Chapter 14: Norbert The Norwegian Ridgeback

"What's this one named?" Sirius asked having forgotten about the nerves question last chapter.

Charlie turned and paled.

"That bad?" Molly gasped.

"Norbert" Charlie said shifting a bit uncomfortably as he recalled the role he himself played. He decided to avoid stating the rest of the title so that the other adults won't blow their tops just yet.

The trio tensed with recognition and gulped.

"Sounds like a Hagrid pet" Remus mused. "Not as bad as Fluffy though."

"What's this one?" Bill asked "A Chimera?"

"No. If it was a Chimera, it would be named Twinkle" Charlie joked.

Ron, Harry, and Hermione exchanged a look. Why was Charlie joking around when he was involved?

"Wish we hadn't now" Harry muttered.

"You're not six hundred years old" Sirius told the girl.

"The same thing that got into me Hermione. You made friends with trouble-makers." Remus said.

"What IS he doing in the library?" Sirius asked.

"In a way, you did" Flitwick muttered.

Snape rose an eyebrow. Lily had done the same thing when the Marauders researched werewolves.

"Why would he want…" Remus started to ask before it fell into place. The title of the chapter, the books on dragons, Hagrid's earlier statement about always wanting a dragon, the shiftiness of the trio. "He didn't!"

"He didn't what?" McGonagall asked.

"Keep reading Charlie. I pray that I'm wrong" Remus said.

"Yes there are!" Charlie declared.

"Is Hagrid having a cold flash?" Sirius asked.

McGonagall slapped her forehead knowing the two ways to get Hagrid to talk: flattery and drinks.

"So was Quirrell" Harry muttered.

"WHAT!?" everyone except those that knew and Dumbledore exclaimed.

"And with those books…" Sirius gasped before crossing his fingers and chanting. "PLEASE let it have been misidentified. PLEASE let it have been misidentified.."

"If it's what I think it is, so would I" Remus sighed.

"I wouldn't mind one these days with my status" Sirius admitted.

"Then why are you hoping it's not a dragon?" Harry asked.

"Because I don't want my 11 year old godson who JUST re-entered the magical world near one" Sirius said. "Besides, just because I want one now, doesn't mean I'm going to let YOU near it."

Molly raised an eyebrow at just how responsible Sirius was acting…in a weird way.

"Wait a minute!" McGonagall realized before turning to the trio. "You mean to tell me that Mr. Malfoy was telling me the TRUTH?!"

"It's explained…hopefully" Harry said sheepishly.

"Charlie. You don't seemed too excited about this chapter" Bill pointed out suspiciously.

Charlie just continued.

"I wouldn't let anything happen" Dumbledore assured the trio. "Had this been brought to my attention, I would have sent the dragon to a reserve and nobody would need to know it was on Hogwarts' ground. Should anyone find out, I would explain that it was sent to Hagrid as a gift anonymously."

"I wonder that EVERY day" Harry sighed.

"With my job, every year for a week" Charlie answered.

"Aww. Cutie" Charlie cooed.

"You sound like Hagrid" Ron told his brother.

Once again, McGonagall slapped her forehead as Sirius and Remus exchanged disturbed looks.

"He's finally cracked" The twins chorused.

"Now you're getting your Weasleys mixed up?" Fred asked as Charlie gulped quietly.

"WHAT!?" Molly exploded. "Charles Septimus Weasley! Do NOT tell me YOU got involved in this mess!"

"Okay. Where as I disagree with dragons being the most horrible animal…"

"That's changed" Ron said thinking of Aragog.

"What can be worse than a dragon?" Arthur asked.

"You'll see" Ron said "Continue Charlie."

"You REALLY should have gone straight to Pomfrey" Charlie said not really wanting to say in front of his mother that Ridgebacks are poisonous.

Charlie avoided eye contact with everyone.

Molly gasped.

"I'm FINE Mum" Ron told her. "Norbert was too young to do much damage."

"It's true Mum" Charlie said. "The venom isn't deadly until the Ridgeback is six months."

"Ron!" the twins chorused.

"Teddy won't last long" Ginny muttered.

"Smart move" Remus said.

Snape snorted at the recollection. When he had been woken up that night, he had thought that Malfoy was lying.

"Hermione!/Miss. Granger!" Molly and the Professors exclaimed.

"That's another we corrupted!" George cheered as Fred hugged the girl.

"Don't ask that!" Sirius exclaimed.

The four pranksters slapped their foreheads.

"The prank, or whatever it is, isn't over until you are back in the common room" Sirius informed his godson.

"Where was this information May of my first year?" Harry asked.

"Um…Now that it's revealed that I was involved, I can give you three an update on the Ridgeback."

"Might as well" Harry sighed not feeling particularly fond of the dragon at the present moment.

"It's been re-named to Norberta" Charlie said.

"NORBERT'S A GIRL!?" everyone except Dumbledore chorused.

"Yeah" Charlie said.

"How can you tell?" Hermione asked.

"Females are more aggressive."

"That explains so much" Fred said.

"I think it might be true for humans" George added.

"Either that or redheads" Harry whispered to Sirius very quietly while thinking of the differences between Arthur and Molly or even Ginny vs. her brothers.

"I'll read next" Remus said.