The Spiteful Sorting Hat

The flying Key

Millie did not seem overly pleased to greet Harry and Blaise at the beginning of second term, but she brightened considerably when they each presented her with a large box of chocolate frogs, plus a stylish new scarf that Mrs. Zabini suggested they purchase. Harry was glad she didn't stay angry with them, because he was excited to tell her everything they'd learned over break.

"Did you have any luck asking your folks about Flamel?" Blaise asked cheerfully after telling Millie all about their new brooms.

Millie scowled, saying, "My parents are useless. They think he might have studied alchemy, but they could have been confusing him with Agrippa."

"Our luck was a bit better than yours," Harry said with false modesty.

"Did you find out who he is?"

"Actually, we met him."

"You what?"

Millie's parents had been right about one thing. Flamel was an alchemist. Harry and Blaise informed Millie of everything they'd discovered about the Philosopher's Stone. Millie was unusually silent, even by her standards, as Harry and Blaise explained the properties of the stone, including turning metal to gold, and allowing someone to live forever.

"Flamel said he and his wife are like 500 years old or something. Older than even Dumbledore!" Blaise concluded happily. "Can you imagine? Being able to stay young forever? It's no wonder Snape's trying to steal the thing."

"Are you stupid?" Millie asked incredulously, "Who cares about that when you can be rich beyond your wildest dreams? Snape probably wants the stone so he can quit teaching forever."

Blaise shrugged, "Well, whoever has the stone can be both immortal and fabulously wealthy. He doesn't need to pick."

"Do you think Snape has had a chance to steal it over break?" Harry asked anxiously. He kept coming back to this worry, despite Blaise's constant assurances that whatever was guarding the stone besides Fluffy would keep it well protected in their absence.

"Why don't you just take the cloak up to the third floor and check to see if the dog's still there?" he suggested.

"What cloak?" asked Millie. In their excitement to share what they'd learned about the stone, they'd completely forgotten about the mysterious invisibility cloak. Quickly, they explained how Harry had received the gift from an anonymous source.

"Well, that will come in handy, won't it?" said Millie, "You'll be better at avoiding Malfoy now."

Harry thought of another way to allay his fears about the stone. As soon as they had a chance, they walked down to Hagrid's hut near the edge of the forbidden forest.

They knocked on Hagrid's door and heard the booming barks of his boarhound, Fang, immediately greet them from the other side. Hagrid, however, did not come to the door right away. They tried knocking again and again, but still there was no answer.

"Maybe he's out?" said Millie just as the door finally opened a very small crack.

"Oh, it's you lot," said Hagrid, and he opened the door wider. Although his large body effectively filled the entire door frame, they could still feel a wave of stifling heat waft out of his cabin.

"Er... Feeling a bit chilled, Hagrid?" Harry asked, noticing the trickling sweat forming rivulets down Hagrid's face. Some of it was dripping from his beard.

Hagrid looked a bit distracted. "Wha? Oh, yeah. It's all this snow innit? Just trying to keep things comfortable 'round 'ere. Yeh wouldn' believe the drafts yeh get in this ol' place."