Charlie Weasley
When the dark shadow drew nearer, Harry could clearly discern its form.
It was a dragon, a real one, identical to those in the comic stories.
"Why are there dragons here?!"
Harry dashed away swiftly, but by then, the dragon was already upon him. It moved with such speed that within an instant, it was dangerously close. Before Harry could retreat to the safety of the castle, he watched in horror as the dragon's talons extended, reaching out to snatch him.
A tremendous force coiled around his midsection, and a dizzying sensation of weightlessness overtook Harry. He was horrified to find himself unable to even cry out.
As he watched the castle grow smaller and smaller in the distance, a sense of despair gripped his heart. In the blink of an eye, Moonlight Castle appeared no larger than a fingernail.
Suddenly, a massive tremor shook the air, accompanied by a thunderous roar, and the dragon veered sideways abruptly, spiraling several times.
Simultaneously, the dragon released his grip, and Harry plummeted towards the ground.
Swoosh—
Felix appeared, seizing Harry by the collar, and cast a surprised glance at the dragon.
Surprisingly, a dragon had emerged from the depths of the forest.
If Lucifer hadn't intervened in time, he might have captured and devoured the lad.
Wait...
Felix lifted the collar he grasped, feeling a sudden lightness. Peering down, he discovered that Harry had slipped free along with the collar.
"Why are your clothes so oversized?"
Just as he prepared to dive and apprehend his quarry once more, a dark shadow materialized and caught Harry.
Harry glimpsed the approaching figure and instinctively reached out, turning over and mounting it. As realization dawned, he found himself seated on a broomstick.
What astonished him further was that, despite this being his first time riding a broom, he felt entirely at ease and in control. Gazing down at the forest below, he felt no fear whatsoever.
Honestly, if not for today's events, Felix might have forgotten that this lad was a broomstick rider. After ensuring Harry's safety, he turned his attention back to the dragon.
He observed the dragon fixating on Felix, its enormous maw gaping open, spewing forth blazing flames.
Felix's pupils narrowed to slits, his expression unchanged as a bolt of lightning crackled across his palm.
In an instant, a bolt of black lightning, thicker than a man, shot forth from his hand, dispersing the flames before striking the dragon in a blur, rending its scales and enveloping it in billowing black smoke.
The electrical charge caused its entire body to convulse, rendering its wings useless as it plummeted to the ground.
Under Harry's astonished gaze, Felix extended his right hand towards the falling dragon. A black bow materialized on the back of his hand, while his left hand assumed a drawing motion. An arrow with a striking appearance gradually formed along his arm.
Just as the arrow was about to be loosed, a loud bell-like sound echoed through the forest.
"Please stop!!"
Harry watched as the mist surrounding Felix's face dissipated, the catlike visage concealed once more.
Turning towards the source of the voice, Harry spotted a figure swiftly approaching on a broomstick.
"Please, stop! Spare its life," pleaded a young man with fiery red hair.
The arrows in Felix's hand dissipated. He regarded the newcomer with a slight furrow of his brow. "Who are you?"
Drawing nearer, the man directed his gaze towards the dragon lying wounded in the forest and spoke hurriedly, "Sir, may I tend to the dragon's injuries?"
Felix scrutinized the man for a moment. Despite his average strength, the genuine concern in his eyes for the injured dragon seemed sincere. He nodded in acquiescence.
The man descended swiftly into the forest and administered aid to the gravely injured dragon. With wand in hand, he cast healing spells and applied an unknown powder to its wounds.
Harry flew to Felix's side, his wariness evident. "Uncle Felix, who is this?"
Felix shook his head. "I'm uncertain. Perhaps he's the dragon's owner? In that case, I may have some leverage."
With a reassuring pat to Harry's forehead, ensuring his scar remained concealed beneath his hair, Felix descended to the ground, Harry following closely behind.
Observing Felix's descent, the man grew tense. He hadn't anticipated that this man could not only fly unaided but also inflict such damage upon the dragon single-handedly.
Having completed basic treatment for the dragon, Felix inquired, "Will you introduce yourself now?"
The man nodded nervously. "Sir, thank you for intervening at the last moment. My name is Charlie Weasley, and I am an intern at the Romanian Dragon Reserve."
