"Did you guys hear? Hagrid's hut burned down!" Harry perks up as he hears people muttering behind a bookshelf in the library.
"Well of course it did!" Hermione grouses with a sigh, "What did he think was going to happen? Keeping a drago-"
"Quiet! You want someone to hear us?" Neville hurriedly interjects.
"Maybe she does, ever since the snake dumped-ouch!"
"Shut up, Ronald! You don't know anything!"
"Yeah, I thought we were passed that, Ron..." Neville shakes his head, "Anyway, he said 'Norbert' flew off into the Forbidden Forest after his hut burned down. He's been sent to Saint Mungo's and wanted us to try and look for her..."
"No way! Do you know what's in there?!" Ron exclaims, "Giant bloody spiders!"
"Not just acromantulas, centaurs, werewolves, and many other dangerous creatures. There's a reason it's forbidden in the first place." Hermione warns.
"Well, what should we do then? Hagrid's going to be gutted..."
"He'll get over it... Maybe we can chip in and find him another dog or something." Ron mutters. "Just know I'm not going anywhere near the forest without Dumbledore and every other Auror in England in front of me."
"I guess that makes sense, we'll have to get Hagrid something to apologise..."
Harry stops peeking and leaves the library thinking about the dragon that's apparently now flying around the forest. Dragons had always interested him, being the most famous and likely powerful magical creatures around, barring phoenixes and fae.
He wasn't quite sure what he'd do with it once caught, but that could wait until after he'd acquired it... His next class was History of Magic, Professor Binns wouldn't notice his absence.
----------------------
*Chink!*
"You have burned enough, creature of ash!" the centaur shouts as it wraps a chain around the young dragon's neck. The beast screeches in response and spits some smoke, but it'd already used most of its fire on Hagrid's hut and a few dry fallen trees in the forest.
"Hajrel! Great stars, you have it! This burdensome lizard!" another centaur says as he makes his way over, arrow drawn and ready to kill the dragon.
"Wait! Is it ordained that it must die? Perhaps we could use it? The forest could always use more protectors!"
The other centaur pauses, "Ordained...? No... I admit, last night the stars were absent, all but the stinger of scorpius..." he admits.
Hajrel's eyes widen at that, "And you didn't think to inform anyone!?"
"What am I if the stars hide from me!? I refuse to dishonour myself so!"
"D-DISHONOUR!? WHAT DOES IT MATTER IF WE'RE-"
"KHANYUL FARCOULCI!" someone hidden shouts as the heavy scent of blood fills the air, a large cloud of crimson mist blowing over the clearing and washing over the three magical creatures.
After a moment, all three release pained shouts and fall to the ground, their bodies locking up as most of the blood in their veins thickens to such an extent as to lock up their limbs. For muggles this would instantly kill them, but for magical beings they have a bit of leeway...
Harry steps out of cover and lets out a cool breath, the amount of blood that spell required was taxing, but the effects spoke for themselves. He picks the stiffened dragon up by the scruff of its neck and scowls at it... "Two legs... It's the same thing with the damn thestrals again. Who replaced my dragons with wyverns!?"
"W-WIZARD!" one of the centaurs shouts in a pained tone, "W-we have agreements! Y-you cannot harm us!"
Harry tilts his head, "I made no such agreement, I don't even consider myself a wizard so you're out of luck there horse-face."
"Y-you would betray your kin...?"
"Yep." he pops the P and knocks the horses out with stupifys. He already had a troll locked up, might as well see what he can glean from some centaurs.
----------------------
"So, when were you planning on telling us who it was?" Pansy Parkinson asks as she and others in the House gathered to talk politics.
Malfoy sends her a sideway glance, "I won't speak a word of it." he holds up a trembling hand, "You can try to do something about it, but I'm not paying for your recovery..."
"So it was Potter, then...?"
"I didn't say anything." Malfoy grouses, "If you value your life you won't either, our Head of House certainly found that out."
"Y-you think he got Snape too!?"
Draco snorts, "He suddenly turns up in the hospital wing with shattered legs and a half-broken mind. Who else in Hogwarts would do that?"
"I guess... But then, shouldn't we do something? Tell our families at least?"
"I'll tell my father face to face, let him see what was done to me before he does anything else..." he sighs, knowing that the main reason he hadn't said anything yet was because Potter might find out. He didn't want to be anywhere near Hogwarts when his father retaliates.
Was it a silly fear that a young boy, famous or not, could kill whoever the Head of Malfoy House hired? Maybe. But he had a sneaking suspicion that Potter hadn't revealed his hand yet, even after casting an Unforgivable.
Draco had barely managed to curse one person with it, with limited effect. Yet Potter had done it to three people at once without visible strain. If he wasn't the next Dark Lord then he'd eat his wand.
"Just... If you're going to do anything, keep me out of it. Please." he sincerely asks both Pansy and the rest of the table who squirm at how serious he was being. It was a dramatic change after all, from loud mouth leader of Slytherin to demure, crippled, Draco.