Chapter 5- Junior Marauders in action

The first thing Hermione did when meeting her friends in the Common Room after Christmas break was drop one of the biggest and heaviest books Harry had ever seen on the table they were seated at playing chess.

“I found him.”

“Who?” the boys asked in unison and Hermione rolled her eyes impatiently.

“Nicolas Flamel. And I know what Snape is after.”

“Hermione, I don’t think Professor Snape-“ Harry started but she cut him.

“Nicolas Flamel is the only maker of the Philosopher Stone. A stone that is known to turn any metal into gold and produce an elixir that gives the drinker eternal life,” she said quite didactically, “That’s what their keeping under that trapdoor.”

“Who wouldn’t want unlimited gold and eternal life?” Ron asked, “I bet Snape can’t wait to put his hands on it.”

“It’s not Snape,” Harry said annoyed then he sighed and tried to reason calmly, “Look, I know he’s not the nicest of people,” at his friend’s snorts he amended, “ok, he’s a bastard, but Professor Dumbledore trusts him. Besides I know my dad suspects Quirrell.”

“Oh, come on Harry, Quirrell? He’s scared of his own shadow,” Ron snorted.

“Yeah, but he wasn’t always like that and my dad told me to never be alone with him. He reckons he was the one jinxing my broom. He just can’t prove it.”

“But why would he?” Hermione tried to reason.

“Ron just said it didn’t he? Who wouldn’t want unlimited gold and eternal life,” Harry answered.

“Well, lets hope he doesn’t know how to get past Fluffy,” Ron said.

“But Fluffy won’t be the only defense will he. That would be too easy,” Hermione said frowning.

“No, I remember that some of the teachers were doing something other than just preparing for classes on the summer. We even came back early because dad was doing most of the Head of House duties for McGonagall,” Harry said biting his lips.

“So that’s at least one more protection, McGonagall, will be something to do with transfiguration,” Hermione started counting with her fingers, “Who else?”

Harry scrunched his face trying to remember, “There was Sprout and Flitwick. I am sure Snape did something and I think Quirrell too.”

“Oh, great, so our two suspects were involved in the protection. That’s rich,” Ron snorted and Harry shook his head at his friend insistence on Snape.

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Classes and practice took most of their time. They were so busy they almost forgot about the stone. There was also not much time to discus just the three of them seeing as now that she was already done with all her Pre-Hogwarts studies Remus had cut on classes time for Ginny or else as he said she would be completely bored her fist year. He was helping her get a little ahead but he didn’t want to make her an outcast on her first year for knowing a lot more than others. That wasn’t Ginny’s stile, more Hermione’s. So she spent a lot of the time while her mother was teaching in the Gryffindor Common room with them.

There had also been an outbreak in pranks, apparently the twins had been very inspired by some of Charlie’s more outgoing friends at the reserve and were trying to put all they learned in practice. You couldn’t walk a step without being caught unaware by a dungbomb, being turned upside down by a gravity spell or have to spend the day talking in rimes.

Harry was having fun not only at the pranks but by the fact that once again the twins were not only avoiding capture by Filch but by their deputy head of House and his best friend too. Sirius and Remus where quite ruffled at them besting the Marauders and vowed to find out their secret.

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“You’re going to do what now?” he cried outraged.

“You heard me perfectly well,” the other sneered.

“I object!”

“This isn’t a courtroom Sirius,” Dumbledore said calmly.

“Then I’ll do it,” Sirius said firmly.

“You can’t. It wouldn’t be fair would it,” Snape sneered.

“Oh, yes, because you are going to be so unbiased,” Sirius sneered back.

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When he went back to his quarters he found Harry twirling around on one of the rotating chairs on his desk and a silvery cloak on the desk. Great either the mutt or the old coot gave Harry more means for mischief.

“To what do I own the pleasure of this visit?”

Harry stopped the chair and very seriously said, “Ron, Hermione and Ginny are right now trying to decide if I should break a leg or jump from the Astronomy Tower.”

“Excuse me,” he raised an eyebrow.

“Wood just told us about you volunteering to referee and they feel that I’d be safer jumping from the Tower than on a broom.”

“Quite,” he said sitting on another chair. Harry turned really serious and asked.

“You’re not going to undermine Gryffindor are you?”

Severus sighed, “I’ll have to show a bias towards Hufflepuff Harry but I am confident on your seeker skills to catch the snitch before I make too much damage.”

“The Hufflepuffs won’t be happy. They don’t like being seen as the House that needs help. Cedric was quite angry at the fact that Madam Hooch isn’t refereeing and not just because he thinks you’ll jinx my broom again.” Snape cringed at the again.

“I know, but unfortunately Mr. Diggory and his housemates will have to bear with said ‘help’. If I wasn’t biased against Gryffindor and worst you, people would start to question things. And if there is one thing that I agree with Black and Lupin is that one of us should be close by in case Quirrell tries again. And I think the Hufflepuffs will agree that neither Black nor Lupin would be a good choice.”

Harry smiled at the thought of his dad and uncle refereeing.

