Athanasia stop and look at Draco who's smile is full of sinister intention as he look down on the paper in his hand.
Athanasia walk towards him and look at the letter that made Draco Malfoy so happy that he look like an idiot.
Dear Ron,
How are you? Thanks for the letter - I'd
be glad to take the Nerwegian 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 at midnight on Saturday? they can meet you there and take him away while it's still dark. Send me an answer as soon as possible
Love,
Charlie.
'Dragon?'
Athanasia pat Draco shoulder, which made him startled.
"Athy!" Draco nervously said.
"Dragon it said" Athanasia started.
Draco nodded.
"I saw it, Potter, Weasley and that muggleborn, they were in Hagrid's hut and there is an illegal Dragon!!" Draco explain.
Athanasia nod in understanding, and turn around to go to Hagrid, she's curious about the Norwegian Ridgeback.
Athanasia knock on the small hut.
"Wait!, let me just finish this!" Athanasia could hear something breaking inside.
And Hagrid big face came to view, the door didn't open the door widely.
"I heard you have a Dragon" Athanasia said straight to the point, which made Hagrid eyes widen.
"Dragon? who's nuts to have a Drag~" Athanasia push the door making Hagrids get out of the way.
Athanasia look at small Dragon.
"Wait, Well, a Dragon, what's a Dragon doing here?" Hagrid said as he awkwardly laugh.
Athanasia walk towards the Dragon and observe it.
"She's beautiful" Athanasia said.
Hagrids eyes shine when he heard the praise.
"Right, His adorable!" Hagrid said.
"A Norweigan Ridgeback" Athanasia muttered.
"Ye it's breed!" Hagrid said in surprise.
"I read about them, Dragons, and to tell you some secret,.....Pevrell's Forest have each breed of them, but Nerwegian Ridgeback is the only one missing, so I'm curious about them" Athanasia said but the half part were said in a whisper.
Hagrid eyes widen, because of Athanasia's word.
"Isn't that illegal?!!" Hagrid yelled.
Athanasia shrugged, the Dragon's have been dare since she knew, her mother said, her great great great Grandmother was the one who collected them and put them in the Forest before the Manor's Entrance to guard.
When the hut suddenly opened and it revealed Hermione and Harry looking like they we're in hurry.
Their eyes widen when they saw her.
"Athy, What are you doing here" Hermione started.
"Why can't I be here?" Athanasia retorted.
Hermione bit her lower lip, not knowing how to answer back.
"I'm here for the Dragon" Athanasia said casually, which made Harry and Hermione put their guard up.
"You know?!" Harry said bewildered, worried that everyone already new.
"What do you think I'm here for?, having tea time with Hagrid?, Well that doesn't sound bad but I don't have time for that, but Dragon, Well that's a different matter" Athanasia said as she look at Norbert with so much adoration.
"How'd you know?" Hermione ask her while Harry told Hagrid of Charlie's letter.
Athanasia pat Norbert head which the Dragon ask for more.
"Guess" Athanasia answered.
"Malfoy!, don't tell me he spread the words to the whole Slytherin?!!" Harry said with worry.
Athanasia shrugged.
"And Malfoy even got Charlie's letter, he may know what's going to happened!!" Harry exclaims.
Athanasia look at the both of them like they are a bunch of idiot.
"it's not our fault!, Ron gave the book containing Charlie's letter to Malfoy!!" Harry defended.
"I said to you before, always be aware of your surroundings" Athanasia said.
"You don't know what's lurking in the shadow that wants to hurt you" Athanasia muttered thinking of Quirrell.
While Harry thought of Snape.
"Well, I'm done here,......good bye, and good luck about your endeavours, good bye Norberta..." Athanasia said as she kissed the Dragon's head.
The Dragon breath fire like saying good bye to her.
"Its name's Norbert, and it's a he!!" Hagrid corrected but Athanasia just walk away, waving her hands to them.
"She's, gone" Harry said. while looking at the Dragon who's still breathing fire.
"But, she's really weird" Harry said.
"What can we do, she's Athy" Hermione said.
Harry and Hermione carried Norbert using the invisibility cloak.
"Nearly there!" Harry panted as they reached the corridor beneath the tallest tower.
