Little Black Sheep

Chapter Nine: Tattle Tales and Dragons

Chapter Nine: Dragons and Tattle-Tales
Despite Ron’s assumption, Quirrell didn’t bow down to Snape’s wishes by Tuesday, in fact it’s been weeks. Although Quirrell was keeping up, it was hard to tell for how much longer. With his face getting gaunter and paler it seemed like that time would be soon.
Just to be on the safe side, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I would check the Forbidden Third Floor Corridor for Fulffy’s breathing. Sure enough, it was still there. Snape’s sour temper also was another reassurance and the fact Snape was still here proved the stone was still safe wherever it was under the Third Floor corridor. Ever since I saw Professor Quirrell in the Forbidden Forest, being harassed by Snape, I had a whole new feeling for him. He was like Neville, who was always picked on by other students. I would tell Slytherins to shut up when they laughed at his ridiculous stutter and send a smile his way and I hope it said, ‘Don’t worry, just keep it up.”
Hermione was too distracted to think of things like that, though. I knew this because she would tell me that every single day. She disregarded sleep or anything that was fun. What could possibly make Hermione Granger act this way? The final exams, of course. She was busy making a calendar for studying times and color coding her notes for every section.
“Hermione, the exams are ages away,” I whined as she slammed yet another book onto the table.
“Ten weeks,” Hermione said, frazzled, “That’s not ages, that’s like a second to Nicolas Flamel.”
“But we’re not six-hundred years old,” Ron tried to reassure her.
“Closer to seven-hundred,” I quietly added and he continued on.
“Anyway, what are you studying for, you already know it all?” To me, that sounded like a huge compliment to a person like Hermione, but she instead freaked, which was normal these days.
“What am I studying for? Are you crazy? You realize we need to pass these exams to get into second year?” She banged an even bigger book on top of the other one, “They’re very important, I should have started studying a month ago, I don’t know what’s gotten into me…” She lingered on, mumbling to herself, completely and utterly stressed.
I just shook my head at her anxiousness and continued to eat breakfast.
Problem was, our teachers seemed to have the same idea as Hermione, study and homework. IT seemed never ending, even when we had our Easter holidays, which I stayed for, of course, along with everyone else. Hermione even stayed for the Easter holidays, worried that she wouldn’t be able to get enough study time in at home. We were constantly studying whenever we could, Hermione nagging on us like never before.
“What are the twelve uses of dragon blood?” Hermione would ask us.
Just like little robot children, we would answer all twelve uses until the very last one, “…, oven cleaner.”
Once school started up again, it didn’t seem like we studied any less. Stress was building more and more the closer the exam date got. It seemed like all we ever did anymore was go to classes, eat, study, homework, and sleep. The library’s shelves became second nature to me after all the time we spent looking through it for Nicolas Flamel and recently using to study. I remember one particular afternoon of studying with the boys and Hermione.
“I’ll never remember this!” Ron complained one study session slamming his quill onto the desk.
I looked up, my eyes drooping at how dry the history book I was reading was, The Beginning of Magic , for my History of Magic exam. I glanced over at the window, happily sitting next to it since the windows weren’t icy cold anymore. It was the first really nice day we had all year, but Hermione insisted on staying in, at least for two hours or so. I sighed, the sky outside a dazzling azure with hints of fluffy cream clouds. The grass below was a lush jade, thick and long, calling out for me to come and roll in it. I glared at my text book, cursing in my head. Why couldn’t we bring our books outside?
Suddenly, I heard Ron speak, “Hagrid! What are you doing in the library?”
I looked over to see scuffle over to us, a nervous look on his face, and an arm behind his back. These were all signs of Hagrid being up to something. He looked quite out of his element in his animal skin clothing and bushy beard.
“Jus’ lookin’, Hagrid said with a dubious tone, his eyes flickering everywhere, I could feel everyone perk up in suspicion, “An’ what’re you lot up ter?” His gaze suddenly truedn accusing, “Yer not still lookin’ fer Nicolas Flamel, are yeh?”
“Oh, we found out who he is ages ago,” Ron said notably, “And we know what that dog’s guarding, it’s a Sorcerer’s St-“
“Shhhh!” Hagrid quieted Ron and looked around the room anxiously, although no one, but Madam Pince was in the same room, “Don’ go shountin’ about it, what’s the matter with yeh?”
