The next morning, students gathered for breakfast as usual, but there was something different about the atmosphere. The Great Hall felt quieter, with hushed conversations and curious glances. Eyes kept darting toward the enormous hourglasses that displayed the house points, where a shocking change had taken place overnight.
Just last night before, Gryffindor had been comfortably in the lead, with Slytherin hot on their heels. But looking at the scores now, it was clear that someone—or perhaps more than one—had done something big. Gryffindor's house points had taken a sharp nosedive, now sitting at the very bottom of the pile.
It didn't take long for word to spread. After all, a certain smug Slytherin had been present when McGonagall delivered her merciless verdict, and Draco Malfoy had made sure that every student in Hogwarts knew exactly who was responsible for the disaster.
At the Gryffindor table, three first-years sat hunched over their plates, shoulders slumped, doing their best to ignore the stares burning into them from all sides.
A full one hundred and fifty points. Gone. Because of them.
They had no excuse—nothing to do but endure their current predicament and hope the glares would eventually go away.
And so they did. The rest of the morning passed in a miserable haze, with other students—especially their own housemates—shooting them sharp looks at every turn.
Even Fred and George, usually the ones getting into trouble, eyed them. But unlike the others, they didn't look annoyed. Instead, they looked almost impressed, as if admiring the sheer scale of points lost in a single night.
Later that day, the trio huddled in the library, whispering over an open book neither of them was actually reading.
"You saw Snape limping?" Ron asked, frowning as he leaned closer.
"Are you sure?" Hermione repeated, her brow furrowing in thought.
"I saw it… I'm sure," Harry said firmly.
Ron glanced around, then leaned in further, dropping his voice to a whisper. "It's obvious, isn't it? He must've tried to get past the three-headed dog and got hurt."
Hermione bit her lip, deep in thought. "But why would Snape want the Stone?"
Ron gaped at her like she'd just asked why the sky was blue. "Why? For gold, obviously! Or to live forever! Can you think of another professor in this school who'd want to steal it?"
Neither Harry nor Hermione argued. Being children, and given Snape's treatment of them throughout the year, it was no surprise that they had painted the man as the villain in their minds. Even Hermione, who usually tried to be fair, didn't seem interested in considering any alternative explanation.
"But since he's injured… that means he didn't get past," Hermione added. "Which means the Stone is safe."
"Right," Harry nodded.
"We should tell a professor," Ron suggested.
Hermione hesitated, her fingers tapping against the wooden table. "Who, though?"
For a moment, they considered Maverick. He had always been the most approachable of their professors. But after last night, something had become clear to them. Their most magnanimous professor was still, in the end, a professor, and they weren't so sure he would simply listen to them without question.
Harry sighed, slumping back in his chair. "I think … maybe we should just leave it alone. I mean, even if Snape is after the Stone, there's no way he's getting past that three-headed dog, right?"
The other two nodded, and they sat in silence, each lost in their thoughts.
After a moment, Harry sighed. "Don't forget, we have to see Filch tonight."
"Don't remind me, Harry," Hermione grumbled, slumping further in her seat.
"At least that slimy snake will be there to suffer with us..." Ron added with a grin.
A thin smile spread across the three of them as they realized they wouldn't have to suffer alone.
That evening, at precisely eleven o'clock, Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Draco Malfoy stood outside Filch's office, waiting for their detention arrangements.
The caretaker came out from his small office shortly after, with a wicked grin stretched across his face. "What do we have here?" he sneered, eyeing them with thinly veiled disdain. "Follow me."
They trudged after him, arguing among themselves, three against one, but only in whispers. The last thing they wanted to do now was upset the nasty man in front of them. They were led through the quiet corridors, and as they stepped out of the castle, each step felt heavier than the last.
Their expressions grew grimmer with every passing moment, until they finally reached the edge of the Forbidden Forest, where Hagrid was waiting, his lantern casting a dim glow in the darkness.
"Ah, there yeh lot are," Hagrid greeted them with a warm smile. Unlike in the original story, Hagrid did not look like a man that had just lost his child.
"Bad luck, gettin' detention. But good news! Dumbledore arranged for Norbert to be taken away..."
Ron's eyes lit up. "Wait—so my brother Charlie was here?"
"Charlie? No..." Hagrid shook his head. "A very famous magizoologist, someone I trust, came and took him away. Promised to give Norbert the best treatment..." The half-giant blinked, raising his eyebrows repeatedly, as if to boast. "And I'll get to see him every now and then…"
Malfoy, listening to the seemingly happy ending, was far from pleased, but he did not retort. He only huffed under his breath and kept his mouth shut.
"Who's this famous magizoologist, Hagrid?" Hermione asked, curiosity shining in her eyes.
"Ah… I'm not allowed to say." Hagrid scratched his beard, looking away. "But he left a couple of hours back, and Dumbledore went along with him—guess to catch up, given their long history of friendship… Ah, I shouldn't have said that…"
He quickly cleared his throat. "Right then." He turned to Filch. "Argus, I'll take over from here."
Filch tsked, then gave one last glance at the four students. "Right then… I'll be seein' you at dawn," he sneered, then added with a nasty grin, "what's left of ya…"
The older man turned on his heel and stalked off, leaving the four first-years standing there, exchanging puzzled—and slightly alarmed—looks.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Malfoy asked, turning back to the half-giant.
"Don't listen to that creepy old man," Hagrid said, waving a hand dismissively. He straightened his long, furry coat before continuing. "Right then… yer detention tonight is simple. We'll be patrolin' the forest, checkin' on the creatures."
And just as he finished speaking, a long, eerie howl echoed from deep within the trees, sending a visible shudder through all four students.
"You—you're joking, right?" Ron gulped, his face pale.
"Isn't the Forbidden Forest supposed to be extremely dangerous? Home to all sorts of deadly creatures?" Hermione asked, glancing anxiously at the looming trees.
"Nonsense. With me here, nothin' bad's gonna happen to ya." Hagrid thumped a hand against his broad chest, as if to prove his point.
"Just follow my lead and stay close," Hagrid said as he raised his lantern high and stepped toward the towering trees. "The forest's not so bad if you know your way 'round."
Soon, Hagrid, with the three children trailing behind him, ventured deeper into the vast, dark expanse of the Forbidden Forest. Their footsteps broke the eerie stillness, but there was no immediate sign of danger. The air was filled with the soft rustling of leaves, the occasional distant growl, and the unsettling howl of unseen creatures.
An uneasy silence settled between the four students as they struggled to match Hagrid's leisurely pace. His long strides made it seem as though he were simply strolling through a peaceful park, while they stumbled along, tense and alert, in the midst of this dangerous place.
And hidden in the shadows, Maverick moved silently, blending seamlessly with the darkness as he kept a watchful eye on them. He had a feeling that things weren't going to unfold the way they had in the story he knew.
He extended his magical sense over a large area, searching for any signs of movement. Until now, there was no trace of Quirrell, nor any other humans, aside from the children, Hagrid, and himself.
And there were no signs of harm to any unicorns either, at least not as far as he knew, after his encounter with Voldemort last year. If there had been any, he was certain the half-giant would have noticed by now.
It seemed the parasite had taken his warning seriously. But for how long?
If you're enjoying the story and wish to support me, you can visit my P@tr3on, where you can read 30+ extra chapters ahead!
Thank you so much for your support. It means the world! 💙😊
PAT r30n [.] com / RyanFic