"Sorry, Aunt Petunia."

Chapter 21: Hagrid's Plan

Hagrid had been visiting the library for several weeks in a row now - it was the simplest way to clue the kids in on him having a dragon, allowing them to connect the dots, and take his egg to send it off to Ron’s brother Charlie at the dragon reserve.

He may have loved animals - the more dangerous the better - but even he wasn’t stupid enough to raise a dragon at Hogwarts. He didn’t have nearly enough space for that.

And he couldn’t do it himself - owning an egg in the first place was illegal. The kids could have claimed ignorance - at eleven, it’d still work for them. For him? Not so much.

Sadly, the kids, for some reason, were almost religiously avoiding the library.

He was slowly running out of time. It was the end of February already - the egg wouldn’t keep in stasis for much longer.

It had to be ‘stolen’ on the next full moon, when he would ‘conveniently’ be out in the forest tending to the unicorns. Waiting another month could make it hatch. A live dragon was not something a bunch of children should be handling, even Hagrid knew that.

With only a week left, it could be a challenge to make the timing work.

Thankfully, on Wednesday Hagrid got lucky.

The kids were finally gathered around one of the tables in the back of the library. They might have been plotting something - they seemed rather nervous, spooking at every sound. If that was the case, then really, Hagrid was doing them a favour.

Taking care to appear just as nervous, as if he was trying to hide something too, he passed by the kids.

“Hi Hagrid!” Harry called out, just like Hagrid had hoped he would.

Turning around, he made a show of fumbling with the three books he’d collected, stuffing them behind his back.

“Oh, hullo there, Harry,” Hagrid said, shifting from foot to foot and diligently avoiding eye contact.

“What are you reading?” Hermione asked eagerly.

Hook.

“Oh, uh.” Reluctantly, Hagrid brought the books back into view. “Just… a little fun about dragons…”

“How To Raise a Dragon?” Neville read the title out loud.

“Have you got a dragon egg?” Draco asked excitedly, at the same time as Ron said, “You’ve a dragon? Wicked!”

“Of course he doesn’t,” Hermione said primly. “You’re not allowed to own a dragon!”

Hagrid pointedly didn’t respond.

Line.

“Hagrid?” Harry asked, his expression turning to a worried frown.

“I, uh, I gotta go!” Hagrid said before making his escape.

“Hagrid!” they called after him, but he ignored it.

Sinker.

Well, that was bound to get them curious enough to investigate.

Now, for the other part of his plan.

He dropped the books in the returns cart by the entrance of the library, ignoring the way that Madam Pince glared at him - he had done it several days in a row now, he couldn’t really blame her - and made his way over to the DADA office.

A muffled “Enter,” answered his knock.

Walking inside the room, he made sure to close the door behind himself. Best to minimize the chances of eavesdropping, accidental or not.