13

The Christmas break continued. Henry was bored - and Ron's offer to walk the rats and go for a walk to Hagrid was taken kindly. He also put a bored Mick on his shoulder - and the four of them headed for the woodsman's hut.

You can't learn all the time, can you?

The cabin was unlocked. Ron pushed open the door - and padded inside.

- Hagrid, hello! Look who I brought you!

- Harry! - The half-giant cheered.

- Henry, okay?

Hagrid's eyes slammed shut.

- Henry? Why?

- I'm sick of the stupid fame," Henry snapped back. - It's Harry Potter, Harry Potter, every newspaper you read. I don't want anyone pointing a finger at me for the first five minutes.

Hagrid shook his head.

- Э... Whatever you say, Harry... Henry.

- Who made up those articles anyway?

- I don't know, Gar... Henry. Those reporters...

Henry shrugged. In the Muggle world, generally, reporters were fed by sensationalism. And the articles about his life were more like commissioned stories. But who would need it?

Mick hopped off his shoulder and headed off to explore the cabin. The lout kept his head down from Ron's pocket.

Ron sat at the table, trying to take a bite of an ermine meat sandwich. Henry prudently declined - and wondered. Maybe Ron had worms. Eating everything, he could get his hands on? He was in a vicious cycle, wasn't he?

Is it a good idea to help him and get rid of the bugs?

Did Liz slip him a batch of anthelmintics? Or...

- Whoa! Did she?

Ron spilled his tea on the newspaper instead of the tablecloth and looked involuntarily at the article.

- Hagrid, is it true that Gringotts was being robbed?

- It's true," the woodcutter didn't hesitate. - Only that it did not succeed!

Henry grinned. Of course, it succeeded; goblins are serious fellows.

- What were they trying to steal?

Ron was in his usual repertoire.

- It must have been Dumbledore's thing!

Henry snorted.

- Yeah. There's nothing else to steal! What did the thief get his hands on? A pair of the principal's socks?

- No, Henry! It's an essential item! It was entrusted to the principal for safekeeping by Nicholas Flamel himself!

- Flamel? Who's Flamel?

- Oh! Nobody! And forget it!

Henry shrugged his shoulders.

- Already forgot. Mick, where are you?

The rat was cruising the mantelpiece from where Henry had yanked him off.

- Oops... what's that?

There was something big, black and round, lying on the mantelpiece.

- A dragon egg? - Ron grinned in fascination.

Hagrid blushed.

- You guys... is that...

- A real dragon? - Henry clarified.

- Where did you get it, Hagrid? - Ron exclaimed, leaning over the fire to examine the egg more closely. - It must have cost you a fortune.

- I did," said Hagrid. - 'Last night. Went down to the village for a few drinks and played cards with some strangers. Honestly, he even seemed glad to be rid of him.

- But what will you do with him when he hatches? - Henry asked.

- Well, I've been doing some reading," said Hagrid, pulling a large volume from his pile. - I borrowed it from the library... 'Raising Dragons for Pleasure and Profit' is outdated, but the main thing is there. You have to keep the egg on the fire because their mother breathes on them, you see, and when it hatches, you have to give it a ladle of brandy half-and-half with chicken blood every half hour. And then there's... how to recognize different eggs... here... and it turns out to be a Norwegian Ridgeback. It's a rare breed, you know.

He was obviously very pleased with himself. Henry looked around.

- Hagrid, is he a fire-breather?

- He is.

- Is it all right that you live in a wooden house?

- It's all right, it'll be all right...

The boys went away thoughtful. If Henry was thinking about the dragon, then Ron wasn't. He wondered if dragons could be kept at Hogwarts. And in what capacity? And wouldn't it be better to fly a dragon than a broomstick? И...

Ron interrupted my thoughts.

- Henry, I think Dumbledore took that thing from the bank after the theft! Exactly!

- What for?

- What do you mean, why?! To hide it here at Hogwarts!

- Is he a fool? - Henry only snorted. - So he'd take it from the bank, where there are alarms and guards and where a thief has been spooked once, and drag it back to Hogwarts, where many students run around, where trolls run around, and order is... You know, Muggles have more orders in the rubbish bin.

- You... You're on the rubbish heap! - Ron sulked.

- "Yeah, me too," said Henry. - And if that's what Dumbledore did, he should be getting treatment for senile dementia.

- Sen... Sen... what?!

- Senile dementia.

- I still think...

- It's best not to think about it. You'll have a clearer head that way.

Ron snorted and left the subject behind.

Henry stroked the rat and decided to find out who Flamel was, just in case. Although... well, dumb story, no?

So someone has something of value, then? Good. Instead of sitting on that value, he entrusts it to Dumbledore. And the headmaster takes the matter to the bank. Didn't the owner have a chance to get there himself? No?

