In the library, Mia and Ron are seated, reading until Hermione comes up with a huge book and thumps it onto the table making Mia jump.
When she slammed the massive book onto the table, it startled several people, causing them to jump in surprise as well.
Hermione: I had you looking in the wrong section. How could I be so stupid? I checked this out a few weeks ago for a bit of light reading.
Ron: This is light?
Hermione: Of course! Here it is! [as she reads the description in the page] Nicholas Flamel is the only known maker of the Philosopher's Stone.
"What's that?" someone asked, their curiosity piqued
"It's something bad people want," Ron responded, prompting several heads to turn toward him, their expressions reflecting a mix of confusion and concern.
"Bad... people?" Sirius questioned, his tone carrying a hint of apprehension.
"You don't mean him, do you?" Remus asked Mia in a low voice, his concern evident in the gentle yet cautious tone of his query, as he hoped for a negative response.
Mia met Remus's gaze, her affirmation conveyed through a solemn nod, acknowledging the gravity of the situation without needing to vocalize it.
Ron and Mia: The what?
Hermione: Honestly, don't you two read? "The Philosopher's Stone is a legendary substance with astonishing powers. It'll transform any metal into pure gold and produces the Elixir of Life which will make the drinker immortal."
"That's impossible," Neville remarked with a skeptical expression.
"You think being immortal is impossible when magic exists?" Dean retorted, giving Neville a bemused look as if to suggest he had missed the point entirely.
Neville simply smiled.
Ron: Immortal?
Hermione: It means you'll never die.
Ron: I know what it means!
Mia: Shh!
Bill chuckled. "I know you're sick and tired of them fighting every day."
Mia nodded vigorously in agreement. "Every day? Try every minute."
The situation prompted laughter, a lighthearted release of the tension that had been hanging in the air.
Hermione: "The only Stone currently in existence belongs to Mr. Nicholas Flamel, the noted alchemist who last year celebrated his 665th birthday." That's what Fluffy's guarding on the 3rd floor. That's what's under the trapdoor. The Philosopher's Stone. [They all look at each other in concern.]
Molly widened her eyes in shock. "Why would there be something so dangerous in a school where our children are meant to be protected and in a safe environment?"
She directed her question to Dumbledore, who, in fact, had no idea what to say, because he knew she was right.
Remus and Sirius nodded in agreement, expressing their shared concern over the troubling situation.
It is nighttime in the castle grounds, and Hermione, Ron, and Mia are running across to Hagrid's hut. They knock on the door and Hagrid, who is wearing an apron and oven mitts, opens it from the inside.
"Why are you three wandering around when you're supposed to be in your common room?" Snape questioned them with a stern expression.
Mia looked at him incredulously. "You've known us for five years, and you're still asking why we're not following the rules?"
Snape fixed her with a severe glare, his dark eyes drilling into each of them in turn, conveying both disapproval and suspicion. "I don't need to know you for five years to expect basic obedience and respect for the rules," he retorted sharply.
Mia raised an eyebrow, her expression a blend of defiance and amusement. "Well, we've never been inclined to conform, have we?" she remarked wryly, her tone laden with a hint of sarcasm.
Mia: Hagrid!
Hagrid: Oh, hello, sorry, don't wish to be rude, but I'm in no fit state to entertain today. [He begins to close the door]
All three: We know about the Philosopher's Stone! [Hagrid opens the door again]
Hagrid: Oh. [They all come into Hagrid's hut.]
Mia: We think Snape's trying to steal it.
Snape rolled his eyes at the false accusations, tired of repeatedly being unjustly accused of malevolent intentions for something that he was protecting. The weight of their distrust and suspicion had worn on him, and he felt the need to defend his actions once again.
Hagrid: Snape? Blimey, yer not still on about him, are yeh?
Mia: Hagrid, we know he's after the Stone. We just don't know why.
Hagrid: Snape is one of the teachers protecting the Stone. He's not about to steal it.
"What?!" Sirius exclaimed, his eyes widening in disbelief at the unexpected turn of events.
"That was unexpected," Remus remarked, his tone reflecting a mix of surprise and realization.
Severus wore an inscrutable expression, a hint of satisfaction flickering in his eyes at the revelation of the truth, amidst the conflicting emotions and taut atmosphere in the room.
Mia: What?
Hagrid: You heard. Right. Come on, now, I'm a bit preoccupied today.
Mia: Wait a minute. [Ron soon sees Hagrid's boar-hound Fang, who sniffs him.] "One of the teachers?"
