Everlasting ⁂ Harry Potter [1]

Chapter Twenty

The day after they had been caught by Professor McGonagall, the five first years had met with the Hogwarts caretaker, Filch who was supposed to take the group to Hagrid's hut where they would be serving their detention. Or at least that is where they thought they'd be serving it.

"A pity they let the old punishments die; was a time detention found you hanging by your thumbs in the dungeons." Filch continued to grumble as he walked in front of the group of children, carrying a lantern to light their way as they exited the castle and walked into the cold night air. His words made wide eyed and surprised looks appear on each of the faces of the first years following after him, and they only grew as Filch continued. "Oh how I miss the screaming."

"I would not want to serve detention with him." Ron leaned down so he could whisper to Olivia who walked beside him, and she had to agree with him. She could only imagine what Filch would have them do for breaking curfew last night.

"Poor Fred and George." Liv mumbled, more to herself than to Ron, remembering the amount of times that the two Weasleys had to serve detention with no other than Filch since the start of the year. She could even remember Gwen grumbling about Oliver getting in trouble a couple of times himself.

As she thought of how horrible detention with Filch must be, it brought her some relief as she noticed Hagrid's hut come into view. Having seen them in the distance, there was no need for anyone to go knocking on Hagrid's door, the giant man exiting the hut just as the small group appeared in front of his home. The last thing Hagrid wanted to do that night was hold detention, but Dumbledore had requested it. And with what he had to do, more eyes would go in his favour.

"You'll be serving detention with Hagrid tonight. He's got a little job to do inside the Dark Forest." Filch announced as the group of first years gathered around the fire in front of the hut. It didn't take any of them a long time to take note of the sad look on Hagrid's face. "A sorry lot this is Hagrid! Good God man, you're not still on about that bloody dragon, are you?" Filch questioned in a reprimanding tone.

"Norbert's gone. Dumbledore sent him off to Romania to live in a colony." Hagrid announced sadly, making Harry, Ron, Hermione and Olivia give him sympathetic looks, all four knowing how attached he had gotten to the tiny dragon in the short amount of time he had been caring for it.

"Well that's good, isn't it? He'll be with his own kind." Hermione tried to put an optimistic spin to the story and cheer Hagrid up. Of all the things that could have happened to Norbert, this was most certainly a good outcome.

"But what if he don't like Romania? What if the other dragons are mean to him? He's only a baby." Hagrid spoke worriedly. He just wanted Norbert to be happy.

"Norbert's a great dragon, everyone in Romania will love him, Hagrid. You'll see." Liv offered the gian man a smile. After seeing one hatch, Liv had made a point of researching and reading a bit about dragons, and she was sure Norbert would love it in Romania.