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In the following days, Tom and Hermione closely monitored the changes in the dragon egg. On a Thursday morning after the Defense Against the Dark Arts class, a note arrived via owl with just four words: "It's about to hatch." Harry also received a similar note, having stumbled upon the dragon egg during his visit to Hagrid's hut with Ron.
Thus, a group gathered at Hagrid's hut: Tom, Hermione, Harry, Ron, and Neville. The prospect of witnessing the hatching of a Norwegian Ridgeback dragon, one of the most magical creatures in the wizarding world, was too enticing to miss—even if it meant skipping classes.
Despite its name, Hagrid's hut was spacious inside, easily accommodating the five young wizards. When they arrived, the dragon egg had already been placed on a table. Hagrid stood beside it, excitement evident in his eyes. The egg had developed deep cracks, and the sounds of a lively baby dragon emanated from within.
Their timing was perfect. The cracks on the egg widened as soon as they settled on their chairs. Accompanied by a piercing scratching sound, the egg split open, and a wrinkled, umbrella-shaped dragon emerged. It unfolded its wings, which were larger than its body, and emitted a few sparks from its nostrils.
The first impression of the young wizards was unanimous: it was ugly! However, Hagrid seemed entirely unfazed, gleefully reaching out to pat the dragon's head, only to have his finger bitten by the newborn creature.
The dragon's teeth were no match for Hagrid's tough skin. He even interpreted the bite as a sign of affection.
"I've decided to name him Norbert!" Hagrid proudly proclaimed. Norbert responded with a burst of flames, singeing Hagrid's beard. Hagrid quickly extinguished the flames, laughing heartily.
"What a lively child!" Hagrid was completely unconcerned. However, the other wizards were taken aback by the dragon's aggressiveness so soon after hatching. If this behavior persisted, the dragon could pose a threat once it grew larger.
"Hagrid, how fast do Norwegian Ridgebacks grow?" Hermione asked cautiously.
"Just a week, and they'll be three times the size they were when they hatched!" Hagrid proudly declared.
The young wizards exchanged glances.
"Hagrid, looking at how fierce it is right after hatching, it might become dangerous when it grows up," Harry realized the potential problem.
"Hah! It's not fierceness, it's vitality! It just proves that it's a healthy baby!" Hagrid dismissed their concerns.
However, the others couldn't forget the flames and fangs they witnessed. Ron, being the brother of a dragon researcher, spoke up, "Hagrid, believe me, it will soon be as big as your house. You won't be able to hide it! You might even end up in Azkaban for this!"
Hagrid fell silent. The strict regulations regarding dragons in the wizarding world meant that all dragons had to live in natural reserves. Illegally owning a live dragon was a serious offense.
"We'll wait until it grows a bit before deciding," Hagrid finally said.
"Release it into the Forbidden Forest," Neville suggested quietly.
"Good idea! Why didn't I think of that?" Hagrid's eyes lit up.
Tom: ?!
He thought they were already planning to release it into the Forbidden Forest! Were they really considering casually abandoning a baby dragon like they would a puppy? Tom was baffled: couldn't they be a bit more sensible?
To be fair, releasing it into the Forbidden Forest wasn't a terrible idea. The forest already housed creatures like centaurs, Acromantulas, and unicorns. Adding a dragon wouldn't be too much of a stretch. However, Dumbledore, upon learning of it, would likely experience a rise in blood pressure.
"No, the Forbidden Forest won't work!" Hermione stepped forward. "Dragons can fly! If it decides to fly out one day, it could end up right next to the Quidditch pitch! Imagine if the noise from a match lured it over..."
The wizards and Hagrid shivered at the thought. Dragons, unlike other magical creatures, were highly mobile. While other creatures might give professors some reaction time, a dragon bursting from the forest could reach the Quidditch pitch in under a minute, turning the wizards on the field into its acquaintances.
Ron suddenly realized, "Charlie, my brother, he studies dragons in Romania. We can give Norbert to him for care. This juvenile dragon would be a valuable research subject. Once it's grown, we can release it back into the wild. What do you think, Hagrid?"
Hagrid had no other option, but he insisted on caring for Norbert for at least a month. After making this decision, he became even more attached to the baby dragon. He immediately prepared a bottle of brandy mixed with chicken blood and fed it to Norbert in a bowl. Tom watched as Norbert, attracted to the concoction, calmed down and drank peacefully. Tom couldn't help but feel that the dragon, with its unique charm, wasn't as ugly as he initially thought.
In the following days, Tom and the others took turns helping Hagrid care for Norbert. Tom was the most diligent, and as a result, his Borgin and Burkes soul ring now bore the image of a dragon, along with numerous burn marks. The only challenge was that when Tom transformed, he matched Norbert's size exactly, or sometimes, he was even smaller than Fawkes. Thus, Tom had to visit Norbert daily to update his size data.
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