I know this is unusual for me to write at the beginning of the chapter, but I would just like to say a HUGE shoutout to my friend and editor, Riya, who has helped me through HUGE amounts of writers block and brought this chapter to you guys. Chapters may be a bit slow for a short amount of time, as I will be doing my end of year school exams and such, but do not fear, she is not giving up writing (that's me, talking about myself in third person). Yeah. Hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it :)
A few days passed after Hiccup's staged attack in the Great Hall, three to be exact. The wizards gave him a wide berth, afraid that if they said anything, the dragon would launch its attack on them. Of course, they didn't really know that Toothless was Hiccup's best friend; they still thought the dragon had actually attacked the small one legged Viking.
Hiccup stood on the balcony, overlooking the courtyard of the school. He hadn't been back to see the dragons yet, but his friends had. They had told Hiccup of the crazy yet funny things Razor Neck persisted on doing. Apparently he acted as though he missed his trainer. Toothless was furious because he didn't want Hiccup anywhere near the dragons, or the wizards, for that matter, but he had little to no say in the matter. Especially since Harry knew about the dragons, he'd been coming up to visit Hiccup and Toothless with his two friends.
Toothless lay on the floor of the balcony, basking happily in the sun. Hiccup watched him for a moment, before looking back out at the courtyard. There wasn't anything in particular he was looking at, but he didn't want to be inside the room either.
The time they'd spent there felt like forever, not at all like five weeks. No, it felt more like a year. More than enough time, Hiccup thought bitterly. He'd been asked to stay, however, much to his great displeasure. He'd agreed, and now he had to deal with the repercussions of his decisions. But if it meant saving the lives of all those innocent dragons, his annoyance would have to be dealt with.
Hiccup stared at the ground for a moment, staring but not processing. It wasn't until it started waving at him that he blinked and focused. Down on the ground were his three new friends, Harry, Hermione and Ron. They could see him apparently, or they just knew that he would be up there.
He smiled as he waved back, knowing they would only be able to see the wave and not the smile. If they could see the wave at all, that is.
Toothless perked up and leaned over the railings, his body stretching like a cat. He glared at the trio before sliding back onto the ground. Hiccup smiled and lowered himself, sitting with the dragon. Toothless placed his large head in Hiccup's lap and looked up at him with his green eyes.
Hiccup smiled and gave the dragon a scratch behind the ears. Toothless mumbled appreciatively and moved closer, to give him better access. Hiccup laughed and tackled the dragon into a hug. Toothless grumbled and looked at Hiccup, now around his neck. Hiccup gave him a look, telling Toothless he should get used to it. The dragon glared and flopped his head back to the ground, forcing Hiccup to shift so he wasn't squashed.
There was a rap at the door and Hiccup stiffened. None of his friends knocked, not even the wizard ones. Which could really only mean one thing. He glanced at Toothless before standing up and walking into the living area.
Three wizards walked into the room. Dumbledore was flanked with Professor Moody and Professor Snape. Hiccup smiled gingerly in greeting, really not wanting them in the room.
"Are you the only one in here?" Dumbledore asked sceptically.
Hiccup shook his head. Toothless appeared behind him and the teachers took a cautious step back. Hiccup looked to Toothless and found out why: the Night Fury was making a vicious face towards the enemy. Hiccup didn't feel inclined to tell him off, since he was protecting him.
"Of course not," Hiccup said.
Dumbledore nodded slowly. He paused, looking at the dragon beside Hiccup. "Have you been down to help with the dragons recently?" he asked.
Hiccup shrugged. "It's not a necessity to be around dragons all the time." he said.
Professor Snape gave him a disapproving look and gestured to the dragon beside him. "Yet you bring this thing with you everywhere you go." His voice was cool, calm, but harsh. Hiccup hadn't heard it before, and he would have been fine continuing that way.
Toothless bared his teeth slightly and growled. Hiccup put his hand up. "He's right, bud, but you're a nice dragon." The dragon held his head proudly and smugly, giving the wizards a dirty look.
Dumbledore stepped forward, disregarding the immediate danger he was putting himself in by being near the dragon. Toothless glared at him, but did nothing. "Young man, are you aware of a treaty?" he asked. This was the first time he hadn't used harsh, demanding words, and Hiccup grew curious.
