Less than three months were left until exams. 'The most important thing is to finish this school year well,' Hermione thought. 'Then, over the summer, I'll figure out where to find a dragon and how to brew the potion. Who knows, maybe next year I'll be the 'brilliant student' McGonagall wants to see again.' Hermione decided to double the time she spent studying and practicing spells to get the best results. It was her only way to stay among the top students at Hogwarts. 'If I get my spells precise enough, I'll need less magical energy to perform them, and that way, I'll pass the exams and make it through to next year,' she reasoned.
With this in mind, Hermione began perfecting every spell. And her efforts paid off: many of them started working better and more consistently than before. But she didn't stop there—she dragged Harry and Ron into it too, and they quickly started groaning under the intense workload. Still, they kept studying with Hermione, more out of a sense of support than any real desire to get top marks on their exams.
So there they were, back in the library, buried in their textbooks. Hermione was rereading the twelve uses of dragon's blood. Honestly, she had already studied just about everything in the library about dragons, from their biology to the magical properties of their blood. And this review was more just to check it off the list. Ron figured she knew so much about dragons by now that she could easily head to Romania and join his brother Charlie, who worked with them.
"Hagrid! What are you doing here?" Ron suddenly blurted out.
Hermione turned around and saw the giant Hogwarts gamekeeper hiding behind the bookshelves. His behavior seemed odd to her: Hagrid was trying to move quietly, like he didn't want them to notice him. He was also holding his hands behind his back, as if he was hiding something. It was a big surprise for Hermione to see Hagrid in the library, since it was the last place in Hogwarts, she'd expect to find him.
"I jus'… er… came ter have a look," he mumbled, avoiding their eyes. "An' what about you lot? Still diggin' around fer Nicolas Flamel, are yeh?" It seemed like Hagrid was trying to distract them from whatever he was up to.
But when he realized they'd already figured out who Nicolas Flamel was and knew about his work on the Philosopher's Stone, Hagrid looked pretty upset. He felt guilty for accidentally spilling Dumbledore's secret, and now he kept hissing at them not to talk about Flamel or the Stone. Worried they might let something slip, he decided it would be safer to discuss things in his hut, away from curious ears. After inviting them over, he said goodbye and, still frowning, left the library.
Hermione found the whole thing really strange.
"What was he hiding behind his back?" she said, thinking out loud.
"Do you think it had anything to do with the Stone?" Harry asked.
"I'm going to see what section he was in," Ron said.
Hermione already knew which section it was since she'd been there quite a lot lately. But she realized Ron just wanted a break from studying, so she held back and didn't say anything.
"Dragons!" he whispered, holding up a couple of books.
Hermione knew the first one, "Dragon species of Great Britain and Ireland," by heart. But the second book, "From Egg to Inferno, A Dragon Keeper's Guide," really grabbed her attention. She wondered if Hagrid was planning to raise dragons. Hermione got lost in thought, tuning out Harry and Ron's chatter about the books. 'That would make things so much easier,' she thought. 'Just go to Hagrid, ask him to melt the amulet, and it's done!'
"So what on earth's Hagrid up to?" she wondered, watching through the window as the gamekeeper walked away.
Harry and Ron were pretty surprised at how fast Hermione started packing up to go see Hagrid. She didn't even insist on finishing all the study tasks they'd planned for the day. Not that they minded this unexpected break, which on any other day Hermione would've called a 'blatant violation of the study schedule.' Usually, she was the one who kept them from slacking off or getting distracted until all their schoolwork was done.
***
Hermione, Harry, and Ron were walking up to Hagrid's hut, chatting about the latest events. It was warm outside, and spring had fully arrived. The birds were singing, and the scent of blooming flowers filled the air, lifting their spirits. The friends walked slowly, soaking in the nice weather and the greenery everywhere.
When Hermione glanced at Hagrid's house, she was surprised. Thick smoke was pouring out of the chimney, all the windows were shut tight, and the curtains were drawn.
