Chapter 35
Gray stroked Norma's head, his mood brightening considerably.
This was a dragon, after all. Though Western dragons resembled oversized lizards more than anything, the mere fact that it bore the name "dragon" made it extraordinary.
Honestly, even if it weren't for the fire-related spell he was researching, Gray would still care so deeply about this dragon—for no other reason than the sheer pleasure of sitting on the sofa right now, petting a dragon.
It felt far more satisfying than petting a cat, both physically and mentally.
Harry and Ron stood nearby, looking envious but helpless. Whenever they tried to approach Gray, Norma lifted her head and snarled at them, baring the sharp teeth in her mouth.
Though Gray's soothing presence kept her from attacking, it was clear they wouldn't get to touch the dragon.
Hermione stood off to the side, gazing at the dragon in Gray's arms. She felt a twinge of longing, but her thoughts were mostly on the future.
"Gray, you can't keep her for long," Hermione said. "Norwegian Ridgebacks grow quickly. In just a few days, Hagrid's hut won't be able to hide her anymore."
"Oh, Hermione, don't say that. Look how adorable she is," Hagrid protested from the side.
"It's not about being adorable," Hermione warned. "If the school finds out, Norma will still have to be sent away, and the two of you could face punishment—maybe even expulsion from Hogwarts."
"She's right," Gray agreed. "But Norma has no mother dragon to provide her with fire-breath nurturing in those early days, so she's weaker than a normal hatchling. She needs proper care right now. Once she's a bit bigger and stronger—strong enough to fend for herself—we can think about releasing her."
Gray had never intended to keep Norma forever. Though the idea of raising a dragon was appealing, it wasn't practical at the moment.
Neither his personal strength nor his financial situation was anywhere near sufficient to support a dragon long-term. So, in the end, Norma's destination would be the same as originally planned: sent to Romania, to Ron's brother Charlie.
That was the best outcome—for Norma, for Hagrid, and for Gray.
Of course, Gray wasn't lying: without a mother dragon's fire-breath and early care, Norma was congenitally weaker. A long journey now might be too much for her body to handle, and she could even get bullied by other dragons upon arrival.
That wouldn't do. After all, this was the dragon Gray had helped hatch—he'd make sure Norma was the one doing the bullying, not the other way around.
So she needed to stay here for a while longer. Not necessarily to fatten her up until she was plump and round, but at least until she was sturdy and strong.
Besides, Gray still needed to wait until Norma could breathe fire so he could observe and record her magical pathways.
That, he had a strong hunch, would be the final piece he needed. The feeling was like glancing at a clear blue sky and somehow knowing rain was coming— no hard evidence, but uncannily accurate.
Hermione let out a relieved breath. Gray's reasonable response showed he hadn't lost his head over the dragon and thrown caution to the wind.
She turned to Hagrid. Hearing their conversation, his eyes filled with sadness.
"Really? There's truly no way to keep her here?" Hagrid asked. "I could raise her in the Forbidden Forest. It's big enough, and there are plenty of other magical creatures. She'd make lots of friends."
"Hagrid…" Hermione began to reason with him, but Hagrid's face suddenly drained of color. He sprang up with surprising agility for his size and rushed to the window.
"What's wrong?" Harry asked.
Ron, meanwhile, stared in shock at the door—it had been pushed open.
In the instant Hagrid leaped up, Gray had flung the dragon from his arms and shot outside like he was flying.
Ron barely had time to register it before Gray vanished from sight.
The tossed dragon—
Ron's gaze snapped back. Hermione was now locked in a wide-eyed stare with Norma, neither blinking.
Hermione didn't dare move—Norma was perched on her lap, wings spread and draped over both sides of the sofa, tiny claws gripping Hermione's robes.
The dragon's head was raised, staring straight into Hermione's lowered face.
Ron held his breath. Norma only needed to stretch her neck to bite Hermione's face—and though she was just a newborn, those sharp teeth could definitely draw blood.
But Norma merely nuzzled against Hermione's chest, then began dozing off again. Her wings folded, and she curled up entirely in Hermione's lap.
"Someone was peeking through the curtain gap—a boy," Hagrid answered Harry's earlier question, his voice heavy with worry. "He's running toward the castle now."
Whoever it was, the boy had seen Norma. They could only hope Gray, who had dashed out immediately, would catch him in time.
Harry and Ron exchanged a glance, both wearing grim expressions. Though they hadn't seen the boy's face, their minds jumped to the same name: Malfoy.
Whenever something bad happened—or was about to happen—it was safest to blame Malfoy. Nine times out of ten it was him, and the tenth time it might as well have been.
Out on the grass, Gray sprinted forward, chasing the figure ahead—Draco Malfoy.
The dragon's hatching had distracted him, making him forget this detail.
In the original events, Malfoy had spotted the dragon and reported it to Professor McGonagall when they tried to move it.
Though the dragon was safely transferred, Harry, Hermione, Neville, and Malfoy were all caught and soon punished with detention in the Forbidden Forest.
But now Gray was here, and he intended to prevent that outcome.
He usually let things involving Harry and the others run their natural course, but this incident involved him directly—so it became his business. He would steer events the way he wanted.
Following the principle of avoiding unnecessary trouble, the best solution was to shut Malfoy up. Otherwise, if something went wrong midway, the headache would fall on Gray.
After all, it was his dragon.
Gray moved fast. Months of physical training had made his body far stronger than the average boy his age, and his movements seemed almost unbound by gravity, letting him cover huge distances with each leap.
In no time, he overtook Malfoy on the curve and appeared in front of him. With a flick of his wand, Malfoy's body lifted into the air, legs kicking uselessly.
"Gray, I'm sorry! I didn't know you were there—I was just following Potter and the others!" Malfoy babbled in panic.
"I didn't see anything! I didn't hear anything! I swear it's true—please let me go, Gray!" Malfoy begged, as he felt his body starting to flip, head and feet swapping positions.
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