Harry felt something slick brush against the tip of his nose. The newly hatched little creature was rubbing its big snout all over his face, as if it were very fond of him.
The Norwegian Ridgeback looked a lot like a crumpled black umbrella. Its black body was still tiny and skinny, yet it already had a pair of large, spiky wings. The horns on its head hadn't developed yet, either; for now, they were just two round bumps.
At that moment, it was staring fixedly at Harry's face with its orange-red dragon eyes, as though trying to memorize every detail of the person before it.
The little dragon sneezed softly, sending a few sparks out of its nostrils, but Harry didn't feel the slightest bit of heat. Instead, it was as if a warm breeze had blown toward him.
"It's beautiful... isn't it?"
Hagrid murmured to himself. He reached out to stroke the little dragon's head, but it bit down on his finger and started kicking at his palm with all four legs.
"Oh my, look! It knows who its mother is!" Hagrid mistook the little dragon's behavior for a show of affection and was delighted.
"I'm not sure that's what it's doing..." Hermione furrowed her brow almost instinctively.
She thought the little dragon's behavior clearly showed that it was rejecting Hagrid.
And the one it truly recognized as its 'mother' was probably...
"The little guy really is cute, but biting people just isn't polite~"
Harry used his special cat-petting technique, smiling as he gently ran a finger over the little dragon's black-jade-colored spine. The little guy immediately closed its eyes in contentment and began to purr.
"All right, gentlemen. Shouldn't we discuss some practical matters now?" Hermione crossed her arms and scrutinized the little dragon nestled beside Harry's hand. "Can anyone tell me how fast Norwegian Ridgebacks grow...?"
"Wait!" Hagrid suddenly cried, quickly turning to look out the window. "Someone's peeking through the gap in the curtains!"
"Don't go after him. It's Malfoy." Harry grabbed Hagrid before he could give chase. "He's been keeping watch for days. There's no point in chasing him."
Harry actually wanted to remind Malfoy that if he was going to spy in the middle of the night, he shouldn't bring his wand. The Voice of Magic coming from it was just too obvious; Harry could spot him in an instant.
So it really wasn't that Harry was deliberately trying to torment him. Malfoy was the one with no sense, always looking for an excuse to make a fool of himself in front of Harry.
After what happened with Dobby, Malfoy had already been given a sound beating by his father. Yet the brat was still determined to find a way to deal with Harry. How could Harry be blamed for turning the tables on him?
It would be a shame not to give Malfoy the chance to be caught red-handed after all his hard work~
"Harry, just tell us your plan."
Seeing how calm Harry was, Hermione knew he'd probably planned everything out already.
"Hagrid, do you trust me?"
Harry didn't answer her right away. Instead, he looked Hagrid straight in the eye, his expression solemn.
"Harry, what kind of question is that?" Hagrid grumbled. "You're James and Lily's son. I was the one who brought you back from Godric's Hollow. Of course you know what our relationship is like! And you helped me with Norbert... Oh, that's the name I just gave the little dragon. Anyway... of course I trust you!"
"Thank you for trusting me, Hagrid." Harry nodded gravely. "Then let's talk about Norbert. I'm sure you know that in less than a month, it'll be as big as your house!"
"Of course I know that..."
"Also, Norwegian Ridgeback hatchlings awaken their fire-breathing talent earlier than other dragons. In other words... it could burn this place down at any moment!"
"Hmm..." After hearing Harry out, Hagrid's spirits sank.
He knew that everything Harry said was true, and he knew he simply didn't have the means to raise a dragon. But his dream was right there before him, and when Hagrid looked at little Norbert, he just couldn't...
"I know you've always wanted to raise a dragon, which is why I helped you hatch it. And I don't mind if you look after it for a while." Harry regarded Hagrid solemnly. "But you also need to understand that this little hut isn't suitable as its dragon's den!"
"I... I know..."
After a long silence, Hagrid nodded, crestfallen.
Even though he was madly fond of Norbert, Harry's warning—and what little common sense Hagrid possessed—still reminded him that he couldn't keep the dragon for long.
