https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-859-Back-to-the-Fire-Dragon-Sanctuary/13015726/
Chapter 861: Is it Eight Months Already?
Chapter 861: Is it Eight Months Already?
Dorels' mood was on a rollercoaster ride, filled with ups and downs.
Initially, he was thrilled to have found the mysterious donor, but his excitement dampened upon seeing the attached Legal Dragon Ownership Certificate, which came with conditions.
The terms not only included providing the dragon egg but also covered all expenses related to dragon-rearing. Essentially, agreeing to these terms would be akin to acquiring another Fire Dragon Sanctuary in London.
Moreover, it was an area where they had no say in management.
However, if he didn't agree... Dorels recalled the second letter he had found in Birdman's house, a letter he deliberately hid and didn't show, hinting at some secrets from 97 years ago.
In the letter, Birdman emphasized the importance of the Galleon to the Fire Dragon Sanctuary, stating that the sanctuary's establishment and growth to its current scale were all dependent on those 3,000 Galleons.
Without that money, the sanctuary might have already been in name only.
Objectively, Dorels felt that if he were Birdman, he might have made the same choice.
They weren't at a disadvantage in this deal, exchanging a Legal Dragon Ownership Certificate that would only take effect after 97 years for the normal development of the Fire Dragon Sanctuary.
But the current problem was that he wasn't Birdman.
The holder of the promissory note had come knocking on their door. The signer, using retirement as an excuse, had left all the trouble for him, the current captain, to deal with. Who could he turn to for justice?
Additionally, there was something else that caught Dorels' attention: Birdman's subtle hints in the letter about meeting Headmaster Dumbledore and mistaking his identity, for which he should apologize.
This wouldn't have been an issue, as Albus Dumbledore was already an adult 97 years ago, and seeing him wouldn't have been unusual.
However, when combining this information with what was passed down in the sanctuary, things became intriguing.
According to their records, the donor was a young man in his twenties, accompanied by a centenarian servant with white hair and beard.
Instinctively, Dorels glanced at the three people in front of him.
If he ignored Newt, it was also a young man in his twenties and a centenarian with white hair and beard.
Was this a coincidence? It seemed too coincidental.
While dragon keepers were physically strong, it didn't mean they were simple-minded. Dorels wasn't a fool, and he couldn't believe Birdman would write so much meaningless nonsense.
Moreover, mistaking Dumbledore's identity warranted an apology. There were only two people at the time, one a wealthy young man and the other an unwell centenarian servant. Which one needed an apology?
The answer was clear: the latter. After all, considering the circumstances, there was no issue with Dumbledore being a wealthy young man.
Only mistaking the Headmaster of Hogwarts and the greatest white wizard in the Wizarding World for a servant required an apology.
But it was 1897, and Dumbledore had just graduated. Even if Birdman had poor eyesight, he couldn't have mistaken him for an old servant.
Unless... Birdman had seen Dumbledore as a different person from the one Dorels knew.
Although Dorels found it hard to believe such an absurd situation, all the information Birdman left pointed to this conclusion.
If he dared to be bolder...
Even excluding Newt Scamander, the scene might have been the same: a young man and an old man.
This was why Dorels had returned now.
Birdman's residence wasn't far; it would only take a few minutes to go back and forth, yet he had taken a full half-hour.
During that extra time, he was convincing himself to accept this and deliberating whether to agree to the other party's request.
Logically, if the truth aligned with his speculation, the other party was taking advantage of the situation. The Fire Dragon Sanctuary could refuse to acknowledge the deal.
But the other party could also refuse, as they had no evidence, and with the magical bond in place, the sanctuary was naturally at a disadvantage. Even appealing to the International Confederation of Wizards would be futile.
After half an hour of internal struggle, he finally agreed to the other party's request.
Furthermore, given the other party's efforts, they certainly wouldn't give up just because of his words.
Let's see who they are.
Newt and Dumbledore were both influential figures in the Wizarding World.
There was also Kyle, the most troublesome of the three, whose status, according to Charlie Weasley, was as a Senior Deputy Minister in the United Kingdom's Ministry of Magic, a position he attained before graduation. Kyle was an official with considerable authority, capable of influencing the Minister of Magic's decisions to some extent.
If this matter wasn't handled well, it could escalate into an international dispute.
No wonder Birdman had fled. What a !
Dorels silently cursed Birdman's lineage but maintained a calm demeanor, looking at Kyle.
"Since it's a magical bond signed by Mr. Birdman, our sanctuary will naturally abide by it. So, are you taking the dragon egg now?"
"If possible, the sooner, the better.
"Kyle," said Kyle.
He hadn't expected this Dores to be so accommodating, but it was a good thing, saving them a lot of time.
