Chapter 52 - Busted

They would have felt sorry for Hagrid when the time came for him to say goodbye 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 get out of their way in the Entrance Hall, where he'd been playing tennis against the wall.

When they entered, they saw Hagrid standing beside a large crate, his expression tinged with sadness. The room was dimly lit, and the sound of rain tapping against the window added to the somber atmosphere.

Hagrid's voice quivered with a mix of emotions as he gently traced his hand over the crate. "It's time, then. Time fer Norbert to go. He'll be safe with Charlie, I know that. But it ain't easy sayin' goodbye."

A few seconds later, he speaks again, "He's got lots o' rats an' some brandy for the journey," Hagrid's voice muffled slightly. "And I've packed his teddy bear in case he gets lonely."

The ripping noises from inside the crate intensified, making Harry's heartache. It seemed as though the teddy bear, was being torn apart than being used to comfort the not-so-little dragon.

With heavy hearts, Harry, James, Michael, and Adam covered the crate with the Invisibility Cloak, ensuring Norbert would remain hidden from prying eyes. As they huddled underneath the cloak, the four boys each prepared themselves to carry the crate, which was by no means easy.

Seeing that, Hagrid's voice cracked with emotion as he bid his farewell. "Bye-bye, Norbert!" he sobbed, his love for the little dragon was clear in his words. "Mummy will never forget you!"

After Hagrid bid his heartfelt farewell to Norbert, he turned toward Thomas and his friends. His voice quivered with gratitude as he spoke, "Thank y'all. I couldn't have done this without yer help. Yer good friends, the lot of ya."

All of them smiled in response, even Harry, James, Adam, and Michael who were under the clock. However, Thomas, feeling a surge of courage, took a bold step forward and gently grabbed Hermione's hand. The sudden contact made Hermione blush, caught off guard by the unexpected intimacy.

Thomas met Hermione's gaze, before he smiled at her, "Let's go," he whispered, casting an invisibility spell that cloaked both of them from view. In an instant, they vanished, under the spell.

The rest of the group watched as Thomas and Hermione disappeared, before regaining their focus. Once the four of them bid Hagrid farewell, they left the hut.

With the weight of the crate and the ticking of the clock reminding them of the impending midnight hour, the group push forward doing their best to climb as fast as they could carrying the crate.

Struggling against the weight, they maneuvered the crate up the marble staircase in the Entrance Hall, their footsteps echoing through the empty hallways.

"Nearly there!" Harry panted as they reached the corridor beneath the tallest tower. The others nodded, beginning as exhausted as he was, even though they took turns carrying the crate up the stairs.

Thomas wiped the sweat from his brow, a mixture of relief and determination on his face. "We've made it this far, guys. Just a little more to go."

James, catching his breath, chimed in, "Yeah, we've fought a troll before. We can handle this."

Adam glanced at the crate they had been lugging, its contents now quiet but no less troublesome. "Let's just hope Norbert stays calm until we can hand him over. I for one don't want to wake the whole castle because our little friend here gets angry."

Michael nodded, his eyes scanning the dimly lit corridor. "Adam's right. We have to be careful. The last thing we want is for McGonagall to stumble upon us. We're so close."

Hermione, always the voice of reason, spoke up, her voice tinged with concern. "I hope our plan to meet Charlie's friends goes smoothly. We need everything to align perfectly."

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 two people grappling with each other ten feet away. A lamp flared.

Professor McGonagall, in a tartan dressing gown and a hairnet, 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, and Thomas Grayson are coming. They got a dragon!'

"What utter rubbish! How dare you tell such lies! Come on, I shall see Professor Snape about you, Malfoy!"

Professor McGonagall's stern voice echoed through the corridor as she reprimanded Malfoy. Harry, James, Adam, and Michael, hidden beneath the Invisibility Cloak, exchanged knowing glances.

James suppressed a satisfied grin, as he watched Malfoy being dragged away. "Looks like Malfoy's getting a taste of his own medicine. I wish I had a camera."

