“Hagrid is incubating a dragon egg!” Harry, Ron, and Hermiohered around Scarlet, speaking quickly and looking nervous. “He’s trying to hatch a dragon!”

  “He’s always wanted a dragon.”

  “And now he’s got one! An egg! It’s illegal!”

  “He said he got the egg from some stranger.”

  “That sounds suspicious, but the point is, he’s got the egg! A dragon!”

  “Okay, hold on. Take a breath and chill.” Scarlet motioned for them to calm down. “Let me get this straight - Hagrid got a dragon egg from a stranger and is n to illegally hatch it in his hut. Is that right? When did this happen?”

  “Not long ago, just before the Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff,” Hermione replied, providing a clear timeframe.

  Hagrid...his dog? And the third floor? It’s a trick. Quirrell must have used the dragoo get the clue so he get past the trapdoor. Scarlet mused.

  Scarlet recalled Professor Dumbledore’s annou from the previous night in his office. The Philosopher’s Stone has beeroyed at Niel’s request, ensuring no one could steal it for the Elixir of Life. The Mirror of Erised had also been removed from the third floor, as he had initially inte to be the final safeguard against any thieves. Fluffy, the three-headed dog - its name having been revealed by the protagonist trio – had been moved to the Forbidden Forest under Hagrid’s care.

  Most of the other traps had bee in pce while Professor Dumbledore decided what to do with them, but overall, it was safe now that no one was trying to break in. Quirrell, or rather the mummified body, had been buro ashes by phoenix fire, and his remains were buried in the Forbidden Forest. There was no ce of him or the soul fragment taken by the Queen ing back. The burnt mark on Professor Snape’s wall had finally been cleared, though it had take effort – something firmed by the professor’s tinued cold gres and his demandira homework from her in Potions css.

  So even if Quirrell had discovered a ast Fluffy through Hagrid by utilising the dragon egg, it no longer mattered. With Quirrell and the soul fragment gohere was no danger for this year. Scarlet anised her thoughts aively reyed the situation to the protagonist trio, leaving them stunned.

  “The Philosopher’s Stone was destroyed?” Ron excimed, “The dragon egg rofessor Quirrell’s trick to get past the trapdoor?”

  “The thief was caught? And it rofessor Quirrell?” Harry was shocked.

  “Great, now we don’t have a Defence Against the Dark Arts professor. It’s going to be a nightmare for our studies.” Hermione rolled her eyes. “Who’s going to be substitute for our css? It hasn’t been announced yet. Are we the first to know about his death?”

  “Yeah, so keep it quiet for now. I don’t know how the annou will be handled. As for who’s teag Defence, I have no idea, but I’m not too worried about it,” Scarlet shrugged. “Anyway, you don’t have to worry about the secret ohird floor anymore. Now, about the dragon...”

  She tur Ron, “If I’m not mistaken, don’t you have a brother who works with dragons in Romania?”

  “Charlie!” Harry excimed. “We could send the dragon to him, aake care of it, make sure it gets bato the wild!”

  “Brilliant!” Ron jumped excitedly. “I’ll write to Charlie right away...”

  “Before that, I think it’s best to report this to Professor Dumbledore,” Scarlet suggested.

  Hermione shook her head. “But that’ll get Hagrid sacked – or even arrested!”

  “No, trust me, Professor Dumbledore ha. And, if it does e to Hagrid being sacked over the dragon egg, bme it on me.”

  “What?” the trio stared at her in shock, pletely dumbfounded.

  “You wouldn’t know because you weren’t with us during Christmas,” Scarlet said, patting Hermione’s shoulder before turning to Harry and Ron. “I could always say that Meiko, a Japasushi, didn’t realise it was illegal in the wizarding world. In Japan, among Jutsushi, it’s perfectly acceptable to breed rge magical creatures, as long as they’re hidden from Muggles. So, she happily gave me the dragon egg as a present, and I decided to leave it with Hagrid before rep it to Professor Dumbledore. How does that excuse sound?”

  “Uh...sounds...pusible?” the trio huddled together, whispering their thoughts.

  Scarlet crossed her arms. “Still, I think it’s best if Hagrid report it to Professor Dumbledore himself. I’m sure everything will be fine.”

  Seeing their worried faces, she sighed. “Like I said, if things don’t go well, I’ll take the bme. I’ll be fine.”

  The trio shook their heads.

  “I’ll talk to Hagrid,” Harry insisted. “I’ll persuade him. Scarlet, it’s not your problem. Don’t try to take it all on yourself.”

  Scarlet was surprised but smiled, pleased. “Alright. I trust you’ll ha well. I’d be excited to see us getting a special Care of Magical Creatures css, with a dragon involved.”

