Leaving Hagrid's hut, the friends didn't head straight back to the castle. Even though twilight was closing in, Hermione led them into the park next to Hogwarts. Everything seemed to be going well, but now the weight of the next decision, one that couldn't be put off any longer, was pressing on her. They needed a second true wizard, willing to give a few drops of their blood to save Hermione.
The park was already settling into the evening quiet. Most of the benches were emptying as the shadows grew longer in the fading sunlight. In some of the park's hidden corners, dusk had already taken over. The trio made their way to one of these spots, away from the few remaining visitors.
"Brrr…" Ron shivered, pulling his cloak tighter against the evening chill. "Let's hurry up with this, or we'll freeze out here."
Ron's comment snapped Hermione out of her thoughts. She was sitting next to him on the bench. Harry nodded in agreement, and they started discussing possible candidates.
Hermione started listing names, but most of the time, she ended up dismissing them herself. Often, she didn't even know if the student was a true wizard. Many were just people she knew from casual chats in the Hogwarts corridors, not enough to know anything about their families. And there weren't many she could trust with something this serious. She definitely wasn't about to tell everyone about her issues with the Sky Vortex.
In other cases, like with Draco Malfoy, it was pretty unlikely the student would agree to help Hermione. Ron raised a skeptical eyebrow at the mention of Malfoy's name, then smirked and suggested:
"Hey, why not? He's definitely a true wizard. We just don't need to ask his permission! I'll beat him up again, like I did at the last Quidditch match—only this time, I'll make sure to draw blood. Then you guys can collect it, and we're all set!" he finished with a grin, glancing at Harry.
"Great idea! I bet it'll hurt him a lot…" Harry played along.
"Oh, for sure!" Ron grinned, getting more into it. "But it's for a good cause!"
"Boys!" Hermione snapped, glaring at them. "This is not the time for jokes!"
"Who's joking?" Ron chuckled, still amused. "We're proposing a plan! Come on, agree!"
"Don't be ridiculous, Ron!" Hermione was really angry now. She took a deep breath and added more calmly, "First of all, you'd definitely get punished for that. And second, Malfoy's not stupid; he'd figure out why we're collecting his blood. And when was the last time you saw him without Crabbe and Goyle? I'm afraid I'd end up having to collect your blood instead of his."
Ron was about to protest, thinking, 'Why does she think I'm scared of Draco's goons?' But Harry stopped him:
"Hermione's right, the plan's not great. Though, I have to say, I kind of like it," he added with a grin.
Ron just smirked in response.
"Maybe Miranda?" Harry suggested after a brief silence. "You two are kind of friends, right?"
"Yeah, I've thought about her. She's probably a true witch, though I'm not sure—we've never really talked about it," Hermione said, a small wrinkle appearing on her forehead as she weighed the option. Then she added, "Maybe… I don't know… let's think about who else might work. What about Honeydew? He's a safe bet. He once mentioned at a club meeting that his family's had only wizards for generations, and he even brought his family tree to show it."
"Not much to brag about," Ron grumbled, but this time, he didn't argue, just made a face.
"Actually, he said he's the biggest screw-up in the family," Hermione replied, defending her choice. "All the other wizards in his family are fine, but for him, everything goes wrong. It takes him ten tries to get a spell right… I doubt he was bragging."
Ron stayed quiet, turning away from Hermione with a disgruntled look.
"Maybe we could ask Fred or George?" Harry suggested. "If Ron's a match, they should be too. I don't think they'd rat you out, even if they figured out why."
Hermione frowned, biting her lip in concern.
"But what if two wizards from the same family don't work? They've got the same parents..." she hesitated. "And I'm pretty sure they don't like me much, so I don't think it's a good idea to tell them about the amulet."
"You really think they'd turn us in?" Ron protested. "They're my brothers!"
"They're too careless—they could spill the beans without meaning to."
"But you trust Honeydew, right?!" Ron snapped, no longer hiding his irritation with the Hufflepuff.
"Yes, I do!" Hermione said, looking him straight in the eye. Ron turned away sharply, anger flashing across his face. After a moment, Hermione added, "Though I'd prefer to find someone who won't ask too many questions."
Harry looked at her, surprised.
"I think you're going to have to explain why you need the blood, no matter who it is. You can't just walk up to someone and say, 'Hey, mind giving me a few drops of your blood?'"
"Blood?" came a surprised voice from behind them. "What are you talking about?"
The friends quickly turned around to find Miranda standing there. They'd been so caught up in their conversation that they hadn't noticed her approach.
