Hagrid's Dragon
The next few weeks were stressful. The days were spent watching the kids study, and nights were devoted to trying to figure out how to stop Quirrell. Hermione was freaking out because exams were in a few weeks. She pestered Harry, Ron, and even Draco into studying with her and snapped at the twins when they tried to get her to slow down. Sirius was actually happy they spent so much time studying, it let him catch up on his sleep. He was having no luck with Quirrell and Snape was in as foul a mood as ever. It was aggravating to say the least.
Sirius was woken from his nap under the table by Hagrid shushing the kids.
"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." Hagrid said.
Sirius frowned and slipped around behind Hagrid. He was hiding an egg behind his back. What was he doing with an egg? Sirius moved closer, sniffing. He was pretty sure it was a dragon egg. He knew Hagrid always wanted one.
He returned to Harry's side as Hagrid left.
"I wonder what he's hiding." Draco said.
Ron jumped up and went to see what books Hagrid had been looking at. Sirius rested his head on Harry's lap and tried not to fall asleep again.
"Harry, is everything alright with Shadow?" Hermione asked, "He's been sleeping a lot lately."
"I don't know." Harry sighed, "I think he might be sick. Draco, do you know of any vets I can take him to?"
Draco thought for a bit, "I know there's a village nearby. There might be one there. Only third years and older are really allowed to go, so that might be a problem. You should ask the twins."
Harry nodded.
"Dragons." Ron announced as he rejoined them.
"What about them?" Hermione frowned.
"That's what Hagrid was looking at. Books about dragons."
"Hagrid did mention that he's always wanted a dragon." Harry said.
"That's illegal." Draco said. "You can't breed dragons. It's too hard to hide from Muggles."
"And you can't tame them." Ron agreed, "You should see the burns Charlie's gotten."
"Well, I suppose we'll have to ask Hagrid about it when we see him, won't we?" Hermione said, then she turned back to her books.
------------line break---------------------
Sirius tried to hide how tired he was, but it wasn't working out so well. He was following Harry and his friends, minus the twins, to Hagrid's hut when he stumbled. Harry rushed to his side and started fussing over him.
"Hagrid's got a dog! Maybe he'll know what's wrong. I'm sorry Shadow. I-"
Draco cut him off, "Harry, we have been spending all our free time in the library. He probably just needs more exercise or something. I'm sure it's nothing."
Harry nodded and whispered another apology to Sirius. "I'll play with you more tomorrow, okay? Promise."
Sirius felt really guilty. It was his fault he was so tired and now Harry was worrying. He berated himself for being so stupid as they reached Hagrid's. He'd have to be more careful in the future. For Harry's sake.
It was blazing hot inside the hut, which confirmed Sirius's theory about Hagrid getting a dragon. Why else would he be so jumpy and keep his hut so hot?
"So-- yeh wanted to ask me somethin'?" Hagrid said.
"Yes." Harry answered, "We were wondering if you could tell us what's guarding the Sorcerer's Stone apart from Fluffy."
Sirius perked up at that. If he knew what else was guarding the thing, it could help him figure out what to do about Quirrell.
"O' course I can't." Sirius deflated, so much for that. "Number one, I don' know meself. Number two, yeh know too much already, so I wouldn' tell yeh if I could."
Sirius tuned Hagrid out, he wouldn't be of much help to Sirius at the moment anyway, and started sniffing around the hut. Harry pulled him back to his side a couple minutes later.
"Hagrid, how much do you know about dogs?" Harry asked. He started scratching behind Sirius's ear.
"Well, I wouldn' say I was an expert, bu' I know a fair bit."
"I think something's wrong with Shadow. Can you take a look at him?"
Sirius stiffened.
Hagrid frowned, "Wha' makes yeh think he's sick?"
"He's been sleeping for most of the day for the past few weeks, and he hasn't been eating as much. Did I do something wrong? Draco thinks it's because I haven't been playing with him as much lately."
Draco cut in, "That wouldn't be your fault, Harry. *You're* not the one that keeps dragging us to the library every spare minute."