"So we have about two ways to deal with Norbert. The first is to release it into the wild. Ron's brother Charlie Weasley is currently studying dragons in Romania. We can write to him and ask him to take Norbert. I'm sure he'd be very interested."
Harry paused and gave a soft sigh. "But if we do that, we might never see it again."
"Norbert... we'd never see it again? No... no, that won't do. I don't want that. I really don't want that at all..."
Hagrid had only just gotten a little dragon, and before he'd even had time to enjoy it, he was being told he'd have to give it away forever. Tears of sadness even welled in the corners of his eyes.
Seeing Hagrid like this made both Harry and Hermione feel awful.
Harry especially didn't want to accept that solution, any more than Hagrid did.
He'd spent night after night feeding Norbert magic, little by little. Ever since it hatched, the little guy had clung to his hand like a kitten, nuzzling and rubbing against him. Who could bear to send it away?
At the thought, a resolute glint quietly flashed in Harry's eyes.
"Hagrid... if you really can't accept that, then we'll have to take the second option!"
Harry's voice even held a hint of madness.
"We'll raise Norbert ourselves!"
(P.S. There's no way we're sending it away. We hatched it ourselves, after all. Heh~)
How the 'Illegal Group' Came Together
After Harry proposed what he called the 'second option,' silence fell over the hut.
Hermione's mouth fell open in shock, and Hagrid stared wide-eyed. For a moment, neither of them could speak.
Only Norbert, dozing fitfully in Harry's palm, occasionally let out a tiny sigh.
Harry was actually saying they should raise a dragon themselves?!
To Hermione, this decision was almost as shocking as learning that Voldemort had returned!
If she hadn't received a Christmas card earlier that year, she might have wondered whether this was Harry's third attempt at challenging the school to expel him!
"Harry, you... you can't be serious, can you? I know you want to help me, but raising a dragon ourselves? That's just completely unrealistic..."
Hagrid was deeply grateful that Harry would say such a thing for his sake, but even though he was madly eager to raise a dragon, he still thought Harry's suggestion was pure fantasy!
"Hermione, Hagrid, listen to me... I'm absolutely not going crazy!"
Harry's voice was even trembling with excitement.
"As I see it, raising a dragon is no different from raising any other Fantastic Beast. All we need are three things: the right methods, food, and a place to keep it!"
"If we want to learn how to raise a dragon properly, we can look for information in the library, write to Charlie for advice, subtly sound out Professor Kettleburn, or even get in touch with Scamander for help!"
"Hagrid can take care of the little dragon's food. You're the gamekeeper, and you're also an assistant for the Care of Magical Creatures Class, so you get plenty of chances to go out. You should be able to get the alcohol and meat dragons need without much trouble!"
"Then there's the place. Norbert will grow quickly, and we can't hide it here forever. But until we find it the perfect habitat, we can keep it in the Room of Requirement! As long as we're careful, no one will find out!"
Hermione and Hagrid were stunned again, because Harry's plan sounded crazy, but it was surprisingly feasible!
Hermione especially had never imagined that Harry would plan to use the Room of Requirement to hide a dragon!
Hagrid didn't know about the Room of Requirement, but just from Harry and Hermione's expressions, he could tell that the plan had a real chance!
"Hagrid... you know, I can't bear to part with Norbert any more than you can. That's why I asked if you trusted me!"
Harry stared intently at Hagrid, the veins in his neck even bulging. "I've told you the whole plan for raising the dragon. You know very well what will happen if this gets out. So... can you keep it secret? Can you promise that even when chatting with someone... no, that under any circumstances, even if Headmaster Dumbledore asks, you won't let a single thing about Norbert slip? Tell me, can you do that?!"
After one question after another, Harry had finally forced Hagrid to the point of decision.
Honestly, all those conditions Harry had just brought up were complete nonsense!
There was only one real obstacle to raising a dragon at Hogwarts: Dumbledore!
They didn't even need him to publicly support them. As long as old Dumbledore turned a blind eye, they could do it.
But if he insisted on stopping them, it wouldn't matter if Harry hid Norbert in the Room of Requirement!
Even so, Harry still wanted to use this approach to force Dumbledore's hand!
And what Harry was counting on was his own special status!
