In the weeks that followed, Quirrell proved himself braver than Harry and company had given him credit for. Snape continued to stalk the halls looking sour, his mood getting worse and worse as the days progressed. Harry was starting to sympathize with him. Their teachers had begun assigning them massive amounts of homework, and it was doing nothing to improve Harry's mood. Paired with the fact that they were still researching ways of getting past whatever enchantments the other professors might have used, they seemed to be living most of their lives within the library.
One particularly fine day found Harry and the others in this exact location. Harry and Millie were busy reading over Herbology texts to see if they could find any particularly poisonous or deadly plant Professor Sprout might have used to deter any thieves. Meanwhile, Blaise was bent over three separate pieces of parchment, busily writing charms essays for all of them so his friends could focus on their research. Harry had promised to complete the transfiguration project in exchange. Naturally, Millie had already finished their brief Defense Against the Dark Arts assignment for Professor Quirrell.
Harry was so intent on reading about the venomous tentacula plant that he nearly missed Hagrid, which would have been truly astounding, given Hagrid's enormous size.
"Hagrid!" Harry said in a stage whisper, lest his shout draw the wrath of Madame Pince, the librarian, "What are you doing here?"
"Oh, nothin'," Hagrid said, hastily hiding something behind his back and attracting the interest of Blaise and Millie at once, "Jus' having a look around. What's got you three inside on a nice day like this? Not sill reading up on Nicolas Flamel, I hope?"
"Oh, we're way past that, now," Harry said with complete honesty. He didn't think it prudent to tell Hagrid that they had moved forward with plans to steal the stone for themselves. Given Hagrid's response to the last mention they'd made about the stone, he didn't think it wise.
"Good! Tha's good..." Hagrid said, his sentence trailing off at the end. Harry glanced at his friends.
"Something on your mind, Hagrid?" Harry asked, wondering if Snape or Quirrell had been questioning Hagrid about Fluffy.
"Er, well... Now that you mention it..." Hagrid trailed off again and began glancing around the library guiltily. "Listen, I can't really talk about it here. Do yeh want ter come and see me later today? I got summat tha' I think you'll want ter see."
Hagrid was still looking secretive and fearful, but there was an element of excitement to his voice as well. Harry didn't know what it could be, but he hoped that Hagrid was finally prepared to tell them something about the stone. He agreed to meet with Hagrid in his hut in an hour's time, which he and his friends spent discussing what possible revelations Hagrid had in store for them. Homework was entirely forgotten.
Almost exactly an hour later, Harry knocked at the door of Hagrid's cabin. He could tell that the span of a few weeks hadn't diminished Hagrid's need to keep out the draft. He could feel the heat radiating through the door when his knuckles struck the dry wood. It was a miracle Hagrid's flammable home hadn't spontaneously combusted. At least poor Fang had been moved outside. Millie gave the boarhound an affectionate pat on the head when he came slouching up to them.
Hagrid opened the door and beckoned them in, saying, "Quickly, quickly now! Don't want to let the chill in!"
"Hagrid, it's stifling in here!" Blaise complained as soon as he crossed the threshold. Despite Hagrid's demand that they be speedy, Millie hovered in the doorway, looking very much as if she preferred to say outside with Fang. Finally, her curiosity won out and she sidled in, allowing Hagrid to shut the door firmly behind her.
"Well... Yeah, I know..." Hagrid agreed as sweat poured down his ruddy face, "But it has to be..."
"But why?" Harry asked.
"It has ter do wi' what I was tellin' yeh abou' in the library..." Hagrid started to say, but then Blaise interrupted him with an exaggerated gasp.
"Hagrid! Is that what I think it is?"
Harry's gaze was naturally drawn toward the hearth, where a blazing inferno that was the clear cause of the sweltering heat burned aggressively. But Blaise was not focused on the flames. Instead, he pointed an accusing finger at a very large lump of coal in the midst of the embers.
Harry didn't understand what he was looking at until Blaise answered his own question.
"A dragon egg! But Hagrid, where did you get one?"
"I won it," Hagrid said, his embarrassment vanishing. He actually seemed quite proud, "Went down ter the village a few weeks ago and had some drinks with a fellow down at the pub. We had a game o' cards and I had a lucky hand, is all. He seemed quite glad to be rid of it, as a matter of fact..."
