The frost still clung to the edges of the castle windows even though the new term had started. The crisp cold seemed to creep through the old stones of Hogwarts, making the common rooms especially inviting with their roaring fires and deep armchairs.
The library was warm though and buzzing with quiet activity when Harry finally joined Hermione at the table they had claimed for their own. She looked up from a thick volume and smiled, her cheeks pink from the cold.
"You have been avoiding me." she said, accusing mockingly.
'Involving her might put her in danger, Harry.' That had been Lynne's thoughts on letting Hermione know about the stone. He had thought about it for a long time before deciding they would let her know about it just enough to let her in on what's going on but not enough to endanger her, he was afraid that if he didn't speak to her, she would head straight into peril.
"I was just waiting for the right moment, I wanted to convince Lynne to come but she had something important to do. So I was waiting for her in the common room." Harry said.
"Why am I not surprised? Somehow she is not even studying and still miles ahead."
He pulled up a chair and sat down next to her. Lynne arrived quietly behind him, carrying two mugs of something steaming. She set one in front of Harry without comment and took a seat herself, folding neatly into the space like a blade slipping into a sheath. She took a book out of her satchel, like she'd always been meant to live between stacks of parchment.
Harry leaned forward. "We need to talk. We spoke earlier, Hermione." Harry said. "About the third floor."
Hermione's brow furrowed immediately. She lowered her voice. "And?" She asked, now clearly focused on the conversation. Harry glanced at Lynne, who simply nodded.
"Lynne already knows about Nicholas Flamel. He is an alchemist and he created what is being kept at the school. The Philosopher's Stone."
Hermione's eyes widened slightly and gasped. She leaned in closer, instinctively shielding their conversation with her arms. "Of course! I knew I had read about it a few weeks back, but I forgot about it because it was just something that I took for a light read."
Hermione chewed her lower lip. "No wonder Dumbledore hid it here…" Harry leaned back, feeling the weight of the conversation settle between them.
"We need more information. If we can find out how it's protected, we might figure out who would be capable of getting through." the girl continued.
"Hagrid might know." Harry said.
"He definitely knows," Hermione replied. "The way he slipped up about Flamel? He can't keep a secret to save his life."
They exchanged a look. Lynne gave the smallest nod.
"I'll handle the questions." Hermione said. "You two just keep him talking… Uhm, do you know who would even try to steal something like that?" she asked Lynne.
"Maybe someone already inside." Lynne said quietly, almost to herself.
Hermione nodded slowly, tapping her finger against the table. "You don't think it's a student. A professor?"
"Maybe."
Hermione straightened, looking thoughtful. They sat in silence for a moment, the crackling of the fire the only sound between them.
"We'll have to be careful." Lynne said. "If someone is watching, asking the wrong questions could speed things up."
Hermione looked determined. "Then we'll do it properly. Bit by bit. No rushing."
The three of them leaned over the table pulling out scrap parchment, quietly beginning to draft a plan. Outside the windows, the snow fell quietly in thick, lazy flakes.
Let's hope we can keep her out of risk. She seems eager to find out about everything.
Harry's pocket watch hummed, Lynne's message clear, he thought so too.
----0000----
The morning of the match dawned cold and brilliant. It was Ravenclaw vs Slytherin, no stakes but pride and house points. The sky above the castle was a sharp winter blue, the clouds thin as lace, the ground still dusted with glittering frost.
Still, the energy in the air felt like a festival. Students bundled in cloaks, scarves, and thick gloves poured out of the castle gates in streams of color. Emerald and silver for Slytherin, blue and bronze for Ravenclaw.
Harry pulled his own scarf tighter as he and Lynne made their way down the sloping grounds toward the Quidditch pitch. Snow still lingered around the edges, the scent of cold air, damp earth, but the heavens were clear, and the students buzzed with excitement.
The stadium loomed ahead, towering stands carved from dark wood, draped with house banners that flapped lazily in the breeze. From a distance, the hoops at either end looked like giant brass rings stitched into the sky.
Students were already filling the seats, their breath rising in clouds as they jostled for a better view. Harry had never seen anything like it, he looked up spinning slowly on the spot to take it all in. The flags, eager faces, the glint of broomsticks in the sunlight, hit Harry's excitement up a notch.