"Looks like Hagrid's freezing," Ron said, puzzled, almost as if he'd read her mind. Harry looked just as confused.
When they got to the door, they knocked. Fang's barking came from inside, followed by Hagrid's gruff voice:
"Who is it?"
"It's us, Hagrid!" Harry called out.
Hagrid cracked the door open and carefully scanned the area. He looked really suspicious. Once he was sure no one else was around, he let them in. Inside, it was unbearably hot. Hermione instantly felt the stuffy heat, making it hard to breathe. She sat down at the table with her friends, but she could barely get a word out before she was hit with an overwhelming urge to get back outside into the fresh air.
However Hagrid was acting so strangely that her curiosity only grew. She started looking around, trying to figure out what was going on. Suddenly, her eyes caught an oval object quietly sitting in the fireplace. Her heart skipped a beat—it was a dragon egg. Hermione was sure of it; after all the hours she'd spent in the library studying dragons, she could recognize one with her eyes closed. She was just about to ask Hagrid about it when he and Harry started talking about the Philosopher's Stone. Reluctantly, she decided to hold off on asking about the dragon egg for later.
At first, Hagrid flat-out refused to share anything about the Stone or how it was protected, worried he might spill another secret. But after some friendly chatting, a bit of flattery, and Hagrid's natural tendency to be a bit talkative, he finally gave in.
"We only wondered who had done the guarding, really. We wondered who Professor Dumbledore had trusted enough to help him, apart from you," Hermione said, putting special emphasis on Dumbledore's trust in Hagrid, and it worked.
"Well, I don' s'pose it could hurt ter tell yeh that…" Hagrid began, eager to show he was in the know. "Let's see… He borrowed Fluffy from me... then some o' the teachers did enchancements… Professor Sprout - Professor Flitwick - Professor McGonagall - Professor Quirrell - and Dumbledore himself did somethin', o' course. Oh yeah, Professor Snape."
"Snape?" Hermione blurted out, her voice echoing the surprise of her friends.
Hagrid waved them off, realizing they were still suspicious of Snape trying to steal the Philosopher's Stone.
"Snape helped protect the Stone, he's not about ter steal it."
"You're the only one who knows how to get past Fluffy, aren't you, Hagrid?" Harry asked, his worry obvious. Hermione understood exactly why. If Snape was involved in setting up the protections, he could easily figure out how to get past them. After all, Snape knew his colleagues' methods better than anyone. Now, their main hope was on the three-headed dog.
"Not a soul knows except me an' Dumbledore," Hagrid replied proudly.
"Well, that's something," Harry mumbled.
Suddenly, he noticed Hermione staring intently at the fireplace and, curious about what she was looking at, he turned in the same direction and, unable to contain his surprise, exclaimed, "Hagrid! What's that?!"
Hagrid looked visibly nervous.
"Ah… that's – er…," he said, tugging at his beard.
"Where did you get it, Hagrid?" Ron asked. "It must've cost you a fortune!"
After hesitating a bit, Hagrid admitted, "Won it. Las' night!"
He then told them about meeting a mysterious stranger in a bar the night before, where he had won the egg. He excitedly shared his plans to hatch the dragon and raise it. As he talked, Hagrid's face lit up, like he was talking about a cute pet, not a dangerous dragon.
Meanwhile, Hermione was caught in a storm of emotions. On one hand, she was excited—Hagrid would soon have his own pet dragon, which might solve the hardest part of her potion problem. But on the other hand, she knew Hagrid was breaking a lot of school rules, and if anyone found out about the dragon, he could get into serious trouble. He might even get expelled! Plus, dragons are dangerous and can breathe fire.
"Hagrid, you live in a wooden house," she pointed out, voicing just one of her concerns.
Leaving Hagrid in high spirits, the friends headed back to the castle. As they walked, Hermione could only think of one thing: 'How can I help Hagrid safely raise the dragon and keep it a secret?'
