Chapter 80: The Kind Dylan Completely Fooled Hagrid—Don’t Ask, It’s an Ancient Curse  

"Don't panic just yet. But… Hagrid must be keeping that dragon in his hut, right? So how does Malfoy know? He normally doesn't go near Hagrid's place." 

"Uh…" 

Harry scratched his head. 

How was he supposed to answer that? 

Should he say that he and Ron were talking about Norbert a little too loudly… and Malfoy just happened to overhear as he was passing by? 

Harry felt embarrassed but was also anxious. 

He looked at Dylan, who seemed completely calm. "Aren't you worried at all?" 

Dylan blinked, looking confused. "Why would I be?" 

Harry was stunned. "Malfoy saw Hagrid feeding a full-blown dragon!" 

Dylan nodded. "I know." 

Harry: (...) 

Taking a deep breath, Harry asked, "Dylan, since you're so knowledgeable about spells, do you know the Obliviate Charm?" 

"You mean the Memory Charm? I've done some research on it." 

Hearing that, Harry's eyes lit up with excitement. "Then hurry and find Malfoy—cast Obliviate on him!" 

"I heard from Hermione that the Ministry of Magic often uses Memory Charms on Muggles to keep them from learning about magic. Even if they saw a dragon, they'd completely forget about it!" 

"I can't do that." Dylan shook his head without hesitation, immediately rejecting Harry's suggestion. 

"If I cast a Memory Charm on Malfoy, the professors at Hogwarts would probably find out. Then I'd risk being expelled for harming a fellow student." 

"Not to mention, Malfoy comes from an influential pure-blood family. They might even send me straight to Azkaban." 

Harry was stunned. "It's that serious?" 

Dylan shrugged. "Memory Charms have side effects. Do you really think the professors wouldn't notice?" 

"Then what do we do?" Harry looked dejected. "If we don't help Hagrid, he'll be sent to Azkaban for sure!" 

Dylan reached out and closed the book in front of him. 

"I told you, Harry—don't panic. There's actually a way." 

"What?" Harry's eyes lit up with hope. "Dylan, do you have a plan?" 

Dylan glanced around before lowering his voice. 

"Don't say anything. Just follow me." 

After gathering his books, Dylan walked toward Hagrid's hut, with Harry close behind. 

Harry was curious about Dylan's idea, but he held back and didn't ask any questions along the way. 

It wasn't until they arrived at Hagrid's hut that Dylan knocked on the door. 

After a moment, Hagrid answered, letting them in. 

Inside, Ron and Hermione were already there. 

"Dylan says he has a way to save Hagrid!" Harry blurted out the moment they stepped inside. 

"What? What plan? Is Dylan going to use a Memory Charm on Malfoy?" Ron asked. 

"That's too risky! If the professors find out, Dylan will be in serious trouble!" Hermione said, frowning. 

Hagrid was holding a small black dragon in his arms. 

The baby dragon, upon seeing Dylan, immediately started chirping, making little clicking noises. 

Its tiny head twisted from side to side, and its little claws flailed in the air. 

"It seems to really like you, Dylan," Hagrid said in surprise. "I've never seen it this excited before." 

"Maybe I just have a way with magical creatures," Dylan replied with a barely noticeable smirk. He glanced at them all, then fell into deep thought. 

He actually had two possible ways to help Hagrid deal with the dragon problem. 

The first option was to send a letter immediately to Ron's older brother, Charlie, asking him to come and take the Norwegian Ridgeback to the dragon sanctuary in Romania. 

Then, during the handover, Dylan could use the Imperius Curse to manipulate them into thinking the dragon had been taken away—when in reality, he would secretly keep it for himself. 

The second option was to tell Hagrid directly that he had a way to hide Norbert without anyone at Hogwarts ever discovering him. 

This would mean that instead of keeping the dragon a secret alone, Dylan and Hagrid would share the knowledge. 

As Norbert grew, Hagrid could help with feeding him. 

And, if Hagrid wanted to see Norbert, he'd have to release him in the Forbidden Forest. 

This way, Dylan would have an excuse to enter the Forbidden Forest—not just at night in secret, but openly during the day with Hagrid's help. 