Hiccup shook his head slowly, sharing a confused look with Toothless. "I know what a treaty is...of course, we have to have one with practically every other tribe out there..." he trailed off. He knew – he wasn't completely out of the era – but that didn't mean he knew which treaty these people were talking about.
Moody stepped forward and moved his walking stick. Again, his eye never left the dragon. He pulled out a piece of paper from his cloak and tossed it to Hiccup. Hiccup fumbled for the paper, but it eventually dropped to the floor.
Toothless laughed at his poor reflexes for a moment, before returning to watch the wizards warily. Hiccup rolled his eyes and opened the folded paper. He read the first few words and paled.
ALIANCE OF THE BERK TRIBE AND LORD VOLDEMORT
Signed by Chief Haddock and Lord Voldemort
THIS OATH IS SWORN AND SHALL NOT BECOME INVALID AS LONG AS EITHER SHALL LIVE
THIS AGREEMENT ENTAILS:
Lord Voldemort is willing to help with the dragon pest situation that plagues the Vikings of Berk. In return for his services, the Berk tribe will assist Lord Voldemort in the attacks against wizards.
Hiccup stared at the words in shock. Fortunately, the chief who had signed it was his grandfather, Chief Haddock. But was it still in effect? And who was this Voldemort whom the letter spoke of? So many questions rolled through his head. Obviously the treaty didn't work. While the Vikings may have held up their part of the deal, this 'Voldemort' did not, for the dragons were still an issue when Hiccup was born.
Dumbledore watched Hiccup's face carefully, waiting for any emotion which would give him away. Hiccup quickly adopted a blank expression, then showed the letter to Toothless. Hiccup heard scoffs and laughs from the three people, but Toothless glared at the paper instead. Hiccup predicted it had something to do with the 'dragon issue'.
"It's not still valid, though," Hiccup said eventually.
Dumbledore nodded. "No, that is what I had hoped. But it would only be confirmed by you saying so," he said evasively.
Hiccup rolled his eyes. "Right. Because my grandfather whom I've never met would have told me. Yeah, right."
"Hiccup, your father would have known this," Dumbledore said.
He turned his gaze cool and careless. "Look, you startled him enough when you told him you were a wizard. I doubt he would have been so surprised if he knew about this." Hiccup was starting to become woozy, the idea of killing a person was horrible. Killing a dragon was one thing, but killing a person...
Professor Moody frowned. "Then you have no intent to keep this treaty?" he asked. Hiccup glanced at him and shook his head, giving him the 'duh' look.
"It was obvious...to me...that Haddock signed this to get rid of the dragon issue, and possibly to destroy buildings. However, none of the Haddocks, or any of the Vikings for that matter, would willingly sign up to kill people." He was disgusted. Toothless agreed with what he was saying.
Before another word was said, a familiar craw came from the window. Hiccup looked up as a blue and red dragon flew in. Her rider sat upright in the saddle and was staring intently at Hiccup. She glanced at the wizards and contemplated blowing them up.
"Astrid, perfect timing. You might want to stay up there," Hiccup said, his anger showing through his voice.
Astrid looked at the wizards angrily. "What are you doing here?" she demanded.
Hiccup reached up and gave her the piece of paper. She read it quickly and frowned, then looked at Hiccup. "They wouldn't do this, Hiccup. Your grandfather was a good person," she said.
"Astrid, he signed the paper." Hiccup pointed to the signature. Though muffled and inky, it was there. The clear Haddock crest. His family had signed a death warrant.
Professor Moody gave the two Vikings a glance, a calculating one. Dumbledore nodded, his suspicions apparently confirmed, whilst Snape just watched them with evil eyes. Hiccup didn't feel a strong need to talk to him. Ever.
"Isn't the fact that we had no idea about this contract enough to confirm that we had nothing to do with it?" Astrid asked hotly. She'd caught onto what Hiccup had already thought.
Dumbledore nodded slowly. "That may be so, but we still need to check that it no longer stands," he said.
Professor Moody cast Dumbledore a sceptical glance before a small smirk landed on his face. Just as it came, it vanished, leaving Hiccup and Astrid both confused. Surely they hadn't seen it.
