Chapter 69

Chapter 69

“Sometimes an adult female dragon becomes unable to care for her egg because of an accident,” Hagrid read slowly. “If we obtain the egg, what should we do?”

“A female dragon normally breathes upon her eggs. Therefore, if we wish to hatch one, we must first create a suitable environment that imitates the conditions produced by the mother.”

“So I was right to roast it over the fire.” Hagrid slapped his thigh, his beard bobbing. “After we wait long enough, the shell will crack and out will come a baby dragon.”

“Female dragons do not nurse their young. They generally drain all the blood from a carcass and place the newborn dragon inside. We therefore use fresh blood, preferably mixed with a little brandy.”

Hagrid nodded as he read, sometimes tracing shapes across the table with a thick finger as though taking notes.

Suer’s expression became indescribable.

Surely Hagrid had never studied so seriously even while attending school. What would his former professors think if they saw him now?

“There’s a problem here, Hagrid,” Suer pointed out. “The flame a dragon breathes can’t be ordinary fire, can it?”

“Eh?” Hagrid looked up from the book and blinked his small eyes.

Suer pointed to the passage. “Look. The egg must be exposed to its mother’s breath.”

“Dragons are intensely magical creatures. The fire they breathe cannot possibly be ordinary. It either contains some magical property or burns at an exceptionally high temperature.”

“Ordinary flames are hottest around the outside. Putting the egg in the centre, as you’ve done, may not meet the conditions it needs to hatch.”

“In other words, it may never hatch.”

“What should I do?” Hagrid continued blinking.

“Magical fire should work.” Suer sighed and offered another hint. “Try Diagon Alley. Someone there may sell what you need.”

“You’re right. I’ll go now.” Hagrid accepted the suggestion at once. He sprang up, seized his coat and stormed from the hut without looking back.

Suer stared in disbelief. With a sigh, he looked reluctantly around at the many scraps of fur, horn and claw Hagrid had collected from the Forbidden Forest.

After one final glance at the dragon egg roasting in the fire, he carefully pulled the door shut and left.

No one in the world possessed a broader mind than Rubeus Hagrid.

With nothing else to do, Suer might as well return to the library and honestly begin his homework. Hopefully Hermione had completed one subject by now.

Then he could consult her work.

It was nearly lunchtime, though. He could eat first, enjoy a brief rest, and only then start.

Let Hermione’s quill dance a little longer.

That afternoon in the library, Harry and Ron bent over their work. In truth, their quills merely scratched half-hearted marks across the parchment now and then.

Suer’s arrival immediately raised their spirits.

He behaved as though the two did not exist. After persuading Hermione to leave with a few sentences, he drew his wand and cast a spell. Only when he had arranged the magically produced parchment to his satisfaction did he turn.

“Oh, hello, Ron. Harry.”

They stared at the sequence in amazement and nodded blankly.

Humming, Suer took out a clean sheet of parchment, dragged Hermione’s History of Magic essay towards him and began copying.

He did not actually remember what Professor Binns had assigned. It was probably an expansion of their final lesson’s material, and Hermione’s answer could not be far wrong.

Professor Binns did not read the students’ essays anyway. Excellent.

Hermione returned carrying a thick book. She regarded Suer suspiciously as he laboured to transfer words onto parchment.

After dropping the book beside him, she resumed her unfinished assignment.

Ron looked from the perfectly composed Suer to Hermione. His mouth opened, but he said nothing.

Time swept past like a sudden wind.

Harry and Ron eventually discovered the dragon egg after slipping away halfway through their homework to play at Hagrid’s.

When they returned to the library, they looked as though they had uncovered a secret capable of shaking the world. They desperately wanted to speak, yet something held them back.

Suer kindly relieved them.

“You discovered Hagrid’s dragon egg, didn’t you?” he asked, studying their painfully constipated expressions. “I already knew.”

“You knew?” Harry’s eyes widened. “Ron only recognised it because one of his brothers works at a dragon reserve.”

“Hermione knows too. We saw it the day after Hagrid obtained it.” Suer shrugged.

Harry stared at Hermione. “But why does Hermione look so…”

“We both think raising a dragon is extremely impressive,” Suer said evenly, producing an answer Harry and Ron found impossible to believe.

“Instead of worrying about that, finish your homework,” Hermione told them, glaring at Suer. “If you haven’t submitted it by the end of the holiday, imagine Professor McGonagall’s and Professor Snape’s expressions. Especially you, Harry.”

“You’re right, Hermione.” Harry imagined the sub-zero remarks that would emerge from Snape’s perfectly warm mouth if he failed to finish. Shuddering, he obediently picked up his quill.

They wrote for only a short while before putting their heads together and whispering again.

Suer and Hermione exchanged a glance and shook their heads.

Hopeless. They might as well wait for death.

Neville finally emerged from the dormitory. In truth, he had no choice. Professors assigned homework to every student without discrimination.

“So Malfoy used the Freezing Charm on you that night?” Suer spun his quill between his fingers.

“I told you it was Malfoy.” Ron became animated and struck the table angrily.

Knock, knock.

Madam Pince rapped sharply upon a bookcase and cast them a freezing stare.

Ron ducked his head. “I knew it. The Malfoys love doing wicked things. The whole family is rotten.”

“If you cannot remain quiet in the library, I shall ask you to leave.” Fire glinted in Madam Pince’s eyes as she approached with sinister calm.

“Sorry, Madam Pince,” Ron surrendered.