It is snowy in the daytime, Harry is out in a main courtyard, bundled up, with Hedwig on his arm. He stops and she lifts off, soaring away into the sky. As time passes, it is now springtime.

Harry: Hi, Hedwig.

Hedwig has just flown down to the table where Harry, Ron, Matthew, and Hermoine are studying

Hermione: Look at you, playing with your cards. Pathetic! We've got final exams coming up soon.

Ron: I'm ready. Ask me any questions.

Hermione: Alright, what are the three most crucial ingredients in a Forgetfulness Potion?

Ron: I forgot.

Hermione: And what, may I ask, do you plan to do if this comes up in the final exam?

Ron: Copy off you?

Hermione: No, you won't. Besides, according to Professor McGonagall, we're to be given special quills bewitched with an anti-cheating spell.

Ron: That's insulting! It's as if they don't trust us! [checks a card, irritated] Dumbledore again!

Just then, Neville Longbottom comes hopping into the Great Hall with his legs stuck together as the other students laugh at him.

Ron: Leg-Locker Curse?

Harry and Matthew: Malfoy.

Neville approaches them amidst laughter from the other students.

Ron: You have got to start standing up to people, Neville.

Neville: [wobbling uncontrollably] How? I can barely stand at all!

Seamus: [jumping up, wand at the ready] I'll do the countercurse!

Neville: No, that's all I need! You to set my bloody kneecaps on fire!

Seamus: [slamming his wand down angrily] I don't appreciate the insinuation, Longbottom. Besides, if anyone cares to notice, my eyebrows have completely grown back!

He then stalks off angrily, showing a large chunk of hair missing from the back of his head.

Harry: I found him! [hands Ron a Chocolate Frog card of Dumbledore]

Ron: "Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the Dark" Wizard Grindelwald in 1945-"

Harry: Go on.

Ron: "-for his discovery of the 12 uses of Dragon Blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner Nicolas Flamel!"

Harry: I knew the name sounded familiar. I read it on the train that day.

Hermione: [beaming excitedly] Follow me!

The four tears out of the Great Hall, leaving poor Neville still flailing around.

Neville: Hey! Wait! Where are you going? What about the countercurse?

Before he can say another word, he topples over backward and then falls to the ground. The other students start laughing. In the library, Harry and Ron are seated, reading until Hermione and Matthew come up with a huge book and thump it onto the table making Harry jump.

Hermione: Matthew and I had you looking in the wrong section. How could I be so stupid? We checked this out a few weeks ago for a bit of light reading.

Ron: This is light?

Matthew: Of course! Here it is! [as she reads the description on the page] Nicholas Flamel is the only known maker of the Philosopher's Stone.

Ron and Harry: The what?

Hermione: Honestly, don't you two read? "The Philosopher's Stone is a legendary substance with astonishing powers. It'll transform any metal into pure gold and produce the Elixir of Life which will make the drinker immortal."

Ron: Immortal?

Hermione: It means you'll never die.

Ron: I know what it means!

Harry: Shh!

Matthew: "The only Stone currently in existence belongs to Mr. Nicholas Flamel, the noted alchemist who last year celebrated his 665th birthday." That's what Fluffy's guarding on the 3rd floor. That's what's under the trapdoor. The Philosopher's Stone.

They all look at each other in concern. It is nighttime on the castle grounds, and Hermione, Ron, Matthew, and Harry are running across to Hagrid's hut.

They knock on the door and Hagrid, who is wearing an apron and oven mitts, opens it from the inside.

Matthew: So, this is Hagrid's house?

Ron: Yes.

Harry: Hagrid!

Hagrid: Oh, hello, sorry, don't wish to be rude, but I'm in no fit state to entertain today.

He begins to close the door.

All four: We know about the Philosopher's Stone!

Hagrid opens the door again.

Hagrid: Oh.

They all come into Hagrid's hut.

Harry: We think Snape's trying to steal it.

Hagrid: Snape? Blimey, yer not still on about him, are yeh?

Harry: Hagrid, we know he's after the Stone. We just don't know why.

Hagrid: Snape is one of the teachers protecting the Stone. He's not about to steal it.

Harry: What?

Hagrid: You heard. Right. Come on, now, I'm a bit preoccupied today.

Harry: Wait a minute.

Ron soon sees Hagrid's boar-hound Fang, who sniffs him.

