I do not own nor possess any right over Harry Potter, all rights belongs to J.K. Rowling.

Chapter 5

The last week in Hogwarts went very normally for everyone in the school of magic. Well almost everyone. The past few days, many students and even a few teachers reported the disparition of some of their personal belongings, more specifically their money and jewellery with an estimate of one or two robberies per day. Annoyance and suspicion quickly grew in the school and everyone was very careful not to let their precious valuables in sight but even then coins and even a precious collar belonging to a Hufflepuff girl still disappeared.

High in his tower, sat in his office, Albus Dumbledore already had a good idea of who was behind this thefts but what he didn't came up yet was what to do about it. Certainly, he could contact the Romanian dragon reserve and have the dragon remove by professionals but something told him that it wasn't the right solution. After all the little dragon had done no harm, except a bite on the young Malfoy, and kept to gathering more for his hoard. But Minerval McGonagall wasn't sharing his views and repetitively asked him to act and make sure that the little threat wasn't around their students anymore.

Should he try to catch the dragon? Should he let him out for now?

It didn't really mattered in the end but he already knew he would had to address this issue soon as too many students had already complained and he couldn't let the suspicion and fear take over his school.

But then a small idea came to his mind, a very simple one that wouldn't require to capture the dragon but would explain everything. It wouldn't only require the presence of one particular guest.

Hermione had just finished her last class today and was heading back to her room. Many other students asked her why she returned there so early everyday and she always replied that she just wanted to see something, which was absolutely true.

The little dragon came back everyday, staying at the window for a few minutes at the same time like a clock before flying away when he understood that he would not be allowed to enter. Hermione saw him twice do it and remained hidden, observing the small dragon from afar with a great fascination for the mythical creature. She would be lying if she said that she was not scared by his teeth and claws but after a bit of reasoning she thought that her cat had the same characteristic but he wasn't attacking her.

She spent a lot of time in the library to read and learn more about dragons. She found out about a lot about them but, to her growing disappointment, nothing on this specie of dragon. The books said that the smallest dragons were around three meters long when the one that kept coming to her window was clearly not a young one since it already had its horns and yet it was half the size, far less agressive that other dragons and not displaying the same behavior.

After building up some courage, she even asked Professor McGonagall about it and she said not knowing much about dragons as well as trying to discourage her to get closer to the dragon.

But Hermione wasn't in Gryffindor for nothing, she would persevere and find out this dragon's mysteries.

She already had her plan and had started to gather the equipment required, being a pair of thick gloves and a brown apron from Pomona Sprout the teacher of Herbology that would protect her if the dragons should reveal itself to be agressive. Along with that she also prepared some coins and even a slice of bacon that she kept from today's breakfast. But for that she needed him to come back and that's why she was quickly making her way toward her room to arrive before the creature.

Once there she immediately opened the window, not without a certain apprehension, and readied herself in wait of the dragon.

Harry was just returning from his morning hunt. His past days passed fairly quickly and simply but he was very happy with the growing size of his hoard, managing to get on average five to ten coins everyday by entering open rooms and he even got a collar and a pair of earrings.

Every morning he would go hunt, come back check on his hoard and then hunt the school grounds in search for anything suitable for his hoard. Thanks to those flights, he managed to get a rough map of the castle and he found a few small passages that were big enough for him to enter but too small for the humans.

What he also did everyday was returning to the brown hair girl that gave him coins twice already but he always ended up in front of a closed window.

Today was no different and so he headed for the window and was happily surprised to see it opened. Flying around lazily, he landed on the window sill and retracted his wings to fit inside before looking around. His eyes landed on the girl that was sat on her bed, looking straight at him with a heavy pair of gloves, an apron and a plate that smell really nice behind her.

"Hello." Shyly greeted Hermione not moving. She read that the best way to interact with a dragon was to remain calm at all times and to avoid any sudden moves.

Cautiously, Harry jumped on the floor and got closer. Hermione moved to grab a Knut and offered it to him, extending her hand. Still careful, Harry extended walked to her and quickly caught the coin before moving backward already thinking to go back to his hoard.

"Wait." Gently called Hermione.

Turning around, he saw that she had another coin in her and. Curious, and mostly attracted by the coin, he let out the one that he already had behind him and moved to grab the new coin offered to him. But before he could reach it Hermione closed her hand and he looked at her with an expecting look.

"No." She simply said.

"Why no?" He asked frustrated in a little cry.

"No. I heard how you stole everyone else and you need to learn that this is not got good." She explained like if she understood what he said.