Hermione: [whilst sitting in a large chair] Of course! There are other things defending the Stone, aren't there? Spells, enchantments.
"I just realized something," Ron whispered, a tinge of excitement in his voice.
"What?" Mia and Hermione asked simultaneously, their curiosity piqued.
"Quirrell was one of the teachers protecting the stone," Ron said, his eyes widening as the pieces clicked into place in his mind.
Mia stared at him in disbelief, while Hermione rolled her eyes and let out an exasperated sigh. "Seriously, Ron?" she said, her tone laden with a mixture of amusement and frustration.
"What!"
Hagrid: That's right. Waste of bloody time, if yeh ask me. [Hermione looks at Ron, who is still being sniffed in the face by Fang. Finally Ron shuffles away.] Ain't no one gonna get past Fluffy. Hehe. Ain't a soul knows how, except for me and Dumbledore. I shouldn't have told you that. I should not have told you that.
"Hagrid!" Professor McGonagall exclaimed, a note of urgency in her voice.
"You should not expose the secrets like that!" Dumbledore admonished, concern and amusement evident in his tone.
"Sorry, Professor," Hagrid said, looking contrite. "I didn't mean ter let it slip."
[A cauldron over a fire begins to rattle.] Oh! [Hagrid hurries over and grabs something] Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! [He places it on the table. It was an egg. The group crowds around.]
"What is that?" Draco asked, his curiosity piqued as he eyed the object with a furrowed brow.
"A heated egg?" Pansy responded uncertainly, her tone indicating a hint of skepticism.
"It's clearly a dragon," Blaise remarked, rolling his eyes at the obviousness of the object.
Mia: Uh, Hagrid, what exactly is that?
Hagrid: That? It's a... it's, um...
Ron: I know what that is! But, Hagrid, how did you get one?
Hagrid: I won it. Off a stranger I met down at a pub. Seemed quite glad to be rid of it, as a matter of fact. [The egg rattles and cracks open as pieces fly off; a small baby dragon emerges. It squeaks and slips on an egg piece.]
"A dragon!" everyone exclaimed, excitement and curiosity rippling through the group, especially at the thought of a baby dragon.
"How did you get it?" Seamus asked eagerly, his eyes glinting with curiosity.
Charlie echoed the same question, his interest piqued.
"Isn't it illegal to have one?" someone else pondered aloud, their concern evident in their tone.
"It is," Hagrid admitted, acknowledging the legality of the situation with a touch of remorse.
Hermione: Is that... a dragon?
Ron: That's not just a dragon. That's a Norwegian Ridgeback. My brother Charlie works with these in Romania.
Hagrid: Isn't he beautiful? Oh, bless him. Look, he knows his mummy. Hehehe. Hallo, Norbert.
[Norbert squeaks as it looks at Hagrid.]
Mia smiled sadly as memories of the past resurfaced, a tinge of sorrow in her expression as she recalled the hardships Hagrid had endured.
Hermione, her voice tinged with empathy, shared her thoughts and feelings about Hagrid's unwavering kindness and generosity despite the challenges he faced.
Meanwhile, Draco's icy exterior softened ever so slightly as a tiny, almost imperceptible, pang of regret flickered across his features. As he observed the joy radiating from Hagrid, an unexpected sense of understanding washed over him, silently acknowledging the happiness the baby dragon had brought to Hagrid.
Mia: Norbert?
Hagrid: Yeah, well, he's gotta have a name, don't he? [Ron laughs] Don't you, Norbert? [he raises fingers back and forth across Norbert's chin] Dededede. [Norbert backs away, until he hiccups and blast a small fireball into Hagrid's beard.]
"He's quite dangerous, isn't he?" Sirius laughed nervously, the tension evident in his voice as he shared his concern.
"You did something about it, didn't you, Professor?" Umbridge asked Dumbledore in a scoffed tone, her skepticism thinly veiled in her words.
"Don't worry about it," Dumbledore responded calmly, his assurance cutting through any doubt with a steely determination.
Lucius smirked, a sly and knowing expression crossing his features.
Hagrid: Ohh! [he quickly pats out the smolders in his beard] Oooh, ooh, ooh-hoo-hoo-hoo! Ooh, well... he'll have to be trained up a bit, of course. Heh. [Norbert hiccups. Hagrid sees someone looking in the window.] Who's that? [It turns out to be Draco Malfoy, who scampers away.]
Mia: Malfoy.