***
A few days later, during breakfast, Harry got a note from Hagrid with just two words: "It's hatching." After Herbology, the friends headed to Hagrid's hut, worried they might miss the dragon's birth—something they'd never seen before. When they got there, they gathered around the table where the egg, now full of cracks, was lying. Soft tapping sounds were coming from inside—it seemed the dragon was ready to break out.
Hermione, excited, leaned in close, holding her breath and listening. Suddenly, the noise stopped. She shot a questioning look at Hagrid, but he was staring at the cracks like he was under a spell, as if counting each one. Harry and Ron were just as captivated, watching the egg and waiting for the tiny dragon to appear. Suddenly, there was a louder tap, then a crack, and the egg split in half. Out tumbled a small black dragon, skinny with big wings and a long snout.
"Wow!" Hermione gasped. She'd never seen such an amazing dragon and felt like jumping for joy, especially when it sneezed, and a few sparks flew out of its nostrils.
"Isn't he a beautiful?!" Hagrid exclaimed, looking at the little black bundle with pure adoration. The dragon let out a weak "kra," which made Hagrid's face light up even more.
For probably the first time, Hermione was just as captivated by a dangerous creature as Hagrid was. Of course, it helped that the dragon was still small, and what she loved most were the little puffs of smoke that came out of its nostrils when it exhaled. 'I wonder if it'll grow big enough by the end of the school year,' she thought, and then asked out loud:
"Hagrid, how fast do Norwegian Ridgebacks grow, exactly?"
Hagrid, still watching the dragon's first wobbly steps on the table with a loving look, wanted to answer but suddenly dashed to the window.
"What's the matter?" Harry asked.
"Someone was lookin' through the gap in the curtains!" Hagrid said, clearly upset. "It's a kid… he's running back up ter the school."
Draco Malfoy was running away from Hagrid's hut, and that was bad news for both Hagrid and Hermione's plans. She felt a surge of worry. 'Draco Malfoy? This could mess everything up. If he blabs at school, Hagrid's in trouble. And my hopes will be ruined too.' Her eyes fell on the little dragon, nervously shifting from foot to foot. 'We need to act fast,' she decided, standing up from the table.
Meanwhile, a distressed Hagrid sat back down, fretting over his mistake.
"So tiny! Ain't he a little darling?" he murmured, lost in his worried thoughts, almost forgetting his friends were there.
"Don't worry, Hagrid, we'll figure something out," Hermione said.
The gamekeeper just nodded absentmindedly, focused on the little dragon and no longer paying attention to his friends. From the look on his face, you'd think he was already saying goodbye to his newly hatched friend. Hermione signaled to Harry and Ron that it was time to go, and after saying goodbye to Hagrid, they headed outside.
"What are we going to do now?" Harry said worriedly as they walked back to the castle. "Malfoy definitely saw the dragon and he's going to run straight to Snape. And you know Snape won't go easy on Hagrid! That's for sure!"
"Yeah," Ron agreed, "Hagrid needs to get rid of the dragon fast, so no one can prove he ever had it!"
"No!" Hermione said suddenly. Her friends looked at her, surprised. "We need to help him raise the dragon. At least for a few weeks."
"WHAT???" Harry and Ron both stopped and stared at her in shock.
"Don't you get it?" Hermione stopped too, looking at both of them. "Hagrid's dragon is the answer to our biggest problem with the potion!"
Understanding dawned on their faces.
"Wow! That's right!" Ron lit up. He was a lot less scared of the tiny dragon than the idea of hunting down a Welsh Green this summer. But after thinking for a moment, he frowned and said, "But it's still small. We haven't seen it breathe fire yet, let alone enough to melt an amulet."
"Exactly," Hermione agreed, "so we need to give it some time to grow. And we need to figure out how to do that."
"I don't like this," Harry said, glancing worriedly at the edge of the forest where Hagrid's hut stood. "Hagrid could get into serious trouble because of that dragon."
"But he doesn't want to get rid of it," Hermione countered. "Did you see how he looks at it? I think he'd be ready to drop everything and run off with it if he had to."