Harry had a second look at what he's taken to be a large lump of coal. It was obvious now that it was indeed a dragon egg. If the size and shape didn't give it away, the strange rough pattern of its surface would. Harry looked away from the fire, his eyes slightly watering.
"What are you going to do with it when it hatches?" Millie asked curiously.
"I'm gonna raise it," said Hagrid with a great swelling of pride, "Terribly misunderstood creatures, dragons. This is my chance to show that if given proper nurturin', they can be real docile."
Harry remembered that Hagrid said he'd always wanted a dragon, but it had seemed like such an impossible idea at the time, he hadn't considered the consequences of actually owning one. Looking around at Hagrid's wooden cabin, Harry had his concerns.
Hagrid invited Harry and his friends to the hatching, an event they were both curious to see and nervous to attend. Fortunately, the dragon wasn't quite ready to enter the world, so they had some time to think the matter over. Unfortunately, from the size of the egg and some rather ominous shifting, they only had a few more days.
Talking about the dragon provided a break from their usual topic of conversation. For the next week, Harry and the others forgot about the stone entirely, and were consumed with researching dragons to help Hagrid. What they found was not encouraging. Despite Hagrid's assurances that dragons were "terribly misunderstood," it seemed that even the most docile dragons were still capable of reducing entire villages to rubble. Hagrid's little hut didn't stand a chance.
Then, during breakfast one day, Hedwig brought Harry a note from Hagrid. He had written only two words. It's hatching.
"We have to go," Harry said instantly. Blaise and Millie looked less eager.
"Harry, it's a dragon," Millie said.
"And the most danger an infant dragon poses in its first few days is that it doesn't know its own strength," Harry said, practically reciting one of the passages he'd read while researching dragons. "But it'll be worse for us if we wait until it's grown as large as Fang!"
"But we have class..." Blaise said lamely, looking for any excuse not to get caught up in Hagrid's dragon-raising scheme.
"Blaise, how many times are you going to have an opportunity to see a dragon hatching?"
"Watch it!" Millie warned. Malfoy was seated only a few feet away. He'd stopped with a fork-full of eggs halfway to his open mouth, obviously listening to their conversation. Harry gave them a meaningful stare and abruptly stood up from his seat. He marched purposefully away from the Great Hall, not bothering to see if Blaise and Millie were following. He was going to see a dragon hatch if it killed him. Which, sadly, was a plausible outcome.
He needn't have worried about Blaise and Millie. They soon caught up with him and faithfully walked by his side all the way down to Hagrid's hut.
"I'm glad yeh came," Hagrid said as soon as he opened the door, "Shouldn't be long now."
They rushed inside, not one of them complaining about the heat this time. The fire was still burning in the grate, but Hagrid had removed the egg from the red-hot coals. It sat on large wooden table that dominated most of Hagrid's living space, cushioned by a few tea towels to keep it from rolling. It was fortunate that Hagrid had taken this precaution, because even now the egg was twitching perilously. Freed from the flames, the surface appeared to be a deep blue-black. As Harry stared, a large crack fractured the shell.
They gathered their seats around the table and watched with baited breath. A spiderweb of cracks blossomed from the first fissure. Harry watched the shell rise and fall as the dragon inside caught its breath, then with a shower of shell fragments the egg exploded outward, and the baby dragon flopped onto the table.
It wasn't exactly pretty. Its spiny wings were huge compared to its sinewy, jet body. It had a long snout with large nostrils. Above a pair of bulging orange eyes were the nubs of small horns. It sneezed, and couple of sparks flew out of its snout.
"Isn't he beautiful?" Hagrid gushed. He reached out a hand to stroke the dragon's head. It snapped at his fingers, revealing a set of needle sharp fangs.
"Bless him look, he knows his mummy!" said Hagrid.
"What kind of dragon is it?" Harry asked. Over the past few days they'd learned a lot about the United Kingdom's native dragon breeds, but this didn't look like any of the dragons he'd read about.
"Well, he's a Norwegian Ridgeback, I reckon'." Hagrid said, sounding as if he was informing them of his new labradoodle. "Judging from the colorin' on the egg. And well, he does look a bit like the pictures..."
"Right, and how fast do they grow?" Blaise asked somewhat skeptically. Harry noticed he was leaning very far back in his seat.
Hagrid was about to answer when the color suddenly drained from his face. He leapt to his feet and ran to the window.
"What's the matter?" asked Harry.
"Someone was looking through a gap in the curtains! It's a kid... He's runnin' back to the school!"
