Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s/Sorcerer’s Stone: Chapter 14 Summary.
Norbert the Norwegian Ridgeback
Chapter Fourteen of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, titled “Norbert the Norwegian Ridgeback” covers the discovery of Hagrid’s new secret, the complications that arise from it, and the trio’s efforts to resolve the situation.
The Trio Meets Hagrid in the Library
Harry, Ron, and Hermione run into Hagrid in the library, who is there to look at books on dragons. During their conversation, Hagrid inadvertently reveals that Fluffy is guarding the Philosopher’s Stone. He also mentions that several professors, including Snape, have set up protective enchantments to guard the Stone.
Hagrid’s Hut
The trio visits Hagrid in his hut and learns about the dragon egg he won from a stranger in a card game. Hagrid is excited about the egg and eagerly awaits its hatching.
Eventually, the dragon egg hatches, revealing a baby Norwegian Ridgeback dragon, whom Hagrid decides to name Norbert. While Hagrid is thrilled with Norbert, the trio worries about the implications of keeping a dragon.
The Trio’s Dilemma
Harry, Ron, and Hermione realize that keeping a dragon is illegal and dangerous. They discuss how to handle the situation and decide they need to convince Hagrid to get rid of Norbert. Harry suggests they contact Charlie Weasley, Ron’s elder brother who works with dragons.
Ron writes to his brother Charlie, who works with dragons in Romania, asking for help. Charlie agrees to take Norbert and arranges for his friends to collect the dragon. He tells them to bring Norbert to the tallest tower at midnight on Saturday since his friends couldn’t be seen with Norbert, because he is an illegal specie.
Hagrid initially does not want Norbert to leave but eventually obliges.
Malfoy Learns the Secret
Malfoy overhears the trio talking about Hagrid’s secret and plans to use the information to get them into trouble. He visits Hagrid’s hut while the trio is with him, and discovers a newly hatched Norbert, confirming his suspicions. The trio catches him leave and decides to act on the matter quickly.
Ron’s Injury
Ron gets bitten by Norbert and has to go to the hospital wing. His hand swells up painfully, adding to the urgency of getting rid of the dragon. This incident heightens the trio’s resolve to find a solution quickly.
Malfoy visits Ron in the hospital wing to have a laugh at his expense. He tells Madam Pomfrey, the school nurse, that he needs to borrow a book from Ron to get in. He does end up taking a book from Ron, which happens to contain Charlie’s letter. The trio is terrified since Malfoy now knows about their entire plan.
The Midnight Operation
Harry and Hermione get ready for the mission. With the help of Harry’s invisibility cloak, they take Norbert from Hagrid and carry his large crate to the top of the Astronomy Tower.
They run into Malfoy, who is waiting to catch them in the act and turn them in. However, Malfoy runs into Professor McGonagall, who deducts points from Slytherin as punishment for him being out of bed at night and sends him to his dormitory.
After they leave, Harry and Hermione successfully hand Norbert over to Charlie’s friends, who take the dragon away.
Caught by Filch
On their way back to Gryffindor Tower, Harry and Hermione are caught by Filch for being out of bed after hours. They face severe consequences for their actions, adding to their worries about the unfolding events.
The chapter ends on a cliffhanger, with Harry and Hermione at the mercy of Filch. It is evident that they are going to be punished. The question is, how severely?