He briefly wondered why he had avoided coming in the first place, but he had to admit the training was paying off, today they were free and thus forced to come by their housemates.
They found seats halfway up the stands, and Lynne sat with her hood pulled low, observing silently. Hermione kept a notepad in her lap, for strategic notes, she insisted. She had been pointed at by her housemates for sitting in the Ravenclaw seats, but she didn't seem to care, saying she was here for her friends not the game.
Besides there seemed to be a great animosity from all the other three houses against Slytherin. Apparently they were infamous for foul play. Harry watched every movement like he was memorizing a spell.
"First match?" a voice asked beside him.
Harry turned to see Terry Boot, another first-year Ravenclaw, adjusting his mittens.
"Yeah." Harry admitted, a little embarrassed.
Terry grinned. "It's brilliant. You'll love it. You know the basics?"
Harry shook his head.
"Alright." Terry said, animated. "Each team has seven players. Three Chasers, two Beaters, one Keeper, and one Seeker."
He pointed to the hoops. "Chasers pass the Quaffle, that's the big red ball, through those hoops to score goals. Ten points a goal."
"And the Beaters?"
"They carry bats. Knock the Bludgers away from their team, those are the crazy black balls that try to kill you."
Harry blinked.
"Not literally." Terry said quickly. "Usually."
Lynne smirked faintly at Harry's expression but said nothing.
"And the Seeker?" Harry asked.
"Smallest ball, tiny gold thing with wings. That's the Snitch. The Seeker has to catch it. Worth one hundred and fifty points. Catch it, and the match usually ends in a win for your team."
Harry absorbed it all quickly. "Sounds like chaos."
Terry beamed. "Best chaos ever."
Lynne sat with her feet slightly apart, her metal fingers folded loosely in her lap, eyes scanning the pitch with detached interest. The players were already assembling, hovering on their brooms like hawks circling a field.
Madam Hooch, in her bright yellow robes, stood at the center circle, whistle glinting in the sun. The crowd hushed. The whistle shrieked and the balls were released with a crack of sound, and in a flash of color and roaring cheers, the players took to the air.
Harry's breath caught, instantly amazed. He could hear the faint sounds of someone commentating the game but he tuned that out when he got lost in some of the plays, apparently even dodging differently in the air had some names he knew nothing about.
The brooms zipped through the sky with impossible speed and grace. Chasers darted like fish through water, passing the Quaffle in tight formations. Beaters swung their bats in broad arcs, sending Bludgers rocketing across the field with dangerous precision.
And high above it all, the Seekers circled, scanning for that glint of gold. Harry leaned forward, his heart pounding in rhythm with the game.
He barely noticed Hermione squeezing onto the bench beside him, notebook in hand.
"I take it you like it." she said dryly.
Harry didn't answer right away. He was too busy following a Ravenclaw Chaser pulling a breathtaking spiral dive to avoid a Bludger.
"I want to do that." he said, almost under his breath.
Lynne, still watching the sky, said quietly, "You could."
Harry grinned without looking away. "Next year…we have to try out."
Lynne, unusually, leaned in just enough to speak. "I did like flying earlier in the year."
"I loved flying." He answered.
Hermione sighed. "We'll never hear the end of this now."
But Lynne only said "You are light and fast, you would be good."
Harry's smile didn't fade the rest of the match.
----0000----
The walk back up to the castle was filled with excited chatter about the match. Harry couldn't stop replaying the dives, sharp turns, the speed of the players. Even Hermione, despite claiming Quidditch was "A foolish risk to health and dignity." seemed a little caught up in the excitement.
Ravenclaw was holding a party, their win against Slytherin had been close, but having lost against Hufflepuff in November and them losing to Slytherin meant that they were still in contention for the Quidditch Cup and everyone was ecstatic.
Still, the trio didn't want to be caught up in the party in the common room, they were not really fond of the excessive noise. They didn't intend to visit Hagrid that evening but when they passed the greenhouses and spotted the broad, familiar figure stacking crates of kindling by his hut, Harry couldn't help himself.
"Let's say hello." he said, already veering off the path.
Hermione sighed. "It's freezing out here and we didn't revise the plan!"
"It'll be warmer by his fire." Harry promised.