Hagrid: Oh, dear.
"Dunderhead," Ron muttered under his breath, unaware of how far his voice carried.
"I heard you!" Draco snapped, indignation coloring his tone.
"Oh, I'm scared," Ron replied sarcastically, his bravado evident as he continued to provoke.
"Don't," Narcissa warned her son, a note of caution in her voice as she preemptively intervened, sensing the escalating tension in the room.
[Mia, Ron, and Hermione are walking back through a corridor as an owl screeches.]
Mia: Hagrid always wanted a dragon. He told me so the first time I ever met him.
Ron: It's crazy. And worse, Malfoy knows.
Mia: I don't understand. Is that bad?
Ron: It's bad. [They stop as McGonagall, in her nightgown, appears, sternly.]
"You are in BIG trouble!" Lee Jordan said
Mia sighed heavily, "We know."
McGonagall: Good evening. [Then, Malfoy appears smugly beside her. Inside McGonagall's classroom, the three are now standing in front of McGonagall's desk, while Malfoy is feet away, smirking.]
"Oh no!" Neville exclaimed, his concern palpable as he processed the implications of their actions.
"So that's how we lost 150 points," Parvati Patil remarked, connecting the dots with a mix of surprise and frustration.
"And it's all Draco's fault," Ron accused, pointing a finger of blame at him.
"Don't blame me for something you've done," Draco retorted, his tone defensive.
"If you weren't so bloody noisy, we all wouldn't have lost points," Ron shot back, his frustration evident as he glared at Draco.
"Hey! Stop it," Mia interjected sternly, her voice cutting through the escalating tension in the room.
McGonagall: [sternly] Nothing, I repeat, nothing gives a student the right to walk about the school at night. Therefore, as punishment for your actions, 50 points will be taken.
Mia: 50?!
McGonagall: Each. [Mia gasps]
"That's a lot, Minnie!"
"Yeah it's not fair."
"It's a lesson." She told them. "And don't call me that." She directed the word to remus but with a slight hit of amusement.
And to ensure it doesn't happen again, all four of you will receive detention. [Malfoy nods, then his smile vanishes with great concern.]
Draco: Excuse me, Professor, perhaps I heard you wrong. I thought you said the four of us.
McGonagall: No, you heard me correctly, Mr. Malfoy. You see, honorable as your intentions were, you too were out of bed after hours. You will join your classmates in detention. [Mia, Ron and Hermione grin, as Draco sags, knowing that the tables have turned.]
"Well deserved," Sirius remarked with a chuckle, a sense of amusement in his voice.
"Yeah," Mia laughed, her amusement evident as she anticipated Draco's reaction to a certain upcoming event. "Wait till you see how frightened he is when we went there."
Draco's complexion paled as he recollected the event in question, a visible shiver running through him at the memory.
[The next night, Mia, Ron, Hermione and Draco are being led to Hagrid's hut by Mr. Filch.]
Filch: A pity they let the old punishments die. There was a time detention would find you hanging by your thumbs in the dungeons. God, I miss the screaming.
Molly expressed her surprise, "What?"
"I don't remember him being that odd," Arthur remarked.
"He's always been peculiar, father," Fred and George chimed in.
[Draco gulps, and Hermione rushes by.] You'll be serving detention with Hagrid tonight. He's got a little job to do inside the Dark Forest. [Hagrid appears with a crossbow. He sniffles.] A sorry lot, this, Hagrid. Oh, good God, man, you're not still on about that bloody dragon, are you?
Hagrid: [sniffs and sighs] Norbert's gone. Dumbledore sent him off to Romania to live in a colony.
"No!"
"Dragons and any dangerous creatures are not allowed in Hogwarts, so this isn't really surprising," Charlie said with a steadfast expression, his concern for the safety of everyone evident in his voice.
Hermione: Well, that's good, isn't it? He'll be with his own kind.
Hagrid: Yeah, but what if he don't like Romania? [Filch rolls eyes.] What if the other dragons are mean to him? He's only a baby, after all.
Filch: Oh, for God's sake, pull yourself together, man. You're going into the Forest, after all. Got to have your wits about you.
"The forest?!" The students' murmurs erupted into an array of questions and concerns, bewilderment filling the room.
"Why the forest?" Percy's brow furrowed, his tone reflecting his confusion and worry.
"Is it forbidden?" Luna's wide, dreamy eyes held a glint of anxiety as she sought clarification.
