Charlie always remembered the date on which the announcement appeared in the Daily Prophet: February 17th.
Looking for a SUMMER JOB?
Good with CREATURES?
The Dracul Dragon Station, a one of a kind institution in Europe, might be looking for you!
Requested: Outstanding marks and cool nerves.
Send you motivation letter and last school report to…
Charlie immediately tore the announcement out. His greatest worry about his motivation letter was his spelling because he jotted it down so hastily. And before he knew it, the acceptance letter and the summer arrived, he was travelling to Romania and listening, together with fellow trainees from all over Europe, to the wizard showing them around the station and explaining everything with his pronounced accent.
„There are different kinds of dragons we consider as belonging to the station. Most of them are flying free, and we only are offering them food and places to rest, to keep them from wandering off into more populated areas. The ones we hold captive here have been problematic in the past. Some have a tendency to wander off, some have attacked humans, but some are also injured or orphaned. There are three reasons for this station: dragons are threatened, threatening and useful. We protect dragons from humans – you know both wizards and muggles have hunted dragons – humans from dragons too, of course, and we do research on the use of the different dragon parts. Now if you would please stay calm," he concluded as they reached a door. "They can sense excitement or fear, like most animals can."
He opened the door. It lead to the outside. To the left, there was the fence of a large enclosure, and in there a dragon lay rolled up on the ground, completely relaxed.
The first actual dragon they ever saw.
It opened its eyes lazily as it heard them approaching, and one look from these wistful glowing eyes was enough.
Charlie was rapt for the rest of his life.