I would like to thank everyone who has red this story. It currently has 62 696 views, 747 followers, 181 reviews and is part of 8 communities. That is far more than I could have ever hoped for when I began writing.
Enter the Dragon, Norbert
On the morning of January 3rd, Seren and Halios woke up early, in order to get to the Hogwarts Express in time to meet Neville and Hermione. At half past nine, they had eaten breakfast and were ready to leave. They apparated to the platform with the help of Sirius and Estée. Once there, they commandeered a compartment to use during the trip to Hogwarts, and after leaving their trunks there, they stepped off the train again to say goodbye to Sirius and Estée, and wait for their friends. A few minutes after ten, the Granger family entered the platform through the barrier, and not long after that, Neville arrived with his grandmother.
After having greeted their friends, the four magic students said goodbye to their respective families and boarded the train so that they could wait for the departure in peace. As they all sat down in the compartment, they began telling each other how their holiday had been. It didn't take long before Hermione asked about the books Halios had given them for Christmas.
"Oh, they are beginner level spell books from Nirn", Halios answered. "I though I could help you all study them this term, and then you can practise the spells during the summer."
"But, I thought we weren't allowed to do magic outside of school?" Hermione asked with a frown.
"We are not allowed to use our wands to practise magic, but the spells from Nirn doesn't require a wand, or any type of focus to cast, and as such, can be practised when-ever and where-ever", Halios explained.
"Wait, does that mean I can show my parents magic?" Hermione asked excitedly. Halios just smiled and nodded. Hermione then squealed in delight and proceeded to hug Halios, before rapidly asking questions about the magic system on Nirn. Smiling, Halios answered the questions to the best of her ability, and it didn't take long before both Neville and Seren joined in with questions of their own.
And so did the trip continue, full of talk and laughter, and soon they began to close in on the station at Hogsmeade. Neville left the compartment to give the others some privacy so that they could get changed, and once they were done, they gave him the same courtesy.
After leaving the train, they followed the rest of the students towards the front end of the platform, where carriages stood waiting for them. As they came closer, they noticed that there was nothing drawing the carriages, but they just chalked it up to the carriages being propelled by magic, and left it at that. Settling in in a carriage, the four friends watched as they got closer and closer to Hogwarts. Soon, they passed through the gate, and the carriages came to a stop in front of the entrance to the castle itself.
Joining the rest of the returning students, they walked into the Great Hall, where dinner was about to be served. As they sat down at their respective houses tables, Dumbledore rose from his seat at the head table. Once everyone was seated, he welcomed everyone back and said that he hoped they had had a good holiday. He then told everyone to enjoy their food, and on that signal, the meal began.
They had sat down as close to each other as possible, even though they sat at two different tables. So during the meal, they continued to talk with each other. Two other first years from Hufflepuff joined in. They introduced themselves as Susan Bones and Hannah Abbott. Susan was a red-headed girl who wanted to follow in her aunts footsteps. Her aunt was Madam Amelia Bones, the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, or DMLE for short, and since Susan had been raised by her after her parents died, she held her aunt in high esteem.
Hannah, on the other hand, was a blond girl, who came from a mixed family. Her father was minor lord of the Abbott House, while her mother was a muggleborn witch. She didn't have any plans for what she wanted to become when she grew up, but as she had an interest in plant, she hit it of quite well with Neville.
They spent the rest of the dinner happily talking to each other and enjoying themselves. Well, at least until Seren happened to look over towards the Gryffindor table, and saw the human garbage disposer known as Ron Weasley. The way he shovelled in food and swallowed without chewing made them all loose their appetite.
Once the dinner was over they said good night to their friends and went on their ways to their dorms in order to a good nights rest before the classes started the next day.
Time went on and things stayed the same, Snape was a jerk, McGonagall was strict, Flitwick was happy and Quirrell was useless. The only thing of note to happen was that the group, now containing Susan Bones and Hannah Abbott too, became friends with Rubeus Hagrid, the gentle giant of Hogwarts and the schools gamekeeper. This happened after they had met Hagrid during one of the groups forays outside the castle. After greeting him, they began talking, and when they said goodbye to him, they had promised to visit him for tea at a later date.
And visit they did. Soon, they were spending at least an evening every week visiting Hagrid. It didn't take long before they learned that Hagrid had a thing for strange animals and beasts. He currently had a Cerberus, which he had named Fluffy, and he dreamed about having a dragon. The weeks went on, and soon spring came. It was in the middle of March, when they discovered something during a visit to Hagrid.
As they entered Hagrids hut, they noticed the sweltering air inside.
"Hagrid," Seren asked. "Why do you have such heat in here?"
