Dragon Rider

The chaos reached its peak when Gilderoy Lockhart was unceremoniously tossed out of a third-floor window by five or six Cornish pixies. Fortunately, the soft grass below ensured that Hogwarts wouldn't be losing its Defense Against the Dark Arts professor on the very first day of class.

Yet, as Lockhart lay in the hospital wing, grimacing as he forced down an unpalatable potion, he found himself subjected to the "concern" of three second-year students while a first-year snapped photos of his bandaged, bedridden state. At that moment, he almost wished he had perished from the fall.

"Professor Lockhart, so… would you be willing to compensate Ron with a new wand?" Harry patted Colin Creevey on the shoulder, flashing Lockhart a cheerful smile. "Or, perhaps, you'd prefer we send these photos to the Daily Prophet—along with a full, detailed account of what happened?"

The mere thought of his current disgraceful appearance being seen by his fans sent an uncontrollable shiver down Lockhart's spine.

"N-No problem, of course not! I've always been very generous toward my students~" Lockhart turned slightly, fumbling in his pocket before pulling out seven Galleons, which he intended to hand to Ron—only to have Harry grab his wrist.

"Professor, seven Galleons is the price for a Hogwarts first-year's wand. The actual cost should be a bit higher, shouldn't it?" Harry's half-smile remained fixed in place. After a moment of hesitation, Lockhart sighed, pulled out his coin pouch, and counted out an additional twenty Galleons. "With these, it should be enough, right, Harry?"

Harry released Lockhart's hand, and Ron, grinning from ear to ear, eagerly accepted what was now the largest sum of money he had ever personally possessed.

"Well then, we won't disturb you any further. Wishing you a speedy recovery, Professor." Harry gave a mock bow before leading an excited Colin, an elated Ron, and a conflicted Hermione out of the hospital wing. (Hermione: From Ron's perspective, I should be happy for him. But seeing Professor Lockhart forced to hand over such a large sum… I can't help but feel a little sorry for him. So, should I be happy or sad?)

Lockhart's debacle in Defense Against the Dark Arts quickly spread throughout the entire school, but the students soon found themselves too preoccupied to continue "mourning" for him. The first-ever dragon-rearing base at Hogwarts was about to receive its very first resident—a baby dragon.

Curiosity about dragons sent the young wizards scrambling through their meals, before they rushed in droves to the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest, where the base was set up.

After more than thirty minutes of waiting under the darkening sky, a distant dragon's roar echoed across the horizon. Moments later, a massive blue-black figure broke through the clouds, streaking toward the eagerly watching students.

"Hey! It's really a dragon! I'm actually seeing a dragon with my own eyes!"

"Professor Dumbledore wasn't lying after all!"

The young wizards jumped and cheered, their excitement palpable—understandable, given that this was their first time seeing a living, breathing dragon.

"There's someone on its back!" A sharp-eyed student suddenly shouted.

Everyone immediately focused their gaze. Sure enough, on the back of the slender-bodied dragon was a wizard—one with black hair. And judging by his robes… he was a Gryffindor student?

The crowd gasped. Never before had they heard of a student riding a dragon!

As the dragon neared the ground, it reared up slightly, its massive wings spreading wide to slow its descent. The air resistance drastically reduced its speed before it made a light yet firm landing within the dragon-rearing base.

Several adult wizards inside the base cautiously approached with their wands drawn. But before they could get too close, the Gryffindor student slid off the dragon's back and waved them off.

Though they were too far to hear what was being said, the students could clearly make out the rider's face.

"It's Harry! No wonder I couldn't find him in the crowd," Dean Thomas said smugly. Having a dormmate who was a dragon rider was undeniably cool.

"Hey, I see Charlie!"

"Charlie! Over here!"

Ron, Ginny, George, Fred, and several senior members of the Gryffindor Quidditch team began jumping and waving enthusiastically at the burly young wizard in the distance.

...

"So, you're telling me that the Gilderoy Lockhart—the same one Mum is obsessed with—is your Defense Against the Dark Arts professor this year?"

Having successfully secured the baby dragon, Charlie Weasley had been forcibly dragged over by Oliver Wood to hear his younger Gryffindor housemates' grievances about their new professor. The stocky, freckled young man stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Maybe he was just trying to give you all some hands-on experience? I mean, he's such a famous wizard. It would be ridiculous if he really had no skill whatsoever."

"So, to give us 'hands-on experience,' Lockhart let himself get thrown out of a third-story window by a bunch of Cornish pixies?" Harry shook his head. "That's a three-story drop. A little less luck, and it wouldn't just be broken bones he'd have to worry about."

"But, Harry, we've all read his books—" Hermione protested. "Think about the incredible adventures he's written about! A wizard with those experiences—"

"A wizard with those experiences wouldn't be as oblivious as Lockhart," Harry cut in. "Even if his skills had somehow diminished to the level of a second-year student, someone who's supposedly faced that many life-threatening situations wouldn't have been caught off guard by a few tiny pixies."

Ron listened quietly to their argument. Under normal circumstances, given his previous attitude toward Lockhart, he would have been firmly on Harry's side. However, as the saying went: one does not slap the hand that feeds them. Having just received twenty-seven Galleons from Lockhart, Ron found himself unwillingly neutral on the matter.

That night, students from all four houses surrounded the dragon-rearing base, chattering excitedly until past nine o'clock, when the prefects and the Head Boy and Girl finally managed to herd them back to their dormitories—though many left reluctantly, turning back every few steps for one last look.

Then, the very next day, before students had even recovered from the thrill of seeing a live dragon, another wave of excitement swept through the school—especially among those from wizarding families.

The official timetable for the Hogwarts Research Institute had been released. For the first time since the enactment of the Statute of Secrecy in 1692, wizards would be making a large-scale effort to understand the Muggle world!

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