Hiccup felt his gaze turn sour. Toothless hissed quietly at the wizards, Stormfly doing the same. "How are we supposed to know? We haven't even heard of it."
Astrid nodded in agreement. She was getting angry, and Hiccup knew that he wouldn't be able to stop her. Nothing could once she got going, not even her own dragon.
"Even if the contract is still in place, we wouldn't abide by it," Hiccup said firmly.
Professor Moody chuckled. "But you wouldn't have a choice. As long as either party lives, you can't back out. Your lovely grandfather signed this for you."
Astrid sent Hiccup a glance. It was one of confusion, and she had every right to be. "But Haddock is dead," she said, her confusion showing in her voice.
Moody scowled for a moment, before regaining his composure. Dumbledore nodded. "And you have no intention of signing the paper again, should he return?" he asked.
Hiccup and Astrid both shook their heads. The dragons agreed as well. "Of course not. This 'Voldemort' threatened to kill the dragons. We're not going to let that happen," Astrid said, giving a pointed look to Dumbledore, something he himself had done to Hiccup.
Dumbledore let out a small sigh, admitting to his wrong doings, but still kept his gaze firm. No weaknesses, apparently. No feelings, either, Hiccup thought bitterly. "That's all fine then. I shouldn't have to bother you again for a while."
He and Professor Snape left the room. Moody stared at the Vikings for a moment, waiting for Dumbledore to leave. "Are you sure you won't reconsider?" he asked. The way he said it, it was as though he wanted him to sign it.
Hiccup shook his head firmly. "Of course not."
Moody nodded turned. Just as he was about to walk through the door, his hand lingered on the frame and he half turned his head. "We'll see about that," he muttered. Hiccup wasn't sure he'd heard him right.
Toothless growled, confirming Hiccup's suspicions. The Night Fury leapt towards the door and the professor hurried out, not wanting to be near the dragon. Hiccup rolled his eyes and called his friend back. Toothless hissed once more at the closed door before bouncing back over to Hiccup.
Hiccup sighed heavily and looked at his best friend worriedly. The dragon sat up straight, wings relaxed, eyes watching Hiccup curiously. The simple gesture made Hiccup forget his worries for the moment and smile. Toothless tried again to imitate his smile, which didn't work although Hiccup would never tell him that.
Astrid hopped down from her dragon and wrapped an arm around Hiccup, pulling him into a much needed hug. He sighed again, feeling quite stressed with the situation. Astrid pulled back and smiled. "You know there's nothing they can do to make us fight people," she said.
Hiccup looked down as he nodded. "Astrid, what if they do? What would happen then?"
Astrid put her hand under Hiccup's chin and gave a firm look to him. "We don't," she said firmly.
He smiled at her, silently thanking her for her help. She grinned and leaned briefly into Hiccup. She gave him another hug, before looking at him with determination. "Come on, then, you've been missing out on the dragons lately. You'll love what the Nadder's been doing," she said, a gleam in her blue eyes.
Hiccup grinned. "Dug a hole?" he asked, humour lacing his words.
She nodded, smiling hugely. Hiccup chuckled. "It's hilarious. The keepers have no idea of what to make of it. Priceless." She grinned.
Hiccup laughed. "Yeah, that does sound like Stringlove. She never could stay in one place without digging." He nodded.
They laughed together for another moment before Hiccup saddled Toothless and they flew out the window. Despite his hesitation, they headed towards the Forbidden Forest, and the dragons. Hopefully the dragon keepers had come to their senses and wouldn't make a scene about Hiccup's return. They were annoying enough without adding more taunting to the mix.
Harry stared at his hands at the lunch table. He had a test in the next class, Transfiguration – something he wasn't looking forward to. He just wanted to be practising Quidditch, something he enjoyed more than anything, which wouldn't be happening this year because of the Tournament. He sighed and looked at his two friends. The Vikings hadn't shown, but they rarely did at lunch. It would be more surprising if they didn't show at dinner.
"You alright, Harry?" Ron asked lightly, munching on some food from the table.
The boy nodded. "Just thinking about the test."
Hermione smiled. "You'll be fine, Harry. You've studied," she said positively.
He sent her a grateful smile and she grinned.
"Professor McGonagall is surely going to give you extra marks for doing great with your Task anyway," Ron said.