"Alright then." Dores sighed and walked towards the door. "Follow me, all three of you."
Kyle hurried after him.
He had assumed Dores would take them to the previous cave, but he didn't. Instead, he led them deep into the sanctuary.
"I know what you're thinking." Dores turned and said, "I'm sorry, but I can't give you the dragon eggs."
"Oh?" Kyle raised an eyebrow.
He wasn't worried that Dores would go back on his word or bring them here to silence them.
After all, Dumbledore was following behind, and unless Dores' brain was blown up by muscles, he wouldn't dare do such a thing.
"Because we can't take the dragon eggs away from the mother dragon, especially those that are about to hatch." Dores explained.
"Are there no other dragon eggs here?" Kyle asked.
"No, there really aren't." Dores said, "But if you don't mind, you can get them yourself. I have no objections..."
"I'd like to hear your thoughts." Kyle said.
He would be crazy to provoke a mother dragon that was about to hatch her eggs.
"Alright." Dores sighed.
"If you agree, could we exchange the dragon eggs for young dragons, ones that have already developed the ability to hunt and are ready to leave the nest?"
Fire dragons, as top magical creatures, do not stay with the adult dragons all the time. Once they have the ability, they will go out and find their own territory.
"Young dragons are much more troublesome than dragon eggs." Kyle glanced at Dores with a meaningful look.
Fire dragons naturally trust the creatures they see after hatching, which is the biggest advantage for dragon keepers. However, the personalities of young dragons are basically fixed, and it's much more difficult to build a good relationship with them than it is to hatch them from eggs.
Apparently, Dores didn't want the fire dragons to be too close to him.
"Yes, you're right." Dores nodded, acknowledging his thoughts, "But I think, with Mr. Scamander's help, this problem won't bother you, right?
"And young dragons have an advantage in that they can save you from the most tedious steps, saving a lot of time."
Of course... As Kyle remained silent, Dores continued, "If you insist on disagreeing, you can also wait for some time, um... no more than a year, and we can prepare two for you in advance."
"No need." Kyle smiled, "I'm not patient enough, young dragons are fine."
He was well aware of Dores' little plan. Even Sniffles' emotions needed nurturing. Giving such a temperamental creature like a Fire dragon a hard time was no easy task, even for Newt. It would be difficult for even Newt to gain the full trust of a Fire dragon adopted halfway through its life.
Dores, being a dragon keeper, understood this very well. After all, even they had their own work scope. Unless there were special circumstances, a dragon keeper for Hungarian Horntails would never venture into the territory of Swedish Short-Snout Dragons.
Kyle also understood this, but he didn't mind.
"But, Mr. Dores." Kyle said, "If we're exchanging the dragon eggs for young dragons, I also have a small request."
"Oh, what is it?"
"I want to specify the breed." Kyle said, "For example, the Chinese Fireball Dragon."
"No." Dores blurted out.
"That's where you're wrong." Kyle shook his finger, "You have a problem, and I'm willing to compromise. Now, I've only made a small request, and you disagree? What if you bring me two Welsh Green Dragons instead?"
"They're still fire dragons."
"You really think so?" Kyle looked at Dores in disbelief.
He had helped establish the Fire Dragon Sanctuary, and it seemed a bit excessive to dismiss him with two Welsh Green Dragons.
"That's because I want to study the Chinese Fireball Dragon." At this moment, Newt stepped forward and said.
He waved his hand, gesturing for Kyle to step back, and then he walked to a spot not far away and whispered with Dores.
Kyle immediately closed his mouth and waited quietly.
As for Dumbledore... He seemed to be here for a stroll, looking around, occasionally reaching out to touch the nearby oak tree, and exclaiming that if this tree were made into a door, it would be a great new door for Hogwarts.
The original text can be found in Chapter 6, Section 9, of the book/online novel!
Although Kyle didn't understand wood, he felt that the materials used for the Hogwarts door, which had lasted for a thousand years, must be much better than this ordinary oak.
Newt was very efficient, and in a few minutes, Dores came over again.
"So, it's the Chinese Fireball Dragon, and I agreed." He looked at Newt with resignation, "I'm very suspicious that you might have inquired about the sanctuary in advance, otherwise, how would you know that we just happened to have two young Chinese Fireball Dragons?"
"It's just a coincidence." Newt smiled beside him.
"Forget it, just remember what you agreed to." Dores shook his head, "But we must make it clear in advance that if you choose the Chinese Fireball Dragon, the other one can only be chosen from between the Welsh Green Dragon and the Hungarian Horntail."
Can he choose?
Kyle was a little surprised, as he had already prepared for the combination of the Chinese Fireball Dragon and the Welsh Green Dragon.