  “What--oh!” Hermione caught on, spping Ron and Harry on the back, urging them along. “e on, go! I know what we o do!”

  Watg them rush off, Scarlet grinned and tinued her walk to the library.

  It took Professor Dumbledore a day to figure out how to announce Quirrell’s sudden disappearance, leaving the students anxious about why their Defence Against the Dark Arts csses were celled.

  “I’m afraid that Quirinus Quirrell, our former Defence Against the Dark Arts professor, is no longer with us,” Professor Dumbledore announced solemnly in the Great Hall, standing before the staff table. “In his pursuit of dark magid in his attempt of breag the Third-Floor where I was safeguarding something temporarily, he met his end. Dark magic backfired on him in a most dreadful way.”

  Gasps and murmurs rippled through the hall. Some students looked shocked, others curious, anxious, or scared – worried they might bee the victim of the dark magic that had cimed a teacher’s life.

  Scarlet could feel Maya and Amelia gripping her arms tightly, their faces drawn with fear as they g to her.

  “How could it be?” Maya whispered. “He didn’t seem like the dangerous type.”

  “He looked so easily-frightened...” Amelia added. “Holy, he seemed more like a coward. How could someone like him have been practig the Dark Arts?”

  “Ever wonder why he used so much garlic?” Scarlet said, trying to fort them. “He wasn’t just using it for vampires. It robably to cover something up.”

  Both girls fell silent, likely thinking back to every odd moment they could remember about the teacher. Scarlet, meanwhile, kept her focus on the headmaster’s speech.

  “Rest assured, there is no longer any dark magic threatening Hogwarts. You are all safe,” Professor Dumbledore tinued. “As for his rept, I’m afraid I ’t find a new professor in such short notice, so the Ministry will be sending an Auror to take over your Defence Against the Dark Arts csses. Don’t worry, lessons will be resume as usual. In the meantime, I will personally take over the css until the Auror arrives, which should be within the week.”

  He paused befiving a small nod. “That was the first annou. Now, for the sed one, which is quite iing.”

  Wow, the trio worked fast, Scarlet thought. As she expected, it was about Hagrid surrendering the dragon egg.

  Learning that they’d soon have the ce to see a dragon egg hatch during Care of Magical Creatures, the students were buzzing with excitement, pletely fetting how uled they had been by the news of their DADA teacher’s death due to dark magic.

  “The dragon egg arrived at Hogwarts by act, and it will soon hatch. We’ve already tacted the Romanian Dragon Sanctuary to pick it up afterward. In the mea will be uhe care of Professor Kettleburn, with Mr. Hagrid, the game keeper assisting,” Professor Dumbledore expined, his tone light. “You’ll be informed about your turn to visit. Please don’t intrude on others’ time - everybody will have their ce.”

  With that, he left, and the hall exploded ied whispers and chatter. The schedule for visiting the dragon egg soon reached Scarlet through their prefect.

  “Ae’re one of the st groups to see it,” Maya pouted.

  “I don’t mind, as long as the baby drago bite me,” Amelia said, rolling her eyes.

  Scarlet chuckled. “Just keep your distance. I doubt it’ll be able to fly right after hatg.”

  “You mean it’ll already be hatched when it’s our turn?!” Maya excimed.

  “Most likely,” Scarlet replied, finishing her breakfast. “Anyway, I’m off to Transfiguration. You two ing?”

  “Of course!”

  “Wait, just one more bite.”

  Just when Scarlet thought her school life would be peaceful until year - when the protagonist would face his sed challenge involving a diary with ink-spshing tendehough she couldn’t quite remember where the book came from - she had an ued enter.

  It was a Saturday night, right after dinner. She had pnned a walk to the Owlery to spend some time with her owl and send a letter to the Red House, when Alexis Everhart, the traudent, approached her at the entrance of the Great Hall.

  Alexis Everhart gave off the impression of the stereotypical blonde bombshell – pretty, well-endowed, and often cast as a damsel in distress waiting for a macho hero to save her. And in some ways, she did fit that mould. But from the serious expression on her faow, it seemed that she had more to her thahe eye.

  Scarlet maintained her usual rexed demeanour, asked politely and smiling as she always did, “Good evening, Miss Everhart. Is there something I help you with?”

  Alexis Everhart frowned slightly, clearly irritated – whether at herself for appearing hot-tempered pared to Scarlet’s calm or at something else entirely. Her expression remaiern. “Scarlet Hong, we o talk. In private.”

  “Of course,” Scarlet replied, unfazed. “I’m on my way to the owlery to see my owl. Would you like to join me? I’m sure we’ll have plenty of privacy there.”

  “Great.” Alexis Everhart nodded, still the red-haired girl as they walked side by side, clearly deep in thought.