Mel swore on her father that she would never talk about what she'd seen in the mirror. Not to her mum, not to her friends. Especially not to her best friend.

Luckily for her, the twins used the last days to show her secret passageways around the castle, the ones everyone knew and the ones only a few knew. She used that as an excuse to avoid Ron and Harry.

Harry went back to the mirror only once thanks to Dumbledore, who somehow found out and talked to him, making him promise he wouldn't go back. Mel was relieved, the boys had tried to find out what she'd seen for days, but after Hermione came back the conversation turned to the next priority: Nicolas Flamel.

Between the secret passages and funny spells, the schoolwork, and their search, Mel didn't have time to worry about her silly secrets. She didn't have time to send long explanatory letters to her mum either, not that she was trying to, but at least she had an excuse for it now.

One night after quidditch practice, Mel was eagerly waiting for the twins to go back so she could show them she now knew how to make the teacups bite, when Harry got in alone, looking like he was about to faint.

"What's wrong?" She momentarily forgot she wasn't talking much with her friend and sat next to him.

Harry told them the bad news: Snape was going to be refereeing the quidditch match.

"Don't play," said Hermione.

"Say you're ill," said Ron.

"Pretend to break your leg," Hermione suggested.

"Really break your leg," said Ron.

"I can't," said Harry. "There isn't a reserve Seeker. If I back out, Gryffindor can't play at all."

"Why?" Mel frowned, "that's a terrible idea considering how adept you are to getting injured"

"Thanks, Mel"

Neville entered the common room and they didn't know how he managed to climb all the way to the tower without falling on his face: His legs were stuck together thanks to a curse that Hermione was quick to put an end to.

"Don't laugh!" Mel whispered to the boys as she stood up to help Neville.

"What happened?" Hermione asked.

"Malfoy," said Neville shakily, "I met him outside the library. He said he'd been looking for someone to practise that on."

"What a rat!" Mel rummaged through her pockets and gave him a piece of chocolate, "Eat Neville, you'll feel better..."

"Go to Professor McGonagall!" Hermione urged Neville. "Report him!"

Neville shook his head, nibbling on the chocolate.

"I don't want more trouble," he mumbled.

"You've got to stand up to him, Neville!" said Ron, "He's used to walking all over people, but that's no reason to lie down in front of him and make it easier."

"There's no need to tell me I'm not brave enough to be in Gryffindor, Malfoy's already done that," Neville choked.

"Oh, Neville," Mel shook her head, "that's not true"

Harry searched in his pocket too and offered to the boy his last chocolate frog.

"You're worth twelve of Malfoy," Harry said. "The Sorting Hat chose you for Gryffindor, didn't it? And where's Malfoy? In stinking Slytherin."

"I don't think Slytherin is the problem," Mel grumbled, "I do think Harry's right, though. You're better than Malfoy."

Neville smiled weakly as he unwrapped the frog.

"Thanks, guys... I think I'll go to bed... D'you want the card, you collect them, don't you?"

Harry took the card, he examined it.

"Dumbledore again," he said. "He was the first one I ever –"

He gasped. Mel jumped and watched as Harry looked at them with wide eyes.

"I've found him!" He whispered-yelled, "I've found Flamel! I told you I'd read the name somewhere before, I read it on the train coming here – listen to this: 'Professor Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel'!"

"I didn't read the card the first time," Mel examined it, "that's the reason why I didn't remember!"

"Stay here!" Hermione sprung up to her feet and ran back to the girls' dormitories; when she came back, she was holding a large book, "I never thought to look in here! I got this out of the library weeks ago for a bit of light reading."

"Light?" said Ron, but Hermione shushed him.

"I knew it! I knew it!"

"Are we allowed to speak yet?" said Ron grumpily.

"Nicolas Flamel," she whispered dramatically, "is the only known maker of the Philosopher's Stone!"

"Oh!" Mel replied, "that... that's good?"

"The what?" said Harry and Ron.