Adam chuckled softly, his voice barely a whisper. "Serves him right. Maybe this will teach him a lesson."

Thomas, his expression smug yet restrained, added, "It's only fair. He tried to cause trouble for us, but now he's the one facing the consequences."

Michael nodded in agreement, his eyes twinkling with satisfaction. "Detention and points lost from Slytherin. That ought to put a dent in his ego."

They continued to listen to the exchange between Malfoy and Professor McGonagall, relishing in the fact that their secret remained safe. The satisfaction of seeing Malfoy facing the consequences of his lies and deceit added an extra layer of triumph to their successful mission.

As Malfoy was led away, his protests fading into the distance, Thomas whispered to his friends "Let's hope this teaches him not to look through other people's stuff."

Chuckling softly to themselves, they watched as four broomsticks emerged from the darkness, descending towards them. It was a reassuring sight, knowing that Norbert would soon be in capable hands and far away from Malfoy.

When the broomsticks touched the ground, Charlie's friends greeted the kids with smiles, excited to see a baby dragon. They eagerly showed the harness they had prepared, a contraption designed to securely suspend Norbert between them during the flight.

The kids exchanged some grateful glances as they witnessed the careful preparation and attention to detail Charlie's friends showed. With everyone's assistance, they gently secured Norbert into the harness, making sure he was comfortable and secure. It was a team effort, with each person contributing one way or another.

Once Norbert was securely fastened, Harry turned to Charlie's friends, extending his hand in gratitude. He thanked them for risking so much, just to help them.

"Thank you all so much," he said, his voice conveying his heartfelt appreciation. "You've put yourselves in jeopardy to help us, and we are incredibly grateful for that."

Charlie's friends nodded in response. They understood the significance of their actions and were pleased to have been able to contribute to the safety of a newborn dragon.

One of Charlie's friends, a tall and wiry boy, stepped forward and shook Harry's hand firmly. "No problem, mate," he replied with a grin. "We're always up for an adventure, especially if it involves dragons. And it's not every day we get to help the boy who lived, right?"

Harry chuckled awkwardly and shook his head. "I suppose not," he replied, his gratitude still evident. "But seriously, you all risked a lot to help us. We couldn't have done this without you."

Another one of Charlie's friends, a girl with fiery red hair, chimed in. "Oh, don't mention it," she said with a playful wink. "After all it's not easy to see a legend and a newborn cutie."

Thomas, Hermione, James, Adam, and Michael joined Harry in expressing their appreciation, thanking each of Charlie's friends individually.

"We'll make sure the dragon gets to Charlie safely," one of the other boys assured them, "You can count on us."

Harry nodded, "I know I can," he said sincerely. "Thank you again, all of you. You've saved a life today ."

Once Charlie's friends and Norbert left, Thomas and his friend 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 weight of their previous triumph suddenly felt heavier as Filch waited for them down the stairs. The joy that had filled their hearts only moments ago now gave way to a sinking feeling of impending doom. They had been careless, forgetting the Invisibility Cloak as well as using the invisibility spell, and now they were faced with the consequences.

"Well, well, well," he whispered, "we are in trouble."

Filch's voice dripped with vindictive pleasure as he led them down to Professor McGonagall's study. The silent walk felt like a march to their own sentencing, each step echoing with the weight of their predicament. Silence hung heavily in the air as they took their seats, unable to find solace in one another's eyes.

Hermione's hands trembled with anxiety, the worry etched on her face. Thomas felt his mind racing, desperately searching for a plausible excuse or a wild cover-up story that could somehow alleviate the severity of their situation. But with each passing moment, their options seemed to dwindle, each excuse appearing more feeble and hopeless than the last.

In the depths of his thoughts, Thomas couldn't help but question how they had allowed themselves to be so foolish. How could Harry, forget the Invisibility Cloak? And James, Michael, and Adam, his reliable friends, how could they have overlooked such a crucial detail? Their carelessness now threatened to undo all their efforts and put them on a path worse than detention.

