Chapter 8: A Friend Like Hagrid

As the light of the ritual dimmed, the quiet by the lake returned, broken only by the gentle rustle of the breeze and the lapping of the water. Harry glanced at Daphne, the sense of unity he felt still lingering. He wasn't entirely sure what the ritual had done, but for once in his life, he didn't feel alone. He wasn't sure how to describe it, but being near Daphne felt right, almost as if they were connected in some unexplainable way.

Daphne's voice cut through his thoughts. "That was… interesting. I think we'll need to keep track of how this affects us."

Harry nodded. "Yeah, we'll figure it out. Together."

After a moment, he turned toward her, a hesitant smile tugging at his lips. "I, uh, was wondering if you'd like to meet my very first friend."

Daphne raised a brow, already suspicious. "You mean Granger or Weasley?"

Harry shook his head. "No, someone else. Hagrid. He's the groundskeeper—huge bloke, can be a bit odd, but he's brilliant. He's the first person who treated me like I was… me."

Daphne's lips thinned. "The half-giant?"

Harry tensed slightly at the term, though Daphne didn't say it cruelly. She seemed to be mulling it over.

"He's not like anyone else you'll meet," Harry said quickly. "And I know it's not your usual crowd, but he's… well, he's important to me."

Daphne sighed, crossing her arms. She didn't particularly like the idea of wandering off to meet someone she didn't know. Still, there was a certain softness in Harry's eyes when he mentioned this Hagrid that gave her pause.

"All right," she said at last. "But if this turns out to be some ridiculous Gryffindor bonding exercise, I'm hexing you."

Harry grinned. "Fair enough."

The walk to Hagrid's hut was quiet, though Daphne's thoughts were anything but. The soul-bonding ritual she'd performed with Harry still lingered in her mind, its aftereffects like a whisper in her chest. She felt a pull to Harry now, a connection she hadn't expected and wasn't entirely sure how to explain. Still, she chose to set it aside for the moment.

When they arrived at Hagrid's hut, Harry knocked on the wooden door, which swung open almost immediately.

"'Arry!" Hagrid beamed, his face lighting up. "Good ter see yeh!" His gaze shifted to Daphne, his expression softening with curiosity. "And who's this then?"

"Daphne," Harry introduced, stepping aside. "She's my friend."

Daphne gave a small, polite smile. "It's nice to meet you, Hagrid. Harry's told me a lot about you."

Hagrid's grin grew even wider. "Well, any friend o' Harry's is more than welcome. Come in, come in!"

They stepped inside, and Daphne took in the cluttered interior of the hut. It smelled faintly of wood smoke and something earthy. Her eyes lingered on the massive crossbow leaning against the wall, the jars of peculiar creatures, and the enormous dog snoozing by the hearth.

"You've got a fascinating place," Daphne said honestly, taking a seat in one of the oversized chairs.

Hagrid chuckled, clearly pleased. "Thank yeh, miss. Bit o' a mess, but it's home."

As they settled in, Harry began chatting with Hagrid about life at Hogwarts. Daphne listened quietly, observing the warmth between the two. It was clear that Hagrid genuinely cared about Harry, and for some reason, that put her more at ease.

Then, her eyes caught something—a large, black object resting near the hearth. It rattled slightly, drawing her attention.

"What's that?" she asked, nodding toward it.

Hagrid's expression faltered, his hands fidgeting nervously. "Er—nothin'. Just a little somethin' I'm lookin' after."

Daphne arched an eyebrow. "That 'something' wouldn't happen to be highly illegal, would it?"

Harry snorted, giving her an amused look. "It's Hagrid. Of course it's illegal."

Hagrid sighed, clearly unable to keep the secret any longer. "Alright, yeh caught me. It's a dragon egg."

Daphne's jaw dropped slightly. "A dragon egg? Hagrid, you can't be serious."

"Serious as can be," Hagrid said proudly. "Got it off a bloke down in the pub. Been keepin' it warm, waitin' fer it to hatch."

As if on cue, the egg gave a sharp crack. All three of them froze, staring at it.

"It's hatchin'!" Hagrid exclaimed, dropping to his knees by the hearth.

