Hogwarts Castle was enchanted with ancient magic that prevented the use of precision electronic devices made by Muggles. Even flashlights wouldn't work properly within its walls—only old-fashioned cameras like Colin Creevey's remained unaffected by the magical interference.
Dudley extended one finger, and a brilliant light bloomed from his fingertip, achieving the same effect as a powerful flashlight as he walked casually through the dangerous Forbidden Forest. Lumos—the only spell Dudley could cast, though he'd now mastered it completely. Not just his fingertip; if he wanted, he could make any part of his body glow with that steady, unwavering light.
Normally, Dudley rarely ventured into the Forbidden Forest at night. The nocturnal forest was filled with dangers, and there weren't many materials worth gathering—nocturnal magical plants were relatively scarce compared to their daytime counterparts. But he wasn't here for ingredients this time.
Dudley walked to a somewhat secluded, open clearing deep in the forest. He pointed his fingertip toward the star-filled sky and waved it around in a specific pattern—a signal he'd established weeks ago.
"ROAR!"
Soon, a deep, resonant bellow echoed from the distant sky, and a winged creature about Dudley's height slowly descended from above, its powerful wings beating rhythmically as it landed with surprising grace.
"You've grown again, Charizard," Dudley said softly, patting the creature's scale-covered body. The scales were angular and incredibly hard, like natural armor that had been forged in dragonfire.
The creature Dudley called Charizard was none other than Norbert, hatched from Hagrid's dragon egg.
"ROAR!" The dragon roared at Dudley in clear dissatisfaction.
'Ugly name,' the dragon expressed its displeasure with the name 'Charizard' in the simplest terms his draconic mind could manage. It didn't like either Norbert or Charizard—both seemed beneath its dignity.
It thought it deserved a more domineering name—like Neltharion or Bahamut. It had instantly fallen in love with those names when it heard Dudley mention them, but unfortunately its opinion was selectively ignored. After all, this was Dudley's world, and Charizard was his favorite.
In this world, dragons possessed considerable intelligence—not as high as described in fantasy epics, but they weren't mere beasts either. At least this one knew what kind of creature it was, and had never considered Hagrid its mother despite the gamekeeper's devoted care.
This dissatisfaction lasted only until Dudley pulled out a small pouch from his enchanted bag.
"ROAR!"
'Give me!' The dragon stared fixedly at the pouch in Dudley's hand. The aroma emanating from it made its mouth water uncontrollably, silver drool actually dripping from its jaws.
Magical Creature Feed—Reptile Exclusive.
The dragon desperately wanted to devour it, but didn't dare snatch it, because this human possessed the power to easily subdue it. It still remembered when it first tried to forcibly take that delicious food from him—the human had pressed it to the ground with one hand for what felt like hours. That terrifying strength remained vivid in its memory.
Even now that it had grown so much larger and stronger, it didn't dare act rashly.
When I'm fully grown, I'll definitely teach this human who dares to tease me...
"Want some?" Dudley gently opened a gap in the cloth bag, and the aroma immediately filled the night air, rich and intoxicating.
"If you want it, say 'please' next time, and remember—I'm your keeper."
Despicable human, don't think you can make me submit. It's just food—I'd rather starve than...
Dudley silently opened the bag's gap wider, making the aroma even more intense and mouth-watering.
"ROAR!"
'Keeper!' the dragon capitulated instantly.
This dragon that Hagrid couldn't bear to let go had now been completely won over by Dudley. Since Hagrid had inadvertently injured him during their first meeting, taking one of his dragons as compensation wasn't entirely unreasonable, was it?
Eat, eat, eat—that was all the dragon could think about. Thump, thump, thump... The dragon's powerful tail kept beating the ground, making a mess of the surrounding grass and leaving deep gouges in the earth.
Rather than a fearsome dragon, it looked more like an oversized, hungry puppy waiting for its master to feed it.
No animal could resist Dudley's cooking. From Ripper at the beginning, to Mrs. Norris, to Fawkes, and now this dragon—all fell victim to his culinary talents. This gift surpassed even his considerable Potions skills.