“There are a few things we wanted to ask you, as a matter of fact,” Harry spoke, “about what’s guarding the Stone apart from Fluffy-“
“SHHHHH!” Hagrid hushed Harry,” 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-“
“Hope you have a good day then.” I stiffly said and we watched as he awkwardly walked off.
“What was he hiding behind his back?” Hermione asked herself.
“I’m going to see what section he was in,” Ron said, obviously trying to get away from his boring work.
I looked back down on my book, ‘Muggles didn’t know about magic until…’
Ron was quickly back and slammed a few heavy books onto the table, completely and utterly excited at his discovery.
“Dragons!” Ron breathed, “Hagrid was looking up stuff about dragons! Look at these: Dragon Species of Great Britian and Ireland; From Egg to Inferno, A Dragon Keeper’s Guide. “
I stared incredulous at Ron, “What would he want with those?”
“Hagrid’s always wanted a dragon, he told me so the first time I ever met him.” Harry explained, astonished.
“But it’s against our laws,” Ron said, confused, “Dragon breeding was out-lawed by the Warlock’s Convention of 1709, everyone knows that. It’s hard to stop Muggles from noticing us if we’re keeping dragons in the back garden- anyway, you can’t tame dragons, it dangerous. You should see the burns Charlie’s got off wild ones in Romania.”
“But there aren’t wild dragons in Britain?” I asked, doubting it.
“Of course there are,” Ron said like it was obvious, “Common Welsh Green and Hebridean Blacks. The Ministry of Magic has the job of hushing them up, I can tell you. Our kind have to keep putting spells on Muggles who’ve spotted them, to make them forget.”
“So what on earth’s Hagrid up to?” Hermione asked and I almost didn’t want to know the answer.
About an hour later we were stepping of the last stair of Hogwart’s entrance stairs. I breathed in the sweet fragrance of the flowers that began blooming. It was exhilarating, being outside where the air was fresh and the light was golden, instead of being cramped inside a dusty library that had a dull glow. I had the sudden urge to just spin around and act like a little kid, but I looked at the faces of my friends and remembered why we were here. We needed information from Hagrid and not to mention, he was acting suspicious earlier.
As we walked across the long, green lawn and reached Hagrid’s hut I noticed something weird. The curtains were all drawn, keeping the world from peeking in. What was he hiding?
Harry reached out his arm and rapped on the wooden door.
“Who is it?” Hagrid called.
“It’s us! Who did you think it was?” I yelled out and he opened the door.
I gasped as a wave of heat hit me when we walked inside. It was a nice, warm day outside, but the fire was kept blazing, making the whole hut as hot as a furnace.
“Would yer like any tea? A sandwich?” Hagrid asked, but we shook our heads in response.
“No thanks, Hagrid.” I tried to kindly smile, it was a little hard while I was sweating like a pig.
“So- yeh wanted to ask me somethin’?” Hagrid said, sitting down in his armchair.
I looked over at the others and Harry spoke, “Yes,” I could sense he wasn’t planning to draw this out, “We were wondering if you could tell us what’s guarding the Sorcerer’s Stone apart from Fluffy.”
Hagrid’s smiling face suddenly faded into a frown and he furrowed his eye brows, “O’ course I can’t. Number one, I don’t know meself. Number two, yeh know too much already, so I wouldn’ tell yeh if I could. That Stone’s here fer a good reason. It was almost stolen outta Gringotts.- I s’ppose yeh’ve worked that out an’ all? Beats me how yeh even know abou’ Fluffy.”
I shuddered at the memory, but Hagrid didn’t notice because Hermione started speaking in her most oily, sweet-talking voice, “Oh, come on, Hagrid, you might not want to tell us, but you do know, you know everything that goes on round here,” She was flattering him, and she knew it. Hagrid’s beard moved and I could tell he was being buttered up already, “We only wondered who had done the guarding, really,” Hermione continued, her voice still smooth, “We wondered who Dumbledore had trusted enough to help him, apart from you, of course.” She gave him an innocent girl smile to tip him off.
I saw Hagrid puff out his chest proudly at her words, “Well, I don’ s’pose it could hurt ter tell yeh that… let’s see… he borrowed Fluffy from me… then some o’ teachers did enchantments… Professor Sprout- Professor Flitwick- Professor McGonagall-“ He was staring at the ceiling, putting up a finger at each name, “Professor Quirrel- an’ Dumbledore himself did somethin’, o’ course. Hang on, I’ve forgotten someone. Oh yeah, Professor Snape.”
