[Third person POV]
Arthur stepped out of Hagrid's hut, his notebook filled to the brim with scribbles, diagrams, and bullet points about the proper care and responsibilities of raising a dragon. Everything Hagrid had shared — from dietary needs to grooming needs — had been carefully jotted down. Arthur had made it his mission to be the best dragon father possible, and he took the role with utmost seriousness.
Before he left, Hagrid had leaned against the doorframe, grinning warmly beneath his wild beard. "Now remember, I'm keepin' Sylvia a secret like we agreed, but you've got to promise to come by every so often. Yeah? I love to see how she comes along and see her grow into the mighty dragon she is born to be."
Arthur had chuckled and nodded, sealing the agreement with a firm handshake and a laugh. "Deal. Don't worry I'll be sure to drop by."
As Arthur walked away from the hut, the crisp morning air brushed against his cheeks. He found Lance waiting for him just down the path, already stretching and ready for their daily training routine — a habit they had kept religiously ever since arriving at Hogwarts.
Without missing a beat, Arthur brought a gloved hand to his chest. A soft glow pulsed outward from the symbol etched into his gloves. In a flash, the thick school robes shimmered and shifted into his standard training outfit.
"That is seriously one cool spell…" Lance muttered, impressed as always. Then he did a double take when he noticed something perched casually on Arthur's shoulders. "Wait—what's with the ferret?"
Arthur raised his chin proudly, "Have some respect, will you? That's my daughter. In other words, your niece."
Lance blinked, then snorted. "Alright, whatever you say, mate."
They both laughed, the sound echoing lightly in the quiet grounds as they got to work.
…
After completing their morning exercises and running through their usual drills, they attended classes like normal, falling into the steady rhythm of academic life. Time passed swiftly, All the while, Arthur's thoughts occasionally drifted to Sylvia, keeping her entertained.
Once classes ended, Arthur headed straight to the library alongside Merlin, both of them finding their usual corner table by the tall arched windows. The late afternoon sun spilled through the stained glass, bathing the shelves in a warm glow. This spot had unofficially become their group's gathering place over the past few weeks, a sanctuary of peace and study in the chaotic environment of Hogwarts.
Arthur was already skimming through a tome on magical theory when familiar footsteps echoed through the shelves. Lance and Gwyneth appeared — as expected — but they weren't alone.
Trailing behind them were none other than Harry, Hermione, and Ron.
Merlin quirked a brow and leaned back in her chair with a small smirk. "What's with the group of tag-alongs?" she asked, eyes glinting with curiosity.
Gwyneth offered a soft smile as she and Lance took their usual seats. "They couldn't find you after classes and wanted to talk to you. I figured you wouldn't mind, so I brought them along."
Arthur set down his book and regarded them with a curious expression. "Something wrong?"
Hermione stepped forward slightly, her hands wringing the edge of her robe. "Well… I couldn't stop thinking about yesterday. When you saved me…" Her cheeks flushed pink, and she avoided his gaze. "I just—"
"Sorry," Merlin interrupted with theatrical timing, wrapping her arms around Arthur and pulling him to her chest. "Arthur's mine! You can't have him!"
Arthur froze, his entire face going red. One of her hands was gently cupping his cheek, while the other held him firmly, his ear pressed against her chest where he could clearly hear her calm heartbeat. His mind short-circuited.
Hermione's face turned an even deeper shade of crimson. "That's not what I was implying!!" she blurted, flailing her arms slightly in protest.
"SHHHHH!!" came the sharp rebuke from the head librarian behind the front desk, her eyes narrowing over the rims of her glasses.
Hermione immediately shrank into herself, clutching her robe and looking down in utter embarrassment. Being reprimanded in the library of all places was a fate worse than detention.
Harry and Ron stood frozen, caught between amusement and surprise — half at the unexpected scene with Merlin and Arthur, and half from watching Hermione get publicly shushed.
"Are you two really together?" Harry asked, his voice genuinely curious. He hadn't forgotten Arthur's behavior during the Sorting Ceremony either.
Arthur finally managed to extricate himself, sitting up and clearing his throat. "No, we're not. Mer-Lynn's just messing around… again," he muttered, trying to will away the red in his cheeks.
Merlin simply smiled smugly, clearly satisfied with Hermione's reaction.
Arthur turned back to Hermione, his expression now calmer. "You were saying?"
Hermione rolled her eyes at Merlin but refocused. "As I was saying… I couldn't stop thinking about your fight yesterday."
"Neither could we," Harry added, stepping forward.
"We didn't catch the beginning, but what we saw was absolutely mental," Ron said, shaking his head in disbelief.
