The Spiteful Sorting Hat

Norbert

In the weeks that followed, Quirrell proved himself braver than Harry and company had given him credit for. Snape continued to stalk the halls looking sour, his mood getting worse and worse as the days progressed. Harry was starting to sympathize with him. Their teachers had begun assigning them massive amounts of homework, and it was doing nothing to improve Harry's mood. Paired with the fact that they were still researching ways of getting past whatever enchantments the other professors might have used, they seemed to be living most of their lives within the library.

One particularly fine day found Harry and the others in this exact location. Harry and Millie were busy reading over Herbology texts to see if they could find any particularly poisonous or deadly plant Professor Sprout might have used to deter any thieves. Meanwhile, Blaise was bent over three separate pieces of parchment, busily writing charms essays for all of them so his friends could focus on their research. Harry had promised to complete the transfiguration project in exchange. Naturally, Millie had already finished their brief Defense Against the Dark Arts assignment for Professor Quirrell.

Harry was so intent on reading about the venomous tentacula plant that he nearly missed Hagrid, which would have been truly astounding, given Hagrid's enormous size.

"Hagrid!" Harry said in a stage whisper, lest his shout draw the wrath of Madame Pince, the librarian, "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, nothin'," Hagrid said, hastily hiding something behind his back and attracting the interest of Blaise and Millie at once, "Jus' having a look around. What's got you three inside on a nice day like this? Not sill reading up on Nicolas Flamel, I hope?"

"Oh, we're way past that, now," Harry said with complete honesty. He didn't think it prudent to tell Hagrid that they had moved forward with plans to steal the stone for themselves. Given Hagrid's response to the last mention they'd made about the stone, he didn't think it wise.

"Good! Tha's good..." Hagrid said, his sentence trailing off at the end. Harry glanced at his friends.

"Something on your mind, Hagrid?" Harry asked, wondering if Snape or Quirrell had been questioning Hagrid about Fluffy.

"Er, well... Now that you mention it..." Hagrid trailed off again and began glancing around the library guiltily. "Listen, I can't really talk about it here. Do yeh want ter come and see me later today? I got summat tha' I think you'll want ter see."

Hagrid was still looking secretive and fearful, but there was an element of excitement to his voice as well. Harry didn't know what it could be, but he hoped that Hagrid was finally prepared to tell them something about the stone. He agreed to meet with Hagrid in his hut in an hour's time, which he and his friends spent discussing what possible revelations Hagrid had in store for them. Homework was entirely forgotten.

Almost exactly an hour later, Harry knocked at the door of Hagrid's cabin. He could tell that the span of a few weeks hadn't diminished Hagrid's need to keep out the draft. He could feel the heat radiating through the door when his knuckles struck the dry wood. It was a miracle Hagrid's flammable home hadn't spontaneously combusted. At least poor Fang had been moved outside. Millie gave the boarhound an affectionate pat on the head when he came slouching up to them.

Hagrid opened the door and beckoned them in, saying, "Quickly, quickly now! Don't want to let the chill in!"

"Hagrid, it's stifling in here!" Blaise complained as soon as he crossed the threshold. Despite Hagrid's demand that they be speedy, Millie hovered in the doorway, looking very much as if she preferred to say outside with Fang. Finally, her curiosity won out and she sidled in, allowing Hagrid to shut the door firmly behind her.

"Well... Yeah, I know..." Hagrid agreed as sweat poured down his ruddy face, "But it has to be..."

"But why?" Harry asked.