"Yer seem like one ter 'ave one." Hagrid added, a commendable effort to try and lift his spirits, "'Ave lots 'er space at home?"
"Father would kill me if I brought home another magical creature." Adrian muttered, flinching in alarm as he realized what he just said. Hagrid didn't look like he took his words with any weight, and instead was looking at Adrian's bag where a sleepy black snake was beginning to poke his head out.
"Master?" Lutain asked sleepily, peering out and nosing his way out of the bag.
"Oh!" Hagrid enthused excitedly, "yer familiar! Heard 'bout him, beauty." Hagrid gushed, watching Lutain as he slid out halfway and looked around the table.
"Oh, the giant." Lutain flicked his tongue curiously, "Why are we here."
"Beautiful," Hagrid echoed, reaching out one thick sausage finger to gently trace along Lutain's back.
Lutain jolted but only watched curiously as Hagrid continued to rain praise on the vain serpent.
"How ye get 'em?" Hagrid asked curiously, "Exotic this one."
Adrian's head snapped up curiously, "You know what type he is? I've never found a name."
Hagrid looked excited, gentle as though Adrian was still something to be careful near, "Yes! Australian this one- Taipan, I think."
Adrian peered down at Lutain deep in thought, "Hear that? You're a Taipan, Lutain."
Lutain preened under the attention, coiling gracefully. Adrian smiled, something soft and wistful as he gently traced one finger across the snake's shiny scales.
"You smell like blood," Lutain informed Adrian cautiously.
Adrian's fingers stilled slightly.
"Yer know what else," Hagrid spoke, voice low and conspiring, "Yer know the first task?"
Adrian nodded shortly, tilting his head curiously.
"There be dragons," Hagrid spoke, eyes wide with wonder.
"Dragons?" Adrian's eyes widened in surprise as well, his entire body tensing up curiously. Instantly the dread vanished, replaced by curiosity and wonder. "In the forest? For the first task? Dragons?"
"Aye," Hagrid grinned, "Ron Weasley's brother brought 'em over, Charlie, from Romania! Heard from Lupin tha' yer might wanna see 'em!"
Hagrid's smile fell slightly, replacing that was an honestly sincere expression, "I wasn' suppos' ter. But yer seem like yer havin' a rough day. Wanna see?"
Adrian smiled breathlessly, and honestly happy, "That would be brilliant."
Hagrid stumbled through the woods, talking on and off to Lutain who was cozily snuggled around the large man's shoulders. Hagrid seemed completely smitten, happily offering the exotic and 'rare' snake anything he could think of, despite the fact he couldn't even understand what Lutain was saying.
"I like this," Lutain enthused from the man's shoulder, "This is nice."
Adrian smiled and wordlessly continued through the woods to the clearing where the dragons were being stored.
He heard them long before he saw them, great chaotic masses that roared and broke through silencing wards. Bright flashes of fire illuminated the dusk, nearly setting trees on ablaze and charring the earth and moss with glowing coals.
"Beautiful, aint they?" Hagrid let out a low whistle, patting Adrian firmly on his shoulder, "Jus' got 'ere yesterday! Come on!" He corralled, pushing the smaller boy closer to the cages.
"Hagrid!" A large scarred man shouted, giving a wave, "Sent by Dumbledore again, aye?"
"Not this time, Kakor!" Hagrid laughed, jerking one thumb over towards Adrian, "Showin' 'round my best student 'ere!"
The man's smile faltered, looking skeptical at Adrian. His eyes quickly glanced through an expression of pity, no doubt Adrian's scars looked horrifying with the dragon's fire.
"You sure, Hagrid? This no place for a uh, student."
Hagrid didn't look deterred, "No worry! Look 'ere at 'is famil'er!"
On cue, Lutain lifted his head up and peered at the dragon keeper, who inhaled sharply in awe. The snake was nearly invisible in the dark, his bright yellow stomach plates caught the light and shimmered as the fiery orange casted flickering designs over his back and length.
"My!" The man gasped in surprise and adoration, "What a beauty! Absolutely gorgeous boy, an elapid, aye?"
"Taipan!" Hagrid corrected eagerly, "Docile as a Kneezle!"
Adrian almost commented on how most students couldn't even control a Kneezle kitten.
The dragon keeper, Kakor looked approving, "Come along, mate! You'll fit right in, what's your name?"
"Adrian," he explained, reaching up with one arm for Lutain to uncoil and travel down, looping over his throat and neck happily, "Adrian Selwyn."
"Well, nice to meet you Adrian, and your familiar. Beautiful boy- Geomi back at the preserve has got a, uh," The man stumbled in thought for a second, "A uh, a occamy. Great big feather snake, golden eggs. Sucker for skrewts."
"I know them, I've never met one but I know them." Adrian explained, following the man as he took him on a round path around the furthest edge of the huge cages.
"We were going to bring in a few for the task, but they're already under threat," Kakor explained sympathetically, "Dragons were easier, ah, look here! Isn't she beauty? Smallest short snout we had."
The dragon inside grumbled low in its chest, sliding one membraned eye to peer at them from behind the enchanted cage bars. It had a very short maw, rounded and angry like a hound's muzzle. It had an impressive horn breaching from above its nostrils and curving up over its skull like a rhinoceros.
"Such strange creatures," Lutain commented, peering at the wings with veiled confusion.
"And here!" Kakor enthused, pointing to the next cage, "Now this girl was a hassle to pack up."
It was a disturbingly warped dragon, face scrunched and oddly shaped like a drawing of a child. Its snout was long and flared at the end, scrunched like a seahorse. Its scales suggested something more aquatic, although its antennae were completely out of place.
"Catalonian Fireball," He grinned, patting Adrian's back twice, "The wild ball of dragons. They don't breathe fire, they spit it."
It made a strange gurgling purr, turning to peer at them with strangely luminescent eyes.
"And here!" The man continued, moving to the smallest cage of them all, "We were thinking about bringing in a Horntail, but she was a bit ill after a bad cow. Here we got a Peruvian Vipertooth, only dragon with venom." The man grinned, gesturing to a strange dragon that appeared like its scales had feathers.
It made an odd chuffing noise, dragging its legs out and to the side as it awkwardly shifted between slithering and walking with long clawed legs.
"Venom, like all noble creatures." Lutain sniffed happily.
The dragon quizzically tilted its head peering at Adrian directly, it made a strange noise once and nuzzled the bars.
"She's a real sweetheart," Kakor grinned, "likes her trees and perches though, more like a snake this one than a bird."
"Hello!" Lutain hissed happily towards the Vipertooth.
It chuffed and tilted its head, "k-kello"
Adrian jolted slightly, trying not to make a scene. The dragon chortled happily and repeated the noise over like a parrot, jumping at the bars happily.
"And here," Kakor continued, gesturing to the last dragon, "Is a Ukrainian Ironbelly! Just a baby of course, since they're the largest species ever found. But wicked thick hide, can't be cursed either."
The dragon rumbled lowly, looking more like a large black and grey boulder in the setting sun.
"Amazing, all of them," Adrian smiled, looking back at the Vipertooth which was still mimicking Lutain's words earlier, "How will the champions select them?"
"At random," Kakor shrugged, "Nothing assigned, they just need to protect an egg or something like that. Unlucky bunch they are, wouldn't want to annoy princess over here," He jerked his hand at the Vipertooth.
Adrian smiled at the beautiful dragons, dazzling in their own ways, "Am I permitted to return?"
Kakor smirked lopsidedly, "You got yourself a Taipan, dontcha? Reckon' these beasts are more afraid of you then you of them."
....
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