To everyone's surprise, the following months of the school year were surprisingly calm and uneventful. The subjects grew a bit more challenging compared to the previous semester, but with Hermione and Neville's help, Harry found them manageable. Draconica's occasional, albeit mostly silent, assistance also contributed to their success.
The Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff went smoothly as well. Aside from Professor Snape being the referee—an unsettling thought—the match lacked any dramatic incidents, such as out-of-control brooms. Gryffindor emerged victorious, though Harry acknowledged that the only real competitor from Hufflepuff was their seeker, Cedric Diggory.
This period of tranquility gave Harry ample opportunity to contemplate the Philosopher's Stone and its presence at Hogwarts. After much reflection, he deduced that the stone—more likely a fake, considering Nicolas Flamel wouldn't willingly part with the real one—was a lure. It dawned on him that Dumbledore might be using it to attract someone influenced by Lord Voldemort's spirit. Moreover, he couldn't shake the feeling that Dumbledore had almost disclosed its whereabouts during the opening feast, as if he expected a student to step in and safeguard it. Deep in thought about why all this was happening during this school year, Harry concluded that Dumbledore might want him to be the one to protect the stone.
He also realized that Neville's situation mirrored his own in some ways. Both boys had parents who were significant obstacles to Voldemort, were attacked at fifteen months old, and lost their parents—although Neville's parents remained alive but in a magical coma, never referred to as deceased by him. Furthermore, both were born within twenty-four hours at the end of July 1980. This led Harry to consider the possibility that Dumbledore might have believed it was Neville's destiny to save the stone from Voldemort's spirit.
With all this in mind, Harry confided in Neville about the peculiar happenings at Hogwarts. He felt it was essential to include Hermione as well, knowing she'd eventually discover the truth. Although Hermione couldn't directly intervene due to her Muggle-born status, Neville vowed to reach out to his grandmother, who sat on the board of governors, for assistance. Harry also contemplated contacting Nicolas Flamel, though he suspected the old alchemist would be difficult to reach.
~/ *** \~
Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore felt quite relieved about the ward he had put in place last summer, which scanned outgoing letters for specific phrases—like "Sorcerer's Stone" or "Philosopher's Stone." He was grateful that both Harry and Neville had unraveled the mystery surrounding the hidden object on the third floor. The last thing the world needed was foolish heroes. However, he wasn't pleased that neither of them wanted to operate according to his plan; he expected one of them to handle the matter solo without involving adults.
Altering Harry's letter to Flamel was a relatively simple task. Flamel's residence was heavily protected, and Dumbledore merely had to label Harry's letter as unwanted, ensuring it would not reach its intended recipient.
Adjusting Neville's letter was more complicated since it needed to be delivered. The headmaster reconfigured Neville's request to his grandmother so that instead of discussing the Philosopher's Stone at the upcoming governors' meeting, she would ask for more supplies for the Longbottom greenhouses. He also implanted a subtle compulsion to ensure she would respond favorably to her grandson. Thankfully, Augusta was known for her succinct communication style.
Once he had finished modifying the letters, Dumbledore sealed them back up, erasing any signs of tampering before sending them off with his owls. He felt guilty about interfering with their correspondence, knowing it was a breach of privacy—albeit one he justified as being for the greater good. Content with his reasoning, he popped a lemon drop into his mouth and began reviewing the year's balance sheet for the board.
~/ *** \~
After receiving a reply from his grandmother assuring him she would take action, the Gryffindor trio relaxed, believing the stone's situation would be managed. Encouraged by Hermione, they began studying for upcoming exams, even though they were still a few weeks away. As a result, they could frequently be found in the library, poring over tomes on various magical subjects.
From time to time, Draconica joined their study sessions, sharing her insights on the topics at hand while patiently listening to her Gryffindor classmates. Initially, Hermione hesitated to allow a Slytherin into their group, but given Draconica's scholarly demeanor and her respectful attitude towards Muggle-borns—despite her lack of knowledge about the Muggle world—and Harry's endorsement, Hermione ultimately let her join as an unofficial member of their study team.
On March 20, while the trio was diligently following Hermione's study schedule focused on Transfiguration—since Draconica was set to have her own study session in the dungeons later that evening—Hedwig finally returned after nearly two weeks from delivering Harry's letter to Nicolas Flamel. The letter was still fastened to her leg, unopened. While this outcome was expected, Harry felt a surge of disappointment at the missed opportunity to communicate with the alchemist. After giving a weary Hedwig some owl treats and letting her rest in the owlery, he turned back to his Transfiguration book, only to notice Hagrid emerging from the restricted section of the library, carrying a few books.
"Did you notice that Hagrid's checking out more books?" Harry mentioned, recalling that they had seen him do the same thing the past few days.
"We are in school, Harry," Hermione replied. "Just because he's the keeper of keys doesn't mean he can't study for self-improvement. I heard he wants to be the Care for Magical Creatures professor when the current one retires. Of course, he'd be reading."
"That's not what I'm getting at," Harry countered. "Did you see the titles of those books? They're all about dragons."
"Dragons are fascinating creatures," Neville said. "They provide ingredients for numerous magical items." Harry nodded in agreement, recalling the dragon heartstring core in his own wand.
"Sure, but some of those books were about breeding dragons," he pointed out. This caught the attention of both Hermione and Neville.
"Dragon breeding is illegal in Britain!" Neville blurted. "The Ministry actively tries to catch wild dragons and relocate them to reserves—if I remember correctly, the closest one is in Romania. I think one of Ron's older brothers works there—wasn't it Charlie?"
"Why would Hagrid be reading books on dragon breeding?" Hermione inquired. "Do you think he acquired an egg somehow?"