Then the third idiot (apparently magic is terrible for the brain) tries to steal it from the bank. But what's easier - blackmail, hostages - and the owner will bring it to you on a saucer. Then Dumbledore hides the undisclosed value in Hogwarts!

Bloody hell! There's no other way to put it!

And who do they think is an idiot?

As much as it's a shame, it must be him.

****

Liz fully shared Henry's opinion. And she added that, in fact, the September paper should have been on the table three months earlier. So there was also a provocation.

Of that, Henry had no doubt. But it needed to be made clear who was provoking him and to what.

But he asked about Flamel, just in case.

Snape. Why? It couldn't be any worse...

The Potter, of course, twisted like a lemon.

- It's none of your business, Potter.

- I'm not arguing. Who is it?

- An alchemist.

- The alchemist? Do you mean the great-grandfather of chemistry? Sir, does he have any scientific works?

- We need them in our library.

- Can we order them? Or somehow...

- Potter, it's not part of the school curriculum.

- What about extracurriculars?

The green eyes were so sweet that Snape was tempted to cross his eyes. No, he couldn't handle extra classes.

- Potter, I promise you Flamel's book if you get off my back. Even two.

- А...

- And if you don't...

- I get it. When?

- In a week.

****

Henry got his hands on a stack of Nicholas Flamel's writings a week later. And at the same time, he read that Flamel was known as the creator of THE PHILOSOPHICAL STONES!

That's where the kid got all excited.

The Philosopher's Stone?!

The dream of all chemists since the time of Christ?

I WANT ONE!!!

I want it! And charts, synthesis diagrams... what else could it be?

Liz heard about it and demanded a report too. But there was nothing. Even Madame Pince had yet to decide on the Philosopher's Stone. And then Ron Weasley showed up.

- Henry, guess what I found?!

- How do I know what you found?

- I accidentally walked into an off-limits hallway...

- Accidentally?

- Well... I was hiding from Snape.

- And why hide from him? He's so lovely...

Ron grimaced as much as Snape.

- Yeah, like an unfed viper. Well, there was a room!

- So? They're all over the place.

- And there was a three-headed dog in the room!

- So?

- What's it doing at Hogwarts?

- Ask the headmaster.

- I'm sure it's guarding something! I'm sure!

- So?

- And it might be something Hagrid took from the bank!

- Or it might not be. Ron, it's all in the wazoo.

- Hagrid said the headmaster asked him for Gunny for security.

- Who?

- Well, that dog.

- Let him ask. So?

- I'd go down there and check it out.

- With the dog, a good appetite for me.

- Will you help me?

- I don't want to end up in a dog's stomach; I'm fine as I am.

- But we're friends.

- Exactly. I don't want it said of us that we lived happily ever after and died on the same day. It's just... wrong. I have different tendencies.

Ron hovered, and Henry scooted away. Only in his room did he think about what he'd said.

So Ron goes somewhere, finds the dog there, questions Hagrid...

Whatever you like, but Henry had one opinion. Someone needs Henry to enter that room and look for something near the dog.

And what do chemists say in such cases?

Lick it - and get uneven! In fact, get it yourself!

****

Time passed.

Henry was successfully studying, reading alchemy books, terrorizing Snape, running from Hermione, who was eager to tutor anyone within her sight, and chatting amicably now and then with Ron and Draco...

Draco was the one who had told him about the dragon. They said that Hagrid had raised it - and now he would send it to Romania.

Riding a Weasel.

Because a dragon is actually fire-breathing and can burn the hell out of the school.

So he would. But...

- Henry, can you help me? - Hagrid looked so sad.

- How?

- Well, if you took Norbert," Hagrid called the dragon, "to school, Charlie and his friends flew to the astrological tower...

- Hagrid, wouldn't they fly to the hut?

- The hut?

- What's the big deal?

- Well... ...the tower's more convenient, isn't it?

- What's the big deal? There are loads of pupils there during the day, Filch running around at night, you never know who you will run into. Do you want trouble with the headmaster?

- No, I don't.

- Here. Tell them to sit right here and go to Romania.

- I didn't think of that.

- I understand.

- Henry, will you and Ron keep watch? Make sure no one gets in the way?

Henry thought about it.

He would. Even with Ron, it was a little scary at night. But...

- Who would let us into Hogwarts after that? The doors would be locked. Although...

Malfoy?

At first, Draco called them idiots, to which Henry happily agreed. Doing good deeds was not the chemist's job. Then he promised to wait for them in the hall and let them in after a tentative knock.

Everything went on as if it had been done to perfection.

He and Ron shuttled around Hagrid's hut until four lads on brooms dropped out of the sky, the box with the dragon cleverly packed on unique straps, and the brooms were off to their destination.

Hagrid wiped away his tears.

Hagrid wiped away his tears, patted him on the shoulder, said goodbye, and headed to school. Hagrid was sleepy.