Annoyed, Harry got closer and try to force her hand by pressing his muzzle inside but Hermione simply retracted her hand while giving him the sternest look she could master before repeating herself."

"No."

Now Harry was starting to get angry. She kept denying him of this coin even after she showed it to him, he didn't understood everything she said as his knowledge of humans words was quite limited but he understood the message. He just didn't felt concerned and he let out a little growl to make it known.

"No." Steeled herself Hermione, trying to remain stern even if she was starting to panic when he growled.

"Ugh, fine!" Conceded Harry retreating, ready to pick up the single coin he got and leave the annoying girl alone.

"Yes, that's good." Happily sighed Hermione, letting the anxiousness go down. She opened her hand and showed the coin to the little dragon.

Eyeing the coin, Harry stopped and looked straight into Hermione's eyes looking for any form of trickery or malice.

"Go on." She encouraged him with a smile.

Slowly, Harry made his way back to her and carefully grabbed the coin, giving a quick glance at Hermione and looking for her approval before taking the coin as she did nothing else but smile.

"Good. Now, we're going to do that again and if you're a good dragon I'll give you a treat at the end."

Hermione grabbed a Sickle, a coin made out of silver that got the interest of Harry in less than a second. He knew this was more valuable than the other ones, he didn't knew how or why but he knew it was worth more. Putting the Knut in his mouth with the first one, he went to grab the coin and eyed Hermione who shifted quickly but didn't closed her hand.

"No." She said.

"I want it!" He whined getting closer.

"No." Repeated Hermione.

Knowing he wouldn't get the coin otherwise, he stopped and waited for her. Hermione was delighted and extended her arm, shoving the coin right in front of him. She couldn't believe that she was doing it! She was teaching the dragon how to behave and it was working! It also meant that he was understanding her at some degree, something that wasn't possible according to her books.

"Good." She complemented him.

Reacting quickly, Harry grabbed the Sickle and placed it with the two Knuts before turning toward Hermione, expecting more from her. Understanding, she grabbed another Knut and placed it in her hand.

"Yes, you can take it."

He took the coin and turned toward her again.

"One more time? Okay. No." Said Hermione handing him a second Sickle.

Harry stared at the coin but didn't made any movement, waiting for her approval as he now knew this was the way to get the coins. A few seconds passed before Hermione's smile widened and she gave him the authorisation he was eagerly waiting.

"Good dragon."

It didn't took long for him to get the coin and he turned toward her again. This was awesome from his perspective, he was getting more coins and learning how to get them from humans, a double win!

"Sorry but I don't have anymore coins for you, I don't want to end up broke before the end of the month. But since you have been such a good student I have a little reward for you." Hermione congratulated him before reaching for the plate behind her and grasped the piece of bacon to hand it to the little dragon.

The invasive and divine smell quickly got to him and he walked closer, staring at it and already starting to open his mouth. But he suddenly remembered what he just did with the girl and looked at her in the eye, frozen barely a few centimeters from her.

"Yes." She simply said.

Not waiting for another second, he grabbed it and ate the small slice in two clean bites. Hermione couldn't help but see her cat, maybe a bit smarter than her cat, in the little dragon and she moved her hand by reflex and stroked him on the head for a few seconds and taking care not to touch his horns.

Harry froze for a second, eyeing her carefully and ready to attack at any moment. Never did any creature touched him like this before. In fact the only other creature he ever entered in contact with ended up in his stomach. Expecting a threat, he did not react at first but relaxed after a short moment, appreciating the calming motion on his head.

Hermione was stuck in the motion, not only appreciating it herself but also aware that she was taming a wild dragon. All her books said that it was pure madness to even attempt approaching a dragon but she did it and managed to have its trust!

"You're a nice dragon. Would you mind coming back later?" She asked.

"Sure." He replied in bliss as her was starting to completely melt in the stroke.

Pulling her hand back, Hermione looked at him for a few seconds before he managed to gather his spirits. Harry walked to the small pile of coins and took them all in his mouth before walking back to the window and he climbed the wall before giving Hermione a last glance and he jumped in the air, extending his wings and flying back to his hoard.

Still sat on her bed, Hermione was overjoyed as she removed the gloves and the apron to place them next to her. She was replaying the whole interaction in her head when came the thought if she should share what she just did with Professor McGonagall. On one hand she did managed to successfully tame the dragon, at least to a certain degree, but on the other hand there was a high probability that she would be punished for her rather dangerous decision.

In the end she settled to not reveal anything, not yet. She wanted to try other things with the little dragon and understand why he was so different from the other described in the books she read, she already thought about the possibility that this was a brand new specie of dragon.