Chapter -92.
"Of course I didn't," Hagrid said, looking a bit flustered.
"Then why are you raising it?" Malfoy pressed, clearly curious.
Hagrid struggled to find the right words. He often jumped into things without thinking them through, and even though he knew it was against the rules, he was still excited about raising the dragon.
"Hagrid, have you thought about what you'll do when it hatches?" Harry asked, glancing at the dragon egg with interest. To him, it was just another big lizard that could breathe fire, not as fascinating as it was to Ron and Malfoy.
"Absolutely! I'll keep it at home. I've learned a lot about raising dragons, and I've got brandy and chicken blood all set. This is a Norwegian Ridgeback, super rare!" Hagrid said with a big smile.
"But Norwegian Ridgebacks aren't exactly easy to handle, and your house is made of wood," Ron pointed out, looking around nervously. He wasn't sure how well a fire-breathing dragon would fit in.
Hagrid, however, seemed to brush off Ron's worries, humming a little tune as he poked the fire, as if he hadn't heard a word.
It was clear to everyone that Hagrid often acted without thinking things through.
"How about selling it to me? I'll pay anything!" Malfoy suggested eagerly.
"Not a chance! I won't sell it to a Malfoy!" Hagrid exclaimed, but then he realized he might have been a bit too harsh. After all, it was Draco, not Lucius, so he softened his tone. "But you can come and see it."
"Really?!" Malfoy perked up, his earlier disappointment forgotten.
As he left, his eyes lingered on the spot by the fire, clearly enchanted by the idea of dragons.
Little did Malfoy know, there were other eyes watching the dragon egg with even more intensity than his.
In the days that followed, whenever a trip to the Forbidden Forest to see Hagrid was mentioned, Malfoy was the most excited of the bunch, even more so than Ron and Harry, and he never once complained.
The dragon egg brought a spark of excitement to their otherwise busy lives.
Time flew by, and the day they had promised Dumbledore was approaching.
One morning, right after their workout, Hedwig swooped in with a note.
It simply read: "It's about to hatch."
After classes, they hurried to Hagrid's hut.
Just as he had said, the little dragon was ready to make its grand entrance.
The egg had cracked open a small hole and was shaking like crazy. As time went on, the movements grew more vigorous, accompanied by crackling sounds. With a sharp scrape, a wrinkled little creature emerged from the egg.
The tiny dragon sneezed, sending out a few sparks from its nose.
"Isn't it beautiful?" Hagrid murmured, reaching out to stroke the little dragon's head. The dragon promptly bit his finger, revealing its sharp, long teeth.
"Oh my, look! It thinks Hagrid is its mom!" someone joked.
"Do you want to touch it?" Ron asked, eyeing the dragon's sharp teeth. "I don't think that's the case. It looks more like it thinks Hagrid is a snack!"
"Ugh, wood tastes bad," the little dragon seemed to say, struggling to bite through Hagrid's skin.
Speaking in the language of magical creatures, it activated.
"Hagrid, if I remember correctly, a Norwegian Ridgeback grows really fast. In less than a month, it'll be too big for your hut," Neville chimed in, having done his homework on dragon care.
In reality, the little dragon grew at least three times its size in just a week. It wouldn't even take a month; in another week, Hagrid would have a serious problem on his hands.
Especially after one fiery breath nearly set the hut ablaze, Hagrid became much more aware of the situation.
The little dragon's future was definitely a concern.
Everyone gathered in a circle to brainstorm.
Malfoy piped up again, "Why not give it to me? My family estate is huge."
"Not a chance," Dudley interrupted. "Your dad, Lucius, would never agree to that. He'd probably report Hagrid instead. Plus, the Malfoy estate isn't set up for raising dragons."
"Your dad has always had a rocky relationship with Professor Dumbledore," Dudley added. Unless Draco could really take charge of the Malfoy family, that idea was a no-go.
"I think we should keep it in the Forbidden Forest," Dudley suggested. The Forbidden Forest was known for being home to many magical creatures, including unicorns, Acromantulas, and even dragons.
"Don't disturb the sleeping dragon," was the motto at Hogwarts. Letting the little dragon return to the Forbidden Forest would be like sending it back to nature.
"But it's too small," Hagrid protested. "Without my care, it won't survive."
"Not at all," Dudley shook his head. "As long as it has enough food, a Norwegian Ridgeback can grow out of its juvenile stage in just a month."
"You should know this better than anyone," he added.
In this world, dragons grew at an astonishing rate, unlike other fantasy tales where they took centuries to mature. While still powerful, they weren't as intimidating as one might think.
"You shouldn't just think of yourself; consider Professor Dumbledore too," Dudley urged. "You don't want to cause him any trouble, right?"
"Alright, but I really don't want to let it go," Hagrid admitted, clearly torn.
"It can stay in the shallower parts of the Forbidden Forest for now. When it grows up, it'll leave on its own. If it bonds with you, it might even come back to visit!" Dudley reassured him.
Hagrid finally agreed to Dudley's plan.
A week later, when the little dragon had outgrown the hut, Hagrid took it to the edge of the Forbidden Forest.
Just three days later, the little dragon disappeared without a trace.
"Nobby is gone; it no longer wants its mom," Hagrid said sadly.
At first, he was heartbroken, blowing his nose repeatedly, but that feeling didn't last long as he soon heard some exciting news.
Reports came in about a sphinx sighting in the woods north of the Forbidden Forest.
Hagrid, with Fang by his side, eagerly rushed to check it out, excited about the possibility of breeding a sphinx.
———
At midnight, under a full moon, the bright moonlight struggled to penetrate the dense Black Forest.
The Forbidden Forest, filled with dark trees, felt like a giant black hole, cut off from the world.
The glow of fireflies and luminous night plants provided a little light, making the forest seem less intimidating, while whispers and rustling sounds filled the air.
It was the rustling of leaves in the wind and the calls of nocturnal creatures, creating the perfect atmosphere for a fairy tale forest.
Suddenly, a strong light burst forth, illuminating a small area of the forest. The magical creatures caught in the light let out terrified cries and vanished into the shadows.
"Was that a powerful flashlight?" someone wondered.
"How could Hogwarts possibly have something like that?"
"That was magic, right?!"
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Note : Guys, some power stones will be really helpful.