Ian and his friends followed Hagrid to the table, staring at the egg with patterns on it.
"Hagrid, what is this?" Harry asked curiously.
"I know what this is! It's a dragon egg!" Draco said excitedly, as if he had discovered some rare treasure.
"A dragon egg?!" Hearing this, they all leaned in closer.
Yeah! Ninety-nine percent! Rare!
Dragons are magical creatures with a five-star danger rating. They are usually strictly controlled by the Ministry of Magic, leaving little chance for close contact.
"This is also a Norwegian Ridgeback!" Draco said, carefully examining the egg's pattern. His eyes lit up with an even greater fervor.
Hearing this, Hagrid patted Draco on the shoulder with enthusiasm. "Not bad, Malfoy boy, you've got a good eye!"
Draco almost stumbled under the force of Hagrid's heavy hand. Fortunately, Harry was quick to steady him.
"Ahem!" Draco coughed awkwardly, trying to recover his dignity. He immediately changed the subject. "Hagrid, where did you get this dragon egg?"
"I won it! From a stranger!" Hagrid said proudly, scratching his head as if puzzled. "Though I don't know why, it felt like he was trying to lose to me on purpose."
Ian rolled his eyes. Typical Hagrid—blissfully unaware of the phrase, 'If something seems too good to be true, it probably is.'
But Voldemort had really gone to great lengths this time to manipulate Hagrid and learn how to get past Fluffy.
You know, dragon eggs are incredibly rare. A single egg could fetch at least 5,000 Galleons on the black market!
"Hagrid, are you really going to hatch the dragon egg?" Ronald Weasly asked, his curiosity piqued.
"Of course!" Hagrid replied, his eyes twinkling with excitement. His bushy beard barely concealed his broad grin. "This here is a Norwegian Ridgeback. Once it hatches, you lot will get to see a legendary dragon with your own eyes!"
Ian smirked, folding his arms. Hagrid was hopelessly naive. Did it never cross his mind? Dragons take over a decade to grow to their full size.
Could Hagrid really raise a dragon at school for more than ten years?
Even if Dumbledore agreed, the parents wouldn't. Not a chance!
With a "click," everyone's attention was drawn to the dragon egg.
A small hole had appeared on the eggshell, broken from the inside. Something was poking out.
Everyone leaned in, their eyes fixed on the tiny crack. Even Ian couldn't help but feel curious—it was his first time seeing a dragon up close.
A tiny, black, sharp horn emerged from the eggshell, looking both fragile and oddly cute.
"It's coming out!" Draco exclaimed, clenching his fists in excitement.
The "crackling" sounds continued as the crack in the shell widened, revealing more of the little creature inside.
Finally, a small black dragon, resembling a lizard with wings, poked its head out. Its eyes were still shut, and it looked clumsy and endearingly dumb.
The little dragon wobbled unsteadily and let out a few weak cries directed at Hagrid.
"Oh! Look at this little guy!" Hagrid said, his eyes glowing with what could only be described as maternal kindness. "It thinks I'm its mother. Good boy!"
The six of them exchanged awkward glances, trying to process Hagrid's declaration.
Mother? Really?
Ian looked at the tiny four-legged lizard with wings, his expression indescribable. Merlin's big socks! This thing is… something else.
He couldn't help but wonder if he'd ever get to see a Chinese dragon in his lifetime—a real dragon with majestic power and grace!
(P.S. It's a Chinese fic. What would you expect lol?)
While Ian remained unimpressed, Hagrid was clearly over the moon. He immediately pulled out raw meat and small fish from his pocket, feeding the baby dragon with obvious delight.
The little dragon sniffed the scent of the small fish, then immediately opened its mouth, revealing tiny fangs, and gulped down the fish in one swift motion.
"It... it's eating fish..." Ron said, staring blankly at the dragon cub in Hagrid's hand.
Hagrid gently stroked the little dragon. "Yep, not like Fluffy. Fluffy only eats lamb chops, but Norbert here—Norbert can eat anything."