Harry: "One of the teachers?"

Hermione: [whilst sitting in a large chair] Of course! Other things are defending the Stone, aren't there? Spells, enchantments.

Hagrid: That's right. Waste of bloody time, if yeh ask me.

Hermione looks at Ron, who is still being sniffed in the face by Fang. Finally, Ron shuffles away.

Hagrid: Ain't no one gonna get past Fluffy. Hehe. Ain't a soul knows how, except for me and Dumbledore. I shouldn't have told you that. I should not have told you that.

A cauldron over a fire begins to rattle.

Hagrid: Oh!

Hagrid hurries over and grabs something.

Hagrid: Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! Ooh!

He places it on the table. It was an egg. The group crowds around.

Harry: Uh, Hagrid, what exactly is that?

Hagrid: That? It's a... it's, um...

Ron: I know what that is! But, Hagrid, how did you get one?

Hagrid: I won it. Off a stranger, I met down at a pub. Seemed quite glad to be rid of it.

The egg rattles and cracks open as pieces fly off; a small baby dragon emerges. It squeaks and slips on an egg piece.

Hermione: Is that... a dragon?

Ron: That's not just a dragon. That's a Norwegian Ridgeback. My brother Charlie works with these in Romania.

Hagrid: Isn't he beautiful? Oh, bless him. Look, he knows his mummy. Hehehe. Hello, Norbert.

Norbert squeaks as he looks at Hagrid.

Harry: Norbert?

Hagrid: Yeah, well, he's gotta have a name, don't he?

Ron laughs.

Hagrid: Don't you, Norbert?

He raises fingers back and forth across Norbert's chin. Dededede.

Norbert backs away until he hiccups and blasts a small fireball into Hagrid's beard.

Hagrid: Ohh!

He quickly pats out the smolders in his beard.

Hagrid: Oooh, ooh, ooh-hoo-hoo-hoo! Ooh, well... he'll have to be trained up a bit, of course. Heh.

Norbert hiccups. Hagrid sees someone looking in the window.

Hagrid: Who's that?

It turns out to be Draco Malfoy, who scampers away with Pansy Parkinson.

Harry: Malfoy.

Hagrid: Oh, dear.

Matthew: And he's not alone.

Ron: They saw and heard it!

Harry, Ron, Matthew, and Hermione are walking back through a corridor as an owl screeches.

Harry: Hagrid always wanted a dragon. He told me so the first time I ever met him.

Ron: It's crazy. And worse, Malfoy and Parkinson know.

Harry: I don't understand. Is that bad?

Matthew: It's bad.

They stop as McGonagall, in her nightgown, appears, sternly.

McGonagall: Good evening.

Then, Malfoy and Parkinson appear smugly beside her. Inside McGonagall's classroom, the four are now standing in front of McGonagall's desk, while they are a few feet away, smirking.

Pansy: [mouthing] Loser.

Matthew: [at Pansy] [mouthing] Oh up yours.

McGonagall: [sternly] Nothing, I repeat, nothing gives a student the right to walk about the school at night. Therefore, as punishment for your actions, 50 points will be taken.

Harry: 50?!

McGonagall: Each.

Matthew: Each?!

McGonagall: And to ensure it doesn't happen again, all six of you will receive detention.

Malfoy and Pansy nod, and then their smile vanishes with great concern.

Pansy: Wait hold on, "six"?

Draco: Excuse me, Professor, perhaps I heard you wrong. I thought you said the six of us.

McGonagall: Yes. Mr. Malfoy and Ms. Parkinson, you see, honorable as your intentions were, you two were out of bed after hours as well. You two will join your classmates in detention.

Harry, Ron, Matthew, and Hermione grin, as Draco and Pansy sag, knowing that the tables have turned.

Matthew: [quietly] And points taken away from Slytherin.

The next night, Harry, Matthew, Pansy, Ron, Hermione, and Draco are being led to Hagrid's hut by Mr. Filch.

Filch: A pity they let the old punishments die. There was a time detention would find you hanging by your thumbs in the dungeons. God, I miss the screaming.

Draco and Pansy gulps, and Matthew and Hermione rush by.

Filch: You'll be serving detention with Hagrid tonight. He's got a little job to do inside the Dark Forest.

Hagrid appears with a crossbow. He sniffles.