Then a sudden movement ahead of them made them almost drop the crate. Forgetting that they were already invisible.
They shrank into the shadows, staring at the dark outlines of two people grappling with each other ten feet away.
Professor McGonagall, in a tartan dressing gown and a hairnet,and in her hand, she had Malfoy by ear.
"Detention!" she shouted " And twenty points from Slytherin! Wandering around in the middle of the night, how dare you-" Malfoy cut her off.
"You don't understand, Professor, Harry Potter's coming- he's got a Dragon!" Malfoy tried to defend himself and give Harry away.
"What utter rubbish! How dare you tell such lies!, Come on- I shall see Professor Snape about you, Malfoy!" Professor McGonagall Said sternly.
After that Harry and Hermione move on, and the steep staircase up to the top of the tower seemed the easiest thing in the world after that.
Not until they reach the place, that they took off the cloak, it's absolutely freezing, which made them hug themselves.
"Malfoy's got detention!, I could sing" Hermione said, she sound pleased.
"Don't" Harry advise.
Chuckling about Malfoy, they waited in the dark as Norbert thrashing in his crate, About ten minutes later four broomstick came swooping down out of the darkness.
Charlie's friends were cheery lot, they showed Harry and Hermione the harness they rigged up, so they could suspend Norbert between them.
They help buckle Norbert safely into it, then Harry and Hermione shook hands with them.
They watched their figure getting far....far...until they couldn't see their back.
Norbert is now gone.
Now that Norbert's off them, No more dragon- and Malfoy in detention, what could spoil their happiness.
Until, they step into the corridor
"Well, well, well" Harry whisper.
Filch with his lamp look at them with a smirk in his lips, and they forgot, they'd left the invisibility cloak on the tower.
"We are in trouble" he said.
Filch took Harry and Hermione to Professor McGonagall, Hermione is absolutely wreck. while Harry is thinking of excuses, alibis and wild cover-up stories, but each thought is weaker than the next.
They couldn't say the truth because if they did, they might us Well, pack their bags.
What made it even worse is the fact, McGonagall came leading Neville.
"Harry!" Neville burst out, the moment he saw the other two, "I was trying to find you to warn you, I heard Malfoy saying, I heard Malfoy saying he was going to catch you, he said you had a drag-" Before Neville continue his words, Harry shook his head violently to shut Neville up.
But Professor McGonagall had seen it, she became more angry and she look like she can breathe fire than Norbert.
"I would never have believed it of any of you. Mr. Filch says you were up the astronomy tower. it's one o'clock in the morning. Explain yourselves" Professor McGonagall said sternly.
it was the first time Hermione failed to answer a teachers question, she felt utterly bad, so she stared at her slippers just hoping the earth would swallow her up.
"I think I've got a good idea what's been going on" Professor McGonagall said, but Harry felt uneasy with her next words.
"It doesn't take a genius to work it out, you fed Draco Malfoy some cock-and-bull story about a Dragon, trying to get him out of bed and into trouble, I've already caught him. I supposed it's funny that Longbottom here, also heard the story and believed it too?" Professor McGonagall said full of disappointment.
And Harry tried to look at Neville's eyes and tried to tell him this wasn't true, because Neville look stunned and hurt.
Poor Neville, Harry knew what it must cost him to try and find them, to summon a courage to disobey the rules just to inform them, Harry felt bad, he felt disgusted with himself for bringing trouble.
"I'm disgusted" Professor McGonagall said. "Four students out of the bed in one night! I've never heard such thing before! you Miss Granger, I thought you had more sense. As for you, Mr. Potter, I thought Gryffindor meant more to you than this. All three of you will receive detentions - yes, you to, Mr. Longbottom, nothing gives you the right to walk around school at night, especially this days, it's very dangerous- and fifty points will be taken from Gryffindor" Professor McGonagall said in long lecture.
Now Harry now why he felt uneasy, like something bad will happen next.
"Fifty?" Harry gasped- they would lose the lead, he won them through Quidditch.
"Fifty points each" Professor McGonagall said, breathing heavily through her long pointed nose.
Harry and Hermione look bewildered and fear was evident in their eyes.
