CH 77: Raised but not tamed
"Dragon?" Hermione exclaimed, her astonishment evident as she scanned the room. "Where is it?"
Harry pointed to the egg nestled in the fire. There was no mistaking it; it was a dragon egg, a Norwegian Ridgeback to be precise.
After the incident two years ago, he doubted he'd ever forget about Norwegian Ridgebacks.
"Oh my goodness, Hagrid, where did you get dragon eggs? Are there dragons in our Forbidden Forest?" Hermione inquired, visibly surprised.
"Oh, no... I acquired this while out drinking last night. Played cards with a wizard, and he lost so miserably that he had to hand it over to me. Honestly, I reckon the fellow was eager to part with it," Hagrid explained.
"Eager to part with it?" Harry's jaw practically dropped as he gazed at Hagrid in disbelief.
"Hagrid, that's preposterous. Dragon eggs may have a price, but they're not readily available on the market," Harry interjected.
Just last year in Norway, he had witnessed illegal goblins losing their lives over dragon eggs. These were highly sought after commodities; it made no sense for someone to dispose of them casually on a whim.
Harry's instincts told him something was amiss.
"Hagrid, I highly doubt anyone would casually place a valuable dragon egg on a gambling table. What did you trade for it?" he pressed.
"It was just a friendly exchange, Harry. We had a grand time chatting," Hagrid dismissed casually.
Placing his hands on the table, Harry leaned in closer to Hagrid. "You must've had quite a bit to drink."
"Of course, what's with the third degree? Harry, why are you acting so peculiar?" Hagrid countered.
"Did he pilfer anything from you while you were intoxicated?" Harry questioned further.
"Harry, don't worry yourself over it. He's a decent bloke; we had a lengthy discussion about magical creatures," Hagrid reassured.
Reluctantly accepting Hagrid's assurance, Harry conceded, "Alright, perhaps I'm overthinking it. But I still believe you should inform Dumbledore about this. It's illegal to privately raise a dragon, and you wouldn't want to jeopardize your position."
Hagrid nodded, adopting a somewhat resigned tone. "I know, but... let me hatch it first, then we'll discuss it. Wouldn't want it to perish, would we?"
Casting a glance at the book titled "Raising Dragons for Fun and Profit" nearby, Harry nodded, opting to drop the matter for now.
After some small talk, they found the stifling heat of the hut unbearable and took their leave earlier than planned.
Strolling across the breezy lawn, they felt rejuvenated after shedding the oppressive heat.
"Hagrid truly adores creatures," Hermione remarked. "The way he looked at the egg, it was as though he could cry, and he even hummed a tune."
Harry could only nod in agreement, though he added, "That's no ordinary creature. A dragon can outgrow his desk in a week, and its fire-breathing capabilities can mature within a month. Only someone like Hagrid, with his robust stature, could regard such massive creatures as cherished pets—"
His words trailed off abruptly as Snape's grim visage and the bloody leg injury flashed through his mind.
A creature that even Snape found troublesome and injured, lurking within the castle!
"What's the matter?" Hermione inquired.
"I... I'm not certain, but I think we need to return to Hagrid," Harry replied, realization dawning upon him. He knew why he had felt that something was amiss all along.
Guiding Hermione, they quickly retraced their steps to Hagrid's hut, knocking on the door.
After a brief pause, Hagrid opened the door, and Harry wasted no time in getting to the point. "Hagrid, did you place some creature on the fourth floor? The 'project' you mentioned!"
Taken aback, Hagrid protested, "What? Why are you still fixated on that? No, absolutely not."
Even Hermione could discern from Hagrid's demeanor that he was being untruthful.
"Did you discuss it with him too? You mentioned having a delightful conversation about magical creatures," Harry pressed.
"Who?"
"The man who gave you the dragon egg. Did he discuss the large creature you placed on the fourth floor with you?"
"It's not a creature..." Hagrid argued weakly, his mind starting to replay the events of the previous night.
"Yes, we spoke of Fluffy, and he showed keen interest..." Hagrid's voice trailed off.
"Who's Fluffy?" Hermione inquired.
"Fluffy is the Cerbère I guarded the Philosopher's Stone with for Dumbledore, but that's classified. Please, don't pry," Hagrid's response was becoming increasingly muddled.
Upon hearing this, Harry couldn't help but be astonished. "A Cerbère ? No wonder Snape's injury was so severe."
As he spoke, he explained to Hermione, "That creature made Snape ingest a fair amount."
A creature formidable enough to give Snape pause guarded the Philosopher's Stone! Did the dark wizard seek counsel from Hagrid on handling Fluffy?!
"Impossible!" Hagrid interjected firmly upon hearing Harry's conjecture. "Only Dumbledore and I are privy to Fluffy's containment. I've never disclosed it to anyone else."
Harry fixed him with a steady gaze. "Inebriated individuals often divulge more than they intend."
His words stripped Hagrid of his last vestige of hope, causing his shoulders to slump.
"Hagrid, you must inform Dumbledore. I'm merely speculating, but informing Dumbledore is the prudent course of action," Harry urged. "We can't afford any mishaps with the Philosopher's Stone, something Dumbledore has worked tirelessly to safeguard."
Hagrid felt as though a thousand knives were slicing through his heart. Harry's words cut straight to the core of his loyalty to Dumbledore; he would never permit anything to jeopardize this matter.
Well, even if it seemed everywhere...
Hagrid's face contorted with a myriad of conflicting emotions. After a moment, he nodded resignedly. "Harry, I reckon you're right."
With that, Hagrid turned away, closing the door behind him, and followed the pair back toward the castle...
A week later, an unexpected development occurred. During breakfast, Hedwig delivered a note. Upon opening it, they found crooked handwriting imbued with unmistakable personal characteristics.
"It's nearly time to hatch."
Harry's head spun. What did this mean... about to hatch? A dragon? And Dumbledore permitted it?!
After their morning herbology class, they made their way to Hagrid's hut. Hagrid greeted them eagerly, his face flushed with excitement. "You're a tad late, I'm afraid. You just missed seeing it break free from its shell."
Harry shrugged nonchalantly. He had witnessed dragon hatchlings emerge before, and there were four of them. Hermione felt a pang of regret for missing the sight, but she staunchly refused to skip class for the sake of witnessing a dragon's birth.
"Dumbledore's given me permission to let it grow a bit before transporting it to the dragon sanctuary. It's too fragile to withstand the journey in its current state," Hagrid explained.
"What about the incident on the fourth floor?" Harry inquired, more concerned about that matter.
"Dumbledore's aware; he'll handle it. He's all-knowing," Hagrid replied casually, though his demeanor hinted at a somber mood.
Led into the room by Hagrid, they beheld a small dragon perched on his table.
It possessed spiny wings and a sleek, black body. Its elongated snout sported white nostrils, crowned with horns, and its orange-red eyes bulged outward.
At that moment, it was lapping up a concoction of brandy and chicken blood prepared by Hagrid, its head buried deeply, appearing quite content.
"Oh...this is...a dragon," Hermione struggled to come to terms with it. The creature wasn't particularly aesthetically pleasing. Yet, seeing Hagrid's affection for it, they could only hope he would care for it properly.
However...that seemed unlikely.
A week later, when Harry witnessed the dragon sink its teeth into Hagrid's hand, the latter merely chuckled, he knew that if left unchecked, it would eventually become as troublesome as "Dudley" once was.
Raising such creatures without proper guidance posed risks to both others and oneself.
Yet Harry knew where to find the secrets of dragon training.
The Vikings!