"And it's definitely forbidden for a reason," Remus mused, his furrowed brows and thoughtful expression mirroring the unease in the room.
"I can't believe you let children wander around in the forbidden forest by themselves as a punishment!" Molly's exclamation was laced with palpable worry for the safety of the students, her eyes wide and her tone incredulous.
Draco: The Forest? I thought that was a joke! We can't go in there. Students aren't allowed. And there are... [a howl sounds] ...werewolves!
Filch: There's more than werewolves in those trees, lad. You can be sure of that. [Draco looks frightened.] Nighty-night. [He leaves to go back into the castle]
Remus closed his eyes and let out a heavy sigh, weariness evident in his body language. He rubbed his forehead, trying to ease the tension building behind his eyes. When his eyes opened, they met Dumbledore's understanding gaze.
Dumbledore knew immediately what was weighing on Remus's mind and nodded silently, conveying reassurance that there were no werewolves near the school, offering some comfort to the concerned ex-professor.
Hagrid: Right. Let's go. [In the Forbidden Forest, the group walks along a path to a tree. Hagrid stops, bends down and dips his fingers in a silver puddle. He pulls out his fingers and rubs them together. A silver trail smears with his fingers.]
As they began walking towards the forbidden forest, a palpable sense of dread filled the room, sending chills down the spines of the students and teachers alike. Many of the students had no idea what Hagrid was holding, but some of the older students and the teachers recognized it, causing their faces to drain of color as they realized the gravity of the situation.
Mia: Hagrid, what is that?
Hagrid: What we're here for. See that? That's unicorn's blood, that is. I found one dead a few weeks ago. Now, this one's been hurt bad by something. [Mia suddenly sees a large, cloaked figure walking through the trees. She looks at Hagrid.] So, it's our job to go and find the poor beast. Ron, Hermione, you'll come with me.
"Who thought it was a great idea to send students in there?!" Molly screeched, her voice betraying her shock and outrage at the decision.
Ron: Okay.
Hagrid: And Mia, you'll go with Malfoy. [Draco grimaces, and Mia nods.]
Draco: Okay. Then I get Fang.
Hagrid: Fine. Just so you know, he's a bloody coward. [Fang whines.]
"You really thought you could count on him to have your back, didn't you?" Ron's voice dripped with sarcasm as he addressed Draco, a hint of mockery underlying his words.
Draco's response was swift and defensive. "I don't need anyone to protect me," he retorted, his tone reflecting pride and defiance.
Ron, undeterred, continued in the same vein. "Oh, come off it. You're only holding up because Mia's on our side. You wouldn't stand a chance without her," he pointed out with a knowing smirk, provoking a reaction from Draco.
Draco's glare intensified, his usual sneer becoming more pronounced as he fixed his gaze on Ron. His eyes flashed with a mix of anger and wounded pride.
Meanwhile, Mia, always finding amusement in their clashes, let out a laugh, her amusement evident in the way she shook her head. Her laughter cut through the tension, adding an air of levity to the otherwise unsettling atmosphere. Hermione, recognizing the absurdity of the situation, couldn't help joining in, her laughter mingling with Mia's.
[Mia and Draco are walking through a part of the forest, with Fang leading. Draco has the lamp in his hand.]
Draco: You wait till my father hears about this. This is servant's stuff.
Harry: If I didn't know better, Draco, I'd say you were scared.
"Oh, he is" Sirius added, a hint of laughter in his voice.
"Definitely is," Remus agreed, sharing a funny look with Sirius,
Draco: Scared, Mia? [He scoffs, but suddenly hears a howl] Did you hear that? Come on, Fang. Scared! [Mia and Draco approach a flat ground with gnarled roots all over. Fang stops, then growls.]
"Okay, what is happening?"
"What was that?"
"And why does Draco sound scared while Mia doesn't?" Fred asked sarcastically.
"Simply, He is coward and Mia isn't." Ginny answered him.
Mia: What is it, Fang? [Up ahead is a cloaked figure who is crouching over a dead unicorn, drinking its blood from its wound. The figure raises its head, silver blood dripping from its mouth. Mia gasps and grabs her scar, which is hurting. Draco screams with pure fear and runs away with Fang.]
The hall was filled with a sense of terror, with some people frozen in startled fear and others screaming in panic.
"Run!" Neville's voice pierced through the chaos, filled with fear for Mia's safety.
Mia let out a sigh, her response simple yet reassuring, "I'm here."
Draco: HELP!!!!!
