' night. I was down in the village havin' a few drinks an' got into a game o' cards with a stranger. Think he was quite glad ter get rid of it, ter be honest." Hagrid answered.

"Wait... what is that?" I asked.

"It's a dragon egg!" Ron exclaimed. Then it rattled more, like it's about to explode. We inched away from the egg. It was rattling... more rattling... and....

A small foot sounded appeared from inside of the egg! We all back away far enough this time. Then the entire egg cracked and a small dragon with spiny wings, long snout with nostrils and orange eyes. It was dripping in slime.

"That's a Norwegian Ridgeback!" Ron said with a look on face like he just won a million pounds.

"Isn't he beautiful?" Hagrid said with tears in his eyes. The dragon turned to look at Hagrid. "Bless him, look, he knows his mommy! Hullo Norbert!"

I turned to look at Harry with a small grin, he was grinning as well. "Norbert?" I repeated. "Yeah well he has to have a name!" Hagrid grinned.

I giggled a bit while shaking my head. Hagrid was tickling it's neck and next thing we knew the dragon cough fire and Hagrid's beard was flaming a bit.

We all looked alarmed but Hagrid seemed to know what he was doing. Hagrid looked up and the color drained from his face. "What's wrong?" I asked worriedly.

"Who's that?" he asked pointing a shaking finger at the window. We all turned and I was now as pale as Hagrid.



Malfoy saw us.



Malfoy was grinning the entire week which made us all feel nervous and horrible. We tried to reason out with Hagrid. "Just let him go and set him free." Harry urged. "I can't he's still a baby and he'll die." Hagrid replied sadly. Norbert has grown bigger in just a week. Hagrid went on and played with Norbert while the four of us looked at each other worriedly.

"Where's mommy Norbert? Where's mommy??"

"Hagrid." Harry started. "Give it----Norbert two weeks and he will be as big as your house and Malfoy could tell Dumbledore any moment."

"I know I can't keep him forever, but I can' jus' dump him. I can't." Hagrid said biting his lip. Then Harry's eyes lit up. "Charlie!" he said turning to Ron.

"You're losing it, too I'm Ron remember?" I laughed at that but even I got what's on Harry's mind.

"No---Charlie your brother, Charlie! He's in Romania. Studying dragons. We could send Norbert to him. Charlie can take care of him and then put him back in the wild!"

"BRILLIANT!" Ron, Hermione and I exclaimed. "How about it Hagrid?"

And believe me; it took ages to convince him.



One day while we were in the library...guess what we're doing? YEP STUDYING! HOW DID YOU KNOW????

The difference is there were only three of us; Ron helped Hagrid feed Norbert today. When Ron came in to the library he was grimacing. "It bit me!" Ron exclaimed showing us his hand which was covered in a handkerchief covered in blood. "I am not going to be able to hold a quill for a week and let me tell you that was the most horrible animal I've ever met, but the way Hagrid goes on about it, you'd think it was a fluffy little bunny rabbit! When it bit me he told me off for frightening it!! And when I left, he was singing it a lullaby" He frowned and sat beside Hermione.

Then we heard a tap on the window. It was Hedwig carrying Charlie's answer. We all put our heads together to read.



Dear Ron,

How are you? Thanks for the letter-I'd be glad to take the Norwegian Ridgeback, but it won't be easy getting him here. I think the best thing will be to send him over with some friends of mine who are coming to visit me next week. Trouble is, they mustn't be seen carrying an illegal dragon.

Could you get the Ridgeback up the tallest tower ar midnight on Satursay? They can meet you there and take him away while it's still dark.

Send me an answer as soon as possible.

Love,

Charlie



"That's...lovely." I muttered after reading. We all looked at each other. "We've got the invisibility cloak, it shouldn't be too difficult-I think the cloak's big enough to cover two of us and Norbert." Harry said. We all nodded. We decided Harry and Ron should take the Ridgeback to Charlie while Hermione and I covered up for them.

"That's settled then." I said. We all leaned back on our chairs. Hermione's attention was on Ron's bleeding hand.

"Ron have you cleaned that? That might be infectious."

Ron shook his head, frowning once again. "Let's go, let's wash it before it gets worse." Hermione stood up with Ron and they left the library leaving Harry and me alone.

OH NO HERE COMES THAT FEELING AGAIN!

You should tell him.

But Dumbledore said not to!

You know what you want

I do! But--- Dumbledore said---

You've been struggling to find your brother and now that you found him you act like you're just a stranger to him.

But I-----

Just tell him

NO!

"Angelica are you okay?" I sort of flinched when Harry talked. "Yeah I'm fine. I'm... just thinking."

"Me too... everything that's happening right now is killing me." He joked. I laughed and nodded. "Yeah..."

TELL HIM

JUST SHUT UP!

"Uhm Harry...?"

"Yeah?"

I took a deep breath, my conscience is killing me. I HATE THIS.

"Uhm...." I started my hands were sweating. "What would you feel... if..." I took another deep breath and Harry smiled at me, urging me to go on. "What would you feel if... maybe... you turned out to be....my brother?"

Harry turned away from me and started to think. OH NO! PLEASE BE POSITIVE ABOUT THIS PLEASE? Then his serious face softened and he had a warm smile. "I would feel happy because I would have a great sister like you."

I nodded and smiled at him before looking at my hands. I rubbed them against my skirt. It was sweating horribly. "Why did you ask?" he smiled.

My heart was beating super doper dooper fast right now.

Tell him.

Tell him

Tell him

Tell; him

JUST TELL HIM!

"Because...." I started but I can't speak well. "Becauuuseee?" Harry urged. I sighed and looked at Harry straight in the eye.

"Harry........ I'M------ "



(A/N: YAYYYY!!!!! FINALLY! I have like 4 exams tomorrow and two reports but i managed to write this for you guys AWWWWWW XD So basically whatever Angelica's feeling in this chapter that what i feel right now. speaking of Ms Potter will she tell him?? WILL SHE??????? Keep reading! I love you guys! xx)