"What are you doing here?" Ron snapped. "Were you eavesdropping?"
"Not at all," Miranda replied calmly, as usual. "I was looking for you, Hermione. We were supposed to meet in the library half an hour ago, remember?" she said, turning to her friend.
"Oh, Miranda, I'm sorry. I completely forgot," Hermione said, realizing her mistake. "It's just... there's this thing..."
"No worries," her friend reassured her right away. "Neville told me he saw you guys heading this way, so I came to find you. Just in case." After a brief pause, she added, "So, what's all this talk about blood?"
"None of your business," Ron grumbled, still unfriendly.
"We were just discussing... uh... a school project," Harry started to improvise.
"Blood for a school project?" Miranda's eyebrows shot up in surprise, and her tone was clearly sarcastic. "Sorry, but that sounds a bit... unlikely. Care to tell me which class it's for?" She was openly mocking him now, looking Harry straight in the eyes. He glanced away.
"Hold on, Ron, Harry," Hermione interrupted, stopping them.
She took a deep breath, trying to gather her thoughts. She looked at Harry and Ron, as if seeking their support, then turned her gaze to Miranda, who waited patiently, watching her with curiosity.
"Listen, Miranda," Hermione began, carefully picking her words. "What I'm about to tell you has to stay between us. It's really important and dangerous. Dangerous for me," she added.
Miranda's eyebrows shot up again, and the smile slowly faded from her face.
"You asked me what's going on with me and if you could help, remember?" Hermione asked.
Miranda frowned and slowly nodded, her expression turning serious.
"Well, the short answer is yes, you can help…" Hermione continued and started explaining her problem, a bit flustered.
She couldn't just skim over the details. Miranda listened closely and quickly noticed where Hermione was trying to leave things out, asking pointed questions. In the end, Hermione had to tell her everything—from the attack by the pale-faced stranger at the Christmas fair to the ingredients of the potion.
When she finished, Hermione said, "To make the potion, I need the blood of two true wizards. I've got one," she nodded toward Ron, "and I was hoping to ask you for some of your blood…"
Hermione fell silent, and an uneasy quiet followed, broken only by distant shouts from students in the castle, already gathering for dinner. Hermione's heart pounded anxiously; her fate might be hanging in the balance. What if Miranda didn't want to help and went straight to Dumbledore? Who knows how he would react...
Miranda paused for a moment, thinking over what she'd just heard. She looked carefully at each of them, then back at Hermione.
"I remember I promised to help you," she said slowly, weighing each word. "And I take my promises seriously. If you need my blood, I'm willing to give it to you." She paused, collecting her thoughts. "Though honestly, I think it would be a lot easier if you just told Dumbledore everything."
"I'm scared…" Hermione admitted. "And thank you! I'll never forget what you're doing for me."
She stood up and hugged her friend with relief. Then, all together, chatting as they walked, they headed back to the castle for dinner.
***
Since early morning, Hermione couldn't wait to meet with Hagrid. The night before, she'd prepared the missing ingredient—the blood of two true wizards. Before bed, she'd carefully reread the potion recipe to make sure she hadn't missed anything. Now, everything depended on Hagrid and whether he could handle his dragon. That was the part that worried her the most.
All through her classes, Hermione wasn't herself. Worry gnawed at her. She kept picturing them going to Hagrid, Norbert melting the amulet, and her brewing the potion. She couldn't stop thinking about the recipe, and her fingers twitched as if they were already mixing ingredients in the cauldron. Her impatience was so obvious that a lot of students noticed, giving her curious looks, some even laughing and whispering to their friends. Seeing how anxious she was, Harry and Ron tried to calm her down.
"Hermione, are you okay? Did you even sleep last night?" Ron asked, concerned.
"Yes, yes... uh... no... uh... a little…" she stammered, flustered. "I'm just so nervous. What if something goes wrong? Or Hagrid can't manage?"
"Everything's going to be fine, don't worry! Hagrid knows how to handle his 'pet,'" Harry reassured her, avoiding the word 'dragon,' since there were too many students around. It was bad enough that Draco already knew about it and kept hinting that he might spill the secret to a teacher.
Malfoy's latest stunt, right before Transfiguration class, made Hermione even more anxious, as if she hadn't already worried herself sick. He walked up to McGonagall and, loud enough for Hermione and her friends to hear, said:
"Professor, I have something to report about our gamekeeper, Hagrid."
"Go on," McGonagall replied, looking at him.
"I'd prefer to tell you in private," he said, glancing at Harry, clearly savoring the moment.