Even though Hagrid wouldn't allow him to go around hunting magical creatures, Dylan could at least map out the Forbidden Forest during the daytime. 

Both options had pros and cons. 

The first would mean Dylan was the only one who knew about the dragon, but he'd have to bear all the risks alone. 

The second meant sharing the risk with Hagrid—but in return, he'd gain some useful advantages. 

The downside, of course, was that having an extra person know about the dragon increased the chances of exposure. 

And the biggest problem? That extra person was Hagrid—the biggest blabbermouth at Hogwarts. 

If Hagrid accidentally let something slip, even though Dylan had a special storage space for magical creatures, he couldn't guarantee something unexpected wouldn't happen. 

Dylan glanced at Hagrid, who was looking at him eagerly. 

After thinking for a moment, he decided to go with the second option. 

Although the first option seemed safer—since fewer people knowing meant lower risk—it had one major flaw. 

If Dylan wanted to intercept the dragon from Ron's brother, he'd have to use the Imperius Curse to make them believe it was stolen by a mysterious figure. 

But if, later on, Dylan suddenly "found" a dragon or got caught keeping one, he'd immediately become a suspect. 

That would be even more troublesome than Hagrid accidentally spilling the secret. 

"It's better to let Hagrid know," Dylan thought. "At least if something goes wrong, I can drag him into it with me." 

Dylan felt like he was bending over backward to help Hagrid fulfill his dream of raising a dragon. 

—He was just *too* kind. 

"It's all Malfoy's fault," Dylan thought. "If he hadn't waited so long before exposing this, Hagrid wouldn't be forced to get rid of the dragon now." 

Looking up at Hagrid, Dylan finally spoke. 

"I came across an ancient spell in a book." 

"It allows me to form a bond with Norbert. Once the bond is complete, I can store him in a special space—I call it my 'pet space.'" 

"This means I won't need a magical creature storage box—which is ridiculously expensive and something we could never afford." 

"As long as Norbert is in the pet space, we won't have to worry about anyone taking him away." 

"And no matter which professor comes to investigate, they won't be able to find him—because he'll be in my space." 

"What?!" Ron's eyes widened. "There's actually a spell that powerful?!" 

Harry was also a little surprised. So the reason Dylan was so calm was that he had already prepared for this? 

Hermione frowned. "Where did you see this book? What's the name of the spell? Is it an ancient spell?" 

"It's right…" Dylan paused for two seconds, then blinked. "Sorry, I forgot." 

Hermione: ? 

Could this lie be any more flimsy? 

Dylan chuckled softly and said no more. 

The reason she hadn't mentioned this to Hagrid alone, without Harry and the others, was because this second method required Hagrid to completely deny that there was ever a dragon. 

—Even if there was one, it had already been taken away by Ron's older brother. 

So, there was no way to keep this from Harry and the others. Instead of hiding it and having Hagrid, with his loose lips, eventually tell Harry anyway, it was better to explain everything upfront. 

Hagrid, holding Norbert in his hands, was stunned by Dylan's words. 

"There's a spell like that?" 

He looked down at Norbert in his hands, then back at Dylan. "Do you think I could learn it?" 

Dylan resisted the urge to roll his eyes and instead forced a smile. "No." 

"This is a spell I developed myself. Only I can use it." 

Seeing Hagrid's stiff expression, Dylan realized his words might have been too blunt, so he added, 

"Besides, this spell is actually related to divination. I stumbled upon it while researching transfiguration, summoning, and divination spells. I wouldn't be able to teach it to you." 

Hermione still looked skeptical. 

But Dylan didn't care what they thought. 

He trusted that Harry and the others wouldn't tell anyone about the dragon. 

Not just because of their personalities— 

But also because if anyone found out, it would mean Hagrid would be sent straight to Azkaban. 

As Harry's guide to the wizarding world, Harry—or rather, Gryffindors in general—would never betray a friend. 

So, even if Hermione and the others became more skilled in magic over time and, looking back, suspected he had been lying— 

Dylan was confident that by then, he would already hold an important place in the world of magic! 

And even now, with his mastery of the three Unforgivable Curses and the ability to cast ten spells in a row, Dylan feared no one. 