"Oh, honestly, don't you three read? Look – read that, there." She pushed the book towards them:

The ancient study of alchemy is concerned with making the Philosopher's Stone, a legendary substance with astonishing powers. The Stone will transform any metal into pure gold. It also produces the Elixir of Life, which will make the drinker immortal.

There have been many reports of the Philosopher's Stone over the centuries, but the only Stone currently in existence belongs to Mr Nicolas Flamel, the noted alchemist and opera-lover. Mr Flamel, who celebrated his six hundred and sixty-fifth birthday last year, enjoys a quiet life in Devon with his wife, Perenelle (six hundred and fifty-eight).

"See?" said Hermione, "The dog must be guarding Flamel's Philosopher's Stone! I bet he asked Dumbledore to keep it safe for him, because they're friends and he knew someone was after it. That's why he wanted the Stone moved out of Gringotts!"

"A stone that makes gold and stops you ever dying!" said Harry. "No wonder Snape's after it! Anyone would want it."

"And no wonder we couldn't find Flamel in that Study of Recent Developments in Wizardry," said Ron. "He's not exactly recent if he's six hundred and sixty-five, is he?"

___________________________

After their Defends Against the Dark Arts lesson, Harry let them know he'd made up his mind.

"I'm going to play, If I don't, all the Slytherins will think I'm just too scared to face Snape. I'll show them... it'll really wipe the smiles off their faces if we win."

"Not all Slytherins..." Mel corrected under her breath, however, she was proud of his decision.

"Just as long as we're not wiping you off the pitch," said Hermione.

The day came around and after they wished him good luck, the three friends made their way to the stands and sat next to each other.

"Now, don't forget, it's Locomotor Mortis," Hermione muttered.

"I know," Ron snapped. "Don't nag."

"Shut up, you two," Mel looked around, "the place is full this time, everyone must be dying to see Slytherin lose..."

"I've never seen Snape look so mean," Ron said, "Look – they're off. Ouch!"

"Oh, sorry, Weasley, didn't see you there." Malfoy grinned broadly at Crabbe and Goyle.

Mel felt her blood boil.

"Wonder how long Potter's going to stay on his broom this time? Anyone want a bet? What about you, Weasley?"

"Happy thoughts, little kittens and Harry flying safe and sound..." Mel muttered to herself so the anger wouldn't get the best of her.

"You know how I think they choose people for the Gryffindor team?" said Malfoy loudly a few minutes later, "It's people they feel sorry for. See, there's Potter, who's got no parents, then there's the Weasleys, who've got no money – you should be on the team, Longbottom, you've got no brains."

"I'm worth twelve of you, Malfoy," he stammered.

She looked over to him and smiled, searching for his hand and giving it a gentle squeeze.

Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle burst out laughing.

"You tell him, Neville," Ron mumbled without looking away from the game.

"Longbottom, if brains were gold you'd be poorer than Weasley, and that's saying something."

"I'm warning you, Malfoy – one more word –"

"Don't you have a wider variety of insults on your sleeve? It's getting boring," Mel scoffed.

"Why, you ran out of ways to entertain the voices in your head, nutty? "

"Guys!" said Hermione suddenly. "Harry –!"

"What?! Where?!"

"You're in luck, Weasley, Potter's obviously spotted some money on the ground!" said Malfoy.

Ron jumped over his seat and threw himself at Malfoy, Neville then decided to help, climbing and following Ron.

"Come on, Harry!" Hermione screamed, not noticing what was happening beside her.

Mel did notice, but she was divided between letting things run its course or put a stop to it.

Harry caught the Snitch.

"YES!" Mel yelled, and at the same time, she turned around and kicked Malfoy on the stomach to separate the boy from his friend, "leave him!"

"Ron! Mel! Where are you? The game's over! Harry's won! We've won! Gryffindor is in the lead!" shrieked Hermione, dancing up and down on her seat and hugging Parvati Patil in the row in front.

