As the Hogwarts Express pulled into Hogsmeade Station, signaling the conclusion of yet another Christmas holiday, the quietude that had settled over the Hogwarts campus for the past month gave way to renewed liveliness.

Expressions of astonishment adorned the faces of Harry, Ron, and Hermione as they beheld the vast array of snacks laid out before them.

Ron, in particular, wore a pout and quipped, “You bought all these, Young Master? What a show off!” An unmistakable twinge of envy lingered in Ron’s eyes despite his teasing.

Draco, displaying an air of pride, gestured grandly and declared, “What do you fancy? Help yourself! My father intends to establish a vault for me in the recently inaugurated Gringotts in Hogsmeade Village, ensuring this young master will never be short of funds in the future!”

In response to Draco’s boast, the trio wasted no time in delving into the mountain of snacks, each selecting their favorites.

“I’ll get this, then! Thank you so much, Draco!” Harry dived in without any hesitation, chomping on one of the snacks, “Merlin’s beard, I never thought I could enjoy things like this with my friends surrounding me!” He continued.

Hearing Harry’s words made Draco smile a bit; there is an unknown feeling that made his heart move a bit after hearing Harry’s appreciation.

“Thank you, Draco. While I believe we can’t get rid of all these before reaching Hogwarts, I believe it would be a great thing to have while listening to Ron’s babbling.” Hermione said while eating one of the snacks.

“Suit yourself!” Ron continues eating without even saying thanks to Draco.

The ensuing moments saw the quartet indulging in snacks, regaling each other with tales of their holiday escapades.

The Hogwarts campus, now alive with the chatter and laughter of returning students, marked the beginning of a new term filled with magical adventures.

However, Harry, armed with prior knowledge about Nicolas Flamel and the Philosopher’s Stone, refrained from utilizing the newly acquired invisibility cloak to clandestinely explore the library during the holiday, as depicted in the original book.

Consequently, he didn’t stumble upon the Mirror of Erised, rendering their vacation less eventful than expected.

As the four of them idled away the time, boredom crept in.

Yet, Hermione, ever the proactive thinker, soon spoke up: “I’ve pondered this extensively over the holidays. We need to inform Hagrid about the Philosopher’s Stone as soon as possible. Having knowledge of the three-headed dog, Professor Snape is likely to act soon. We must devise a plan to handle the creature!”

Wearing a disapproving expression, Ron interjected, “Dealing with such a colossal magical creature without attracting attention is impossible!”

In response to Ron’s skepticism, Draco instinctively retorted, “Every magical creature has its weaknesses! If Professor Snape truly intends to confront a three-headed dog, he will undoubtedly find a way to do so.”

As Draco began to counter Ron, Ron was on the verge of responding when Hermione intervened, sensing the impending debate. Waving her hands to hush them, she asserted, “Regardless, informing Hagrid is the prudent course of action!”

On a dusk-laden evening, the quartet gathered outside Hagrid’s hut, and after a few knocks, the door swung open.

Uninterested in any potential detective games, Hagrid promptly declared, “I’m not keen on whatever game you lot are playing, and I ain’t got time for your talk. I am busy, so scram!”

Undeterred, Hermione interjected, “We are not here to play, Hagrid. We need to talk about Nicolas Flamel and the Philosopher’s Stone!”

In response, Hagrid resignedly, sighed and conceded, “Oh, well, then come in!”

Once inside Hagrid’s cabin, Draco, wrinkling his nose, commented, “Good gracious, what’s that smell? Seriously, Hagrid, when was the last time you cleaned this place?”

While the others remained indifferent, Harry cut straight to the chase, “Hagrid, you need to listen. Professor Snape is after the Philosopher’s Stone! On Halloween, he attempted to sneak into the room under the Three-Headed Dog to pilfer the Stone, but the Three-Headed Dog stopped him. It’s no longer guarding the place!”

“If Professor Snape tries again, he must have figured out how to deal with the three-headed dog. Hagrid, it’s not safe there anymore. You must inform Professor Dumbledore immediately!” Harry informed.

Harry’s urgency seemed to register vaguely with Hagrid, who responded with a distracted air, “Alright, Harry, and you lot, this isn’t your concern! If you’ve got time, read a few more books and learn some more spells. Look at Wentworth; he’s on the brink of Hogwarts stardom and hasn’t even left the school gate!”

Hagrid’s words left the four of them dumbfounded. Just then, an odd noise captured everyone’s attention.

Breaking the silence, Hagrid hastily interjected, “Well, it’s getting late. I reckon you should be heading back!”

However, Hagrid’s words fell on deaf ears as Harry and the others disregarded his advice.

They were drawn to a peculiar noise emanating from Hagrid’s room, where a bucket on the flames produced a series of collision sounds.

Fixing their gaze on Hagrid, they observed him shaking his head before extracting a massive egg from the rattling bucket. As the football-sized egg sat before them, Harry and his companions widened their eyes, puzzled expressions etched across their faces.

“Merlin, Hagrid, what on earth is this?” Harry inquired.

Hagrid, attempting to conceal it, found himself unable to do so when Ron exclaimed, “I know what this is! Merlin, Hagrid, where did you get this?”

With a helpless sigh, Hagrid admitted, “I won a bet with a stranger in a bar!”

As the colossal egg started cracking, the entire shell eventually split apart one fracture after another. From within emerged a small, dragon-shaped creature.

Staring at the unexpected sight, Hermione voiced her disbelief, “Is this a dragon?”

Ron chimed in, “This isn’t just any dragon; it’s a Norwegian Ridgeback! My brother’s studying them in Romania.”

Draco, captivated, exclaimed, “Merlin, that’s amazing! Hagrid, name your price. I want to buy this dragon!”

Unfazed by Draco’s enthusiasm, Hagrid, fixated on the dragon, didn’t even spare him a glance. His eyes seemed solely focused on the creature as he spoke softly, “I’m not selling it. It’s like my child. Would a mother sell her own child? Look, it recognizes its own mother!”

Hagrid extended his hand mid-sentence, intending to touch the small dragon before him.

Suddenly, the wooden door of Hagrid’s hut swung open from the outside, accompanied by a voice saying, “I don’t know if it recognizes its own mother, but it certainly recognizes its own food!”

Hagrid, Harry, and the others hastily spun around, their eyes widening in terror as they focused on the door.

Owning fire dragons was not only against the rules of Hogwarts but also illegal.

Despite the school encouraging the nurturing of various animals to foster students’ love for magical creatures, fire dragons were strictly off-limits.

A collective sigh of relief escaped when the familiar figure appeared at the door. Hagrid, Harry, and the rest felt the tension dissipate, recognizing the newcomer.

Grinning broadly, Hagrid greeted, “Hey, Wentworth, come in and meet Norbert!”

Hagrid’s demeanor towards Wentworth was notably warmer than when Harry and the others first arrived at his door. The trio had earned favor by being thoughtful students who remembered to present gifts at Christmas.

In response to Hagrid’s invitation, Wentworth, with a playful glint in his eye, pointed to Hagrid’s chin and remarked, “Aren’t you feeling a bit warm?”

Hagrid looked down to realize that his beard was already ablaze! “Merlin! Shouldn’t you help me first, Wentworth?!”