Chapter 174 – Ron Was Bitten
Dragons had been part of Harry's imagination long before he knew he was a wizard.
In the stories he'd read as a child, they were scaly monsters with serpent‑like tails, batlike wings, and mouths that spewed fire or poison.
Like the witches of fairy tales, dragons were symbols of evil and greed—destroyers of villages, hoarders of treasure.
They were power and majesty incarnate, and those who slew them were immortalized as heroes.
But the hatchling before him now…
Harry could only think it looked rather ugly.
And Draco's obsessed with this thing? He's even willing to befriend Hagrid—the gamekeeper he usually mocks—just to see it?
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Hagrid breathed. His huge hand reached out to stroke the tiny dragon's head. The little creature promptly snapped at him, its long pointed teeth sinking into his finger.
"Look at that!" Hagrid said proudly, eyes shining. "It knows its mother!"
"Hagrid… are you wearing some kind of invisible dragon‑hide gloves?" Draco asked, keeping a cautious distance. He clearly shared Hagrid's fascination but also understood just how dangerous a dragon could be.
Harry was surprised Draco addressed him as Hagrid instead of his usual "big oaf" or "keeper."
Before Hagrid could answer, Ron puffed himself up, imitating Hagrid's gesture.
"Come on, Malfoy, don't tell me you're scared! Don't you like dragons?"
The little Ridgeback struck like lightning.
"OUCH!" Ron yelped, jerking his hand back as blood dripped between his fingers.
"Healed as before!" Harry shouted, aiming his wand at the wound.
Ron stared. "Harry—wait—where'd you learn that? We've never—"
The cut closed instantly… only to split open again a heartbeat later. This time no blood came out. Instead, the flesh around it darkened to a sickly green.
"Ron, don't worry about how I did it! Does it hurt?" Harry asked urgently.
Ron flexed his hand in disbelief. "It… doesn't hurt at all."
"The Ridgeback's bite carries toxins that stop healing… and apparently a numbing agent," Draco said coolly, leaning in to examine the hand. "Huh. Weasley, I'll admit it—this is useful. I didn't know about the anesthetic. And, Potter, your spell sped up the reaction. Look how fast it's turning green."
"What do we do?" Harry blurted. "I'll run to Madam Pomfrey!"
Ron quickly grabbed his sleeve. "Are you mad? She'll know it's a dragon bite! What are we supposed to tell her?"
Draco tilted his head, thoughtful. "It's not fatal. But by tomorrow that hand will be twice its size. Left alone, it'll take about a month to recover."
"A month?!" Ron groaned. "I can't turn up to Potions with this! Snape—"
He stopped himself mid‑sentence, but Draco smirked.
"Relax. Professor Snape already knows more than you think," Harry cut in quickly. "Remember, he was bitten by Fluffy before—his wound didn't heal easily either."
"Not the same," Draco corrected, eyes narrowing. "Snape's a Potions Master. He's got access to salves and antidotes that cut that time down. But if a three‑headed dog's bite is that bad… hmm…" Draco rubbed his chin, filing the knowledge away.
---
"Hagrid! What happened to your hand?" Hagrid finally noticed.
"Nothing! I just got bitten by your precious dragon!" Ron snapped.
"Oh—that's fantastic! Means she's healthy!" Hagrid beamed. "How about Norbert—oh! Right! Are you all right, Ron?"
"Nothing," Ron muttered through gritted teeth, sarcasm dripping, but Hagrid took it at face value and immediately turned back to fuss over the hatchling.
Ron looked genuinely shocked—and more than a little angry.
He didn't know that in another timeline, he'd been bitten by Norbert as well, and Hagrid had reacted the same way. Hagrid's one flaw as a Care of Magical Creatures instructor was that he underestimated the danger of magical beasts. He treated young wizards like his younger self, who had wrestled such things without much caution.
"Hagrid… it's a female," Draco pointed out, ignoring Ron's protests. "If you're naming her, she should be Norberta."
Hagrid blinked, startled. "How'd you tell?"
"The males have fewer wing‑spines, and their snouts are shorter," Draco replied smugly.
Hagrid immediately dug out a tiny, dog‑eared notebook and began scribbling.
Harry, meanwhile, was distracted—he'd noticed that even Hagrid had slipped into calling Draco by name. Only Ron kept repeating, "My hand… hey, how am I supposed to write for the next month?!"
---
As they prepared to leave, Harry remembered why he'd rushed here in the first place.
"Hagrid—did you tell Professor Dumbledore about Quirrell?" he asked urgently.
Hagrid was feeding chicken blood to the baby dragon. "Aye," he said simply.
"Kids, this isn't your business. Dumbledore's already made arrangements. And remember—stay away from the fourth floor. If you go poking around there, you could lose your lives."
Hagrid's face was stern for a moment, but as he turned back to Norberta, his eyes softened.
---
Harry's mind spun. "Wait—what about the egg?"
Hagrid froze, then scratched his beard sheepishly. "Well, I was so caught up I forgot about that… But I've said what needs saying. Don't worry about it."
And with that, Hagrid ushered them all out, slamming the hut door behind them.
---
On the walk back to the castle, Ron grumbled, "Isn't he just tossing us out after we helped? How's he supposed to raise a dragon in that little shack? And my hand—ugh!"
"You could've used a Fire‑Protection and Anti‑Burn Charm," Harry muttered. "That's basic for dragon handlers…"
Then he froze. "Wait. Charlie."
"Uh, my name's Ron," Ron said blankly, then his eyes widened. "Oh! You mean my brother Charlie! Write to him! Ask how to treat dragon bites—or if he knows the spell!"
"Exactly. Charlie's a dragon expert. He'd know what to do," Harry said.
Ron lit up. "Harry, you're brilliant! But… I'll need you to write it for me. Can't exactly hold a quill with this hand, can I?"
Draco snorted. "How did you end up in Ravenclaw, Weasley?"
Harry laughed weakly. "Actually, what I meant was—Charlie could take the dragon away before anyone finds out."
Draco's smirk vanished. He was still annoyed that Hagrid had booted him out, and it showed.
Even Harry, who loved Hagrid, felt a flicker of frustration toward the half‑giant for being so careless.
---
(End of this chapter)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you like the story please give it some power stones and reviews. And if you want to read 40+ advance chapters or just want to support me please join my patreon at [email protected]/Translatingfanfics