"Get off, you monkeys!" Mel was pointing her wand to Goyle, and without knowing how, a bunch of blue sparks came out of it hitting Goyle in the face and disorienting him.

She looked down and hid her wand away.

"Oops," She mumbled, then she grabbed Ron and Neville by the collar of their shirts and forced them to stand up, "stop it, stop it, stop it!"

They stood up panting, Neville was slowly losing conscience.

Malfoy stood up too, looking around frantically.

Crabbe and Goyle rushed over to keep the fight going, but Mel and Hermione lifted their wands and pointed them to their faces.

"If I were you, I'd walk out of here with the little bit of dignity I got left. And wash your faces before someone ask what happened and you gotta say Longbottom did that to your eye," Mel warned, pointing her wand directly to Crabbe.

Behind her she heard Neville's body falling flat.

_____________________________

Mel, Ron, and Hermione found Harry on the hall, they were coming back from the infirmary.

"We won! You won! We won!" shouted Ron, "And I gave Malfoy a black eye and Neville tried to take on Crabbe and Goyle single-handed! He's still out cold but Madam Pomfrey says he'll be all right – talk about showing Slytherin! Everyone's waiting for you in the common room, we're having a party, Fred and George stole some cakes and stuff from the kitchens."

"Never mind that now," said Harry breathlessly. "Let's find an empty room, you wait 'til you hear this..."

He guided them to an empty classroom and told them what he had seen in the forbidden forest.

"So we were right, it is the Philosopher's Stone, and Snape's trying to force Quirrell to help him get it. He asked if he knew how to get past Fluffy – and he said something about Quirrell's "hocus- pocus" – I reckon there are other things guarding the stone apart from Fluffy, loads of enchantments, probably, and Quirrell would have done some anti-Dark Arts spell which Snape needs to break through–"

"So, you mean the Stone's only safe as long as Quirrell stands up to Snape?" said Hermione in alarm.

"It'll be gone by next Tuesday," said Ron.

"Well..." Mel added slowly, "not if we can help it"

_____________________________

Hermione was losing her mind thanks to school, so Mel was spending more time with the twins during her free time.

She was slowly forgetting the mirror incident, yet the nagging feeling on her chest every time Harry said something funny or he laughed at one of her jokes, prevailed. She thought that maybe a little bit of space would do the trick.

Unfortunately, as the exams drew closer she was forced to go back, she needed Hermione's revisions to make sure she was studying everything.

She'd been lost in thought for almost half an hour, observing a grey cat running around chasing birds. Mel wished she could be it, most of her afternoons were now spent in the library and the girl was slowly losing her interest in the lessons.

"Hagrid! What are you doing in the library?"

She looked up, forgetting about the cat.

"Jus' lookin'," he said, in a shifty voice that got their interest at once. "An' what're you lot up ter? Yer not still lookin' fer Nicolas Flamel, are yeh?"

"Oh, we found out who he is ages ago," said Ron, "And we know what that dog's guarding, it's a Philosopher's St–"

"Shhhh!" Hagrid looked around quickly to see if anyone was listening. "Don' go shoutin' about it, what's the matter with yeh?"

"Yeah, Ron, what's the matter with you?" Mel grinned, throwing a little ball of parchment to her friend.

"There are a few things we wanted to ask you, as a matter of fact," said Harry, ignoring the battle that Ron and Mel were having next to him, "about what's guarding the Stone apart from Fluffy –"

"SHHHH!" said Hagrid again. "Listen – come an' see me later, I'm not promisin' I'll tell yeh anythin', mind, but don' go rabbitin' about it in here, students aren' s'posed ter know. They'll think I've told yeh –"

"See you later, then," said Harry.

"Bye Hagrid- Ouch!" Mel rubbed her eye and glared at Ron, "I wasn't ready!"

"What was he hiding behind his back?" said Hermione thoughtfully.

"Do you think it had anything to do with the Stone?"

"I'm going to see what section he was in," said Ron, standing up and cursing under his breath when Mel's paper ball hit his ear.

