CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Hermione in a warm, flattering voice. Hagrid’s beard twitched
and they could tell he was smiling. “We only wondered who had
done the guarding, really.” Hermione went on. “We wondered who
Dumbledore had trusted enough to help him, apart from you.”
Hagrid’s chest swelled at these last words. Harry and Ron
beamed at Hermione.
“Well, I don’ s’pose it could hurt ter tell yeh that . . . let’s see . . .
he borrowed Fluffy from me . . . then some o’ the teachers did
enchantments . . . Professor Sprout — Professor Flitwick — Pro-
fessor McGonagall —” he ticked them off on his fingers, “Profes-
sor Quirrell — an’ Dumbledore himself did somethin’, o’ course.
Hang on, I’ve forgotten someone. Oh yeah, Professor Snape.”
“Snape?”
“Yeah — yer not still on abou’ that, are yeh? Look, Snape helped
protect the Stone, he’s not about ter steal it.”
Harry knew Ron and Hermione were thinking the same as he
was. If Snape had been in on protecting the Stone, it must have
been easy to find out how the other teachers had guarded it. He
probably knew everything — except, it seemed, Quirrell’s spell and
how to get past Fluffy.
“You’re the only one who knows how to get past Fluffy, aren’t
you, Hagrid?” said Harry anxiously. “And you wouldn’t tell any-
one, would you? Not even one of the teachers?”
“Not a soul knows except me an’ Dumbledore,” said Hagrid
proudly.
“Well, that’s something,” Harry muttered to the others. “Ha-
grid, can we have a window open? I’m boiling.”
“Can’t, Harry, sorry,” said Hagrid. Harry noticed him glance at
the fire. Harry looked at it, too.
232