55 Norberta

The group of Harry, Hermione, Daphne and Oz all trailed down to Hagrid's hut slowly. Following the footpath down that lead near the outskirts of the forbidden forest. This was Oz's first time coming to Hagrid's so he anticipated seeing the sights first hand.

As they reached Hagrid's Hut, Harry was the first to knock on the door.

"Oi! Hagrid! You promised to show me something interesting tonight didn't you? I brought some friends too if you don't mind".

As Hagrid opened the door slowly, He beamed a smile at Harry.

"Thas' fine by me Arry', who is it you brought along'?"

Hagrid then scanned the group, when he met eyes with Oz he had a slight stiffness in his movements. Looking at Oz for a second he smiled.

"Well if it ain't Mr Descendant o' Merlin himself! It's been a long while since we met last hasn't it?".

Oz gave off a polite smile as he looked at Hagrid.

"It indeed has been a while hasn't it, last time was when I bumped into you at the beginning of the year with Harry right?".

Hagrid gave a stiff nod.

"Yeah thas' right... Anyway you lot, come on in! It should be starting anytime soon".

Hermione, Daphne and Harry all looked at each other in confusion about what was going to happen while Oz kept a calm grin on his face. As they entered the hut they all sat around Hagrid's table as he fiddled with a pot over the fireplace. The first person to speak was Hermione.

"What is that Hagrid?! It looks like an egg of some sort..."

Hagrid let off a proud smile as he turned to the group.

"Good eye Hermione! This here is a Dragon's egg".

Harry, Hermione and Daphne's mouths all dropped hearing what the egg was. Daphne looked at the egg with slight desire in her eyes.

"They amount of money you'd get for selling one of these... Why didn't you sell it you silly gatekeeper?! You wouldn't have to live in this hut then you could have built a better home!".

Oz chuckled at Daphne's response to seeing the dragon egg. It was definitely a response from a girl in Slytherin. Hagrid turned his head back around while shaking it.

"I'm fine with my wee hut thanks, Anyway, the moment you all been waiting for"

At that Hagrid brought the egg out of the pan over the fireplace and put it on the table. The group of Oz, Harry, Hermione and Daphne looked on in wonder as the little egg began to shake and crack. After several minutes of tossing and turning, one part of the egg fully cracked and inside you could see some small scales.

Immediately after the small crack appeared the egg burst open, The egg shells flew through the air nearly hitting Hermione, Daphne and Harry. Oz on the other hand saw the situation coming and slightly tilted his head to dodge them.

Out of the egg came a little dragon that stretched its wings. Hagrid looked down at the baby dragon with a spark in his eyes.

"Oh look at the little fella' Isn't he adorable?".

Looking at the baby dragon, Oz corrected Hagrid.

"I'm pretty sure its a 'she' Hagrid and not a 'he'".

Hagrid looked down at the dragon again in slight confusion before correcting himself.

"Ah a she then... Ain't she adorable?".

The little dragon stretched its wings out for a while before looking around at each person surrounding it. It looked at Harry first, who looked at it with eyes of wonder. It then looked at Hermione who looked at it in extreme curiosity. Then it looked at Daphne who still had some greed laced in her eyes.

After looking at the emerald trio, the dragon looked up to Hagrid who looked at it with adoration. Just as all seemed normal, when the little baby dragon turned to Oz its gaze froze staring into Oz's eyes. The baby dragon let out a few little sounds.

{Papa?....}

For a split second Oz could have sworn he heard the little dragon utter these words. As Oz looked down at the dragon, his purple eyes piercing into it. The dragon became extremely submissive. Before hand when it looked around at the other four it had a look of childlike curiosity and playfulness but when it looked at Oz it looked at him in adoration instead of the other way round.

Hagrid, Hermione, Harry and Daphne all looked at these turn of events with extreme curiosity in their eyes. Oz looked up at Hagrid before speaking.

"What have you decided to name this little one Hagrid?".

Hagrid stared at it for a while before saying.

"I was planning on calling it Norbert... its a girl though so i guess I'd call it Norberta instead".

Oz looked down at the baby dragon and smiled.

{Its nice to meet you Norberta}.

As Oz spoke the rest of the four watching looked at him in extreme shock at when he spoke.