"It doesn't work that way, Ron," Hermione said, scolding.
Ron shrugged. "It might."
Harry rolled his eyes. "I really don't care, you guys," he said.
The other two wizards glared at each other before turning back to Harry. They decided changing the topic was probably the best idea, considering they were all a little stressed about the test.
"Did you guys see the dragon outside last night?" Ron asked excitedly, immediately jumping to dragons. Of course, Harry thought, rolling his eyes.
Hermione nodded. "It was Toothless. I bet you it was. That's the time Hiccup usually takes him outside," she replied.
Harry hadn't seen the dragon, but he'd heard it. "I do believe it was Hiccup's dragon as well. I heard the wing sounds."
Ron laughed. "It is quite a distinct sound," he agreed.
They started laughing for a second. "How is the dragon supposed to be stealthy if the wings let you know when he's close by?" Hermione asked, incredulous.
Harry laughed. "Maybe that's the point. According to Hiccup, Toothless is a dangerous dragon. Maybe it's to instil fear in those near it."
Ron snickered. "Not just Hiccup, Harry. The Night Fury is the most lethal dragon in the known universe. Some say it's the unholy offspring of Lightning and Death itself," he said smugly.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "You don't believe everything Hiccup tells you, do you? I bet the Horntail Harry fought was stronger than his little pet."
Ron faked a gasp. "You wound me," he grinned.
Harry laughed. "I don't think the dragon is all that, Ron. He didn't look as though he could even fight Hiccup."
Hermione nodded, agreeing. "He's right, Ron. Night Fury may be his species, but he's nothing tough."
Ron shook his head, smiling. "I bet you I'm right. I bet you two galleons in a fight Toothless will come out on top."
"You're on," Harry said, grinning. A bet was a fabulous idea.
Hermione shook her head, a smile playing on her face. "Fine," she agreed.
Neville Longbottom joined in the conversation, as did Seamus Finnigan. "What are ye talking abot?" Seamus asked.
"The Night Fury," Ron explained lightly.
Neville sucked in a breath. "That dragon? I never want to see it again," he said.
"What's so bad about it?" Harry asked.
Seamus rolled his eyes. "Neville thinks he saw it sneaking around the Gryffindor common room. Mind, I went down and saw nothing."
"It was there, I saw it," Neville muttered angrily.
Hermione nodded slowly. "Was the window open?" she asked.
Neville and Seamus both nodded. "Yeah, we forgot to close it for the night," Seamus said. They must have been the last in the room, Harry thought.
Hermione looked calculating. "It is possible that what you saw was him. He is a black dragon, after all," she said, more to herself than to the others.
Neville shivered. "It creped me out. I don't want to see it again." He was easily spooked.
Lunch ended and the Gryffindor group headed towards their Transfiguration class. They didn't want to be late, having the test and all. They needed to get on their teacher's good side, not that it had ever done much to help before.
Hiccup stared at Razor Neck, silently debating what to do. Toothless sat beside him, watching Hiccup curiously. The larger of the dragons breathed angrily as he watched Hiccup, wanting him to just go away.
The Viking turned around and looked for one of the keepers. He found Kingsley and walked over to him, tapping him lightly on the shoulder, effectively making him jump.
"Ah, Hiccup. Please don't do that." He was startled, it was almost funny to Hiccup. He smiled slightly and looked at Toothless briefly before making up his mind.
"Sorry, Kingsley." Though he wasn't sorry at all. "I need to ask a favour," he said, getting straight to the point.
Kingsley nodded. "Of course. What do you need?"
Hiccup looked over to Razor Neck as he spoke. "Unbreakable rope, something to attach to the dragon and another piece to attach to my saddle."
Kingsley looked sceptically at both Hiccup and Toothless, then to Razor Neck. "You want to let that out of its cage?" he asked, concern etched into his voice. Hiccup wasn't too sure on what he was concerned about, however.
Hiccup nodded. "Yeah. I think Razor Neck would benefit from a fly around in the open sky, Toothless should be able to hold him back as well," he explained.
Kingsley sighed. "Right, I'll see what I can do about it, Hiccup. Give me a moment."