Had they thought that things couldn't have been worse? They were wrong. As Professor McGonagall appeared, she was accompanied by none other than Neville, who seemed both relieved and anxious to find Harry and the others.

"Neville!" Harry exclaimed, his voice laced with a mix of urgency and caution. "You shouldn't have come here! We're in enough trouble already."

Neville's eyes widened with realization. "I was trying to find you to warn you," he blurted out, unable to contain his worry. "I heard Malfoy saying he was going to catch you. He said you had a drag–"

Harry's panicked gesture silenced Neville, but it was too late. Professor McGonagall's sharp gaze had already caught the exchange. The stern Transfiguration professor loomed over them, her expression reflecting a storm about to unleash its fury.

Her voice was cold and severe as she addressed the trio. "Mr. Potter, Mrs. Granger, Mr. Grayson, Mr. Wood, and Mr. O'Sullivan, Mr. MacKenzie, I must say I am deeply disappointed in your blatant disregard for school rules and safety. I would never have believed it of any of you. Mr. Filch says you were up the astronomy tower. It's one o'clock in the morning. Explain yourselves."

They all exchanged nervous glances, knowing that their situation had just become even more precarious. Despite the watchful glare that Professor McGonagall sent their way, Thomas knew that he had to do something about Hermione's fear, so he did the only thing he knew that would work, courtesy of his father's teachings, gently taking her hand in his. He could feel her trembling, her usual confident demeanor shattered by the gravity of their current situation. In a silent gesture of reassurance, he squeezed her hand, hoping to offer some solace amidst the tension.

Hermione, lost in her thoughts and overwhelmed by the fear of their actions, had fallen silent. It was a rarity to see her unable to answer a teacher's question. Her gaze remained fixed on her slippers as if searching for answers within their stitching.

Thomas, mindful of Hermione's anxious state, leaned closer and whispered softly, his voice carrying a touch of comfort. "It's going to be alright, Hermione. We'll find a way to explain ourselves. We're in this together."

As soon as he said those words, Thomas could feel the faintest hint of her hand relaxing in his grasp. Professor McGonagall's stern expression softened momentarily as she observed the exchange between Thomas and Hermione. While she remained resolute in enforcing discipline, a glimmer of understanding flickered in her eyes.

"I think I've got a good idea of what's been going on," said Professor McGonagall. "It doesn't take a genius to work it out. You fed Draco Malfoy some cock-and-bull story about a dragon, trying to get him out of bed and into trouble. I've already caught him. I suppose you think it's funny that Longbottom here heard the story and believed it, too?"

While Thomas was trying to calm Hermione, the other boys caught Neville's eye and tried to tell him without words that this wasn't true because Neville was looking stunned and hurt. Poor, blundering Neville, none of them knew what it must have cost him to try and find them in the dark, to warn them.

"I'm disgusted," said Professor McGonagall. "Eight students out of bed in one night! I've never heard of such a thing before! You, Miss Granger, Mr. MacKenzie, and Mr. Grayson, I thought you three had more sense. As for you three, Mr. Potter, Mr. Wood, and Mr. O'Sullivan, I thought Gryffindor and Ravenclaw meant more to you than this. All seven of you will receive detentions, yes, you too, Mr. Longbottom, nothing gives you the right to walk around school at night, especially these days, it's very dangerous, and fifty points will be taken from Gryffindor as well as Ravenclaw."

"Fifty?" Harry gasped, that would mean that Gryffindor would lose the second place. Same thing for Thomas and his roommates, as that would mean their house would have to the third place.

"Fifty points each," said Professor McGonagall, breathing heavily through her long pointed nose.

""Professor, please …""

"We didn't…"

"At least…"

""You can't …""

"Don't tell me what I can and can't do, Potter and O'Sullivan. Now get back to bed, all of you. I've never been more ashamed of my students."

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