Chapter 42 Dragon

'I can bond with a familiar?' Daniel blinked, caught off guard.

'Do I even want to?' he mused. 'I don't exactly have space for a dragon... let alone the diet she's gonna need once she's full grown.'

He rubbed the back of his neck, weighing his options, until the thought struck him like a slap.

'The Vivarium inside the Room of Requirement,' he muttered, the tension easing from his shoulders.

'I could keep her there... at least for now.'

Curious, he opened his inventory.

[28,732 Pounds / 5,746 Galleons 4 Sickles]

Daniel whistled quietly.

'Yeah, food bills aren't going to be a problem anytime soon. Even if I'm stuck inside the castle and can't buy anything myself, I can always talk Hagrid into helping... or just summon up whatever I need in the Room of Requirement.'

A random, slightly worrying thought popped into his head.

'Where does the Room pull all this stuff from, anyway...? Eh. Better not to think too hard about it.'

Shaking off the thought, he focused on the present, a small, excited grin creeping onto his face.

'Alright. Let's do this,' he thought, and pressed [Yes].

Instantly, light burst around them both. Threads of shimmering energy spiraled out of their chests, weaving together until they fused. As the glow faded, the bond clicked into place quiet, but undeniable.

Hagrid stared between Daniel and Norberta, his eyes wide with concern.

"What did yeh do?" he asked, voice low and wary.

"I didn't do anything," Daniel lied smoothly, throwing up his hands.

"I just... got this feeling. Like she was asking me to bond with her."

Hagrid's expression twisted, sadness, pride, and something a little more complicated all at once.

"A bond, yeh say...?"" he murmured, almost to himself.

His eyes softened as he looked down at Norberta, then back at Daniel.

"Looks like yeh formed a familiar bond with her, eh?" he said, his voice tinged with wonder, and something close to sorrow.

"It hasn't been seen since Headmaster Dumbledore," he added under his breath.

Daniel's curiosity flared.

"Dumbledore has a familiar?" he asked.

Hagrid nodded slowly. "Aye. Fawkes, his phoenix."

Daniel glanced at Norberta again. There was a new connection now, buzzing just under his skin.

When their eyes met, he could almost feel her mood. Pride. Defiance. A touch of confusion.

He crouched and held out a hand to her, more out of instinct than reason.

Norberta narrowed her eyes at him, her posture practically shouting:

'What do you think I am, some common pet?'

Daniel chuckled and pulled his hand back, raising an eyebrow as if to say, 'Suit yourself.'

"You may be bonded," Hagrid said, interrupting the moment, "But yeh can't keep her here. Norberta's meant to go to a dragon sanctuary soon."

Daniel frowned, gears already turning in his head. 'Should I tell him about the Vivarium? He'd probably blurt it out to half the castle by dinner...'

He shook his head.

"I have somewhere safe she can stay," Daniel said instead, keeping his voice firm.

Hagrid's eyes sharpened. "Where?"

Daniel gave a half-smile and shrugged. "Can't say. But I promise she'll be safe. She's my familiar now, after all."

Hagrid studied him, then sighed, a weight settling on his shoulders. "Alright. I'll trust yeh... but how're yeh plannin' on movin' her without raisin' a ruckus?" 

Daniel smirked internally. 'I don't even need to move her.'

He pulled up his status window, scrolling to a brand-new section that had appeared:

[Familiar: 1]

Tapping on it brought up Norberta's status:

[Familiar: 1]

[Name: Norberta

Level: 6

Species: Norwegian Ridgeback

Strength: 32

Agility: 24

Vitality: 45

Intelligence: 18

Wisdom: 16

Charisma: 8

Luck: 20

Stat Points: 30]

[Summon / Desummon]

Daniel's grin widened. 'She's already stronger than most grown men... and she's not even a week old. If I dump those stat points into her now, she'll be even stronger.'

He felt a thrill of excitement run through him. 'Magical beasts really are in a different league... and she's going to be one of the strongest alive.'

His eyes flicked down to the [Summon] button.

'Just like the summoned beasts in Naruto,' he thought with a smirk. 'Maybe the Vivarium could be her personal summoning ground...'

He closed the window and faced Hagrid again.

"I have a way to get her there unseen," Daniel said.

They spoke for a while longer, mostly Hagrid giving teary advice about raising dragons, and after about half an hour, Daniel finally slipped away from Hagrid's hut.

'Smooth sailing so far,' Daniel thought, casting Obfuscare with a flick of his wand.

The magic took hold instantly, his figure blurring and blending into the surroundings.

Moving silently, he made his way back inside the castle, up to the seventh floor.

He stepped into the Room of Requirement, and his private base unfolded before him.

The Vivarium waited at the far end, a serene, sunlit beach stretching out behind the shimmering portal.

Daniel paused, taking a slow breath as the salty breeze of the Vivarium touched his face.

"Sigh..."

'Time to see if this crazy idea will actually work,' he thought, stepping through the portal with a feeling somewhere between nervousness and excitement.