~21~ NORBERT

'Finally, the gloomy weather ended' thought Hermione as she looked outside of the window.

She didn't like autumn. Winter was cold as well so her favourite was summer hot and dry and spring nature being born by its ashes. It's still rainy but it doesn't affect her as much as autumn and there is a rainbow after each rain as well which helps her cheer up.

The end of year is approaching and professors give homework more and more not letting them take a breath.

Harry is struggling to balance his Quidditch practices and studies but trying to be best in each subject and excelling as a seeker makes its toll. 'How did he find time to investigate about all those things and not expelled from the school already?' Hermione tried to understand and at the end decided it's about him being protagonist and plot armour to protect him.

Suddenly she ran to her calendar and looked at it. "How did I forget about it? *sigh* I must be too tired to realize what today is" she said aloud.

Tomorrow is the day of the hatching of the dragon. She need t talk to Hagrid and persuade him to give the egg or the little dragon away or he would be sent to the Azkaban.

Today she had potions and DADA and as usual, she studied seventh-year courses in DADA she couldn't understand how the parents of noble wizards didn't complain until now. Quirrell is incapable of teaching and all he does to read theories written in the book and walk around with his garlic scents.

In the potions, they practised forgetfulness potion which is also the subject of their exam and of course only Hermione knew about it.

"Say, Hermione, why professor Snape isn't a DADA teacher while another one is potion master? Because I think he would do better with his dark mood and poisonous words in spells and maybe would teach us duels. He isn't the best potion teacher in the world"

Hermione tried to stop Padma from talking about Snape who is standing behind her but she didn't realize the danger and kept talking as if the play button is pushed and no one would stop her before she said everything she thought about him and when she realized Snape he was looking daggers at her.

"Ms Pavil thank you for your honest thought and you've got detention with your favourite potion teacher and help him in his experiments for a whole month and you've lost 30 points" her mouth was opened but she couldn't say a word before the bell rang and everybody left gossiping about her bravery.

Some even patted her shoulders and saying "Nice one!" Padma was holding herself back to not cry and let her tears to fall. She was thinking about her future seven years and worried about her potion classes and possible fails in his exams.

Padma turned around and looked at Hermione as if she is her number one enemy "Hermione, why did you not warn me? Now he will make my future a hell" before she says anything else Hermione cast "Silenco" and dragged her to their Ravenclaw house.

They stopped in front of the portrait waiting for the riddle.

"How do you make the number one disappear by adding to it?" asked the portrait. They thought for a while before saying at the same time

"Gone"

They chuckled before Padma said "Add G in front and one is gone"

The door opened and they went to Hermione's room. It was closer to the stairs.

" Are you an idiot Padma? You got detention and still talked about him in front of his class what if he heard you and I tried to warn you but you didn't see and kept talking as if there I no tomorrow and got caught," said Hermione in her room.

" I don't know. Suddenly I thought about him and started talking. Do you think he cast a spell to learn about himself? " she asked while sitting on the couch Hermione moved to her room after their first month.

She loved to read and relax in her couch so she asked her parents to send it, of course, she offered elves to help her and paid for their help. They refused to accept the money but she forced them and they thanked her and sent ice cream to her room every night. If she wasn't a wizard and spent stamina for her practices she would become a pig already.

Hermione was plunged in thought when Padma shrugged her.

"Sorry, what did you say?" She blushed and embarrassed to forgot about her friend.

"You lost in thought again. *sigh* I asked what do you think about professor? "

"No. I think it's different from what you think. Maybe he enchanted his classroom to be warned when a student think badly about him and causes the target to say what he or she thinks aloud"

" But it's not the first time I thought about it. And I believe others also thought the same as me" she refused.

"What if it's not an active spell but a passive one and he needs to activate it. Think about it. If he lets everybody to say what they thought he would kill or left Hogwarts or he needs an excuse to deduct points and the unlucky one was you" Hermione considered.

Padma nodded. "I guess you're right. Why me? There were others there as well" she sobbed and hugged Hermione.

"We need to go to the lunch I'm hungry and a good cone of ice cream would cheer you up. Let's go." They arrived the great hall when it became silent and whispers began They were pointing at Padma and telling their friend about the potion class.

Hermione visited Hagrid alone in the afternoon. His door and windows were closed and his chimney was smoking in this weather. Hermione knocked on the door thrice when she heard Fang's voice.

"Back boy, back" she heard Hadrig's voice. After entering the room she felt she entered the sauna. It was hot as hell and she sweated before casting "Ventus" causing strong wind.

" Hadrig, what's happening here and why it's so hot? I saw you borrowing a book from restricted section so I guess it's about a dragon what do you think?" Hadrig was surprised and worried he sat in his chair and spoke.

"Yes Hermione, you're right. It's a dragon and I plan to raise it's a baby and needs a caring parent. Please don't talk to anybody else about it. I beg you"

"*sigh* Hadrig, you know you can't raise it here. Your hat is made of wood and with a breath, it could destroy it. Also, it needs a natural habitat to grow. You're not a dragon and can't control it when it grows. You should tell professor Dumbledore and he can help you also permit to see it. "

Hermione coaxed him and she knew he was convinced when she mentioned Dumbledore. She waited for him to go to the Headmaster's room and waited in his hut fearing some mishap. Hadrig returned in an hour and told her Dumbledore accepted his deal and sent a message to Romania for sending a person to bring bag the little dragon. They will arrive next week and he has a week before giving it to them.

"I'm happy for you Hagrid. Why don't you resign and work as a caretaker for dragons or magical beast instead of staying at Hogwarts?" She was curious.

"I was expelled from Hogwarts because of an accident and as I'm a half-giant no wizard wants to hire me except professor Dumbledore. I'm grateful." She didn't know whether to laugh or cry. The reason why he was expelled was Tom Riddle, Dumbledore knew that but didn't intercept and got a loyal follower or pawn should she say. She hid from his memories to the deepest part of his mind to block in case Dumbledore asks him about her or read his mind.

Norberta hatched the next day. It was a Norwegian Ridgeback. But Hagrid didn't know he was a SHE and Hermione didn't correct him.

" Look, Hermione, he knows me now, watch. Norbert, Norbert, Norbert! Where is mummy?"

Dragon sprayed flames and burned his beard. Hagrid looked funny wearing gloves as if Norbert is a cookie he took out from the oven. He got attached to it but unfortunately the next week he let him go. Unlike the original Hermione didn't mention Harry about the dragon and stealthily went to the Hadrig's hut so Draco couldn't follow him even if he knew about it. Nobody got detention to the Forbidden Forest.

'For god's sake who would send 11 years old children to a forest in the middle of the night as a punishment without listening to their excuses and also it's forbidden by the headmaster to go there by students and teachers send them' It's illogical.' It was one of the plot holes she thought and returned her room after hiding and watching them from a distance to take the dragon and flew away.

"One less problem what will he do for the parasite? Anyway, it's his problem not mine" She said to nobody and returned.