AN:

So sorry for the long delay between chapters. A lot has happened this last little while, and I've been crazy busy. The biggest of these happenings is a new job, that will require me to move to a whole new city. I'm excited, but unfortunately, this will keep me very very busy for the foreseeable future.

I'm going to do my best to work on this when I have some spare time, but chapter updates will be very few an far between, until I can get my life figured out. I will *not* abandon this story though, so please just be patient with me. I have way to many plans for this story to abandon it now, including the answer to when Harry will finally become the avatar in truth.

I'm probably going to end year 1 a couple of chapters short. I am still planning on keeping the story in 100 chapters, so I'll just use the extra possible chapters when there's more story to tell.

I hope you guys enjoy the chapter.

Chapter 10, Really Hagrid? Really?

After Christmas, Harry first year at Hogwarts passed very quickly in his point of view. He studied, had a quidditch match in February that ended in a rather short victory for Gryffindor, and he started to prepare for exams that June.

One rather nice day in April while researching for a particularly difficult essay on Antidotes for Professor Snape, he ran in to a rather suspicious looking Hagrid.

"Hey Hagrid. I don't often see you in the library," said Harry.

"You would know too wouldn't you Arry. Don't see ya doin much else but studyin," said Hagrid.

"You're right, but thee's just so much to learn, and I've never been able to do that before. I didn't have it as good before Hogwarts, but now that I do, I'm taking full advantage of it while I can."

While Harry was talking, he saw out of the corner of his eye Hagrid try to fit a rather large green covered book in to his pocket.

"What's that on Hagrid?" asked Harry.

"Well … it's … umm … well … it's nothin, just a bit of lite readin," said Hagrid very unconvincingly.

"Well enjoy," said Harry.

"Will do, see ya Arry," said Hagrid.

After Hagrid had left, Harry followed the rather large muddy footprints, and found out that Hagrid was interested in reading about dragons. He remembered his large friend going on and on about how awesome and beautiful dragons were, and how much he'd really really really really really love to own one. Harry had done some reading out of curiosity, and learned that dragons were very large, very dangerous, and had been illegal for centuries. He went back to his table to finish up his essay, and to make a plan. He really didn't want to see his rather large friend get in trouble.

Just before dinner, Harry went down to Hagrid's cabin. Knocking on the door, he was soon wiping his face. The cabbie was quite warm.

"Hagrid, can we open a window or something in here? It's rather hot," said Harry.

"Sorry Arry, no can do," said Hagrid bringing a rather large and hot cup of tea over for Harry. "Now Arry, wha did you be wantin ter talk ter me abou?"

"Please please please tell me you're not getting a dragon," he said.

"Oh," said Hagrid. "Yer saw the book did ya?"

"I followed your foot prints in to the section on dragons," said Harry. "I'm sorry for being nosy Hagrid, but I don't want to see you get kicked out for having a dragon."

"Yer hearts in a good place Arry, but I kinda already got one," and to Harry's dismay, he went over to the fire and used a pair of tongs to turn over a large black egg.

"Oh Hagrid," said Harry. "What were you thinking? They're illegal, dangerous, and in case you haven't noticed, your wooden cabbing is rather flammable."

"I no Arry, but I got a good deal on it ya see. I was playin a game of cards in the pub, and I won it from this Irish chappy. Ya see, e was real innerested wha I did ere at Ogwarts, and so we got ter chattin. E said tha e ad a dragon egg, and tha e would give it ter me if I beat im at cards. I won, and so the egg was mine. I know I wasn't thinkin right, I think I ad to much fire whiskey."

"You must have!" said Harry. What's next, a three headed dog?"

"Wha's tha?" said Hagrid. "Ow do yer know abou Fluffy?"

"Bloody hell! Weasley was right, there is a Cerberus here at Hogwarts. What next?"

Harry told Hagrid about Ron Weasley's night out of bed. Hagrid of course was thankful that most people thought Ron was telling tales and that people didn't believe him.

"So now we have to deal with this dragon, before it blows up your house," said Harry. "I know it's going to hurt Hagrid, but you'll have to give it up. You can't keep it."

"I've been thinkin on tha, and I might ave an Idear. THere's this real nice bloke I used to talk with. Is name was Charley Weasley, and I think e might be able ter help. E works with dragons in Romania, maybe we could send im a letter?"

"That Hagrid is the best idea you've had all day," said Harry. "My owl familiar Hedwig would be more than happy to take the letter."

Hagrid's thanks were very enthusiastic and loud. Harry got out a bit of parchment and a quill, and they worked together and came up with a letter.

Dear Charley.

A rather large mutual friend of ours has come in to possession of a rather illegal object that you might be familiar with. This object will soon hatch, and would be rather dangerous for our mutual friend's health and career. If you could send any advice or assistance, it would be greatly appreciated.

Sincerely yours,

Harry Potter

Harry swore under his breath, when he realized that he had missed dinner, and that it was almost curfew. He was happy though that digging in his bag, he found his invisibility cloak. He was soon back up in his warm quarters, and attaching his letter to Charley Weasley to Hedwig's leg.

"This needs to go to Charley Weasley in Romania Hedwig. Be careful though, he works on a dragon reserve, and I'd feel terrible if you were harmed by a dragon."

Hedwig nibbled Harry's hand affectionately, and set off from her perch in Harry's study.

One week later, Harry looked up from a plate of breakfast to see his familiar returning to him, a letter tied to her leg. Untying the letter, feeding Hedwig some bacon, and scratching her affectionately behind her head, Harry stuffed the envelope in to his pocket for later.

"Hagrid, Charley wrote back," said Harry barging in to Hagrid's cabin.

"Oh good. I think e's startin ter atch," said Hagrid, pointing to the now wobbling dragon egg he had sitting on his table.

"Oh joy," said Harry under his breath as he pulled out the letter.

Dear Harry and Hagrid.

Seriously, Hagrid, what the hell were you thinking! Dragons are super dangerous, even when they're young! Bloody bloody hells!

Still, we need to do something about it, and I do owe you a favour after you got me out of that rather dangerous situation in the forbidden forest in my fish year.

This is what we're going to do.

You and Harry are going to get the egg or hatchling up to the Astronomy tower on the 15th at midnight. A fried or two and I will meet you there.

See you then,

Charley Weasley, Senior Dragoner.

"That's tomorrow night," said Harry after they'd both read the letter several times.

"Okay Arry, I'll see wha I can do ter make im comfee for is trip," said Hagrid sadly.

"Seriously Hagrid, Charley is right. I still think your crazy for wanting a pet dragon. However, you're doing to right thing sending it to where it'll be happy, and be with it's own kind," said Harry patting Hagrid's shoulder comfortingly.

Just then, the egg made a loud cracking sound, and began to split down the middle. Soon, Hagrid's table was covered in a rather large amount of liquid, and bits of shattered egg shell. The baby dragon was rather ugly and frail looking. It was black, with quite tipped spines all over it's body, and had rather tattered looking leathery wings, that glopped about uselessly as the dragon cleans up the egg shell enthusiastically from Hagrid's table.

Harry soon left, after the baby dragon began shooting small flames out of it's mouth. As he walked back to the castle, he thought about the necessary equipment he'd need to bring to the meeting on the Astronomy tower the next evening.

AN2

There you go gentle beings, the second last chapter for year 1.

I'll do my best to get the final chapter for this year out by the end of December, but no promises.

BTW, Hagrid's terrible grammar makes my spell checker sad lol.