Fluffy

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Their exams came, and Hari half expected Voldemort to come bursting through the door at any moment. It was sweltering hot, especially in the large classroom where they did their written papers. They had been given special, new quills for the exams, which had been bewitched with an Anticheating spell.

They had practical exams as well, but for all classes requiring magic, Hari created some sort of project that demonstrated her knowledge, instead of doing them. This meant she could pass her year, as she was still barely able to shoot sparks, let alone do spells.

Hari did the best she could, trying to ignore the constant stabbing pain in her forehead. 
'I wish I knew what this means!' She signed angrily after their last exam finished. 'My scar keeps hurting -- it's happened before, but never as often as this.'

"Go to Madam Pomfrey," Hermione suggested.

'I'm not ill,' signed Harry. 'I think it's a warning... it means danger's coming...'


"The Stone's safe as long as Dumbledore's around." Ron said, " Anyway, we've never had any proof Snape found out how to get past Fluffy. And Neville will play Quidditch for England before Hagrid lets Dumbledore down."

'It's not Snape,' Hari signed, unable to  shake off a lurking feeling that there was something she'd forgotten, something important. Hagrid was the only one who ever sent him letters. Hagrid would never betray Dumbledore. Hagrid would never tell anyone how to get past Fluffy... never... but...

Hari suddenly jumped to her feet. Hagrid wants nothing more than dragon, she thought, and a stranger with an egg? Why didn't I see it before? She sprinted off across the lawn, Ron and Hermione followed her, confused.

Hagrid was sitting in an armchair outside his house; his trousers and sleeves were rolled up, and he was shelling peas into a large bowl. "Hullo," he said, smiling. "Finished yer exams? Got time fer a drink?" Hermione signed along as Hagrid spoke as she knew Hari couldn't understand

"Yes, please,"
said Ron, but Hari held up a hand, stopping him.

'No, we're in a hurry. Hagrid. You know that night you won Norbert? What did the stranger you were playing cards with look like?' She signed, worried

"Dunno," said Hagrid casually, "he wouldn' take his cloak off."

Hari raised an eyebrow.

"It's not that unusual, yeh get a lot o' funny folk in the Hog's Head -- that's the pub down in the village. Mighta bin a dragon dealer, mightn' he? I never saw his face, he kept his hood up."  Hermione translated

'What did you talk to him about? Did you mention Hogwarts at all?'

"Mighta come up," said Hagrid, frowning as he tried to remember. "Yeah... he asked what I did, an' I told him I was gamekeeper here... He asked a bit about the sorta creatures I took after... so I told him... an' I said what I'd always really wanted was a dragon... an' then... I can' remember too well, 'cause he kept buyin' me drinks... Let's see... yeah, then he said he had the dragon egg an' we could play cards fer it if I wanted... but he had ter be sure I could handle it, he didn' want it ter go ter any old home... So I told him, after Fluffy, a dragon would be easy..."

'And did he seem interested in Fluffy?' Harry asked, trying to stay calm.

"Well -- yeah -- how many three-headed dogs d'yeh meet, even around Hogwarts? So I told him, Fluffy's a piece o' cake if yeh know how to calm him down, jus' play him a bit o' music an' he'll go straight off ter sleep--"


Hagrid suddenly looked horrified.

"I shouldn'ta told yeh that!" he blurted out. "Forget I said it! Hey -- where're yeh goin'?"

HarI, Ron, and Hermione didn't speak to each other at all until they came to a halt in the entrance hall, which seemed very cold and gloomy after the grounds.

"We've got to go to Dumbledore," said Hermione "Hagrid told that stranger how to get past Fluffy, and it was either Snape or Voldemort under that cloak -- it must've been easy, once he'd got Hagrid drunk. I just hope Dumbledore believes us. Where's Dumbledore's office?"

They looked around, as if hoping to see a sign pointing them in the right direction. They had never been told where Dumbledore lived, nor did they know anyone who had been sent to see him.

"We'll just have to -- " Hermione began, but McGonagall walked up to them, holding a stack of books. "What are you three doing inside?"


"We want to see Professor Dumbledore,"
said Hermione, rather bravely.

"See Professor Dumbledore?" Professor McGonagall repeated. "Professor Dumbledore left ten minutes ago."

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