𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐥𝐞 | h. granger

xvi | the sorcerer's stone

Hogwarts Library

── •✧• ──

"𝐈 𝐇𝐀𝐃 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐑𝐎𝐍𝐆 𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍. How could I be so stupid?"

Hermione had told Harry, Dakota, and Ron to check in the restricted section of the library before she left to go home for the holidays. Harry had received an invisibility cloak for Christmas, so he and Dakota had snuck into the library after curfew to see if they could find any information on Nicholas Flamel. They didn't have any luck.

Hermione slammed a large, heavy book down on the table. Dakota cursed under her breath as the ink on her quill made an ugly line down the middle of her essay. "I checked this out weeks ago for a bit of light reading."

"This is light?" Dakota frowned. "It makes my History of Magic essay look like a bloody feather."

Hermione shot her a glare. She flipped through the pages. "Of course! Here it is!" Dakota looked over her shoulder as she pointed at the sentence. "Nicholas Flamel is the only known maker of the Sorcerer's Stone."

"The what?" Ron, Harry, and Dakota asked in unison.

"Honestly, don't you three read?" Hermione scoffed. "'The Sorcerer's Stone is a legendary substance with astonishing powers'," she read from the book. "'It can transform any metal into pure gold and produces the Elixir of Life, which will make the drinker immortal.'"

"Immortal?" Dakota frowned. "Why would anyone want that?"

"'The only stone currently in existence belongs to Mr. Nicholas Flamel, the noted alchemist who last year celebrated his 665th birthday'," Hermione continued. She looked up from the book so that she could address the others. "That's what Fluffy's guarding on the third floor. That's what's under the trapdoor. The Sorcerer's Stone."

Dakota exchanged glances across the table with Harry and Ron. The four kids got up and left the library, passing Tonks and Lyra, who were having a hushed conversation as the 7th year studied for her N.E.W.T exams.

That night, the four friends snuck out of the castle and ran down to Hagrid's hut. Harry knocked on the door, and a few seconds later, he answered.

"Hello," Hagrid greeted them. "Sorry, don't wish to be rude, but I'm in no fit state to entertain today." He closed the door.

"We know about the Sorcerer's Stone!" the four kids shouted.

Hagrid opened the door again. "Oh." He stepped aside to allow them entry into his hut.

"We think Snape's trying to steal it," Harry said.

"No, they think Snape's trying to steal it," Dakota corrected. She sat down at the table. "I'm only here for the adventure."

"Snape?" Hagrid frowned softly. "Blimey, you're not still on about him, are you?"

"Hagrid, we know he's after the stone. We just don't know why and Kody refuses to believe it."

"Because you're making an innocent professor out to be the villain just because you don't like him!" Dakota shouted. Her eyes instantly widened as the words left her mouth. She never snaps at Harry like that. "Sorry," she apologized as he stared at her with shock. "I-I didn't mean to yell."

"It's okay," Harry said, frowning softly.

"Dakota's right, you know, Harry," Hagrid said. "Snape is one of the teachers protecting the stone. He's not about to steal it."

"What?" Harry frowned and glanced at Ron.

"You heard. Come on now. I'm a bit preoccupied today."

"Wait a minute. One of the teachers?" Harry questioned.

"Of course!" Hermione gasped. "There are other things defending the stone, aren't there? Spells, enchantments."

"A giant three-headed dog that likes to snack on little kids," Dakota muttered.

"That's right." Hagrid nodded. "Waste of bloody time, if you ask me. Ain't no one gonna get past Fluffy. Ain't a soul knows how, except for me and Dumbledore. . .I should not have told you that."

A pot hanging above the fire began to rattle and shake. Hermione glanced at Dakota, who shrugged. Hagrid took a giant egg out of the pot, exclaiming at how hot it was as he carried it over and set it down on the table.

"Uh, Hagrid. . .What exactly is that?" Harry asked.

"That? It's a. . .It's, um. . ."

"I know what that is!" Ron beamed, proud that he finally knew something that Hermione didn't. "But, Hagrid, how did you get one?"

"I won it off a stranger I met down at the pub," Hagrid told them. Dakota couldn't help but feel slightly uneasy. She liked Hagrid, but she worried about his lack of judgment when it came to taking things from strangers. "Seemed quite glad to be rid of it, as a matter of fact."

The egg started cracking. Dakota took a step back, afraid of what might be in there. When the egg burst open, her jaw dropped.

"Is that. . .?" Hermione questioned.

"A dragon," Dakota breathed out in awe.

"That's not just a dragon," Ron said. "That's a Norwegian Ridgeback. My brother, Charlie, works with these in Romania."

"Isn't he beautiful?" Hagrid beamed. The baby dragon cooed at him. "Oh, bless him. Look, he knows his mummy. Hello, Norbert." He scratched him gently, and Norbert squealed. Dakota couldn't help the smile that spread across her face.

"Norbert?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, well, he's got to have a name, doesn't he? Don't you, Norbert?"

Norbert hiccuped. Fire shot out of his mouth and singed Hagrid's bushy beard. The giant used his oven mit to pat it out.

"Hagrid," Dakota began wearily. He nodded and gave her an encouraging smile. "As cool as it is that you have Norbert. . .don't you think that keeping a dragon near a school could be a bit dangerous?"

"Well, he'll have to be trained up a bit, of course—" He paused when he spotted someone watching them from the window. "Who's that?"

The four kids turned. Dakota rolled her eyes when she saw Draco Malfoy spying on them.

"That's a waste of sperm, that is," she muttered.

"Malfoy," Harry said, annoyed.

"Oh, dear." Hagrid frowned. "You littluns best be on your way."

They wished Hagrid a good night and hurried back to the castle. Dakota hoped that he wouldn't get into too much trouble if Draco told on him.

"Hagrid always wanted a dragon," Harry said as they walked inside. "Told me and Kody the first time we met him."

"It's crazy," Ron said. "And worse, Malfoy knows. I suppose you're going to try and make an excuse for him, aren't you, Dakota?"

"Don't put words into my mouth, Ronald." Dakota scoffed. "Draco's a prat just like my brother. I could never make excuses for him."

"I don't understand." Harry frowned. "Is it bad that he knows?"

Dakota froze in her tracks when McGonagall appeared in front of them. "Oh, it's bad," she whispered, nodding nervously.

"Good evening," McGonagall greeted them with a cross expression. Draco was standing behind her with a smug smirk on his face. They were for sure getting kicked out tonight.