"I was merely providing some training," Evan explained, trying to hide the enormous two-handed sword behind him. It was a bit late to dispel the transfiguration charm now.
Hagrid's eyes twitched slightly at the sight of the towering sword, but a quick scan revealed no cuts on Norbert, easing his concern.
Knowing he couldn't hide the truth, Evan waved his wand to turn the sword back into a broomstick and addressed Hagrid directly.
"Hagrid, you're too indulgent with Norbert. We must find a way to discipline him, or in a few days, he'll tear your house down."
"And we also need to train him in hunting and combat skills," Evan added.
"But... Norbert's still too little, you might scare him," Hagrid hesitated.
"Norbert, lie down!" Evan called out, determined to show Hagrid his training progress.
Norbert, having formed a conditioned reflex over hours of training, instinctively lay down. Realizing it had a protector now, it quickly got back up and hid behind Hagrid, baring its teeth at Evan.
This goofy behavior almost made Evan laugh.
Hagrid saw the change in Norbert too, feeling a mix of joy and loss, like watching his child grow up.
"How about we wait until Norbert's a bit bigger?" Hagrid asked Evan in a low voice.
"If you want to keep Norbert for a while longer, it's best to start training now!" Evan shook his head firmly. He wasn't joking; if Norbert got any bigger, he doubted he could subdue it.
Evan's words were the last straw, tipping Hagrid's internal balance. He knew Evan was right; if things continued, Norbert would soon be exposed.
"Alright then, but don't be too harsh during the training," Hagrid said with concern.
"Hagrid, if you have time, we could train Norbert together," Evan suggested.
With Hagrid's half-giant strength to assist, there would be no need for transfiguration tricks. Hagrid's sheer power could physically suppress Norbert's will to resist.
The idea of commanding Norbert appealed to Hagrid, who, despite finding Norbert's destructive antics somewhat endearing, couldn't resist the allure of a lively yet obedient creature.
"Okay, but I'm patrolling the Forbidden Forest these days, so I only have time in the evenings," Hagrid said.
"The Forbidden Forest? Has something happened there?" Evan asked, a sense of urgency tightening in his chest.
Hagrid hesitated, debating whether to share the information, but after persistent questioning from Evan, he relented.
"A unicorn was attacked..."
"Fortunately, it escaped with only minor injuries. I'm patrolling the forest to find out what attacked it. Whatever it was, it failed this time but might return."
Hagrid's tone grew somber; he couldn't fathom what kind of vile creature would attack a sacred unicorn.
Evan fell silent, knowing the attacker was surely Quirrell, but he couldn't prevent it.
They had reported Quirrell once before, but Dumbledore clearly wasn't ready to act against him yet. Reporting again would yield the same result.
Evan regretted altering the story for his own convenience, as a frequent visitor to the Forbidden Forest, Hagrid was in potential danger.
Unaware of Evan's concerns, Hagrid grumbled a curse at the attacker, then eagerly discussed dragon training methods with Evan.
Evan set aside his worries for now and began to explain.
Norbert, who had felt secure with Hagrid's support, shivered inexplicably as Hagrid's demeanor shifted...
In the following days, Evan's fears never materialized. With Hagrid's help, Norbert's last bit of resistance faded.
Hagrid found new joy in training, gleefully teaching Norbert commands from lying down to rolling over to breathing fire.
The Norwegian Ridgeback, accustomed to tearing up the house, sleeping, and basking by the fire, struggled to adapt, feeling almost forlorn...
Only during meals of grilled fish could it find a sliver of warmth in its otherwise cold existence...
...
"Evan, we can't go on like this!"
In the quiet library, Hermione's voice rose in a mix of anger and helplessness, drawing the attention of other young wizards and even Madam Pince.
Blushing, Hermione lowered her voice,
"The exams are upon us. We should be reviewing, not reading books unrelated to the exams!"
"Is it really necessary to review for an exam? Haven't we already learned what we need to know?" Evan put down his copy of 'The Care of Magical Creatures' and asked, puzzled.
"Simply knowing isn't enough to get an 'O' (Outstanding) on the exams. It's not that easy," Hermione's anxiety intensified as the exam date approached.
She used to discuss dragon breeding methods with Evan, but for the past few days, she had been focused solely on reviewing.
"My Transfiguration, especially compared to yours, Evan, is still lacking. I can't even imagine what it would be like to fail that class. If I end up with an 'E' (Exceeds Expectations), I can only imagine how disappointed Professor McGonagall would be," Hermione murmured, dejected.
Harry and Ron, who were earnestly memorizing facts, looked up innocently, not understanding the conversation between Evan and Hermione. In their view, as long as they didn't end up with a 'P' (Poor) or 'D' (Dreadful), they would be content.
An 'O' (Outstanding) seemed far beyond their reach...
"Hermione, your Transfiguration is actually quite good. Many upperclassmen are at the same level, and you should have no problem scoring high on the Transfiguration exam," Evan reassured her as he closed the book.
His words were not meant merely as comfort.
The last time Hermione used a Transfiguration spell, Evan had roughly gauged that she had advanced to a second-level proficiency, a standard typically reached by third or fourth-year students.
Even if Professor McGonagall was critical, she wouldn't withhold an 'Outstanding' grade.
Tips:
For some reason, some special episodes cannot be uploaded here.
I uploaded the whole thing on Patreon, plus 20 new chapters.
If you're interested, check out Patreon
Copy to browser open:
patreon.com/user?u=111514881