"It's not like you'll run into a mysterious stranger with a dragon egg in his pocket at the Hog's Head," Neville mentioned with a chuckle. "You'd have better luck seeing Professor Snape cracking up at a joke."
Still, Harry insisted, "Don't you think we should check on Hagrid if he's reading about dragons?" He nodded to the other two, eager to ensure that his first magical friend wasn't getting into trouble, and also yearning to enjoy the warm, sunny weather outside. Neville took a moment to finish writing down a sentence before agreeing.
The Gryffindor trio made their way to Hagrid's hut, but it took some time to reach the entrance. Once there, Harry knocked on the door, which was met with an enthusiastic bark from Fang, Hagrid's boarhound.
"Who's there?" Hagrid called from inside. "Fang, quiet!" The half-giant cracked the door open slightly and smiled upon seeing the trio. "Oh, it's you lot! Come in!" He swung the door wide, inviting them in. "Tea? Cakes?"
The trio filed into the hut, quickly realizing that it was uncomfortably warm inside. Harry looked around and soon spotted a large bluish egg resting atop the flames of the stove.
"Hey, Hagrid, what's that?" Harry asked, pointing at the egg.
"Where? There's nothing there!" Hagrid exclaimed, moving to block their view of the stove. Unfortunately, they had already caught sight of it.
Sighing in defeat, Hagrid confessed, "All right... I won it in a game of cards a couple of nights ago at the 'Hog's Head' bar. The bloke I was playing against seemed glad to be rid of it." The trio exchanged glances, their expressions a mix of surprise and disbelief.
"What do you plan to do with it?" Harry probed, as he and his friends settled onto Hagrid's bed.
"I've been reading about it... you know, 'Dragon Breeding for Pleasure and Profit' and others... It's a Norwegian Ridgeback egg..." Hagrid launched into a detailed explanation of how to care for the dragon once it hatched.
"Hagrid, you're living in a wooden hut! Keeping a fire-breathing dragon here doesn't seem like a wise idea," Hermione interjected, trying to approach the topic diplomatically. Hagrid, however, didn't seem to take her seriously. They attempted to explain the legal implications of breeding dragons, though Hagrid remained unconvinced. Eventually, Hermione proposed a compromise: Hagrid could keep the egg until it hatched, provided the young dragon recognized him as its owner, after which they would arrange for it to be sent to a dragon reserve—most likely the Romanian one—to join other dragons. Reluctantly, Hagrid agreed. Now, it fell to the trio to figure out how to contact the dragon reserve about picking up the small dragon.
~/ *** \~
Given the strained relationship between Harry and Ron, he knew he couldn't ask him for help. Percy was also out of the question; the prefect was so uptight about rules it was likely he'd immediately report Hagrid. That left Harry with one option: seeking the infamous Weasley twins.
Finding the twins when they weren't in Gryffindor Tower or at Quidditch practice was quite a challenge, but Harry finally managed to track them down after dinner on Saturday night.
"Hello, Harrikins! What brings you to our humble little corner?" the twins asked in perfect synchrony, as soon as Harry led them to a discreet nook near the kitchens.
"I need your assistance," Harry replied, prompting mischievous grins from both twins.
"Are we pranking someone?" one asked, only for the other to follow up with, "Or do you need advice on capturing the heart of a lovely lady?"
Blushing slightly, Harry shook his head. "No, it's something serious."
The twins dropped their jovial demeanor and asked, "What is it?"
"One of your older brothers works at a dragon reserve, right?" Harry queried, and they nodded. "Could you ask him to help us with a fire-breathing problem? The egg should hatch in about a month."
The twins exchanged glances. "Charlie said he'd be home at the end of April. A few of his colleagues are visiting London. We'll write to him about your little situation, and hopefully, he can swing by to pick up the dragon."
"What kind of dragon is it?" one twin asked.
"Hagrid said it's a Norwegian Ridgeback, but I guess we'll have to confirm that once it hatches," Harry explained.
"That's a tricky dragon, Harrikins," one twin said. "But don't worry; we'll make sure our brother helps you with this little dilemma."
"Thanks, guys!" Harry said, watching the twins slip back into their scheming as he sought out Hermione and Neville to update them on the plan to enlist the twins' help in contacting Charlie.
~/ *** \~
Charlie Weasley replied surprisingly quickly. Just a week later, Harry received a letter with instructions on where and when to meet him and his team to deliver the baby dragon, along with detailed steps for preparing it for transport to the Romanian reserve.
Harry shared this information with Hagrid, who, while weeping at the thought of saying goodbye to a dragon he hadn't even seen hatch yet, began constructing a transport box. Meanwhile, the trio kept watch over the egg in the hut as instructed, even though hatching still felt far off.
As March transitioned into April, the weather improved, albeit foreshadowing a hefty load of homework. Harry, Neville, and Hermione spent much of their free time between the library—studying for exams—and Hagrid's hut, awaiting the egg's hatching. On April 19, during lunch, Hagrid sent a message to say that the dragon was about to hatch and invited them to be present.
When the dragon finally emerged, it proved to be quite small—approximately twenty inches long with a wingspan of about three feet—and it was a female; the absence of distinct markings confirmed this. The little dragon appeared to bond with Hagrid, even breathing a tiny flame that singed his beard!
The subsequent nine days were exhausting as the trio and Hagrid tried their best to keep the growing dragon hidden. On the evening of April 28, Hagrid used special food and a potion to lull Norberta—the name they'd given her—to sleep before placing her in the transportation box. They covered it with Harry's invisibility cloak and levitated it to the Astronomy Tower, where Charlie and his team waited to collect Norberta at midnight. As the trio was quietly returning to their dorm, they nearly collided with Professor McGonagall, but thankfully, she remained oblivious to their late-night adventure.