Chapter 138: "The Dragon Incident"

As the second half of the school year progressed, it seemed to fly by. With final exams on the horizon, the professors at Hogwarts were in a rush to finish the syllabus. They loaded Harry and his classmates with an increasing amount of homework and tests, burying them under a growing mountain of schoolwork. Adding to the burden, the new elective subjects they had chosen this year only made their days longer and their nights all the shorter, squeezing their free time even further.

One cold, brisk morning, Neville approached Harry, his face marked with a look of concern.

Neville exclaimed, "Harry, you need to talk some sense into Charles. He's diving into more and more dangerous antics."

Harry, puzzled, asked, "What has he been up to now?"

Harry was truly impressed by Neville's development over the year. By sticking close to Susan and her group, and investigating his younger brother's misadventures, Neville had blossomed from a shy, timid boy into someone who exuded confidence and bravery. He had truly come to embody the bold spirit of Gryffindor House, although his old nervous self still made appearances during Potions classes.

Neville responded, "They're really focused on the third-floor corridor, almost like they believe it's their job to guard its secrets. They think Nicholas Flamel's Philosopher's Stone is hidden there under the trapdoor guarded by that huge three-headed dog. And they're convinced Professor Snape wants to steal it. Isn't that absurd? Why would such a valuable and dangerous item be hidden in a school?"

Harry, with a touch of irony in his voice, replied, "Indeed, why would anyone think it's a good idea to store such a dangerous artifact in a school full of children? Thanks for letting me know about my brother. Seems like he's losing it a bit. I'll keep an eye on him. Is there anything else?"

"There's more," Neville said, "Last night, I couldn't just sit back, so I followed Charles and his group to Hagrid's hut. You won't believe what I saw there—Hagrid was hatching an actual dragon egg!"

Harry was momentarily startled by Neville's news. He paused, an urge to slap his own forehead for the oversight bubbling up.

He had completely forgotten that Hagrid, would this year, acquire a dragon egg from Quirrell in exchange for details on how to bypass Fluffy, the three-headed dog guarding the third-floor corridor trapdoor. 

Remembering this incident made Harry a bit frustrated. If only he had remembered earlier, he could have taken the egg for himself. Dragon eggs were incredibly valuable and had many powerful uses that Harry could have utilized to enhance his own magical abilities.

However, now that the egg had hatched, it was far less useful to him. Dealing with a live dragon was far more trouble than it was worth. With his busy schedule and the lack of a proper place to safely keep a dragon, it just wasn't feasible.

Harry knew what was likely to unfold next if his memory served right. Ron's brother, Charlie Weasley, would likely be involved soon, sending friends to discreetly relocate the dragon. This attempt, Harry recalled, ended up causing significant trouble for the people involved. They would get caught in the end and suffer a severe loss of house points for Gryffindor, complicating their standing within their house. This twist promised to make things quite interesting.

Harry expressed his gratitude, "Thanks for letting me know, Neville. But I think you should steer clear of whatever Charles is involved in with that dragon. While the dragon might still be young and not immediately dangerous, raising a dragon at Hogwarts is illegal and could lead to serious trouble with the ministry."

Neville nodded, his voice tinged with worry, "Yes, I overheard them planning to send it away. They realize it's too risky to keep it here at Hogwarts with Hagrid."

Harry agreed, "That's probably wise. But hold on, Neville, you went to Hagrid's hut alone at night? When did you become so brave? The Neville I know would never go out alone at night."

Neville blushed slightly at the compliment.

Neville, slightly embarrassed by Harry's praise, flushed a little. "I was just concerned about my friends. I wanted to make sure they didn't get into too much trouble."

Harry smiled, recognizing the courage in his friend. "I must say, Neville, you're proving yourself to be quite the Gryffindor, though you've got the compassion of a Hufflepuff too." he then asked "Has anyone else found out about the dragon?"

