The roar of the dragon sent a wave of fear through every living creature in the Forbidden Forest.
The night sky seemed to ignite, vast wings stretching wide as if to blot out the stars and moon.
There was no mistaking it—it was a dragon.
These powerful beings stood at the very top of the food chain. If not for their small numbers and the existence of wizards capable of using magic to keep them in check, it was likely the world would have already been torn apart by these ill-tempered beasts—or ruled by them outright.
And yet, this legendary creature, one that could soar through the skies, breathe fire, and wield its tail and claws with terrifying might, was now obediently carrying Draco through the air...
"Is that... a dragon?"
"That's impossible. Dumbledore would never allow something that dangerous near Hogwarts."
"Bane, look over there."
"That's... a human foal!?"
To the centaurs, what Draco was doing was nothing short of disgraceful. In their eyes, any centaur who allowed a human to ride on their back was nothing more than a common mule—no longer one of their own.
They loathed everything that smacked of subjugation and hierarchy.
But in the direction they were staring now, a dragon—a creature with pride far greater than any centaur—was willingly letting a young wizard, not even of age, ride on her back.
Had she been hit with the Imperius Curse...?
...
"Grahhh!"
Finally free to stretch her wings and move as she pleased, Norberta was absolutely ecstatic.
If Draco weren't there, she might've let loose a torrent of fire straight into the forest below, just from sheer excitement...
But Draco didn't rein her in. Instead, he closed his eyes and simply let himself feel the rush of flight.
This was nothing like flying on a broomstick. He wore no flying gear, and Norberta didn't have any of the enchantments that made broomsticks easier or more comfortable to ride.
The wind howled past his ears. The thin air made breathing difficult. It wasn't as fast as a Nimbus 2000 at top speed, but the raw, untamed thrill of it—no broomstick could match this.
The only downside...
"Why did you come up here too!?"
He turned his head with an exasperated sigh to look at Hermione Granger, who was clinging tightly to his back.
She had her head buried, eyes shut tight. Draco gently patted Norberta to calm her excited movements.
Because at this rate, if they didn't slow down, he was pretty sure Hermione was going to squeeze him in half.
What did she think he was—a teddy bear?
"If you're that scared, then why'd you come along…"
Draco muttered helplessly now that the adrenaline had finally worn off.
It had been his first time riding a dragon, and in all the excitement, he hadn't even noticed Hermione had climbed on behind him. By the time he did, it was already too late.
"Who... who's scared? I just... it was a little unsteady, that's all! I just needed something to hold on to, what's wrong with that?"
"..."
That death grip of yours? You call that "just holding on"?
Draco's mouth twitched at the excuse. He shook his head, chuckling to himself.
He got it now—the little witch behind him was the very definition of a proud tsundere.
As Hermione realized her explanation wasn't all that convincing, and the world around her finally stopped spinning, some color returned to her cheeks.
But the second she remembered how embarrassing she'd acted earlier, her embarrassment turned to flustered irritation.
"Well, hurry up and calm Norberta down! What if someone sees us?"
They'd already been spotted, but Draco didn't feel like pointing that out. No need to tempt fate—not when a fall from this height would hurt like hell, if not worse.
"Alright, Norberta. That's enough."
"Grrrow~"
Norberta lowered her altitude and slowed her flight, obedient as ever. Hermione let out a long breath of relief and subtly shifted away from Draco—though her hands still hadn't let go.
Draco said nothing about it. He didn't scold her for hitching a ride uninvited either. Right now, his gaze was locked on the dark stretch of Forbidden Forest below them...
...
"There it is. That way, Norberta."
"What's over there?"
Hermione's breath tickled his ear—warm and subtly floral—and Draco's brow twitched at the sensation. It was the little wildcat behind him again, leaning in close.
Keeping his eyes forward, Draco scanned their surroundings as he answered her question.
"Do you know what Thestrals are?"
"Thestrals?"
"Yeah... I picked an area where Thestrals are known to live."
Hermione tilted her head, confused. She didn't know the reason behind his choice, nor did she know what kind of magical creatures Thestrals were. Still, she believed Draco had his reasons.
Not that she'd ever admit it out loud.
"Why there? Don't tell me you just picked it randomly."
"Of course not. First off, Thestrals are technically classified as dangerous creatures, but they're actually very gentle—as long as you don't provoke them. So there's no need to worry they'll attack or reject Norberta."
Hearing about Thestrals for the first time, Hermione's curiosity was piqued. But another concern quickly crossed her mind.
"But... what if Norberta attacks them first?"
She wasn't worried about getting attacked—she was more concerned Norberta might harm the other creatures.
"I'll make that clear to her. Besides, under normal circumstances, Norberta can't even see them."
"Huh?"
Hermione was curious not just about how Draco planned to "talk" to Norberta, but also what he meant by "can't see them."
But Draco had no answers to give.
The first was his secret—and the second... not even someone like Dumbledore understood.
Thankfully, the next moment wiped the question from her mind entirely.
As Norberta began her slow descent, Draco and Hermione spotted a figure lying motionless at the base of a tree.
And unless their eyes were deceiving them, it was a unicorn...
...
[Upto 50 chapters ahead for now]
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