Filch: A sorry lot, this, Hagrid. Oh, good God, man, you're not still on about that bloody dragon, are you?

Hagrid: [sniffs and sighs] Norbert's gone. Dumbledore sent him off to Romania to live in a colony.

Hermione: Well, that's good, isn't it? He'll be with his kind.

Hagrid: Yeah, but what if he doesn't like Romania?

Filch rolls his eyes.

Filch: What if the other dragons are mean to him? He's only a baby, after all.

Filch: Oh, for God's sake, pull yourself together, man. You're going into the Forest, after all. Got to have your wits about you.

Draco: The Forest? I thought that was a joke! We can't go in there. Students aren't allowed. And there are... [a howl sounds] ...werewolves.

Pansy: Don't tell me you're afraid of an overgrown mutt.

Filch: There's more than werewolves in those trees, lad. You can be sure of that. [Draco looks frightened.] Nighty-night.

He leaves to go back into the castle.

Hagrid: Right. Let's go.

In the Forbidden Forest, the group walks along a path to a tree. Hagrid stops, bends down, and dips his fingers in a silver puddle. He pulls out his fingers and rubs them together. A silver trail smears with his fingers.

Harry: Hagrid, what is that?

Hagrid: What we're here for. See that? That's unicorn's blood, that is. I found one dead a few weeks ago. Now, this one's been hurt badly by something.

Harry suddenly sees a large, cloaked figure walking through the trees. He looks at Hagrid.

Hagrid: So, it's our job to go and find the poor beast. Ron, Hermione, you'll come with me.

Ron: Okay.

Filch: There's more than werewolves in those trees, lad. You can be sure of that. [Draco looks frightened.] Nighty-night.

He leaves to go back into the castle.

Hagrid: Right. Let's go.

In the Forbidden Forest, the group walks along a path to a tree. Hagrid stops, bends down, and dips his fingers in a silver puddle. He pulls out his fingers and rubs them together. A silver trail smears with his fingers.

Harry: Hagrid, what is that?

Hagrid: What we're here for. See that? That's unicorn's blood, that is. I found one dead a few weeks ago. Now, this one's been hurt badly by something.

Harry suddenly sees a large, cloaked figure walking through the trees. He looks at Hagrid.

Hagrid: So, it's our job to go and find the poor beast. Ron, Hermione, you'll come with me.

Ron: Okay.

Hagrid: And Harry, you'll go with Malfoy, while Matthew goes with Parkinson.

Matthew: And why I'm a gotta go with the Slytherin shallow princess?

Pansy: [gets close to Matthew's face] Because you were involved in this, because you're small and insignificant, and because I'll bring a horrible curse upon you if you don't pair me.

Matthew: Uh, why else?

Pansy: NOW, STUTLER!

Pansy aggressively grabs Mathew by the ear.

Matthew: Ow! Ow! Ow! I have sensitive ears, ow!

Pansy: Come on! [She walks while dragging Matthew by the ear]

Ron: Poor Matthew.

Harry and Draco are walking through a part of the forest, with Fang leading. Draco has the lamp in his hand.

Draco: You wait till my father hears about this. This is servant's stuff.

Harry: If I didn't know better, Draco, I'd say you were scared.

Draco: Scared, Potter? [He scoffs, but suddenly hears a howl] Did you hear that? Come on, Fang. Scared!

Meanwhile with Matthew and Pansy. They walked as Pansy let go of his ear earlier.

Matthew: Ah, jeez.

Pansy: Walk it off, and keep up.

Matthew: What's your problem?

Pansy: I don't have one, except the fact that I'm in trouble cause of you guys.

Matthew: Hey, you did it to yourself.

Pansy: Oh please, like I never did anything bad that the school would later catch me in the act.

Matthew: [mutters] Diva.

Pansy: [anger/annoyed] What... did you call me?!

Matthew: I'm sorry, was I not quiet enough? Allow me to say it again... Diva. D. I. V. A. Meaning, a person who is difficult to please and behaves as if they are very special or important.

Pansy breathes angrily as she clenches her fists.

Matthew: And you're shallow, lacking depth of intellect or knowledge; concerned only with what is obvious. Like you are right now.

Pansy: [anger] You-! You filthy, insolent, little American![points her wand at his neck]

Matthew: Whoa, trigger finger over here!

Harry: Pansy, don't!

