Thomas, James, Adam, and Michael exchanged a triumphant glance, as they took one last glance at the running figure. Nevertheless, neither one of them wanted to stay and watch Malfoy running away so, they made their way back to Hagrid's hut, eager to tell their friends that the situation has been resolved and hopefully Hagrid's secret would be kept …secret.
When they entered the cozy hut, they found Hagrid, Harry, Hermione and Ron still standing by the table, concern etched on their face. The worried expressions on their friends' faces softened as they caught sight of the four boys' smiles.
Hagrid's eyes widened as soon as he saw the for boys. "Yeh caught up with 'im, didn' ya?" he asked eagerly, his voice filled with anticipation.
Thomas nodded, a proud smile playing on his lips. "We did, Hagrid. We managed to chase him down and have a little chat. Draco won't be causing any more trouble, at least for now."
Harry, Hermione, and Ron visibly relaxed, their shoulders easing from the tension that had gripped them moments ago. Hermione's voice trembled with relief as she spoke, "Thank goodness! We were so worried about what he might do or say."
Adam nodded his head. "Don't worry, Hermione. We made it clear to him that, let's just say, there will be consequences if he talks."
James chimed in, grinning from ear to ear with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "And let's just say, that our daddy-lover boy got a taste of his own medicine. He won't be forgetting our encounter anytime soon."
Hagrid chuckled heartily, his large frame shaking with mirth. "That's the spirit! Good on ya, lads. Yeh've shown."
Michael, ever the practical thinker, added, "But we shouldn't let our guard down. Draco may be down for now, but he'll surely find a way to retaliate especially against Tom and James. We need to be prepared for whatever he throws at us or worse, whatever he lies about."
Thomas nodded in agreement. "You're right, Mickey. We need to stay vigilant and look out for each other. While I doubt that Malfoy would try anything anytime soon, I'm not going to wait for something to happen to me or worse to my family because that blonde idiot got his pride hurt."
Hagrid placed a hand on Thomas's shoulder, a proud smile on his face. "I'm proud of ya, Thomas. Yeh've shown true courage and loyalty. Yeh're a credit to Hogwarts."
Seeing that, Harry spoke up, gratitude evident in his voice. "Thank you, all of you. I don't know what we would have done if you four weren't here."
The four Ravenclaws exchanged heartfelt smiles while listening to Harry's words when Michael remembered something that Ron had once bragged about. "Hey, Ron, didn't you told us one time that you have an older brother that deals with dragons and such? Can't we, I don't know, ask for his help with Hagrid's dragon?"
Ron nodded as Michael mentioned his older brother's expertise with dragons. He scratched his head thoughtfully, trying to recall the details. "Yeah, that's right! Charlie, my brother, works with dragons in Romania. He's been studying them for years."
Hermione's face lit up with a glimmer of hope. "Do you think he could help us with Hagrid's dragon?"
Ron nodded eagerly. "I reckon so! Charlie knows more about dragons than anyone I know. He could give us some guidance on how to keep Norbert safe and hidden. Plus, he might have some ideas on how to handle Malfoy, too, considering that he deals with some nasty vampires every day, who from what I remember from his letter are no different than Malfoy."
Thomas chimed in, "Well, having your brother's help would definitely give us an edge against Malfoy if he decides to tell everyone that Hagrid has a baby dragon. We could always use the pretext that he saw an enchanted photo, not to mention that he was snooping in the forest, a place that is forbidden for us, first-years. And that Charlie just wanted to show us his new friend."
Harry agreed, his voice filled with determination. "Let's do it then. We'll send a letter to Charlie and explain the situation. We could send Norbert to him. Charlie can take care of him and then put him back in the wild!"
Hagrid, overhearing their conversation, nodded approvingly. "Charlie Weasley, eh? Aye, he's got a way with dragons and most creatures be honest with meself. If anyone can help, it's him. I'll write a letter to him myself, tellin' him about Norbert and askin' him for help."
The following week dragged by with nothing too interesting happening, other than Malfoy and his goons leaving the great hall as soon as they saw Thomas and his friends. And just like that on Wednesday night, Hermione and Harry were sitting in the Gryffindor common room, long after everyone else had gone to bed. The clock on the wall had just chimed midnight when the portrait hole burst open and Ron appeared out of nowhere as he pulled off Harry's Invisibility Cloak. He had been down at Hagrid's hut, helping him feed Norbert, who was now eating dead rats by the crate.
"It bit me!" he said, showing them his hand, which was wrapped in a bloody handkerchief. "I'm not going to be able to hold a quill for a week. I tell you, that dragon's the most horrible animal I've ever met, but the way Hagrid goes on about it, you'd think it was a fluffy little bunny rabbit. When it bit me he told me off for frightening it. And when I left, he was singing it a lullaby."
Suddenly, there was a tap on the dark window.
"It's Hedwig!" said Harry, hurrying to let her in. "She'll have Charlie's answer!"
The three of them put their heads together to read the note.
Dear Ron,
How are you? Thanks for the letter. I'd be glad to take the Norwegian Ridgeback, but it won't be easy getting him here. I think the best thing will be to send him over with some friends of mine who are coming to visit me next week. The only problem is, they mustn't be seen carrying an illegal dragon.
