𝐒𝐋𝐘𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐍 | draco malfoy [1]

𝐗𝐗𝐈. PLANNING

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
PLANNING

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     The trio and I later found ourselves sitting in front of a fireplace in the library. Harry and I had told Hermione and Ron about the voice we heard.

     "You mean... you think You-Know-Who is out there, right now, in the forest?" Hermione asked.

     "Yes, but he's weak." Harry nodded. "He's living off the unicorns. Don't you see? We had it wrong! Snape doesn't want the stone for himself, he wants it for Voldemort."

     "With the Elixir of Life, Voldemort will be strong again. He'll... he'll come back." I say slowly.

     "But if he comes back, you don't think he'll try to kill you both, do you?" Ron asks nervously. 

     "I think if he had the chance he might've tried to kill us tonight." Harry responds.

     "And to think, I've been worrying about my potions final!" Ron exclaims, and I roll my eyes. "Seriously?" I muttered.

     "Hang on a minute, we're forgetting one thing." Hermione pipes up. "Who's the wizard that You-Know-Who's always feared?" Harry, Ron, and I all shrug. "Dumbledore! As long as Dumbledore's around, you're both safe. As long as Dumbledore's here, you guys can't be touched." She says, and Harry and I smile lightly.

     Time passed and eventually it was April, almost May. Nothing huge had happened over the past few months, except for some intense quidditch matches. Draco and I were acting like we did in the beginning of the year, teasing each other in a friendly way. Professor Quirrell was still getting on my last nerve every D.A.D.A class. My scar has kept aching, but I've decided to keep my mouth closed.

     I was in the courtyard with Noah when I see a certain trio hurrying towards me. "Uh oh," I breathed, and subconsciously rubbed my arm. 

     "Giovanna, come on, we have to talk to you." Harry said. I sent an apologetic look to Noah, who simply shrugged and headed back inside. "My scar keeps burning." Harry groans.

     "Mine too. For a while now." I nodded. 

     "It's happened before," Hermione points out, and I think back to the feeling on my arm the night in the forest.

     "Not like this." Harry says. He's right, that night wasn't as intense as it's been.

     "Maybe you should see the nurse," Ron suggests.

     "Oh yeah, that's a great idea! Hey, Madam Pomfrey, the scar Voldemort gave me hurts a lot! Oh, by the way, did you know he's still out there! Life is crazy!" I exclaim sarcastically, and Ron sticks his tongue out at me. 

     Harry ignored me. "I think it's a warning. It means danger's coming!" He exclaimed, then hissed and held his hands over his head. I winced and clutched my arm. Hermione and Ron exchanged worried glances. 

     I look at Hagrid's hut, and realization hits me. "Of course!" I cry, then start running over to the hut, the trio following me. When they looked confused, I explained. "Don't you think it's a bit odd that what Hagrid wants more than anything is a dragon, and a stranger shows up and just happens to have one?" I say as we approach Hagrid.

      Harry's eyes lit up. "You're right! How many people wander around with dragon eggs in their pockets? Why didn't I see it before?" Harry faces Hagrid. "Hagrid, who gave you the dragon egg?"

     "Dunno. Never saw his face, he kept his hood up." Hagrid answered. I look at Harry, Ron, and Hermione. 

     "The stranger, though, he must've talked?" Harry pushed.

     "Well, he wanted to know what sort of creatures I looked after. I told him, I said 'After Fluffy, a dragon's gonna be no problem.'"

     "And did he seem interested in Fluffy?" I asked. 

     "Well of course he was interested in Fluffy! It's not every day you come across a three headed dog. But I told him, I said, 'The trick with any beast is to know how to calm him. Take Fluffly, for example, just play him a bit of music and he'll fall right to sleep." Hagrid said, and I smirked. Now we knew how to get past Fluffy. We can get the stone.

     "I shouldn't have told you that." Hagrid groaned, but the four of us were already running back to the castle. "Sorry Hagrid!" I called back as we kept running.

     We run into Professor McGonagall's classroom in a rush. "We need to see Professor Dumbledore!" Harry and I cry at the same time.

     "I'm afraid Professor Dumbledore isn't here right now. He received an urgent owl from the Ministry of Magic and left immediately for London." McGonagall replied casually. I gaped at the Professor, fear spreading through me.

     "He's gone? Now?! But this is important! It's about... it's about the Philosopher's Stone!" Harry exclaimed.

     McGonagall was taken aback. "How do you know about that?"

     "Someone's going to try to steal it!" Hermione cries.

     "I don't know how you four found out about the stone, but I can assure you it is well protected. Now, would you go back to your dormitories? Quietly. And, Miss Potter, I mean the Slytherin one. I am aware of your frequent presence in the Gryffindor common room, you know." McGonagall orders.

     We exited the classroom and walked down the hall together, planning on what to do next.

     "That was no stranger Hagrid met in the village. It was Snape, and now he knows how to get past Fluffy." Harry states.

     "Still can't get over that name." I mutter.

     "And with Dumbledore gone-" Ron begins, but we round a corner to see Professor Snape. My heart literally stops beating. Like I might need CPR.

     "Good afternoon. Now what would three young Gryffindors and a Slytherin, such as yourselves, be doing inside on a day like this?" He says in his monotone voice.

     Hermione instantly speaks up. "I, uh... we were just..." 

     "You want to be careful." Snape cuts her off, eyeing each of us one at a time. "Someone would think you're... up to something." He says, then leaves. Harry and I watch him walk away.

     "What do we do now?" Ron asks.

     "Tonight." I start, facing the other three. "We go down the trapdoor."