Just like that, the keeper walked off. Hiccup turned back to Toothless and gave him a scratch before heading towards Razor Neck. The dragon crowed at him, and watched him with an evil glint in his eye. Hiccup smiled and sat on the ground near him, out of reach from anything but fire. Toothless happily sat with him, sending Razor Neck glares every so often.
After some time, Kingsley returned. He tapped Hiccup on the shoulder, effectively stirring him. Hiccup turned and faced Kingsley, who held out three pieces of rope. They looked like normal pieces, ones which they would find on Berk.
"You're sure these will do the trick?" he asked.
Kingsley scoffed. "Please, Hiccup, have some faith." He grinned and headed towards Toothless. He dropped a short piece of rope near him, the longer one somehow connecting itself to the short rope. The other end connected itself to the dragon, without anyone helping it.
The keeper then proceeded to put the last rope near the dangerous dragon. It latched onto Razor Neck's neck and tied tightly. It didn't look like the rope would break easily, giving Hiccup some confidence. The end of the third rope connected itself to the long rope, effectively connecting the small, near black but blue dragon, to the large, spiny, green dragon. Hiccup nodded.
"Thank you, Kingsley," he said.
Kingsley shrugged. "If this will make the dragon not destroy our campsite, I'm all for it."
Hiccup chuckled inwardly. He had no promises – Razor Neck would probably be just as bad around the keepers.
Just as they were about to let Razor Neck out of his cage, Astrid walked over to them. Hiccup noticed her scowl and sighed. She would probably want to go now, or berate him for stupid behaviour. One of the two.
"Hiccup, are you serious?" she yelled.
Hiccup looked down. "Yes. It might be the only way for him to calm down."
She looked furious. "Alone? You could get seriously hurt!"
"I have Toothless," he said in a 'duh' tone.
Astrid frowned, which turned into deeper scowl as her anger grew. "I know, but if he's too busy getting the other dragon, you're going to be on your own."
Toothless growled at her, not liking her tone. She didn't even spare him a glance. Hiccup turned to look at Toothless, then stepped back. "He'd never let anything happen to me, Astrid. You know that," his voice was softer, trying to get her to calm down.
Astrid shook her head. "You're not going on your own," she said firmly. Hiccup sighed. There would be no fighting with her when she was like this.
"Maybe you could ring your own dragon?" he suggested. May as well give some of the other caged dragons some flight.
Astrid shook her head. "Grass Glow is already asleep for the night. I wouldn't want to wake her."
Hiccup nodded. "Alright, come on then. We're leaving now," he said.
Astrid nodded and whistled. Immediately, the Nadder appeared and Astrid mounted her. She grinned and looked to Hiccup, as though to say, 'come on, then, we're waiting for you'. Hiccup grinned and hopped into his own saddle, checking the rope was tied. He nodded to Kingsley, who then preceded to open the cage with a spell.
Immediately Razor Neck charged out the open door and roared loudly, the sound echoing in the forest. He sprinted forwards a few steps, before he noticed the rope around his neck and turned, his piercing gaze shooting straight at Hiccup.
Toothless growled at him, then turned it into a roar. Razor Neck looked down and walked back over to Hiccup, his head down. Toothless nodded to himself, before he spread his wings. Astrid and Stormfly were already in the air, not wanting to be in the clearing when the dragon was released. Razor Neck seemed to get the idea and opened his wings, spreading them apart. In one beat, he was in the air and off the ground. Hiccup watched for a moment before launching Toothless into the sky and shooting above the trees.
The rope was long enough that Toothless' speed didn't have an effect. It allowed the pair to fly at a solid pace, with Toothless stopping every so often when the Horntail got too far back. He wasn't a slow dragon, not by a long shot, but that didn't mean he could keep up with the Night Fury.
Astrid kept up with Hiccup since they weren't flying incredibly fast. She kept a wary eye on the Horntail, making sure he wouldn't do anything rash. Hiccup could tell, by the calm and peaceful look on Razor Neck's face, he was having a pretty pleasant time. He didn't seem to be having any issues, and it didn't look as though he wanted to kill any of them, so that was a start.
The group did a lap of the school and Razor Neck made angry sounds at the people below. Hiccup rolled his eyes and egged him on, urging him to forget the school. Razor Neck didn't seem incredibly happy, but he eventually focused on his flying.
