Miss Quinn

12 ~ Norbert Goes to Romania

Hermione and Ron came back one evening from Hagrid's, exhausted and angry. Ron's hand was infected by Norbert's venom, and Hermione was raging on about Hagrid getting caught. Draco hadn't told anyone of the dragon that Emma knew of, but it was only a matter of time.

"He has to let Norbert go! Soon he'll be too big to be kept in Hagrid's hut!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Ron! Your brother Charlie, he works in Romania with dragons!" Emma said suddenly.

"Your point?" Ron asked, gently touching his puffing hand.

"We could ask Charlie to take Norbert to Romania with him!" Harry said, catching on.

"Oh, that's perfect!" Hermione exclaimed, "I'll write to him now."

Hermione began writing a letter to Charlie.

"Ron, you should go to the hospital wing." Emma said.

"Nah, I'm fine. Plus it's better not to draw attention to it. What if she asks questions?" Ron said.

"There! I'm done! Now we just have to convince Hagrid it's the right thing to do." Hermione said, jumping up from her seat.

Hagrid agreed reluctantly to let Norbert go to Romania. Hermione sent the letter to Charlie.

A few days later, Ron read Charlie's reply. "Charlie said he'd be at the Astronomy Tower at ten o'clock in three days. Now we just have to get there with Norbert without being seen."

"Your dad's cloak, Harry." Emma said. Harry nodded.

Venus joined them a few seconds after that, "Ron, what's wrong with your hand?" She asked.

"Ah, it's nothing. Just a scratch." Ron said, wincing.

"If that's a scratch, I'm a unicorn." Venus said.

"Well who knows, you could be." Ron shrugged.

"Ron, you really should go to the hospital wing." Emma said with concern.

"Yeah, we'll take you there now." Hermione said.

The five of them left the breakfast table and went up to the hospital wing. Thankfully, Madame Pomfrey didn't ask too many questions. Unfortunately, Ron would have to stay there for a few nights, including the night Charlie was coming.

Ron stuck Charlie's letter in one of his books for school and left it on his bedside table. At least it wouldn't get lost.

Draco and his cronies came to laugh at Ron whenever they got the chance. When Madame Pomfrey asked what they were doing, Draco simply lied that he was there to borrow a book from Ron. Ron was practically forced by Madame Pomfrey to give Draco the book he wanted to borrow.

On the day that Charlie was coming, Hermione, Harry, Venus and Emma went up to see Ron and go over the plan.

"Harry, Hermione, and I will take Norbert to the Astronomy Tower under the cloak." Emma said.

"And Venus, you're the lookout. If anyone asks where we are just say we're in the library." Hermione said.

"Got it. But why would people ask?" Venus asked.

"We'll just in case someone sees us leave, you know." Harry said.

"Oh no!" Ron exclaimed suddenly, slapping his hand to his forehead.

"What?" Emma asked.

"Charlie's letter, it was in the book I gave to Malfoy! He'll know you're coming!" Ron said.

"We'll just be extra careful then. Besides, he might not have seen the letter. He probably didn't even open the book." Hermione said.

Emma knew it was wishful thinking, but chose not to say anything.

At half past nine, Hermione, Harry, and Emma left the common room. Once they were out of sight from the fat lady, Harry pulled the cloak over them. They went down to Hagrid's, where Norbert was asleep in a cage. Hagrid took a while saying goodbye to Norbert, but finally they were able to leave. They put Norbert's cage under the cloak with them and quietly walked to the Astronomy Tower. At the foot of the stairs leading there, they heard McGonagall punishing a student. When she came into sight, Emma saw Draco trying to tell her they were coming. She obviously didn't want to hear it, and dragged him away.

Emma let out a sigh of relief and helped Harry and Hermione carry Norbert up the stairs. Once they were up there, Harry took off the cloak. They only had to wait a few minutes before three figures appeared out of the gloom. Three people rode on brooms towards them.

"I'm Charlie." One said when he landed, "you're Ron's friends?"

"Yeah, here's the dragon. His name is Norbert." Harry said, handing over the cage.

The three men tied Norbert's cage to their broomsticks and flew off into the night.

Harry, Hermione, and Emma then started heading back down the stairs.

"Unbelievable." A voice said when they reached the bottom. The voice belonged to McGonagall and she was not happy. "Five students out of bed on the same night? That must be a record!"

Emma then realized why McGonagall could see them, they had forgotten the cloak on the top of the tower.