Lynne didn't object, she rarely did when Harry led anyway. They crossed the snowy lawn, their boots crunching against the ice-crusted grass. Smoke curled from Hagrid's chimney, thick and sweet with the scent of burning oak.
Before they could knock, Hagrid swung the door open with a creak and a gust of warm, hot air.
"Evenin', you lot!" he said, his massive beard full of bread crumbs. "Come in, come in!"
The three of them shuffled inside, stomping the snow off their boots. Fang the boarhound bounded forward, nearly knocking Hermione over, before settling with a great wheezing huff by the hearth.
The inside of the hut was sweltering compared to the crips winter outside, the fire blazed cheerily. The walls were lined with drying herbs, sacks of feed and strange tools Harry didn't recognize, although he did spend a lot of his time at the Dursley gardening.
Hagrid bustled about, throwing more logs onto the fire.
"Bit nippy out tonight." he said, handing them mugs of steaming cider that smelled faintly of cinnamon.
Harry sipped gratefully, warming his hand on the mug although he noticed quickly that it was quite hot inside already. He also noticed near the hearth, a cookpot that shifted slightly from side to side with a blanket on top.
"Hagrid," he said slowly, "what's that?"
"Eh? Oh, just somethin' I picked up in town," Hagrid said too quickly, waving a hand that nearly knocked over a kettle.
Hermione arched an eyebrow. "Hagrid."
Lynne, without moving from her chair, simply said, "It's alive. Another creature, Hagrid?"
Hagrid flushed.
"Maybe a bit alive." he admitted.
Harry set down his mug and crouched near the hearth, pulling back the corner of the blanket carefully.
Underneath was a large, black egg, flecked with deep green, pulsing faintly with warmth.
He looked up at Hagrid, eyes wide. "Is that a dragon egg?"
Hagrid beamed, looking ridiculously pleased. "A Norwegian Ridgeback! Rare, that is. Got it off a stranger in the pub. Lucky night, that."
Hermione groaned into her hands. "Hagrid, you can't keep a dragon here! They're illegal!"
"Only if you get caught." Hagrid said cheerfully, tossing Fang a scrap of meat.
"Your dwellings are also wooden. It may go up in flames."
Harry and Hermione looked horrified now, feeling a strange mixture of awe and dread.
"Is it normal to win such things in a pub?" Lynne asked quietly, voice too casual.
Hagrid shrugged. "Dunno. But the fella was friendly enough."
Lynne's metal fingers tapped lightly against the side of her mug, but she said nothing else. The fire crackled louder in the silence.
"How long until it hatches you reckon Hagrid?" Harry asked.
"Not sure, any day now me thinks."
The egg didn't wait long. Two nights after their visit, Harry, Hermione, and Lynne found themselves crowded inside Hagrid's hut again, the air thick with the scent of burning logs and singed parchment.
The massive iron cauldron had been moved near the fire, resting on a bed of smoldering coals. Hagrid paced restlessly, wringing his huge hands, casting nervous glances at the trembling shell.
"It's takin' longer than I thought." he muttered, wiping sweat from his brow with a rag that had clearly seen better days.
Harry knelt closer, fascinated. A hairline crack had appeared down the center of the shell. It shimmered faintly under the firelight. Everyone was sweating except Lynne who looked still composed and unbothered by the heat.
Is your body not affected by heat or cold? He asked, his hand slightly moving the watch in his pocket.
Lynne giggled and took out his wand in a swift movement. She waved it and all of a sudden Harry felt like they had cracked an egg from the bottom of his head and it dripped to the bottom of his toes, instantly feeling colder and at ease.
"Cooling charm, I didn't think you were uncomfortable, sorry. Here for you too." she said to Hermione.
"It's moving." Hermione whispered without commenting on the spell, which was rare and spoke about how nervous she was.
They watched as the crack widened, thin tendrils of smoke curling out from the seams. The egg rocked violently once, then again, tipping dangerously to the side. Then, with a sharp crack and a small explosion of sparks, the shell split.
The creature that emerged was nothing like Harry expected. It was tiny, only about the size of a loaf of bread, but already wicked-looking. Its scales gleamed darkly, like wet iron, and tiny wings twitched spasmodically against its back. Its snout was long and narrow, nostrils flaring as it hissed softly at the sudden cold outside the shell.
