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Chapter 36: Norwegian Ridgeback
Chapter 36: Norwegian Ridgeback
Raising dragons is illegal, a well-known fact in the magical world. However, Liam, seeing Hagrid's excited demeanor, doubted that he would be persuaded to give up his dream of raising a dragon.
Sure enough, when Hermione pointed out that Hagrid's wooden house could be easily destroyed by a fire-breathing dragon, Hagrid remained enthusiastic and continued to share his knowledge about the dragon.
"I read Dragon Breeding for Pleasure and Profit. It says to keep the egg in the fire because the mother breathes on it. Look, it says here that once it hatches, you should feed it a bucket of brandy and chicken blood every half hour. And here—how to identify different eggs—I got a Norwegian Ridgeback, which is quite rare."
Liam's suspicions proved to be true. Dragons were indeed not suitable as domestic pets, at least not for Hagrid, but Hagrid refused to give up.
In just a week, the dragon had tripled in size. Puffs of smoke spewed from its nostrils. Hagrid had neglected his duties as the gamekeeper, as the baby dragon kept him constantly busy. The ground was littered with empty brandy bottles and chicken feathers.
When Liam and the others visited Hagrid, they saw a maternal look on his large face as he played with the dragon.
"I've decided to call it Norbert", Hagrid said, his eyes misty with tears, as he looked at the dragon. "It really recognizes me now, you'll see. Norbert! Norbert! Where's Mommy?"
Liam found this scene a bit unsettling. The sight of such a burly man speaking in a high-pitched voice was truly hair-raising.
But Liam still tried to reason with Hagrid: "Hagrid, at this growth rate, it will be as big as your house in two weeks. You won't be able to keep it hidden at the school. Besides, I've read the wizarding laws. Illegally raising a dragon is a serious offense that can land you in Azkaban. Moreover, dragons are natural rulers of the sky. It's not suitable for them to be kept in a house like this. Even if it's for... well, for Norbert's sake, you should let it go."
It was clear that Liam's words had an impact on Hagrid. He bit his lip. "I—I know I can't keep it forever, and I know I should release it soon. Dumbledore has helped me a lot, and I shouldn't trouble him anymore. But I can't just abandon it; it's too young to survive on its own."
Hagrid truly loved these animals. Compared to those who impulsively adopt pets and then discard them at the first sign of trouble, Hagrid was a genuine animal lover.
But the problem still needed to be addressed. Ron thought for a moment and spoke up: "My brother Charlie raises dragons in Romania. We could give this dragon to him. I'm sure he can take good care of it."
"That's probably the best thing for Norbert", Hagrid said, tears streaming down his face as he occasionally wiped his eyes with a large handkerchief.
In front of Hagrid, Ron wrote a letter to his brother, asking about the situation.
The following week dragged on. On Wednesday night at around 12 o'clock, Liam and Hermione were in the Common Room, deep in revision mode. Harry and Ron climbed in through the portrait hole, still wearing the Invisibility Cloak. They had just been to Hagrid's to feed Norbert.
"Liam, can you take a look at Ron's hand?" Harry asked as soon as they entered, knowing that Liam had been giving people pulse readings in the Common Room and seemed to have some medical skills. Traditional Chinese Medicine, after all, wasn't much different from magic in the eyes of Westerners. Clearly, Ron's condition was not suitable for Madam Pomfrey to see.
Ron extended a finger wrapped in a blood-stained handkerchief. Liam unwrapped it and saw that the wound was a bite mark, with greenish discoloration and red swelling around it.
"Damn, the dragon's teeth are poisonous. Wait here, I'll get something." With that, Liam ran upstairs, leaving the three of them in the Common Room, exchanging worried glances.
(End of Chapter)
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