The Boy Who Couldn't See: Year 1

Norbert the Norwegian Ridgeback

Ron, however, seems to be wrong in his statement. Over the next few weeks -- according to Ron -- Quirrell seems to be getting thinner and paler but he doesn't seem to have cracked yet, if Snape's ever-perpetual bad mood is anything to go by. Ron and Harry, who still think his class and the man himself is a joke, have started defending people who make fun of him and sending him encouraging smiles. ("You're horrible at that!" Ron tells him through laughter every time he tries to send one at Professor Quirrell and Harry refuses to acknowledge the way his face has started heating up at the sound of his laughter.)

Hermione, however, couldn't be bothered to pretend to like the professor. Her mind is focused on more than just the Philosopher's Stone and Snape's evil plan. Harry, who thinks studying and having organized notes is as important as Hermione says it is, thinks the way she's acting is quite ridiculous.

"Hermione, the exams are ages away," Harry has to continuously remind her, though it doesn't do anything to deter her.

"Ten weeks," she snarls. "That's not ages. That's a second to Nicolas Flamel."

"But we're not six-hundred-years-old," Ron says tiredly. "Anyway, what are you studying for, you already know it all."

Harry snorts.

"What am I studying for? Are you crazy? You realize we need to pass these exams to get into the second year? They're very important, I should have started studying a month ago, I don't know what's gotten into me."

Harry, who again agrees with her that studying is important, thinks she's definitely going overboard. He'll start studying a few weeks before the exams, not ten whole weeks. That's preposterous.

His professors, however, think the opposite. They pile so much homework onto them that when Easter holidays roll around, Harry doesn't get to take a break.

"I'll never remember this!" Ron moans one day, throwing his quill down onto their table.

Harry's fingers never stop in their movements to find 'Dittany' and his Herbology/Potions book as he says, "It's about the repetitiveness of it, Ron. Once you've read it enough times, it sticks and you can --"

"Hagrid? What are you doing in the library?" Ron cuts him off, which is slightly unusual because, as Ron says, Harry has 'infinite wisdom beyond his years.'

Harry thinks the answer to such a question is obvious but seeing as it's Hagrid and Harry can't think of a reason as to why Hagrid would need to be looking for books, his interest is also piqued.

"Jus' lookin'," Hagrid says in a shifty voice. "An' what're you lot up ter? Yer not still lookin' fer Nicolas Flamel, are yeh?"

"Oh, we found out who he is ages ago," Ron says. "And we know what that dog's guarding, it's a Philosopher's St —"

"Shh!" Hagrid interrupts him. "Don' go shoutin' about it, what's the matter with yeh?"

"There are a few things we wanted to ask you, as a matter of fact," Harry sits forward slightly, Dittany forgotten, "about what's guarding the Stone apart from Fluffy —"

"Shh!" Hagrid says again. "Listen — come an' see me later, I'm not promisin' I'll tell yeh anythin', mind, but don' go rabbitin' about it in here, students aren' s'pposed ter know. They'll think I've told yeh —"

"See you later, then," Harry says, smirking at his own joke.

"What was he hiding behind his back?" Hermione mumbles.

"He was hiding something?"

"I imagine it was a book," Ron says. "I'll go see what section he was in."