A dragon reserve... so they operate under such formalized structures?
"And this dragon?"
"It's the latest wild Norwegian Ridgeback discovered. Frankly, we didn't anticipate encountering wild dragons at this time. The reserve speculates it escaped from a dark wizard, prompting our urgent mission to capture and rehabilitate it.
We aim to prevent it from causing harm to too many Muggles."
"Muggle?" Felix was momentarily puzzled.
Are there any rare herb gardens nearby? Or perhaps unique delicacies from Northern Europe?
"Um..." Charlie hesitated before mustering the courage to explain, "Muggle refers to ordinary people who lack magical abilities."
Felix suddenly comprehended. "Ah, you mean Muggles. My apologies, my hearing isn't the best."
"So, Is your team around here, then?" Felix inquired further.
Charlie nodded. "Yes, sir. May I call them over?"
Though it might seem overly cautious, Charlie couldn't help but be wary. The individual before him wielded immense power. His mother had warned him to exercise caution when venturing outside.
Despite the dark wizards having retreated into obscurity since the demise of the enigmatic figure, it didn't mean they had vanished entirely.
"Of course, no need to fret. I mean you no harm," Felix reassured with a disappointed tone.
It was a missed opportunity for blackmail.
With Felix's consent, Charlie raised his wand, and bursts of red and blue fireworks erupted from its tip, soaring into the sky and exploding like dazzling displays.
"Okay, my colleagues will come over immediately when they see it," Charlie said as he took back his wand.
Felix Peregrine nodded, but he wouldn't waste time waiting. After finally meeting a wizard with whom he could communicate, he needed to gather some information.
"Charlie, you're still young. Why are you already working now?" Felix Peregrine inquired.
Charlie didn't expect the sudden conversation but felt compelled to respond. He had wanted to conduct more inspections on the Norwegian Ridgeback, as opportunities to study these majestic creatures were rare.
Reluctantly tearing his gaze away from the dragon, Charlie replied, "Yes, I'm actually still a student, about to enter seventh grade. I'm doing a vacation internship, and dragons are my biggest passion."
"I see. Not many students have career plans like yours. By the way, where do you study?" Felix Peregrine asked.
"I study at Hogwarts," Charlie answered, glancing at Harry, who stood beside Felix Peregrine. "If you're from the Nordic side, your child should be studying at Durmstrang," Charlie added.
"No, he's in the UK. We're just... living here temporarily," Felix Peregrine explained.
"Oh, Hogwarts. It seems we'll be alumni," Charlie said, smiling as he shook Harry's hand.
Charlie realized that Hogwarts typically accepts students between the ages of ten and twelve, making Harry considerably younger than him.
Felix Peregrine hugged Harry and smiled. "Yes, he's about to start school. By the way, do you know where to buy school supplies for your child? We're not familiar with wizarding areas..."
Charlie interrupted, "I understand. Wizards tend to live far from Muggles. My family is the same. As for places we frequent, Diagon Alley is where you should go. It's on Charing Cross Street, London, accessible through the Leaky Cauldron. Muggles can't see it, of course."
"Thank you," Felix Peregrine replied gratefully.
After getting the information he needed, Felix Peregrine bid goodbye and left with Harry.
Shortly after, Charlie's colleagues arrived, gasping at the sight of the severely injured Norwegian Ridgeback.
"Charlie, what happened here?" one of them asked in horror, checking if Charlie was injured.
"I'm fine," Charlie reassured them before lowering his voice. "I encountered a powerful wizard who defeated the dragon. If I had been a little later, it might have been too late."
"How is that possible? This is a dragon!" one exclaimed.
"It must be one of those powerful old wizards who have been around for ages," another speculated.
Charlie nodded in agreement. "Yes, I think so too. He seemed out of touch with the outside world, and I sensed a magical aura around him, likely concealing his true age."
In a matter of moments, Charlie had woven a narrative about a reclusive old wizard living in the Scandinavian mountains, raising his grandson after his son and daughter-in-law's demise during the previous Voldemort war.
If Felix Peregrine heard what Charlie had deduced, he would have surely corrected him and clarified that the spell on his face was not to appear younger and that he wasn't an old man raising his grandson.