Lucius cast a look of disappointment and disapproval at his son, his eyes conveying a mix of disdain and frustration.
"Go ahead, run away, you coward," George's words cut through the tension, his tone dripping with contempt.
Draco, feeling the need to defend himself, retorted, "As if you wouldn't do the same in my position."
"We wouldn't abandon a girl on her own," Fred asserted firmly.
Mia, who had been observing the exchange, responded with a soft smile and a hint of self-assuredness in her tone. "A girl who is perfectly capable of defending herself," she remarked, her words carrying an underlying sense of confidence and resilience.
[Mia is left by herself at the mercy of the figure who slides over the unicorn and rises erect. It advances towards Mia, who backs up, but trips. He crawls backwards. Suddenly, there is the sound of hoof-beats.]
The intensity of the scene left everyone immobilized by fear, their minds racing as a cloaked figure made its way toward Mia. Uncertain of how to react, the onlookers stood frozen, unsure of what actions or words would offer solace in the midst of the looming threat.
A semblance of relief gradually washed over the crowd as the centaur's approach yielded no harm to Mia, instead positioning itself as a barrier of protection. As the atmosphere began to ease, the adults attempted to assuage the students' anxieties, yet some found greater comfort in one another's presence, drawing solace from the mutual experience of fear and the fact that Mia remained among them.
The unsettling situation had created an unspoken bond among the students, who sought reassurance in their shared unease and in Mia's unwavering presence within the same space as them.
[A figure leaps over Mia and lands near the cloaked figure. It is a silver centaur called Firenze. It rears, and the cloaked figure retreats, flying away.]
"Firenze." Mia spoke softly, a warm smile gracing her lips as she addressed the friendly centaur who had once come to her aid during her first year.
Firenze: Mia Potter, you must leave. You are known to many creatures here. The Forest is not safe at this time. Especially for you.
Mia: But what was that thing you saved me from?
"Great question, Mia," Remus acknowledged, his voice strained with fear and worry.
Mia responded, "That was the only question that roamed around my head."
Firenze: A monstrous creature. It is a terrible crime to slay a unicorn. Drinking the blood of a unicorn will keep you alive even if you are an inch from death. But at a terrible price. You have slain something so pure that from the moment the blood touches your lips, you will have a half-life. A cursed life.
"Drinking the blood of a unicorn? That's... that's horrible. How could anyone even consider doing something so... dark?" Narcissa said, but immediately shut her mouth when she realized that her lord was the one to do it.
"It's unfathomable, really. Unicorns are such majestic and pure creatures. This is simply barbaric," Hermione said, her voice filled with dismay and disbelief at the thought of such a despicable act.
Mia: But who would choose such a life?
Firenze: Can you think of no one?
Mia: Do you mean to say that thing that killed the unicorn that was drinking its blood, that was Voldemort?
"I can't believe you met him at your first year," Arthur said to Mia, an incredulous expression on his face, as if trying to understand the weight of her experience.
Mia simply nodded, her eyes cast down, revealing the maturity and gravity of her past encounters.
"Yes," she said, her voice tinged with a mix of weariness and firm resolve, as if she had accepted the reality that was once unfathomable to many.
"Rubbish!" Umbridge's icy tone cut through the air, filled with disdain and disbelief, dismissing Mia's words as mere fantasy.
"He is not back," Fudge insisted with a harshness that bordered on denial, his words practically spitting out, refusing to acknowledge the looming threat.
Mia, feeling a surge of frustration, rolled her eyes, her weariness evident to everyone in the room. It was exhausting to have to respond to their skepticism, to continuously validate her harrowing experiences.
Firenze: Do you know what is hidden in the school at this very moment, Mr. Potter?
Mia: [realizing] The Philosopher's Stone.
"So you-know-who wanted the Philosopher's Stone?" A fourth-year student asked in fear.
"Yes," Mia responded, her tone solemn and resolute.
[Fang suddenly barks and Mia looks up to see Hagrid, Hermione, Ron and Draco appear. Hagrid has his crossbow ready but lowers it when he sees Firenze.]
Hermione: Mia!
"Oh, thank Merlin!" Sirius exclaimed, relief evident in his voice and expression.
"I was safe, you know," Mia reassured him, her words carrying a hint of gratitude for his concern.
Hagrid: Hello there, Firenze. I see you've met our young Miss. Potter. You all right there, Mia? [She nods]
Firenze: Mia Potter, this is where I leave you. You're safe now. Good luck. [He leaves as the group look at the dead unicorn.]