Harry bolted to the door and looked out. Even at a distance there was no mistaking his stupid, greasy blond hair.
Malfoy had seen the dragon.
"Millie, can you hit him with a bat bogey hex at this distance?" Harry asked very seriously.
Millie squinted out the window, "Nah. He's too far. And it's harder to hit a moving target."
Harry turned to look at Hagrid, who's attention had already reverted back to the baby dragon.
"Don't worry, Hagrid. I'll take care of it."
But Hagrid wasn't listening. He was too busy singing lullabies to the slightly smoldering lump of scales.
"Is he there?"
"Yes."
"Are his goons with him?"
"Yes."
"Damn."
Harry kicked at the ground in frustration. He had been trying to corner Malfoy all week without success. Malfoy had been unusually distant since he'd spotted Hagrid's dragon. He'd still somehow managed to whisper teasing comments about "knowing the giant's secret" whenever he passed near enough to be heard by Harry, but he was never seen without Crabbe and Goyle by his side. Meanwhile, Hagrid's little dragon was growing larger with each passing day. Harry knew that in no time at all the whole school would know about the dragon, whether Malfoy told them or not. Still, he knew that Malfoy would go running straight to Snape or some other teacher at the first sign of provocation. He needed to be shut down.
"We have to get him away from those two," Harry said, joining Blaise's side to peer carefully into the dorm they shared with Malfoy and his cronies. From where he stood he could see Malfoy clearly. He was seated on his bed proudly showing off the recent hoard of treats sent to him by his mother while Crabbe and Goyle looked on hungrily.
Unfortunately, being able to see Malfoy meant he could be seen, as well. Malfoy had pointedly ignored Blaise, but as soon as Harry slipped into view, he perked right up.
"Oh, Potter? Curious to see what I got from home? I don't mind sharing. I know some people don't have parents who can send them things."
Mrs. Zabini sent Blaise a gift at least once a week, and she had added Harry to her mailing list soon after Christmas vacation, but Harry didn't bother informing Malfoy of this. He simply turned on his heel and marched back down the stairs to the common room. Malfoy's voice floated down to him, clear as a bell.
"Poor chap. He must be so worried about that scaly secret that his giant oaf of a friend is hiding..."
"Damn him!" Harry shouted as he flopped onto a sofa in the common room.
"Who is it this time? Snape or Malfoy?" asked Millie.
"Guess," said Harry through gritted teeth. He glared at a mermaid who was peering in through one of the common room windows. It glared back at him with equal malice.
"You know, Harry. She hasn't done anything to you," Blaise said as he joined them, noting the direction of Harry's glare, "Can we maybe save some of that attitude for Malfoy?"
"We can't confront him with Crabbe and Goyle around."
"I'm not afraid of them," Millie said immediately, as if offended by the very idea.
"None of us are," Blaise agreed, "But we can't mention the dragon in front of them, or risk Malfoy telling them himself."
"How do we know he hasn't told them already?" asked Millie.
"He hasn't. He likes to lord it over them that he knows more than they do," said Harry. "He's only hinted at it, but Crabbe and Goyle are too thick to pick up on what he's saying."
Harry asked his friends if they had any ideas on how to ensure Malfoy's silence. They had plenty, but Harry was certain that most of them would get them expelled. They weren't having any luck with Hagrid either. They spent most of their time outside of class sequestered in Hagrid's hut, trying to convince him to let the dragon go before he got himself caught.
"But I can't!" Hagrid would say, "He's too little to go off on his own! He'd die out there!"
"Hagrid, you'll get sacked if Dumbledore finds out!"
"Or worse!" Blaise warned, "You know dragon trading is illegal, right?"
But Hagrid would only shake off their advice and tell them about how Norbert, as he had named the dragon, had grown another three inches that afternoon alone.
"Harry, you know I love Hagrid, but he is completely mental," Blaise said when another week had elapsed and there had been no change to their predicament. "I say we just leave him be, and let what happens, happen."
"Either Hagrid gets sacked or his house gets burnt down with him in it," Harry said angrily. "Those are two outcomes I'm not willing to accept."
"He could also be eaten," Millie added helpfully.
"Oh yes, thank you Millie. He could also be eaten."
"OK, OK. So we can't just leave him alone," Blaise said, rubbing his temples with both index fingers. The stress of the past two weeks was taking its toll on all of them. "How about this? I write mum..."
