Quirrell, however, must have been braver than they'd thought. In the weeks that followed he did seem to be getting paler and thinner, but it didn't look as though he'd cracked yet.Every time they passed the third-floor corridor, Harry, Ron, Rigel and Hermione would press their ears to the door to check that Fluffy was still growling inside. Snape was sweeping about in his usual bad temper,which surely meant that the Stone was still safe. When ever Harry passed Quirrell these days he gave him an encouraging sort of smile, and Ron had started telling people off for laughing at Quirrell's stutter.

Hermione and Rigel, however, had more on their minds than the Philosophers Stone. Hermione had started drawing up study schedules and Rigel spent most of his free time revising.Harry and Ron wouldn't have minded, but Hermione kept nagging them to do the same."Hermione, the exams are ages away.""Ten weeks," Hermione snapped. "That's not ages, that's like a second to Nicolas Flamel.""But we're not six hundred years old," Ron reminded her. "Anyway, what are you studying for, you already know it .""What am I studying for? Are you crazy? You realize we need to pass these exams to get into the second year? They're very important, I should have started studying a month ago, I don't know what's gotten into me". Rigel was busy going over his third year charm books. "come on Rigel stoooop" Ron whined. "i cant Ron im going to be doing the third year charms exam and ive got to makes sure my notes are safe from Fred and George" Riguel said.

The teachers seemed to be thinking along the same lines as Hermione and Rigel. They piled so much homework on them that the Easter holidays weren't nearly as much fun as the Christmas ones. It was hard to relax with Hermione next to you reciting the twelve uses of dragon's blood or practicing wand movements and Riguel making you practice your charms work. Rigel felt on the verge of a break down. the four spent most of their three time in the library trying to get through their extra work.

"I'll never remember this," Ron burst out one afternoon, throwing downhis quill and looking longingly out of the library window. It was the first really fine day they'd had in months. The sky was a clear,forget-me-not blue, and there was a feeling in the air of summer coming. "Ron if you want i could help you" Rigel said. "r-really"  Ron said. "yeah ill go get my notes from the dorm just dont go sharing them" he whispered to him. Ron nodded and Rigel left .

as Rigel left Gryffindor tower with the notes he had back to the library he bumped into Draco and Blaise. "hello cousin" Draco said. "if it isn't the boy who tried to kill me hey Blaise" Rigel said to the boy beside Draco. "hello Rigel" Blaise said to Rigel while winking. "what do you want Draco" Rigel asked. "is it a crime to talk to my cousin" Draco asked innocently. "it is when your cousin tried to cripple you" Rigel said pushing past them. "would you like to study with us" Blaise asked. "no thanks ive already got study partners" Rigel said. "yes i noticed a mud blood and a blood traitor if your not careful some people might think your a blood traitor as well" Blaise said. "just as i was beginning to like you you insult my friends" Rigel said pushing past Blaise and going back to the library.

as he got back he saw the three getting ready to leave. "hey Ron here are my notes" Rigel said handing them to him. "T-thanks" Ron said. "so guys anything happen when i was away" Rigel asked. we got invited to Hagrids" Hermione asked. "want to come" Harry asked. "wish i could but all i want after this is a nice warm bed for a nap" Rigel said. "its ok we understand that" Harry said. "completely" Ron said. "thanks for understanding" Rigel said before leaving.

Ron couldn't help but smile as Rigel left. he admired his friend his creativity, his kindness, his beautiful black hair. Ron shook his head of these thoughts. "are you alright Ron" Harry asked. "i-im f-fine" Ron said. "you sure" Hermione said. "I SAID IM FINE" he shouted before running out of the library. he ran into the boys bathroom and into a empty stall and ran into it and began to cry feeling nothing but disgust with himself "boys dont date boys its vile and disgusting and sick" Percy's voice rang in his head. all this did was make him cry more.

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he next Morning the three told Rigel all about Hagrid having a Dragons egg. "this is dangerous if Hagrid gets caught he could get sent to Azkaban" Rigel said. "he wont get caught" Harry said. "he better not or im blaming you harry" Rigel said ending the conversation.

At one Breakfast time Hedwig brought Harry a note. "whos that from" Rigel asked. "Hagrid its time" Harry said grinning. Ron wanted to skip Herbology and go straight down to the hut. Hermione wouldn't hear of it."Hermione, how many times in our lives are we going to see a dragon hatching?"Ron said."We've got lessons, we'll get into trouble, and that's nothing to what Hagrid's going to be in when someone finds out what he's doing " Hermione said."Shut up!" Harry whispered. Malfoy was only a few feet away and he had stopped dead to listen. "can we help you Draco" Rigel asked. "oh no Cousin i just remembered something" he said before walking away smirking. "oh no" Rigel said as Draco walked away.

