The Road Ahead is Long and Difficult

If purring was the only way a dragon expressed affection, Anthony could barely accept it. But breathing fire at each other was obviously another way dragons showed their feelings, as Norbert soon demonstrated by blowing out another stream of flames.

"We really need to get you out of here as soon as possible," Anthony muttered, swatting at Norbert, who was clawing at his pockets, trying to tear away his second robe.

Hagrid gazed at Norbert in fascination, his dark eyes gleaming with a dreamy brilliance. "It's really beautiful, isn't it?" he sighed.

Anthony didn't answer. Instead, he covered his pocket protectively and glanced around Hagrid's hut. "Did Minerva come to check on you after the fire?"

"No," said Hagrid. "Y'know, my place is a bit outta the way. Not many people come here."

Anthony looked down at Norbert and met the dragon's mischievous gaze. Norbert's nostrils twitched, releasing a large puff of black smoke as he prepared to unleash another fireball.

"No," Anthony said firmly. He quickly performed an Extinguishing Charm (Charlie's friends had sent him three pages of very detailed fire-containment spells, which looked like they had been ripped straight out of a textbook). Then, turning back to Hagrid, he added, "That's good news. Otherwise, you'd have to explain to everyone why your hut nearly burned down."

Norbert sneezed, sending out a few sparks from his nose. He scratched at his snout with the spikes on his wings in confusion, then started gnawing at them for entertainment.

...

"According to Fred and George, we need to take Norbert to the castle, find the statue of the one-eyed witch on the third floor—I think I know which one they mean—say the incantation, and access the secret passage to Honeydukes."

Anthony watched as Hagrid placed a stack of rock cakes into the crate. "Then we sneak out of Honeydukes' cellar, and if we're lucky, Dumbledore will swoop in and stop the Ministry from sending us to Azkaban for smuggling an illegal dragon out of the country. Brilliant plan, right? Flawless."

Hagrid, lost in his grief, nodded absently. "Of course, Henry."

"Quirrell was right. I must be insane," Anthony muttered, tossing a dead mouse to Norbert, who stumbled over to grab it. "Oh well. We'll take it one step at a time."

Anthony cast a Disillusionment Charm on himself, but for some reason, it had no effect on Hagrid.

"I can keep my coat on," Hagrid said in a low voice. "I'll just carry Norbert under it. No one'll notice, right?"

"I'll just pray we don't run into anyone," Anthony replied, lifting the Disillusionment Charm. He briefly considered bringing along the wraith mouse but decided against it. "Alright, take Norbert. And if you want to wear your coat, I won't stop you. Let's move."

"Okay, okay." Hagrid gently lifted the crate containing Norbert, who was banging against the tightly sealed lid in frustration.

They stepped out of the hut, finding Fang gnawing on a bone in the shadow of the eaves. The boarhound looked up, then immediately let out a loud bark.

"Be quiet, Fang," Hagrid hushed him. "We don't want to be seen."

"It's fine, Hagrid," Anthony said lightly. "Standing next to your own house isn't suspicious. Just try not to look so guilty."

"Oh—well, sorry," Hagrid mumbled, still hunching his shoulders and attempting to tiptoe alongside Anthony.

As soon as they entered the castle, Filch appeared from nowhere, Mrs. Norris slinking at his heels.

"Professor Anthony, I thought you'd gone home?" Filch asked, twitching his nose suspiciously. His beady eyes shifted to Hagrid, who was clutching his moleskin coat. There was a distinct thumping sound beneath it. "What's that noise?"

"I can be wherever I want, Filch," Hagrid replied gruffly.

"Mr. Filch," Anthony greeted him with a pleasant nod. "Yes, I did go home, but when I got there, I realized I'd forgotten my coconut ice cream. I was going to give it to a friend. Oh, by the way, I don't recall if I ever mentioned that friend to you—he once gave me a rather genius potion. A joy potion, actually—"

"Well, go fetch your coconut sorbet, Professor Anthony," Filch interrupted, glancing at Hagrid one last time before shaking his head and muttering, "too drunk," under his breath.

Anthony barely held back a laugh as he saw Madam Pomfrey flash past behind a pillar.

"Let's go," he murmured. "Before someone else sees us."

Hagrid followed him up the stairs, moving as quietly as possible.

They moved carefully around the first landing. Norbert seemed to have fallen asleep, as a faint snoring sound now drifted from the crate. Another landing… Anthony exhaled slowly. With all the students gone for the summer, the castle was mercifully empty.

"Great, Henry." Hagrid followed Anthony up the stairs, carefully cradling the box in his arms. "What's this Joy Potion, then?"

