LightestReader
patreon
Chapter 36: Norbert(a)
🕑 Added 2024-09-03 21:33:14 +0000 UTC[--[P]-[W]-[M]--] Chapter 36: Norberta [--[P]-[W]-[M]--] A Few Months Later - April 1992 Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft and Wizardry Jonathan
[P]-[W]-[M]
A Few Months Later - April 1992
Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Jonathan Grey
[P]-[W]-[M]
Covering my mouth, I let out an involuntary yawn as Daphne, Tracey, and I made our way to Hagrid’s Hut. They had started hanging around me more and more after Christmas instead of just the private lessons we usually do as some sort of political move in Slytherin to let people know we were close or something. Granted, we had gotten closer so it wasn’t in any way harmful, but now the only free time I seem to have for myself would be when I just up and disappear to ‘study for my NEWTs’. Otherwise, I was surrounded by people.
“You’ve been yawning like that all day,” Daphne, walking beside me, sent a sideways glance through slightly furrowed brows. "You really need to get some sleep. Maybe even think about splitting your exams—do half now and the other half when we get back for my second-year, maybe at Christmas. You’ve clearly been pushing yourself too hard. It would give you more time to rest and maybe actually enjoy Hogwarts a little more."
She wasn’t completely wrong, but I wasn’t overworked for my NEWTs. For the last few weeks I had been working overtime completing orders of [Dragon Silver] for the Dwarves from the list they had given me over Christmas. Then I moved to creating [Golems] using [Ancient Magic], something I had delved into after getting the method to create them from previous [Ancient Magic] users thanks to the [Resurrection Stone]. I currently had over 4,000 in the Hoard but the goal was at least 9,001 just so I could say the phrase at least once. I wanted my own portable army.
"I’ll be fine.” I nonchalantly shrugged as I let a small, tired smile play on my lips. “I just overdid it the last few weeks, that’s all." Seeing the genuine worry on the girl’s face as she sighed in frustration, I lazily put my hands up to concede her point with a half-smile. "Alright, I’ll cut down on my study time, at least enough to get sufficient sleep. Happy now?"
"Much better.” Daphne’s expression softened. “You’re no use to anyone if you’re running on fumes all the time, you know. I suppose it doesn’t help that people are pulling you in every direction, like the Grounds Keeper’s Hut."
Tracey, after removing her attention from constantly looking at the entrance to the Forbidden Forest as if something was going to just jump out and chase us down, chimed in. "Yeah, you might actually enjoy having a bit more free time. Who knows, you might even find Hogwarts fun when you’re not buried in books. And why are we going to the Ground’s Keepers Hut again?"
"Harry and Hermione said they had something to show me," I shrugged, already knowing what it would be. Having now reached the Hut, I had already sensed the other lifeform, not including Harry, Hermione, Hagrid, and Fang—Hagrid’s dog. “Apparently, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I couldn’t miss.”
After banging on the door, we heard a dog bark along with Hagrid’s voice on the other side, “Who goes there?”
“It’s John!” I loudly answered back, ignoring the obvious sounds of ruched rustling and hushed whispers. “Harry and Hermione invited me over! I hope I’m not intruding!”
Moments later, the door swung open, revealing Hagrid’s towering frame filling the doorway. His natural friendly demeanour and smile faltered slightly as his gaze shifted from me to Daphne and Tracey. I easily noticed a flicker of nervousness crossed his features as he instinctively shifted his broad body to partially block the view into his hut. Yet still, the man didn’t immediately turn us away, “Hello, students! Good to see yeh!”
"Hi, Hagrid! How have you been?" I politely greeted.
"Been alright, keepin' busy, yeh know," Hagrid replied as his eyes darted briefly back to Daphne and Tracey.
“That’s good to hear,” I gestured toward the two girls beside me. "I'd like you to meet my friends. This is Daphne Greengrass and Tracey Davis. I hope it’s alright if they came along, they wouldn’t leave my side all day. Something about making sure I don’t overdo it or something, they're basically my babysitters." That earned a look from Daphne and a light elbow from Tracey.
"Oh, righ'. Nice teh meet yeh both," Hagrid said as he glanced between the two girls and gave them both a polite nod while offering a tentative smile.
Daphne responded with a nod. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr Hagrid. John has told us a lot about you."
Tracey flashed Hagrid a bright smile. "Hiya Mr Hagrid. Nice ta’ meetcha again.”
Hagrid, seeming more at ease with their cordial responses, widened his smile. "Well then, come on in! I was jus' makin' some tea. Fancy a cuppa? Got some rock cakes too, special recipe."
