Harry's eyes darkened at the accuracy of the description, and he said, "I described it exactly as Professor Quirrell described it."
"Impossible!" Hagrid blurted out, shaking his head repeatedly, his face turning pale.
There are plenty of people in the world with similar builds! How could it be him...? You can't just assume it's him because they look alike...
Draco steadily maintained the warm orange Hatching Charm, watching Hagrid panic and nearly get himself into a dead end, before gently speaking:
"It's fine!"
He didn't rush to argue about who was right and who was wrong, but simply offered reassurance:
"Whether it's him or not, there's no use guessing now. If there's a problem, he'll slip up sooner or later! The most important thing is to get this egg in front of us, and to make sure no outsiders get a single word of the truth out of you."
As soon as the words were spoken, the dragon egg in the center of the fireplace suddenly trembled slightly.
Click--click--
A subtle, crisp cracking sound came from deep within the eggshell.
Everyone held their breath instantly. They watched as the dark brown eggshell cracked and peeled away little by little, and a small, wet creature tremblingly crawled out from inside.
As soon as it landed, it wobbled and thrashed on the table, looking just like a crumpled, open black umbrella.
Its thorny wings were disproportionately large, making its body appear exceptionally small.
Its long nose was dusty and gray, with a ring of white around its nostrils.
It had several small bumps on its head, and a pair of round, orange-red eyes that bulged outwards. It looked both silly and fierce, with a strangely cute appearance.
Hermione, seeing Ron getting too close, quickly reminded him, " Ron, move aside."
Ron obediently shrank back a little, and suddenly the little dragon twitched its nose and sneezed.
A few tiny sparks flew from his nostrils, nearly scorching Ron's sleeve.
Ron jumped in fright. "You little brat, you're already trying to attack me after we've only just come out?"
The little dragon stretched its neck and let out a thin, high-pitched cry, its voice carrying the bewilderment of a newborn.
Hermione paused for a moment, then chuckled softly and translated to everyone in a low voice, "It says you were too close."
Ron was speechless for a moment, finally managing to stammer, "Fine... you're right."
Hagrid squatted by the table, gazing at it as if it were the most precious treasure in the world, murmuring in fascination, "It's so beautiful, isn't it?"
Hermione examined it carefully and nodded. "Yes, very good, a healthy baby dragon."
Hagrid could no longer contain his joy and carefully extended his thick fingers to gently pat the little dragon's head.
To everyone's surprise, Xiaolong opened his mouth, revealing two rows of long, thin, sharp teeth, and gently bit his finger.
Hagrid felt no pain at all; on the contrary, he was so happy that his eyes narrowed, and he was overjoyed.
"Oh my god, it recognizes its father!"
Ron retorted without hesitation, "Come on, Hagrid, it's telling you to stay away from it!"
The little dragon immediately let out an even sharper and more urgent cry, and its wings flapped.
As everyone was wondering, Hermione spoke softly, a hint of suppressed amusement in her voice, "It's saying... idiot, let go, it's hot."
Draco slowly finished chanting the spell, walked to the table, squatted down, and looked the dragon in the eye.
He uttered a few fragmented, ancient syllables in a low, almost whispered tone—the language of communication with Magical Creatures.
Xiao Long immediately fell silent.
It tilted its round, orange-red eyes, stared at Draco, and obediently released Hagrid's fingers.
Then, it carefully nuzzled Draco's fingers with its head, no longer fierce at all.
Hagrid stared in disbelief. "It... it actually listens to you!"
Draco's lips curled into a smile as he turned to Hermione, gesturing for her to translate.
Hermione chuckled softly and said gently, "It says you're warm, comfortable, and not scary."
Ron's eyes widened in astonishment. "You two... can talk to dragons?"
"It's learned a few tricks." Draco nodded casually, touching the little dragon's wing. "It also said it's windy and cold inside, and wants to stay in a warm place."
As if it understood, Xiaolong called out softly again.
Hermione added with a laugh, "It's agreeing, saying it's right."
Ron was completely convinced, squatting down beside him and marveling, "Alright, you two are amazing. From now on, we'll rely on you two to translate when dealing with magical creatures."
Hagrid couldn't stop smiling as he watched the little dragon nibble against Draco's arm.
"That's wonderful... that's wonderful... with you all here, it will surely grow up safely and then pass away peacefully."
Draco gently withdrew his hand, looked at the little dragon curled up on the table, still damp from its eggshell, and said:
"Alright, we can't delay any longer. I'll go inform the principal now and have him start preparing for the placement of this little dragon as soon as possible."
He turned to Hermione and whispered, "You stay here and keep an eye on things for a while. I'll be right back."
As soon as he finished speaking, the little dragon on the table suddenly raised its tiny head and let out a weak and aggrieved cry.
Its wings fluttered gently twice, and its orange-red eyes stared unblinkingly at Draco.
Hermione's heart softened. She knelt down, gently stroked its head, and said tenderly, "I know you don't want to leave."
Hagrid's heart clenched at the sight of the little dragon's pitiful state, and he couldn't help but stammer, "Isn't this... isn't it a bit too fast... it's only just been born..."
" Hagrid, you know better than anyone else." Hermione raised her head firmly.
"This is Norwegian Ridgeback. It grows at an alarming rate. In just a few days, it will be taller than this house, and the flames will grow increasingly fierce."
Draco stood aside and clearly explained the worst possible consequences:
"Moreover, the person who gave you this dragon egg definitely has ulterior motives."
"If the Ministry of Magic discovers that you are keeping a dragon without permission, you could be expelled or even imprisoned in Azkaban. Even Professor Dumbledore could face the risk of being removed from office."
Harry and Ron's expressions changed instantly. They had just been immersed in the joy of the baby dragon's birth, but now they were suddenly pulled back to the cold reality.
They all knew in their hearts that Draco wasn't just bluffing; he was talking about a real and imminent disaster.
Hagrid opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a word.
He lowered his head and looked at the little dragon that was still innocently rubbing against the table.
It's not that he doesn't understand, it's just that he can't bear to part with it.
No matter how reluctant she was, she couldn't let Dumbledore less the entire Hogwarts.
He remained silent for a long time before finally letting out a heavy sigh, slowly reaching out to gently touch Xiaolong's back.
Well then, while it's still here, let's treat it well for a while.
Seeing that he had finally come to his senses, Draco said no more, nodded slightly, turned around, pushed open the door of the hut, and stepped out of the Forbidden Forest.
He strode quickly across the lawn, headed straight for the castle, stepped onto the slowly ascending staircase, and made his way to the Headmaster's Office at the top.
Hagrid's Hut fell silent again, save for the faint chirping of the little dragon.
Some tenderness is destined to be fleeting from the very beginning.