Could you get the Ridgeback up the tallest tower at midnight on Saturday? They can meet you there and take him away while it's still dark.
Send me an answer as soon as possible.
Love,
Charlie
Once they finished reading the letter, they looked at each other.
"We've got the Invisibility Cloak," said Harry. "It shouldn't be too difficult. I think the Cloak's big enough to cover two of us and Norbert. Not to mention that Thomas can use his strange magic to make himself invisible or at least that's what James told me."
Hermione's eyes widened with excitement as she listened to Harry's plan. "That could work! With the Invisibility Cloak and Thomas's abilities, we should be able to sneak Norbert up to the tallest tower without anyone noticing. It's our best chance to get him to Charlie safely."
Ron nodded eagerly, a mixture of anticipation and nervousness bubbling within him. "I can't believe we're actually going to do this! We're going to send Norbert to Charlie in Romania. It's going to be epic!"
Harry smiled, feeling a surge of determination coursing through him. "Alright, then. We'll meet at the base of the tallest tower at midnight on Saturday. Remember, we have to be quiet and swift. We don't want to draw any unnecessary attention. Hermione, could you talk with Thomas and tell him about this tomorrow, please?"
Hermione nodded in response an shortly afterward, all three of them went to their rooms. Sadly their plan was put on hold. By the next morning, Ron's bitten hand had swollen to twice its usual size. He didn't know whether it was safe to go to Madam Pomfrey, fearing that she would recognize the dragon bite. But by the afternoon, though, he had no choice. The cut had turned a nasty shade of green. It looked as if Norbert's fangs were poisonous.
Luckily for him, Hermione had talked with Thomas earlier that morning, and as soon as he and his friends found out what happened and what they would do, all six of them rushed up to the hospital wing at the end of the day to find Ron in a terrible state in bed. The poor boy lucked as if he had a date with a troll.
"It's not just my hand," he whispered, "although that feels like it's about to fall off. Malfoy told Madam Pomfrey he wanted to borrow one of my books so he could come and have a good laugh at me. He kept threatening to tell her what really bit me. I've told her it was a dog but I don't think she believes me. Blimey, I shouldn't have hit him at the Quidditch match, that's why he's doing this."
As soon as he said those words, Adam, Michael, and Hermione tried to calm him down.
Adam tried to reassure him, "Don't worry Ron, everything would be alright."
Meanwhile, Thomas, Harry, and James were looking at their friend from a few meters away, unsure how to console him.
Thomas turned to his friends. "Something's not right. Ron seems delirious. He's blaming himself for this whole ordeal, thinking that Malfoy's actions are a consequence of their altercation during the Quidditch match."
Harry nodded, his expression reflecting the same concern. "I agree, Thomas. Ron's wound might be affecting his judgment. He's not thinking clearly, and it's only exacerbating his guilt and distress."
James chimed in, however, rather than worrying for Ron, he had something else in mind, "Say if by some mistake we would get some of Norbert's venom, could we use it on Malfoy?"
Before Thomas or Harry could answer him, Hermione's voice was heard.
"It'll all be over at midnight on Saturday," said Hermione, but this didn't soothe Ron at all. On the contrary, he sat bolt upright and broke into a sweat.
"Midnight on Saturday!" he said in a hoarse voice. "Oh no, oh no, I've just remembered. Charlie's letter was in that book Malfoy took, he's going to know we're getting rid of Norbert.'
Neither one of them get a chance to answer as Madam Pomfrey came over at that moment and made them leave, saying that Ron need to sleep.
"It's too late to change the plan now," Harry told his friends. "We haven't got time to send Charlie another owl and this could be our only chance to get rid of Norbert. We'll have to risk it. And we have got the Invisibility Cloak, Malfoy doesn't know about that."
"But Harry, what if Malfoy somehow finds out about the Invisibility Cloak?" she said, her voice laced with worry.
Thomas nodded in agreement. "Hermione has a point. If Malfoy were to discover our plan or expose us, everything we are going to do for Norbert will be for nothing."
"We can't let fear hold us back, though. We've come this far, and Charlie's letter indicated that this is the best chance we have. "
James, his eyes gleaming with a mixture of excitement and apprehension, added, "C'mon Adam, Hermione, don't be like that. Worst case scenario, Tommy and I will have to beat Malfoy until Merlin himself would have to be resurrected to fix his face."
Harry glanced at his friends, taking a moment to absorb their words. "You're right. We can't let doubt or some impossible scenarios overshadow our plan. We'll stick to it, be cautious, and rely on ourselves to make sure that Norbert would leave this place."
With their decision made, the group left the hallway near the infirmary and made their way to Hagrid's hut.
When they reach it, they found Fang, the boarhound sitting outside with a bandaged tail. Meanwhile, Harry went to tell Hagrid, who opened a window to talk to them.
"Hold on, I won't let you in," he puffed. "Norbert's at a tricky stage, nothin' I can't handle."
Thought that didn't stop Harry from telling him what Charlie had told them. When he heard about Charlie's letter, his eyes filled with tears, although that might have been because Norbert had just bitten him on the leg.
"Aargh! It's all right, he only got my boot, jus' playin', he's only a baby, after all."
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