Chapter 186

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Yeah! Here's the new chapter!

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I knew I was taking too long to solve the Basilisk problem, so I decided to spend all my free time at Hogwarts thinking and coming up with a simple and easy way to kill him.

Well, simple and easy is easier said than done.

I'd already caught two of Hagrid's roosters without him knowing, and I'd studied and learned the sonorous spell from the Flamels' books, planning to use both of them to kill or at least stun this age-old snake with deadly eyes.

I had no faith that a crowing of a rooster could kill the Basilisk, at least not the one in the Chamber of Secrets, so I also planned to make some potions to help me.

Draught of Living Death is going to be one of the potions that will help me face the Basilisk, and normally I would have a little trouble brewing a NEWT level potion, but thanks to Nick's teachings my potion brewing has become smoother.

I still think I'll make a few mistakes here and there when creating it, but after a few tries I'll probably be able to make a few bottles of Draught of Living Death that are at least almost perfect.

Another good thing is that I knew a spell that could turn liquids into mist, so I won't need to make the Basilisk ingest the potion, I'll just need to make him breathe the mist.

With all that, I was pretty sure I was ready to face the Basilisk, or at least as ready as the little time I have will allow me.

But before I went ahead with my crazy and maybe suicidal plan, I needed one last thing.

I wasn't sure if I would be able to get the Sword of Gryffindor out of the Sorting Hat, and I needed something to contain the Basilisk's venom as that was the easiest and fastest way to destroy a Horcrux, which is why I made a request to Nick before I left France.

I knew that even with the goblins respecting me, they would not give or sell me anything made with their goblin silver, which is why I had asked Nick to see if he could get from any of his contacts a dagger made of goblin silver.

He was initially surprised and curious at my request, but he didn't ask too much and said he would try to get the dagger for me.

Even though he didn't ask me for an explanation, I still said that I wanted a dagger for self-defense reasons in case I lost or couldn't use my wand, also talking about my mastery of martial arts.

And about goblin silver, I simply said that the absorptive effects of silver interested me a lot, and that it would be useful for many things, with potions and alchemy being some of them.

And why did I ask for a dagger and not a sword or something like that? Well, the answer is simple. Unlike the sword, I could hide and carry a dagger with me anytime and anywhere.

It would probably be weird if I walked around the castle with a sword in my back, which is stupid and flawed, or around my waist.

If Nick doesn't get the dagger for me by the end of February, I'll have to go ahead with my plan, using some sturdy and enchanted vial to store the Basilisk's venom when he's killed.

So until the end of February, I just have to keep doing what I've been doing this school year, which is having fun with my friends, training, studying, and playing pranks on Lockhart...

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-Hagrid's Hut-

"Hey Hagrid, can you tell me how tough a dragon's skin is?" I asked the half-giant who was preparing some rocks... I mean cupcakes.

Hagrid had invited me to have tea in his hut, and as I had free time I decided to come.

I could have used this time to continue with my studies and training, but something my martial arts classes taught me was that everyone needs time to relax, as overwork can be overwhelming.

"Hmm, the answer depends" Hagrid said, scratching his beard, "A dragon's skin is very tough, but some spells and special items can cut it, but only when the dragon dies and when the skin is being used to create clothes."

"If the dragon is alive, is the skin more resistant?" I asked, as this information was not in any book.

"Yes, and this has already been proven by some scholars and some dragon keepers. As for the reason, they say it's because the dragon's skin and its stamina are intimately connected with the dragon's life, and some even say it's because they are connected to his magic" Hagrid replied. He then began to look up in thoughts.

"You know, a lot of the magical creatures I've seen or read actually have amazing magical properties, but generally they're stronger when they're alive. Unicorns are an example," he continued.

"Hmm, so you mean it would be easier to cut a dragon's skin if it's already dead or its magic is weak?" I asked, and Hagrid nodded, "Assuming the dragon is alive and with very strong magic, what spells are usually used to cut its skin? And how long would that take?"

"That's a question I won't be able to answer. Any strong slashing spell can hurt a dragon, but the only cases where anyone in their right mind tried to hurt a dragon was being supported by 10 more wizards...By the way, why are you asking me these things?" Hagrid asked with a suspiciously raised eyebrow.

"No reason, from what I've read, one of the toughest things in the wizarding world is a dragon's skin, so I was just curious to know if there was any spell capable of causing any damage to a dragon" I shrugged my shoulders, and Hagrid nodded, quickly accepting my lie.

"Well, in that case I'd like to tell you that even though a dragon's skin is tough, its eyes aren't... That's the weakest part of a dragon" Hagrid said.

"Just the eyes? What about the inside of a dragon?" I asked curiously, since generally the inside of any being is more fragile than the outside.

"Hmph" Hagrid huffed, "The inside of a dragon? Hah, the inside is almost as tough as the outside... They even say a dragon's heart is tougher than its skin."

As soon as Hagrid said that, a frown appeared on my face, before I went back to a calm face.

'Damn, so that means a basilisk probably has its organs and interior as tough as the rest of its body... How am I going to kill that damn snake without a weapon made of goblin silver? I can't and don't even know how to use the Killing Curse' I thought, frowning in thought.

"But well, I guess you won't have to worry about that. The chances of you seeing a dragon are almost nil," Hagrid said, and I looked at him blankly.

"Azula" was the only thing I said, which made Hagrid stop in his tracks.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"I said almost," Hagrid said, not daring to look me in the eye, "Besides, Azula was just a baby, so she doesn't count."

"And if you could keep her until she grew to adulthood, would you keep her?" I asked, already knowing the answer Hagrid would give.

"Of course" Hagrid replied promptly.

"And if you had the chance to have another dragon, would you take it?"

"Who do you think I am? Of course I would, it's a dragon!" Hagrid said, almost offended by my question, "How could I not accept a creature as cute and beautiful as this, who needs all the love and affection I can give?"

As Hagrid continued talking about the thousand reasons he would agree to take care of a dragon, I simply looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

And Hagrid, after realizing I wasn't saying anything, turned to me, only to see me staring at him.

...

...

...

...

"Almost nil, right?" I said dismissively, and Hagrid just chuckled nervously.

End.

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(End AN: A short AN to say I'm reading Berserk, something I promised myself I'd never do... I still regret it, but I'll probably keep reading)