Ron and Hermione argued all the way to Herbology and in the end,Hermione agreed to run down to Hagrid's with the other three during morning break. When the bell sounded from the castle at the end of their lesson, the four of them dropped their trowels at once and hurried through the grounds to the edge of the forest. Hagrid greeted them,looking flushed and excited."It's nearly out." He ushered them inside.The egg was lying on the table. There were deep cracks in it. Somethingwas moving inside; a funny clicking noise was coming from it.They all drew their chairs up to the table and watched with bated breath.All at once there was a scraping noise and the egg split open. The baby dragon flopped onto the table. It wasn't exactly pretty. "uh its cute Hagrid" Rigel said fake smiling.

"thank ya Rigel" he said to him. It sneezed. A couple of sparks flew out of its snout."Isn't he beautiful?" Hagrid murmured. He reached out a hand to stroke the dragon's head. It snapped at his fingers, showing pointed fangs.  "Bless him, look, he knows his mommy!" said Hagrid."Hagrid," said Rigel, "out of curiosity and possibly fear how fast do Norwegian Ridge backs grow,exactly?"Hagrid was about to answer when the color suddenly drained from his face he leapt to his feet and ran to the window."What's the matter?""Someone was lookin' through the gap in the curtains it's a kid he's runnin' back up ter the school."

Rigel ran to the window and went wide eyed. "it was Draco he saw everything" Rigel said to the others.

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Something about the smile lurking on Malfoy's face during the next week made Harry, Ron, and Hermione and Riguel were very nervous. They spent most of their free time in Hagrid's darkened hut, trying to reason with him."Just let him go," Harry urged. "Set him free.""I can't," said Hagrid. "He's too little. He'd die."They looked at the dragon. It had grown three times in length in just a week. Smoke kept furling out of its nostrils. Hagrid hadn't been doinghis game keeping duties because the dragon was keeping him so busy. There were empty brandy bottles and chicken feathers all over the floor."I've decided to call him Norbert," said Hagrid, looking at the dragonwith misty eyes. "He really knows me now, watch. Norbert! Norbert!Where's Mommy?""He's lost his marbles," Ron muttered in Harry's ear.

"Hagrid look at how fast hes growing with in 2 weeks he,ll be as long as your hut plus Dumbledore and Draco could come in any minute and see him" Rigel said. "hes right" Harry said. Hagrid bit his lip. "I-I know I can't keep him forever, but I can't jus' dump him, I can't."Harry suddenly turned to Ron. Charlie, he said."You're losing it, too," said Ron. "I'm Ron, remember?""No Charlie your brother, Charlie. In Romania. Studying dragons.We could send Norbert to him. Charlie can take care of him and then put him back in the wild!""Brilliant!" said Ron. "How about it, Hagrid?" Rigel asked.

And in the end, Hagrid agreed that they could send an owl to Charlie to ask him.The following week dragged by.

Wednesday night found Hermione and Harry and Rigel sitting alone in the common room, long after everyone else had gone to bed. The clock on the wall had just chimed midnight when the portrait hole burst open. Ron appeared out of no where as he pulled off Harry's invisibility cloak. He had been down at Hagrid's hut, helping him feed Norbert, who was now eating dead rats by the crate."It bit me!" he said, showing them his hand, which was wrapped in a bloody handkerchief. "I'm not going to be able to hold a quill for a week. I tell you, that dragon's the most horrible animal I've ever met,but the way Hagrid goes on about it, you'd think it was a fluffy little bunny rabbit. When it bit me he told me off for frightening it. And when I left, he was singing it a lullaby." "ill get some bandages" Rigel said heading up to their dorm.

Rigel carefully went into the room and opened his trunk and pulled out some band aides and a small healing potion. he went back down and saw them reading a note. "is that from charlie" Rigel asked as he put band aides on Ron's bitten hand. "yeah Saturday night the night Norbet leaves and goes and begins his new life" harry said. "alright Ron open up" Rigel said uncorking the bottle. Ron made a face of disgust. "relax Ron it doesn't taste to bad my aunt use to give this to my cousin Tonks for most of our child hood shes real clumsy" Rigel said. Ron reluctantly opened his mouth and Rigel quickly poured the potion down his throat.Ron began to cough. "feel better" Rigel asked. "a little" Ron said.