Hermione scowled at him, "We need to study. Besides, it's not like I thought it would make Shadow ill!"
"Alrigh', alrigh', calm down now." Hagrid said, "It migh' have nothin' to do with yer studyin'. Sometimes, dogs get sick. It happens. Let 'im sleep and try givin' 'im beef broth to eat. Yeh should try to get 'im more exercise, but if he doesn' get better, there's a vet in Hogsmead yeh can take 'im to."
"Thanks, Hagrid." Harry hugged him.
--------------line break-----------------
The four kids were sitting outside by the lake, throwing a ball around for Sirius. The twins were at Quidditch practice, but promised to stop by later. Hermione had insisted on bringing some of their textbooks out with them so they could still study.
"I still can't believe he's going to try and raise a dragon here!" Draco was saying, "He lives in a wooden hut, for Merlin's sake!"
"You're not going to tell on him, are you?" Ron asked.
Draco sighed, "Not yet. But if it hurts anyone I most certainly will."
Hermione looked up from her Potions book. "I'm tempted to go tell someone now. Hagrid's nice and all, but this is horribly irresponsible. There's no way something won't go wrong."
"Oh, come on, Hermione." Ron said, "If it doesn't hurt anyone why shouldn't it stay? It's not like Muggles will see it, and Hagrid's is right next to the forest."
"So long as it doesn't light the forest on fire." Harry snorted, "I'm with Draco and Ron, Hermione. Please don't tell?"
Hermione made the mistake of looking at him. "Fine! I'll keep quiet so long as no one's hurt, now please, stop looking at me like that Harry. You look like a kicked puppy, it's not fair."
The boys laughed and turned their full attention to playing with Sirius.
---------------line break----------------
One morning Hedwig at breakfast Hedwig brought a note from Hagrid. There were only two words on it: It's hatching.
Ron wanted to go straight to Hagrid's and skip Herbology, Hermione wasn't nearly as enthusiastic.
"We've got lessons! We'll get into trouble if we skip." She insisted.
"I agree with Hermione here." Draco said, Harry had waved him over when Hedwig brought the note, "Besides, if we skip class it will look suspicious. If someone finds out why we skipped, they'll find the dragon and Hagrid will get into trouble too."
"Fine, we'll go during morning break. Sound good, Harry?"
Harry smiled and nodded.
As soon as Herbology was over the three Gryffindors dropped their trowels and ran to Hagrid's hut. Draco came running from the castle a minute or so later. Hagrid was flushed with excitement as he greeted them.
"It's nearly out." He ushered them inside.
The egg was lying on the table with deep cracks running through it. Sirius lifted himself onto his back legs so that he could see properly. He could hear an odd clicking noise coming from the egg.
The kids drew chairs up to the table and watched. Sirius rested his front paws on Harry's legs to steady himself.
All at once there was a scraping noise and the egg split open. The baby dragon flopped onto the table. It was black, with orange eyes, spiny wings, and the stubs of horns. It sneezed and sparks flew out of its snout.
"Isn't he beautiful?" Hagrid murmured. Sirius wrinkled his nose. Beautiful is not the word he would've used to describe the baby dragon. Seeing it hatch had been cool and all, but it wasn't exactly beautiful.
"Hagrid, how fast do Norwegian Ridgebacks grow, exactly?" Hermione asked.
Hagrid was about to answer when the color suddenly drained from his face. "Someone was lookin' through the gap in the window-- it's a kid-- he's runnin' back to the school."
Draco bolted to the door and looked outside. "Zabini!" He hissed, "He must've followed me here."
Harry frowned, "Hagrid, maybe you shouldn't keep the dragon. If he tells someone-"
"I can't get rid of 'im, Harry. He's too little, he'd die."
"But-"
"Keep him until he gets a little bigger, then Ron can have his brother come take him to a reserve with others of his kind." Draco said, "I think I can keep Zabini quiet for a week or two."
Hagrid didn't look too happy about that plan, but agreed anyway.
After they got back to the castle, Ron sent a letter to his brother telling him about the dragon and their plan while Draco went back to the Slytherin common room to have a talk with Blaise Zabini.