She looked around a bit. "And is that an egg in the fireplace?"
Hagrid looked a bit sheepish. "Ay, it is. I won 'im from a bloke down at the pub, an' I though I could raise 'im."
Hermione kept looking at the egg, as if she was trying to solve a puzzle.
"Hagrid," she said, turning towards him. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that a dragons egg?"
A smile crept up on Hagrids face. "Yep, an' I always wanted a dragon of me own, an' now I 'ave one!"
"Um, Hagrid?" Halios said. "I can already see a few problems with this."
"Problems? Wha' do ye mean, problems?"
"Well, first of all, dragons breath fire, right? And you live in a wooden hut, so the risk of a fire is bigger than normal. Secondly, do you even know what type of dragon it is? I mean, different types of dragons require different types of care, right? And lastly; it's kinda against the law to raise a dragon without having a licence for it, which would mean if someone were to find out about you having it, it could cause a lots of problems, not only for you, but for the school and Professor Dumbledore as well."
Hagrids mood fell the more Halios talked. Once Halios had finished, Hagrid sighed. "Yer right, of course."
Sitting down, he continued; "Wouldn't want to cause trouble fer Dumbledore, after everything he's done fer me." He gave another sigh. "But still, I've always wanted a dragon of me own..."
While Hagrid and Halios was talking, Hermione was thinking furiously.
"Hagrid, do you know how long it will be before the egg hatches?" she asked.
"More than a week, but no longer than two, I think."
"Do you know anyone who could possibly help you with this?"
Hagrid sat quiet for a while, thinking. "Well..." he began. "I think one o' the Weasleys work with dragons, but I don't know which..."
At this point, Neville spoke up. "Then we should ask the twins. I bet they can help us."
"Good idea, Neville." Seren said. "What do you think, Hagrid?"
"I think... that is the best thing to do." Hagrid said with a sad voice.
"Don' be too sad, Hagrid." Halios said, patting the giant mans arm. "You will most likely be able to see the egg hatch, and while you can't keep the dragon, you can take solace in that it will grow up together with others of its species."
"And," she continued. "I'll ask my father if we can get you a pet that isn't illegal to have, but is still one of a kind."
Hagrids mood improved after that, and soon they said their goodbyes and left to find the Weasley Twins.
It took them until dinner before they found the twins, but after that, they were able to speak to them. The twins confirmed that their older brother, Charlie, was a handler at a Dragon Reserve in Romania. They promised to contact him, and to do so in secret, as they too liked Hagrid.
The rest of the week passed mostly uneventful, except Halios noticing the darkness she felt coming from Professor Quirrell becoming more pronounced. She decided to have her familiar track him.
Flashback.
Halios entered the room were his Mother and Father sat and listened on their followers prayers.
"Mother, Father..?"
"Yes, Halios?" Meridia said.
"I have created a Familiar, and I would like to introduce it to both of you."
"Well then, son! Show us what you have." Sheogorath said with a loopsided grin.
Halios held out a hand, and a shadow left from beneath his cloth, sliding down his arm and gathering in his hand like a liquid.
"Somehow, I have created a sentient shadow. I can see what it sees if I concentrate, communicate with it telepathically, and it can hide in other shadows without being found by any means." Halios smiled at his parents. "I will call it, Vonun*."
Flashback end.
After telling Vonun to hide in the Professors robes, she used it to track him. What she learned wasn't very nice. Apparently, the dark wizard her Father had saved her from had survived as a wraith, and was now inhabiting the Professors head. Add to that a magical artefact that was hidden in the corridor on the third floor which had the power to return said dark wizard to a body of his own...
Well, her school year had just become a lot harder.
The next Wednesday, the twins returned with the answer from their brother. He, and a group of dragon handlers, could be at Hogwarts in three weeks and pick up either the egg or the newly hatched dragon. According to him, from the description of the egg they had sent, it was most likely a Norwegian Ridgeback. He also sent a potion that would put the dragon to sleep without harming it if the egg had hatched before they arrived. They just had to put if in together with the dragons food, and they would be set.
Together with the twins, they went down to Hagrids hut to give him the news. Once Hagrid learned that he would most likely be able to watch the egg hatch, he felt a bit better. And when he learned that the dragon inside the egg was most likely a Norwegian Ridgeback, he decided to call the dragon Norbert.
I'm sorry about this chapter being shorter than normal, but this was a good place to end on.
*Vonun means Hidden, or unseen, in the Elder Scrolls dragon language.
Next chapter will be the birth and farewell to Norbert, plus the trip into the Forbidden Forest. Until then.
-Baleygr
