Chapter 29 : Dragon Egg

--Cave, inside the Forbidden Forest--

--Hagrid's pov—

CRACKLE CRACKLE

As I stood amidst the crates containing ashes from Ashwinders and redwood blocks, the excitement coursing through me was was was-

Argh, I don't know how to say this properly.

My dream of raising a dragon was finally coming true, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of euphoria wash over me.

Winning the dragon egg in a card game still felt like a stroke of incredible luck, and I couldn't shake the feeling of lightness in my step.

Lost in my thoughts, I couldn't help but think of Aberoth, my friend who bore a striking resemblance to the headmaster. The estrangement between him and his brother was sad, and I wish for a reconciliation between the two.

"Are you sure the centaurs are okay with this decision?" Arjun's voice broke through my sad thoughts, pulling me back to the task at hand.

I nodded in response. "They're alright with it," I assured him, recalling the starry gaze the centaurs often cast towards the heavens.

If they had any objections, they would have made them known.

Arjun seemed satisfied with my answer, but his curiosity got the better of him as he questioned me about my friendship with Ashwinders. "I'm still shocked you're friends with ashwinders. How did you manage that?"

Puffing up with pride, I replied, "They're generally misunderstood creatures, you see. Despite their tendency to spit flames in distress, they're quite friendly as long as you offer them gifts. They're rather cute." I couldn't help but think that they must have appreciated the flames from Fawkes the most.

Arjun sighed, clearly amused by my explanation, before launching into one of his lectures. "Hagrid, your gifts range from common stones to items worth thousands of golden galleons. The blanket of unicorn fur you have alone could outfit an entire army's wand core."

I couldn't help but chuckle at his words, realizing once again how fortunate I was to have a friend like Arjun. With his help, I was confident that we could create the perfect environment for raising a dragon, and I couldn't wait to see the adventure unfold.

As I looked at the fur blanket keeping the dragon egg warm, I couldn't help but wonder if it was truly worth all that much. I didn't want to toss away the unicorn's hair they'd been giving me for fifty years, so I turned it into a blanket.

Then there's that horn they gave me for my wand. With Arjun's words about the fur still ringing in my ears, I pushed the topic of the horn aside. The fur coat alone was giving me enough of a headache as it was.

THUD

SLASH

BOOOM

I watched Arjun as he changed the cave, levitating, lighting up the rocks, and transfiguring the shapes.

I listened intently to his explanation: "When transfiguring the shape, as long as you don't change the overall mass and material, it can stay permanent. It's like the Clay Crab changing shape, but with stone, we're the ones changing it. When you use the Incendio charm, you can change the flame properties too. That's the next step – try to think of your Ashwinder friends, and their reactions to everything."

I did as he suggested and pointed my wand at the ashes surrounded by stone formations, "Incendio." The flame exploded massively, much better than the normal ones.

Arjun casually controlled the flames with an extended hand and said, "In the same way, you can change the usage of your magic spells by using the memories and knowledge of your magical friends. With your reserves, there should be no problem in mastering any magic. As long as you completely master this one, we'll work on the next one, you know."

But seeing him in his Slytherin attire, his easy knowledge of magic, it reminded me of my last Slytherin friend – no, traitor. I let out a gruff shout, blowing Arjun's hair back involuntarily. He just gave me a stern look.

At least Arjun wasn't anything like Tom, but he was just as talented. It's no wonder Dumbledore kept him with me for a year of detention instead of assigning him to the professors.

I might be a bit slow in the mind and emotional, but after six decades of living and my own experiences, from friendship with Tom to facing him in battle, I reckon I can recognize the Dark Lord's traits best – cold, power-hungry, and dark.

It's made me averse to Slytherin for decades, something Professor Minerva and Flitwick advised me against many times.

But meeting Arjun changed things. His character is similar to Headmaster Dumbledore's – always willing to take the time to explain things I don't know. In a way, he reminds me of Professor Dumbledore back then, willing to teach everyone. Before his war with Grindelwald.

So, I asked him, "Why can't we raise the little dragon back in the house?"

SIGH

"Because I don't want to be in Azkaban or burn your house down. No house is dragon-proof."

