Chapter 17: Preparing for the Intercept

The next day started with a commotion from the early morning.

"Hogwarts Gamekeeper - Illegal Dragon Possession!"

This bold headline was prominently featured on the front page of the Daily Prophet newspaper.

"Rubius Hagrid, the gamekeeper of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, has been arrested for the illegal possession of a dragon. Interviews with officials from the Ministry of Magic's Beast and Being Division revealed that he acquired a Norwegian Ridgeback dragon egg, hatched it in secret, and kept it in captivity. Even during his arrest, he showed no remorse, and it is expected that he will face severe consequences. The management of the dragon will now be handled by the young magical genius, Leonard Taylor. The Norwegian Ridgeback dragon is..."

Following this, there were several articles criticizing Hagrid, highlighting the dangers of dragons, and discussing the case. The Great Hall was flooded with owls delivering letters from concerned parents of students. These letters expressed worries about their children, anger towards Hagrid, protests about Hogwarts' security, criticism of Dumbledore, gratitude towards Leonard Taylor, and various other sentiments.

Leo too faced a barrage of questions from students of all years as soon as he stepped out in the morning. He decided to be honest about what he knew and hoped that things would settle down eventually.

Dumbledore was troubled. He realized that by using his influence to the maximum extent, he could potentially reduce Hagrid's punishment or at least make it less severe. However, he expected opposition from members of the Board of Governors who weren't pleased with him being the headmaster, like Lucius Malfoy, citing the responsibility issue of appointing Hagrid as the gamekeeper. But most of the board members were likely to support him.

The real issue was Leonard Taylor. It was his contact with the Ministry that had escalated the situation. Without it, Harry and the others could have simply contacted Charlie Weasley to resolve the matter. If Dumbledore decided not to defend Hagrid, his relationship with Leonard wouldn't sour. However, Hagrid was not only a friend to Harry but also a valuable ally for negotiations with the giants.

(Leonard and Harry... I wonder which should be prioritized?)

In the end, Rubius Hagrid was sentenced to five years in Azkaban. Dumbledore defended him, but the fact that he had illegally possessed a dragon couldn't be changed, limiting any reduction in his sentence. Many students accepted the situation, feeling that someday it could happen to them, even among the Gryffindors.

Harry and Ron continued to blame Leonard Taylor for the incident, but they were mostly ignored, being considered eccentric.

On the contrary, Leonard Taylor received gratitude from students and their parents and even received recognition from the Ministry of Magic, leading to an award.

Afterward, there were no significant events, and the end-of-year exams drew near.

Hermione, thanks to Leo, she had no need to study for first-year exams anymore. Consequently, she was approached by Gryffindor students, asking for help with their studies. Harry and Ron had kept their distance from Hermione, considering her an associate of Leonard Taylor. However, with exams approaching, they set aside their displeasure and sought her help reluctantly.

Leonard Taylor was no longer required to take the exams and instead was assigned by the professors to assist in creating the tests. When he inquired about the possibility of cheating, the professors unanimously replied,

"As you are guaranteed to score full marks and beyond, it shouldn't be a problem."

and as the majority of the professors chimed in unison. It ended up that the exams scheduled for that day were replaced with the task of creating a special report.

In the end, on the final day of the exams, everyone was relieved. They relaxed, played around, and enjoyed their freedom.

Leo was summoned to Dumbledore's office.

"Congratulations on finishing the exams, Leo. Well, you were actually working on special reports instead of taking exams. I'd like to take a look at them later. Now, the requirement is about the Philosopher's Stone. Today, I received an urgent request from the Ministry. It's most likely a trap. They'll likely try to steal the Philosopher's Stone in my absence. Please be vigilant and guard it with the utmost care."

"Do you know that Voldemort is possessing Quirrell?"

"Yes, I'm aware. Voldemort may have lost his powers, but his knowledge remains intact. Quirrell is also a skilled wizard. Please be very cautious. I plan to return from the Ministry soon. If all goes well, we might be able to catch them off guard."