"Yeah… you're probably right," Harry sighed, feeling uneasy. "And maybe this really is our best option for your potion. We need to find out what Malfoy knows, and if we can, stop him before he gets to Snape. Let's go!"
When a breathless Harry, Hermione, and Ron reached the corridor where Snape's office was, they saw Draco Malfoy just about to knock on the door. Their noisy arrival didn't go unnoticed; Draco turned around and saw them. A nasty grin spread across his face, clearly savoring the trouble he was about to cause.
"Draco, don't!" Harry shouted.
Malfoy's smirk widened as he opened the door and walked into the office. Still trying to catch his breath after running, Harry let out a frustrated sigh:
"We're too late!" He looked helplessly at his friends, searching for some sort of solution. "What do we do now?"
"Let me think," Hermione said, holding her head in her hands. Harry and Ron looked at her hopefully, but just then, Malfoy and Snape stepped out of the office. They walked right past the trio, whose faces clearly showed their worry. 'Oh no. Is this the end?' was all Hermione could think.
Seeing the breathless friends standing in the hallway, Snape's gaze turned suspicious. He stopped right in front of them.
"What brings you here, Mr. Potter? What's the rush?"
Draco was grinning behind him, clearly enjoying himself.
"Er… we were just out for a walk…" Harry muttered, looking away, not knowing what else to say. Snape raised an eyebrow, looking like he was about to make one of his usual cutting remarks, but Ron suddenly blurted out:
"Don't believe what Malfoy says, he's lying!"
Hermione tried to pull him back, but it was too late. Snape, now clearly surprised, turned his attention to Ron.
"Lying???" Snape said, tilting his head slightly as if he hadn't heard correctly. "Do you think students aren't allowed to invite their Head of House to a meeting, Mr. Weasley? Or is there something else you'd like to share with me?"
Ron turned red, stumbling over his words, his eyes darting around as if he had no idea how to get out of this mess. Behind Snape, Draco looked like he was about to burst out laughing, clearly enjoying the situation.
As Hermione processed Snape's words, she quickly realized that Malfoy hadn't told him anything yet. Seeing how nervous they were, he seemed to be toying with them, enjoying their fear before spilling the secret. He might even be trying to get them in trouble along with Hagrid, maybe even get them expelled. All these thoughts flashed through Hermione's mind, and before she knew it, she found herself speaking up instead of Ron.
"Ron meant that we never said that Professor Morrisby knows more about Potions than you! We were only discussing that he has some interesting ideas. Like that Night Vision potion. You've never mentioned that one…"
"That doesn't mean I can't brew that potion, Miss Granger," Snape cut her off in an icy tone. "If you really think Professor Morrisby is more knowledgeable in Potions, I would be more than happy to arrange your transfer to his school."
"No, no, Professor, we don't think that at all…" Hermione stammered.
"Pity… I would have enjoyed seeing you transferred."
Snape gave the trio one last disdainful look before turning sharply and walking away. Draco, who had been briefly surprised by Hermione's words, quickly put on a sneering expression, as if to show that he still had them cornered and followed Snape.
"Phew…" Ron breathed out, watching Snape and Malfoy walk away. "Good one, Hermione! I never would've thought of that. Maybe Malfoy didn't tell Snape anything. Maybe he didn't see anything at all?"
"I'm not so sure," Hermione said thoughtfully. "I think he's toying with us. And he might have something bigger in mind than just telling on Hagrid. I think we're his target, not Hagrid…"
***
A week had passed, and the little dragon Hagrid had named Norbert had grown to three times his original size. He was now as big as Fang, and his large wings kept knocking into things in Hagrid's small hut. But unlike the calm dog, Norbert had a fierce temper. He would lunge at anything that moved, trying to snap at it with his sharp teeth. This happened especially often if he wasn't fed on time, and his appetite was huge—even Hagrid would've been jealous.
