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Chapter 615: Sounds in the Darkness
Chapter 615: Sounds in the Darkness
Charlie didn’t believe a word of what Maxime said, but there was nothing he could do. The information had already leaked, and he couldn’t very well cast a Memory Charm on her.
"If Mr. Bagman and Mr. Crouch find out I leaked the task, I’ll be in big trouble!" Charlie sighed, not wanting to face their wrath.
More importantly, it would be incredibly unfair to the other Champions!
"Relax, Charlie. As long as we don’t say anything, no one will know!" Hagrid reassured him, then rubbed his hands together excitedly, his eyes gleaming as he stared at the Dragons.
"What are you planning to have the Champions do—fight the Dragons? There are four Dragons here, so each one can face one!"
Hagrid spoke with a lightness in his voice, mixed with excitement and enthusiasm, as if the Champions would be facing not lethal Dragons but adorable pets.
"That’s impossible unless they want to kill the Champions!" Charlie shrugged. "I think the Ministry of Magic probably expects the Champions to pass by the Dragons somehow..."
"Even so, it’s still very dangerous. If things go wrong, we’ll step in to help, cast the Flame-Freezing Charm, and knock the Dragons out to ensure the Champions’ safety!" Charlie’s expression was serious; the competition was also a test for them, the Dragon Keepers.
"How will the Champions choose their Dragons? Will they pick them themselves?" Maxime, showing no signs of her earlier stealth, sounded worried and couldn’t help but ask.
"Don’t ask. We don’t know the specifics, but I doubt they’ll get to choose. It’s probably going to be a draw!" Charlie shook his head, speculating.
"A draw? By luck?" Maxime’s brows furrowed. "I still think it’s unfair. There’s one Dragon that’s less dangerous. If a Champion draws it, they could pass easily."
While Maxime hoped Fleur would face Norbert and have an easier time, the one-in-four chance was too low!
"You’re mistaken, Madame Maxime. Safety doesn’t mean it’s easy to handle!" Charlie shrugged and countered. "Norbert is smarter than most Dragons. It won’t be easily fooled, meaning the Champions can’t trick it with small tricks!"
Maxime nodded, understanding Charlie’s point. Her gaze on Norbert lost its previous enthusiasm. Facing a Dragon directly was unrealistic; the Champions would need to use some means to distract the Dragon to pass, but with Norbert, that wouldn’t work. It was too smart.
"Alright, let’s stop talking about this. Can we go see Norbert now, Charlie?" Hagrid urged, growing impatient.
Charlie hesitated, feeling torn, but under Hagrid’s persistent pleading, he finally agreed.
According to Hagrid, he couldn’t stop a mother from seeing her dragon baby...
On the way, Charlie shared Norbert’s experiences in Romania with Hagrid.
"When Norbert first arrived, it surprised us all. It was the most alert Dragon we’d ever seen! It was just a bit afraid of Wizards, probably because someone had scared it..."
"Fortunately, this isn't a bad thing. At least it has learned to obey orders. The Circus in Romania has shown great interest in it and has already reserved Norbert. In a few years, it will perform some special stunts there!"
"Having a Dragon in a Circus is extremely rare, and Norbert can do things that other Dragons can't. They are bound to become world-famous!"
Charlie spoke confidently, and Hagrid, standing beside him, felt delighted about Norbert's bright future.
Ivan, who followed them, was speechless.
A fine Dragon, destined to perform in a Circus?
But it was better than being skinned and used as Magic materials...
Thinking about it, Ivan found Charlie's words quite reasonable. For Norbert, that indeed was a bright future.
Meanwhile, Hagrid, accompanied by Charlie, had already reached Norbert's side and woke the Dragon from its nap.
Watching this, Ivan couldn't help but feel a bit worried. He doubted whether Notte would still recognize Hagrid after such a long time. If the Dragon suddenly went berserk at this close distance, it wouldn't be a laughing matter.
Fortunately, the situation Ivan feared didn't happen. After waking up, Norbert quickly recognized its "dragon mommy." The massive creature, standing fifty feet tall, used its tongue, which was as big as two hands, to lick Hagrid's face, nearly knocking him over.
Hagrid didn't mind at all and gave Norbert a hearty embrace.
"Oh, I'm so glad you haven't forgotten me!" Hagrid teared up, deeply moved, but he didn't notice that Madame Maxime's gaze had become increasingly strange.
The joyous moment didn't last long. After about ten minutes, Charlie started shooing everyone away. The Dragon Keepers had been busy all night and were utterly exhausted, ready to collapse from fatigue.
Ivan and Harry followed Hagrid out of the area and returned to the castle.
When they reached the entrance to the Gryffindor Common Room, Ivan stopped, feeling his empty stomach. He looked at Harry and said, "You go ahead, Harry. I didn't eat dinner and I'm a bit hungry. I'm going to the Kitchen to find something to eat..."
Harry nodded absentmindedly, clearly still worried about the Dragon.
Ivan didn't pay much attention to him, explained briefly, and then parted ways, heading towards the Kitchen.
It was nearly two in the morning, and the castle was deserted. With no one around to see him, Ivan dispelled the Disillusionment Charm. He wasn't here to cause trouble, after all.
However, as he descended the stairs and passed through the entrance hall, Ivan's steps halted. He suddenly turned his head to the right, towards the dark corridor.
Thump, thump...
A faint sound, like someone lightly tapping the floor, echoed through the air.
If not for the silence and his proximity, he might not have heard it.
Perhaps noticing Ivan's presence, the tapping sound stopped, and the area returned to its usual quiet. But it was too late. The moment Ivan heard the sound, he had already drawn his wand and pointed it in that direction.
A brilliant white light shot from the tip of his wand, piercing the darkness of the corridor.
The spell didn't hit anything, but the reflected light allowed Ivan to glimpse a distorted, scarred face that quickly vanished into the shadows.
(End of Chapter)
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