Dragon Egg

A few weeks after the Christmas holidays ended, on a gloomy afternoon, Silas once again snuck over to Hagrid's hut. Fang rushed to greet him enthusiastically. Hagrid was sitting at his table, carefully polishing a dark, scaly, melon-sized egg with a large piece of plush cloth.

"Good afternoon, Hagrid," Silas greeted, his gaze immediately drawn to the egg. "So, dear Hagrid," he drawled, a hint of inquiry in his voice, "you got a dragon egg, didn't you?"

His tone was casual on the surface, but his heart skipped a beat: (Quirrell was already packed off to Azkaban by me, probably half-dead by now... Voldemort's remnant soul also escaped... Where did this dragon egg pop out from? It must be that persistent Voldemort causing trouble again! He's found another way, trying to use Hagrid's love for magical creatures to bring Norbert in... But what does he want?)

Thinking this, a strong sense of regret washed over Silas: (I really shouldn't have been so impulsive and disabled Quirrell back then! Even though it felt good to beat him up... at least he was out in the open, we knew who he was and what he was doing. Now, we've alerted the snake, and Voldemort has retreated into the shadows, using a more covert method. It's impossible to guard against! I'm such an idiot!)

Hagrid, completely oblivious to Silas's inner turmoil, stroked the dragon egg with his usual simple and proud expression, saying in his rumbling voice, "That's right! I got lucky! A few days ago at the Hog's Head Inn, I was playing cards with a stranger wearing a hood, and he lost it to me! Hehe!"

Hearing this familiar pattern, Silas became even more convinced of his suspicions. He suppressed the irritation in his heart, deciding not to expose it for now and see what tricks Voldemort was up to this time.

Just then, Hagrid seemed to remember something and looked up, curiously examining Silas's bare hands. "By the way, Silas, that… that bronze ring with the pattern in the middle that you always wore on your hand? The one you used to open that magical door?"

Upon hearing this, Silas raised his right hand and wiggled his fingers, which were indeed bare. He put on a casual expression, as if saying, "Out with the old, in with the new," and said with a hint of pride:

"Oh, you mean the Suspended Ring? I haven't used it for a long time. I can open Portals with my eyes closed now, so why would I need that thing? It just gets in the way."

He paused, a sly smile curling the corners of his lips. "I didn't see any use for it, so I sold it to Borgin and Burkes in Knockturn Alley."

Hagrid's eyes widened. "Sold it? Borgin and Burkes? That's not a good place! And can anyone else even use that kind of magical item?"

Silas scoffed, his tone full of certainty. "Of course, I know Borgin isn't a good person. But I don't believe anyone else could use that Suspended Ring as well as I can! The magic circuits on it are incredibly complex and bound to my magical signature. To anyone else, it's just an old antique ring."

He held up two fingers, gesturing. "Borgin, that old fox, tried to lowball me at first. But after I demonstrated how it wouldn't activate for anyone, he became interested, thinking it was a valuable ancient magical artifact. He ended up buying it for a hundred Galleons! Hehe, I made a nice bit of pocket money for nothing."

Silas was quite pleased with his "business acumen," unaware that the Suspended Ring, which he believed "no one else could use," might now be quietly lying in a corner of Borgin and Burkes, waiting for its next destined owner.

Hagrid's shaggy, large face broke into an even brighter smile. "It's a Norwegian Ridgeback egg! Isn't it beautiful!"

Silas walked around the table, carefully examining the dark, scaly egg. He touched the shell, feeling its warmth and the faint pulse of life. He nodded and commented in a very "practical" tone:

"Hmm, good quality, looks quite healthy. Although privately raising a Dragon is a serious crime, and if the Ministry finds out, it'll definitely be confiscated with a hefty fine, and you might even have to spend a few days in Azkaban..." He paused, then changed his tune, "However, purebred Dragon eggs like this should fetch a good price on the black market, right? Especially rare breeds like the Norwegian Ridgeback. Hagrid, I suggest you get rid of this egg quickly to avoid trouble."

Hearing "illegal" and "Azkaban," a flicker of guilt crossed Hagrid's face. But upon hearing Silas's subsequent words, he immediately shook his head like a rattle drum, tightly hugging the dragon egg and saying in his rumbling voice, "Not selling! Not selling for any amount of money! This is my treasure! I've always wanted to raise a dragon!"

Seeing Hagrid's protective demeanor, Silas shrugged, showing understanding. He pointed to the large, roaring fireplace in the center of the hut and offered a very direct, biologically appropriate suggestion:

"Alright, alright, if you're not selling, you're not selling. If you want to hatch it, you'll need to provide enough warmth. I think your fireplace is quite suitable, the fire is strong enough. You can put the egg in there to simulate a dragon's nest environment. Remember to turn it regularly so it doesn't get scorched."

Hagrid's eyes lit up at this. He thought Silas's advice made perfect sense! He immediately carefully picked up the dragon egg, treating it like the most precious treasure in the world, and gently placed it on the warm ashes in the fireplace, carefully adjusting its position to ensure even heating.

"Thank you, Silas!" Hagrid said. "You're right! It'll definitely hatch soon this way!"

Watching Hagrid's excited expression and then looking at the dragon egg in the fireplace, which seemed even more mysterious in the firelight, Silas sighed inwardly: (Sigh, Norbert, Norbert, as soon as you're born, you'll probably bring a lot of trouble to your 'foster father.' But... since you'll be sent away in the end anyway, let's just let Hagrid have his fun.)

He didn't say anything more, only reminding Hagrid to be careful and not let the fire burn down the hut, and then he left. He knew that with the hatching of this dragon egg, a new round of "trouble" would soon arrive. Perhaps some people would have to clean up the mess again. After all, he didn't want to see Hagrid actually get arrested and sent to Azkaban for raising a dragon.