"And your magic…" Hermione continued, "It's so different from anything we've learned here. I've read your books and while I think I have a rough understanding, I was wondering—" She paused, hope shining in her eyes. "Would you teach me?"
"You know… I've been wanting to learn as well," Gwyneth admitted, her voice quieter than usual, almost shy. "I've already been taking a few lessons from Mer-Lynn, but I wouldn't mind learning from the actual creator of the system either."
Arthur blinked, surprised.
"If you're accepting students," Lance chimed in, casually raising a hand, "then count me in too. If I want any hope of catching up to you, I'll need to learn the kind of magic you use."
Arthur paused, lips parting slightly in surprise. This was it. This was what he had wanted—one of the very reasons he came to Hogwarts in the first place. To share the system he'd created. To teach others how to wield a new kind of magic. He just hadn't expected it to happen so soon.
Rubbing his forehead with a gloved hand, he sighed softly, "Alright. Look. I don't mind teaching you guys. Honestly, I'd be more than happy to… but I'm not going to waste time teaching people who are just going to grow bored and quit the moment things get hard."
He looked pointedly across the table.
"Why are you looking at us when you say that?" Ron asked, glancing at Harry with a half-offended expression.
Arthur raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "Why do you think?"
Hermione snorted.
"I know Hermione's a perfect fit for this. She practically breathes books, and already understands the basics. Lance is a swordsman, trained, disciplined—I've seen how seriously he takes everything. And Gwyneth—well… honestly, I'm kind of surprised."
"Hey!" Gwyneth exclaimed, frowning. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Arthur held up his hands in surrender. "I didn't mean it in a bad way! I just didn't know you had it in you."
Gwyneth narrowed her eyes but let it slide with a scoff.
Arthur turned to the redhead across from him. "Ron. Harry. No offense… but let's not kid ourselves. You aren't the studious type, you wouldn't pick up a book unless it smacked you in the face."
"Hey" Harry muttered defensively. "I could be the studious"
"You could be," Arthur said flatly. "But you're not. You're both more physical learners. You grow through experience, not theory."
Harry didn't deny it. He simply gave a quiet, knowing shrug.
Ron frowned. "Would we really have to study that much?"
Arthur arched a brow. "You'd have to learn an entirely new magical language. You tell me."
Ron groaned, slumping in his seat. "Ugh. Boggarts, that already sounds exhausting…"
Arthur rubbed his chin thoughtfully for a moment. Then, a mischievous glint sparkled in his eyes. "Alright then. How about this—I'll give you both a chance to prove me wrong."
Harry looked up, intrigued. "How?"
Arthur leaned forward with a grin. "Let's make a wager."
That got their attention.
"Go on…" Ron said, eyes narrowing with interest.
Arthur turned to Merlin and whispered something into her ear. She raised a questioning eyebrow.
"What happened to the funds you had saved?" she asked.
Arthur scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "I used most of it on Sylvia."
Merlin sighed, clearly having expected as much. "I hope you haven't forgotten the finance lessons I gave you."
"I haven't," Arthur muttered.
With a roll of her eyes, Merlin reached into her robes and pulled out a small pouch. She handed it to Arthur with a slight shake of her head.
Arthur placed it in the center of the table. the drawstrings unraveled and the pouch opened—revealing a glittering pile of Galleons.
Hermione, Ron, and Gwyneth both gasped audibly.
"That's—That's a lot of Galleons…" Ron said, eyes wide, leaning forward to stare.
"There's one hundred in total," Arthur said calmly. "Here's the deal: I'm betting against you both. If you can stick with my lessons, actually learn, and prove me wrong by the end of this year—you get the money. Split evenly. Fifty Galleons each."
Ron's jaw dropped. "You're being serious?"
"Dead serious."
Harry raised a brow, he wasn't that interested due to the fact that he wasn't exactly struggling financially.
"I know money probably won't entice you so how about this," Arthur said, locking eyes with Harry. "If you two win, Ron gets the 100 and you get a personal favor from me. Anything you want, I'll do it without question."
Harry tilted his head, thinking, then gave a small smirk. "Sounds fair."
Arthur looked at everyone around the table. "Everyone here is a witness. They'll serve as mediators and judges at the end of the year. If I back out or cheat, they'll call me out. So Deal? What do you say?"
Ron's hand shot out before Arthur had even finished talking, shaking his hand. "That I'll be rich by the end of the year—that's what I say, mate."
Harry reached out and shook Arthur's other hand, more composed but still amused. "I'm in."
And just like that—the wager was sealed.
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