When we get back to the common room it is empty- empty except for a snoring ginger boy, who had obviously fallen asleep while waiting. Yes, Ron had fallen asleep before we got back from our detention. Harry shakes him awake, and he yells something about Quidditch fouls.
'So what happened during detention?' he asks, as soon as he's properly awake. Hermione tells him and his eyes get progressively wider.
'Ron, if you open your eyes further, they're going to fall out!' I tease. 'And Harry, stop pacing and sit down!'
He doesn't sit. It seems as if he can't sit down, nor can he stop shaking.
'All this time we thought Snape wanted to get rich, when really he wanted the stone for Voldemort! And Voldemort is waiting in the forest for it,' Harry mutters.
'Don't say the name!' complains Ron, earning a punch from me. 'What was that for!' It's almost as if he thinks Voldemort can hear us and is going to jump up from behind the couch and kill us.
'It's because you're being stupid. I mean when you think about it, it's just a name, right?' I sigh. 'Look, I'll even say it five times fast. I guarantee he won't appear and murder me.' Ron looks shocked, and kind of mad, yet I still do as I said. 'Told you he wouldn't.'
Harry ignores us, while Hermione stifles a small giggle. 'Firenze saved me. He shouldn't have. Bane was furious. Something about "interfering with what the planets say is going to happen"?' Harry pauses. Then he continues with a gasp, 'The stars say Voldemort is coming back! It also probably said he was supposed to kill me, which Bane seemed to have wanted!'
Ron grunts, probably annoyed at Harry for saying the name.
'Harry-' I begin, but Harry won't stop for anything.
'So, all I have to wait for now is for Snape to steal the stone,' he says, as if he's discovered the secrets of the world. 'Then, Voldemort can finish me off. Bane would be happy with that, I'll bet.'
'HARRY, SHUT UP,' I yell before he could say anything more. 'Stop talking about you dying, okay? And I seriously doubt that, even if the stars said it, Bane wants you dead!'
Harry looks at me, but doesn't say anything. From her place beside me, Hermione speaks up. 'Everyone says Dumbledore is the only person You-Know-Who was ever afraid of. With him around, You-Know-Who can't touch you! Anyways, who says the centaurs are right? Sounds like a bit of fortune telling to me... and Professor McGonagall says it's a very imprecise branch of magic!'
We continued talking for a long time before I decide to look out the window. I notice it's light outside.
'Guys, it's getting lighter outside, my throat is dry and I'm deathly tired. Goodnight,' I wave before going off to bed. I hear Hermione's footsteps behind me, following me up the stairs to the girls' dorms.
-----
Now it was exam time. I was nervous, although Hermione, Harry and Ron kept assuring me I'd do well. Hermione and I studied together, not wanting to mess up a single question.
I have no doubt that Fluffy is still very much alive behind that door, no matter how hot it is outside of it. I know Harry is thinking the same thing, because anytime we even go near the corridor he narrows his eyes in a thinking kind of way.
Every time you walked anywhere within the castle, and basically anywhere outside, it was blistering hot. The hottest places of all are in the large classrooms, where we do our written exams. We're all given special, new quills for them which are charmed with an anti-cheating spell.
We also have practicals exams, which I prefer less. We get called into Flitwick's room one by one to see if we can make a pineapple tap-dance across his wooden desk- which I can. McGonagall watches us turn a mouse into a snuffbox. Points are given for detail to the box, but deducted for whiskers or tails. Snape made us sweat even more and become ridiculously nervous while we attempted to remember how to make a Forgetfulness potion (I think I got that one).
On top of my exams, I'm becoming worried about my brother, who clutches his forehead every once in a while. He's being doing it since the night of detention! 'Lydia!' I hear a call behind me, after the potions exam. It's Neville.
'Yeah?'
'Can I talk to you for a minute?' he asks, gesturing to small place off to the side of the corridor we were standing in.
'Sure,' I reply. 'What about?'
'Harry. I think he's stressed. He can't sleep very well-'
'Longbottom, you're not trying to steal my girlfriend are you?' comes a teasing voice from over my shoulder.
'Don't be silly, Draco,' I grin, turning to hug him. 'We were just having a small chat. Neville, I'll talk to him okay?'