Its eyes, a deep gold and slit like a cat's, blinked once, then locked onto them.
"Ain't he beautiful?" Hagrid breathed, his voice thick with pride.
Hermione made a strangled noise in her throat. The baby dragon wobbled on its spindly legs, letting out a small, rasping growl.
"I will call him Norbert."
Without hesitation, Lynne stepped forward before anyone could react, she knelt by the broken shell, extending her metal hands slowly. The dragon sniffed the air cautiously, then with surprising speed, latched onto her forearms with its tiny jaws.
Harry flinched and Hagrid let out a small gasp, but Lynne didn't even blink, as the dragon gnawed harmlessly at the metal, its small fangs scraping uselessly against the enchanted surface.
"That'll save yer skin, that will." Hagrid said, impressed. "They have a nasty bite, most dragons are venomous."
Lynne gently pried the creatures free, cradling it carefully between her palms, the baby dragon squirmed but then seemed to settle, curling up with a low rumble of content.
"Looks like he likes you." Harry said, half in awe, half in disbelief.
"It's because I am heating my hands."
Lynne tilted her head slightly, studying the small creature as it yawned and exhaled a puff of smoke that made Harry cough.
"It's not a "he", and she is hungry." she said simply.
Hagrid bustled to his pantry, returning with strips of raw meat, which Lynne fed to the dragon with quiet efficiency. She devoured the food greedily, small sparks flaring at the corners of her mouth.
"So I guess you will have to think of another name, Hagrid." Harry said, still amazed at the creature.
"I guess, how did you know it was a female dragon by the way?" Hagrid asked in wonder.
"Male dragons are not aggressive when they are born."
Hermione wrung her hands nervously. "Hagrid, you have to understand, you can't keep her here. Someone's going to notice."
"She'll be no trouble, I'll train 'er proper."
But even as he spoke, the dragon gave a sudden hiccup and a burst of flame scorched the edge of one of Hagrid's rugs. Lynne stamped it out with one foot, calm as ever. Harry exchanged a look with Hermione.
"This isn't going to work for long, is it?." Harry said.
"Female dragons also grow in size very quickly."
Harry groaned anxiously.
----0000----
The next evening, the hut felt warmer and heavier than before. The dragon now named Norberta, after a rather fierce debate between Hagrid and Hermione, had doubled in size overnight. Her scales glinted sharper and her baby growls had turned into guttural rumbles that made Fang cower under the table.
Harry sat near the hearth, watching as Lynne methodically wrapped Norberta in a large, heavy cloth to muffle the sound of her squirming. She worked with practiced care, completely unaffected by the occasional burst of smoke puffing near her hands.
Hagrid was muttering to himself near the pantry, trying to locate more meat scraps while Hermione was looking inside a book on how to care for a dragon, that she took off the library that day.
Then all of a sudden Lynne froze mid-motion. Harry caught the worry in her eyes and the sudden shift in her stance, her head tilted slightly, the way her shoulders tensed under her robes.
"Someone's outside." she said quietly.
Hermione's eyes widened. "What?"
Lynne didn't answer, she placed Norberta back in her makeshift basket and rose silently, moving towards the door like a shadow. Harry and Hermione barely dared to breathe. For a moment, there was only the crackling of the fire and the faint scraping of claws against wood.
Then Lynne flung the door open, on the side of the hut was Draco Malfoy stacking crates to peak from the side window. His pale face went even paler when he saw Lynne, and for a frozen second, no one moved. Then he started running.
Lynne slipped outside, disappearing into the night like a whisper. The rest of them stayed frozen inside, hearts pounding barely daring to move. Minutes passed and Lynne returned, brushing a few snowflakes from her cloak, her expression was calm and unbothered.
"He's gone." she said simply. "He won't trouble us tonight, I don't think he saw anything."
Harry let out a relieved sigh, Hermione suspicious by nature hesitated, but Lynne couldn't lie so there was no reason to suspect anything.
"Good, we need to focus on what to do with Norberta." she said at last.
Lynne only nodded, setting back by the fire as if nothing had happened, while outside, hidden behind Hagrid's hut a small butterfly was resting, her enchanted trunk sitting quietly in the shadows of the window. No one heard the faint thump as if the butterfly had something inside.
