Chapter 78 - You have a what? Ⅱ (2/2)

”Why didn't you say so in the first place!” Professor Kettleburn excitedly said. ”They're incredibly rare, I must see to it myself!” Jumping to his feet, Professor Kettleburn eagerly runs out past the protesting figure of Madame Pomfrey who shouts, ”But you haven't been given leave yet, Professor Kettleburn!”

”I'd say he's fine given how he jumped to his feet,” one of the blue boys remarked.

Madam Pomfrey narrows her eyes and strictly says, ”The both of you are not to leave or you'll be getting an extra bitter draught!”

”No, Ma'am,” the two boys hastily said as they all failed to notice a 1st-year girl so nonchalantly walked past them and back to the Slytherin common room.

Professor Kettleburn excitedly makes his way across the ground and without a word of warning bursts into the rather warm cottage of Hagrid, startling the six members in the cabin, Hagrid and five 1st years. ”Professor Kettleburn!” Hagrid stammered as Professor Kettleburn eagerly kneels on the log cabin floor and croons, ”Oh, what a beauty you are.”

Seeing Professor Kettleburn so intrigued, Hagrid sighs a bit in relief and hastily says, ”Sir, I was going to tell you, but I wanted to make sure the egg properly hatched.”

”Not to worry,” Professor Kettleburn said. ”I was informed by a kind 1st year and asked to aid in the hatching and later transporting to a proper sanctuary.”

”Really, Sir?” Hagrid said with relief and joy.

”Oh, yes, Hagrid,” Professor Kettleburn said. ”As for you five, please do not speak a word of this to anyone.”

”No, sir!” The marauders and Lily exclaimed.

”Good, now off you go,” Professor Kettleburn said as he dismissed them with his hand. They hurry out as his last words heard is, ”Now I will be setting a spell of concealment, Hagrid.”

The five of them walk back across the ground as Sirius says, ”Well, that was terribly boring.”

”Hagrid could have gotten in a lot of trouble if he'd been caught!” Lily snapped. ”It's a good thing that Professor Kettleburn is so kindly agreeing to help.”

Sirius sheepishly shrugs as Pettigrew chimes in agreement, ”Yes, it's a great thing!”

Lupin warily shakes his head and drily says, ”Shall we head back for a game of wizarding chess?”

”Sounds good,” Sirius roguishly said as Lily sniffed and Pettigrew nodded his head in agreement.

James had been a bit quiet until now and says, ”Did any of you notice that someone must have informed Professor Kettleburn?”

”Well, no one snitched if that's what you're implying,” Sirius loftily said.

”No, I was just wondering, who else other than us could know about it?” James mused.

After a pause, Lupin thoughtfully answered, ”Well, I could name a number of people, but I think the most likely conclusion would be a kind student or professor even. Either way, it worked out well for everyone.”

”I suppose I'm thinking too much into it,” James said with a rueful shrug. Either way, the five of them made their way back inside for a match of wizarding chess. And to their surprise, Sirius trounced them all. Despite his lazy appearance, Sirius was quite the talented wizarding chess player.