'Okay. See you round, Lyds,' Neville waves. 'Goodbye Malfoy.'
'See you, Longbottom,' Draco says before turning to hug me again.
'Why are you so affectionate today? And I see you're working on getting along with my friends?'
Draco laughs. 'Getting along with them is one word for it. By the way, I'm "being so affectionate" because I haven't seen you in ages! Not properly anyway.'
'Do you have anything on right now?' I ask. Draco shakes his head. 'Let's go for a walk, then. But first, let me talk to Harry. And we have to be back in a bit. Our History of Magic exams are at the same time, right?'
'Right.'
I find my brother a little way off and tell him Neville's concerns.
'You guys don't seem half as worried as I am about the stone. Maybe it's because you don't have scars burning on your forehead. And maybe, you don't have the reason I'm up every night.'
'The reason is what?' I say patiently.
'The reason is... you know my recurring nightmare?' Harry asks, which I nod in answer to. 'Well, I keep getting those- but with a figure in a hood, dripping blood!'
'That does sound freaky. I'm sorry, Harry, but I don't think I can help. Well, I'll see you at the History of Magic exam. I'm taking a walk before it starts.'
'With Malfoy?' Harry asks, eyebrows raised slightly. 'Yes,' I answer.
'Alright, but be back at least five minutes before it starts.'
I laugh to myself. I don't need his permission to take a walk. Even if it is with someone he doesn't exactly like. I mean, the said person is my boyfriend.
Malfoy and I take a walk, catching up on everything we haven't heard about from each other. The walk doesn't last long and we find ourselves at the doors to the castle quicker than I hoped. 'Oh, how I've missed you. Before we go in,' Draco smiles, 'good luck.' He leans down and kisses me.
I kiss him back. We pull away a couple of seconds later. 'Good luck.' I take his hand and lead him into the castle.
More or less five minutes later we find ourselves in the History of Magic exam. Ah, an hour of answer lame questions about batty old witches and wizards. This was boring, but I kept looking forward to the after. After the exam we'd be free. Free for a whole week before our results came out. I check my answers one last time just before the ghost of Professor Bins tells us to put down our quills and roll up our parchment. Everybody cheers and I can't help but join the celebration. I'm free. I can now spend time with my brother and friends- including Draco, of course.
'That was much easier than I expected,' Hermione smiles. I raise an eyebrow at her. Is she mental? 'I needn't have learnt that extra information.'
She then wants to go over our papers, but Ron and I said it makes us feel ill, so we sit under a tree by a lake instead. We watch the twins and Lee Jordan tickle the tentacles of the Giant Squid. I laugh, kind of wishing I was there, tickling them, too, but also glad that I am with my best friends.
'No more studying!' Ron cheers. 'Harry, you could look a bit more pleased. We have a week to find out how bad we've done. No need to worry right now!'
Harry rubs his forehead. 'I wish I knew what this was about. My scar keeps hurting- it's happened before but not this often, or this bad!'
'Go to Madame Pomfrey,' Hermione says immediately.
'I'm not ill!' Harry sighs. 'I think it means danger.'
I stay silent, not knowing what to say. Ron, however, says, 'Harry, relax. Hermione's right- the Stone is safe here with Dumbledore. We've never actually had proof that Snape knows how to get past Fluffy. His leg almost got ripped off once, you think he'd try it again? I mean, Neville will play professional Quidditch before Hagrid lets down Dumbledore!'
Harry nods. I can sense that he's worried though. He tells us he has a feeling he's forgotten something. Hermione tells him it's probably exams. I don't think he agrees though.
Suddenly he jumps to his feet. 'What are you doing?' I ask, finally speaking up.
'We need to go to Hagrid's!'
I exchange confused glances with the other two, before following my brother to the gamekeeper's hut. Harry explains while still walking. 'Don't you think it's odd that all his life, Hagrid wanted a dragon, and then, out of nowhere a stranger turns up with an egg in his pocket? How many people wander around with dragon eggs in their pocket, if it's against the Wizarding Law? Lucky they found Hagrid, right? Right?' he asks. I nod in reply, seeing where he is coming from. 'Why didn't I see it before?' he asks himself.