"No! We can't tell your mother! She'll... She'll report Hagrid to the authorities!"
"Not if I tell her the dragon is extremely valuable! She knows a lot of people. I'm sure she could find one who's interested in a Norwegian Ridgeback."
"There's no way Hagrid will sell Norbert to some black market dealer."
"I've got it," said Millie. Blaise and Harry looked at her in surprise. She wasn't normally the one to come up with clever ideas.
"We tell Dumbledore."
Blaise rolled his eyes and groaned.
"Millie," Harry said slowly, "Dumbledore is Hagrid's boss. He's the one that will fire Hagrid if he finds out about the dragon."
Now it was Millie's turn to roll her eyes.
"Harry," said said with the same deliberate slowness, "Dumbledore is the one who allowed Hagrid to bring a three-headed hell-hound into a school full of children. I'm sure one adolescent dragon isn't going to put Hagrid's job at risk."
It took some time, but Blaise and Millie eventually talked Harry around to telling Dumbledore about what happened. They decided the news would be best coming from them instead of Malfoy, because they would describe Hagrid as a sort of hero who rescued a poor, defenseless dragon egg from the wiles of an illegal magical creatures dealer. How was he supposed to know it was very near to hatching?
The trouble was that Dumbledore was not the easiest man to catch alone. It was true that Harry often saw him at mealtimes, and occasionally walking around the halls in conference with a teacher, but other times he seemed to vanish from the school entirely. Harry didn't even know where his office was located.
They had to act fast. Norbert had grown so large he was taking up Hagrid's whole bed, which was built quite large to support Hagrid's considerable weight. And Malfoy had started to look bored with his game of teasing Harry. He might choose to reveal the secret, just to see what would happen next.
And so a mere three weeks after Norbert's birth, Blaise, Millie, and Harry lingered in the Great Hall as the evening meal died down. Harry had his invisibility cloak tucked away in his robes. Its lightweight, almost fluid-like design made it very easy to conceal.
Dumbledore finally got up from his seat, making gestures to indicate that he was bidding his fellow educators a good night. Harry jumped up, knowing that Dumbledore would use the staff exit to make his retreat. It was the same corridor Harry had followed Snape through on Halloween, and he knew which turns to take now.
Malfoy caught his eye as he jumped up from the table to make his escape. He must have known Harry was up to something, because he quickly rose as if to follow him. But just as planed, Millie aimed a leg-locker curse at him from under the table. Malfoy's legs snapped together as if joined by superglue, and he nearly fell on his face trying to stand.
Outside the Great Hall, Harry threw the invisibility cloak over himself, mostly to ensure he wouldn't be interrupted along the way. Then he ran to cut off Dumbledore as he made his way down the passage.
For a moment, Harry wondered if he'd made a mistake. There was no sign of Dumbledore in the corridor. Perhaps there was a secret passage he used to make his way to his office? But Harry didn't have long to suffer, as Dumbledore slowly made his way around the corner, engaged in conversation with none other than Professor Snape.
Harry's heart sank for a moment, but then he was sure Snape would have to leave eventually. He followed the pair as they continued down the hall, up several flights of stairs, and down a corridor Harry wasn't familiar with. Harry didn't want to be caught by Snape, but he was equally curious to hear what they were talking about. Unfortunately, he could only catch bits and pieces of their conversation.
"...keeping an eye on him, I trust?" Dumbledore said at one point. Snape murmured something about "suspicious" and "security measures."
Harry's heart leaped and he dared to venture a little closer. For a moment, he forgot that the purpose of his mission was to help Hagrid. He realized that Dumbledore and Snape must be talking about the security around the Philosopher's Stone! Of course, Dumbledore wouldn't suspect Snape of being the thief after the stone. Perhaps Snape was hoping Dumbledore would let slip a detail about the enchantments used by the other teachers. Harry thought the information could be useful to his efforts as well.
"... in potions?" Dumbledore said, finishing a question that Harry had missed. Did Dumbledore mean to say that one of the enchantments would involve a potion?
"His work is abysmal," Snape said after a pause. "And he shows the same conceit as his father. They're very much alike. Two perfect little Gryffindors."
"Ah, Severus. You forget that he is in Slytherin. Your own house. Perhaps he has more in common with you than you think."
