Chapter 18: Norbert the Norwegian Ridgeback

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Hagrid's Hut - Later - Night

Harry, trailed by Ron and Hermione, knocks on Hagrid's door. The door rattles, opens a crack and Hagrid peers out.

"Oh. Hullo. Er... not ter be rude, but I'm not really fit ter entertain right about..." He says.

"We know about the Philosopher's Stone." Harry tells him. Hagrid lets them in.

Hagrid's Hut - Night

Everything here is oversized. Hagrid adds wood to an already roaring fire, putters about a large, simmering kettle.

"Snape! Blimey, yer not still on abou' him, are yeh?"

"See, even Hagrid knows it's not me." Severus said.

"Hagrid, we know he's after the Stone. We just don't know... why." Harry states.

"Excuse me!" A voice yells from the shadows. A slim figure emerges into the light. It's Zoe.

"How did you hide in the shadows?" Sirius asked, but was ignored.

"Bloody 'ell, she's everywhere." Ron whispers into himself.

"What are you doing here?" Harry asks her.

"Hagrid needed my help." Zoe shrugs.

"Harry, Snape was one o' the teachers in on protectin' the Stone. He's not abou' ter steal it." Hagrid overshares.

"What?" Harry asks, shocked at the new information.

"Exactly. You think, that just because someone doesn't like you, that means, to you, that they're evil." Zoe crosses her arms, a Snape-like sneer appears on her face.

"You really are my god-daughter." Snape smiled at her.

"Yeh heard me: Snape was one o' the teachers in on protectin' the Stone. Now, as I said, I'm a bit preoccupied at the moment..." Hagrid tries to leave.

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

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

"To be honest, I think it's the least suspicious person, I think it's Quirrell." Zoe thinks aloud.

Ron scoffs. "It's not Quirrell. He can barely talk."

"Which makes him the perfect suspect, no one would actually suspect him." Zoe points out. But they ignore her.

"Tha's right. Bloody waste o' time if yeh ask me. T'ain't no one goin' ter get past Fluffy. Not a soul knows how 'cept me an' Dumbledore..."

CRACK! A clicking sound is heard coming from the kettle, then a curious scraping. Harry looks. Sees a huge black egg.

"Hagrid... exactly what is that?" He asks.

"It's the reason why I'm here." Zoe says vaguely. She kneels in front of it.

"Ah. Well. That's... er..." Hagrid stutters.

"I know what that is! But Hagrid. How did you ever get one?" Ron asks.

"Won it. off a stranger in the village. Think he was glad ter be rid of it, ter be honest. Blimey..." Hagrid tells them.

The scraping is furious now. Quicky, Hagrid takes the egg from the kettle, sets it on a table. Fissures spread like veins over its surface, then it... explodes... shell flying like shrapnel. Harry, Ron and Hermione cover themselves.

"Is that... a dragon?" Hermione asks.

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

"Isn't he beautiful! Bless 'im, look, he knows 'is Mummy!" Hagrid coos, tickling the dragon's tummy. "Hullo Norbert."

"Norbert?" Harry asks.

"He is a she Hagrid. Norbert is Norberta." Zoe smiles.

"Well, she's got ter have a name. Norberta" Hagrid says. The dragon blinks at Hagrid, screws up its face and... sneezes, spewing forth a shower of sparks, which sends Fang whimpering and kindles a brief blaze in Hagrid's beard. "Zoe!" Hagrid says.

Zoe's eyes turn into bright purple dragon eyes. She speaks in a language that no one understands, subtitles appear at the bottom of the screen. "Enough, young one. We don't want you burning down this lovely man's house now, do we?"

Norberta responds, subtitles appear at the bottom of the screen. "No, Your Majesty. I'm sorry."

No one spoke, until Regulus broke the silence. "That... was... amazing!" He yelled.

"Needs ter be trained up a bit, o' course." Hagrid stops cold. "Hey, you there!" He yells. All turn. Peering through the window is a face.

"Malfoy!" Harry yells. They leap to the door - see a fleet figure racing across the grounds, disappearing in the night.

"A snitch just like his father." James thought to himself. He knew he couldn't say of this out loud because it meant that his daughter would hate him.

Hogwarts Grounds - Moments Later - Night

Harry, Ron and Hermione walk toward the glittering castle. Zoe walks ahead, not wanting to walk with them.

"Hagrid always wanted a dragon. Told me so the first time I ever met him." Harry says.

"But it's crazy. And worse, Malfoy knows." Ron says.

"I don't understand. Is that bad?" Harry asks.

"How is it that Ollivander knows how to speak to dragons? How do you learn that?" Hermione asks.

"You don't learn it. No wizard or witch knows how to speak it. I don't know how she knows." Ron shrugs.

"Mr Potter. Mr Weasley. Miss Granger." Up ahead stands Professor McGonagall, a jagged silhouette in castle-light. Beside her, Draco Malfoy grins arrogantly.

"It's bad." Ron says.

"Uh oh. Minnie's got them." Sirius joked.

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