"Transfiguration class is about to start in a minute. So either speak now, or see me after class," the professor responded, watching him closely.
At that moment, Hermione felt her heart stop in despair. She held her breath, waiting for Malfoy's reply, fully aware that if he revealed their secret, it would instantly destroy all her plans. Malfoy's gaze shifted from her friends' faces to hers, studying her closely. Her unusual behavior seemed to have caught his attention. You could see the indecision in Draco's eyes—should he spill the secret right here and now, or keep playing his sadistic game?
"Mr. Malfoy?" McGonagall's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
After hesitating for another second, he said, "I'll come by later, Professor," and walked past Hermione, staring straight into her eyes.
The sneer on his face didn't promise anything good. It seemed his desire to torment Harry and his friends even further had won out, but everything could still fall apart at any moment.
"Little git," Ron hissed, narrowing his eyes as he watched Malfoy leave the classroom.
That stunt really shook Hermione. She tried to keep it together, but she felt like she was about to snap. Her thoughts kept spinning nonstop about what was coming up. The excitement she'd felt earlier in the day had turned into near panic by the time they got to Transfiguration, the last class of the day. She was so flustered and out of it during the lesson that Professor McGonagall had to reprimand her, something that would have been unthinkable under normal circumstances.
When the class ended, Ron and Harry practically had to grab Hermione by the arms and lead her outside into the fresh air, all under McGonagall's concerned gaze. It seemed like she was just a step away from fainting from the stress. Pale-faced, Hermione sat down on a bench in the park and said in a panicked voice:
"I can't do this anymore." She looked at her friends with wide, fear-filled eyes. "This is unbearable! I need to know that everything's going to go right. My whole future depends on it."
"Hermione, you're working yourself up too much!" Harry said. "You won't even be able to make the potion like this. Maybe you should go see Madam Pomfrey and get something to calm down?" he suggested.
"Right! Let's go!" she shouted, jumping up, only to collapse back onto the bench, exhausted. "I can't..." Hermione shrieked, her voice trembling as tears welled up in her eyes. It seemed like she was on the brink of full-blown panic.
"I'll go," Ron said, getting to his feet.
"You? You think Madam Pomfrey will believe you?" Harry asked, sounding doubtful.
"Of course!" Ron replied, and immediately put on a scared, whiny expression, mimicking, "Madam Pomfrey, please, I can't calm down before these exams. And Professor Snape is terrifying me! Give me something to soothe my nerves, or I'll never pass anything..."
Ron's act made Harry chuckle, and even Hermione managed a faint smile through her tears.
"I'll be quick!" Ron shouted, then took off running toward the hospital wing.
Meanwhile, with Harry's help, Hermione tried to steady her breathing. Fifteen minutes later, Ron came back, holding up a vial of potion with a triumphant grin.
"Not more than three drops at a time! Or you'll just knock out," he said with a grin.
Hermione took the vial and drank the potion. Her shoulders relaxed, and the panic that had clouded her eyes faded into calm and clarity. Within moments, she seemed more like herself again. Wiping the tears from her face, she smiled apologetically at her friends and said, "Oh... what came over me?"
"It's okay," Harry said. "I think now's the perfect time to head to Hagrid's." And the three of them set off toward the nearby hut.
***
Hagrid's hut, usually so welcoming, looked gloomy today with its doors closed and windows covered—just like it had been for the past few days. The wind howled through the tops of the tall trees like a trapped animal, and the gray sky hung ominously over the Forbidden Forest. Hermione shivered, her anxiety growing again.
She looked around to make sure no one was nearby, then knocked on the door. They waited, listening to strange noises coming from inside—dull thuds and creaks, like someone was trying to move something heavy. They could also hear Fang whining softly. Harry exchanged a worried look with Ron, concern clear in his eyes. 'What's going on in there?' Hermione wondered, feeling the knot of anxiety tighten in her stomach.
Finally, Hagrid cracked the door open but didn't let them in. His huge face looked troubled.
"Sorry, guys, but Norbert's actin' up a bit today," he said, peeking out through the crack. "Best if ya head on back."
The loud thuds continued inside the hut. Hermione felt her determination to finally deal with the amulet battling with a sensible urge to back off. But she knew she couldn't handle another tense day like this.
"But Hagrid, we really need to come in. We've got everything we need for the potion," Hermione insisted. "We can't wait any longer," she added, her voice breaking with a touch of panic.
Hagrid looked at her, hesitated, then glanced back uncertainly, as if looking for reassurance, and finally said, "Alright, I'll try… wait here," before disappearing behind the door.