Stepping back and opening the door wider, Hagrid guided us in. The Hut was much bigger on the inside due to an [Expansion Charm] I had already picked up on. The first thing I noticed as I let my eyes wonder was the warmth radiating from a large, crackling fireplace at the far end of the room with a massive, gnarled armchair, covered in a patchwork quilt sitting comfortably next to it. Above the fire stood an Enchanted kettle bubbling with some strange smelling stew of some kind.
The walls had an assortment of wooden shelves lined with jars of pickled creatures, dried herbs tied in bunches, and an assortment of Enchanted plates, tools and utensils. There was also the large Enchanted crossbow hanging near the door, alongside a collection of oversized boots and cloaks that looked dirty, but I could tell they were Enchanted too. Like almost everything else in the Hut. If I had to guess, I would assume they were successful Enchantments from the NEWT’s Charms classes. Benefits of working at a magical school, I suppose.
"Hey, guys!" Harry called out, waving us over from where he was sitting with Hermione on the large table in the centre of the room, already set up with steaming, seemingly untouched, mugs and a plate piled high with what I assume to be Hagrid’s infamous rock cakes.
Ignoring the boy, I immediately made my way across the room toward the massive boarhound lounging comfortably by the fireplace. Crouching down, I began to gently scratch behind the dog's ears as it happily wagged its tail side to side. "Hey there, buddy."
"Glad you could-,” Hermione paused, giving me a disgusted but amused look as she saw how much fang was slobbering on me as I was hugging and petting him. “Glad you could join us. That’s…going to get all over your face."
As I continued to lavish attention on Fang knowing I could just use a quick spell to rid myself of the excessive saliva now on my face, Hagrid closed the door behind them and gestured toward the table. "Make yerselves at home. Tea's jus' brewed." Noticing affection towards his dog, Hagrid chuckled. "Oh, that's Fang, by the way. Friendliest fella yeh'll ever meet. Loves a good cuddle, he does."
Daphne joined Hermione in giving me a disgusted and amused look as she observed me and the dog taking our time to greet each other. "He certainly seems to enjoy John's company."
“He’s adorable,” I commented as I continued to stroke the dog. “Aren’t you, boy?”
"Aye, he's a good boy," Hagrid beamed at the sight, his earlier nervousness completely dissolved.
Sometimes the best way into a man's heart is to get approval from his pet.
“I’m more of a cat person,” Hermione absentmindedly said as she continued her stare, causing everyone in the room to stop and look at her. Even me and Fang. Hermione blinked, looked around, and seeing the eyes on her, she held up her hands in surrender and quickly backtracked. “I didn’t say dogs aren’t great, they are. I’m just saying I prefer cats, they’re less…excessively social.”
We all just gave the girl sad looks as we shook our heads in disappointment. Leaving the dog to his peaceful relaxation, I walked over to the seat between Daphne and Harry. While Hagrid was pouring the tea into our mugs, I could clearly notice the subtle rustling movement on the table where a large piece of cloth covered what appeared to be a bucket, and it was clear, even to the girls, that something inside was shifting. Without thinking twice, I decided to rip the bandaid off. "Is that a dragon egg hatching?"
Hagrid jolted. I made sure to wait till he had put the tea down and took a seat so there wouldn’t be any accidents, and I was right to do so because he almost dropped his own mug catching himself at the last moment. "How did yeh know it was a dragon?" he asked worriedly. "Did yeh tell anyone else?"
I quickly raised a hand in a calming gesture, trying to calm the man’s anxiety. "Relax, Hagrid. I didn’t tell anyone. I could just sense it. I’ve got a bit of a sensitivity to magic, and dragon eggs have a pretty distinct aura."
"Thank goodness,” Hagrid muttered as he let out a heavy sigh of relief while letting his massive shoulders sag. “Yeh nearly gave me a heart attack." With a slightly sheepish grin, Hagrid reached out and carefully removed the cloth from the bucket revealing a large, dark, rough ridged egg nestled inside. It was shuddering from time to time and I could hear the baby dragon knocking on the inner surface of the shell.
"Yep, it's a dragon egg alrigh’," Hagrid confirmed barely above a whisper, as if he was afraid to disturb the creature inside the egg. "Won it off a bloke in a poker game down at the Hog's Head. Didn’t think he knew what he had, but I did. You guys arrived just in time, it’ll hatch any minute now."
Soon enough, the egg gave a final, more violent shudder as sharp jagged cracks appeared on the outer surface and started to spread like a spiderweb until a small hole was created. A second later, its tiny snout poked through the hole it made and sniffed before it started biting and breaking the shell. The baby dragon fought and clawed its way into the world, fully emerging in less than a minute of smelling real air for the first time. By this point we had all stood up to get a better view into the big blanket-lined bucket to get a better view.
