Ron's Bite

Harry had heard of dragons long before he thought he was just a Muggle.

In most stories, they are mostly scaly reptiles with snake-like tails, bat-like wings, and the ability to spit venom or flames.

Like witches in fairy tales, they are often synonymous with evil and greed.

Dragons destroy human dwellings and seize rare treasures for themselves.

It is synonymous with power, majesty, and solemnity.

Those who can slay it are called Champion, and their stories are recorded in myths and passed down through generations.

But the creature that appeared before Harry gave Harry only one feeling: ugliness. Draco was obsessed with such a creature.

He even went so far as to befriend Hagrid, the Forbidden Forest guard whom he looked down upon.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Hagrid murmured, reaching out to stroke the little dragon's head. The dragon bit his finger, revealing its sharp, long teeth. "Good heavens, look, it recognizes its mother!" Hagrid exclaimed.

"Hagrid, are you wearing some kind of invisible Dragonhide Gloves?" Malfoy, who was also obsessed with dragons but knew how threatening they were, asked from a distance.

Harry was quite surprised. When did Draco start calling Hagrid by his name instead of calling him "big guy" or "you"?

Before Ron could answer, Hagrid confidently mimicked Hagrid's gesture, reaching out to the little dragon. "Come on, Malfoy, are you really that cowardly? Don't you like dragons?"

"Ouch! It bit me!" Ron suddenly screamed, Ron right hand already covered in blood.

"Episkey!" Harry read aloud, Ron couldn't help but look surprised. "Harry, how did you—we've never learned this spell."

Ron's right hand wound healed instantly, but the next second it reopened, this time without bleeding.

Then the wound turned an unsightly green color.

"Ron, doesn't it hurt? You have time to worry about how I got hurt." Harry frowned, wanting to give Ron another shot.

"The wound from Norwegian Ridgeback bite will have an anti-healing toxin. Hmm, it seems it also has an anesthetic effect. Weasley, this is the first time I've found you so useful—you've given me new knowledge about dragons." Malfoy circled Ron's right hand, observing. "Harry, your spell has accelerated the greening of the wound."

"What should we do? I'll go find Madam Pomfrey!" Harry said anxiously, but Ron stopped him. "Would it be wise for us to go to Madam Pomfrey —wouldn't she notice that this was a dragon bite?"

"It's not fatal, but you'll probably find the bitten hand swollen to twice its original size the next day."

"If we just tough it out, it'll probably take about a month," Draco said with a smile, then turned his attention back to the little dragon, just like Hagrid, who still hadn't taken his attention away from it.

"Wait, a month, isn't this with Snape— " Ron stopped mid-sentence.

"Come on, Draco already knows. It's the same thing that happened when Professor Snape Three-Headed Dog. No, it's a little different. Professor Snape's wound healed most of the time," Harry explained to Draco, who raised an eyebrow and turned around.

"If that's the case, then it's different. Professor Snape is a professor of Potion-Making, he has no shortage of potions for treating wounds. This is equivalent to having Potions to help him, and it will still take a month. The bite from Three-Headed Dog was really bad." Draco stroked his chin, looking thoughtful.

"Ron, what happened to your hand?" Hagrid suddenly asked in surprise.

"Nothing, I got bitten by your precious dragon!" Ron said irritably.

"Wow, that's amazing! I'll call you Norbert, how about that—oh dear, I almost forgot, Ron, are you alright?" Hagrid said, first pleased, then suddenly realizing something.

"Nothing?" Ron said sarcastically, and Hagrid took it seriously and started teasing the little dragon again.

Ron looked very surprised, with a hint of anger.

However, he didn't know that in the original timeline, he was also bitten by Norbert. At that time, Hagrid didn't take it seriously either, after all, he thought that such a small injury would be fine after a good night's sleep.

This was also Hagrid's only incompetence as a professor of Care of Magical Creatures: he misjudged the danger level of Care of Magical Creatures and mistook the young wizards for his former peers.

"Hagrid, it's a female dragon. If you're going to call it anything, you should call it Norberta," Draco corrected, completely ignoring Ron, who kept emphasizing that his hand was injured.

"Draco, how did you figure that out?" Hagrid asked curiously. Draco explained, "Male Norwegian Ridgeback doesn't have as many spikes on its wings, and its nose is shorter."

Hagrid quickly took out his palm-sized notebook and started writing.

Harry had forgotten about Ron being bitten. He noticed that even Hagrid was now calling Draco by his name, while Ron kept repeating things like, "My hand—hey, buddy, guess why I can't write for the next month."

Finally, just as Harry and his two companions were about to leave Hagrid's Hut, Harry realized the real reason he had rushed over.

"Hagrid, didn't you tell Professor Dumbledore about Quirrell?" Harry asked anxiously. Hagrid, while feeding the little dragon chicken blood, replied, "Yes, I did."

"Children, these are not your business. Dumbledore has already arranged everything."

"Also, remember to stay away from the fourth floor, lest you lose your lives!" Hagrid said with a serious expression.

After he finished speaking, his face under his beard became kind again—towards Xiaolong.

"What about the dragon eggs!" Harry keenly spotted the blind spot; his insight wasn't limited to the Golden Snitch.

"Okay, I was too nervous, I forgot!"

"But I've said everything I needed to say, so you can leave it at that," Hagrid said angrily, then dismissed them.

On the way back to the castle, Ron was still indignant. "Isn't he just kicking me while I'm down? How can he raise dragons in that little cabin of his! And my hand too!"

"I can Flame-Freezing Charm, a common spell that even dragon experts need to learn," Harry thought, then suddenly stopped. "Charlie!"

"Charlie is my brother's name, and my name is Ron." Ron blinked in confusion, then suddenly realized, "What, should I write to Charlie and ask how to treat this wound? Or should I also ask him about the Flame-Freezing Charm?"

"That's right! Charlie is an expert on dragons, Harry, you're amazing!" Ron jumped up excitedly. "But I need you to write this letter for me."

"Weasley, how did you get into Ravenclaw?"

"Harry clearly meant for Charlie to take the dragon away before it's discovered," Draco said sarcastically. Judging from his displeased expression, he was still angry that Hagrid had kicked him out of the hut as well.

"That's it," Harry said with a dry laugh.

He sensed Draco's dissatisfaction with Hagrid, but this time he couldn't say anything. Even Harry himself was a little annoyed with Hagrid.