"Hey!" Cho huffed, clearly unimpressed by Nolan and Eve's calm demeanor. "Can you two act normal for once? That's a dragon egg, not a chicken egg from the coop! Any sane wizard would be terrified right now!"
"Oh? And why should we be afraid of it?" Hagrid asked, sounding genuinely puzzled. He gazed at the egg with such fondness it was as if he were admiring a newborn baby.
"Alright, I know you've got a soft spot for dangerous creatures, but dragons? Isn't that a little much?" Nolan said, gently covering the egg back up with the blanket. He glanced at Hagrid thoughtfully. "Does Professor Dumbledore know about this?"
Hagrid shifted uncomfortably. "Oh… I reckon he wouldn't mind… Dumbledore's always liked magical creatures…" But as Nolan's gaze remained steady and unwavering, Hagrid's shoulders slumped in defeat. "Fine. No, he doesn't know. But look, Nolan—it's a dragon! I've wanted one since I was a kid!"
Nolan waved a dismissive hand. "Face the facts, Hagrid. Once this thing hatches, it'll take a few weeks—at most—before it grows big enough to smash your house just by rolling over. You can't expect it to stay palm-sized, curling up in your lap for bedtime stories. It's a dragon. It breathes fire. One cozy nap and your cabin's a pile of ash."
Eve, meanwhile, was toasting marshmallows over a stick by the fire. "Well, that would be convenient. I wouldn't have to work so hard roasting these."
Cho gawked at her. "You are joking, right, Eve?"
Hagrid, however, looked crestfallen. "Oh… I know I can't keep it forever… but it's been a dream of mine since I was little! Don't you have dreams, Nolan?"
"I don't." Nolan's voice was quiet and flat.
Cho mumbled under her breath. "Called it…"
"You can keep it for a few weeks," Nolan said casually, leaning back against the wall. "Get a taste of the dream. But if you really like dragons, Hagrid, you're in the wrong job. Instead of being Dumbledore's Keeper of Keys, you should head to Romania and join the dragon tamers. I hear the pay's excellent."
"Really?" Cho's ears perked up. "I thought wandmakers made a lot."
Eve nodded, her eyes still on the egg. "I read about it. Taming dragons pays well because tamers need to buy hair-growth potions regularly. Dragon fire tends to… singe their eyebrows clean off. Rumor has it there's a wizard barbershop right next to the dragon reserve."
Cho shuddered at the thought. "That's horrifying."
Hagrid's eyes gleamed with interest, but after a moment's hesitation, he shook his head. "I can't leave Dumbledore. He trusts me to look after Hogwarts… and I love this place."
"Then I guess that's that." Nolan shrugged. He tilted his head slightly, watching Hagrid with narrowed eyes. "Honestly, I'm less interested in your dragon dreams and more curious about where you got that egg. Dragon eggs are illegal to import. The few dragons in Britain are kept under lock and key. Anything floating around is contraband, Hagrid. Anyone caught with one ends up in Azkaban."
Hagrid cradled the egg protectively, as if Nolan's words could physically harm it. "Oh… well, lemme think… I remember it was Christmas. I was in Hogsmeade… got into a game o' cards with some fella. Won it off him in a bet."
"A bet?" Nolan's brow arched sharply, and a smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Seriously? A dragon egg just happened to be the pot? You're telling me some sketchy bloke wandered into a pub, carrying an illegal dragon egg, and decided to gamble it away because he trusted you'd play fair?"
"Well… maybe not every criminal's dishonest…" Hagrid muttered weakly. "You know, reputation matters in their… line of work…" Even he sounded doubtful by the end of the sentence.
Nolan shook his head, exasperated. "Face it, Hagrid. You got swindled."
Hagrid's face fell, the truth settling on him like a heavy weight.
In the days that followed, Hagrid wrestled with guilt over letting his guard down. But the disappointment soon shifted into excitement. If he couldn't undo the past, he would at least ensure the egg was well cared for.
Hagrid poured his heart into nurturing the egg, tending to it as if it were a fragile child. He even consulted Eve for advice on Muggle parenting techniques.
When she mentioned that playing music was said to aid infant development, Hagrid didn't hesitate. Soon, the quiet of his hut was filled with the off-key, haunting sounds of his battered flute, which he played relentlessly over the egg.
Before long, Hagrid's unusual behavior caught the attention of none other than his good friend, the Boy Who Lived—Harry Potter.
That afternoon, Harry and his two closest friends paid a visit to Hagrid's hut.
"This is so cool, Hagrid!" Ron Weasley grinned as he pressed his ear against the massive egg. "I can feel it moving! Dragons and I have always had a connection, you know? My brother Charlie studies them in Romania. I remember one of our relatives once said the Weasleys might have a touch of dragon blood in our family line. That's why our hair's so red. Come on, Hagrid—tell me I'm the first wizard to get this close to the egg!"
"Er… actually, Nolan was here before you lot."
Ron's excitement faded instantly. "Nolan? Nolan Von Draugr? That Slytherin git?"
Hermione nudged him sharply. "Everyone calls him the Prince of Slytherin, Ron. Stop bad-mouthing him—people don't like it. I know he's in Slytherin, but he's… different. Even the Gryffindors don't mind him."
"Yeah, that's because he's good-looking." Ron muttered bitterly. "You know he's a total player, right? I've seen him with two girlfriends. But you girls never seem to care about things like that."
Hagrid raised an eyebrow, glancing at Hermione. "What's this now? Ron's got a problem with Nolan? I thought Nolan saved you three during Halloween?"
"Um…" Hermione hesitated, clearly uncomfortable. "Ron thinks… if it hadn't been for Nolan, he could've been Harry's first friend…"
Even saying it out loud made Hermione cringe. It was a ridiculous reason to dislike someone, but Ron was nothing if not stubborn.
Harry, however, wasn't paying attention to any of them. His brow was furrowed in thought, clearly troubled by something else.
"Hagrid, I've been meaning to ask you something."
Hagrid stiffened immediately, already guessing where this conversation was headed.
"If it's about Nicolas Flamel—"
"I know who Nicolas Flamel is," Harry cut him off. His green eyes locked onto Hagrid's with sharp determination. "And I know what Fluffy's guarding. It's the Philosopher's Stone. What I need to know now is what's hidden beneath Fluffy."
Hagrid's eyes narrowed with suspicion. He'd already let too much slip once before.
"And why d'you need to know that, Harry?"
"To help Professor Dumbledore protect it, of course!"
Hagrid gave a great wave of his massive hand. "Oh, no need for that. Dumbledore's got Nolan helping him out."
"Nolan?" Harry frowned.
"Listen to me, Harry," Hagrid said firmly. "You don't need to doubt Dumbledore's choices. If he trusts Nolan to help him, then that's that. With Nolan around, nothing's happening to the Stone. It's safe."
Harry's frown deepened. His mind spun as he mulled over Hagrid's words.
Why can Nolan help, but I can't?