They paused over the Black Lake and Hiccup turned to Astrid. She looked at Razor Neck before looking back at Hiccup. The Horntail waited patiently for Hiccup to make up his mind, taking in the sites from the sky and watching the lake with interest. If Hiccup didn't know any better, he wouldn't have thought the dragon was a pain to train at all. Now he looked like one of the normal dragons they had on Berk, minus the rope attaching the dragon to his own, of course.
"Race?" Hiccup asked, leaning down to look at Toothless. He snorted in agreement, happily watching the lake.
Astrid rolled her eyes. "Hope you can keep up with me," she said.
Hiccup grinned. "Oh, I'm sure we can manage," he taunted.
Razor Neck flew closer to the two other dragons, watching Toothless warily, as though waiting for him to tell him off. Toothless gave him a glance, one Hiccup couldn't quite decipher, but they seemed to form some sort of understanding. Hiccup turned to the dragon and grinned.
"You up for some healthy competition?" he asked. He knew Razor Neck didn't know what he meant, but it didn't matter. None of this mattered. They would win the race, Razor Neck was being civilised, and Astrid was with them. What was the worst that could happen?
Razor Neck snorted and breathed smoke from his nose. Hiccup grinned and faced Astrid. "I think we're ready," he said. As if to confirm, Razor Neck crouched in the air, preparing for instant speed. Hopefully he wasn't too slow, Hiccup thought. He would like to win.
Astrid got in line with the other two dragons and they counted to three together. On three, Toothless, Razor Neck and Stormfly leapt from their standstill and straight into speed. Hiccup leaned forward on his dragon, egging him forwards. They didn't use their full speed, noting that Razor Neck was barely keeping up as it was. They were in front of Astrid, and that was all that really mattered.
Razor Neck breathed heavily, his wings beating furiously, his neck moving up and down to keep his balance, his tail swishing. He was racing his heart out, and apparently enjoying it. He looked as though this was the most fun he'd had in ages. Hiccup grinned and turned back to the front. This was really a speed match between Razor Neck and Stormfly, and they were about level. Astrid didn't look too impressed about it, but she kept her concentration straight ahead, egging her dragon forward.
They rounded a bend in the lake and Razor Neck lost some of his previous speed, trying to catch up. He opened his mouth furiously, his spilt tongue hanging out of the side in concentration, as he lifted his wings and pushed them harder than he had been before. He sped up and nearly shot past Toothless, had he not been paying attention and also picked up the right speed.
Stormfly was just in front now, not even a length. Hiccup grinned and turned back, seeing the sheer determination on the Horntail's face. Toothless curved himself as they rounded another bend. This one didn't cause any effects to their speed, Razor Neck prepared for it. Toothless pushed himself, Razor Neck pushed himself, and Hiccup egged them on. He grinned as Toothless overtook Astrid, with Razor Neck not far behind.
They neared the end of the lake, Hiccup still in front. Now Razor Neck was also in front, not by much, but enough to win. Astrid scowled and crossed the line second. Hiccup sat up straight and held his hands in the air proudly, shouting his winnings. It hadn't really been that hard for him, but still exhilarating. He slowed down and allowed both Toothless and Razor Neck to catch their breath.
Razor Neck seemed in pretty poor condition, his days in the cage having taken an obvious toll on him. Hiccup smiled, his own dragon barely feeling the race. For him, that was more like a warmup. Hiccup would have to come back out later to just let him finish what they'd already started. Perhaps the rest of the team would like the race...
Astrid turned around to Hiccup and grinned. "Nice work there. I see you got a fast one." Stormfly was the second fastest dragon on the team, Toothless being first and Meatlug last, so it was funny to find one which was faster than Stormfly.
"Yeah, he's quite fast," Hiccup agreed.
Razor Neck held his head proudly as his breathing slowed to a regular pace. Flying didn't strain him as much as earlier, and Hiccup smiled, watching the dragon take in his surroundings.
"You want a break, mate?" he asked.
Razor Neck looked at him, cocking his head to the side. Toothless gestured towards the ground. Razor Neck looked slightly panicked for a moment, before realising what he'd meant. They would still be able to fly afterwards. He dropped in the sky, Toothless following suit, then Astrid. They landed on the grand with a thud, the Horntail more than the Night Fury, then Hiccup hopped off his dragon.