Draco: Are you trying to get us in more trouble?!

They approach a flat ground with gnarled roots all over. Fang stops, then growls.

Harry: What is it, Fang?

Up ahead is a cloaked figure who is crouching over a dead unicorn, drinking its blood from its wound. Pansy hides behind Draco as the figure raises its head, silver blood dripping from its mouth. Harry gasps and grabs his scar, which is hurting. Draco screams with pure fear, leaving Pansy petrified with fear in place as he runs away with Fang.

Draco: HELP!!!!!

As the figure notices them, it slides over the unicorn and rises erect. Advances towards them, Matthew and Harry back up not noticing Pansy who trips. The creature notices, and lunges at her, she covers her body waiting to be attacked, only for a hiss to come from it. Opening her eyes, she sees Matthew protecting her with his magic shield.

Suddenly, there is the sound of hoof beats. A figure leaps over the three and lands near the cloaked figure. It is a silver centaur called Firenze.

It rears, and the cloaked figure retreats, flying away.

Firenze: Harry Potter, you and your friends must leave. You are known to many creatures here. The Forest is not safe at this time. Especially for you.

Harry: But what was that thing you saved me from?

Firenze: A monstrous creature. It is a terrible crime to slay a unicorn. Drinking the blood of a unicorn will keep you alive even if you are an inch from death. But at a terrible price. You have slain something so pure that from the moment the blood touches your lips, you will have a half-life. A cursed life.
Harry: But who would choose such a life?

Firenze: Can you think of no one?

Harry: Do you mean to say that thing that killed the unicorn that was drinking its blood, that was Voldemort?

Firenze: Do you know what is hidden in the school at this very moment, Mr. Potter?

Harry: [realizing] The Philosopher's Stone.

Pansy: You... Saved me?

Matthew: [to Pansy; offering her a hand] Come on, up.

Pansy: [grabbing his hand to get up; patting herself] You're welcome, by the way.

Matthew: I'm sorry, for what am I thanking you?

Pansy: For being bait, while Draco-

She looks around to not see him.

Matthew: While he runs like a little girl? Yeah, that's heroic.

Fang suddenly barks and Harry looks up to see Hagrid, Hermione, Ron, and Draco appear. Hagrid has his crossbow ready but lowers it when he sees Firenze.

Hermione: Harry! Matthew!

Hagrid: Hello there, Firenze. I see you've met our young Mr. Potter. You all right there, boys?

Harry and Matthew nods

Firenze: Harry Potter, this is where I leave you. You're safe now. Good luck.

He leaves as the group looks at the dead unicorn.

Hermione: [she, Harry, Matthew, and Ron are meeting in the common room] You mean You-Know-Who's out there right now in the Forest?

Matthew: Um, who's this You-Know-Who?

Harry: But he's weak. He's living off the unicorns. Don't you see? We had it wrong. Snape doesn't want the Stone for himself. He wants the Stone for Voldemort. With the Elixir of Life, Voldemort will be strong again. He'll... he'll come back.

Matthew: Uh, guys? Who's... Voldemort?

They look at each other, before looking at Matthew.

Hermione: Matthew, he's...

Balthazar: The Dark Wizard.

Balthazar was suddenly behind them, surprising them.

Matthew: Balthazar. Do you know this guy?

Balthazar: Know him? I've met him before. Years passed during my apprenticeship.

Matthew: What happened?

Balthazar: He was once a great wizard, and soon after he let the magic get to his head, thinking himself superior he started using dark magic.

The Encantus magically appears and opens itself, flipping the pages until it stops at the very sinister page of a very sinister wizard.

Matthew: That's... That's him?

Balthazar: [nodded] The very one, as he is considered a dangerous wizard to ever live.

Ron: But if he comes back, Harry, don't think he'll try to kill him, do you think, sir?

Balthazar: I think if he'd had the chance, he might have tried to kill Harry tonight.

Ron: [gulps] And to think, I've been worrying about my Potions final.

Hermione: Hang on a minute.

Harry, Balthazar, Matthew, and Ron glanced at her.

Hermione: We're forgetting one thing. Who's the one wizard Voldemort always feared? Dumbledore. As long as Dumbledore is around, Harry, you're safe. As long as Dumbledore is around, you can't be touched. [gives him a reassuring smile; he nods]

End of Chapter 7