“Snape?” I said ,astonished, if I was drinking his tea, I would have spat it out.
The spell on Hagrid was immediately broken and he looked at all of us with h is eye brows furrowed, “Yeah- yer not still on abou’ that, are yeh? Look, Snape helped protect the Stone, he’s not about ter steal it.”
Snape put a spell to ‘guard’ the stone. I paled. That must mean he knew almost everyone’s spells and how to get through, except Quirrel’s and Fluffy of course. I looked over at Hermione, Ron, and Harry. I could tell they all had the same thought.
“You’re the only one who knows how to get past Fluffy, aren’t you, Hagrid?” I heard Harry ask Hagrid concerned, “And you wouldn’t tell anyone, would you? Not even one of the teachers?”
“Not a soul knows except me an’ Dumbledore,” Hagrid said, puffing out his chest again.
I let out a sigh of relief. Snape didn’t know. No one else knew. The Stone was safe, right?
“Well, that’s something,” I heard Harry mumbled to us and then spoke to Hagrid, “Hagrid, can we have a window open? I’m boiling.”
I gave a grateful look at Harry, but Hagrid spoke, “Can’t, Harry, sorry,” Hagrid apologized, glancing over at the fire.
I looked over too and gasped, “Hagrid- what’s that?”
I spotted a gaint, onyx egg under the tea kettle. An egg and Hagrid was looking at dragon raising books. Oh, please no…
“Ah,” Hagrid stuttered, his fingers combing through his beard anxiously, “That’s- er…”
“Where did you get it, Hagrid?” Ron asked from his crouching position as he examined the egg, “It must’ve cost you a fortune.”
“Won it,” Hagrid explained, “Las’ night. Iw as down in the village havin’ a few drinks an’ got into a game o’ cards with a stranger. Think he was quite glad ter get rid of it, ter be honest.”
“But what are you going to do when it’s hatched?” Hermione asked, staring at the egg.
“Well, I’ve bin doin’ some readin’,” Hagrid bent over his pillow and pulled out a large book, “Got this outta the library- Dragon Breeding for Pleasure and Profit- it’s a bit outta date, o’ course, but it’s all in here. Keep egg in the fire, cause their mothers breathe on ‘em, see, an’ when it hatches, feed it on a bucket o’ brandy mixed with chicken blood every half hour. An’ see here- how ter recognize diff’rent eggs- what I got there’s a Norwegian Ridgeback. They’re rare, them.” Hagrid was smiling, looking quite impressed with himself, but Hermione and I looked at him funny.
“Hagrid, you live in a wooden house.” Hermione reminded him, crossing her arms.
“And you have a creature that breathes fire.” I added in the same fashion, but he acted like he didn’t hear us, just staring lovingly at the egg and stoked the fire.
As if we needed another worry to pile onto our plates, what if someone found out Hagrid was raising an illegal dragon?
“Wonder what it’s like to have a peaceful life,” Ron mumbled as the homework got increasingly worse.
“Ya, I do too.” I muttered, knowing that with my last name, I would never have one.
Homework just kept piling and we would work in the library every night, trying to catch up. What was even worse was Hermione was designing studying schedules for us. Fun, fun.
One morning, I was just sitting, barely touching my pancakes as I struggled to keep awake when Hedwig and Rosemarie swopped in. A folded note fluttered form Hedwig’s mouth: It’s hatching.
I immediately perked up. It was hatching? Ron at once suggested we skip Herbology and go over to Hagrid’s. Hermione, of course, refused.
“Hermione, how many times in our lives are we going to see a dragon hatchling?” Ron persisted.
“We’ve got lessons, we’ll get into trouble, and that’s nothing to what Hagrid’s going to be in when someone finds out what he’s doing-“ Hermioned tried to explain when Harry cut her off.
“Shut up!” Harry loudly whispered and glared at Malfoy.
I looked over to see Draco was only but a few feet from our table and was just standing there. How much did Malfoy hear? The malicious smirk that graced his lips said it all.
Hermione and Ron bickered about skipping Herbology all the way to the class and they finally came to a solution, Hermione agreed we would go down there during morning break. The class went painfully slow and I was yawning throughout the whole thing, how much sleep did I get last night? When the bell finally rung through the grounds I dropped my gardening tools and rushed out of the doors, towards Hagrid’s hut with the others. Hagrid met us and he was beeming, a blush on his cheeks.
“It’s nearly out.” Hagrid said as he pushed us in.