Norbert ate anything Hagrid could find, but his main diet was the plentiful rats around the area. Hagrid, known for his rat-catching skills, found a serious competitor in the dragon. No matter how many rodents he trapped, the rapidly growing dragon always wanted more. Soon, Hagrid had to expand his hunting grounds because there were hardly any rats left near the hut. Hermione, Harry, and Ron often had to help their big friend collect the catch from the traps, since leaving Norbert alone for too long was impossible.
"Ugh!" Hermione exclaimed in disgust, picking up another particularly nasty-looking rat from a trap and stuffing it into a sack. "I'm so over this! We need to talk to Hagrid about the amulet soon. Norbert's spitting fire constantly now. I don't know how Hagrid and his hut haven't burned down yet."
Ron, standing beside her, nodded in agreement, while Harry, glancing at the distant silhouette of the hut, added grimly, "We really need to do something before it's too late. And not just because of the fire."
In reality, Hermione was exaggerating a bit. Hagrid had taken precautions to protect his hut from the little dragon's fiery outbursts. The floor was generously covered in sand, making the place look like a strange desert, and the walls were lined with sandbags. But because of Norbert's frequent fire attacks, the bags had to be replaced regularly—the flames would burn holes in them, turning them into sieves that spilled sand onto the floor. Hagrid would just happily shake his head at his young friends' concerns, saying, "He's jus' havin' a bit o' fun. Can't expect him to keep all that fire bottled up inside."
After collecting another batch of rats, Harry, Ron, and Hermione went to see Hagrid. They sat around the table, watching as he carefully fed his dragon. The days of tea and cakes were long gone; now all of Hagrid's attention was on his fire-breathing pet.
"Listen, Hagrid," Hermione began, trying to get his attention. "We have something serious to talk about."
"Yeah, yeah, sure…" he mumbled, still focused on Norbert.
"It's a really big secret, like your Norbert or the Philosopher's Stone…" she continued, but Hagrid just nodded, not taking his eyes off the dragon.
"Mm-hmm… mm-hmm…" he murmured.
"Can you swear you won't tell anyone?"
"Mhm… mhm… Ow!" He yelped when the dragon nearly bit his finger. "Ooh, you're a feisty one. Good lad!" he continued, happily fussing over Norbert.
"Hagrid, are you even listening to me?" Hermione was starting to lose her patience.
Hagrid kept babying the dragon, not even turning his head.
"Dumbledore's coming right now to take the dragon!" she said loudly.
"Mhm… mhm…" he mumbled again. Then, as the words sank in, he suddenly yelled, "What?! How's he comin'? Why? How does he know?"
"He doesn't! Not yet, anyway. But Malfoy could tell him any minute. That's not the point. Can you please sit down with us and listen—this is really important!" Hermione said, her voice almost desperate. "Please!"
"Well, if it's important…" Hagrid said, looking a bit confused as he glanced at his friends and sat down at the table, though he kept trying to turn back to Norbert.
Hermione took his hand, trying to hold his attention, and began explaining her problem, after making him promise to keep it a secret. At first, Hagrid listened a bit distractedly, still glancing at Norbert now and then. But as she started talking about the danger she was in, especially the attacks on her, his expression grew more focused. As Hermione went on, Hagrid's face became more and more worried, the lines on his forehead deepening. By the time she finished, his expression was so grim it even made Hermione a little uneasy.
"Oof…" he grunted, scratching his beard. "Yeh've really gotten yerself in a right mess," he said, pausing for a moment before continuing. "So that's why yeh needed unicorn milk. Should've just told me straight away… but never mind, no use worryin' 'bout that now," he added, waving it off when he saw the apologetic look on Hermione's face.
He looked at Norbert, then back at the three friends waiting for his answer, and with a sigh, said, "Alright… what the heck. I'll help yeh. Bring whatever yeh need, and we'll brew yer potion. But yeh'll have to do the stirrin' and addin' yerself. Potions ain't my thing—I'd just muck it up!"
"Of course! Of course!" Hermione nodded happily and, jumping up, gave him a hug. "Thank you, Hagrid!"
The gamekeeper, blushing a bit, mumbled, "Ah, it's nothin'... no big deal."