Astrid walked over to Hiccup, Stormfly at Toothless and Razor Neck, taking a drink from the lake. "Not bad. I was fully prepared to fight for you," she grinned.
Hiccup rolled his eyes. "He's not that bad. I like Razor Neck, danger and all," Hiccup said firmly. Having worked with him, he'd grown to like him, the danger was just one of his traits. He wouldn't have liked being Toothless' best friend if danger wasn't part of their daily life, so the Horntail wasn't such an issue.
Astrid laughed. "Of course. I like my dragon, too." She was referring to Grass Glow, Hiccup could tell.
"Because she didn't try to kill you the first time you met her."
Astrid grinned. "True." She shrugged. "But neither did yours." She pointed out.
Hiccup nodded, remembering the first time he'd met the Horntail. It had been quite the day, when the dragon seemed angry but had accepted Hiccup, just like that. Now he wasn't such a forthcoming dragon. Oh well, it was nice to have a dragon almost more difficult to train that Toothless. It didn't help that he was in a cage all the time, but the challenge was definitely worth the effort.
"You guys ready to head back soon?" Hiccup asked, attracting the attention of the three dragons.
Razor Neck put his head down, not wanting to go back. Hiccup sighed and walked towards him, ignoring his best friend's warning growl. He stopped near Razor Neck and waited to see if he would attack him. Razor Neck looked too glum to really think about attacking the small Viking.
"Tomorrow, I promise we'll take a longer, more scenic flight. Then we can have another race with the others," Hiccup said, trying to reassure the dragon. Now that he knew how Razor Neck behaved with this sort of thing, he wasn't about to stop doing it. He would get Razor Neck in a fit form, a healthy mindset and maybe he wouldn't try to kill him so often. He didn't know why he hadn't thought of this before.
Astrid walked over to Stormfly and looked at Hiccup. "I'm coming with you," she said.
Hiccup rolled his eyes. "Astrid, he won't hurt me."
Razor Neck nodded, as though to prove he wouldn't. He bent his head and met Hiccup's eye level, breathing deeply through his nose. Hiccup smiled and rested his palm on his tough nose. Razor Neck seemed like one of the calmest dragons in that moment, almost more than Toothless. Hiccup smiled at him, realising there wasn't much difference between the two. In reality, both were protective. Razor Neck just happened to have more anger than Toothless. Of course, Hiccup would never love Razor Neck more than he loved Toothless, it was impossible.
"I think we're going to have a better stay here now, aren't we?" Hiccup asked. Razor Neck made small clucking sounds, agreeing, and stepped back. Hiccup smiled and moved to Toothless, patiently waiting for his rider to come back.
Astrid was already on her dragon, waiting for Hiccup to mount his own. Toothless waited for Razor Neck before the two launched themselves into the air, followed by the Nadder. The three dragons did a slow lap of the school again, this time Razor Neck was able to focus on things other than the students around the school, whom he thought were after him. He saw a bird and tried to chase it, only being called off the chase by a grumbling Night Fury. Hiccup laughed at his pouty face, before Razor Neck was distracted by another few sights.
They flew back over the Forbidden Forest, where they landed in the clearing. Razor Neck stayed placid as Hiccup walked him towards his cage, letting him close the heavy gate by himself. Hiccup struggled with the heavy metal door and was relieved when Toothless helped him. He looked at the two dragons and nodded.
Kingsley walked over to the three and looked at the Horntail, locking the cage. Razor Neck focused on Hiccup, as though thanking him. The keeper wore a surprised look as he inspected Hiccup, as though he was expecting wounds.
"What? Surprised he didn't hurt me?" Hiccup asked, his tone light, even though the number of suspicions that surrounded these wizards annoyed him.
Kingsley nodded slowly. "Well, yeah. I expected at least one bruise," he admitted.
Hiccup laughed. "Toothless would have taken the worst of it, stupid dragon," he added the last part affectionately. Toothless grumbled and demanded his attention. Hiccup laughed and scratched the dragon behind his ears, effectively satisfying him.
"Still. Oh well, I'm glad you had fun," he said, though he didn't sound all that glad. Maybe next time he'd have to paint himself to look as though he'd been hurt. Yeah, Toothless would love that, he thought sarcastically.