Let's see, then. In old Dumbledore's heart, which mattered more: the carefully chosen 'Boy Who Lived' or a forbidden dragon?
"I..." Hagrid gritted his teeth, even tearing off a few hairs from his beard. "I can!"
He practically roared the words with all his strength.
"I swear on Merlin's name that I won't tell anyone anything about Norbert! Not while chatting, not when I'm drunk, and not even in my sleep. Not even to... to Dumbledore. I won't let a single word slip, not ever!"
"Then let's do it!"
Clap!
Harry slapped Hagrid's hand, officially sealing their pact as a private 'illegal dragon-raising group'!
"Hey, you two can't leave me out!" Hermione suddenly chimed in, pressing a golden key into Hagrid's hand. "I think you're both completely mad, but I'd rather not sit this out. Harry gave me this key to his vault. I know I'm taking advantage of his generosity, but... this is all I can offer right now."
"Hermione? You... you're really agreeing to this?!"
Harry stared blankly at the girl before him, unable to believe that Hermione had chosen to support him so easily.
He'd thought he would have to spend ages reasoning with her and appealing to her feelings.
Perhaps Scamander had influenced him, because Harry had always been quite interested in Fantastic Beasts. And ever since his ability to hear the Voice of Magic had grown stronger, that interest had only deepened.
Every night he spent hatching Norbert, Harry continued channeling magic while quietly listening to the calls coming from the little dragon. His affection for the little guy was no less than Hagrid's!
He also had a feeling that if he stayed with Norbert, then one day in the future he might be able to fully understand what it was saying and respond to it!
By then, his ability to hear the Voice of Magic might finally reveal its true nature.
That was why he'd given Hagrid two choices. He also didn't really mind if Hagrid told Dumbledore about it... he just hoped that Hagrid's decision would help him make up his own mind!
Now that Harry realized Hermione was willing to support him without reservation, he was truly happy.
"I don't want to agree, of course, but... you wouldn't listen to me anyway!"
Hermione smiled sweetly and gave the exact same reason Harry had used when talking about Voldemort.
It had been a long time since she'd seen the light in Harry's eyes.
When people found something they loved, their eyes shone.
Harry had once said that to her, teasing her when she couldn't put down her Hogwarts letter. Of course, his exact words had been that she looked "just like two shiny little lamps~"
But that didn't stop Hermione from understanding what he meant.
There had once been a light in Harry's eyes too, but after accompanying her to Hogwarts, Hermione had hardly ever seen it again.
Today, she'd finally found that Harry had discovered something at Hogwarts that he was truly interested in.
Thinking of everything Harry had done for her, and most importantly, that greeting card, Hermione wanted to help him fulfill this wish, no matter what.
"Hermione... thank you!" Harry gently held Hermione's hand, his heart full of gratitude and joy.
If having someone who would go through hardships and face powerful enemies alongside you was a blessing, what was it when that person could also forgive your mistakes and even join you in doing something crazy?
The answer was... being blessed beyond measure!
"Waaah! Harry, Hermione, you're both so wonderful! We don't have to part with Norbert. I'm so happy!"
Just as Harry and Hermione clasped hands and smiled at each other, Hagrid, who was always so emotional, suddenly wrapped them both in a massive hug and squeezed them tight.
"Ugh... Hagrid, we're going to suffocate!" Both of them.
"Hmm?"
Newborn Norbert tilted its head at the scene, then suddenly flapped its wings with all its might, stumbled off the table, and eagerly latched onto Harry...
They Had to Make a Trip into the Forbidden Forest
After their secret meeting, the 'HHH Illegal Dragon-Raising Group,' made up of Harry, Hermione, and Hagrid, was officially formed.
Ha ha ha~
Norbert spent a week in the hut. After letting Hagrid enjoy a week of chaotic dragon-raising, Harry took it to the Room of Requirement.
Harry would be responsible for most of the work of raising it from then on, because during that week, the three members of the group had discovered that Norbert seemed to listen only to Harry.
Perhaps it was because Harry had given it an enormous amount of magic. Whatever the reason, Norbert was unusually dependent on him, and the increasingly bad-tempered little guy would only calm down when Harry was around.
Before you continue