Chapter 100: Infirmary
Madam Pomfrey’s healing magic was remarkably skilled, and the infirmary was well-stocked with potions. After administering several vials of potion, the Fire Dragon and the Unicorn—both in distress from their wounds—calmed down, soon sinking into peaceful slumber.
Professor McGonagall had decided to temporarily house the Fire Dragon on the Quidditch Pitch. She was busy casting protective spells around the area to create a barrier, ensuring no student would accidentally wander in and be harmed by the dragon.
The Unicorn, meanwhile, was given a resting place near Professor Sprout’s greenhouse. The kindly, portly witch happily prepared a generous pile of berries and fresh oat hay for the creature.
Other professors had also arrived upon hearing the news. For the first time in ages, Hogwarts was bustling with activity in the middle of the night.
“Fire Dragon!” A peculiar little old man burst toward Norbert, eyes gleaming. His body was riddled with scars. Both legs and one arm were wooden prosthetics. With his remaining hand, he tenderly stroked Norbert’s jet-black wing, exclaiming: “Hagrid, why didn’t you tell me you had a dragon?”
Professor McGonagall, having just finished setting up the barrier, approached, her face stern. “Professor Kettleburn, privately raising a dragon is a serious violation of wizarding law!”
Yet the fiery glare of Hogwarts’ most feared disciplinarian seemed to have no effect on the old man. He grinned slyly. “Come now, Millicent! Who’s ever been caught raising a dragon? This is a young wild dragon from the Forbidden Forest, starving and wandering in. Our kind-hearted Gamekeeper simply gave it some food. Hardly illegal, really…”
“Oh… so that’s how it works,” Hagrid said, snapping his fingers in sudden realization.
“Please stop encouraging illegal behavior, Professor Kettleburn! Don’t forget you’re still on probation!” Professor McGonagall said, her tone serious—though she couldn’t help smiling as she spoke.
“True, true—sixty-two probation periods. But honestly, it doesn’t matter. I’m retiring soon anyway.” Professor Kettleburn shrugged, then leaned in again toward the Fire Dragon and asked, “Does this little one have a name, Hagrid?”
“He’s Norbert!” Hagrid declared proudly. “I watched him hatch from the egg with my own eyes!”
“—He?” Professor Kettleburn blinked, then squinted at the dragon again. A slow smile spread across his face. “Actually… it’s a she. This is a little girl.”
“What?” Hagrid gasped, leaning forward in shock. Professor Kettleburn began patiently teaching him how to tell the difference between male and female young dragons.
“If it’s a girl… calling her Norbert might not be the best idea,” Hagrid said, instantly slipping into the mindset of a father with a daughter—worried she might face prejudice because of her name.
“How about Nobeta?” Kettleburn suggested. “Sounds like a girl’s name, and it’s absolutely adorable.”
“Oh, you two—let me find you!” Madam Pomfrey suddenly appeared, eyes darting between Wade and Harry. “Come with me—Dumbledore said you might need a calming draught.”
“We’re not frightened,” Wade said.
But Madam Pomfrey wasn’t listening. She ushered them into the infirmary and shoved a bottle of calming draught into each of their hands. “Drink it. Then go to sleep. It’s barely a few hours until dawn.”
Wade glanced at the bottle—his own potion, unmistakably. “Has Dumbledore returned?”
Harry, catching her as she turned to leave, called out urgently: “How do you know he sent a message?”
“I don’t know, child,” Madam Pomfrey replied, her voice soft but firm. “But he did. He sent his Patronus to me.”
“What’s a Patronus—”
“Drink the potion. Sleep now, child.”
Under Madam Pomfrey’s unnervingly gentle but intense gaze, the two had no choice but to swallow the draught. Drowsiness washed over them almost instantly.
…
The next morning, despite no one making an effort to spread the news, it seemed every student in Hogwarts already knew what had happened the night before. They rushed to gather around the Fire Dragon and the Unicorn.
The SSC members, after touring the scene, learned that Wade and Harry had also been involved. They immediately ran to the infirmary to find them.
“I heard someone attacked the Fire Dragon!” Hermione burst in, worry etched on her face. “Are you alright? Did you run into that person?”
“Never mind the dragon for now,” Harry said, glancing around nervously. “I’ve got something important to tell you—something about last night’s attacker—”
“Wait, Harry,” Michael suddenly interrupted. He stepped to the door, peered out, then shut it firmly. Liam understood immediately and moved to the window, checking that no one was lurking outside to eavesdrop.
Wade asked, “Did you see him?”
“I was there a little earlier,” Harry said, shuddering. “I saw his face. It was… Professor Quirrell.”
Silence fell like a stone.
Harry looked anxious, hurriedly adding, “You might think I’m lying—but I’m not. I’ve been eavesdropping for weeks. It was in the forest—on the day of the Quidditch match, when Gryffindor won. I heard Snape threaten Quirrell, demanding he team up with him to steal the Philosopher’s Stone from the fourth floor. Last night, they were the first to reach the Forbidden Forest!”
Theo frowned. “But I heard Professor McGonagall arrived first.”
“You weren’t there,” Harry insisted. “When she showed up, she was still in her pajamas! She’d clearly been woken up by the dragon’s roar. But Snape and Quirrell—they were dressed perfectly. They must’ve been loitering in the forest all along. Maybe even attacked Norbert and the Unicorn! They only fled when Hagrid arrived. Then they pretended to be startled, rushing over—too fast to change into proper clothes.”
No one spoke.
In the quiet, Neville glanced around, trying to fill the silence. “Harry… you’ve been awfully interested in Professor Quirrell lately. I thought you actually liked him.”
“I thought he was fighting Snape!” Harry groaned. “I even wanted to encourage him to stay strong! But now… he’s already turned on us.”
He looked at the others, their faces unreadable. Frustration flared. “You’re not going to say it, are you? That they’re professors, trusted by Dumbledore, so they couldn’t do something like this? But I know—”
“Harry, calm down.” Wade suddenly cut in, his voice calm and even—like cold water dousing a fire. He turned to look at the others.
“Tell him,” Wade said. “Harry’s already figured this much out. Telling the truth now doesn’t break our promise to Dumbledore.”
Harry froze.
“Tell me… what?”
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