(End of Chapter)
"There are too many Hungarian Horntails in the sanctuary," Dorels said, rubbing his forehead. "To control these temperamental beasts, we need several times the manpower. To be honest, we're already stretched thin."
"The Hungarian Horntail is the second most numerous fire dragon after the Welsh Green," Newt explained. "No one wants to hunt them because for the same reward, the risk is much higher. It's not worth it."
"I see," Kyle nodded, genuinely surprised by this revelation.
"This is also related to Mr. Scamander's promise," Dorels added. "If it weren't for your commitment, we'd rather work harder than release such a dangerous factor."
"I just happen to have experience in this area," Newt said modestly.
The Hungarian Horntail in his box was even more stubborn than the ones here, which was why it had been returned three times.
"I want the Horntail," Kyle said without hesitation.
"I hope you won't regret it," Dorels said.
Kyle had a strange feeling that Dorels had just breathed a sigh of relief, as if he had gotten rid of a big problem.
"Let me make this clear," Dorels spoke quickly. "The fire dragons we release are non-refundable. If you ever change your mind about keeping them, you'll have to give up your legal dragon ownership certificate. Also, if they cause any trouble, we'll take them back."
"No problem," Kyle agreed.
Although he didn't know what Dorels was up to, there was no way he could return the fire dragons.
It was like Sniffles putting gold coins in his pocket; it was hard enough to get them out, let alone spit them out voluntarily.
"Then the rest will be simple," Dorels suddenly became more enthusiastic. "Let's go have lunch first and talk while we eat."
Kyle felt something was off, but because he had just acquired two fire dragons, he was delighted and didn't think much of it. He followed Dorels to the sanctuary's cafeteria.
...
The lunch was similar to the last time he was here—large chunks of roasted meat, a few meager slices of vegetables, and a bowl of some unidentifiable stew.
It was grayish and bubbly.
Kyle took one look at it and set the bowl aside. The chef here probably had a lot in common with Hagrid.
However, Dorels seemed to enjoy the food.
Dumbledore tentatively took a sip of the stew.
"This flavor is quite unique," he said, looking at Kyle. "I suggest you give it a try."
"No, thank you," Kyle said, shaking his head firmly.
After a simple lunch, the items Kyle requested were ready.
First was the food—a crate of Flamestone was brought over. As it was a young dragon, they didn't need much, and this would be sufficient.
There were also various meats. Dorels selected a group of wild boars and a group of goats, totaling around fifty heads.
Wild boars were a favorite of the Chinese Fireball Dragon, and the goats were prepared for the Hungarian Horntail.
"Oh, it's a good thing Aberforth isn't here," Dumbledore said quietly. "Otherwise, he'd go crazy."
Kyle instantly understood and couldn't help but chuckle.
Aberforth had raised a goat, and he was extremely fond of it.
Next came the main event.
A fire dragon, about seven to eight feet tall and entirely red, was brought over. Its head was slightly longer than that of a typical fire dragon, and sharp horns resembled a mane, making it look somewhat similar to a lion. It also had a pair of broad wings that were wider than its body.
"Be very careful," Dorels warned. "The Chinese Fireball Dragon isn't a docile breed. Their temperamental nature is only second to the Hungarian Horntail and the Norwegian Spiky Dragon."
"I know," Kyle said.
He looked around, "Where's my Horntail?"
"Don't worry," Dorels smiled. "Although it's only eight months old, its situation is special, so it might take a little longer... Oh, isn't that it coming?"
Kyle followed Dorels' gaze.
He was instantly stunned.
Five dragon keepers, each holding thick iron chains, struggled to move a fire dragon that was nearly twenty feet tall.
"Is this... eight months old?" Kyle asked in disbelief.
"Yes," Dorels smiled, his eyes twinkling. "It's a Hungarian Horntail, and it's normal for them to be a bit larger than other fire dragons."
"A bit larger?" Kyle mumbled.
Despite being the same age, the Chinese Fireball Dragon looked like a toy compared to the Horntail.
Moreover, even though it was under the Stupor Spell, the Hungarian Horntail was still unconsciously swinging its tail.
Kyle witnessed one of the dragon keepers, unable to dodge in time, get stabbed in the thigh by the Horntail's spikes.
The keeper skillfully left the group, applied a potion to the wound with his left hand, and simultaneously bandaged it with his right hand. He then rejoined the group and grabbed the iron chain, the entire process executed smoothly as if he had done it countless times before.
The other keepers also seemed accustomed to such incidents.
"Um..." Kyle cleared his throat. "I suddenly feel that the Welsh..."
"No returns, remember?" Dorels interrupted. "I believe you'll be able to take good care of it."
(End of Chapter 1)
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