"Oh, Hagrid!" Edward flashed a grin at the gamekeeper, who loomed before him like a small mountain.

"How'd you sleep last night? How's that unicorn doing? We were planning to pop by this afternoon, the four of us." He set down his quill.

"No, no, no, don't come!" Hagrid blurted, then clapped a hand over his mouth, catching Edward's puzzled look. "I mean, you're welcome, but not all of you together—"

"Wait, no, it's not that you're not welcome—"

Hagrid groaned and thumped his forehead with a dull thud, drawing curious glances from nearby students.

Edward picked up on Hagrid's slip, his mind flashing back to the gamekeeper's hesitant words from the night before.

"Hagrid, do you just want me to come with you now? Is there something you need to tell me privately?"

Hagrid nodded eagerly, his face lighting up.

"Now?"

"Yeah, right now."

With Hagrid's confirmation, Edward thought for a moment, then packed up his books and followed him out of the library, heading toward Hagrid's hut—the same place they'd returned from just last night.

"Edward, it's not that I've got anything against those three Slytherin kids, but you've gotta be careful," Hagrid said as they walked. "They're good kids, mind you—saving a unicorn, that's a proper noble deed! Most folks never even see one in their lifetime!" He was clearly warming up, his words tumbling out.

"They're great kids, no doubt," Edward replied, keeping pace as they passed through the castle's outer gate.

"But, I'll be honest, I never would've thought Malfoy, Greengrass, and Parkinson would get on so well with you," Hagrid continued, lowering his voice conspiratorially. "Their parents, back when You-Know-Who was in charge, they supported him, more or less. Lucius Malfoy, especially!"

The last time Edward had a proper chat with Hagrid was in the hospital wing, after Harry's attack. It was clear Hagrid was closest to Harry, Ron, and Hermione—the Gryffindor trio. Edward hadn't expected Hagrid to pull him aside for a private talk, and it definitely wasn't just to warn him about his friends' Death Eater parents. Edward already knew all about that.

Otherwise, why would I even be in Slytherin?

"Thanks for the heads-up, Hagrid," Edward said smoothly. "But I think Draco and the others are alright at heart. They just need a bit of guidance."

They reached Hagrid's hut, and Edward could see the clearing behind it was empty—no unicorn in sight. Hagrid must've let it back into the forest for now.

"Oh, absolutely, kids are all the same deep down, just like magical creatures, right? Give 'em proper guidance and education, and they'll turn out fine. Come on in, make yourself at home!" Hagrid pushed open the door with enthusiasm.

Yeah, but good luck raising a non-man-eating Acromantula or a vegetarian dragon, no matter how early you start, Edward thought, following Hagrid inside.

The hut was a single, cluttered room. A fire crackled in the hearth, a large copper kettle steaming above it. The ceiling was strung with rock-hard cured hams and what looked like dead birds Hagrid had caught somewhere. A massive wooden table and a few chairs sat in the center, and a creaky, oversized bed was tucked in the corner.

But that wasn't what caught Edward's eye.

The place was like a treasure trove of magical creature supplies. A bundle of unicorn tail hair was tied into a duster by the window, another hung from the ceiling. A suspicious eggshell peeked out from a box under a dresser, and a parcel under the bed revealed sprigs of dittany.

Edward's respect for Hagrid skyrocketed. The man's ancient moleskin coat hadn't been replaced in years, yet with the stuff in this hut, he could've sold a fraction of it on the black market and bought a wardrobe fit for a king. But he hadn't. In an age where few truly cared for magical creatures, Hagrid's passion was pure. The only other person Edward could think of with that kind of devotion was Newt Scamander, the world-famous magizoologist and author of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

"This hut's one of the best places I've ever seen!" Edward said sincerely, settling into a chair.

Hagrid's massive dog, Fang, bounded over, circling Edward's feet with boundless enthusiasm.

"Really? You're too kind—nothing like your family's manor, I bet! But it's cozy enough for me." Hagrid scratched his head, embarrassed, and poured Edward a cup of murky tea.

"So, Hagrid, what's this about? I noticed the unicorn's not here—did you let it back into the forest?" Edward cut to the chase.

"Yeah, it'll come back tonight. It's healing up quick, and I built a little fence for it. Honestly, I've never seen a unicorn so tame!" Hagrid said, then hesitated. "But, Edward, what I really wanted to ask is… how'd you get that unicorn to trust you like that?"

Hagrid's tone was almost sheepish, like he was prying into a secret.

"You're just a first-year, not a Scamander or anything. Maybe your family's good with horses, but a unicorn? That's no ordinary creature, is it?"

Before he could finish, Edward cut in. "Hagrid, I get it. I can… sort of communicate with animals in a way. But I can't teach it to you." His voice carried a hint of apology. "And it doesn't always work. If it did, we wouldn't have been running from those Acromantulas last night."

"Oh, I see, I see," Hagrid said, visibly deflated.

"But Hagrid," Edward added, puzzled, "even if you can't talk to the creatures in the Forbidden Forest like that, you've already got a solid bond with them, haven't you? Centaurs, unicorns, Acromantulas—you've got a way with them."

"Yeah, the forest creatures, sure. I've got my ways with 'em. But you know, sometimes you come across something new, something you've never dealt with before." Hagrid rubbed his hands together, clearly wrestling with something.

Edward stayed quiet, watching Hagrid squirm. He was waiting for the gamekeeper to spill the real reason.

Finally, Hagrid seemed to make up his mind. He pointed to the fire, where an egg—red-hot and glowing—sat among the flames. Edward had noticed it the moment he walked in.

"Look, you've probably guessed by now. That's a dragon egg," Hagrid said, almost shyly.

Edward's eyes widened.

Hagrid, you really know how to play with fire!

"What kind of dragon is it?" Edward asked, stepping closer to the hearth. The egg was blackened from the flames. He'd known it was an egg, maybe for hatching or even cooking, but a dragon egg? And what breed?

"According to Dragon Breeding for Pleasure and Profit, the patterns and color match perfectly. If I'm not mistaken, it's a Norwegian Ridgeback," Hagrid said, pulling a book from his pocket with a proud grin.

Edward knew exactly what Hagrid was up to.

"Hagrid, I'm not sure if congratulations are in order, but raising a dragon? It's not just illegal—it's dangerous."

Coming from a knightly family, Edward knew a thing or two about dragons. In ancient legends, there were knights who rode not horses but tamed dragons—dragonriders. But every record showed dragons were untamable. Wizards who tried usually ended up as dragon dung. And if you really wanted someone gone, tossing them to an angry mother dragon worked better than any Vanishing Charm.

"Oh, I know, I know," Hagrid said, crouching to gaze lovingly at the egg. "But it's just an egg, not even a baby yet. What's the harm?"

Edward could tell Hagrid hadn't thought through what would happen once the dragon hatched. Dragons grew faster than some plants, especially if you fed them well—and Hagrid was not the type to skimp on food. Clearly, he already saw this dragon as his baby.

"So, it's got a while before it hatches, and I want to be ready," Hagrid said, finally leaving the fire alone. "I was thinking, if I could communicate with it, maybe I could avoid some… trouble."

Edward was sure Hagrid meant "danger" but had softened the word.

"Look, Hagrid, I can't promise I'll be able to talk to it, but I can try when it hatches," Edward said, eyeing the egg as the flames turned its shell redder and blacker. He couldn't snitch on Hagrid, and maybe the only thing he could do was try to keep this Norwegian Ridgeback calm when it emerged—at least enough to not burn down Hagrid's hut or its "mum."

"Merlin's beard, you mean it?" Hagrid's voice lit up with joy. "That's all I needed to hear!"