"Someone's spying outside!" Hagrid exclaimed.
Harry bolted out the door, determined to catch the intruder.
A while later, he trudged back, looking defeated. "They got away. Looked like… maybe Malfoy."
Ron shifted uneasily. "What if he reports Hagrid?"
Lucien, busy mixing chicken blood and brandy, shook his head lightly.
Sure, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Malfoy all studied together under him, but Malfoy and Harry hadn't exactly become buddies. Malfoy toned it down during lessons, but otherwise, he was his usual self.
Lucien didn't mind much. Kids' friendships weren't his concern. No bullying or exclusion happened in his study sessions, but outside of that, he had bigger things to worry about—like schoolwork and other responsibilities.
The rivalry between Gryffindor and Slytherin was ancient.
Maybe if he became a Hogwarts professor, or even headmaster one day, he'd tackle school culture. But for now? Not his problem.
Tch, Malfoy must've sniffed out something to tail Harry like that. Kid's got dedication.
"Wants to be Harry's friend but can't help being a bit… Malfoy about it," Lucien mused.
"Lucien, what about Malfoy?" Hermione asked, her face full of worry. She trusted Lucien could handle it, especially since Malfoy was in his study group.
Still stirring the blood-brandy mix, Lucien waved it off. "No big deal. I'll talk to him."
As he prepared the baby dragon's meal, Lucien glanced at Norbert, the hatchling eagerly awaiting food.
Normally, a Norwegian Ridgeback would be pitch-black with uniform scales at birth.
But Norbert? Threads of gold shimmered across his body. Was that from hatching in Luster's purified fire?
He looked sturdy and healthy—a strong little dragon.
Another hatching moment, Lucien thought, reminiscing about Luster's own birth.
While Lucien studied Norbert, the dragon stared back with big, orange-red eyes, a mix of newborn fear, curiosity, and an odd sense of familiarity.
"All right, time to eat," Lucien said, bringing the barrel of blood-brandy mix to Norbert's side. With his free hand, he drew his wand, gave it a casual flick, and muttered a spell.
A near-pure golden flame drifted from the fireplace, hovering steadily in front of Norbert.
The blood-brandy mix was just a supplement. A dragon's first meal had to be fire—regular or magical flames would do, but a parent dragon's breath was ideal.
Since that wasn't an option, Luster's purified fire would have to do. It worked for hatching, so it should be fine for feeding.
Norbert sniffed the golden flame, his white nostrils flaring, then leaned closer.
Gulp.
Without much hesitation, he swallowed the flame whole.
A few seconds later—
Hic!
A loud burp escaped Norbert's mouth, along with a few sparks from his nose.
Lucien let out a relieved breath.
Lowering the temperature of Luster's fire made it safe for Norbert to eat. Otherwise, he'd have to use magical flames, which were inferior to dragon fire and might set Norbert back.
Now, with a mythical qilin's flames, Norbert was off to a great start.
After his first meal, Norbert suddenly looked up at the ceiling, searching for something. Finding nothing, he turned his gaze to the barrel in Lucien's hand, drool mixing with tears as he stared at the liquid.
Lucien filled a large bowl and held it to Norbert's mouth. The dragon dove in, lapping it up eagerly.
Smiling at Norbert's enthusiasm, Lucien glanced at a ceiling beam.
Luster, shrunken down, peeked out and gave him a knowing wink.
"Master, after the dragon ate my flame, I felt… a slight connection with it," Luster's voice echoed in his mind. "I sensed it faintly when it hatched, but it got clearer just now."
A connection?
Was it because Luster's fire hatched Norbert and fed him, linking them somehow?
Was this a dragon trait or something unique to Luster?
"We'll figure it out later," Lucien replied.
Norbert polished off the bowl quickly, so Lucien refilled it.
How such a tiny body could down so much liquid was beyond him. A whole barrel?
Magic's wild.
"Uh, Lucien, could I maybe… feed him?" Hagrid asked, rubbing his big hands together, practically itching to try.
He'd held back since Norbert was Lucien's dragon, hatched with Lucien's flame and cared for by him. The first feeding was a big deal, so Hagrid let Lucien have it.
But now it was, what, the second or third bowl? His turn, right?
Lucien nodded. "Sure thing." He handed the bowl to Hagrid.
As Hagrid held it out to Norbert, the dragon's eyes flicked between the bowl and Lucien.
With a flap, Norbert spread his wings, glided to Lucien's feet, scrambled up to his knee with all four claws, and let out a series of squeaky chirps.
Hagrid, Harry, Ron, and Hermione thought he was just playing, but Lucien, blessed by a unicorn, understood clearly:
"Mama, don't you want me anymore? Mama…"
"I don't want anyone else to feed me, Mama…"
Lucien reached to pick Norbert up but froze mid-motion.
"What did you call me?"
"Mama," Norbert said, his round eyes locked on Lucien. He stretched his neck, nudging Lucien's hovering hand with his tiny horned forehead.
Lucien felt a twinge of embarrassment. Mama? Me?
Well, in nature, newborns often imprint on the first creature they see or the one that feeds them. Since Lucien was both for Norbert, it made sense.
Or maybe it was Luster's fire hatching him, and Lucien being Luster's master tied it all together?
Wait, no—if that's the case, shouldn't Norbert be calling Luster Mama?
"Ahem, I'm not your mama."
Norbert's head tilted, staring blankly at Lucien. "Then who's my mama?"
That stumped him. Where did Quirrell get that dragon egg? Probably not straight from a dragon mother—likely some shady black-market deal.
"Look, just… call me Dad instead, okay?"
Norbert didn't quite get it but seemed relieved he wasn't being abandoned. He shook his little head. "Okay, Mama."
"No, Dad."
"Uh-huh, Mama."
"…"