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The match went better than Harry could expect. He managed to catch the snitch in a record time giving Severus time to award Hufflepuff only few penalties for no reason. Dumbledore attended the game which not only served to appease his father and uncles but to give Severus an excuse not be his complete usual charming self. There was also a scuffle between Ron, Neville Malfoy and his goons, and although Ron and Neville had come out a little worse of wear, Harry knew that standing up for Malfoy meant a lot to Neville. When Harry left the changing rooms he saw Snape going towards the Forbidden Forest. He hesitated biting his lips but decided to go back to the castle. If Uncle Sev found him eavesdropping on him Voldemort would seem like the nicest guy on earth.

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“Can you believe this? My own father!” Harry ranted.

“I know Harry, I know,” Ron sympathized.

“I don’t see what you are complaining about they are quite right,” Hermione said in a no nonsense tone.

They were walking towards Hagrid’s hut. Time had seemed to fly by and they were now nine weeks away from the end of year exams.

“But, but,” Harry tried to struggle with words, “That’s hypocrisy. Uncle Moony said dad and my first father never did it and now he expects us to.”

“Well Harry,” Hermione tried to reason, “People do grow up. I expect that happened to Professor Black too.”

Harry looked at her horrified.

“You know, since, as you did point out, the professors are giving us so much homework, maybe we should be studying instead of visiting Hagrid,” she pointed out.

Ron joined the horrified look.

“So it’s not bad enough that he sets us all that homework, my own father would expect me to ignore my friends,” Harry said dramatically and Ron nodded. Hermione huffed and knocked on Hagrid’s door.

The door was opened and a harassed and sweaty Hagrid on an apron opened it.

“Oh, hello there. Nice to see you. I am a bit busy at the moment, can’t entertain,” Hagrid said and shut the door. The three kids goggled at the door. Harry knocked on it again more forcefully. Hagrid opened and shoving himself in Harry said.

“Yes Hagrid, we would love to come in.”

Inside the hut Harry felt like he ha just entered one a sauna. Every window and drapes were closed and there was a roaring fire going on under a big cauldron.

“What’s that?” Hermione asked while she and Ron peeked inside the cauldron.

“Nothing, nothing. Now why don’t yeh kids go have fun outside such a nice day.”

Harry joined his friends when Ron cried.

“Hagrid! How did you get a dragon’s egg?”

What? Ok, this is not what Harry meant when he said he would have liked to see a dragon up close.

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She was giving the finish touches to her essays seated on her desk, dangling her feet with her lip sticking out the corner of her mouth. Remus always had them doing their homework during lesson time. He said that they would have been consumed by homework once they entered first year so they had to enjoy the opportunity of free time to play before that. He usually read and wrote his articles while she did her homework pausing every now and then to answer a question.

“Pst.”

She looked up but Remus was still seated there completely absorbed in writing his article for “Magical creatures, do we understand them?” She shrugged and went back to her essay.

“Pst.”

And now she felt a pebble knock her thigh. She looked in the direction the pebble came and saw Harry, Ron and Hermione making signs from the door. She made a sign with her hand for them to wait. Wrote the last sentence of her essay quickly, put away her stuff and practically launched herself at Remus’s desk putting the essay on top of his parchment. Remus gave a little start of surprise and looking at Ginny said pleasantly.

“All done then?”

“Yes,” she said biting her lip and wondering if asking to be released would be too much of a give away.

“Then go join the pebble throwing scoundrels outside,” he said smiling. She heard groans from outside. Yep, there was no getting anything past Remus.

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“He has a what?”

“A dragon’s egg that he is hatching in his hut,” Harry repeated slowly.

“And apparently he found out that it’s a Norwegian Ridgeback,” Hermione said huffed.

“A what? In his hut?” Ginny kept repeating.

“We thought of asking Charlie if he can come get it before it hatches. But no one can know or Hagrid will be in big trouble. I mean Azkaban trouble,” Harry tried to impress the issue.

“And where do I get in this?” she asked.

“Well,” Hermione started, “We had first thought of sending him an owl but the school owls aren’t that fast and by the time we got an answer the egg may have hatched already. So Harry remembered that your brother flooes your house twice a week. We figured that you could talk to him there.”

“You’d have to say you have big brother stuff to talk to him, so mum and dad will leave you two alone,” Ron told her. Harry knew that both Bill and Charlie were given alone time to be big brothers to the others. To help them with the kind of stuff that they wouldn’t go to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley for. And their parents respected that privacy so the kids could rely on that help.

“Ok, I think he said he’d floo tomorrow. I do hope we have enough time,” she said worried and the others mirrored her worries, “What was he thinking?”

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“So what were they up to?” he asked eagerly.

Remus lifted his eyes from the article he was reading for what felt the hundredth time and answered once again his bouncing friend.

“As I have said before; I have no idea. I didn’t follow them to eavesdrop,” and went back to the article.

Sirius was pacing, almost jumping on the balls of his feet in front of the couch were Remus was seated in their quarters.

