Ron had brought up the issue of raising a dragon before.
But back then, the conversation was cut short before they could reach any real conclusion—interrupted by Draco under the Disillusionment Charm.
Now, Ron was simply revisiting an old topic. Because of that, Harry and the others didn't realize what he was really aiming at.
But if anyone had thought about it more carefully, they might have noticed something odd about Ron—he'd never shown this much concern for Hagrid before...
So when Ron suggested that Norberta should be removed, Hagrid was the first to object.
"No way. Norberta's still so small—what if something happens to her?!"
Hearing Hagrid speak so righteously, Harry's expression turned a little awkward.
This Norwegian Ridgeback had only been in the world for seven days, yet she was already three times larger than when she hatched.
Not only that, Harry could clearly see puffs of smoke coming from her nostrils. And according to Draco, it would only take one to three months before she could breathe fire at will.
Honestly, Harry didn't think Norberta was in any danger—if anything, it was the creatures she encountered, or the young wizards around her, who were at risk.
Ron, already expecting Hagrid's resistance, turned his attention to Harry instead. He was hoping to get Harry on his side.
"Harry, help me talk some sense into him. This is illegal!"
"Uh... yeah, I don't think keeping a dragon is such a great idea either."
"Harry, you..."
It wasn't that Harry didn't like Norberta. He just cared more about whether Hagrid would get into trouble because of this. His priorities were simply different.
"But... she's still so little."
"Exactly. Let her go. Just release her."
"I can't! I can't do that. Oh, Norberta—look at her, she recognizes me! Norberta~ Norberta~ where's your mummy?"
Draco, who had been pretending to ignore everything on Harry's side, shuddered the moment he heard Hagrid's deliberately cutesy tone.
Even Norberta, who had just been rubbing against his calf, immediately darted into his arms and sent him a clear wave of "terror"...
"Hagrid!"
Seeing how stubborn he was being, Ron finally shouted.
"In just a few more days, Norberta's going to be the size of your whole house! You won't be able to keep her hidden anymore!"
"I... I know I can't keep her forever... but I can't just throw her away! I can't!"
Hagrid was now bawling—sobbing and sniffling like a heartbroken child. And seeing him like that made Harry falter.
He felt torn, unsure of what to do, and finally turned to Hermione—the one among them who always had a plan—for help.
"Hermione, what do you think?"
Hermione, who had been feeding Norberta bits of rabbit meat, paused at Harry's question. She blinked, then furrowed her brow thoughtfully, just as Norberta took advantage of the moment to snatch the meat from her hand.
Honestly, if this had happened earlier, Hermione would've sided with Harry and Ron without hesitation.
But now, even though Norberta no longer had the newborn cuteness, Hermione had grown fond of her. This Norwegian Ridgeback seemed different from how the textbooks described.
She didn't bite people randomly and was even affectionate at times. Sure, it sometimes felt like Draco had spoiled her—but really, who wouldn't love Norberta?
So...
"I think... there must be a better way."
"Yes! Exactly! Hermione's right—there has to be a better option than just tossing Norberta away!"
Hagrid's tearful joy, Harry's conflicted sigh, and Ron's frustrated expression all reflected how each of them took Hermione's words.
What none of them noticed, however, was that when Hermione spoke, her gaze had been fixed on Draco's profile.
Maybe... she was waiting to hear what he thought.
...
In the end, Draco said nothing. He just stayed quiet like an outsider, as if none of it had anything to do with him.
Until it was time to leave, he simply kept tapping Norberta's head with his finger, prompting the dragonling to let out soft, pitiful whines at him.
The sight of their tender back-and-forth made Hermione both envious and irritated. She had been Norberta's caretaker all this time, yet the little dragon had never treated her the way she did Draco—she hadn't even been allowed to touch her head.
That quietly resentful glare stayed on Hermione's face until Hagrid's hunting lodge was no longer in sight.
Who it was aimed at... was anyone's guess.
"That rotten Death Eater's finally gone."
Ron muttered, eyes still scanning the surroundings with caution. Hermione frowned. She'd heard Ron insult Draco behind his back more times than she could count, but hearing it again—after all this time—left an odd, uncomfortable feeling in her chest.
It was a strange, unfamiliar emotion—one that left the usually outspoken Hermione frozen in place for a moment.
Ron, unaware of her thoughts, took the chance to glance at Harry meaningfully.
"Hermione, we need to talk."
"Huh? Talk about what?"
Seeing her dazed expression, Ron couldn't hold it in anymore and cut Harry off, blurting out what Harry had been about to say.
"Seriously, has that damn Death Eater messed with your head? Don't forget everything that creep heard!"
Death Eater this, Death Eater that.
Because of Draco, Hermione already understood how vile that label was—how much weight it carried.
If that title really stuck... it would ruin Draco's reputation.
"If he really is the kind of evil wizard you say he is, then why did he save Longbottom? And Harry? Can you explain that?"
For reasons even she couldn't fully understand, Hermione was furious. She threw out those questions in quick succession.
And neither Harry nor Ron could come up with a single answer.
What Hermione didn't say out loud was that Draco had saved her—twice.
But that wasn't what truly changed her view of him. It wasn't about figuring out her feelings or resolving her confusion.
It was spending those seven days with him that showed her another side of Draco Malfoy.
A side that, more than his polished aristocratic image, she had come to like—one with a quiet gentleness and a warmth she hadn't expected.
...
[Upto 50 chapters ahead for now]
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