How Hagrid Became a Hero Xi

[voicelady_2000 at yahoo.com]

Original Yahoo! HPFG Header:
No: HPFGUIDX C1148
From: voicelady_2000
Subject: How Hagrid Became a Hero   Xi
Reply To: [Yahoo! #1143] Re: How Hagrid Became A Hero -- IX
Date: 4/25/00 10:37 am  (ET)

Everyone followed his gaze out the window and stared along with him at
the something in the sky...

Then it finally came to Hagrid...

"Where's Norbert?"

>From both sides of the bars, everyone gathered as close to the window
as they could, peering anxiously for some sight of the dragon. For a
tense moment they stared in complete silence. Suddenly, Hagrid remembered
Charlie's binoculars. He began fumbling through his many pockets, digging
up a harmonica, a half-eaten pecan pie, a shoehorn for a very large shoe,
and a rubber spider (at this Ron gave a quick yelp and then blushed
furiously) before coming up with the binoculars in hand. He held them up
to his eyes and fiddled with the control. The mountain looming in front of
him seemed to vanish. And on the other side of the mountain was Norbert.

Norbert was flying away from them! "Oh Norbie, are you gonna leave Mummy
here?" Hagrid whispered sadly. But then, Norbert turned around and began
flying back towards them as fast as a dragon ever flew. "Oh, he's comin'
back! He's comin" fer us!" Hagrid cried. "Everyone down!"

Everyone dropped to the floor. And just in time. Hagrid was on the
floor, too, but because he was just too big to be allowed, he could
still see what was happening through the window. Norbert was actually
gaining speed. He grew bigger and bigger in Hagrid's sight until he was
practically in the room with them. And then with a huge CRASH! Norbert
WAS in the room with them! "Oh, Norbert, I knew ya wouldn't leave yer
Mummy." Norbert seemed to bare his great, spiked teeth into a gigantic
grin. He snorted and grunted a bit at Hagrid. "Okay, everyone. Back up
as much as you can. Norbert's gonna get Bill and Ron out of the locked
cell." Norbert backed up to the gate and wrapped his tail around a bar. He
then flapped his wings, rose up into the air and with a great big HEAVE
he pulled the gate out of the wall. He flew a little out into the open
and dropped it down the mountainside. Norbert than flew back into the
room and laid his tail down on the ground to invite everyone to climb
onto his back.

Once everyone was settled comfortably, or as comfortably as you could get
on a dragon's back (they don't have reclining seats with flight attendant
service, you know), Norbert rose into the air and began to fly away.

After only a few minutes in flight, though, Norbert began to
falter. "Hagrid, I think there's too much weight!"