Chapter 13: - Bye Bye Norbert
Something about the smile on Bakura and Malfoy's faces during the next week made the group very nervous. They spent most of their spare time in Hagrid's hut, trying to reason with him.
"Just let him go." Harry urged, "Set him free."
The dragon had already managed to bite Yugi, but Hagrid couldn't see that 'Norbert' was a dragon, for he replied "I can't, he's too little. He'd die." Yami was of the opinion Hagrid had lost his marbles, something he and Ron agreed on.
"Hagrid," Kari said softly, "give it a fortnight and Norbert will be as big as your house. Mouthboy could go to Dumbledore any moment." Hagrid bit his lip.
"I… I know I can't keep him forever, but I can't just dump him, I can't."
Harry suddenly turned to Ron. "Charlie!" He said.
You're losing it too," Yami said under his breath, "He's Ron, remember."
"No, I meant Ron's brother Charlie, in Romania. Studying dragons. We could send Norbert to him. Charlie could take care of him and then put him back in the wild!" And in the end Hagrid agreed to letting them send a letter to Charlie to ask him. Kaiba and Joey were both upset by the news. Joey proceeded to sulk for a week and Kaiba wouldn't talk to them anymore, but the group couldn't decide if this was something to rejoice over or be annoyed about.
The following week dragged by. Wednesday night found the group sat downstairs on their own, duelling and playing Wizard's chess. It was just past midnight when the portrait burst open. Ron and Yugi appeared out of nowhere as they pulled off the invisibility cloak. They had been down at Hagrid's hut, helping to feed Norbert.
"It bit me."
"It bit me again!" Ron and Yugi said at the same time. Yugi wasn't feeling too good and Ron showed them a hand wrapped in a bloody handkerchief. "I'm not going to be able to hold a quill for a week!" Ron continued, "When it bit us… can you believe Joey told us off for frightening it?" He asked Yugi, who shook his head and sat down hard. "And what was even scarier, Kaiba then started giving us a lecture on proper care for a dragon!"
"No, the scariest thing was the fact that when we left Kaiba was singing it a lullaby, badly." Yugi said, with his eyes closed. Yami wasn't sure if he wanted to laugh or was severely worried about the CEO, "And Joey was rocking it to sleep." The whole thing with the dragon scared Yami slightly, while they were around the dragon Joey and Kaiba actually got along, that alone was scary, and Yami didn't think Kaiba and Joey noticed they were being downright nice to each other, they were too busy cooing over the hatchling.
There was a tap on the dark window. "It's Hedwig!" Harry said, hurrying to let her in. "She'll have Charlie's answer."
"About time." Kari muttered, but it went unheard by everyone but Ombre, who gave her a look as if to say not-now.
They put their heads together to read the note, though Yugi let Yami read it and just mind linked to receive the information that way as he sank into a chair by the fire.
Dear Ron,
How are you? Thanks for the letter – I'd be glad to take the Norwegian Ridgeback, but it won't be easy getting him here. I think the best thing will be to send him over with some friends of mine who are coming to visit next week. Problem is they can't be seen carrying an illegal dragon.
Could you get the Ridgeback up the tallest tower at midnight on Saturday? They can meet you there and take him away while it's still dark.
Send an answer as soon as possible,
Love,
Charlie
They looked at each other. "We've got the invisibility cloak," Said Harry, "It shouldn't be too hard. I think the cloak's big enough to cover two of us and Norbert."
"I could help and use my Orb to hide one of us or Norbert."
It was a sign of how bad things were when everyone agreed with them. Anyhting to get rid of Norbert, Malfoy and Bakura.
There was a hitch. By the next morning, Ron's bitten hand had swollen to twice it's usual size and the second bite was making Yugi ill. Norbert was obviously poisonous. They weren't sure whether to take Yugi to Madam Pomfrey, would she recognise the symptoms of a dragon's bite? By the afternoon though they had no choice, Ron's cut was going a nasty shade of green and Yugi was burning up. Yami rushed Yugi to the hospital wing without a second thought and Ron followed.
The rest of the group went up to the hospital wing at the end of the day, to find Ron in a terrible state, Yugi was sleeping. "It's not just my hand," Ron whispered, "although that feels like it's about to drop off. Bakura told Madam Pomfrey he wanted to borrow one of my books so he could come in here and have a good laugh at both of us. He kept threatening to tell her what really bit us. We shouldn't have fought with him and Malfoy at the Quidditch match, that's why he's doing this. I told her a dog bit Yugi and went after me when I tried to frighten it away but I don't think she believed me."
Harry and Hermione tried to calm him down, "It'll be all over at midnight on Saturday." It didn't work, in fact he sat bolt upright, and broke into a cold sweat.
"Midnight on Saturday!" He said, in a horse voice, "Oh no… oh no… I've just remembered… Charlie's letter was in the book Bakura took. He knows we're getting rid of Norbert!"
They didn't have a chance to reply, as Madam Pomfrey chased them out the room, saying they shouldn't disturb Yugi and Ron needed to sleep.
