Keep Your Distance

As the two of them walked toward Hagrid's hut, Hermione still looked at him suspiciously.

"Magical Creatures? Ones I've never seen before?"

Sean smiled, both hands in his pockets. "Hermione, that's not an accurate description. There are far too many Magical Creatures you've never seen."

The girl shot him an unconvinced look. "They're all in the books! And there are illustrations!"

"There's still a big difference between pictures and living animals. Come on, I'll show you."

"Being all mysterious..." Hermione muttered.

When they reached Hagrid's hut, they found a temporary shed built beside it, its four sides covered in black cloth.

Hagrid happened to emerge from the other side of the shed. He greeted them when he saw the two.

"Oh, Sean, you're here. And this is?"

Before Sean could speak, Hermione quickly introduced herself. "Hermione Granger, sir. First-year Ravenclaw student. I'm Sean's... friend."

Hagrid vigorously wiped his hand on his moleskin coat before shaking Hermione's hand.

"Nice ter meet yeh, Hermione." He turned to Sean. "I was just about ter send yeh a letter by owl. Didn't expect yeh ter come on yer own."

"Are the MacFasty people coming so soon?"

Hagrid nodded. "Yeah, as soon as they heard, they rushed over. They'll probably be here this afternoon."

"MacFasty?" Hermione cut in. "The wizarding clan responsible for raising Hebridean Black Dragons?"

"Oh, are yeh interested in dragons too?" Hagrid immediately grew much more enthusiastic.

"Interested..." Hermione gave Sean a suspicious look, then suddenly widened her eyes. "You—you wouldn't?!"

Sean lifted the cloth curtain of the shed. "See for yourself."

Hermione poked her head inside, then let out a shriek like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. "A dragon?!"

Sean entered the shed. The Little Black Dragon was still drowsy. It vaguely caught the familiar scent of the newcomer and turned its head toward Sean.

Sean smiled and stepped forward to stroke it a few times, then turned to Hermione. "Want to pet it? It feels pretty nice, as long as you watch out for the spikes."

Hermione lowered her shrill voice. "Unbelievable, Sean! You and Hagrid actually raised a dragon?! Oh my God, you'll definitely be expelled..."

"No, you misunderstood, Hermione." Sean told her what had happened the night before.

"So that's what happened." Hermione let out a heavy sigh of relief.

Sean winked at her. "Want to give it a pet now?"

By the time the three of them were seated in Hagrid's hut, Hermione still looked thrilled. "I actually touched a living dragon!"

"There'll be other chances. Oh, thanks, Hagrid." Sean thanked Hagrid as he brought over hot tea and biscuits.

For the rest of the time, after secretly warning Hermione not to touch the Rock Cakes, Sean happily chatted with Hagrid.

It had to be said that Hagrid's knowledge of Magical Creatures was incredibly extensive. Sean and Hermione were both captivated by what he said.

Though some of his occasional ideas about crossbreeding made Sean feel they were rather dangerous...

That afternoon, members of the MacFasty Clan arrived on Flying Broomsticks. They wore black Wizarding Robes, thick windproof cloaks, and carried a specially made enormous cage.

"Thank you." After placing the Little Black Dragon inside, they shook hands with Hagrid and Sean.

The Little Black Dragon was mostly awake by then. It anxiously bit at the cage, its bright purple eyes gazing pitifully at Sean.

Sean smiled and placed a hand on its head, earnestly conveying his feelings.

"Be good. This isn't where you belong. It's time for you to return to your own kind."

"Roar..." The Little Black Dragon gave a pitiful cry. All the dragon's majesty was gone, and it seemed more like a puppy about to be abandoned.

Sean vigorously rubbed its head. "Go on. If I get the chance, I'll come see you again."

Amid the Little Black Dragon's reluctant roars, the MacFasty wizards mounted their Flying Broomsticks.

The leader gave Sean a deep look and pressed a hand to his chest in salute. "Thank you once again for your help. The gates of the Hebrides are always open to you. I look forward to meeting again."

Once the Flying Broomsticks and the cage hanging beneath them vanished over the horizon, Sean sighed wistfully.

Hagrid patted him on the shoulder, his voice tinged with sadness. "I understand how yeh feel. It's such a shame yeh can't raise a dragon."

Sean smiled helplessly. He always felt that Hagrid meant something different from what he was thinking...

As the two of them said goodbye to Hagrid, Sean suddenly remembered something. He called out to Hagrid, who was about to head into the Forbidden Forest. "What time did Professor Kettleburn leave last night?"

"Last night? After I brought the dragon back, he helped me deal with all the Magical Creature carcasses at the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Those poor little things... Professor Kettleburn and I worked until dawn was almost breaking by the time he left."

Sean's expression froze. Then who had been Professor Kettleburn, the one who had talked with him all the way back last night?

"Professor Kettleburn didn't leave at any point?" he asked unwillingly.

Hagrid gave him a strange look but answered truthfully, "He left for quite a while. We didn't have enough of some medicinal powder, so he went back to get some. What's wrong?"

He left for a while? Sean relaxed slightly, but his brows remained furrowed, because that was not the reason Professor Kettleburn had given him last night.

Sean told Hagrid about encountering the other man.

Hagrid burst out laughing. "Professor Kettleburn's just like that—he loves joking around, and every now and then he likes to set me up. He always thinks that if he draws everyone's attention to me, no one will notice the animals he keeps. Don't worry, Sean."

But I think both of you deserve some serious attention...

Sean did not press further, but he kept it in mind.

There was definitely something wrong with Kettleburn, and Quirrell's condition did not seem normal either...

After saying goodbye to Hagrid, Sean brushed off all of Hermione's questions on the way back. He did not want to drag the girl into this.

Besides, Voldemort had not yet risen to power, and with Dumbledore at Hogwarts, there should not be any problems, right?

He still had an old lover he could discuss solutions with.

Sean decided to tell Dumbledore about the conversation he had overheard in the washroom last night. Let the adults handle the troublesome matters.

When he returned to the castle, he went straight to Professor Flitwick and told him what he had heard the previous night.

The half-goblin professor nodded to show that he understood, then told Sean to go back.

Sean shrugged as he left the office. I've said everything I needed to say.

In any case, he would definitely stay far away.