“Oh, come on Moony! This has to be big if they couldn’t even wait for her class to finish!” Sirius begged.

“Still doesn’t change the fact that I have no idea what they are up to,” Remus said without taking his eyes of his article this time. He really should have locked himself in his room if he had wanted to be able to read this.

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“HE HAS A WHAT?”

“Shush, you want mom and dad to hear you,” Ginny pleaded with her brother’s head in the fireplace. She peered towards the door from her kneeling position in front of the fire and sighed in relief. Turning back to her brother.

“Can you come get it? Hagrid is going to be in so much trouble if someone finds out. And he wants to hatch it and raise it in his hut,” she begged.

“Oh, yes. Such a fine idea, raise a dragon in a wooden hut. Why didn’t we think of that in the reserve?” Charlie said sarcastically.

“You know, that is not helping,” she scolded him crossing her arms on her chest.

“Ok, I’ll see what I can do. I can’t come up there but I may be able to get some friends that are coming to see me to fetch it. But I’ll have to ask them to come earlier or the egg will have hatched. I’ll let you know tomorrow what I can arrange and keep me posted. Good idea telling me now instead of owling me,” he praised.

“Wasn’t mine, was Harry’s,” she blushed.

“Always said that kid can think on his feet. Bye sis.”

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Two days later the four kids found themselves once again in Hagrid’s furnace, I mean hut. They were begging with him to let Charlie’s friend take the dragon’s egg. Using every argument they could find but they were all being completely ignored by Hagrid, granted they were using arguments as a grown dragon is dangerous and wood is flammable. Things that didn’t really bother Hagrid.

“But it will be lonely,” Ginny said, “It won’t have any dragon friends. Do you want that Hagrid? At the reserve he’ll have a bunch of dragon friends and Charlie said you could visit any time you want.” She knew she was resorting to big emotional blackmail, but honestly, what choice did they have. And Ginny, being the youngest and only girl of seven kids was a master at emotional blackmail and puppy eyes. Harry did have to admire that.

Hagrid was starting to show signs of defeat at this words so Harry lunged.

“They are coming the day after tomorrow. So the egg will hatch in the reserve. Charlie said that it’s much safer for the dragon to travel as an egg than as a baby,” well that wasn’t exactly what Charlie told Ginny, it was more like, it’s safer for everyone involved to carry an egg than a dragon, but Hagrid didn’t need to know that.

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The plan had been laid. Harry and Ron, being the ones that knew the castle better of the group since Ginny would be at home, got the egg from Hagrid and were taking it to Charlie’s friends up in the tallest Tower where they had to meet them at midnight. They were using Harry’s Invisibility Cloak and coupled with their knowledge of secret passages they were able to avoid Filch and Mrs. Norris. Once up in the Tower Harry took the cloak off and stored it in his robes pocket, he really loved how small such a big cloak got. They waited a while until Charlie’s friend showed up. They suspended the wooden box that Hagrid had prepared for the dragon’s egg in a harness between two brooms. Hagrid had wanted the egg to keep warm so Harry had put a warming charm on the box that Hagrid had filled with hay and to Harry’s astonishment a teddy bear.

“So Norbert won’t be lonely in the trip,” he’d said. Harry was really glad they were getting rid of the egg before it hatched or he thought that Hagrid would have been a lot more attached to the dragon, if naming an egg wasn’t already being attached.

Harry and Ron were so relieved to get rid of the egg that they forgot all about the Invisibility Cloak once they started back towards Gryffindor Tower. They were almost there when turning a corner they came face to face with Draco Malfoy and one of the teachers.

“I am telling you, I heard the Weasleys, Potter and Granger saying they’d be at the tallest tower at midnight tonight,” he had been saying and the teacher had been saying:

“I don’t care what you heard you had no right to walk around school at night-“ that’s when he had stopped and landed his eyes on Harry and Ron. Malfoy smirked evilly and Harry tried feebly.

“Hi dad,” waving his hand a little.

Sirius eyes narrowed and Harry strangely had the thought that he quite reminded him of Uncle Sev right then.

“What are you two doing outside of your dorms,” he hissed dangerously. Harry and Ron gulped but didn’t respond. Sirius hauled the three towards his office. And dangerously said:

“Now, I really don’t care what noble reason any of you may have had to be out in the halls at such a time. As I said, nothing gives you that right,” Harry did think that was very rich coming from a Marauder but wisely said nothing. “This will cost you fifty points each and a detention to be set.”

“What?” Harry and Ron cried.

“That’s not fair,” Malfoy protested, “I came to let McGonagall know. You’re just doing that because of Potter.”

“Where you not out of bounds Mr. Malfoy?” Sirius asked dangerously and Malfoy decided to shut up, “As you may have noticed, I actually took away more points from my house than Slytherin so be very careful who you are calling biased. I will accompany you and Ron to your respective dormitories while Mr. Potter Black,” he stressed the last word looking at Malfoy pointedly, “will come with me for a little father son chat.” Harry gulped again. Now he was in for it.