"I don't know, something like the Cheering Charm," Anthony said. "Caredi and I joked that we should've had a few doses before grading papers."

A cold snort echoed from above.

Anthony looked up to see Snape standing leisurely on the second-floor landing. His expression was unreadable, but his voice was unmistakably laced with mockery.

"Well, well—look who it is. Professor Anthony, and… Hagrid. What a delightful surprise."

Anthony took a deep breath and forced a polite smile. "Good afternoon, Professor Snape."

"It must be a matter of great urgency to bring you back after your rather formal departure from Hogwarts," Snape said smoothly, his gaze flicking toward the odd bulge under Hagrid's coat. The snoring emanating from beneath the fabric did not go unnoticed. "And what, pray tell, is that?"

Hagrid let out a strangled sound, caught between a greeting and a guilty cough. Snape's thin lips curled into an unpleasant smirk.

"Yes, very urgent," Anthony said lightly, flashing a smile. "So if you don't mind, Professor Snape, we'll just be on our way."

"In fact, I do mind," Snape interjected smoothly, stepping forward to block their path. His voice was calm, yet there was an undeniable edge to it. "Given recent events, I find it necessary to be extra vigilant—especially during the holidays—when certain individuals… and certain things… might not belong within the castle walls." His eyes flickered toward Hagrid's suspiciously lumpy coat. "You understand, I'm sure, Anthony? Particularly after what transpired at the end of last term?"

"Of course, Professor Snape," Anthony said smoothly. "But I was under the impression that you had left the school as well?"

"Unlike you, Anthony, I was invited back," Snape replied coolly. "Madam Pomfrey requested my insight regarding the effectiveness of Mr. Davies' treatment. Now, tell me—what exactly have you brought into the castle?"

"My experimental supplies," Anthony replied smoothly. "As you can probably imagine, it's difficult to find an appropriate space to conduct certain types of research. With the students gone, the school presents an excellent opportunity."

Snape narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing him. "Your experiment…"

"The Headmaster approved it," Anthony said quickly. "In fact, I sought his advice on whether to continue my research, and he encouraged me to proceed—within reason, of course. You're more than welcome to confirm it with him."

Snape exhaled sharply through his nose and turned his attention back to Hagrid. "And you, Hagrid? What exactly are you doing? Assisting in one of these… experiments?"

"Err…" Hagrid hesitated, shifting uncomfortably.

Anthony stepped in before Hagrid could fumble. "My supplies are too heavy—and too delicate—to risk levitating. Hagrid, being the generous soul he is, kindly offered to help."

Snape's expression remained impassive. "How very considerate."

"And," Anthony added, "I also need to maintain precise temperature conditions. You know how volatile magical experiments can be."

At that moment, Norbert stirred within the crate and began thrashing against the wooden sides, emitting a few muffled grunts of irritation.

Snape's eyebrow twitched. "There is, I believe, a simple spell known as the Warming Charm—"

Anthony cut him off smoothly. "Which is, of course, subject to strict Ministry regulations."

Snape's eyes flicked between Anthony and Hagrid before he finally said, "I advise you to be careful, Hagrid. Some may hold differing opinions, but I would not trust a wizard who has only been at Hogwarts for a year." He deliberately omitted a few choice modifiers before "wizard," then swept past them and strode toward the dungeons.

Hagrid let out a long breath. Anthony, trying to keep his tone lighthearted and reassuring, said, "It's all right, Hagrid. Let's go. We're almost there."

"Yeah, yeah," muttered Hagrid. A few odd noises came from the crate, and Norbert seemed to be contentedly gnawing on his stoat sandwich.

The third-floor corridor was eerily deserted. They had reached the hunchbacked, one-eyed witch without incident—a small miracle, considering neither Filch nor Snape had materialized behind them.

Now came the real test: whether Fred and George had decided to add a bit of extra mischief to the Professor's life.

Anthony drew his wand and whispered, "Dissendium." He tapped the statue, and the hump opened, revealing a narrow passage barely wide enough for a thin person to squeeze through.

"Well, I had a feeling something wouldn't go quite as planned," said Anthony, eyeing the cramped tunnel. "Give me the box, Hagrid. Change of plan—I'll see you in Hogsmeade. You create a distraction for the Honeydukes clerk while I sneak out."

"Oh, Norbert," Hagrid murmured, holding the crate close to his chest before reluctantly handing it over. "See you at Honeydukes. Take care, and look after Norbert."

"You be careful, too," Anthony said. "No matter what anyone asks, just say I sent you to buy some coconut ice from Honeydukes, all right?"