A few minutes later, the noise died down, and Hagrid let them in.
"Jus' be real careful an' stay quiet. Norbert's a bit rowdy today," he said, his voice full of affection but clearly concerned.
As she stepped into the hut, Hermione froze, stunned by the scene in front of her. Norbert, now far from a small dragon, was staring at them with his bulging orange eyes, releasing small puffs of smoke with each breath. In the corner, Fang was cowering in fear, whimpering softly, as if trying to disappear or at least become invisible. The room was a mess: a couple of chairs lay broken and partially charred, and the air was thick with the smell of burning.
"Wow," Hermione said, taking in the wreckage, "what happened in just one day?"
"The lad's grown," Hagrid shrugged, his eyes softening as he looked at the dragon. "Alright, let's get to it quick —I'm afraid we ain't got much time."
Hermione carefully took the amulet off its chain and held it in her hand for a moment. It felt heavier than usual, as if its weight reflected the seriousness of the decision she was about to make. Realizing that once they started, there'd be no turning back, she briefly panicked: 'What if it doesn't work?' But quickly pulling herself together, Hermione took a deep breath and dropped the amulet into the cauldron she'd brought with her. "I hope a regular cauldron will do," she muttered, remembering the recipe. Handing the cauldron to Hagrid, Hermione and her friends moved to the far corner of the room, trying to keep their distance from Norbert, who continued to watch them intently.
Fang, who had huddled in the same corner, looked small and miserable. His eyes were full of fear, and it seemed like he was begging them to protect him from the monster. Harry walked over and started petting him, trying to calm the poor dog. "Easy, boy, it's going to be alright," he whispered softly, and Fang pressed his whole body against him, probably thinking he'd finally found a protector.
Putting on thick gloves, Hagrid approached Norbert and carefully set the cauldron with the amulet in front of his snout. Still restless, the dragon eyed the new object with curiosity, studying it. Suddenly, as if deciding it was a new toy, he swung his tail, trying to knock the cauldron over. Hagrid, with surprising quickness for his size, snatched the cauldron away just in time. Hermione's heart skipped a beat and then started pounding like crazy...
"Yeh little rascal!" Hagrid exclaimed with a grin. "Yeh've got a job t' do now. This ain't playtime," he added sternly. Norbert seemed to listen, tilting his head and twitching his tail.
"This dragon would be great at whacking Bludgers. He'd make a fantastic Beater in Quidditch," Ron whispered with a smirk. Harry nodded, amused by the idea. But an anxious Hermione shot them a slightly annoyed look—always with their jokes!
Not giving up, Hagrid tried to show Norbert how to breathe fire. Leaning over the cauldron, he started blowing into it energetically, his eyes fixed on Norbert. "Like this... like this..." he kept saying, trying to demonstrate how to puff out flames. Then he pushed the cauldron back toward his dragon.
Norbert cautiously approached the cauldron and sniffed its contents. The smell clearly didn't appeal to him. Sparks flew from his nostrils as he snorted in displeasure and backed away. After that, the dragon seemed determined to keep his distance from the strange object and ignored all of Hagrid's attempts to get him interested in the amulet.
The friends watched with growing despair as Hagrid tried to coax the dragon into releasing a stream of fire. Finally, Hagrid, looking a bit disappointed, gave up. It was clear he didn't know what to do next. Avoiding his young friends' eyes, he looked away and simply stood there, gently stroking Norbert.
"Maybe we need to get him a little angry?" Hermione suggested, desperate. It looked like her worst fear was coming true.
"If we do that, we'll all be leggin' it outta here," Hagrid said, still stroking the dragon's scaly head. "An' I ain't lettin' anyone upset my little darlin'," he added with a touch of affection.
"But think—there must be something that makes him breathe fire!" Hermione insisted.
"He doesn't…" Hagrid started, clearly not wanting to push the dragon any further. But when he saw Hermione's pleading eyes, he frowned and paused.
"Somethin'... makes him breathe fire …" he mumbled, stroking his beard. Then, all of a sudden, his eyes lit up, and he exclaimed, "Hang on—there is somethin'! He always breathes fire when there's a bright light! We jus' need to aim a beam o' light right into the cauldron!"
Hermione's eyes lit up with hope.
"I'll try," she said. "Put the cauldron next to him."
Hagrid nodded and did as she asked, then stepped back a bit.
Hermione stepped closer to the cauldron and stood on a stool to get a better look at the amulet inside. She aimed her wand at it and said:
"Lumos Maxima!"