Dumbledore headed to the Ministry of Magic, and Leo was stationed in the final protective room of the Philosopher's Stone, waiting.

===============================

Hermione's POV 

I, Hermione Granger, have discovered that the Philosopher's Stone is hidden within this school. Such a tremendously powerful object, surely the professors are safeguarding it. Leo seems to know something as well, but is he involved?

Today, I overheard Harry and Ron talking to Professor McGonagall about the Philosopher's Stone. It seems they've found an answer, but more importantly, the fact that Dumbledore is absent is of great concern. Someone knows about Cerberus's weakness, thanks to what happened with Hagrid. It's certain that if the Philosopher's Stone is misused, it will lead to serious consequences. Leo is as reliable as Dumbledore in this matter. I must inform him! When I arrived at the Leo's study room, Leo was just about to go somewhere.

"Leo! I need to talk to you about something, is this a good time??"

"Yes. Does this have something to do with Professor Dumbledore being absent? If that's the case then there's no problem."

"What do you mean?"

"We're confident that someone will make a move to obtain the Philosopher's Stone today because Dumbledore is absent. We've prepared well for it. I believe this matter will be resolved by tomorrow. At this point, there's no need to hide it anymore. I'm involved in guarding the Philosopher's Stone too. I'll be heading to protect it. So you can relax."

Leo is involved just as I suspected, and both he and Dumbledore seem to be intentionally exposing themselves.

"I understand... Just promise me one thing. Promise me that you'll come back safely. I won't forgive you if you don't."

"Of course, I promise."

I watched Leo as he left, choosing to trust him. He is the greatest wizard in my world, after all.

Tonight, I'll go to bed early and wake up early in the morning to await Leo's return. That's the decision I've made as I return to my dormitory room.

===============================

Harry's POV 

Tonight, it's tonight, without a doubt.

Since then, Ron and I continued to investigate Nicholas Flamel. Hermione didn't tell us because she thought it was too dangerous to know. But we didn't give up. It was lucky that we remembered what was written on the Chocolate Frog card.

Then we found out about the Philosopher's Stone. Eternal life and endless riches are something anyone would desire. Snape, who cursed my broomstick, was cursing the Cerberus and threatening Quirrell. He seemed way too suspicious, he must be after it!

I also knew how to get past Cerberus, thanks to Hagrid's slip of the tongue. But today is the worst. Dumbledore is absent! I tried telling Professor McGonagall, but she won't listen, saying that the defenses are intact.

I don't want to know what someone like Snape would do with the Philosopher's Stone if he got it. I have to stop him!

At midnight, I put on my father's invisibility cloak and sneaked out with Ron. I stood in front of the door to the room with Cerberus and asked Ron for one last confirmation.

"Ron, are you really coming? There's no guarantee of safety, you know?"

"Of course, mate! We're the only ones who know about this, so who else is going to go? Besides, if my best friend is going, how could I not go?"

Hearing those words, I felt once again that I had the greatest friend.

"Alright, let's go!"

I reached out to open the door, but it swung open from the inside. Standing there, beyond the door, was none other than Leonard Taylor.

--------------

Hagrid ended up with a five-year sentence in Azkaban.

It was Dumbledore's decision to prioritize Leo. If he had gone all out to protect Hagrid, Hagrid wouldn't have ended up in Azkaban, but his return as gamekeeper of Hogwarts would have been impossible.

Leo skipped some of his exams, but he did take Magical History and such.

Quirrell is on a mission (impossible) to aim for the Philosopher's Stone!

What will be Quirrell's fate? And do Harry and Ron have a role to play?!

Next time, I'll be writing the part I wanted to write the most about the Philosopher's Stone. 

I hope to finish it by tomorrow.

So, stay tuned for the next chapter.

Now, it's time to unveil the traps guarding the Philosopher's Stone.

What fate awaits Quirrell, Dumbledore, and Harry? Find out in next chapter