meant to be (1)

40

Something about the smile lurking on Malfoy's face during the next week made Harry, Ron, Hermione and I very nervous. We spent most of our 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."

We looked at the dragon. It had grown three times in the 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 mummy?"

"He's lost his marbles." Ron muttered to us.

"Hagrid!" Harry said loudly, not being able to just look at the mess. "give it a fortnight and Norbert's going to be as long as your house. Malfoy could go to Dumbledore at any moment."

Hagrid bit his lip.

"I-I know I can't keep him forever, but I can't just dum' him, I cant."

I suddenly got an idea and turned to Ron.

"Charlie!" I exclaimed.

"You're losing it, too" Ron said, confused. "You haven't seen Charlie in at least three years! I'm Ron, remember?"

"No! He's studying dragons in Romania. 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 we could send an owl to Charlie to ask him.

🤍

The following week dragged by. Wednesday night, Harry, Hermione and I were sitting alone in the common room, long after everyone had gone to sleep.

The clock on the wall had just chimed midnight when the portrait hole burst open. Ron appeared out of nowhere as he pulled down 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 us 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."

"Does your arm hurt badly now?" I asked.

"It does hurt, but not as much as before" he answered.

Suddenly, 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 us put our heads together to read the note.

Dear Ron,
How are you? Thanks  for the letter - I'd be glad to take the Norweagin Ridgeback, but it won't be easy getting him here. I think the best thing will be to send him over with some friends of mine who are coming to see me next week. Trouble is, they mustn't be seen carrying an illegal dragon.
Could you get the Ridgeback up the tallest towet at midnight on Saturday? They can meet you there and take him away while it's still dark. Send me an answer as soon as possible.

Love, Charlie.

We looked at each other excitedly.

"We've got the Invisibility Cloak" said Harry. "It shouldn't be too difficult - I think the Cloak's big enough to cover two of ha and Norbert."

It was a mark of how bad the last week had been that I and the other two had agreed with him. Anything to get rid of Norbert - and Malfoy.