The Heist

In a few days, Hedwig came back with a reply.

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

This was good news considering the bite was indeed venomous and Ron was just starting to get better, so this way he still had another day two days to rest. We ended up going to see Hagrid and Norbert the next day to give him the good news, the plan is to go with Hagrid and use the invisibility cloak and bring Norbert there.

Luckily Hagrid doesn't have to lurk around when walking in the castle at night so it will only be two of us. Two of us because Ron and Hermione ditched us. Hermione didn't want the chance of getting in trouble, which I can't really argue with. Ron said he didn't want anything else to do with the 'snake with wings', he is just being petty to an animal in my opinion.

I also hadn't gotten a chance to see Malfoy alone lately, he has started to avoid me. I don't know why my cousin treats me so coldly.

****

On the day we got to see Norbert off Harry and I head to the astronomy tower with Hagrid and Norbert. The goodbye was just a lot of crying on Hagrid's part and Charlie's friends pointed out Norbert was a weird name for a girl. As a last-minute decision, Hagrid changed her name to Norbertta. We walked Hagrid back to his hut trying to soothe his crying to no avail.

After he stops crying we start heading back to the dorms talking as we walk but halfway there we realize we made a fatal mistake. We forgot the cloak in Hagrid's hut, as we turn around to go back and get it we hear a voice come from behind.

"Hello, Mr. Black, Mr. Potter." I turn around to see McGonagall standing there with her hard stare holding Neville by the collar as he looks disappointed.

As we meet eyes he speaks up "Sorry Soren, I tried to warn you that Malfoy overheard your plan and told Filch on you.

I just give a small smile "It's fine Neville, at least you tried." I meet eyes with McGonagall "Hello Professor."

"Don't give me that Mr. Black just when I was trying to change my opinion of you." She shakes her head "Even you Mr. Potter, I expected more of you."

"Sorry Professor," Harry says weakly.

'I almost forgot she was a pedo for Harry…' I think to myself OBVIOUSLY not going to say it aloud.

"I would never have believed it of any of you. Mr. Filch says you were up in the astronomy tower. It's one o'clock in the morning. Explain yourselves." She obviously has us pinned here, no reason to argue and get into more trouble.

"We, uhhh... I… I was just-" Harry stutters out.

"I believe I have a good idea of what is going on, You fed Draco Malfoy some cock-and-bull story about a dragon. You were trying to get him out of bed and into trouble. I've already caught him. I suppose you think it's funny that Longbottom here heard the story and believed it, too?" She raises a brow at Neville as if he would actually reply but he just looks at the floor.

"I am disgusted! Three kids out of bed in one night… Fifty points will be taken from Gryffindor and you will all receive detection… including you Mr. Longbottom." She angrily glares at Harry and me.

"""FIFTY!?""" as if a choir Harry, Neville, and I yell in sync.

"Each." She speaks slowly as if stabbing in a blade.

"But that's nearly all the points I've gained for us…" My voice is quiet but she still hears me.

She just glared at me even harder… I wonder what for, not like I was understating. It's not she is the one getting the points stolen from her. In fact, she is the real thief here.

"Follow me, your detention will be decided at a later date, until then you will attend class with no mishaps... " She glares at us again "Is that understood."

I just nod while Harry and Neville are both looking at the ground, Neville looks on the verge of crying.

Once we get back to the doors we all immediately go to bed… I say 'go to bed' But I don't think Harry slept and Neville was crying into his pillow for hours. I swear that boy is made out of water, I really can't seem to make him grow up.

The next day the other Gyphindor started to treat us differently, Neville less so since he wasn't really responsible. But they noticeably started to speak poorly of Harry and avoid me, probably because they were still scared of me.

That weekend our punishment was decided and it was also decided that Malfoy would be punished as well. That night we met Filch at the courtyard gate. Neville, Harry, and I were confused as to what our punishment really was.

As we saw Filch he looked at us with his usual annoyed-looking face. "Follow me," he says with a gruff.

"Bet after tonight you'll think twice about breaking school rules again… Oh yeah… hard work and pain are the best teachers if you ask me...It's just a pity they let the old punishments die out... hang you by your wrists from the ceiling for a few days.

I've got the chains still in my office, keep 'em well oiled in case they're ever needed… Right, off we go and don't think of running off, now, it'll be worse for you if you do." He has a creepy grin on his face.

"That sounds a bit extreme." I give him a look as if he is insane, to which he seems proud.

"Hmph. You kids wouldn't survive back in that day. You got unlucky, they gave you bad detention this time, you'll have to go with Hagrid into the forbidden forest… Hagrid's suggestion." He gives wipes a small tear from his eye. "I didn't know the big lug knew punishment."

All of our eyes go wide knowing we would be going into the forbidden forest at night. 'That's a bit far, no?' I think to myself.