Hogwarts: I Am Such a Model Wizard

Chapter 215: Ron’s Breakdown

Aside from his notorious difficulty keeping secrets, Hagridʼs talent for naming magical creatures was… hard to put into words. This time was no exception.

“Norbert” did have a nice ring to it, but this dragon was a female. It was like calling a little girl “Iron Egg.” Fortunately, Norbert couldn’t understand, or she might have already singed Hagrid’s beard with a fiery outburst.

“Hagrid, I don’t think that name is quite right. It’s…” Kyle began, but then paused as he noticed Hagrid’s unusual behavior. Hagrid was covering Norbert’s ears, looking at him with alarm.

“Don’t say it, Kyle. His name is Norbert…” Hagrid’s voice was almost pleading.

Kyle had seen this reaction before. Hagrid was thinking of his owl, Ratton, who had refused to acknowledge him after Kyle had suggested a name change. Hagrid was terrified the same thing would happen now.

“His name is Norbert,” Hagrid repeated, clutching the dragon’s head even tighter. But his hand was so large it nearly engulfed Norbert’s whole head, leaving the little dragon bewildered. As soon as she realized what was happening, she began to kick her legs and flap her wings in confusion. In the end, she resorted to a burst of dragon fire, which landed on Hagrid’s hand and made him wince in pain.

A burnt smell filled the air, but Hagrid didn’t release his grip. He simply continued to stare at Kyle with a desperate look.

“Alright, I won’t say anything else,” Kyle said, picking up on Hagrid’s concern. He wisely held back any further comments, wanting to avoid getting thrown out. Norberta can stay as Norbert, he thought. She’s still young and won’t remember; the name can always be changed later.

Hagrid, oblivious to Kyle’s thoughts, finally released Norbert and hurried over to a large tub of water to plunge his hand in, sighing in relief as the burn cooled.

Kyle chuckled. “You’re so worried, Hagrid. She doesn’t even understand names yet.”

Hagrid, however, changed the topic, looking slightly embarrassed. “I didn’t know dragons liked fish. The book says their favorite food is sheep.”

“The person who wrote that book probably had an Antipodean Opaleye in mind,” Kyle explained. “They’re native to Australia and have a taste for local sheep—and brandy, too. Of course, most dragons are like that. Sheep and cattle make up a lot of their diet.”

“But the Norwegian Ridgeback is a little different. Because of their habitat, they’re the only dragons that hunt for food in water.”

Hagrid glanced at Dragon Breeding for Pleasure and Profit, then tossed it aside with a frustrated look. “I really should’ve picked a different book. This one’s full of mistakes.”

“It’s only a few parts,” Kyle reassured him. “Most of the content is still useful. Or you could borrow a copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them—there’s a detailed section on the Norwegian Ridgeback.”

...

Hagrid could certainly be said to dote on Norbert.

In the following days, all the dead ferrets on the shelf outside his cabin disappeared, replaced by whole cow legs and carefully selected fish. And not just any fish—these were enormous, the smallest of them at least a foot long.

During this time, aside from Kyle, Harry and his friends also visited frequently, though most of their time was spent inside the dim hut, trying to reason with Hagrid, urging him to send the dragon away.

“You can’t keep it forever, Hagrid!” Hermione repeated, exasperated. “In two weeks, it’ll be as big as the house, and you won’t be able to hide it!”

“I know, I know,” Hagrid mumbled. “But it’s still so small. What if it gets bullied in the wild? I won’t be able to sleep at night.”

Norbert looked at them, then tilted her head at Kyle, letting out a curious chirp.

“Oh, they’re just talking about what to have for dinner,” Kyle murmured soothingly as he stroked the scales on her neck. “How about some Tebo warthog leg, with a side of corn and cabbage?”

Norbert barked in displeasure and began rolling around on the floor.

“No complaints. Even dragons need to eat their veggies, not just meat,” Kyle insisted with a grin.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the room, Hagrid was still locked in debate with Harry and the others over Norbert’s future, oblivious to the playful scene unfolding nearby.

“Malfoy’s already noticed her,” Harry warned. “It’s too dangerous, Hagrid.”

Hagrid shook his head. “But Kyle said the window was small, so Malfoy probably didn’t see anything.”

At that, everyone turned to look at Kyle, who was sitting off to the side.

“Don’t look at me,” Kyle said quickly. “I was just speculating. Knowing Malfoy, if he had actually seen Norbert, he would’ve run straight to a professor to report it. He wouldn’t be sitting on that information.”

“Or,” he added thoughtfully, “he might be holding onto it to blackmail Harry later… anything’s possible.”

“You hear that, Hagrid?” Harry said, raising his voice. “None of us can guarantee Malfoy didn’t see her. He could go to Dumbledore at any time.”

“And it’s illegal to keep a dragon,” Hermione pressed. “If Dumbledore finds out, he’ll be so disappointed…”

“Maybe I could keep her in the Forbidden Forest,” Hagrid suggested hesitantly. “Just like I did with Fluffy and… and Aragog at first. They’re both fine now.”

“Wait a minute…” Harry said, frowning. “I know Fluffy—the Three-Headed Dog in the restricted corridor—but who’s Aragog? How many creatures have you hidden in the Forbidden Forest?”

“No, no, no, you must have heard wrong—it’s just Fluffy,” Hagrid stammered, though his attempt to brush it off was hardly convincing. His insistence that Aragog was a harmless little creature was met with skeptical looks all around.

Harry and the others knew Hagrid far too well. With his love for creatures like the Three-Headed Dog and the dragon, it was safe to assume any creature he adored was probably dangerous.

“By the way, Hagrid…” Kyle interjected suddenly, placing a small bottle of blue potion on the table. “This is the Spider Tonic you asked for. I made it extra potent, just as you requested. Even if the spider’s the size of a car, it’ll be effective.”

“So… Aragog is… a spider?” Harry asked, looking wary.

“It’s probably an Acromantula,” Hermione said thoughtfully. “I read in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them that they’re the only spiders that can grow as large as a car.”

Ron, meanwhile, said nothing. His face had gone ashen, his body stiffening as he began to tremble.

The once-familiar hut now felt ominous. Every shadow under the bed, every dark corner, and every cupboard seemed to harbor lurking spiders in Ron’s mind.

“L-let’s go back,” he stammered, looking ready to bolt. “I… I haven’t finished my homework yet!”