----0000----
Draco winced as the metal door of the trunk slammed shut with a loud crack, woken up by the loud noise. The small space was unnaturally large inside, cold and dark. Filled with many rooms, the one he was currently in had a strange mist clinging to the ground. He stumbled back, trying to find his wand but he didn't find it.
Volant was inside, he could hear her steps for the first time, and he felt intimidated. She stepped into the room wand ready, with a swift and sharp twist of her wrist sent him flying, his limbs clattering across the stone floor.
He let out a small yelp as he felt the pain go through his body. Trying desperately not to cry or show weakness, he stared at her menacing small form. She was still aiming her wand at him and her face showed no emotions. He stood up fast but there was nothing he could do without his wand.
"Sit."
The word was quiet but cut through the dense air like a blade, her voice was always strange, raw and broken. Now it sounded downright mechanical, as fear took hold of him, he couldn't move.
"You- you can't touch me, my father…"
The blonde's pale figure was approaching him, the metal of her prosthetic hands gleaming under the faint blue light she conjured. Without warning, she stomped down hard onto his foot. The paint hit him before he could realize that not only her arms were prosthetic but her legs as well. He cried out, trying to pull back, but she pressed down harder.
"Sit." she repeated, emotionless.
Tears were blurring his vision, and then she hit him on his stomach making him double down as a gurgle escaped his mouth. Gritting his teeth and nursing his foot, Draco sat on the floor, out of breath and coughing.
"You were about to spy on us. What did you see?" Volant stated, cold and detached. "Why were you there?"
Draco opened his mouth, to lie of course, but a sharp jet of water struck him across the face before he could form a word. It was ice cold and it made him cough again. It soaked his robes instantly, making the chilly air inside the trunk feel like a frozen cage.
"Aah!" he gasped. "I saw nothing… I was just curious!"
"Aguamenti."
Another jet of water hit him again, this time aimed at his ear, drenching the side of his head and making him shiver uncontrollably.
"You are lying." she said.
He scrambled backwards, but the trunk's edge was there, a wall of wood and wherever he moved, Volant would follow.
"I-I swear! I was outside our common room after curfew on a dare! Crabbe and Goyle said that without them I wouldn't go outside, I just happened to see you out as well." he tried to sound convincing, but it came out in a strangled whimper.
Another stomp, squarely on his hand this time, not hard enough to break bones but enough to make him yelp and clutch it against his chest. She crouched in front of him now, bringing her cold face close to his.
"What did you hear at Hagrid's, what did you see?"
"I don't know anything! Please! I just saw shadows and heard noises!" Draco blabbered, tears mixing with the water dripping down his face.
Volant stared at him unblinking and for a terrifying moment, Draco thought she might crush his throat without a second thought.
But then she stood. "Pathetic." she muttered. "You would think that the spawn of Death Eaters would have torture practice. At least someone taught you a bit of occlumency but no secrets would be safe with you."
She turned slightly, lifting her hand and with a flick of her wand, he levitated him.
"You will say you suffered a prank and got soaked this morning. If I hear you tell anyone, anyone at all, you will regret it."
She lifted him through the room, then up some stairs out of the trunk. Still soaked he was let down by her, they were somehow at the front Gates of the castle. She threw him his wand at his feet and gave him a look of disgust.
"Go."
Draco didn't need to be told twice, stumbling over himself, he fled into the castle, clutching his hand, still feeling the phantom weight of her metal foot on his bones, and vowing never to cross Lynne Volant again. His foot throbbed with every step and his soaked robes clinging to him even after casting a drying charm.
He didn't stop until the looming shadow of Hogwarts swallowed him again. His feet guided him to the hospital Wing, he collapsed in front of the door trying to catch his breath, wiping at his face with trembling hands.
For a few long moments he did nothing but shiver, from the cold and also the sheer terror that the blonde girl inflicted on him. He thought about going to Professor Snape, maybe he could protect him, but the thought evaporated when a memory surfaced.
Avoid contact with Volant AT ALL COSTS.
His father's letter, commanding, like always. He had thought his father was exaggerating, but now he knew, now he understood. Telling Snape would lead to his father finding out, basically admitting that he ignored his warning. Worse, it would mean admitting weakness, fear. A Malfoy did not fear.