"good" Rigel said smiling at him.
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The next morning a hitch happened Ron's bitten hand had swollen to twice its usual size. He didn't know whether it was safe to go to Madam Pomfrey would she recognize a dragon bite? By the afternoon, though,he had no choice. The cut had turned a nasty shade of green. It looked as if Norbert's fangs were poisonous.

when Rigel saw it he practically dragged Ron to the Hospital wing. "back again Mr Lestrange" she said looking at the two boys. "im not here because of me im here for him" he said showing her Ron's hand. "what happened she asked inspecting it. "the twins pranked him and it infected this dog bite" Riguel said. "well thank you for bringing him here Mr Lestrange 4 points to Gryffindor" She said taking Ron to one of the hospital beds. "ill be back later Ron ill make sure to get you your school work" he said smirking. "dont you dare" he said weakly. Rigel couldn't help but giggle at his ginger friend/crush.

he came back later with Harry and Hermione at the end of the day and found him in a terrible state. "It's not just my hand," he whispered, "although that feels like it's about to fall off. Malfoy told Madam Pomfrey he wanted to borrow one of my books so he could come and have a good laugh at me. He kept threatening to tell her what really bit me Rigel told her it was a dog, but I don't think she believes that" he said. Rigel rubbed his back. "this is all my fault i shouldn't have injured him during the Qudditch match" Rigel said smacking his head. "its not your fault its Malfoy he loves messing with us" Hermione said.

"It'll all be over at midnight on Saturday," said Hermione, but this didn't soothe Ron at all. On the contrary, he sat bolt upright and broke into a sweat."Midnight on Saturday!" he said in a hoarse voice. "Oh no oh no I've just remembered Charlie's letter was in that book Malfoy took, he's going to know we're getting rid of Norbert."Harry and Hermione and Rigel didn't get a chance to answer. Madam Pomfrey came over at that moment and made them leave, saying Ron needed sleep.

"It's too late to change the plan now," Rigel told them. "We haven't got time to send Charlie another owl, and this could be our only chance to get rid of Norbert. We'll have to risk it. And we have got the invisibility cloak, Malfoy doesn't know about that."

They found Fang, the boar hound, sitting outside with a bandaged tail when they went to tell Hagrid, who opened a window to talk to them."I won't let you in," he puffed. "Norbert's at a tricky stage nothin'I can't handle."When they told him about Charlie's letter, his eyes filled with tears,although that might have been because Norbert had just bitten him on the leg."Aargh! It's all right, he only got my boot jus' playin' he's only a baby, after all."The baby banged its tail on the wall, making the windows rattle. Harry and Hermione and Rigel walked back to the castle feeling Saturday couldn't come quickly enough.They would have felt sorry for Hagrid when the time came for him to say good-bye to Norbert if they hadn't been so worried about what they had to do. It was a very dark, cloudy night, and they were a bit late arriving at Hagrid's hut because they'd had to wait for Peeves to ge tout of their way in the entrance hall, where he'd been playing tennis against the wall. Hagrid had Norbert packed and ready in a large crate."He's got lots o' rats an' some brandy fer the journey," said Hagrid in a muffled voice. "An' I've packed his teddy bear in case he gets lonely."From inside the crate came ripping noises that sounded to Harry as though the teddy was having his head torn off."Bye-bye, Norbert!"

Hagrid sobbed, as Harry and Hermione and Rigel covered the crate with the invisibility cloak and stepped underneath it themselves."Mommy will never forget you!"How they managed to get the crate back up to the castle, they never knew. Midnight ticked nearer as they heaved Norbert up the marble staircase in the entrance hall and along the dark corridors. UP another staircase, then another even one of Harry's shortcuts didn't make the work much easier."Nearly there!" Rigel panted as they reached the corridor beneath the tallest tower.Then a sudden movement ahead of them made them almost drop the crate.Forgetting that they were already invisible, they shrank into the shadows, staring at the dark outlines of three people grappling with each other ten feet away. A lamp flared.Professor McGonagall, in a tartan bathrobe and a hair net, had Malfoy by the ear."Detention!" she shouted. "And twenty points from Slytherin! Wandering around in the middle of the night, how dare you ""You don't understand, Professor. Harry Potter's coming he's got a dragon!"

"What utter rubbish! How dare you tell such lies! Come on I shall see Professor Snape about you, Malfoy!"The steep spiral staircase up to the top of the tower seemed the easiest thing in the world after that. Not until they'd stepped out into the cold night air did they throw off the cloak, glad to be able to breathe properly again. Hermione did a sort of jig."Malfoy's got detention! I could sing!""Don't," Harry advised her.Chuckling about Malfoy, "this is what i call justice" Rigel said smirking and rubbing his hands together they waited, Norbert thrashing about in his crate. About ten minutes later, four broomsticks came swooping down out of the darkness.Charlie's friends were a cheery lot. They showed Harry and Hermione and Riguel

the harness they'd rigged up, so they could suspend Norbert between them.They all helped buckle Norbert safely into it and then Harry and Hermione and Rigel shook hands with the others and thanked them very much.At last, Norbert was going... going... gone.They slipped back down the spiral staircase, their hearts as light as their hands, now that Norbert was off them. No more dragon -- Malfoy in detention -- what could spoil their happiness?The answer to that was waiting at the foot of the stairs. As they stepped into the corridor, Filch's face loomed suddenly out of the darkness."Well, well, well," he whispered, "we are in trouble."They'd left the invisibility cloak on top of the tower. "its official we are screwed" Rigel said wide eyed.