Dragon Egg

A few weeks after the Christmas holidays ended, on a cold, gloomy afternoon, Silas wandered over to Hagrid's hut again. Fang enthusiastically pounced on him in greeting, while Hagrid sat at the table, carefully polishing a huge, black, scaly egg the size of a melon with a large piece of velvet cloth.

"Afternoon, Hagrid." Silas greeted him, his gaze immediately drawn to the egg. "So, dear Hagrid," he drawled, with a hint of probing in his voice, "you got yourself a dragon egg, didn't you?"

His tone sounded casual, but his heart skipped a beat: I already packed Quirrell off to Azkaban. He's probably half-dead by now... Voldemort's soul fragment ran off too... So where the hell did this dragon egg come from? It must still be that lingering ghost Voldemort causing trouble! He changed tactics and wants to use Hagrid's love for magical creatures to bring Norbert in... But what's he planning to do?

A surge of intense regret rose in Silas's heart: I really shouldn't have been so impulsive and crippled Quirrell outright! Beating him up did feel great... but at least he was out in the open. We knew who he was and what he wanted. Now I've alerted the snake, and Voldemort has gone into hiding, using a more covert method. There's no guarding against it! I'm such an idiot!

Hagrid did not notice the turmoil raging within Silas at all. He stroked the dragon egg with a simple, proud look on his face and said in his deep voice, "Yeah! Lucky me! A few days ago at the Hog's Head Inn, I played cards with a hooded stranger, and he lost it to me! Heh heh!"

Hearing this familiar routine, Silas became even more convinced of his suspicions. He forcibly suppressed his irritation and decided not to expose it yet, wanting to see what trick Voldemort was trying to pull this time.

Just then, Hagrid seemed to remember something. He looked up and curiously examined Silas's empty hands. "Oh, right, Silas. That... that bronze-colored ring you always used to wear, with the pattern in the middle. The one you used to open that magical door?"

At that, Silas raised and waved his right hand. His fingers were indeed completely bare. He wore the casual expression of someone who believed out with the old, in with the new, with a touch of smugness in his voice:

"Oh, you mean the Suspended Ring? I stopped using it ages ago. I'm a master at opening portals now. I can open one with my eyes shut, so what would I need that thing for? It just gets in the way."

He paused, a sly smile curling his lips. "I figured it was useless, so I sold it to Borgin and Burkes in Knockturn Alley."

Hagrid's eyes widened. "Sold it? Borgin and Burkes? That's no good place! And can anyone else even use a magical item like that?"

Silas scoffed, his tone full of certainty. "Of course I know Borgin's no good. But I don't believe anyone besides me could use that Suspended Ring properly! The magical circuitry on it is ridiculously complicated, and it's bound to the characteristics of my magic. Anyone else who gets it will just have an old antique ring."

He held up two fingers in a gesture. "That old fox Borgin tried to haggle me down at first, but after I demonstrated that he couldn't activate it no matter what he did, he got interested instead. He thought it was an ancient magical artifact worth studying and finally paid a hundred Galleons for it! Heh heh, easy pocket money."

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

An even brighter smile bloomed across Hagrid's furry face. "It's a Norwegian Ridgeback egg! Isn't it beautiful?"

Silas walked around the table and carefully inspected the black, scaly egg. He touched its shell, feeling the warmth and faint pulse of life coming from it. He nodded and gave his assessment in an extremely "practical" tone:

"Mm, it's in good condition. Looks healthy. Though raising a dragon privately is a serious crime. If the Ministry of Magic finds out, they'll definitely confiscate it and hit you with a huge fine. You might even spend a few days in Azkaban..." He paused, then changed tack. "But a purebred dragon egg like this should be worth quite a bit on the black market, right? Especially a relatively rare breed like a Norwegian Ridgeback. Hagrid, I suggest you sell this egg quickly, before it brings trouble down on your head."

At the words "illegal" and "Azkaban," a trace of guilt flashed over Hagrid's face. But after hearing the rest of Silas's words, he immediately shook his head like a rattle, hugged the dragon egg tightly, and said in his deep voice, "Not selling! I won't sell it for any amount of money! It's my treasure! I've always wanted to raise a dragon!"

Seeing Hagrid acting like an overprotective parent, Silas shrugged in understanding. He pointed to the massive fireplace burning brightly in the middle of the hut and offered a very straightforward suggestion suited to the creature's habits:

"Fine, fine, don't sell it then. But if you want to hatch it, you need to give it enough heat. I think this fireplace of yours is perfect. The fire's strong enough. You can put the egg in there and simulate a dragon nest. Remember to turn it over regularly. Don't roast it."

Hagrid's eyes lit up when he heard this, and he thought Silas made perfect sense! He immediately lifted the dragon egg with utmost care and, as though handling the most precious treasure in the world, gently placed it on the warm ashes in the fireplace. He even carefully adjusted its position to make sure it heated evenly.

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

Silas watched Hagrid's delighted expression, then looked at the dragon egg in the fireplace, which seemed even more mysterious under the firelight. He silently sighed: Ah, Norbert, Norbert. Once you're born, you'll probably bring your 'foster father' a whole pile of trouble. But... you'll be sent away in the end anyway, so let Hagrid have his fun.

He said nothing more. He merely reminded Hagrid to be careful and not let the fire burn down the hut, then left. He knew that as the dragon egg hatched, a new round of "trouble" would soon arrive. Perhaps certain people would have to find a way to clean up the mess again. After all, he had no desire to see Hagrid truly get thrown into Azkaban for raising a dragon.