"Norbert?" Hermione repeated, her tone skeptical.
"Yes, I've named him Norbert!" Hagrid said proudly, gazing at the baby dragon in his hands with adoration. "Every creature needs a name, right?"
After finishing the fish, the little dragon let out a couple of tiny coughs, startling Hagrid. Fearing it might have choked on a fishbone, he quickly held it closer and inspected it carefully.
Fuu~!
A moment later, a ball of fire shot out of the dragon's mouth, heading straight for Hagrid's beard.
"It still needs more training," Hagrid said cheerfully, brushing off the near-disaster.
"Hagrid, you need to be careful. The Norwegian Ridgeback doesn't just breathe fire; its fangs are also highly venomous," Draco pointed out helpfully.
Ron squinted at Draco suspiciously. "How do you know so much?"
Draco immediately puffed up with pride, raising his chin. "My family has shares in the Romanian Dragon Reserve!"
"Oh!"
Hagrid, clearly impressed by Draco's knowledge, launched into an enthusiastic conversation with him about dragons.
Ian raised an eyebrow as he watched the two chatting like old friends. He couldn't help but recall how, just days ago, Hagrid had been wary of Draco because of his Malfoy lineage. Yet now, with a shared interest in dragons, they were happily bonding.
Is this the magic of like-minded people? You like dragons, I like dragons too, and suddenly we're best friends?
Ian didn't quite get it, but he supposed it deserved some respect.
"Um.. Hagrid, how are you planning to raise it?" Hermione asked, frowning as she eyed the little dragon. "You can't raise a dragon at school, can you?"
Cassandra chimed in, "Yes, Hagrid, you must realize the school doesn't allow such a dangerous magical creature to be kept here."
"Norbert can live with me and won't appear at school," Hagrid said quickly, sounding desperate.
"Hagrid, dragons grow very quickly. In a few days, your house won't be able to contain it," Ian said bluntly, shattering Hagrid's hopeful fantasy.
"Then..." Hagrid hesitated, glancing toward the window. "I can put Norbert in the Forbidden Forest."
Ian's mouth twitched.
He wanted to ask Hagrid—on behalf of the residents of the Forbidden Forest—what exactly they'd done to deserve this.
First, there was the Eight-Eyed Giant Spider colony with its terrifying reproductive rates, and now a Norwegian Ridgeback that could breathe fire?
Has the Forbidden Forest officially become Hagrid's personal zoo? Ian thought. Is he planning to eradicate all native creatures there with his pets?
"That's impossible, Hagrid," Ian said firmly. "How could a dragon live in the Forbidden Forest? What about the other animals? And it will definitely be discovered."
"But... what am I supposed to do?" Hagrid looked heartbroken, his eyes welling up. "My poor Norbert, I can't bear to let him go."
Seeing Hagrid's expression, the group felt a pang of guilt. No one wanted to hurt his feelings, so they began brainstorming ideas to help.
"How about we send Norbert to the dragon reserve in Romania?" Draco suggested. "My family has shares there. We can make sure they take excellent care of Norbert."
"This..." Hagrid looked at Draco, torn. "Do you think it'll be okay? Will my baby Norbert like it there?"
"Yes, absolutely!" Ron added eagerly. "My brother Charlie works at the Romanian dragon reserve. He and his team will make sure Norbert is treated well."
"But..." Hagrid still looked reluctant, clutching Norbert protectively.
"Hagrid," Ian said firmly, locking eyes with him. "You don't want the school to find out and... dispose of Norbert, do you? You know how dangerous keeping a dragon at Hogwarts would be."
Hagrid went quiet, visibly torn. After a long pause, he nodded slowly. "Alright... we'll send Norbert to the dragon reserve in Romania..."
The group collectively exhaled in relief. With Ron's brother Charlie overseeing the reserve and Draco's family's investment in it, Norbert would surely have a safe and happy life.
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