A bright light flared up in the cauldron, lighting up the whole hut. An irritated Norbert let out a loud roar and blasted a powerful stream of fire straight into the cauldron. The suddenness of it nearly made Hermione fall off the stool. Afraid the cauldron might melt, she quickly ended the spell. When the flames died down, a bubbling, molten brownish mass was all that was left inside the cauldron.
"We did it!" she shouted, her voice full of joy.
Norbert responded to her shout with another angry roar, and if Hagrid hadn't quickly turned the dragon's head away, Hermione might have ended up as a melted puddle herself.
"Quiet! Hermione, step back— he's riled up at yeh!" Hagrid hissed, struggling to keep the dragon under control. "Harry, grab that cauldron 'fore he knocks it over, but careful now. Ron, gimme a few rats—I'll try to settle him down with a bite to eat."
The kids quickly got to work, each doing their part, while Hagrid held onto Norbert, stroking him as thick clouds of smoke puffed from the dragon's nostrils.
Harry carefully set the cauldron on the table and looked at Hermione.
"Hermione, I think you should keep going before it hardens again," he said.
Hermione slowly approached the table, keeping an eye on the dragon and trying not to make any sudden moves. Norbert, it seemed to her, was watching her angrily with one eye as he gulped down rats one after another. Hermione took out the vial of unicorn milk and carefully opened it. Her hands trembled slightly as she began counting the drops: "One, two, three…"
Norbert seemed to calm down a bit, probably on his tenth rat by now. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
"...eighteen, nineteen, twenty," Hermione finished. Then, taking a ladle, she carefully started to stir the potion.
Under her steady movements, the potion's color slowly began to change. What was once murky brown gradually turned into a rich golden hue, just as the recipe described.
"Good," Hermione said, exhaling deeply and relaxing a little. "Now we need to add…"
But before she could finish her sentence, Norbert suddenly lunged at the table, whipping his tail with all his strength. Hagrid grabbed him at the last moment, pulling him back, but it was too late. The cauldron flew into the air, flipping over and spilling its contents as it started to fall to the floor.
Hermione's eyes widened in horror as she watched the cauldron's descent, feeling like she was saying goodbye to her magical powers. A scream caught in her throat...
"Reversum!" a voice suddenly shouted from somewhere near the ceiling. And just like that, the cauldron, along with its contents, flew back to its spot on the table.
Out of the corner of her eye, Hermione caught a glimpse of a faint, fading glow above her, but when she looked up, there was nothing there. Something about the voice that cast the spell felt familiar.
"Did you see that?" she asked Harry and Ron, but they had only been watching the falling cauldron and didn't notice where the spell had come from.
"I thought it was you," Harry started to say, "but the voice was male," he added, frowning.
"Exactly! And it came from the ceiling! It's just like what happened on Christmas Day at the skating rink, when someone helped me in the fight with the pale-faced attacker…" Hermione began, but she was cut off by Hagrid's roar:
"Finish up quick! I dunno how much longer I can hold Norbert!"
Taking a deep breath and trying to push the unexpected incident out of her mind, Hermione focused on the cauldron. 'Whoever that was, the potion is what matters right now. I can think about my rescuer later,' she told herself. She carefully took out the blood of the true wizards, adding ten drops from each vial, and then began stirring the potion, doing her best to ignore the sounds of Hagrid wrestling with the thrashing Norbert. Finally, the potion turned a deep emerald green. Hermione grabbed an empty vial and carefully poured the entire contents of the cauldron into it, making sure not to spill a drop. Then, she closed the vial and tucked it safely under her cloak. The potion was ready!
"Done?!" Hagrid roared, clearly struggling to keep hold of the dragon. "Then get outta here, now, and take Fang with ya!"
The friends quickly grabbed their things and dashed outside, with Fang, tail tucked between his legs, right behind them. They slammed the door shut just as a tremendous crash and a deafening roar echoed from the hut, making them jump back in fright.
"I hope he doesn't hurt Hagrid," Ron said, staring in horror at the oak door shaking on its hinges.
"Me too," Harry added, worried about their friend.
"Get outta here! Get outta here!" came Hagrid's voice from behind the door, and the friends hurried toward the castle, glancing back every so often as if hoping they could somehow see through the walls to find out what was happening inside.
In their rush to get to the castle, they didn't notice Elliot and Honeydew walking near the edge of the forest. Elliot watched the friends closely as they made their way from Hagrid's hut to the castle. Once they disappeared behind the gates, he muttered to Kasper, who was also watching them leave:
"I bet that Gryffindor know-it-all is up to something again."
Casper shrugged indifferently and looked away.