AUTOPHOBIA - G. WEASLEY

First year: Gryffindors loss

✯ CHAPTER THIRTEEN ✯

❝Yeah, in like twelve years, maybe.❞

SOMETHING ABOUT THE smile lurking on Malfoy's face during the next week made the four friends very nervous. They spent most of their free time in Hagrid's darkened hut, trying to reason with him.

"Just let him go," Harry urged. "Set him free."

"I can't," said Hagrid. "He's too little. He'd die."

"Hagrid, is that really all you care about right now?" Estella asked, although she realised almost at once that her words were a little harsh. "I mean, I know you care about him, but you're going to be in serious trouble if Malfoy tells anyone about this."

Hagrid didn't answer; Estella had upset him too much. They looked at the dragon. It had grown three times in length in just a week. Smoke kept furling out of its nostrils. Hagrid hadn't been doing his gamekeeping duties because the dragon was keeping him so busy. There were empty brandy bottles and chicken feathers all over the floor.

"I've decided to call him Norbert," said Hagrid, looking at the dragon with misty eyes. "He really knows me now, watch. Norbert! Norbert! Where's Mommy?"

"He's lost his marbles," Ron whispered in Estella's ear. She nodded, chuckling.

"Hagrid," said Harry loudly, "give it two weeks and Norbert's going to be as long as your house. Malfoy could go to Dumbledore at any moment."

Estella nodded. "I'm surprised he hasn't already."

Hagrid bit his lip.

"I -- I know I can't keep him forever, but I can't jus' dump him, I can't."

Estella suddenly turned to Ron, realisation finally starting to hit her. "Charlie."

"You're losing it, too," Ron laughed, raising an eyebrow. "I'm Ron, remember?"

"I'm not losing it," she snapped. "I mean, Charlie, your brother. He's studying dragons, right? We could send Norbert to him. Charlie can take care of him and then put him back in the wild!"

"Brilliant!" said Ron. "How about it, Hagrid?"

And in the end, Hagrid agreed that they could send an owl to Charlie to ask him. Estella had never felt more relieved.

⚝──⭒─⭑─⭒──⚝

The following week dragged by. Wednesday night found Estella, Hermione and Harry sitting alone in the common room, long after everyone else had gone to bed. The clock on the wall had just chimed midnight when the portrait hole burst open. Ron appeared out of nowhere as he pulled off Harry's invisibility cloak. He had been down at Hagrid's hut, helping him feed Norbert, who was now eating dead rats by the crate.

"It bit me!" he said, showing them his hand, which was wrapped in a bloody handkerchief. "I'm not going to be able to hold a quill for a week. I tell you, that dragon's the most horrible animal I've ever met, but the way Hagrid goes on about it, you'd think it was a fluffy little bunny rabbit. When it bit me he told me off for frightening it. And when I left, he was singing it a lullaby."

Estella chuckled loudly. "You're right, Ron, he's definitely lost his marbles."

There was a tap on the dark window.

"It's Hedwig!" said Harry, hurrying to let her in. "She'll have Charlie's answer!"

The four of them put their heads together to read the note.