The Anti-Heroine || A Harry Potter Fanfiction

Chapter VII

Chapter VII:

Harry's POV:

"I want to know what's going on with Hagrid," Hermione said with a frown on her face. They'd just bumped into Hagrid in the library for the third time in two days which was very unusual seeing as in the entire school year, Harry hadn't seen Hagrid in the library once until now. Still, Harry groaned in dismay.

"Are you going to talk about dragons for hours again?" he asked.

"It was thirty minutes, and no." Hermione told him, rolling her eyes. "Harry, Hagrid is going to be a reasonably good source of information over the next few years. Being 'friends' with him could prove to be quite helpful. Besides, you like him."

Harry sighed and conceded to that point and Sunday afternoon he found himself sitting in Hagrid's cabin which felt even warmer then usual and watched Hermione flatter Hagrid while learning interesting facts about Magical Creatures– well, she claimed they were interesting facts anyway. He just felt sweaty.

"Hagrid, can we have a window open? I'm boiling." He interrupted the conversation to ask.

"Can't, Harry, sorry," said Hagrid and Harry noticed him glance at the fire. Harry looked at it too and then stared.

"Hagrid– what's that?" He asked, rather needlessly as he already had a fairly good idea of what it was. In the very heart of the fire, underneath the kettle, there appeared to be a very large black egg.

"Ah," said Hagrid, fiddling nervously with his beard, "That's er..."

"That's a dragon egg, Hagrid." Hermione said, her voice sharp now as she stood up and crossed the small room to crouch over the fire and examine the egg. "It's very, very illegal."

"I, er," Hagrid scratched his beard nervously, "I won it, see, a couple o' nights ago. I was down in the village havin' a few drinks an' got into a game o' cards with a stranger. Think he was quite glad ter get rid of it, ter be honest."

"I'm not surprised. What the f– what on earth are you going to do with it once it's hatched?" Hermione demanded.

"Well, I've bin doin' some readin'," said Hagrid, pulling a large book from under his pillow. "Got this outta the library- 'Dragon Breeding for Pleasure and Profit'- it's a bit outta date, o' course, but it's all in here. Keep the egg in the fire, 'cause their mothers breathe on 'em, see, an' when it hatches, feed it on a bucket o' brandy mixed with chicken blood every half hour. An' see here- how ter recognize diff'rent eggs- what I got there's a Norwegian Ridgeback. They're rare, them."

He looked very pleased with himself. Hermione didn't. Harry wasn't either. "Hagrid, you live in a wooden house," Hermione snapped but Hagrid wasn't listening, instead he was humming merrily as he stoked the fire.

Harry groaned, trading looks with Hermione. Great, now they had to figure out what to do about the illegal dragon Hagrid was hiding in his hut.

"Wonder what it's like to have a peaceful life," He sighed as they walked back to the castle.

"Boring." Hermione answered without missing a beat. "We'd hate it."

With exams drawing closer, the teachers seemed to be loading them up with more and more homework and Harry pushed his concern over the dragon egg situation from his mind.

Then, one breakfast time, Hedwig brought Harry a note from Hagrid. He had written only two words: It's hatching.

"Oh fuck." Hermione said.

"What are we supposed to do?" Harry asked anxiously as they made their way to their first class. "I don't want Hagrid to get in trouble, but I don't want us to get in trouble either!"