NORBERT THE
NORWEGIAN RIDGEBACK
The steep spiral staircase up to the top of the tower seemed the
easiest thing in the world after that. Not until they’d stepped out
into the cold night air did they throw off the cloak, glad to be able
to breathe properly again. Hermione did a sort of jig.
“Malfoy’s got detention! I could sing!”
“Don’t,” Harry advised her.
Chuckling about Malfoy, they waited, Norbert thrashing about
in his crate. About ten minutes later, four broomsticks came swoop-
ing down out of the darkness.
Charlie’s friends were a cheery lot. They showed Harry and
Hermione the harness they’d rigged up, so they could suspend
Norbert between them. They all helped buckle Norbert safely into
it and then Harry and Hermione shook hands with the others and
thanked them very much.
At last, Norbert was going . . . going . . . gone.
They slipped back down the spiral staircase, their hearts as light
as their hands, now that Norbert was off them. No more dragon —
Malfoy in detention — what could spoil their happiness?
The answer to that was waiting at the foot of the stairs. As they
stepped into the corridor, Filch’s face loomed suddenly out of the
darkness.
“Well, well, well,” he whispered, “we are in trouble.”
They’d left the Invisibility Cloak on top of the tower.
241