"Snape? Threatening Quirrell? You must have misunderstood something."
"Harry, you need to be responsible for what you say."
John's expression turned serious, making Harry realize that John was not joking.
"Right now, you're accusing a Hogwarts professor, the head of Slytherin House. Without evidence, you could be expelled."
Of course, John was just saying that. With all the rules Harry had broken at Hogwarts, enough to fill the entire common room, Dumbledore still hadn't punished him.
Harry, unaware of this, felt a bit anxious but insisted, "I swear, John, I wouldn't lie to you."
Not knowing why, Harry felt he should tell John. Even though John respected Snape, who was often disliked, Harry didn't want John to remain in the dark.
Seeing Harry so earnest, John sighed, "Alright, I believe you. But I need to investigate. Exams are coming up soon; you should focus on your studies."
Harry was delighted that John believed him. Feeling like he had done a good deed, he headed back to the Gryffindor common room, sweeping away the earlier gloom.
However, he didn't stop to think about why John was on the eighth floor, as the Slytherin common room wasn't in that area.
...
Inside the Room of Requirement, John carefully dipped a feather quill in ink and wrote a rune on the Blast-Ended Skrewt's tail. With only the final stroke left, John's concentration was intense, his brow furrowed in effort as he gently drew the quill across the surface.
A rune resembling a bent arm, 'F,' was inscribed on the Skrewt's tail.
"Just one more step."
John's face lit up with joy. He tapped the table with his wand and cleared his throat. Aiming his wand at the rune on the Skrewt's tail, he infused it with magic. The 'F' began to glow, and just when John thought it was a success, the glow turned into a puff of black smoke. The tail exploded, scattering fragments that hit the cauldron.
Prepared for this, John had cast a Shield Charm on himself. As the spell dissipated, he sighed in frustration.
"It still doesn't work. It seems achieving successful enchantment at level one is too difficult."
John had attempted to transmute the Skrewt's tail, but it had failed. He suspected that the ink used to write the rune might be the problem. Holding the ink bottle, he muttered, "Do I need magical creature blood?"
Alchemy had always been intertwined with potion-making. For good materials, John had two options: the Forbidden Forest or his own housemaster's office. Considering the difficulty, John decided to trouble Hagrid first.
If he stumbled into Snape's office while Snape was brewing Veritaserum, he might end up being a test subject. That taste couldn't be pleasant.
Before heading out, John returned the books he had finished to the library.
In the library, Hermione Granger, the know-it-all, had entered full Spartan mode. She had drafted a long list of revision plans, determined to outdo her classmates.
Harry and Ron dared not cross her during this period. Hermione aimed to end John's undefeated record in the upcoming exams.
She was so engrossed in her studies that even Harry and Ron, who were dragged along as study companions, found it unbearable. Even Neville wasn't spared.
Seeing John enter, Harry and the others looked like they had seen their savior.
"John, over here!"
Neville called out excitedly, only to be chased by a floating feather duster.
"Are you all studying here?"
John was a bit surprised. He wasn't surprised to see Hermione there, but seeing the other three was like seeing attendants studying alongside an emperor.
"I haven't thanked you yet, John. The gift you gave me is really useful." Neville finally learned to keep quiet to avoid being chased.
He was referring to the pet cage John gave him for Christmas. After putting Trevor in it, he had never lost him again.
"I'm glad you like it." John put the books back, then sat down with them and asked, "Didn't you already figure out Nicolas Flamel?"
"It's Hermione. She made a long revision plan. I'd rather fight a troll again." Ron complained loudly, which earned him another chase from the feather duster.
Harry nodded quickly, saying, "We have decades before the exams."
Hermione frowned, huffed, and said, "Decades? We have less than ten weeks!"
"John is also starting to revise."
John felt a bit embarrassed. He hadn't actually started revising; he was reading about alchemy, which had nothing to do with the exams.
But this reminded him of the "Scholar 2.0" task, where he still had to stay ahead of Hermione.
Seeing her buried in books, John felt the pressure.
"Alright, I have to find Hagrid. You all continue studying."
Leaving this message, John ignored the pleading looks from the other three and left.
Reaching Hagrid's hut, John felt the heat. It already felt like summer, and even if Hagrid was always cold, there was no need to light a fire inside the house.
"Hagrid, are you cooking?"
"Merlin's beard."
Opening the door, John entered, startling Hagrid. The giant man stood blocking the fireplace, his hairy face forcing a smile.
"Oh, it's you, John."
"Who else did you expect?"
John raised an eyebrow, noticing the peculiar heat. He glanced at the fireplace.
Hagrid subtly shifted to block his view.
John shrugged, used to Hagrid's antics. "Alright, Hagrid, looks like you've got another strange creature."
"Norbert isn't strange. He's a rare Norwegian Ridgeback."
Hagrid instinctively defended, then saw John's knowing expression.
Hagrid couldn't keep a secret, so once it was out, he resignedly moved aside, revealing the fireplace.
John saw a kettle above the fire and a large egg beneath it, looking like an ostrich egg.
"Is that a dragon egg? Are you sure you're not cooking it?"
The egg was already blackened. John thought it might already be partially cooked.
"No, you have to put it in the fire because their mothers breathe on them."
Hagrid had done his homework. When it came to magical creatures, Hagrid was definitely an expert.
John had an idea. He needed better ink, and dragon's blood might be a good choice.
Smiling, John's expression made Hagrid uneasy.
"John, you have to promise not to tell anyone."
"Oh?"
Dragging out the word, John's smile made Hagrid nervous. John glanced at the egg, "Hagrid, you don't want anyone else finding out about this, right?"
"John, we're friends." Hagrid mumbled.
John said, "True friends correct each other's mistakes, not follow them blindly. But..."
Hagrid's hopeful gaze landed on John, who smiled brightly, "We're friends. I won't rat you out. Who wouldn't want a pet dragon?"
"That's great, John. I knew you wouldn't betray me." Hagrid's joy was like that of a half-ton child.
John feigned distress, sighing, "I'd love a dragon too. I'm struggling with the twelve uses of dragon's blood in the exam, and I'm broke."
"Don't worry, John. When Norbert grows up, you'll have free dragon's blood."
Hagrid was always generous with his friends.
John smiled and, after getting a basket of Blast-Ended Skrewt tails from Hagrid, left satisfied.
Shortly after John left, Hagrid went to the library to find more books on dragons, running into the trio studying. The result was predictable: the trio also discovered the dragon egg but kept it secret for their friend's sake.