I looked around the room to spot the black egg on the table. Cracks littered the surface and the egg was rocking back and forth. A clicking noise was emitting from it and I started to flinch uncontrollably at the thought it might explode.
We all brought chairs up and we watch it intently, as if the harder we stared at it, the quicker it would open. Suddenly, there was a grazeing noise and the egg split in half. The dragon youngling flipped onto the table’s surface. It wasn’t graceful or very elegant. It’s body was puny compared to its spindly, dark wings. Its snout was very long with large nostrils and two stubs for horns, like a goat. Two buggy orange eyes ogled us.
Abruptly, it sneezed, it sounded more like a hic-up/burp and some bright sparks blasted out of its mouth.
“Isn’t he beautiful?” Hagrid spoke softly and he gingerly ran his fingers along its head. It lunged for him, and his long, pointy fangs were revealed, “Bless him, look, he knows his mommy!,” Hagrid cried, looking like he almost would cry.
“Hagrid,” Hermione asked, gulping, “how fast do Norwegian Ridgebacks grow, exactly?”
Hagrid looked up and his mouth opened to answer, but his face suddenly turned a sickly pale of white. He jumped up and hurried over to the window.
“What’s the matter?” I asked, jumping up too.
“Someone was lookin’ through the gap in the curtains- it’s a kid- he’s runnin’ back ter the school.” Hagrid said, looking through the window.
I rushed over to the door, bumping into Harry and we both shoved the door open. It was obvious who it was, seeing his platinum blond hair.
Malfoy had looked through the window.
Over the next week we would pass Malfoy in classes and he would always have this sinister grin plastered on his face and it made me anxious. I would always feel so bad for Hagrid and every day we would meet him in his hut and try to convince him to let the dragon go.
“Just let him go,” Harry suggested one day, “Set him free.”
“I can’t,” Hagrid answered sadly, “He’s too little. He’d die.” Hagrid seemed to cringe at the thought.
I glanced over at the dragon. It was anything but little. In the one week after its hatching it had grown three times bigger. I watched as smoke cascaded out its snout, curling around its bright eyes.
Harry, Hermione, Ron, and I noticed Hagrid had been neglecting his gamekeeper duties because the dragon kept him constantly busy. Brandy bottles and bright white chicken feathers littered the floor.
“I’ve decided to call him Norbert,” Hagrid randomly said, staring at the dragon with gleaming eyes, “He really knows me now, watch. Norbert! Norbert! Where’s mommy!”
“He’s lost his marbles,” I heard Ron quietly whisper in Harry’s ear and hoped Hagrid didn’t catch it.
“I-I know I can’t keep him forever, but I can’t jus’ dump him, I can’t.” Hagrid looked like he was about to start sobbing.
Suddenly, an idea popped into my mind and Harry and I turned to Ron, “Charlie,” We both spoke.
“Ah! It’s contagious!” Ron jumped, startled, “I’m Ron, remember me?”
“No-Ron- your brother Charlie can take Norbert and take care of him.” I explained, a smile creeping onto my face.
“Brilliant!” Ron grinned, “How about it, Hagrid?”
After much reassurance (“Don’t worry, Hagrid, the other dragons will play nice with him.”), Hagrid finally agreed to send an owl to Charlie for his permission.
Another week passed by and was agony from how slow it was going with dreadful homework. We awaited Charlie’s letter and didn’t know when it would come. Hermione and Harry joined me for my midnight visit as we waited for Ron to come back from helping Hagrid feed the dragon dead rats.
I sat next to Hermione, my head dropping onto her shoulder.
“Hermione?” I asked to catch her attention.
“Yes, Emily?” She looked quizzically at me.
“Do you think Malfoy will say anything?” I breathed in her ear, but Harry’s face distorted in disgust.
“Well, he hasn’t done anything yet, so it seems he’s too afraid that we might prove him wrong.” Hermione tried to reassure me, staring into the flames and petting my hair.
“Malfoy,” Harry spat, looking angrily into the fire, “I can’t believe he hasn’t said anything. He’s planning something, I know it.”
“Harry, relax. Everything will be fine,” I sighed, feeling sleepy and I just stared at Harry’s face.
The fire light was dancing on his facial features, making them sharper. His eyes glittered and were a fierce shade of emerald. His jaw was firm, as if he was clenching his teeth. His eye brows were furrowed in the middle of his forehead, with his black hair sticking up everywhere.