"Stop!" Hermione warned her, "Pince will kick us out if you keep making a mess!"

"Sorry," Mel grabbed her wand from the table and with a swift movement, she whispered, "Scourgify!"

The paper balls disappeared.

"Where did you learn to do that?" Hermione frowned.

"Fred and George," She said proudly.

"You're spending too much time with them," Her friend scowled, "they're a bad influence"

"They're nice," Mel retorted and before Harry could add it she said, "and I don't say it because I like them-"

"I wasn't going to say that!" He replied, "I was going to say I... agree with Hermione"

"What?" She grinned, "Why?"

"You're with them all the time," The boy argued, "it's a bit unfair that you complain about me changing you for Ron when you barely talk to me after class now..."

"Glasses," Mel supported her head with one hand, squinting her eyes and smirking at the boy, "am I detecting some envy?"

Harry was about to reply when Ron came back with a large pile of books.

"Dragons!" he whispered. "Hagrid was looking up stuff about dragons! Look at these: Dragon Species of Great Britain and Ireland; From Egg to Inferno, A Dragon Keeper's Guide."

"Hagrid's always wanted a dragon, he told us so the first time we ever met him," said Harry.

"But it's against our laws," said Ron. "Dragon-breeding was outlawed by the Warlocks' Convention of 1709, everyone knows that. It's hard to stop Muggles noticing us if we're keeping dragons in the back garden – anyway, you can't tame dragons, it's dangerous. You should see the burns Charlie's got off wild ones in Romania."

"But there aren't wild dragons in Britain?" said Harry.

"Of course there are," said Ron. "Common Welsh Green and Hebridean Blacks. The Ministry of Magic has a job hushing them up, I can tell you. Our lot have to keep putting spells on Muggles who've spotted them, to make them forget."

"So what on earth's Hagrid up to?" said Hermione.

"Maybe he's just reading for fun?" Mel offered, but she knew it was unlikely.

______________________________

"So – yeh wanted to ask me somethin'?"

It was getting late, the four kids arrived at Hagrid's hut ready to get more information.

"Yes," said Harry. "We were wondering if you could tell us what's guarding the Philosopher's Stone apart from Fluffy."

"O' course I can't," he said. "Number one, I don' know meself. Number two, yeh know too much already, so I wouldn' tell yeh if I could. That Stone's here fer a good reason. It was almost stolen outta Gringotts – I s'poseyeh've worked that out an' all? Beats me how yeh even know abou' Fluffy."

"Oh, come on, Hagrid, you might not want to tell us, but you do know, you know everything that goes on 'round here," said Hermione in a warm, flattering voice, "We only wondered who had done the guarding, really. We wondered who Dumbledore had trusted enough to help him, apart from you."

"There's gotta be few people on that list, I bet," Mel kept going, picking up on what her friend was trying to do.

Hagrid beamed, Harry and Ron looked proudly at their friends.

"Well, I don' s'pose it could hurt ter tell yeh that ... let's see ... he borrowed Fluffy from me ... then some o' the teachers did enchantments ... Professor Sprout – Professor Flitwick – Professor McGonagall –" he ticked them off on his fingers, "Professor Quirrell – an' Dumbledore himself did somethin', o' course. Hang on, I've forgotten someone. Oh yeah, Professor Snape."

"Snape?"

"Yeah – yer not still on abou' that, are yeh? Look, Snape helped protect the Stone, he's not about ter steal it."

"You're the only one who knows how to get past Fluffy, aren't you, Hagrid?" said Harry anxiously. "And you wouldn't tell anyone, would you? Not even one of the teachers?"

"Not a soul knows except me an' Dumbledore," said Hagrid proudly.

"Well, that's something," Harry muttered, "Hagrid, can we have a window open? I'm boiling."

"Can't, Harry, sorry," said Hagrid.

Mel noticed his nervous glance towards the fire and something tingled on her neck.

"Hagrid – what's that?"

