Chapter 173 – The Hatched Norwegian Ridgeback
It was Friday morning, with only one Potions class on the schedule.
"Harry, why does it have to be Potions today of all days?" Ron muttered, unable to contain his frustration.
"If only Professor Snape didn't take roll and run class like Sprout does in Herbology… if only it were as free as Herbology!"
Then, lowering his voice at first but growing louder as excitement took over, he added,
"If we miss this… how many chances in our lives do we get to see a baby dragon hatch?!"
"Shh—keep your voice down!" Harry quickly stuffed a sausage into Ron's mouth.
"The real problem is… the dragon egg is still with Hagrid. Does that mean he never told Dumbledore about our concerns?"
Harry frowned deeply. "Or… could it be Dumbledore's idea? Maybe Hogwarts is secretly trying to break Romania's monopoly on dragon breeding. Maybe Hagrid is hiding the egg on purpose."
Hagrid would have been shocked to know that Harry could read so much into a single note.
Ron's eyes suddenly lit up. "If that's true… then Charlie could come back to the U.K. to work!"
To Ron, that thought alone was exhilarating. Of all his older brothers—Fred and George always teasing him, Percy gifting him Scabbers mostly out of pity, Bill living too far away—Charlie had always been the one Ron admired most.
Charlie had been Gryffindor's legendary Seeker, and if not for his passion for dragons, he'd probably have gone on to play for Britain's national Quidditch team. To Ron, Charlie was a hero.
And Charlie had valued him too—when Ron needed a wand, Charlie had passed down his own intact wand rather than let his little brother go without. In another timeline, Ron would have kept that wand for years… if only that unfortunate crash into the Whomping Willow hadn't happened.
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Harry, though, wasn't thinking about Ron's joy. His mind kept circling back to the egg… and the Philosopher's Stone. When he saw Ron's bright expression, he misread it completely.
"Ron, don't even think about skipping class! We have to go. If anyone finds out what Hagrid's doing, he'll be in more trouble than us!"
But Ron being Ron, he immediately latched onto the wrong part of Harry's words.
"Harry… you mean skipping class? That's brilliant! You're Snape's favorite student. Just say the word, and we can go watch the egg!"
Harry's horrified refusal was immediate and firm.
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In Potions, the tension was palpable. Harry frowned in concentration, but Ron, unable to hide his excitement, practically glowed.
Snape noticed immediately. He fixed Ron with a withering stare.
"I think the Sorting Hat made a mistake with you. Want to try Hufflepuff instead?"
"I don't think Hufflepuff would want him!" called a loud voice from the Hufflepuff tables—Dudley.
Since coming to Hogwarts, Dudley had ended up in Hufflepuff and, to everyone's surprise, had started taking House pride seriously. His shout made several Hufflepuffs scowl in agreement—even Hannah and Ernie, who were usually friendly with Ron, looked affronted.
Ryan—no, Alexander Smith—watched with interest. What amused him most was that Snape had indirectly insulted Hufflepuff itself. Dudley and the others directed their irritation squarely at Ron.
Snape ignored Dudley's interruption completely, perhaps because the boy was related to Lily's family. Instead, Snape turned his sharp gaze on Harry, who was lost in thought about the dragon egg. Snape began offering stiff, exaggerated compliments about Harry's brewing skills, his pale face twisting as if forcing the words out.
Harry snapped back to reality just in time to prevent his potion from overheating—another second and it would have exploded, likely scalding Ron as well as himself.
At last, the class ended.
---
Harry immediately sought out Anthony Goldstein, the most reliable first-year after himself, and told him he wouldn't be leading the others back to the Ravenclaw lounge. Anthony was to take charge and follow the senior students—just in case Peeves was lurking about.
Hermione might have been the true leader of their year, her teacherly demeanor like a warm meal in hard times. But lately, Hermione spent most of her time with Alexander Smith, and Harry… well, Harry didn't want Alexander to know.
Alexander wasn't just any student. He was a prodigy with knowledge and power far beyond his years. In Harry's mind, someone like Alexander could steal the Stone from the fourth-floor defenses if he wished. Human nature is fragile… what if Alexander tried? Harry thought grimly. I can't lose him as a friend, or as the one who might help me with the Resurrection Stone someday.
---
Alexander, standing quietly beside Hermione, simply smiled as he watched Harry's hurried exit. How naïve… as if they could hide anything from me within Hogwarts, he thought, amusement glinting in his eyes.
Harry and Ron darted out of the castle, sprinted across the grounds, and disappeared near the edge of the Forbidden Forest.
---
Hagrid was waiting by his hut, face glowing with excitement.
"It's almost out," he whispered, ushering them in.
"Close the doors and windows! Make sure no one can see!" came another voice—Draco Malfoy, who was crouched near the table, pressing his ear to a large egg that was rocking gently and making faint cracking noises.
Harry wasn't surprised to see him. The moment Harry realized the egg was still in Hagrid's possession, he'd guessed where Draco had been sneaking off to every night.
Ron didn't question it either. His curiosity about the egg outweighed everything else. He quickly helped Hagrid secure the hut's shutters and door.
Then they all crowded around the table, leaning in close, holding their breath.
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A sharp scrrrk! split the air—the egg cracked.
Out tumbled a creature with spiny wings, jet‑black scales, and a long narrow snout. It looked like a wrinkled black umbrella with tiny horn‑buds on its head, flared white nostrils, and orange‑red eyes that bulged curiously.
It sneezed—and sparks sprayed from its nose.
A Norwegian Ridgeback had been born.
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(End of this chapter)
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