"Professor - please-"
"You can't-"
"Don't tell me what I can and can't do, Potter, Now get back to bed, all of you, I've never been more ashamed of Gryffindor students"
A hundred and fifty points lost in one night, Hermione and Harry dreaded the reaction of their fellow Gryffindor, they ruined the chance of Gryffindor had for the House cup
Harry can't sleep all night, He could hear Neville's cries in his pillow.
Harry wished for the day to not come.
Athanasia walk down her room and look at the happy faces of the Slytherin students and at Draco's arrogant but happy face.
Athanasia sat down on the couch and took the tea given by Pansy.
"Thanks" she said, Pansy just smiled.
Daphne came and look around, looking for spaces but only beside her there were space.
"Well, sit there" Pansy, said pointing beside Athanasia.
Daphne reluctantly sat beside Athanasia, sipping the tea Pansy gave.
Every morning before they go to the Great Hall, they will first stay to the common room, drinking tea, while talking about the recent happening in Hogwarts or their family business.
"Will Astoria attend Hogwarts next term?" Athanasia started.
Daphne frozed but a smile graced her lips.
"mmm, she will come" Daphne answered softly.
"I~/I~" they both spoke and they frozed.
"You first" Daphne said.
Athanasia bit her inside cheeks.
"I'm sorry, I'm a little unstable, I apologized for what I did" Athanasia muttered, she truly regret it, Daphne may not been good at her words but she's her friend nonetheless, her childhood friend and for the first time, when she saw the fear in Daphne's eyes, she dreaded the fact that she will lose a friend that have been with her for many years.
Daphne eyes softened.
"No, it's my fault, I should've said those words, and I don't have the right to judge you nor how you pick your friend even though I hate that mud~ ehem I mean that Granger's guts, I still shouldn't insult her, nor say that you are a shame of your house, Your amazing Athy, I've never seen someone as strong as you, I'm sorry for my words, I hated my self for not realizing your suffering without me knowing, I'm supposed to be your best friend, aren't I?, but i didn't notice, notice how your mood plummet easily that week, I'm sorry throughly" Daphne said downcasted, with tears threatening to fall.
Athanasia held Daphne's hand and let Daphne faced her.
Athanasia shook her head.
She wipe Daphne's tears.
"it's not your fault, it's no one's fault, it's not your duty to care for me or my feelings, and it's not your fault that I'm good at hiding" Athanasia said trying to ease the atmosphere.
Daphne chuckled at Athanasia's attempt .
"So were good?" Athanasia ask hesitantly.
"We are good" Daphne said.
Pansy suddenly jump to them and hug the both of them.
"So we are all good!!" Pansy said happily.
"Its been hard this days, Its like your playing hide and seek, I'm confuse who should I talk to, when Athy go to West Daphne will walk far away South just to avoid her, it's been taxing!! do you even know how lonely I am this days, and Draco is busy with Potter, which earned him a detention, and oh- do you know Potter, Granger and Longbottom was also caught and lose a total of A hundred and Fifty which made Slytherin the leading one again" Pansy complained and chatters nonstop.
"Wait, Harry lose a hundred and fifty points in one night?" Athanasia tried to confirm again, while Daphne look interested.
"Yeah, you should see, the faces of those lions, they look like they ate some shit, and the other two Houses look at him like his a scourge, hahahahahahahahahaha" Pansy laugh absolutely looking pleased at the fact that Gryffindor losing some points.
"With expectations, comes a greater disappointment" Athanasia mumble, which made the two look at her with puzzled expression.
"Harry fed them with only glory since he came, he made them have a taste of victory and they expect him to win the House Cup and drag Slytherin down the throne but now......" Athanasia drag.
"Potter disappoint their expectation, which made their long lasting hostility with Slytherin, vented out to a poor first year, even the other two Houses expect us to loose this year, but with Potter mistake, their dream that was in their reach, shattered like bubbles, which made them hate Potter more" Daphne continued her words.
Which made Athanasia nod.
"Well, Mister Celebrity, become public enemy number one" Pansy sung.
Athanasia thought, Harry will need to bear the hostility of almost all the students and the mockery of the Slytherin.
Athanasia is worried about Hermione though, she knows the girls mentality is a little weak, even though, Granger is growing slowly, but she still didn't know if Hermione can bear the Hostility of the students and her own fellow Housemates.
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Chapter 10!!!
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