[Norwegian Ridgeback - Magical Creature (Wizarding World)]
[Description: The Norwegian Ridgeback is a species of fire-breathing dragon in the Harry Potter-verse that is native to Norway, and its typical habitat is the Northern mountains. This dragon is only a hatchling.]
The baby dragon blinked its fiery orange-red eyes in the dim light as it wobbled unsteadily with its spindly legs on its blanketed nest. Its dark-brown scales were still gleaming with egg fluid as a tiny, forked tongue flicked out, testing the air, and then it let out a few shrills. Hagrid’s smile was almost splitting his face in half as he let his eyes start to water up while he whispered, “Ain't he a beauty?”
“Aww, it’s so cute!” Tracey squealed as the little creature snapped playfully at Hagrid's fingers while he was caressing it. Hagrid only chuckled, continuing his social grooming, completely undeterred by the close calls. The dragon then shook itself, sending droplets of fluid flying, and spread its tiny leathery wings for the first time. But all in all, it lacked something crucial.
It lacked arms!
Such a disappointment.
"Does it breathe fire?" Hermione asked as she glanced at the wooden posts of the Hut.
Hagrid responded absentmindedly, still entranced by the wyvern. "Oh, aye, they start breathin' fire not long after hatchin'. Shouldn’t take long before he starts spittin' flames."
“Hagrid…” Hermione gave the man a concerned look. “You live in a wooden hut."
I chimed in without missing a beat. "The hut’s enchanted. It won’t go down with fire unless a Witch or Wizard removes, bypasses, or overpowers it first."
"That may be true,” Daphne spoke after a few seconds of Hermione, Tracey and herself giving me a deadpan look. “But, it isn’t exactly legal to have a dragon without a licence. Unfortunately, he’ll have to give it to a sanctuary. The sooner, the better. "
"She’s right, Hagrid," I agreed. "As much as you want to keep it, we’ll have to take it to a reserve. It’s the safest place for it, and for you."
"Aye, I know. But I couldn’t resist. Dragons are fascinatin' creatures. Always wanted to see one up close.” Hagrid’s face fell slightly, though he tried to hide his disappointment. “A reserve, yeh say? I s'pose that makes sense…Just thought I’d get to keep him for a little longer ‘is all."
"How quickly do they grow?" Harry asked, trying to change the subject to make the man feel better.
"In abou’ two months, it’ll be around the size ah this Hut, maybe even a bit bigger. At Least thats that some o’ the books say." Hagrid said as he sighed deeply, his broad shoulders slumping as he continued the wyvern’s grooming, having already wiped the egg liquid off its scales as we spoke. "I jus' wanted ter see him grow, yeh know? But… I suppose yer right."
Done with its ‘mother’s’ grooming, the wyvern let out a small squeak as its gaze landed on me, wobbling unsteadily on its tiny legs as it made its way across the table.As I went to caress it, its little jaws snapped at the air as it attempted to snip at my fingers, much like it had done with Hagrid earlier. I simply looked it directly in the small creature’s eyes, like I remember my mum doing when I was a kid and said in a firm, commanding tone, "Behave."
To everyone else's surprise, the dragon immediately stopped its playful nipping and sat back on its haunches, blinking up at me with a look of innocent curiosity like a trained puppy. Something I had noticed when analysing animeals to add to my list of [Animagus] forms was that once I was able to turn into the animal, I was able to understand them when they communicated. It wasn’t quite like talking to animals, but there was definitely a level of understanding that would allow them to understand basic commands.
"Blimey… it seems ter like yeh, John!" Hagrid exclaimed as he watched the wyvern sitting contently, simply gazing up at me, as if awaiting further instruction. "I’ll name 'er Norbert. How’s that sound?"
After a moment, I started to caress its scales like Hagrid did, but it was much more docile in my hands than his. After a few seconds of noticing the looks of envy in the corner of my eye, I let the other pet him as well, but the little critter didn’t want to make the same journey to them like he did me, so they had to walk around the table to get their turn. "Actually, Hagrid, I think it’s a girl. A female Norwegian Ridgeback."
"A girl, yeh say?" Hagrid blinked, looking down at the babe. "Well, then. Norberta it is!"
We all glanced at the man but said nothing. The newly named Norberta let out a small chirp, and Hagrid nodded to himself, taking it as confirmation that she liked the name.
"I think we should tell Dumbledore about the dragon."
Immediately, Harry’s head snapped up, and he gave me an almost betrayed look. Considering it was he who said I could come, he must have been thinking I was planning to rat him out or something. "John, you can’t—"
"Hear me out,” I raised a hand to interrupt before Harry could finish. “Dumbledore works in the highest positions in the government. He’s got the connections and the influence to make sure everything runs smoothly. He’ll be able to get Norberta to a reserve without any problems or unnecessary attention. It’s the best way to make sure she’s safe."