I cracked a smile, feeling a little loony in my sleep-deprived state, “Harry, your hair is sticking up.”
He looked over at me as if questioning my sanity and immediately brought his hands up to his head, smoothing his hair.
I giggled, “Didn’t work.”
I caught sight of his lightening shaped scar and immediately brought my fingers to mine. I rubbed the V-shaped bump on my wrist and faintly wondered, “Did I really get that scar from a scissor accident?”
“Mom, how did I get this?” I was a little girl and shoved my wrist upwards, so my mother could see it.
She looked around nervously, “Oh, well, you were just a baby. You got that when I left you alone as a toddler and you found some scissors. When I came back, I saw you had accidently cut yourself. That’s all, sweetie. An accident.” She finished, a smile plastered on her face.
I just grinned, not doubting a thing, “Oh, ok, mom.”
“Now, why don’t you help me clean up the cookie dough bowl?” She asked and turned towards the counter.
I shook my head and suddenly I heard footsteps. I turned my head on Hermione’s shoulder and Ron’s body abruptly appeared the invisibility cloak in his hands.
“It bit me!” Ron quietly shouted and waved his hand around, which was covered in a stained red cloth, “I’m not going to be able to hold a quill for a week. I tell you, that dragon’s the most horrible animal I’ve ever met, but the way Hagrid goes on about it, you’d think it was a fluffy bunny rabbit. When it bit me he told me off for frightening it. And when I left, he was singing it a lullaby!” Ron finished, exasperated.
I suddenly heard a noise like a finger nail on glass. I glanced over at the pitch black window to see Hedwig glowing in the light.
“It’s Hedwig!” Harry yelled, running over to the window, “She’ll have Charlie’s answer!”
Harry brought the letter over to where Ron, Hermione, and I all sat and we started to read:

Dear Ron,
How are you? Thanks for the letter- I’d be glad to take the Norwegian Ridgeback, but it won’t be easy getting him here. I think the best thing will be to send him over with some friends of mine who are coming to visit me next week. Trouble is, they mustn’t be seen carrying an illegal dragon.
Could you get the Ridgeback up the tallest tower at midnight on Saturday? They can meet you there and take him away while it’s still dark.
Send me an answer as soon as possible.
Love,
Charlie.
We then glanced at each other all at once, wondering.
“We’ve got the invisibility cloak,” Harry suggested, “It shouldn’t be too difficult- I think the cloaks big enough to cover three of us and Norbert.”
It just showed how desperate we were when Hermione, Ron, and I all nodded in agreement. All I could think was that I needed to help Hagrid and get Malfoy off our backs.
There was a little snag in the plan. You remember Ron was bitten by the dragon? Well that hand had swollen twice its size by the next morning. As we examined it I wondered to myself, “Does Madam Promfrey know what dragon bites look like?” By lunch time, we unwrapped it and Hermione immediately nagged Ron to go to the hospital wing and I couldn’t disagree. It was absolutely revolting. The bite had turned a shade of jade and I didn’t doubt that Norbert was a poisonous dragon.
After classes, Hermione, Harry, and I rushed over to the Hospital Wing and saw Ron was in even worse condition than before.
“It’s not just my hand,” Ron feebly whispered, “although it feels like it’s about to fall off. Malfoy told Madam Promfrey he wanted to borrow one of my books so he could come and have a good laugh at me. He kept threatening to tell her what really bit me- I’ve told her it was a dog, but I don’t think she believes me- I shouldn’t have hit him at the Quidditch match, that’s why he’s doing this.” Ron groaned.
We tried to calm Ron down, otherwise I was sure he was going to have a heart attack.
“It’ll be over at midnight on Saturday,” Hermione cooed, but Ron just looked even more panicked. Way more panicked.
He sat up stock still on his cot and a gleam of sweat was covering his forehead, “Midnight on Saturday!” ron said, his voice weak, “Oh no- I’ve just remembered- Charlie’s letter was in that book Malfoy took, he’s going to know we’re getting rid of Norbert.”
I paled and opened my mouth to speak when Madam Promfrey walked in.
“You three have to leave, Ron needs his sleep, he’s in for a rough night.” She said and waited until we said our good-byes and get betters.
As we walked down the hallway, Harry turned to Hermione and me, “It’s too late to change the plan now. We haven’t gotten time to send Charlie another owl, and this could be our only chance to get rid of Norbert. We’ll have to risk it. And we have got the invisibility cloak, Malfoy doesn’t know about that.”