'So delicious!' Chomping down the specially prepared food, the dragon felt it probably couldn't live without it anymore. This was the most delicious meal it had ever eaten in its short life.
It had hunted in the Forbidden Forest before—deer, wild boar, even the occasional Acromantula—but that food could only fill its stomach. Nothing compared to this ambrosia.
It was like an addiction—if it went more than three days without eating this, it felt uncomfortable all over, and nothing else tasted remotely appealing.
Humans are truly terrifying creatures, the dragon mused. Strong and excellent cooks.
One human had hatched it, and another now fed it—both impossibly powerful in their own ways.
After licking clean every crumb from its mouth, it burped contentedly, and a small, controlled flame spurted from its nostrils—a sign of perfect digestion.
The well-fed dragon was blissfully closing its eyes when it heard Dudley's next words. He patted the dragon's increasingly solid, muscular body: "Charizard, you're developing beautifully. Soon you'll be able to carry me soaring through the skies."
This was his real purpose for having Hagrid release the dragon into the Forbidden Forest. From the moment he first saw the newly hatched creature, he'd made his decision.
He wanted to be a dragon rider.
Hearing this, the dragon stared at Dudley with its large red-yellow eyes in absolute terror, its short front claws waving frantically, shaking its head like a rattle. This brought back very unpleasant memories...
Initially, the dragon had thought carrying Dudley wouldn't be a big deal—just one human, even three, wouldn't matter much. Until Dudley actually climbed onto its back...
At that moment, it felt like a mountain had been placed on top of it. His Ripple (Hamon) enhanced physique made him impossibly dense and heavy.
Forget flying—it couldn't even stand. It just lay there on the ground, completely motionless, pinned like a butterfly to a board.
Since then, the dragon never dared let Dudley ride on its back casually.
Just as Dudley was about to continue teasing the dragon, he paused slightly, his expression growing serious. Both he and the dragon turned their gaze toward the deeper forest.
He caught a faint scent of blood in the air—metallic and sharp.
Something was moving toward them, about one kilometer away. No, now it had shortened to just over nine hundred meters. Running very fast. Getting closer with each passing second...
And the target was very clear—heading straight for their position.
The dragon's throat rumbled with low, warning growls, the scales on its neck standing up like a defensive ruff. This was something that could make even a dragon—a creature at the top of the magical food chain—feel genuine danger.
Dudley silently began his layered meditation, feeling the Ripple (Hamon) energy flowing through his body. His left hand moved to his waist pouch, grasping several potions he'd prepared for emergencies.
Less than five hundred meters now... There weren't many magical creatures in the Forbidden Forest capable of such speed and stealth.
Three hundred meters... One hundred meters... Right ahead!
Perhaps sensing the approaching danger, the surrounding environment became eerily quiet—no insect chirping, no bird calls, even the wind seemed to hold its breath.
Just then, with a sharp 'whoosh' accompanied by the sound of branches scraping against hide, a horse-like creature with a faint white glow and a spiraled horn on its head burst from the treeline.
A unicorn—though the hair on its neck was sparse and patchy, Dudley recognized it immediately as a member of the unicorn herd living in the Forbidden Forest's heart.
How did he know? Because he was the one who had carefully plucked that neck hair for potion ingredients months ago.
Silver blood—luminous and ethereal—covered the forest floor, leaving a glittering trail behind the fleeing creature. Clearly this unicorn was injured, and badly.
But Dudley had no time to focus on the wounded unicorn's plight.
Because what truly posed danger to him and Charizard wasn't the unicorn itself, but what was pursuing it through the darkness.
A sickly dark green light began to rise behind the unicorn, casting twisted shadows through the trees—the unmistakable glow of dark magic.
[Chapter Complete]
***
Want more? Check out my Patreon for:
✓ Advanced chapters of all my stories
✓ Exclusive novels & fanfics
✓ Early access content www.p@treon.com/meowthtl
💪 Community Goal: 500 Power Stones unlocks a bonus chapter!
Thanks for reading and supporting the story!