"This is the only solution I can think of. Otherwise, like I said before, we'll have to write to Ron's brother and have him come take Norbert away. The little guy you've worked so hard to hatch—watching him grow from an egg into a living creature—will be sent off to Romania, where he'll have to fend for himself in a dangerous environment." 

"Oh my god, I can't even imagine how Norbert would be bullied by the wild dragons there! I doubt he'd even survive to adulthood—he'd probably become another dragon's meal before then." 

Dylan sighed deeply. "By the way, what about Norbert's eggshell? Do you still have it?" 

"Huh?" 

Hagrid, still shaken by Dylan's grim vision of the future, was caught off guard by the sudden question. Instinctively, he shook his head. "No, it's gone. Norbert ate it right after he hatched." 

"Ah, what a shame." Dylan sighed again before pressing on, "So, have you decided? Should Ron write to his brother?" 

Hagrid quickly shook his head like a rattle drum. "No! I don't want to send Norbert away!" 

"That's the spirit!" Dylan nodded approvingly. "Think about it—although I made the contract with Norbert, you're the one who hatched him. Of course, he'll be attached to you!" 

"When I keep him in my pet space, he won't feel uncomfortable, and he can grow up safely inside. If you ever want to see him, I can take him to the Forbidden Forest, and you can feed him yourself! You'll be the one providing all his food—what's the difference between that and raising him yourself?" 

"Don't you want to experience what it's like to raise a dragon with your own hands?" 

Hagrid's eyes lit up with excitement. "I do!" 

"So, I'm willing to test this spell—one I'm not even sure will work—just to make your wish come true." 

Dylan put on a noble expression. 

"It doesn't matter, even if something goes wrong in the end. I'm willing to take responsibility! As long as it helps fulfill your dream of raising a dragon, I completely understand your love for magical creatures!" 

"Dylan!" Hagrid was so moved he was nearly in tears. 

Meanwhile, Hermione and Harry were completely dumbfounded. 

"Why do I feel like Dylan just wants to raise this dragon himself?" Hermione shot Harry a look. 

"I was thinking the same thing," Harry nodded. 

Only Ron, his face flushed with excitement, exclaimed, "Merlin's beard! Dylan, you're incredible! I officially declare you a true Gryffindor!" 

Dylan: "…" 

Ignoring Ron's nonsense, Dylan turned back to Hagrid. "So, what's your decision?" 

"I believe in you, Dylan! You'll succeed in casting that spell! All the professors will praise you—except for Professor Binns. He never says hello to me or talks to me, but I'm sure even he would think you're an outstanding young wizard!" 

Dylan nodded in satisfaction. 

At that moment, Hermione frowned and asked, "But are you sure that spell won't cause any problems? Dylan, can you guarantee that space won't fail?" 

What she really wanted to ask was: does that spell even exist? 

But if Dylan didn't want to say, she knew she wouldn't get an answer. 

Hagrid also looked at him with concern. 

"Don't worry, I swear on my honor—if anything goes wrong, let dark magic twist my mind!" 

"Hey! Don't say that!" Hermione glared at him. "I believe you." 

Then Ron suddenly asked, "But Dylan, didn't you say earlier that Hagrid's salary isn't nearly enough to feed a fully grown dragon? What will you do when Norbert keeps growing bigger? How will you feed him?" 

Dylan glanced at Ron. "Don't worry. It's just food. If Hagrid can't afford it, I'll pay for it." 

Harry chimed in, "My parents left me plenty of money. If you ever need help, I can buy food for Norbert too." 

Dylan smiled. "Then I'll thank you on Hagrid's behalf." 

Harry hesitated, then blinked. "No problem." 

Hermione pursed her lips. "So what's this spell, Dylan? Are you going to cast it now?" 

Dylan stepped closer to Hagrid. 

At that moment, the little black dragon in Hagrid's hands, upon seeing Dylan approach, began to struggle fiercely. It tried to escape from Hagrid's large, calloused hands, leaning forward as if it desperately wanted to fly toward Dylan. The small spines on its neck trembled slightly. 

Dylan's eyes flashed with a hint of excitement—so fleeting it was almost imperceptible. 

"Let me give it a try. It might not work, but we have a backup plan. And if the spell fails, nothing will happen to me." 

(End of Chapter)