He stared down at his hand, still red from where her metal foot had crushed it, the throbbing was duller now, however the same couldn't be said about the pain. No one could know about this, he thought. Draco clenched his fists in pain.
He knocked on the door and the last thing he thought before asking Madam Pomfrey for help is that he would avoid her, no matter what. He would make damn sure his own feet would stay out of Volant's path, and Merlin help anyone foolish enough to cross her.
----0000----
The next day dawned grey and bitterly cold, with a sharp wind that rattled the high windows of the castle. Harry pulled his cloak tighter around himself as he and Hermione slipped into the library's corner table, Lynne already waiting there with a thin sheaf of parchment spread out before her.
Hermione glanced around carefully to make sure Madam Pince wasn't lurking nearby.
"We have to move the dragon." she whispered urgently. "Get it out of the castle, if we can."
Harry nodded. "Before someone gets brave enough to get near the hut."
"Agreed." Lynne said simply.
Harry bit her lip. "Even if she does nothing, Norberta is growing too fast. If anyone sees her they could report Hagrid."
Hermione leaned over the table. "Ron's been bragging about his brother Charlie, he works with dragons in Romania. Maybe we could ask for help?"
Lynne considered it. "If we can trust him to keep quiet."
Harry shrugged. "He would be more interested in meeting the dragon than anything else. I think he'd help."
Hermione gave a small groan. "Well duh. Boys and dragons."
It wasn't hard to find Ron. He was by the Great Hall stairs, arguing animatedly with Seamus Finnigan about the latest gossip. Apparently Malfoy had appeared at breakfast totally soaked in water, looking distraught with a lost look in his eyes, and was taken to the hospital wing, something that amused the Gryffindors.
When Harry pulled him aside, Ron grinned, then listened, wide-eyed, as Harry explained the situation.
"A dragon?" Ron whispered. "In Hagrid's hut?"
Harry nodded.
"Wicked! You have to let me see it." Ron said immediately. "You have to."
"Help us get him out." Harry said. "Then you can."
Ron agreed almost before Harry finished speaking. He promised to send an owl to Charlie that night, explaining everything.
By the next afternoon, the reply came, short and direct:
Will send friends. Be at Astronomy Tower midnight Friday. Keep the dragon hidden.
Lynne burned the note after reading it. It was all happening fast now. The night of the plan, Hogwarts seemed unnaturally quiet.
Harry and Lynne met near the greenhouses, cloaked and ready. Hermione waited near Hagrid's hut, keeping watch. The invisibility cloak had plenty of room between them, Harry and Lynne were after all the smallest students in their year, but carrying a dragon would complicate matters, there would be barely enough fabric to hide both if they stood close.
Norberta, now about the size of a large dog and ten times as noisy, squirmed restlessly in the thick blanket Lynne had wrapped around him. Tiny bursts of smoke leaked from between the folds.
"Keep his mouth covered." Harry whispered.
"I am." Lynne said.
Harry marveled again at how calmly she handled Norberta's writhing body. The baby dragon bit at her metal arms, claws raking harmlessly over the enchanted surface. She didn't even flinch.
Carefully, awkwardly, they made their way up the castle stairs, sticking to shadows, stopping whenever they heard footsteps.
More than once, Harry thought they would be caught. A group of prefects passed close by near the library stairwell. Filch's cat, Mrs. Norris, prowled the fourth floor. Somewhere above, Peeves cackled in the pipes.
But Lynne moved like a wraith, leading them through forgotten corridors, back staircases, hidden passages Harry had never noticed before.
When they finally reached the Astronomy Tower, Harry's heart was pounding so loudly he was sure it would give them away.
Two shadowy figures waited near the top, bundled against the cold, their dragon-handling gloves already on.
"Quickly." whispered the redhead of the two. That must be Charlie, Harry thought.
Lynne stepped forward, lifting Norberta with surprising ease despite his wriggling. She handed him over carefully, making sure the blanket stayed wrapped.
The handlers secured him in a reinforced sling. Norberta whined once, a puff of smoke rising into the cold air.
"You handled her perfectly for a first year, I hope to hear from you again in the future!" commented Charlie.
