Chapter 35: Winning Draco Over

The little black dragon sucked for a while, then, finding nothing to eat, fluttered back over to Luo Bin.

He pointed a wingtip at his mouth as his stomach rumbled. With a whoosh, a ball of orange flame rose from the tip of Luo Bin's wand. He swallowed it eagerly, then flapped his membranous wings.

One ball clearly wasn't enough to fill him up, so Luo Bin conjured flame after flame with Magic.

Hermione wanted to ask Ron whether the diet of a baby Norwegian Ridgeback included fire. But she had just sworn not to speak to a certain petty-minded person for three days. After a brief struggle, she chose... to have Harry ask for her.

"Ron, Hermione quietly asked me to ask you whether fire is on Norbert's menu," Harry said, selling her out.

"I... I don't know. Maybe it is? Dragons breathe fire, so they can probably swallow it too. And why doesn't the traitor ask me herself?"

Who's a traitor?

Hermione shot Ron a glare and turned away. Now she didn't just want to stop talking to him; she didn't even want to look at him.

Once Norbert had eaten his fill, he fluttered back to Hagrid and rubbed his slender neck against the moleskin. Hagrid cheerfully called himself Norbert's mother.

When Harry and Hermione held out their hands, Norbert brushed his wingtips against their palms, startling them so badly they nearly cried out. When Ron reached out, Norbert bared his sharp teeth.

Snap! Luckily, Ron snatched his hand back in time. Otherwise, Norbert would certainly have drawn blood.

"That's not fair! There are five people in this room. Why am I the only one he won't let touch him?" Ron complained with a pout.

"Don't be upset. Norbert's only playing with you. Look, he's sweeping that stiff tail across my waist, but he's being gentle. It doesn't hurt at all. Ow!"

If Hagrid had looked a little more relaxed and left out that last cry, he might have sounded convincing.

The little black dragon was extraordinarily strong. Luo Bin worried that another sweep might leave Hagrid crippled from the waist down, so he found a long stick, some rope, and a glowing glass ball and made a simple toy to keep the dragon occupied.

The moment Luo Bin tossed out the glass ball, its flickering light caught the little black dragon's attention. Norbert scampered after it, and Hagrid held his waist as he nodded his thanks to Luo Bin.

It was already dark when the four of them left the little stone house. All the way back, Harry, Ron, and Hermione talked about Norbert. Hermione still ignored Ron and refused to respond to anything he said, but the discussion remained lively.

They were still on the same subject when they reached the Great Hall's Entrance Hall. Luo Bin had gently suggested they stop talking about Norbert, but the three of them were too excited to hold back.

"Luo Bin, we really should have listened to you!" Hermione said, her face deathly pale.

"What?"

Harry turned in confusion and met Draco's malicious gaze. His heart sank. This is bad.

"Malfoy, were you eavesdropping on us?" Ron demanded.

"Hmph. Eavesdropping? The Great Hall is a public place. Anyone can come and go as they please. Oh, a Norwegian Ridgeback, was it? Drinks half a bucket of chicken blood a day, does it? Ha! Just wait and see!"

After glancing at Luo Bin, Draco turned and ran down the corridor. Harry tried to go after him, but Luo Bin stopped him. "There's no point. He won't listen to you!"

"Listen. We have to send Norbert away before Draco tells anyone. We'll go back to the little stone house tomorrow and try to talk Hagrid into it," Hermione whispered.

"Right," Harry agreed.

That night, in the Slytherin dormitory!

Luo Bin pulled back the covers and hauled someone who was pretending to be asleep upright. "Draco Malfoy, open your eyes. We need to talk about Norbert."

Draco wore a loose nightshirt. His pale blond hair was combed back and gleaming, his eyes were squeezed shut, and his body swayed from side to side. Luo Bin clicked his tongue. Not a bad performance.

Luo Bin took out a small spray bottle. "It's filled with a botched Boil-Curing Potion. Three or four sprays, and your face will be covered in swollen red boils, just like Neville's."

He pressed the pump once, filling the little tube inside with dark green potion. One more press should spray it out.

"Don't spray me! I don't want to look like Neville!" Draco shouted angrily, pulling the covers over his head.

Luo Bin yanked the covers away. "Tell me. When are you planning to report the little black dragon?"

"Hmph. Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked like frightened little chicks from the farm behind our manor. If I report them right away, I'd be letting them off too easily. They should squirm for a while first!"

Draco's expression was so animated he looked downright deranged.

"If you do that, Slytherin will lose points!"

Luo Bin knew exactly how badly Draco wanted to win the House Cup.

"You could... just deny you knew Norbert existed..." Draco sounded less certain with every word.

"Think carefully. If word about Norbert gets out, Slytherin will definitely lose points. Then you'll be the disgrace of the house!"

"I..."

Draco puffed out his cheeks in anger. He clearly resented that but couldn't think of a comeback. His eyes, though, stayed fixed on the Dragon Toy on the table.

"Norbert's a baby dragon. His skin is smooth, a bit like leather. His orange eyes keep blinking, like the faulty light bulb in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. The little bumps of his horns are hard, and if you stroke them for a while, he tilts his neck and rubs against your palm. He even makes this contented, rumbling sound. When he gets excited, he spits sparks all over the room. The little fellow burned off a third of Hagrid's beard."

"Draco, Norbert's a dragon. A dragon. Don't you want to touch him?" Luo Bin asked coaxingly as he put the spray bottle away.

What boy had never dreamed of riding a dragon?

Luo Bin's description had set Draco's blood racing. He pictured himself soaring above the grasslands on the back of a grown dragon, pulling its chains to make it blast scorching fire downward and burn the plains before him to ash!

"Hmph. What's so great about touching an ugly, stupid dragon?" he said haughtily, hiding the longing in his eyes.

Honestly, the kid's as stubborn as a mule. He always says the opposite of what he means.

Luo Bin had noticed Draco's interest in dragons back in the Entrance Hall. He pursed his lips and said casually, "All right. I was going to take you to see Norbert at the little stone house after morning classes tomorrow, but if you don't want to, I won't force you."

With that, Luo Bin went to wash up. When he returned, Draco was pacing anxiously beside his bed in bare feet.

"Robin Sear, I've decided to inspect the potential danger to the school—the baby dragon—on behalf of Slytherin. Ahem. I'm doing this for the safety of every student and teacher, not for myself."

Stubborn to the end. Norbert, whether you escape Draco's report is up to you now!

"Ten tomorrow morning, outside the greenhouses. And remember, Crabbe and Goyle absolutely cannot find out about this."

With the visit settled, Draco rummaged through his things and found three picture books about baby dragons. The next day, he went to class with dark circles under his eyes. When he dozed off, Professor Flitwick made him copy out the Clear-Headed Charm a hundred times.

At ten o'clock sharp, they met outside the greenhouses, gave the Whomping Willow a wide berth, and reached the little stone house at the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

Knock, knock! Knock, knock!

"Who is it?" Hagrid called in a muffled voice.

"It's me, Luo Bin!"

Hagrid nudged Norbert aside and opened the door. When he saw Draco's pale face, he drew a sharp breath. "I... have a cold. Yes, a terrible cold. Go back, quick! You might catch it!"