𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐌 | 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘺 𝘗𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳

11 || Norbert The Norwegian Ridgeback

When we had watched the little monstrosity crawl out of its egg, Hagrid seemed to take it as we were also supposed to help him raise it, which none of us really wanted to do, seeing as owning a dragon was illegal.

When the dragon had come out of the egg, Hagrid had noticed a pale face looking through the gap in the curtains.

"Malfoy," Harry and I had said immediately.

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

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

The dragon had grown three times in size in the last week or so, and smoke was curling out of its nostrils. Hagrid had neglected his gamekeeping duties to take care of it.

"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 muttered in my ear.

"Hagrid," said Harry loudly, "give it two weeks and Norbert's going to be as big 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 jus' dump him, I can't."

I suddenly turned to Ron. "Charlie."

"You're losing it, too," said Ron. "I'm Ron, remember?"

"No -- Charlie -- your brother, Charlie. In Romania. Studying dragons. 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?" In the end, Hagrid agreed that we could send an owl to Charlie to ask him.

Charlie, luckily, agreed to grab some friends and fly down to Hogwarts to pick up Norbert. Meanwhile, Ron had gotten bitten by the dragon, and his wound was turning green.

"Norbert's fangs are probably poisonous," I said. "We've got to go to the hospital wing."

"But Charlie-"

"Do you want your hand to fall off?" I scolded, putting my hands on my hips. "Harry and Hermione will be okay, won't you?"

"Yeah," Harry nodded. Hermione lifted the book she was reading up from her face and smiled. I grabbed Ron's (healthy) hand and dragged him to the hospital wing, ignoring his protests.

"Madam Pomfrey," I called when we got there. Ron yanked his hand away from mine, grumbling something about "bloody strong girls".

"Yes?" she said, coming around the corner of her medicine cabinet. "Merlin!" she exclaimed when she caught sight of Ron, who hid his hand behind his back.

"Sit down," she tutted. "What bit you?"

Ron and I exchanged a nervous glance.

"Er-" he began.

"Rabid dog," I butted in. Ron exhaled. Madam Pomfrey didn't seem to believe us, but didn't press the matter any further.

"It's going to take a while to heal," she said disapprovingly. "Stay in here for the night, you can go to the hall in the morning."

Ron groaned.

"I'll go get your study sheet," I laughed while he rolled his eyes, trying but failing to move his fingers in his cast.

"You're not going to stay here all night?"

"Of course I am," I scoffed. "If your hand falls off, you won't be able to do the exams." Ron laughed at this, and started to nod off, grateful for the pain medicine Madam Pomfrey had given him. When I came back, holding the books, Malfoy was standing next to Ron's bed, sneering. His black eye had miraculously healed.