Then, with a final wave, the two figures mounted their brooms and kicked off into the night, Norberta dangling carefully between them as they vanished into the stars. Harry and Lynne stood there for a moment, watching them disappear over the Forbidden Forest.
As they slipped back into the castle under the invisibility cloak, Harry whispered, half-laughing, half-exhausted, "We actually did it."
Lynne only nodded, her eyes scanning the shadows ahead. But something in the set of her shoulders told Harry she was finally relaxed.
----0000----
The corridors were nearly empty by the time they slipped back into the Ravenclaw common room. A few other students had dozed off near the hearth, the air thick with the comfortable stillness of a castle wrapped in winter.
Harry peeled off the invisibility cloak and collapsed into an armchair, breathing hard, his heart still racing from the night's adventure.
"We actually did it." he whispered again, almost laughing.
Lynne pulled her hood down, scanning the common room with a habitually cautious eye. She didn't smile. Instead, she moved toward the high arched window, where the moonlight pooled across the stone like liquid silver.
Harry watched her for a moment, still giddy, then followed.
"You seem unhappy." he said quietly. He thought briefly that maybe she wanted to care for the dragon, seeing how she handled Norberta. It looked cute and now he realized that maybe Lynne grew fond of the dragon in the small time it hatched.
Lynne didn't answer at first. She stood with her hands clasped behind her back, metal fingers clicking softly together. "Getting her out of the school was a priority. I'm not unhappy about it, I'm worried."
After a brief pause, she spoke. "Dragon eggs are not easy to find." she said. "Even in the darker parts of the world."
Harry frowned. "You think Hagrid's... friend just happened to have one?"
"No." she said, voice low. "Someone wanted it here. They wanted the distraction."
The words hung in the air between them.
Harry shifted uneasily. "But why?"
Lynne's gaze stayed fixed on the night sky, where two tiny dots were still faintly visible against the stars, growing smaller with every heartbeat.
"Because when you have a dragon near the castle..." she said slowly, "You might the opportunity to sneak while it causes chaos. Like what happened with the troll."
Harry felt a chill crawl up the back of his neck.
"You think... they wanted the Stone?"
"I think someone used Hagrid's heart against him." Lynne said. "And wanted to cause problems for everyone else with the dragon."
Harry swallowed. The excitement of the night soured slightly in his stomach.
The castle outside the window looked so peaceful, frost sparkling on the rooftops, moonlight dusting the towers. But underneath, the stone halls twisted deep and dark. Secrets still slithered through the veins of Hogwarts.
"We have to be careful." Lynne said finally, turning away from the window.
Harry nodded, the weight of her words sinking in fully now.
----0000----
The private room deep beneath the Slytherin common room smelled of damp stone and old parchment.
Lucius Malfoy leaned against a narrow pillar, impeccably dressed even here, a silver-topped cane resting against his shoulder. His face, bathed in the dim green torchlight, was unreadable.
He had been allowed entry on the grounds of being part of the board of Governors and using the excuse of a surprise inspection of the school. Before him, standing stiffly at attention, was Septimus Rowle, a seventh-year student, pureblood to the bone.
"You understand your task." Lucius said, his voice smooth as silk wrapped around steel.
Rowle nodded once, a shallow, clipped gesture.
"I do."
"You are not to be seen." Lucius continued. "You are not to fail."
Rowle's jaw tightened. "And the consequences?"
Lucius smiled faintly, the kind of smile that didn't reach his eyes.
"If you succeed, your debts are forgotten. Your family restored to favor. If you fail however..."
He shrugged elegantly, as if the outcome hardly mattered to him. Rowle said nothing. He didn't need to. The hatred burning behind his eyes was enough. His brother Thorfinn should have played the game better.
"You will find him vulnerable." Lucius added, voice dropping low. "The wards are weaker there. The noise will cover much."
Rowle's mouth curled into something that might have been a grin.
"When?"
Lucius turned away, adjusting his gloves with absent precision.
"Soon enough."
The torches flickered once, casting long shadows that streched against the stones. Rowle left without another word. And Lucius, alone once more, allowed himself the faintest of smiles. He briefly entertained the idea of visiting Draco but decided to head back home, it hadn't been long since Christmas after all.