"Ah," said Hagrid, fiddling nervously with his beard. "That's – er ..."

"That's an egg," Mel stated.

A Norwegian Ridgeback, to be precise. Hagrid was planning on keeping it, worse yet, he was planning to keep it inside his house. His wooden house.

________________________________

"Wonder what it's like to have a peaceful life," Ron sighed one evening as he finished the pile of homework he had to do for the day.

"Don't be dramatic," Mel's eyes caught sight of the cat from days ago, silently laying on one of the chairs, "I'm going to bed..."

She stood up and crouched in front of it, carefully stroking its head.

"Hello little one..." She grinned, not noticing certain boy in glasses looking intently at her and the cat.

Days later Hagrid sent them the news via Hedwig, a note that said 'It's hatching' messily written in parchment.

"It's nearly out," He ushered them inside once they went to check on him during their morning break.

Mel loved it more than she had expected, but she was also horrified when they saw Malfoy watching from outside.

Hagrid wasn't faced, though. He kept the dragon and things got out of hand, Norbert was getting a bit too big and too angry, he couldn't stay any longer. Harry had the brilliant idea to send Ron's brother a letter asking him if he could take Norbert away and it would be done. Problem solved, they wouldn't have to worry about Hagrid getting fired.

Mel was sitting in the empty common room along with Harry and Hermione, the three of them waiting for Ron, currently helping Hagrid with Norbert. She was playing with the grey cat she was now acquaintance with, noticing a slight change in her -she knew now that it was a girl- body shape.

"Whose cat is that?" Harry asked, sitting beside her.

"I don't know, she's always here..."

"Is..?"

"Yes, I think she's pregnant," Mel beamed, softly touching the cat's belly, "she's got a few weeks left, I think. I would love to have a cat, you know?" Harry nodded. 

Ron walked inside the room loudly and took off Harry's cloak, revealing a bloody handkerchief.

"It bit me! I'm not going to be able to hold a quill for a week. I tell you, that dragon's the most horrible animal I've ever met, but the way Hagrid goes on about it, you'd think it was a fluffy little bunny rabbit. When it bit me he told me off for frightening it. And when I left, he was singing it a lullaby."

"So he's lost his mind," Mel stood up, "and you'll have to go with Pomfrey, Ron. Your hand looks terrible."

A light tap on the window distracted them from his injury.

"It's Hedwig!" said Harry, "She'll have Charlie's answer!"

The four of them put their heads together to read the note.

'Dear Ron,
How are you? Thanks for the letter – I'd be glad to take the Norwegian Ridgeback, but it won't be easy getting him here. I think the best thing will be to send him over with some friends of mine who are coming to visit me next week. Trouble is, they mustn't be seen carrying an illegal dragon. Could you get the Ridgeback up the tallest tower at midnight on Saturday? They can meet you there and take him away while it's still dark.

Send me an answer as soon as possible.

Love, Charlie'

"Honestly Ron, your brothers are so amazi-"

"We've got the Invisibility Cloak," Harry cut her off, "It shouldn't be too difficult – I think the Cloak's big enough to cover three of us and Norbert."

_____________________________

Ron agreed to visit the hospital wing, now that his hand hurt twice as much. Harry, Mel, and Hermione decided to pay him a visit to see how he was doing.

"It's not just my hand," he whispered, "although that feels like it's about to fall off. Malfoy told Madam Pomfrey he wanted to borrow one of my books so he could come and have a good laugh at me. He kept threatening to tell her what really bit me – I've told her it was a dog but I don't think she believes me – I shouldn't have hit him at the Quidditch match, that's why he's doing this."

"He's working hard for a second black eye, my treat," Mel grumbled, "don't feel bad, he deserved that and more"

"It'll all be over at midnight on Saturday," added Hermione.

"Midnight on Saturday!" Ron said in a hoarse voice, "Oh no – oh no – I've just remembered – Charlie's letter was in that book Malfoy took, he's going to know we're getting rid of Norbert!"