When we reach our large friend's hut, we find him outside in a chair, shelling peas. 'Hullo! Finished yer exams and come for a visit, eh? Got time fer a drink?' Hagrid greets.
'Ooh, yes please!' Ron accepts, but Harry says, 'No, we're in a hurry. I have a question. You know the night when you won Norbert? What did the stranger playing cards look like? Did you see?'
'Dunno what he looked like, 'arry. He had a hood on. Wouldn't take it off, either,' Hagrid answers casually.
'You didn't find that suspicious?' I ask in shock.
'Nah, wasn't unusual. Yeh find many odd folk around the Hog's Head. That's a pub in the village. Mighta been a dragon dealer, mightn' he?'
Harry sits next to the bowl of peas, and I join him. 'What'd you talk to him about? Did you possibly mention Hogwarts?'
'Ah, mighta came up...' Hagrid frowns, trying to remember the night. 'Yeah. The man asked what I did. Told 'em I was a gamekeeper here. Asked which animals I looked after. I told 'im. An' then I mentioned how much I wanted a dragon. Can't remember too much after that, he kept buying me drinks. Let's see... yeah, then he said he had a dragon egg an' we could play some cards fer it if I wanted. Said he had ter be sure I could handle it, hedidn' want it ter go ter any place, yeh know? So I told him about Fluffy, an' I said after 'im adragon would be easy.'
'Did he seem interested in Fluffy?' Harry asks, obviously tryingto keep his voice calm.
'Hmm, yeah, I mean, how many three-headed dogs d'yeh meet? Even aroundHogwarts? So I told him, Fluffy's a piece o' cake if yeh know how tocalm him down. Yeh jus' play him a bit o' music an' he'll go straight offter sleep...' Hagrid stops, looking mighty terrified. 'Oh, I shouldn'ta told yehs that! Forget I- where are yehs going?!'
The four of us don't speak until we get back to the castle. We come to a halt in the Entrance Hall, which seems dark and kind of gloomy after the grounds. Harry says quickly, 'we need to talk to Dumbledore. Hagrid told an apparent stranger about how to get past Fluffy. It was either Snape or Voldemort- stop it, Ron- under that cloak. Must've been easy to get Hagrid to talk after he was drunk. I just hope Dumbledore believes us. We could maybe get Firenze to back us up- that's if Bane let's him. Where's Dumbledore's office though?'
We look around, as if expecting a sign to pop out, telling us where it is. We'd never seen where he lives, nor did we know a single student who'd been sent in there.
'What are you four doing inside?' a voice rings out across the hall. McGonagall had shown up with a large pile of books.
'We, uh, need to see Professor Dumbledore,' Hermione says bravely.
'See Professor Dumbledore?' McGonagall repeats as if it's very, very fishy. 'Why on Earth do you need to do that?'
'It's kind of a... secret?' Harry says, probably regretting it instantly. Especially after seeing the way McGonagall's nostrils flared.
'He left ten minutes ago. He got an urgent owl from the Ministry of Magic and flew off to London at once.'
'He's gone? Right now?' I ask frantically.
'Yes, Miss Potter. He's a very busy man, with a demanding schedule.'
'But this is important!' Ron says.
'More important than the Ministry of Magic, Weasley?' McGonagall sighs, getting impatient.
Harry takes a breath before throwing all caution into the wind. 'Look, its about the Philosopher's Stone!'
I don't know what McGonagall was expecting, but it wasn't that. The books tumble from her arm, but she does't move to pick them up. I feel a surge of pride for my brother. It was a bold thing to do, and it might just get us somewhere. 'How do you know about that?' she demands.
'I think Sn- I think someone is trying to steal the Stone!' Harry doesn't answer her question. I'm just glad he didn't accuse Snape to McGonagall.
'I don't know how you know about it, but I assure you, it's safe. It's very well protected,' McGonagall clicks her tongue. 'Professor Dumbledore will be back tomorrow.'
'But Professor-' Harry tries again, but gets cut off.
'Potter, I assure you I know what I am talking about! Now, I suggest you go outside and enjoy the sunshine,' McGonagall says as she finally bends to pick up the fallen books.
But we didn't go outside.