Hogwarts: I Am Such a Model Wizard

Chapter 342: You’ve Come at the Right Time

Before coming to the Dragon Reserve, Kyle had imagined the atmosphere here would be tense.

But when he arrived, he found it was surprisingly calm. There were no roaring flames, no deafening dragon roars, and although dragons could be spotted flying in the sky, there were only one or two at a time. Around him, people were gathered in small groups, chatting as if they were at a casual get-together with old friends.

Charlie didn’t explain much, simply giving Kyle a meaningful pat on the shoulder and saying, “If you had come a day earlier, you wouldn’t have thought this way. Let’s just say you caught a good moment.”

Charlie showed Kyle around a bit longer, and when he thought the timing was right, they returned to the main area. The crowd had grown, with some people bearing a strong resemblance to Charlie: dark-skinned, around thirty, dressed in rugged clothing and heavy boots—these were the dragon keepers. Others in the crowd stood out, wearing various unusual outfits and appearing somewhat older.

“These are all Magical Creatures experts from around the world,” Charlie whispered. “See that lady by the tree with the House-elves? That’s Mrs. Rozzino from North America—the only person in North America allowed to privately raise a dragon.”

“And the bearded man across from her, that’s Mr. Cote. He’s the one who sent us three dragons.”

“The man talking to Mr. Scamander is Professor Lochneal from Beauxbatons—his Abraxan steeds are famous throughout the wizarding world…”

Charlie introduced each person in detail, while Kyle listened carefully, jotting down their names. There weren’t many—only twelve, including Newt himself. As for their assistants, Charlie didn’t bother mentioning them, likely because he felt it wasn’t necessary. In short, assistants didn’t warrant names—just familiarity.

“I always thought you had only muscles in your head,” Kyle teased. “Never imagined you’d know so many people, even ones from as far as North America. Turns out, dragon keepers have to be cultured, too.”

“What do you mean, ‘only muscles in my head’!” Charlie retorted, clearly offended. “I have six N.E.W.T.s! I could’ve become an Auror if I wanted to.”

“Alright, I take it back,” Kyle replied with a shrug. “Let me rephrase. While you were busy raising dragons, did you find time to read up on all these Magical Creatures experts?”

“Of course not,” Charlie replied. “Just managing dozens of dragons each day is exhausting, not to mention dealing with crafty poachers. If I had any spare time, I’d rather get an extra hour of sleep. We actually decided on the guest list a month ago, so all we had to do was check their photos before they arrived.”

Right. Kyle recalled that Charlie’s weakest subject was History of Magic, where the examiner expected everyone to memorize endless names.

By midday, the Dragon Reserve had prepared lunch for everyone. Fancy fare was out of the question here—everything was rustic and straightforward. The stewed meat on the bone was larger than a fist, seasoned simply to preserve the natural flavor of the warthog... though this flavor might be a bit challenging for most people to enjoy.

There was also an endless supply of rock-hard flatbread that was incredibly filling—enough to keep you going all day. Kyle felt nearly stuffed after only a small portion. Honestly, if this bread were any tougher, it could be considered Rock Cake 2.0, and Hagrid would probably love it.

While eating, Kyle spotted Chris but chose not to go over and say hello. Several well-dressed wizards from the Romanian Ministry of Magic were also nearby, enjoying the meal with gusto. They seemed perfectly satisfied, and when they finished, the one who appeared to be the leader even asked for another serving.

“Hey, Charlie!” At that moment, a brawny, middle-aged wizard came rushing over. “Someone told me you brought a kid with you. Is he your brother? But he’s not red-haired either... Anyway, whoever he is, itʼs dangerous around here right now, so you’d better get him out of here.”

“Hollman, youʼve got it all wrong,” Charlie said, waving off the concern. “He’s not my brother. He’s Mr. Scamander’s assistant.”

“Assistant?” Hollman repeated, stunned.

“Yes, I saw them come in together,” Charlie confirmed. “And he’s already fourteen, which is the minimum age for entering the reserve.”

“Oh…” Hollman gave Kyle a skeptical once-over. It was hard to believe, but since Charlie had vouched for him, he figured it must be fine.

Still, he smacked his lips thoughtfully. The other expertsʼ assistants were either House-elves or adult wizards in their thirties. Only Mr. Scamander would bring along a fourteen-year-old… That was truly unusual.

However...

Hollman glanced at Kyle, looking a bit uncertain, and hesitated about whether he should assign someone to keep an eye on him. The problem was, they were already short-staffed; pulling anyone else away could leave a gap in their defenses. But he couldn’t just ignore the situation, either. Mr. Scamander was notorious for getting too absorbed in his work around Magical Creatures. What if he lost track of the boy, even for a moment?

Maybe it would be best to find an excuse to keep the kid toward the back…

“You don’t need to worry about him, Hollman,” Charlie said reassuringly, as if reading his thoughts. With a grin, he began recounting some of Kyle’s accomplishments.

Escaping from the Dark wizard Oren and rescuing a classmate in the process, facing down a werewolf at St. Mungo’s, and even receiving the Order of Merlin, Second Class for his bravery...

Hollman was left speechless. He’d suspected that anyone accompanying Mr. Scamander wouldn’t be an ordinary kid, but he hadn’t expected someone quite this remarkable.

Hollman frowned, far less relaxed than Charlie. A fourteen-year-old Order of Merlin recipient? You wouldn’t find another one like that in the entire wizarding world. Someone like that couldn’t be allowed to get hurt. I really should keep him out of harmʼs way...

But before Hollman could voice his concerns, a thunderous dragon roar suddenly echoed all around them.

Everyone instinctively looked up.

In the distance, over the valley, a massive dark shape rose into the sky, unleashing a fireball nearly forty feet across.

It was like flipping a switch.

In the next instant, dragon roars erupted from all directions, filling the air in a wild, continuous chorus.