Neville looked thoughtful for a moment before responding, "I did see someone else following Charles yesterday night. So someone else might know."

Harry advised Neville with a serious tone, "Listen carefully, Neville. I believe Charles plans to send the dragon away with some help, likely from Charlie Weasley, who works at a dragon reserve. The process of moving the dragon will create quite a commotion, so it might be best for you to steer clear of Charles and his group for a while. Avoid sneaking out at night to follow them."

Neville looked concerned as he asked, "Okay, Harry. But will it be dangerous for them?"

Harry explained, "It's not life-threatening, but if someone else spotted the dragon, as you mentioned, there's a risk they could be caught during the transfer. Charles has some protection because of his status, so they're unlikely to face severe consequences beyond losing house points."

Neville pondered for a moment before asking, "Should I warn them then? I don't want Gryffindor to lose points."

Harry responded thoughtfully, "You can try warning them, but I doubt they'll heed the advice. However, if they insist on going out during curfew to move the dragon, it's better you don't join them. Your presence could increase the likelihood of getting caught, which would mean even more points lost for our house."

After some further discussion and gentle persuasion, Neville agreed to avoid getting involved with Charles's risky endeavor. Harry felt relieved, hoping his advice would keep Neville safe and prevent any reckless actions.

Harry was concerned about Neville's well-being. Getting caught could mean Gryffindor losing points and Neville facing the ire of his housemates, potentially undoing the personal growth he had achieved over the year. Harry's priority was to ensure Neville's progress wasn't jeopardized by some unnecessary actions.

Over a week passed, and Harry kept a close eye on the dragon situation, using the Marauder's Map and listening to school rumors to stay informed. Interestingly, Ron was not as severely injured by the dragon as he had been in the canon. He was released from the hospital wing after just one day, a departure from the extended recovery period described in the books.

Things went according to the canon where Charles and his group successfully transferred the dragon out of Hogwarts but were caught by Filch when they made their way back to their dorms. This led to the trio being taken to Professor McGonagall by Filch. In the end, each member of the trio was punished with detentions and a point loss of 50 points, totaling a loss of one hundred and fifty points for Gryffindor House.

This substantial loss dashed any remaining hopes Gryffindor had of winning the House Cup, placing them firmly at the bottom of the standings. The news of the trio's nighttime escapade and the consequent point deduction spread quickly throughout Hogwarts.

The mood in Gryffindor House soured, with many feeling betrayed and frustrated. Earlier in the year, Charles had already cost them points due to conflicts involving Professor Snape, and just when it seemed they might recover, this new fiasco occurred.

Charles, who had been seeking to regain his lost popularity, found himself further ostracized. Now viewed as the most disliked student at school, his fall from grace was profound. Meanwhile, Slytherin House reveled in Gryffindor's misfortune, thanking Charles for effectively removing them as competitors for the House Cup.

The fallout from the incident wasn't limited to social consequences. Due to the points lost and the trouble caused, the Gryffindor Quidditch team made the decision to remove Charles from his position as a Chaser. Katie Bell was chosen to take his place, and a fifth-year student was appointed as the new seeker. This reshuffling of the team was a clear indication of the team's and house's dwindling patience and trust in Charles.

The golden trio found themselves increasingly isolated from the rest of their classmates, their only comfort found in each other's company.

Neville approached Harry later that day, relief evident in his voice.

Neville said, "Harry, I'm really glad I listened to you about staying out of the dragon mess. I can't imagine being in Charles's shoes right now."

Harry nodded in agreement, replying, "You made the right choice, Neville. Sometimes, staying out of trouble is the bravest thing you can do."

As the days passed, the school eventually settled into a new normal, but the scars of the incident lingered. Charles and his friends learned a hard lesson about actions and consequences, one that Harry hoped taught them to think before acting foolishly.

With Charles's close relationship with Dumbledore, the best course of action during the dragon incident would have been to involve Dumbledore. Dumbledore could have easily resolved the issue without any trouble.