"Coconut ice," Hagrid repeated. "No problem." He pulled out a handkerchief and loudly blew his nose, as if he were allergic to the words coconut ice.

Anthony secured the crate and crawled into the passage. "I promise everything will be fine. Stay strong, Hagrid—Norbert needs your help now."

"Yes," said Hagrid, sounding more resolute. "I'm Norbert's mother. See you later, Henry."

The tunnel was slippery, dark, and cold, like a stone chute. Holding Norbert's crate tightly against his chest, Anthony slid downward.

One of the balloons tied to the box suddenly burst, and the passage filled with loud pops, echoing like an explosion. Norbert, who had been quietly whimpering, immediately panicked, thrashing inside the crate, his claws scraping against the wood as he tried to force the lid open.

"Okay, okay, it's all right," Anthony soothed, gripping the crate tighter.

They landed with a thud on damp, muddy ground in pitch darkness. For a moment, Anthony feared he had somehow ended up in the Chamber of Secrets again—but after feeling around carefully, he found no skeletal remains.

"Lumos," Anthony whispered, and the tip of his wand flared to life with a bright white glow. The little dragon gradually calmed down and resumed gnawing on its dead mouse.

The passage was incredibly long and winding.

The ground was uneven, and Norbert kept tossing inside the crate, sending out occasional puffs of black smoke through the cracks in irritation. Anthony suspected that the dragon had once again baked Hagrid's rock cakes.

After what felt like an eternity, a long stone staircase appeared before him.

"Wouldn't it be faster if you just flew up yourself?" Anthony muttered, adjusting his grip on the crate. "Alright, let's go. Hagrid should be waiting."

Norbert answered with an angry thud against the wood, causing a bit of scorched dust to trickle from the seams.

"What's the name of that spell that muffles sound?" Anthony mused as he climbed the stairs. "Wait—does such a spell even exist? I really should review my Charms notes... Charms is quite interesting..."

Norbert slammed against the crate again, the impact landing directly against Anthony's chest like an oddly-shaped, external, thudding heart.

"Hey, Hagrid and I will probably come visit you," Anthony said. "I'm really not used to this... You know, you're a dragon, and..." He hesitated on the steps, momentarily lost in thought, then murmured, "You're alive."

Another balloon popped. Under the steady glow of his wand, Anthony saw a sharp golden claw slip out through the crate's cracks and precisely puncture a pink balloon.

Anthony sighed and vanished the rest of the balloons. Norbert let out a disgruntled whimper and scratched at the wood.

"Would a Stunning Spell work on you?" Anthony mused aloud. "I haven't tried that yet."

...

The stone steps led him to a trapdoor. He paused, listening carefully, but upon hearing nothing, he slowly pushed it open. As the Weasley twins had described, it was indeed a cellar packed with crates of sweets. Norbert started whining again.

Anthony moved cautiously toward the wooden stairs leading up and caught the sound of voices and footsteps from above.

"Yes, coconut ice again," Hagrid said in an overly loud voice. "I want—er, Henry needs—uh, three more boxes."

"Three boxes?" the shopkeeper asked, surprised. "In that case, I suggest that Professor Anthony use our owl-order service. We can ship the sweets directly to his address—here, this is the order form. I've already noted the quantity. You can simply write down the delivery location here."

"No, no," Hagrid said quickly. "I just need three boxes now."

"But you've already ordered two boxes," the clerk pointed out. "Are you certain you want to carry five boxes? Our owl delivery rates are quite reasonable..."

Hagrid sounded almost desperate. "Yes, please, just open the storage room one more time..."

An unfamiliar woman's voice cut in impatiently, "Move the crate aside—three bags of Chocolate Frogs. How much?"

"My dear, please fetch three more boxes of coconut ice cream for Mr. Hagrid and check the stock," the shopkeeper said. "This way, ma'am."

The footsteps grew louder. Anthony quickly cast a Disillusionment Charm on himself and ducked under the stairs, clutching the crate tightly. Silently, he prayed to God, Merlin, Death, Norbert's teddy bear, and even the garlic-scented portrait on Quirrell's office door that the little dragon would stay quiet for just a few minutes.

Desperate, he slipped his pinky into the crack of the crate, hoping that Norbert would be too distracted nibbling his hand to keep thrashing about.

"Nice to see you, Professor Anthony," came a cheerful voice from beneath the stairs.

Startled, Anthony turned to find a grinning red-haired young man stepping out of the shadows.

Fred—or perhaps George—Weasley beamed at him mischievously.

...

Bonus Chapter @50 Power Stones