Re:HP-A New Life

I am 15 chapters ahead on my patreón, check it out if you are interested.

https://www.patréon.com/emperordragon

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Chapter Forty-Seven: Hatching Secrets and Hatching Dragons

Hagrid's hut was as warm and cluttered as ever, the fire roaring in the hearth, filling the small space with heat and the smell of woodsmoke. Rose, Hermione, and Ron huddled close to the fireplace, their eyes drawn to the massive black dragon egg resting on the table. Hagrid hovered around it nervously, his huge hands fidgeting as he adjusted the cloth draped over it to keep it warm.

"Won it in a game of cards, I did!" Hagrid said proudly, his beaming smile making his wild beard seem even bushier.

"A dragon egg, Hagrid?" Hermione's voice was a mix of awe and disapproval. "Do you even know how to take care of a dragon?"

"'Course I do!" Hagrid said indignantly. "Always wanted one. Read up all about 'em. This little fella's gonna be fine." He gestured lovingly at the egg, as though it could understand him.

Rose exchanged a skeptical glance with Hermione and Ron. "Hagrid, you do know it's illegal to own a dragon, right?"

Hagrid waved his hand dismissively. "Oh, don't you worry about that. I'll keep him safe here. No one'll know."

Ron leaned closer to inspect the egg. "It's... cool and all, but what if someone finds out? I mean, it's not like you can hide a dragon in Hogwarts forever."

Before Hagrid could respond, Hermione cut in, her brow furrowed in thought. "Hagrid, you mentioned you got the egg in a card game. Who did you play against?"

Hagrid scratched his head, his beetle-black eyes darting away. "Oh, just some bloke down at the Hog's Head. Didn't catch his name."

Hermione's frown deepened. "And this... mysterious bloke just happened to have a dragon egg on him?"

Hagrid nodded, oblivious to the suspicion in her voice. "Lucky, innit? Been wantin' one fer ages."

Rose, however, seized on Hermione's line of questioning. "Hagrid, you've been in the castle a long time, haven't you? You'd know if there was something, well, important being kept there, right?"

Hagrid stiffened slightly, his massive hands pausing over the egg. "Now, what makes yeh ask somethin' like that?"

Ron leaned forward, lowering his voice. "We know about the Philosopher's Stone."

Hagrid's face turned an alarming shade of red. "How do you—? Who told yeh—? Listen, yeh shouldn't be pokin' yer noses in stuff like that! It's safe, alright? Dumbledore's got protections in place. No one's gettin' near it."

Hermione crossed her arms. "Except someone already tried, didn't they? During the troll attack. And don't forget what happened to Rose during the Quidditch match."

"That weren't Snape!" Hagrid said firmly, looking directly at Rose. "Professor Snape might be... a bit stern, but he'd never hurt a student. He was protectin' yeh, not the other way 'round."

Rose's eyes narrowed. "Protecting me? Then why was he muttering under his breath the whole time? It looked like he was cursing me."

Hagrid sighed, exasperated. "Yeh lot've got it all wrong. Snape's on our side."

Before the trio could press him further, a loud crack echoed through the hut. All eyes turned to the dragon egg, which had begun to shake violently. A long fracture appeared across the surface, and then, with another crack, a piece of shell fell away.

"It's hatching!" Hagrid whispered, his voice filled with awe.

The three first-years watched in fascination as the egg broke apart, revealing a tiny dragon. It was black as midnight, with spindly wings and glowing orange eyes. Smoke curled from its nostrils as it let out a high-pitched squeal.

Hagrid's face lit up with joy. "Oh, look at him! Isn't he beautiful?"

"Beautiful?" Ron muttered, eyeing the dragon nervously as it snapped its jaws at the air. "More like dangerous."

Hagrid ignored him, gently picking up the dragon and cradling it in his massive hands. "Norbert," he said dreamily. "That's what I'll call him. Norbert."

Rose, Hermione, and Ron exchanged uneasy glances but forced smiles as they congratulated Hagrid on his new "pet." After a few minutes of admiring Norbert, they made their excuses and left the hut, the cold night air a welcome relief after the stifling heat inside.

As they made their way back to the castle, Hermione broke the silence. "We can't let Hagrid keep that dragon. It's too dangerous—for him and for the rest of the school."

Ron nodded. "Yeah, but how do we convince him to give it up? He's already acting like it's his child."

"We don't have to convince him," Rose said thoughtfully. "We just need to find someone who can take the dragon off his hands. Someone who knows how to handle it."

Ron brightened. "My brother Charlie! He works with dragons in Romania. He'd know what to do."

Hermione nodded approvingly. "That's a brilliant idea, Ron. But how do we get in touch with him?"

Ron hesitated. "I could write to him, but... would he believe me? 'Hey Charlie, Hagrid's got a dragon in his hut' sounds a bit... ridiculous, doesn't it?"

Rose grinned. "He might not believe you, but he'll believe Harry Potter."

Ron raised an eyebrow. "You think Harry would write to Charlie for us?"

"Of course he would," Rose said confidently. "He'll do anything to help Hagrid."

Hermione sighed in relief. "Alright, then. Tomorrow, we'll talk to Harry and figure out the best way to handle this. For now, let's get back to the common room before Filch catches us."

The three of them hurried back to the castle, the image of a tiny black dragon burned into their memories. As much as they cared for Hagrid, they knew they had to act quickly. Norbert couldn't stay in Hogwarts—not if they wanted to avoid disaster.