Alas...

After a tentative knock, it wasn't Draco who opened the door for them.

A furious Madam McGonagall stood at the door, holding him by the ear.

- And, Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley, what are you doing here after bedtime?

Henry thought that the expression "the fox has arrived" was outdated. It should be replaced. The cat came.

Why?

Both are good and relevant.

Unfortunately, McGonagall was clearly going to get even for the valerian.

This morning, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin had lost fifty points.

- And I'll think about what kind of time off you'll get. - Mack the Cat threatened.

Henry nodded obediently. You got him, didn't you?

We're gonna have to make it up to him... It's all right, we'll study hard. Pity Flitwick had let him down.

On the other hand, the Dean of the Faculty was not particularly upset. Henry honestly apologized, but...

- Henry, grades are not the main thing in life. You're a good student, and I'm happy with that. And grades... you can't have perfect behaviour. Do you understand me?

- Yes, sir.

The Dean was definitely worth respecting.

Malfoy and Ron got more, after which Draco was greatly offended and, for some reason, at Weasley.

About a week later, Henry, Ron and Draco had notes waiting on the breakfast table. All three of them were the same:

You will serve your sentence tonight at eleven o'clock. Mr. Filch will meet you at the front door.

Professor M. McGonagall.

Punishment was imminent.

At precisely eleven o'clock, Henry made his way down to the hall. Filch was already waiting for them - along with Malfoy. Ron was almost half an hour late, which made no one feel inspired.

- Follow me," Filch said as he lit the lantern and headed out the gate.

- You'll think twice about breaking the rules now, won't you? - He began, casting a wicked glance at them. - I wish I could hang you from the ceiling for a week... I have the fetters ready in my office and keep them on hand, clean and oiled... I wish you'd hurry up and stop thinking of escaping, or you'd make things worse.

Henry snorted.

Shackles, aye.

- You're overreacting, sir.

- You were not asked, Mr. Potter.

- You'd rather talk about peas. Or about nettles for weeding. It would be more soulful.

They walked to the other end of the lawn in the dark. Ron sniffled. Henry wondered what their punishment would consist of. Probably something creepy; otherwise, why would Filch be so excited?

The moon was shining brightly, but the clouds overhanging it shrouded them in darkness repeatedly.

Ahead of them, Henry saw the light in the window of Hagrid's hut. A distant cry could be heard from there:

- Filch, is that you, no? Come on, it's long overdue.

Henry's heart leaped; that would be the end if he had to work with Hagrid. There must have been a look of panic on his face because Filch hissed instantly:

- What do you think you're supposed to do, have fun with this brute? No, boy, you're going straight into the woods, and if I'm not mistaken, you don't get out of there alive!

Hearing that, Ron groaned, and Malfoy stopped dead in his tracks.

- Into the woods? - he repeated, and his voice lost its usual insolent undertone. - I'm not going into the woods at night. There's lots of stuff out there... Werewolves are said to be out there...

Ron gripped Henry's sleeve tightly and squeaked.

- And that's your problem now, is it? - Filch chanted, irrepressibly gloating. - Might want to think about werewolves before you start screwing around, huh?

Hagrid stalked out of the darkness toward them, followed by Fang. Hagrid carried a giant crossbow, and a quiver of short arrows slung over his shoulder.

- Here you are," he said. - I've been waiting here for half an hour. Henry, Ron, how's it going in there?

- I wouldn't be too hard on them if I were you, Hagrid," Filch remarked coldly, "it's punishment, after all.

- Is that why you were late? - Hagrid frowned. - Lecturing them, were you? You need to be in your depth. You've done your job; now it's my turn.

- I'll be back at dawn," said Filch. - I'll take what's left of them," he added with a wry grin, turning and walking back to the castle.

They watched as the lantern bounced in time with his steps. Malfoy turned to Hagrid.

- I am not going into the forest," he said, and Henry could hear the genuine fear in his voice.

- If you wish to continue here, you will do as you are told," replied Hagrid fiercely. - You've made a mess of things; now it's time to answer.

- But that's... that's for servants, not apprentices. We were going to rewrite the exercises. If my father finds out...

- Well, he'll tell you what it's like at Hogwarts! - Hagrid bellowed. - Rewriting exercises! As if that would make anyone hot or cold. No, you either help me, or you get the hell out of here. If it pleases your father to have you thrown out, then get back to the castle and start packing. What are you standing there for?

Malfoy didn't budge. He glanced at Hagrid fiercely but quickly looked away.

- Well, there you go," said Hagrid. - Now, look here, what we're going to do today is very dangerous, and I don't want you to make a mess of it on purpose. Now, come on, let's take a step back.

Hagrid led them to the very edge of the forest. Then, holding the lantern high above his head, he pointed to a narrow, overgrown path that meandered between massive black trunks and disappeared into the thicket. They peered into the forest; the breeze ruffled their hair.