Hiccup nodded. "Yeah. I'll come back later to give him his dinner, but he's probably hungry from the flight," he said.
Kingsley nodded as Hiccup walked over to collect some fish. Toothless looked eagerly at Hiccup, knowing he'd receive some of the fish. He laughed and shot a piece right into the jaws of the Night Fury, only giving him one before giving some to the Horntail.
Razor Neck hungrily ate the fish, knowing he'd get more later but still eating it as though it was his last meal. Hiccup laughed as he fed the hungry dragon, giving Toothless three and the Horntail more than ten. Toothless stuck his head in the basket, making sad sounds when he realised there weren't any more fish inside. Hiccup laughed at his sullen expression, finding the dragon's mood incredibly funny. Toothless glared at him and walked to the side, staring back up at Razor Neck.
For the first time since Toothless had met the Horntail, there wasn't any anger behind their glares. This time, it was as though they had an agreement, as though they were trying to be nice to each other. Hiccup could tell it was harder for Toothless than it was for Razor Neck. It must have been something about how protective the stupid dragon was.
Hiccup said a farewell to Razor Neck as he hopped back onto his dragon and shot into the sky, heading back into the room. He had learnt something today, and he needed to write it down.
Harry watched the bug in shock as it crumpled in pain. The Cruciatus Curse, Neville had said with horror. He couldn't believe Professor Moody would actually show the students the curses. He'd already been through the Imperius Curse, the first of the three Unforgivable Curses. Harry was sure the Professor wouldn't show the class the last one.
"What's the last of the curses? Granger?" Professor Moody asked, directing his attention to Hermione. He instructed the bug over to Hermione after he'd finished with Neville. The boy sat down, his face aghast with shock, eyes bloodshot. Hermione glared up at Professor Moody, complete disagreeing with his teaching methods.
She bit her tongue, not saying anything. Professor Moody grunted. "Avada Kedavra." This shocked many of the students into silence. Hermione looked away from the now dead bug which sat on one of her books, refusing to acknowledge what had just happened.
The bell rang, signalling the end of the lesson. Harry cheered inwardly, not wanting another second near the dead bug. Of course, he was also thankful his last class for the day was over. He waited patiently for Hermione and Ron to be ready, and they descended the numerous stairs of the tower room.
"Did you see Neville's face? It was just cruel," Hermione whispered as they walked.
Harry offered a small nod in agreement. He couldn't believe what they'd just witnessed. "It's not right." He wasn't just talking about Neville's face, he was also talking about how Professor Moody had just tortured a bug and then killed it in front of students that had horrible personal experiences with them. It went against many of the school morals – they were Unforgivable Curses for a reason.
They walked down the corridor after having descended all the stairs, the headed up to their room. They had a lot of free time now, with some homework that had to be done. Harry sighed as he sank into the chair by the fire place. The fire was warm and comforting after what they'd just witnessed.
Hermione sat in the chair next to him, Ron on the other side. They looked sad, with empty expressions. Harry knew he didn't look any different. Apparently, witnessing a professor perform the Unforgivable Curses in front of you didn't do much for your mood.
"So, what are we doing tonight?" Harry asked, needing to get the lesson off his mind.
Hermione looked at him. "Trying to figure out the egg?" she suggested.
Ron rolled his eyes. "There's nothing to figure out there, Hermione. It's a dud egg."
She glared at him. "It's not a dud, it's just a mystery."
Harry joined in, "Whatever it is, we need to figure it out soon. The second task is next week." Nervous waves ran down his spine at the thought. He wasn't ready for it. He didn't want to have to be ready for it. He didn't want to be in the Tournament. He didn't care about eternal glory and all that. He would be killed before he got the chance to win. Even advanced wizards struggled with this Tournament.
Hermione nodded. "You're right. Let's get to work."
Harry chuckled lightly. Knowing Hermione, she would be in the library until dinner, trying to get some sort of idea. Harry stood up and went over to the egg, eyeing it carefully as though he checking for clues. Nothing jumped out at him, but he knew he would eventually figure it out. Eventually he would prepare for the next task, and eventually he would move up from last place. Maybe then he wouldn't have to worry so much about dying. Yeah, Harry thought. Sounded about right.