---Arjun's pov---

Hagrid, the half-giant, was blessed with talent like most of the half-breeds, and his love for various species had earned him quite a reputation, even being regarded as Dumbledore's messenger to most of the wizarding world.

Yep, Hagrid is one famous figure in the world.

Just like he said, he survived encounters with a Dark lord and became a nightmare to many death eaters, smugglers and other dark souls.

But despite his strength, his childhood and isolation had left gaps in his knowledge, particularly regarding common sense and commonly known things.

Taking a moment to explain to him, I said, "Hagrid, while your hut may be home to you, a cave is a much better habitat for a Dragon, especially here in the Forbidden Forest. As long as we raise it right, ensuring it doesn't disrupt the ecosystem, it can live here for a long time. Besides, the Forbidden Forest already hosts 10% of the world's class xxxxx magical beast population, so what's one more for the count?"

After some gruff and a day's worth of work, we completed the preparations. Hagrid headed off for his daily rounds while I made my way towards the egg.

The sacrificial ritual was the most basic part of any Ritual process – essentially making the sacrifice to fulfil the command given.

Following the instructions from the AI, I began to create the ritual circle.

"Ashwinder Ashes, used for making the home of the unborn child," I muttered as I sprinkled the ashes in a precise pattern.

Then, igniting the flames using my blood, I started the ritual.

The flames served as the medium, heating the egg as I sacrificed my blood and magic to it. I watched as my blood was absorbed and my magic fueled the flames initially.

Using a Diagnostic Charm, I observed the magic slowly osmosis into the egg, ensuring it was properly imbued.

Soon, the flames throughout the cave, ignited by both Hagrid and me, took on the same form as the ritual flames in temperature and colour.

That's it, quite a simple ritual, but one that needed to be repeated daily.

[AI Notifications

: Magic reserves depleted- Avoid magic till the reserves fill a bit.

: Anemic - Blood replenishing potion recommended.]

I drank the potion and rested until Hagrid returned. After giving myself enough time for my reserves to fill to a certain level, I made my way back to Hogwarts.

The rest and recharge were necessary, considering the possible reception from certain Slytherin students that awaited me.

"At least the older students seem to be preoccupied with their affairs, still in control of their hormonal impulses. As for the younger ones, as long as I'm careful, I can avoid any unpleasant encounters."

 -----Library----

----A few days later----

In the library during the brief respite between classes, I settled down to complete my assignments.

Since my reveal, I'd noticed a shift towards closer relations with the neutral factions, while the Dark faction remained a mystery.

"Hey, Arjun."

THUD

Tracey greeted me with a smile as she joined me at the table, ready to tackle the various assignments issued by our professors. Meanwhile, Daphne, as always, appeared lost in thought, her brow furrowed in contemplation.

I couldn't resist the urge to tease her a little. "Lost in your world again, Daphne?" I quipped, earning a playful glare from her in response.

Daphne rolled her eyes and filled me in, "Ever since the Quidditch team lost in the match against Gryffindor, there's been a bit of upheaval. Everyone's hoping another house will have a shot at winning the House Cup this time."

I sighed at the thought. The House Cup was a matter of pride for each house, but it also came with its perks, especially for the older students. Whether it was access to exclusive clubs, more freedom in the restricted section of the library, or simply a sense of superiority over the other houses, the competition was fierce.

"The problem," I remarked, "is that the rich kids in Slytherin can't handle a loss, let alone the taunts from the winning team."

Blaise let out a snort at my comment, struggling to suppress his laughter as Catherine shot him a warning glance.

While they were friendly with me, I knew it was only because they were aligned with Daphne. If she were to turn against me, they'd side with the snakes without a second thought. But that's the Slytherin way – loyalty to those in power, and strategic alliances for personal gain.

At least, I am comfortable in knowing to the extent I can depend on them.

A skill, common in Slytherin House, experienced and learned by its members due to the nature of the House.

The atmosphere turned sour as the golden trio made their entrance into the library.

It used to be a rare sight, but it has become increasingly common in recent days. I couldn't help but wonder how Dumbledore had tipped them off about Flamel, considering Hagrid was on duty.