Chapter 137: The Worries
The warm air nipped at their faces as Harry, Ron, and Hermione left Hagrid's hut and made their way back toward the castle. The faint glow from the windows behind them faded into the dark, and Hermione's voice broke the uneasy silence.
"We have to convince Hagrid to send Norbert away," she said firmly, pulling her cloak tighter around her shoulders. "You know how Malfoy is. He might've already run off to tell Professor Snape."
Harry sighed, kicking a loose stone along the path. "I know. But you've seen how stubborn Hagrid is. The second we even suggest taking Norbert away, he gets defensive—and angry." His expression tightened. "And now that Malfoy's seen the dragon… who knows? He could've already told Snape."
Ron grimaced. "Yeah, I've been thinking the same. But honestly, Hagrid's not going to listen to us. We've tried. He keeps going on about how Norbert's just a baby, and how he's harmless." He paused. "Let it be for a couple more days, then we'll try again."
Hermione didn't look convinced. "We don't have a couple more days," she pressed. "You boys don't read as much as I do, but in Magical Creatures of Europe, it says dragons grow incredibly fast. Within two or three weeks, Norbert will be the size of Hagrid's hut. You think people won't notice that? The whole school will see him—and when they do, they'll report him to the Ministry. Raising a dragon's illegal, Harry. They could send Hagrid to Azkaban."
Harry and Ron exchanged uneasy glances. The thought of Hagrid locked away behind bars made Harry's stomach twist.
Hermione hesitated, then added, "What if we tell Cael about this?"
Harry frowned instantly. "No way. What if he runs straight to Professor McGonagall? Then it's over."
Hermione shook her head. "I trust him. He'd never do that. He's a good senior—and he's Hagrid's friend. If I explain the situation, he'll help."
Ron nodded in agreement. "Yeah, Cael's alright. He's friends with my brothers, and Fred says he's sharp as a tack. And he's out with Hagrid most nights patrolling the Forest. He's bound to find out about Norbert sooner or later."
Harry ran a hand through his hair. "Alright… but we have to be careful."
They rounded a bend near the courtyard—and there, leaning smugly against a stone pillar, stood Draco Malfoy.
"Well, well," Malfoy sneered, stepping into their path, "Potter and his little fan club. I saw what you're hiding." His eyes gleamed with malice. "A dragon… That half-giant oaf really thinks he can raise one at Hogwarts? My father will love to hear about this. I might just take the beast for myself."
Harry's fists clenched. "You won't do anything, Malfoy," he snapped. "Or I'll make sure you regret it."
Malfoy's smirk widened, but before he could reply, a familiar, silky voice sliced through the air.
"What's this… fighting in the corridors?" came Professor Snape's voice, cold and sharp as ever.
The trio stiffened, their hearts lurching into their throats. Had Malfoy already told him?
"Nothing, Professor," Hermione jumped in quickly, trying to sound casual.
Snape's dark eyes narrowed. "I wasn't speaking to you, Miss Granger." His gaze shifted to Harry. "Mr. Potter… what exactly are you doing wandering the castle at this hour?"
Behind Snape, Malfoy was making exaggerated faces, silently mouthing Should I tell him? with a mocking grin.
Harry swallowed hard. "Nothing, sir. We were just heading back from Hagrid's."
Snape studied him, eyes gleaming with suspicion. "You're not foolish enough to be sneaking around doing… irresponsible things, I hope." His voice dropped, low and threatening. "I'll be watching you."
With that, Snape turned on his heel, Malfoy trailing behind him, still flashing smug, taunting expressions over his shoulder.
The moment they were out of earshot, Harry muttered under his breath, "I swear, one day I'll hex that ferret."
"Easy, mate," Ron said, though his jaw was tight with frustration. "We'll deal with him. But we've got to be careful. If he gets even a scratch on him, he'll run straight to the professors."
Hermione looked worried. "What if he tells them tonight? Or his father?"
Harry's shoulders sagged. "I don't know… We'll just have to keep an eye on him."
⸻
The next few days crawled by, each more stressful than the last. The trio visited Hagrid daily, trying to reason with him, but it was no use.
"He's just a little fella," Hagrid would say, cradling the dragon like a proud parent. "Poor Norbert… what if someone out there hurts him? Or sells him on the black market? That's what they do in Knockturn Alley, you know—dragon parts fetch a high price."
But Norbert wasn't staying little for long. He was growing rapidly, smoke curling from his nostrils as he belched small jets of fire. His scales glinted ominously in the candlelight, and each day he became harder to hide.
Meanwhile, Malfoy took every opportunity to torment them. He'd corner Harry and Ron between classes, sneering threats.
"I'll tell the Ministry any day now," he'd whisper, relishing their frustration. "Hope your little pet's worth Azkaban time."
⸻
Far beneath the castle, hidden deep within the stone tunnels of the dungeons, another gathering stirred.
In the shadowed chamber known among certain Slytherins as the Court of Serpents, a dozen cloaked figures sat in a circle. Their faces hidden beneath hoods, only flickering torchlight illuminated the edges of their forms.
Simon Travers spoke first, his voice cool and precise. "We should drop the cloaks. We all know each other."
"No," snapped a short, sharp-voiced member. "Tradition is tradition. We respect it."
The others murmured their agreement, and silence fell once more.
A tall, broad-shouldered student leaned forward. "Last term, we backed off. We avoided attention. But our plans with the Ravenclaws failed—those self-important bookworms wouldn't cooperate, couldn't be bought or led."
"That's because you mishandled it," sneered another. "You couldn't even outwit a bunch of brainy fools ."
"Enough," the short leader barked. "The Intellectuals don't matter now. We have other means to assert control. Time is on our side. And Dumbledore's watching—we all know he suspects us."
One of the others spoke hesitantly. "Perhaps… we should tell Snape. His loyalty to the Dark Lord—"
"Absolutely not," the leader cut him off. "Snape's under Dumbledore's thumb now. We don't know where he stands. No one outside this circle knows who we are, and we keep it that way."
Simon Travers rose to his feet. "Speaking of opportunities… I heard something. Potter and Malfoy arguing near the Slytherin lawns. They mentioned a dragon—Hagrid's dragon."
The chamber stirred with quiet excitement.
"A dragon?" the leader's voice sharpened. "If that's true, it's the leverage we need. Imagine the scandal—a dragon hidden at Hogwarts. The Ministry involved. Dumbledore's trusted half-giant exposed."
A wicked smile curled beneath his hood. "Find out the truth, Simon. If it's real, we strike."
The Court of Serpents fell into silent agreement.