By mid-March, the ice and snow had begun to melt.
Hogwarts, nestled in the northern reaches of England, often lingered in winter's grasp long after other regions welcomed spring. Even now, the crisp bite of winter's breath lingered in the sky.
Yet, beneath the castle's towering presence, the tender green shoots of spring were beginning to emerge, slowly unfurling along the grounds. It wouldn't be long before the Black Lake's shores were draped once more in lush greenery.
The afternoon sun bathed the lawn in warmth. Nolan lay sprawled on the lakeshore, his head resting on Eve Stock's lap. A thick book covered his face, his chest rising and falling rhythmically as if he were napping.
Beside Eve, Cho Chang twisted a lock of her hair around her fingers in frustration. "I don't understand your Head of House," she grumbled, glaring down at the parchment in her lap. "I mean, really—what is the point of this assignment? Listen to this, Eve—'Thirteen Methods of Ingredient Preparation and Their Appropriate Use in Potion Brewing.' Are we seriously expected to waste our time debating whether to crush beans with the flat of the blade or chop them into tiny pieces?!"
"It's important, Cho," Eve replied calmly, gently running her fingers through Nolan's silver hair as she spoke. "Potion-making isn't like cooking. Cutting or crushing an ingredient can affect its properties drastically. The best potioneers know the smallest details can enhance a potion's potency—sometimes doubling its effects. That's why we have to figure it out ourselves."
"Oh, it's driving me mad. Snape can't expect us to spend our entire weekend on this. I do have better things to do than brew potions!" Cho huffed, throwing the parchment aside. Her gaze flickered toward Nolan, who remained blissfully undisturbed in Eve's lap. "And why is he so relaxed?"
"Nolan doesn't have to do the assignment," Eve whispered as if speaking any louder might wake him. "You know how Professor Snape is. He doesn't like to bother Nolan."
Cho pouted, glaring at Nolan with open envy. "Lucky him. I wish I could skip out on it too. What's he been doing lately anyway? I haven't seen him playing with that cube of his."
"Nolan managed to solve the Rubik's Cube in under eight seconds," Eve explained, brushing a stray lock from his forehead. "He hasn't been able to improve his time since then, and unless he finds a new formula, he's hit a wall. I even asked Hermione to look up some Muggle books, but we didn't find much. Now he's got a new interest." She gestured to the book lying on his face. "I'm just glad he's reading instead of fiddling with brooms or toys. Books are much more valuable."
"You and Granger are the only ones who think that," Cho muttered, leaning over to pluck the book from Nolan's face. She flipped it to the front cover, her eyebrows furrowing as she read the title aloud. "'The True Dark Wizard: Exploring the World of Merlin'? Are you sure this is what he's into now?"
"You forget," Nolan's voice mumbled groggily from below, "Merlin was a Slytherin." He sat up slowly, rubbing his eyes and scowling at the bright sunlight. "Blasted sun..."
Cho crossed her arms. "So why the sudden interest in Merlin?"
"Because someone told me Merlin might not be dead," Nolan replied quietly, stretching his arms as he gazed out toward the Forbidden Forest. His eyes narrowed as if he were searching for something in the distance. "I don't know if I believe it."
Cho wrinkled her nose. "Does it even matter if you believe it?"
"Who knows?" Nolan shrugged. "Merlin's famous even in the Muggle world—because of his friend Arthur, of course. I'm sure most of the Muggle legends are nonsense. But wizarding records aren't always reliable either. I'm curious... of all the powerful wizards in history, Merlin's the one everyone remembers."
"Oh, whatever," Cho sighed, clearly giving up on following Nolan's thought process.
Trying to understand Nolan Von Draugr's mind was often an exercise in futility. Miles Bletchley had tried once—and quickly learned that the workings of a genius were rarely easy to grasp.
Eve seemed more concerned with the state of Nolan's hair, which had been flattened from resting in her lap. She pulled out a comb and began to gently brush through it, smoothing out the tangles.
Cho pouted slightly. "I used to try fixing his hair when we were first years. You know what he said to me?" She dropped her voice in mock imitation, "'Don't use the same brush you use for your dog!' Can you believe that?"
Before Eve could respond, a shadow fell over them.
