Chapter 462: Another One Bites the Dust
Chapter 462: Another One Bites the Dust
"Hagrid, are you alright?"
As soon as the wooden door opened, Harry was startled by Hagrid's bloodshot eyes.
To escape Hermione's tedious review plan, Harry and Ron convinced her to join them in visiting Hagrid under the pretext of an invitation for tea.
"I'm fine," Hagrid assured, though his appearance suggested otherwise.
The matter of the dragon egg had been troubling him.
Hagrid desperately wanted to obtain a dragon egg, but he couldn't remember how he had acquired it, and this uncertainty was driving him mad.
If Quirinus knew of Hagrid's desires, he would likely beg Hagrid to meet him at the Hog's Head Inn and offer the dragon egg himself.
However, Quirinus could not expose himself, so his agitation was not much better than Hagrid's.
"You don't look fine," Ron mumbled. It had been a long acquaintance with Hagrid that kept him from being truly startled by his appearance.
When questioned by Harry, Hagrid remained tight-lipped about the dragon egg, simply attributing his state to a poor night's sleep.
Hermione, however, had her suspicions. She believed that Hagrid's distress was most likely caused by Albert's dragon egg prophecy, and to resolve this issue, they would have to seek out Albert.
Upon receiving a subtle hint from Hermione, Hagrid quickly realized what needed to be done. He hastily wrote a note and entrusted it to Hermione to deliver to Albert.
The note was a simple invitation to tea.
As they walked away from Hagrid's cabin, Harry suddenly stopped in his tracks. Turning back to Hermione, he asked, "Do you know something I don't?"
Ron looked at Harry, then at Hermione, sensing that something was amiss, though he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
"Yes, I know something," Hermione replied.
"Don't keep us in suspense," Ron urged.
"A prophecy," Hermione hesitated before continuing. "About half a month ago, Albert made a prophecy to Hagrid. I saw him hurrying towards Hagrid's hut, so I followed along."
"What prophecy?" Harry couldn't help but ask.
"Albert prophesied that Hagrid would obtain a dragon egg," Hermione said, her face filled with conflict. After a long silence, she continued, "Albert believes that Hagrid will hatch a fire-breathing dragon from the egg, and eventually burn down his house because of it."
"A dragon egg!" Ron exclaimed, his eyes widening in surprise.
"Hagrid has always wanted to raise a dragon," Harry recalled their first meeting, where Hagrid had mentioned this desire. "He once told me he wanted to raise one."
"But... raising dragons is illegal," Ron reminded them.
"Albert is aware of that, which is why he went to warn Hagrid," Hermione sighed in frustration. "However, it seems his warning fell on deaf ears..."
"Obtaining a dragon egg would cost a fortune, and I'm sure Hagrid can't afford it," Ron said glumly. Money matters always seemed to weigh heavily on his mind.
"What's this about a prophecy?" Harry asked, looking at Hermione with confusion.
"It seems Albert can predict the future, though I'm not sure if it's true," Hermione admitted her uncertainty about Albert's prophetic abilities.
"True prophets are rare," Ron added. "Percy has often complained about not learning much of practical use in Divination class."
As they chatted about the dragon egg, they made their way towards the common room, but they didn't find Albert there.
Hermione suggested trying their luck in the library, and since Harry also had business with Albert, he accompanied her. As for Ron, he stayed behind in the common room to play wizard chess with his roommates.
They didn't find Albert in the library either.
"What did you want to ask Albert?" Hermione inquired, puzzled as to why Harry had joined her in seeking out Albert.
"I just had a question for him," Harry replied vaguely.
On their way back to the Great Hall, they ran into Albert, who was deep in conversation with a beautiful red-haired girl.
After a moment's hesitation, Hermione quickly approached and handed Albert Hagrid's letter.
"Could I... have a word with you in private?" Harry asked, his expression conflicted. He noticed Albert's raised eyebrow but was relieved when the latter agreed.
"What is it, Potter?" Albert asked as they stepped aside.
"I heard from Hermione that you prophesied Hagrid would get a dragon egg, and now he seems..." Harry began.
"Yes, I believe I understand," Albert interrupted, nodding. "It seems Hagrid didn't take my advice to heart and is now obsessed with the idea of obtaining a dragon egg."
"Hermione said you can make prophecies," Harry stated.
"And do you believe her?" Albert asked, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth as he regarded Potter.
Harry shook his head. "I don't know."
"Whether or not I can make prophecies is irrelevant," Albert said, a note of self-deprecating humor in his voice. "Many people are reluctant to believe in prophecies, especially before they come true."
"Can you tell me who ultimately obtained the Sorcerer's Stone?" Harry asked, his hesitation giving way to curiosity.
"The Sorcerer's Stone, you mean the treasure hidden in the forbidden area on the fourth floor?" Albert clarified, continuing when he saw Harry nod. "Very well, I can tell you. The one who ultimately obtained it was you, Harry."
At this revelation, Albert's smile turned peculiar. "Are you happy now?"
"It seems Snape didn't succeed in the end," Harry said, feeling a weight lift from his shoulders. Despite his initial skepticism about Albert's prophetic abilities, the events involving Hagrid and Hermione had swayed him to place some faith in Albert's words. After all, everyone said Albert was extraordinary, and his predictions had proven accurate thus far. Even if he truly could divine the future, it wouldn't be so strange.
"What did you talk to Albert about just now?" Hermione asked, her curiosity piqued after Albert's departure.
"He said I would get the Sorcerer's Stone in the end," Harry admitted after a moment's hesitation. "Do you think he's telling the truth?"
Hermione shook her head. "I don't know." She couldn't help but smile at Harry's expression, wondering why they still held on to hope despite the possibility of being deceived.
"By the way, that must have been the renowned Isabelle," Hermione said, her thoughts drifting to the red-haired girl they had encountered earlier. "She's so beautiful."
Isabelle had shared information about the club organized by the professors, expressing her belief that Hermione had a chance to join.
"Who's Isabelle?" Harry asked, looking confused.
"She's the Ravenclaw genius witch who just won the Wizarding Chess tournament," Hermione replied, exasperated. "As expected, you never pay attention to these things, Harry."
(End of Chapter)
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