"It's too late to change the plan now." Kari said to Harry as they discussed it in the Common Room. "We haven't got time to send another owl to Charlie and this could be our only chance to get rid of Norbert. We'll have to risk it. And we do have the invisibility cloak, even if Bakura does know about the Millennium Orb, he doesn't know about that."
They found Fang the boarhound, sitting outside with a bandaged tail when they went to tell Hagrid, Joey and Kaiba, who opened a window to talk to them. "I won't let you in." Hagrid puffed, "Norbert's at a tricky stage, nothin' I can't handle."
When they told the three about the letter, Hagrid's eyes filled with tears, although that might have been because Norbert had just bitten his leg.
"Ahhhh! It's alright he only got my boot… just playing… he's only a baby after all."
"Oh by the way Joey, Yugi's in the hospital wing?" Joey fought his way to the open window.
"Why?"
"Be careful of Norbert's teeth." Kari said. At that precise moment Norbert banged his tail against the wall, making the windows shake, and Harry and Kari retreated back to the castle, feeling that Saturday couldn't come soon enough.
Harry and Kari would have felt sorry for Hagrid and the two teens when the time came for them to say goodbye to Norbert if they hadn't been so worried about what they were about to do. How they managed to get the crate back up to the castle, Harry wasn't certain though he was pretty sure from the glow of Kari's Millennium Orb she was using her magic to make the load easier.
A sudden movement made them stop and made Kari cut off her magic, causing them to have to get a better grip on the crate so it didn't fall. A lamp flared. Professor McGonagall, in a tartan dressing gown and a hairnet, had Malfoy and Bakura by the ears.
"Detention!" She shouted, "And twenty points each from Slytherin! Wondering around in the middle of the night! How dare you?"
"You don't understand Professor!" Malfoy said, "Harry Potter is coming and he's got a dragon!"
"What utter rubbish! How dare you tell such lies! Come on… I shall see what Professor Snape has to say about you two!"
The tall spiral staircase up to the top of the tower seemed easy after that. Once they'd removed the cloak Kari turned to Harry. "Malfoy and Bakura have detention, I could sing!"
"Don't." Harry advised her. Laughing about the downfall of the two Slyhterins they waited. Handing Norbert over to Charlie's friend they made their way back down the tower once they were sure Norbert was gone. No more dragon, Malfoy and Bakura in detention, what could go wrong?
The answer to that was waiting for them at the bottom of the stairs. As they stepped into the corridor…
"Well, well, well, we are in trouble now aren't we?" Filch whispered. They'd left the invisibility cloak on top of the tower and Filch had seen them before Kari could activate the Orb. He was right, they were busted.
"Just let him go." Harry urged, "Set him free."
The dragon had already managed to bite Yugi, but Hagrid couldn't see that 'Norbert' was a dragon, for he replied "I can't, he's too little. He'd die." Yami was of the opinion Hagrid had lost his marbles, something he and Ron agreed on.
"Hagrid," Kari said softly, "give it a fortnight and Norbert will be as big as your house. Mouthboy could go to Dumbledore any moment." Hagrid bit his lip.
"I… I know I can't keep him forever, but I can't just dump him, I can't."
Harry suddenly turned to Ron. "Charlie!" He said.
You're losing it too," Yami said under his breath, "He's Ron, remember."
"No, I meant Ron's brother Charlie, in Romania. Studying dragons. We could send Norbert to him. Charlie could take care of him and then put him back in the wild!" And in the end Hagrid agreed to letting them send a letter to Charlie to ask him. Kaiba and Joey were both upset by the news. Joey proceeded to sulk for a week and Kaiba wouldn't talk to them anymore, but the group couldn't decide if this was something to rejoice over or be annoyed about.
The following week dragged by. Wednesday night found the group sat downstairs on their own, duelling and playing Wizard's chess. It was just past midnight when the portrait burst open. Ron and Yugi appeared out of nowhere as they pulled off the invisibility cloak. They had been down at Hagrid's hut, helping to feed Norbert.
"It bit me."
"It bit me again!" Ron and Yugi said at the same time. Yugi wasn't feeling too good and Ron showed them a hand wrapped in a bloody handkerchief. "I'm not going to be able to hold a quill for a week!" Ron continued, "When it bit us… can you believe Joey told us off for frightening it?" He asked Yugi, who shook his head and sat down hard. "And what was even scarier, Kaiba then started giving us a lecture on proper care for a dragon!"
"No, the scariest thing was the fact that when we left Kaiba was singing it a lullaby, badly." Yugi said, with his eyes closed. Yami wasn't sure if he wanted to laugh or was severely worried about the CEO, "And Joey was rocking it to sleep." The whole thing with the dragon scared Yami slightly, while they were around the dragon Joey and Kaiba actually got along, that alone was scary, and Yami didn't think Kaiba and Joey noticed they were being downright nice to each other, they were too busy cooing over the hatchling.
There was a tap on the dark window. "It's Hedwig!" Harry said, hurrying to let her in. "She'll have Charlie's answer."
