The Bravest Snake

CHAPTER 17

Ron begged an adamant Harry and Hermione to skip Herbology and go right down to Hagrid's hut. ''How many times in our lives are we going to see a dragon hatching? Draco - you agree with me, right?''

''We'll get in trouble, but Ron has a point,'' Draco said. ''It's a once - in - a - lifetime opportunity. And forget about school for once Hermione, I bet you want to see this.''

Hermione turned up her nose. ''We'll get in so much trouble, and it'll be nothing compared to what Hagrid's going to be in when someone finds out what he's doing - ''

''Shut up!'' Harry hissed, his eyes scanning the students around him. Draco had noticed that after Harry's Animagus transformation, his eyesight had gotten better, but he still wore his glasses. He might have just gotten used to them.

Draco followed Harry's gaze to Pansy Parkinson, staring at them with narrowed eyes and whispering to a couple of Slytherin students. The look on her face gave Draco the creeps. ''Er... we'd better wait until after lessons.''

Ron, Hermione, and Harry argued all the way to Herbology, but Draco was left thinking. Why did Pansy hate him so much? Their families were close friends, he had known her since he was little, he'd never done anything to her except for this year. What was up with her?

He saw Hermione's curly hair bouncing at the edge of his vision, and then he realized it. Well too bad Pansy, he thought angrily. I'm not going to stop being friends with her because of your outdated blood prejudices. Hermione is one of my best friends, and I'm sticking by her. You wouldn't know, but Gryffindor is a very loyal House.

The second the bell rang to signify the end of Herbology, Ron, Harry, Hermione, and Draco dropped everything and ran down to Hagrid's hut. Hagrid greeted them so quickly they didn't have to knock. ''It's nearly out.'' He ushered them inside.

The egg was lying in the middle of the table with deep cracks in it. It swayed like something was moving inside. Everyone crowded around the table and stared at the egg, holding their breath. Draco willed himself not to blink, not to miss one moment.

Suddenly there was a scraping noise. Hermione gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. The egg split open, the newborn dragon flopping onto the table. The baby looked like a wet, black, crumpled umbrella with unproportionally huge wings, a long snout, stubs where horns were growing in, and round orange eyes. As it gazed up at all of them, Draco thought it looked kind of cute.

The baby squirmed on the table, trying to pull itself up. ''Awwww,'' Draco and Hermione cooed.

''Ewwww,'' Harry and Ron said with wrinkled noses. Hagrid looked offended.

'' 'Ewwww'? What are you talking about, it's so cute.'' Draco bent down to get a better look. 

''Isn't he beautiful?'' Hagrid murmured, reaching out a huge hand to stroke the dragon's head. Before Draco could issue a warning, the baby snapped at his fingers with vicious fangs. ''Bless him, look, he knows his mommy!'' said an unperturbed Hagrid.

How blinded with love is this guy? Draco thought. This dragon is obviously aggressive, and he doesn't care. His attachment is going to be a problem, because we sure cannot keep this dragon. It's not meant to live in a wooden house. 

''Hagrid, how fast do Norwegian Ridgebacks grow, exactly?'' Hermione asked worriedly. Draco opened his mouth to answer but was beaten by Hagrid leaping to his feet and running to his window. His face was as white and cold as freshly fallen snow.

''What's the matter?'' Harry said casually, not seeing the color abruptly leech out of Hagrid's face.

''Someone was lookin' through the gap in the curtains - it's a kid - he's runnin' back up ter the school.''

Draco rushed to the door and wrenched it open. Even in the distance, there was no mistaking the dark brown bob and the lightest green eyes he had ever seen. It was Pansy. She had followed him here and in turn, saw the dragon.

She won't quit, Draco grumbled in his head. She really won't. But is her motive to be friends with me again, or just take me down with the Muggle born in tow? Regardless, she's smart. She'll find a way to get me or Hermione in trouble. I just have to outsmart her, but can I really do that?

The whole next week, Pansy kept sending Draco knowing glances with a sinister smile. It was stressing him out, that Pansy held this power over his head. It was a bomb she could drop at any moment.

Draco had turned to convincing Hagrid to let go of the dragon, who he had named Norbert. Harry had volunteered to name him Saphira (before they found out he was a boy), but Hagrid was dead - set on the name. Draco found it to be ridiculous, just like the fact that Hagrid thought they weren't going to get caught.

''Just let him go,'' Harry urged one night. ''Set him free.''

''I can't!'' Hagrid exclaimed. ''He's too little, he'd die.''

''It wouldn't go well for Norbert, I agree,'' Draco muttered. ''There has to be some way to safely transport him without just throwing him into the wild. He's too young for that.''

Even though Norbert had grown three times in length and could blow smoke, it did seem awfully young. Still, it was interfering with Hagrid's gamekeeping duties because of all the time it took to conceal and feed him.

''But age doesn't matter if Parkinson's just going to go to Dumbledore! She could do it whenever. We can't exactly rest easy while she knows our secret,'' Ron said.

Hagrid's eyes got misty and he bit his lip. ''I - I know I can't keep him forever, but I can't jus' dump him, I can't.''

Hermione looked up at him with an understanding expression. ''This must be really hard for you, Hagrid. But Norbert can't keep living like this. It's not humane.'' She paced around the room, lost in thought. Then her eyes lit up. 

She's got a plan, Draco thought. We aren't out of the woods yet, but if Hermione has a plan, then we're getting closer.

''Ron, your brother!'' Hermione hurried to Ron and put his hands on his shoulders, looking him straight in the eye. ''Your brother Charlie will get us out of this mess!''