"Afternoon, Eve. Oh, and Nolan's here too."
It was Hagrid, strolling along the shore from the direction of Hogsmeade. The half-giant's eyes sparkled with amusement at the sight of Nolan lounging contentedly with two girls on either side of him. "You're somethin' else, you know that?"
"Afternoon, Hagrid," Nolan replied lazily, barely glancing up at the towering figure. He yawned and added nonchalantly, "You having kids now?"
"...What?" Cho and Eve stared at each other in shock.
"Hagrid's getting married?"
"Hey! Don't go saying things like that!" Hagrid hastily clamped his massive hand over Nolan's mouth, his face turning a deep shade of red. "I don't have kids!"
Nolan raised an eyebrow, eyeing the large man with open skepticism. "Then why are you buying robes in children's sizes?"
Caught off guard, Hagrid fumbled with the bundle he had been carrying and awkwardly shifted it behind his back. "Th-this is for… my cousin's kid…"
"Come on, Hagrid. You know you can't fool us," Eve said with a knowing smile, shaking her head. "I've seen you sneaking around lately. Last time, I caught you taking books from the library back to your hut. One of them was a dragon-rearing manual."
"A dragon-rearing manual?" Cho's eyes widened, and she practically hissed the words in disbelief. "Hagrid, you didn't—!"
"Shh! Keep it down, I'm beggin' ya!" Hagrid looked around nervously, his voice dropping to a whisper as he frantically gestured for them to lower their voices.
The lakeside was bustling with activity that afternoon. At least thirty students had gathered along the shore to soak in the rare spring warmth. Naturally, Nolan and his group attracted more attention than most. Their little trio was hard to miss, and lately, the gossip mill had been running wild with speculation about Nolan's relationships with the two girls who were often by his side.
But for now, Hagrid wasn't worried about the rumors swirling around Nolan's love life—he was far more concerned about anyone discovering the secret he had been hiding at his hut.
Hagrid cast a wary glance at the other students and then motioned for Nolan, Eve, and Cho to follow him discreetly. He led them back to his cabin, tiptoeing across the grounds as if he were smuggling illegal contraband.
The moment they stepped inside, Hagrid's boarhound, Fang, bounded toward them, barking excitedly.
"Quiet, Fang! You'll upset the little one's development. One more sound outta you and you're sleepin' outside!" Hagrid grumbled, shoving Fang off the bed with surprising ease for a creature of such size.
With exaggerated care, he tugged the blanket aside to reveal what he had been hiding beneath it.
Nolan's sharp eyes immediately zeroed in on the object nestled there. His lips curled slightly. "A dragon egg."
Eve's eyes lit up with fascination as she crouched beside the bed, gently running her fingertips across the egg's rough surface. "It feels just like a giant chicken egg."
"'Cause it's pretty much the same thing," Nolan remarked, tapping his knuckles against the shell. "The main difference is the magic in dragon eggs. Makes the shell tougher—way tougher. You'd have a hard time breakin' it even with a hammer. Feels more like iron."
Eve's curiosity deepened as she continued to trace patterns along the shell. "If the egg's that hard, how do the baby dragons get out when they hatch?"
"When the dragon inside is ready to hatch, it secretes acidic fluid that dissolves part of the shell from the inside," Nolan explained matter-of-factly.
Eve glanced at him with interest. "How do you know so much about dragon eggs?"
Nolan smirked. "Because I read The Care and Rearing of Dragons long before Hagrid smuggled his copy out of the library."
Cho shook her head, rubbing her temples. "This is insane. Hagrid, keeping a dragon egg is illegal. What are you planning to do if it hatches? Let it loose in the Forbidden Forest?!"
Hagrid, clearly flustered, mumbled under his breath, "I… I'll handle it."
Eve gave him a sympathetic look. "It's adorable that you're trying to raise it, but dragons aren't exactly the easiest pets, Hagrid."
The half-giant's massive shoulders slumped as he stared down at the egg with a mix of pride and anxiety. "I know, but… it's just a baby. Someone's gotta look after it proper."
Nolan rested his chin on his hand, watching the egg with detached amusement. "Well, I suppose it could be worse. At least it's not a Basilisk."
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