"About time." Kari muttered, but it went unheard by everyone but Ombre, who gave her a look as if to say not-now.
They put their heads together to read the note, though Yugi let Yami read it and just mind linked to receive the information that way as he sank into a chair by the fire.
Dear Ron,
How are you? Thanks for the letter – I'd be glad to take the Norwegian Ridgeback, but it won't be easy getting him here. I think the best thing will be to send him over with some friends of mine who are coming to visit next week. Problem is they can't be seen carrying an illegal dragon.
Could you get the Ridgeback up the tallest tower at midnight on Saturday? They can meet you there and take him away while it's still dark.
Send an answer as soon as possible,
Love,
Charlie
They looked at each other. "We've got the invisibility cloak," Said Harry, "It shouldn't be too hard. I think the cloak's big enough to cover two of us and Norbert."
"I could help and use my Orb to hide one of us or Norbert."
It was a sign of how bad things were when everyone agreed with them. Anyhting to get rid of Norbert, Malfoy and Bakura.
There was a hitch. By the next morning, Ron's bitten hand had swollen to twice it's usual size and the second bite was making Yugi ill. Norbert was obviously poisonous. They weren't sure whether to take Yugi to Madam Pomfrey, would she recognise the symptoms of a dragon's bite? By the afternoon though they had no choice, Ron's cut was going a nasty shade of green and Yugi was burning up. Yami rushed Yugi to the hospital wing without a second thought and Ron followed.
The rest of the group went up to the hospital wing at the end of the day, to find Ron in a terrible state, Yugi was sleeping. "It's not just my hand," Ron whispered, "although that feels like it's about to drop off. Bakura told Madam Pomfrey he wanted to borrow one of my books so he could come in here and have a good laugh at both of us. He kept threatening to tell her what really bit us. We shouldn't have fought with him and Malfoy at the Quidditch match, that's why he's doing this. I told her a dog bit Yugi and went after me when I tried to frighten it away but I don't think she believed me."
Harry and Hermione tried to calm him down, "It'll be all over at midnight on Saturday." It didn't work, in fact he sat bolt upright, and broke into a cold sweat.
"Midnight on Saturday!" He said, in a horse voice, "Oh no… oh no… I've just remembered… Charlie's letter was in the book Bakura took. He knows we're getting rid of Norbert!"
They didn't have a chance to reply, as Madam Pomfrey chased them out the room, saying they shouldn't disturb Yugi and Ron needed to sleep.
"It's too late to change the plan now." Kari said to Harry as they discussed it in the Common Room. "We haven't got time to send another owl to Charlie and this could be our only chance to get rid of Norbert. We'll have to risk it. And we do have the invisibility cloak, even if Bakura does know about the Millennium Orb, he doesn't know about that."
They found Fang the boarhound, sitting outside with a bandaged tail when they went to tell Hagrid, Joey and Kaiba, who opened a window to talk to them. "I won't let you in." Hagrid puffed, "Norbert's at a tricky stage, nothin' I can't handle."
When they told the three about the letter, Hagrid's eyes filled with tears, although that might have been because Norbert had just bitten his leg.
"Ahhhh! It's alright he only got my boot… just playing… he's only a baby after all."
"Oh by the way Joey, Yugi's in the hospital wing?" Joey fought his way to the open window.
"Why?"
"Be careful of Norbert's teeth." Kari said. At that precise moment Norbert banged his tail against the wall, making the windows shake, and Harry and Kari retreated back to the castle, feeling that Saturday couldn't come soon enough.
Harry and Kari would have felt sorry for Hagrid and the two teens when the time came for them to say goodbye to Norbert if they hadn't been so worried about what they were about to do. How they managed to get the crate back up to the castle, Harry wasn't certain though he was pretty sure from the glow of Kari's Millennium Orb she was using her magic to make the load easier.
A sudden movement made them stop and made Kari cut off her magic, causing them to have to get a better grip on the crate so it didn't fall. A lamp flared. Professor McGonagall, in a tartan dressing gown and a hairnet, had Malfoy and Bakura by the ears.
"Detention!" She shouted, "And twenty points each from Slytherin! Wondering around in the middle of the night! How dare you?"
"You don't understand Professor!" Malfoy said, "Harry Potter is coming and he's got a dragon!"
"What utter rubbish! How dare you tell such lies! Come on… I shall see what Professor Snape has to say about you two!"
The tall spiral staircase up to the top of the tower seemed easy after that. Once they'd removed the cloak Kari turned to Harry. "Malfoy and Bakura have detention, I could sing!"
"Don't." Harry advised her. Laughing about the downfall of the two Slyhterins they waited. Handing Norbert over to Charlie's friend they made their way back down the tower once they were sure Norbert was gone. No more dragon, Malfoy and Bakura in detention, what could go wrong?
The answer to that was waiting for them at the bottom of the stairs. As they stepped into the corridor…
"Well, well, well, we are in trouble now aren't we?" Filch whispered. They'd left the invisibility cloak on top of the tower and Filch had seen them before Kari could activate the Orb. He was right, they were busted.