I didn’t feel very assured and I shivered as we walked into the cool night air, on our way to Hagrid’s to tell him the news. Fang was sitting on the front porch, nipping at his bandaged tail and we knocked on his door. Hagrid opened a window instead.
“I won’t let you in,” Hagrid breathed heavily as if he ran a marathon, “Norbert’s at a tricky stage- nothin’ I can’t handle.”
We hurriedly explained what happened about Charlie’s letter and Hagrid’s eyes got all watery. But that might have been because his ‘little’ Norbert just bit him.
“Aargh! It’s all right, ho only got my boot- jus’ playin’- he’s only a baby afterall.”
This so called ‘baby’ threw its tail against Hagri’s hut walls and the windows shook. At that instant, I couldn’t feel anymore annoyed with Hagrid’s love of dangerous animals. I couldn’t wait ‘till Staurday.
Even through all the anxiety and worry, I felt pity for Hagrid. Norbert may have been a pain in the arse, but Hagrid loved him so much. Saturday turned out to be a very dark night, which was a plus, but we were a little late for getting to Hagrid’s and we ran through the darkness, breathing hard. We apologized for our tardiness and I was frustrated with Peeves, who was playing tennis on a castle wall.
Hagrid put Norbert into a huge crate and was acting like a mother whose child was leaving the nest, which to him, was probably true.
“He’s got lots o’ rats an’ some brandy fer the journey,” Hagrid’s voice cracked and I could see his eyes were red, “an’ I’ve packed his teddy bear in case he gets lonely.”
Ripping noises emitted from the cage and I cringed. Seems like his teddy wished he stayed home.
“Bye-bye, Norbert!” Hagrid had started bawling, tears running into his beard.
Hermione, Harry, and I covered the crate with his cloak and I just hoped Norbert didn’t get the idea of chewing that too. We pulled the cloak over our heads.
“Mommy will never forget you!” Hagrid blubbered and we exited the hut unseen.
I grumbled profanities as we heaved the crate to the castle. I had no clue how we got it up all those stairs, but the clock was ticking. We breathed hard and tried our best to make as little of noise as possible, but it was so hard even Harry’s short cut didn’t make it seem any shorter.
“Nearly there!” Harry puffed and we stepped onto the corridor that led to the tallest tower.
I slipped into the shadows as I saw someone move. I mentally gave myself a head palm when I remembered I had Harry’s invisibility cloak over me. Two silhouettes popped in front of my eyes. Suddenly, a lamp came on and Malfoy’s face was priceless.
I could see Professor McGonagall’s furious face as we pinched Malfoy’s ear in a bathrobe and a hair net, “Detention!”She yelled, “And twenty points form Slytherin! Wandering around the school in the middle of the night, how dare you-“
Malfoy whimpered, “You don’t understand, Professor, Harry Potter’s coming- he’s got a dragon!”
“What utter rubbish! How dare you tell such lies! Come on- I shall see Professor Snape about you, Malfoy!” She glared daggers at them and I had to stifle a snicker as they walked away.
We then carried the crate up a winding staircase that lead up to the tower. I sighed with relief as we dropped the cage and lifted the cloak off. The cool night air felt good on my warm, flushed face. I started jumping up and down, celebrating along with Hermione and Harry.
“I wish Ron was here!” I squealed.
“Malfoy’s got detention! I could sing!” Hermione quietly yelled with a smile on her face.
“Don’t,” Harry and I said at the same time and we all fell into a fight of giggles.
We continued to talk about Malfoy and sat on the roof, waiting for Charlie’s buddies to show. Norbert was making quite a racket in his cage and I briefly felt sorry for the teddy bear. A few minutes later, four broomsticks landed onto the roof with us.
Charlie’s friends were a very happy group. They joked around and laughed as they showed us the harness they had between the four broomsticks so they could carry Norbert. We carefully buckled Norbert onto the harness and we shook hands with the others. The smiled and waved good bye and was off. I practically fell in relief when I saw Norbert’s form disappear into the night.
We jumped down the staircase, beaming. The dragon was gone, Malfoy had detention, what could have soured this moment? Unfortunately, it was waiting for us at the bottom of the stairs. We immediately froze as we stared into the yellow eyes of Filch’s face.
“Well, well, well,” He whispered his voice cracking with a devious smirk on his lips, “We are in trouble.”
In that instant I suddenly realized something. The invisibility cloak was sitting on top of the tower. Pay back sure is a bite.