"Oz... You just spoke in Dragon-tongue you know?!"

Hermione was the first to point out what had just happened, all the rest of the group looking at Oz in extreme shock. Hearing this Oz fell into a state of wonder and contemplation.

'I spoke in dragon-tongue?! Is this like what happens with Harry where he can speak to a snake without realising? There was no switch or anything though! I just suddenly started to speak in Dragon-tongue? How on earth does this work...'.

Looking down at the baby dragon it spun around in glee after Oz spoke to it. It yelled.

{Papa! Papa!}

Oz for sure heard it this time as the dragon leaped up onto his shoulder and smoothed its head against Oz's cheek. Hagrid looked at the baby dragon in slight disappointment.

"Little fella' seems very attached to you Oz doesn't it?".

Oz looked at the little Norberta on his shoulder, hearing the baby dragons endearing words he felt a bit stifled at what to do. After the dragon started to rest peacefully on his shoulder Oz asked Hagrid.

"Do you reckon I could look after this little one? She seems to be incredibly attached to me now I spoke in her language. Ill still let her stay with you down here for now but in the future I'd like to personally buy her off of you".

Hagrid looked at the baby dragon and Oz for a long while. Oz could tell that he was seriously contemplating what to do here. Meanwhile Harry, Hermione and Daphne all started to ask Oz questions about how he knew Dragon-Tongue, all of which Oz answered with non-answers to try an appease them as in all honesty he couldn't explain it even if he wanted to.

After a while Hagrid sighed.

"Tha' little one is truly attached to you an' I don't have the gut to yank her away... Fine Oz, I'll accept your offer in the long run. When the years about to end come down and grab er'... you don't need to pay me, I'd rather see this little one off to a good owner overall".

It seemed after a while of contemplating, Hagrid finally came to a conclusion on what to do. He probably noted the fact that Oz could speak to the little one meaning he could understand what it needed in the future. Oz smiled at Hagrid.

"Thanks Hagrid, ill be sure to make this up to you somehow".

As Oz stood up with Norberta on his shoulder he whispered to the little dragon.

{Hey Norberta? You need to stay here in this hut for a while. Ill come down to visit you okay? but I cant take you up to the castle less you be completely separated from me}.

Norberta looked at Oz with teary eyes before giving a stern nod and flying over into the pot over the fire to rest. Oz surmised that it had made its nest their now In Hagrid's hut.

At this little interaction, Hermione, Harry and Daphne all got up as well and bid Hagrid a farewell. Looking at Oz, they seemed ready to grill him on questions about what had just happened which made Oz feel incredibly stifled. Just as they were about to leave however Oz sensed a magical signature just outside the hut. Harry was the first one to speak as he looked out the window.

"Thats... Malfoy isn't it?! Is he going to snitch on us!".

Looking at this situation, Oz wondered why the boy would follow them down here but then remembered he still has a bone to pick with someone here, namely Oz for that matter after what he did to the Malfoy family recently.

As Oz was about to run out the door and stop the boy, he froze instead.

'Wait a minute... If I let him tell on us wont the punishment be to go into the forbidden forest with Hagrid? In that case I could potentially meet Quirrell and also get a...'.

Watching the blonde boy scatter up to the castle Oz lowered his wand. Harry, Hermione and Daphne looked at Oz in confusion.

"Why did you let him escape?! Now he's gonna tell on us! I know you could have stopped him Oz!".

Daphne was the first to question Oz's motives here. Oz then looked down at the trio before him.

"If I used a spell from here I would have quite a bit of difficulty hitting him... I didn't exactly want to risk maiming the boy at all either in my furore".

The emerald trio looked up to Oz and sighed. Oz knew for sure he could have easily stopped the boy however he came up with an excuse on the spot. Oz looked at them with slight guilt on his face before smiling.

"Oh well, what's the worst that can happen hey? A detention? Lets just head on up".

Turning back and poking their heads into the hut they all thanked Hagrid for letting them come down and see the little dragons birth. After this all four of them headed up the path to the castle. Oz's mind however was swimming after that meeting with Norberta.

'So I can also speak in Dragon-Tongue... I guess that makes sense considering who Merlin was. I wonder if there's a way to fully learning the language and use it to do more than just communicate with Dragons...'.