- Look over there," said Hagrid. - Do you see something glowing on the ground? Silver like that? That would be unicorn blood. So the unicorn is wandering around, and something has hurt it badly. That's the second time in one week. I found one dead last Wednesday. We're gonna have to find that poor bastard now. We might have to shoot him so he doesn't suffer.

- What if the thing that wounded the unicorn finds us first? - Malfoy asked, not trying to hide the horror in his voice this time.

- There is nothing in these woods that would hurt you if I were with you or Fang," Hagrid retorted. - Oh, and another thing, stay on the path. Right, then. We'll split into two and go in different directions along the path. There's blood splattered all over the place. He's probably been pacing since last night.

- Dibs on Fang," Malfoy said quickly, peering down at Fang's jaw with his sharp teeth.

- It's up to you. Mind you, he's a decent coward," said Hagrid. - Well, Ron and I'll go one way, and Draco, Henry and Fang will go the other. If any of us come across a unicorn, we'll fire green flares, yeah? Take out your wands and try... Yeah, that's right. And if anyone gets in trouble, fire the red flares, we'll come to the rescue. Just be careful out there. Come on, let's go.

Henry and Draco glanced at each other, just the two of them alone.

- Why aren't you talking, Potter?

- Draco, what can I change now?

- Well...

- We've already been sent here. Fight or no fight, nothing will change. If we survive, then... your dad's head of the board of trustees, right?

- Yeah, he is.

- Well, go and tell him about Dumbledore. Let's write a complaint and let them respond...

- On Dumbledore?

- You think you can do this sort of thing without a headmaster? Filch isn't comfortable with that either.

- Why?

- He's making a stupid joke.

- And Hagrid...

- Does he have the brains to realize that this is serious? Kids, night, forbidden forest... that's quite a reaction. By the way...

Henry checked his bag, shoving the essentials into his pockets.

- What's this?

- It's in case it's something serious.

- Kill the enemy?

- Unlikely. But the enemy would regret it.

Draco grinned.

- Yes, Potter. What shall we do?

- We go quietly. We have no choice...

Henry, Fang, and Malfoy walked for at least half an hour, pushing deeper and deeper into the forest. It was almost impossible to follow the path; the trees were crowded. Then they were covered with bright spots.

- What was that?

- I don't know.

Henry nodded and scraped some of the stains for analysis. Liquid of some kind?

Sort of. Fluorescent... we'll figure it out in the lab.

The stains came more and more often. Through the intertwined branches of an age-old oak, Henry could see a small gap ahead.

- Look," he muttered, extending an arm to stop Malfoy.

Something shone with a steady, bright white light on the ground. They crept closer. It was indeed a unicorn lying on the ground. Henry had never seen anything more beautiful and sad. The unicorn's long, graceful legs were awkwardly twisted and sticking out in all directions - it was obvious that it was simply exhausted and had collapsed dead. Its pearly white mane was strewn across the dark fallen foliage.

Henry stepped toward him, but a hiss was nearby, and he turned his head. The bush, which stood at the edge of the clearing, trembled... From the deep shadows beneath the trees, a cloaked figure emerged, its head hooded, and crawled along the ground as if a predator had stalked its prey. Henry, Malfoy, and Fang stood motionless. The cloaked figure reached where the unicorn lay, bent over the gaping wound in its side, and began to drink its blood.

- Aaaaah!

Malfoy screamed in fear and dashed off to the nearest pine tree. Somehow, when you're flying without knowing the road, they always turn under your forehead.

Draco clashed with it in a way that made the tree shudder - and went into a deep faint.

Fang was luckier and, judging by the sound of it - went off far and wide.

- Your flask!

The cloaked creature lifted its head and looked straight into Henry's eyes, glistening blood dripping down its face. It stood up and walked quickly toward Henry, who was horrified. An unprecedented, unbearable pain pierced him. The scar on his forehead seemed to burn.

- You fiend! - The boy let out an involuntary yell.

His hands acted faster than his head.

It took a second to get the flask out of his pocket.

- Pyro!

The great thing - the Molotov cocktail! Thank you, chemist! May your name live on forever!

It was just a matter of hitting it, and then...

But Henry got it right.

The flask struck the point, cracked, and streams of fire ran down the dark cloak.

- Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!

The second vial flew after the first.

- Take that, fascist, a grenade!

From then on, it was possible to relax - and enjoy life. Whatever was crawling around, he certainly didn't care about Henry. I wish he'd go out.

But he didn't want to finish it off, either.

With the howl of a downed fighter plane, the creature scurried off into the thicket.

- Save the forest from fire. And Mother Nature... - muttered Henry thoughtfully. - Where's my ammonia? Malfoy, damn it! How long are you going to stay asleep?