CH 78: Novice Dragon Taming
On Saturday, Harry made his way to Hagrid's hut after acquiring the secrets of dragon training.
The so-called dragon training manual was a thin sheepskin booklet. Last Christmas, Harry and his companions spent a considerable amount of time in the village, where Kerry introduced him to the care of four young dragons.
Uncle Felix, unable to obtain the rune book, settled for the Vikings' exclusive dragon training manual, which he now held in his hand.
Approaching the hut, Harry could already hear Hagrid teasing Felix.
Felix, the name given to the little dragon by Hagrid.
"Hagrid," Harry knocked on the door. After a moment, Hagrid promptly swung the door open and ushered him inside.
The atmosphere inside Hagrid's home was chaotic. Various iron pots and pans littered the dining room floor. Noble, nearly the size of a millstone, poked his head into the fireplace, retrieving a burning piece of wood. The crackling firewood added to the commotion.
"Oh dear, you can't play with that," Hagrid hurriedly scooped up Felix, removing the firewood. The young dragon appeared disgruntled and let out a spray, causing sparks to erupt from its mouth and land on Hagrid's beard.
"Oh!" Hagrid quickly patted his beard, casting an awkward glance at Harry. "He's quite mischievous, isn't he?"
Harry looked helplessly at the struggling little dragon in Hagrid's firm grasp and handed over the book in his possession. "Hagrid, this is for you."
"What's this?" Hagrid accepted the book, perplexed.
"It's a secret manual on dragon training from the Vikings. I borrowed it from Uncle Felix. I believe it might be more helpful than 'Raising Dragons for Fun and Profit.'"
"Alright, let's have a look..." Hagrid secured the young dragon. Harry felt a bead of sweat forming on his forehead as he watched, concerned that Hagrid might inadvertently harm the creature, yet also fearing the dragon might damage the book in its struggles.
Thankfully, nothing of the sort occurred.
However, Hagrid's expression shifted dramatically as he returned the book abruptly. "What? This can't be!"
"What's the matter?" Harry inquired, bewildered. Could there be forbidden knowledge within the book? He had only skimmed through it, noting instructions on establishing dominance with dragons and using special magical patterns to link minds with them.
"It's impossible. Let him go hungry, that'll teach him." Hagrid's words came out hastily.
Hearing this, Harry froze in place, witnessing the dragon finally wriggle out of Hagrid's grasp and dart into the fireplace, stirring up the burning firewood.
Suddenly, chaos engulfed the hut. Harry swiftly extinguished the firewood with the Clear Water Charm.
"Gagaga——"
Felix cackled from the fireplace, his laughter grating and unsettling, leaving Harry feeling helpless.
"Hagrid, indulging him like this is akin to raising an undisciplined dog in the Muggle world and allowing it to harm others," Harry remarked gravely.
"Oh, he wouldn't hurt anyone. He's just a bit mischievous," Hagrid defended.
Harry met his gaze squarely. "Within a month, his throat structures will mature. Without discipline, he could set the house ablaze and fly off, perhaps onto the Quidditch pitch or the castle grounds, endangering fellow students."
"He wouldn't. You're thinking the worst of him," Hagrid dismissed casually.
"He will. Because you're expecting the best of him and indulging him too much," Harry insisted earnestly. "Hagrid, you can deceive others, but don't deceive yourself. You must understand, this is a school, and most people here are children with limited means of defense."
Pushing the book towards Hagrid, he continued, "Nurturing without taming is a folly. Hagrid, it's a responsibility that cannot be ignored by mere affection. Don't wait until tragedy strikes and you lose him. You'll regret it then!"
Hagrid's large hands remained clasped together, his expression unreadable. The flush of red on his cheeks had subsided considerably.
His eyes were fixed on the aged book Harry had brought him. It seemed valuable, but more importantly, it held Harry's earnest concerns. But...
"I can't do it!" Hagrid exclaimed, spreading his hands in front of Norbert. "He's still just a young'un."
"It's only effective while he's small. Once he grows into a wild dragon, he won't comprehend human speech," Harry reasoned.
Yet, Hagrid remained hesitant. To him, it felt like nothing short of mistreatment.
"Should I give it a shot?" Harry glanced at Hagrid. The idea had crossed his mind, albeit fleetingly, but he opted to honor Hagrid's wishes.
"Can you?" Hagrid looked at him uncertainly.
Harry couldn't offer a definitive assurance. "You can give it a try, but if I intervene, you must heed my instructions. No more coddling, or it won't heed me at all."
"Then you give it a go," Hagrid conceded helplessly.
Accepting the book, Harry pored over its contents and discovered that many dragon training methods involved potions and spells, reminiscent of taming a large dog.
It seemed this would be quite the undertaking.
After familiarizing himself with the book, he revoked Hagrid's feeding privileges and made him swear, under Dumbledore's name, never to sneak food to Norbert.
Hagrid flushed with anger, teeth clenched as he made the solemn vow.
With that done, Harry returned to the castle and penned a letter, directing Hedwig to deliver it to the potion shop in Diagon Alley to procure ingredients for a dragon attractant.
The dragon food attractant was a magical potion highly enticing to dragons. Its brewing method, akin to herbal medicine, required basic ingredients such as mutton oil, flavoring grass, and bicorn snake skin.
Come Sunday night, Harry observed Norbert, weak and needy, rubbing against his hand. He then placed the prepared meal in front of the dragon.
Dragons, while fierce, depended on their mothers during their infancy. It was during this vulnerable period that a strong bond could be forged, gradually diminishing their wild tendencies.
Relieved, Hagrid watched Norbert devour the food, nearly moved to tears.
"Don't fret, Hagrid, this isn't cruelty," Harry reassured. "In fact, proper training is an expression of genuine care. Creatures that only require endless feeding without discipline are mere livestock."
As he spoke, a knock echoed on the hut's window. A gray barn owl, clutching a letter, tapped its talons against the window ledge.
"Oh, Harry, open the window for me," Hagrid requested, with Harry and Norbert positioned between him and the window.
"Sure thing," Harry rose and unlatched the window, retrieving the owl's letter.