Harry was thunderstruck. They were talking about... him? But why would Dumbledore be asking Snape about Harry? As far as Harry knew, he'd never even met Dumbledore, much less spoken two words to him. It was odd, but Harry finally wrote it up to his fame. Even Dumbledore must be curious to know how the Boy Who Lived was doing in his classes.
Snape said nothing in response to Dumbledore's last comment, and they parted ways at a statue of a large golden eagle. Snape strolled away, black robes flapping, but Dumbledore remained still for a moment, apparently enjoying a particularly faded tapestry on the wall.
"Did you have something you needed to speak with me about, Harry?" he suddenly asked.
Harry paused in shock, but then he slowly pulled the invisibility cloak off his head. Dumbledore turned toward him, a twinkle in his light blue eyes.
"Ah, there you are," he said pleasantly.
"But... How did you know...?"
"Harry, I am the headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I know everything," Dumbledore said impressively.
Harry wanted to ask him if he knew that Snape was trying to steal the Philosopher's Stone, or that Harry was going to steal it first, but he thought better of it. Instead, he said, "So you already know that Hagrid's raising a dragon in his hut?"
To his satisfaction, Dumbledore actually looked impressed.
"I'll admit, I was not aware of this. Thought to be honest, I'm not entirely surprised," he said.
Harry couldn't help but smile, and Dumbledore smiled at him in return.
"I don't want to get Hagrid in trouble or anything," Harry said, forgetting completely about the cover story he, Blaise, and Millie and developed to make Hagrid into a dragon-saving avenger, "But it's growing too big for him to manage."
Dumbledore appeared thoughtful for a moment, then he said, "There's a dragon sanctuary in Romania. I know the director, and could possibly arrange for the dragon to be taken there. I'm sure it would be welcome."
"Norbert."
Dumbledore peered over his half-moon spectacles, the question in his upturned eyebrows.
"The dragon's name is Norbert," Harry clarified. Dumbledore smiled again.
"Then I will speak with Hagrid about Norbert. I am sure he will agree that it would be best for him to be reared among his own kind."
"Thank you," Harry said, feeling immense relief. While it was true that Norbert was a fireball away from Hagrid at that very moment, he felt better now that he'd told the headmaster. Weeks of stress evaporated as he and Dumbledore continued to observe each other.
"One more thing," Harry remembered to say, "When you talk to Hagrid, can you maybe not tell him that I was the one who told you?"
"Of course!" Dumbledore said, "I assure you I can be very discreet."
Harry wondered if Dumbledore had told Flamel the same thing when he agreed to hide the Philosopher's Stone in his school. He didn't ask. Instead, he thanked Dumbledore again for his assistance. Dumbledore wished him a good evening, and Harry had enough sense to realize he was being dismissed. Still, it felt odd to simply part ways like that. Harry wasn't sure what to do, so he gave an awkward sort of bow and began walking back from whence he came.
"Harry," Dumbledore said, stopping him in his tracks.
"Yes?" Harry said, turning back slowly. Did Dumbledore somehow realize that Harry knew more than he should?
"Your cloak."
"Oh. Right." Harry threw the cloak back over his head, rendering himself invisible once again. He probably didn't need to take the precaution, but since Dumbledore had mentioned it, he put it on.
It was lucky he did. Peeves was busy wreaking havoc in the corridor where the entrance to the Slytherin common rooms was located. Thanks to the cloak, Harry was able to slip into the common room unnoticed by the pesky poltergeist.
Dumbledore remained true to his word. Arrangements were made for Norbert to be transported to Romania, and within the week he had been moved to his new home by a team of trained dragon handlers. Hagrid took the separation hard, but he had no idea that Harry had anything to do with Dumbledore's involvement.
"He's such a smart man. I knew I wouldna be able ter keep Norbert a secret from him forever. I just hoped we'd have a little more time together, yeh know?" Hagrid said sadly the afternoon Norbert was taken away. Harry and his friends had joined Hagrid in his hut in order to comfort him.
"But he'll be happy in Romania. He'll have other dragons. He'll make friends... Good man, Dumbledore."
"Yes," Harry agreed, patting Hagrid's back sympathetically.
"It's for the best," Millie said blandly. Harry thought she looked a trifle uncomfortable with Hagrid's outlandish display of emotion.
"Let's drink to Norbert!" declared Blaise, hoisting up his cup of tea. Hagrid lifted his wooden tankard, shouting "Here! Here!" and took a long drink. Harry suspected his mug was full of something stronger than tea.