The shell began to splinter, tiny pieces falling away to reveal a wriggling creature. A baby dragon emerged, its scales glistening like black diamonds in the firelight. It let out a high-pitched squeal, its wings twitching as it adjusted to the world.

Hagrid's face was alight with wonder. "Ain't he beautiful?"

Harry grinned. "He's amazing."

Daphne leaned closer, her initial skepticism melting away as she studied the dragon. "I'll admit, he's… impressive. But, Hagrid, you can't possibly think you can keep him. The Ministry—"

"I know, I know," Hagrid said quickly, his gaze never leaving the dragon. "But I'll figure somethin' out. Just look at him! He's perfect."

Before Daphne could respond, a shadow flickered at the window. She stiffened, her hand instinctively reaching for her wand.

"Someone's outside," she whispered.

Harry turned toward the window, just in time to catch a glimpse of blond hair disappearing into the distance.

"Malfoy," Harry muttered, his jaw tightening.

Daphne's lips pressed into a thin line. "He was watching us."

Hagrid groaned, cradling the baby dragon closer to his chest. "This is bad. If he tells the wrong people—"

"He'll run straight to McGonagall," Daphne said, rising from her seat. "We need to get ahead of this, Harry. Come on!" Daphne urged, grabbing Harry by the arm and pulling him toward the door.

Hagrid called after them, clutching the dragon protectively. "Don't let 'em take my Norbert

!"

"We'll try!" Harry shouted over his shoulder as they sprinted toward the castle. The cold night air bit at their skin as they raced across the grounds, the distant silhouette of the castle growing larger with each step.

"Malfoy's going to love this," Daphne muttered, her tone sharp. "He'll spin it to make himself look like the hero."

Harry's jaw tightened. "McGonagall's fair. She won't take his word at face value."

Daphne glanced at him sideways, her expression grim. "Let's hope you're right."

As they reached the castle doors, Harry's stomach sank. Professor McGonagall stood waiting for them in the entrance hall, her lips pressed into a thin line. Malfoy stood smugly behind her, his arms crossed and his expression triumphant.

"Well, well," Malfoy drawled, his voice dripping with mockery. "Caught red-handed, Potter."

Daphne stiffened, her eyes narrowing dangerously. "Shut up, Malfoy."

"That's enough," McGonagall snapped, her sharp tone cutting through the tension. She turned her piercing gaze on Harry and Daphne. "Would either of you care to explain why you were outside at this hour? And what exactly you were doing at Hagrid's hut?"

Harry hesitated, glancing at Daphne for support.

Daphne stepped forward, her voice steady. "Professor, we were visiting Hagrid because he's a friend. That's all."

"Really?" Malfoy interjected, unable to contain himself. "Because I saw you gawking at a dragon egg hatching. Highly illegal, by the way."

McGonagall's eyes widened slightly, though her composure remained intact. "A dragon?"

"I swear, Professor," Malfoy continued with feigned innocence, "I was just out for a walk when I noticed something suspicious at Hagrid's hut. Imagine my shock when I saw Potter and Greengrass helping him with a dragon."

Daphne clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms. "You're pathetic, Malfoy."

McGonagall silenced them with a single raised hand. "I'll deal with Mr. Malfoy later." She fixed her gaze on Harry and Daphne, her expression unreadable. "Is it true? Did you see a dragon?"

Harry swallowed hard. "Yes, but—"

"Enough," McGonagall interrupted, her tone firm. "This is a serious matter. Regardless of your intentions, you both know it's against the rules to be out of your dormitories at this hour. I'll need to speak with Hagrid myself, but for now, I have no choice but to assign detention to both of you."

"And Malfoy," Daphne added sharply, earning a glare from the Slytherin boy.

McGonagall's lips twitched slightly, as though suppressing a grin. "Yes, Mr. Malfoy will join you as well."

"What?" Malfoy exclaimed, his composure slipping. "But I—"

"You were out of bounds, too," McGonagall said curtly. "If I'm not mistaken you were also out of your bed after hours. You will join Mr. Potter and Miss Greengrass for detention."

Malfoy's face flushed with indignation, but he wisely held his tongue.

McGonagall straightened, her gaze sweeping over the three of them. "Detention will be tomorrow night. Report to Filch in the entrance hall at eight o'clock sharp."