Besides, something tells me he already knows this is here in the first place.
"John’s right, Harry.” Hagrid nodded in agreement. “Dumbledore’ll know what ter do. And besides, I’m just glad I got ter see 'er hatch. That’s somethin' special, that is."
With the plan agreed upon, we spent a little more time with Norberta and Hagrid. The wyvern got more relaxed and seemed to enjoy the attention she was getting while we talked. When it was finally time to leave, we all thanked Hagrid for his hospitality, promising to visit again soon. Hagrid waved us off with a cheerful goodbye, with Fang barking softly in farewell as well while we made our way back up the path toward the castle.
"I think I’m going to head straight to bed," I let out another involuntary wide yawn while rubbing my eyes as we made our way up. "Harry, Hermione, you two should head to the Headmaster’s office and let him know about the dragon."
"Yeah,” Harry nodded, but there was something there I couldn’t quite place. At first, I thought it was just jealousy from the attention I got from the wyvern, but now that I think about it, I see that look in his eye a few times now. He always seems to get rid of it as soon as it arrives, though, and it tends to be too quick for most to spot. Seeing that nothing has really come of it I tend to just let it go, he’ll get over it at some point. ”We’ll take care of it. See you guys later."
I gave them both a grateful nod. "Thanks. I’ll see you both tomorrow."
With that, we split up, with Daphne and Tracey following me off toward the Ravenclaw Tower to make sure I got some much-needed rest, while Harry and Hermione turned in the direction of Dumbledore’s office.
[--[P]-[W]-[M]--]
"I've decided to call him Norbert."
— Rubeus Hagrid
[--[P]-[W]-[M]--]
Autor Here
I got the idea of having Golems through Ancient Magic from one of you guys, so thank you - you know who you are. Now, John is a walking one-man army in more ways than one.
To my knowledge, I’m pretty sure Animagus can talk to animals in canon. But I can’t actually remember if there was a moment like that myself. Still, seeing that John can change into a dragon it makes sense to have him able to communicate with them.
Ron wasn’t the only one who had a few jealous moments in Cannon. Harry had his own thing in regards to Cedric Diggory, but was it just in regard to him or was it because of Cho?
I’m more of a dog person, but I do love all animals (cats included). Though, mostly from afar if it can easily kill me. Don’t judge, I like having my limbs attached thank you very much. I've seen way too many movies to make a mistake, like standing too close to something like a lion. Yeah, love them, but no thanks.
[--[P]-[W]-[M]--]
Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC and original ideas. All credit goes to their respective owners.
[--[P]-[W]-[M]--]
Thank you for reading.
Special thanks to my patrons.
As always, stay awesome.
Until next time, Light's out.
Comments
TRGrene
This chapter and Chapter 37 are not part of the story collection.
Lightest_Reader
Yeah, at least in this fic I'm writing, it's the reason I was holding off on using the system to buy one. I just couldn't decided which one to get.
Anthony Maxwell
I'm wondering what he's going to do when he gets to the Star wars universe. As personally I feel like he's going to try to save the Jedi from order 66 and the Republic from falling. Which if he does as I suspect it would show that he doesn't have a very deep understanding of the situation. As the prequels were propaganda to make the Jedi look good and the Republic. But if you actually have a brain and we're paying attention while watching those movies you should have realized the Republic was corrupt and the Jedi were mindlessly doing the bidding of a corrupt Republic.
LothWolf
I wonder if John Astral/Soul Form would be a Dragon since being a Dragonborn effects both the Body and Soul
Holosagewolf
A thought popped into my head. Do familiars exist in the hp universe? If so this is a perfect opportunity to get a familiar
LothWolf
I wonder how the more Intelligent and Magically Powerful Dragons that can talk and communicate from other Universes would react to John since he is basically a Human-Dragon-Demigod and I hope that he learns and or uses the different types of Dragon Magic or get the Powers and Abilities of other Dragons from different Franchises/Universes like for example Dragon Slayer Magic from the Fairy Tail Anime or getting the abilities of a DragonLord from the Merlin TV or maybe the powers and abilities of a Purple Dragon from Spyro https://merlin.fandom.com/wiki/Dragonlord , https://fairytail.fandom.com/wiki/Dragon_Slayer_Magic , https://spyro.fandom.com/wiki/Purple_Dragons_(The_Legend_of_Spyro) , https://spyro.fandom.com/wiki/Aether
Holosagewolf
his animagus is a dragon hes also a dovahkiin so all dragons should understand and think hes a dragon since they dont seem as intelligent as true dragons. also wow, i was so sucked into this chapter it felt so short but looking back its normal length good job. a masterpiece as always!
