So this chapter is called "Saving Norbert." Okay. Whatevs.
So they're studying, and it mostly follows as canon, except for things that are altered to give someone else's lines to Neville (usually Ron's). Oh, and points about how great Rose is.
Also, quit referring to events that we never saw happen, author. It just makes you look like you're pulling stuff out of your ass.
Speaking of, Hagrid shows up and they see he has all those dragon-raising books.
And now, because I'm a huge fucking nerd, something I found funny.
“Of course there are,” said Neville.
“Yeah, Common Welsh Green and Hebridean Blacks,” said Ron, “the Ministry of Magic has a job hushing them up, I can tell you. Our lot have to keep putting spells on Muggles who’ve spotted them, to make them forget.”
Here's a bit of fun trivia: Rowling actually did defictionalizations of two in-universe books from Harry Potter: Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them and Quidditch Through The Ages, both of which figure into the first book in the series, with the former being one of Harry's required textbooks and the latter being something he checks out from the library.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them lists all the different breeds of dragon, what they like to eat, and where they live. What I'm getting at is that Rose apparently doesn't know something that's in her required textbooks, despite her going on about how oh-so-studious she is.
Now, picking on a fanfic author for not reading something Rowling wrote for elementary school students, but something just rubs me the wrong way about it going out of its way to do its own bullshit fanon (or more accurately, fanon ripped from other fanfics) while ignoring perfectly fun and usable canon worldbuilding.
So the group heads over to Hagrid's house to ask questions about the Philosopher's Stone, blah blah blah mostly proceeding as canon, they see the egg, yadda yadda.
“Hermione, how many times in our lives are we going to see…Splat!” Ron was interrupted by a red blob of paint that had sprung from the end of my wand and hit him in the face. I was across the table from him and could not use any normal means to stop his unthinking mouth. I’m sure if I hadn’t had hit him with a red Paintball Charm, he would have been red anyway from anger.
And really, she hits him in the face with a paintball charm? As in, like a paintball gun? I'm gonna assume that those things don't have as much force as an actual paintball gun, because at that distance it'd draw blood. And she did that just to get him to stop talking? Why not just use your Secrecy Ward you're so fond of showing off? And if you want to avoid drawing attention to yourself, hitting someone in the face with paint sounds really counter-productive.
Well, I'm thinking about it much harder than the author intended me to. The author just expected me to laugh at how Ron's stupid and how Rose is treating him like he's stupid.
So they go to see Hagrid and events progress as in canon until later, when we get more bullshit about Rose's druid amulet and Metamorphmagus abilities.
And, of course, she decides to tell Hermione that she can "key" her amulet so that some people can see her naked.
So they plan their deal to get Norbert to Charlie Weasley, and that's pretty much canon.
And then this.
“I, Hermione Granger, swear I am a friend in trust and heart of Rose Jamie Potter,” she said firmly.
The pendant that hung on my waist started to glow with warmth that caused me to gasp at the emotions flowing through me from it. My breathing became deep and my heart skipped a few beats. After a few moments of this, the effect died down and the glow subsided.
So Hermione swears on the amulet, and now she can see Rose nakers. I should mention that this author was an avid Harry/Hermione shipper, which likely accounts for the Ron-bashing.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” I said, a bit out of breath. I activated the amulet and immediately Hermione blinked and rubbed her eyes much as Minnie had done. “What do you see?” A smirk from the girl told me that she really saw.
“I see a very pretty naked girl, wearing a beautiful amulet around her waist,” said Hermione. I blushed.
“When, Rosey Potter, have you seen me in the buff?” asked Hermione with mock sternness, but the slight turn of red in her cheeks betrayed that she was pleased with the compliment.
“Really, Hermione,” I said, “the dorm showers are almost like the Quidditch changing room showers, open plan, for everyone to see everyone else, those flimsy curtains hardly help.”
So after that stupidity is over-wait, no, the stupidity in this fic is never over, they carry out the plan to take Norbert to the top of the Astronomy Tower. There's a bit where Rose demonstrates how smart she is by using a spell to make the crate super-light so they can take it up more easily, and they see Malfoy getting pwned by Professor McGonagall.
And that goes well, and the chapter ends with this.
Y'see, one of Harry's defining attributes is that he does what he thinks is right, regardless of the rules. This leads to him being a big rulebreaker, like when he organizes an illegal Defense Against the Dark Arts club in book five or when he sneaks into Hogsmeade in book three because Vernon wouldn't sign his permission slip 'cause he blew up Aunt Marge.
But when he has so little respect for the rules, that has consequences, and the purpose of this was to show that. He broke the rules, and he suffered consequences for it. But not Rose, she can do whatever the fuck she likes and get away with it. You know, I bet I'll be rooting for Umbridge in this.
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