Chapter 146: Ash
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Opening the note Hedwig had brought, Harry's attention was momentarily diverted from the issue of owl snacks to the pressing matter at hand. The note which simply read, "It hatches." Alarmed and curious, Harry rushed to Hagrid's hut to witness the hatching of the dragon egg.
Hagrid greeted him, looking flushed and excited. "It's nearly out," he ushered Harry inside. The egg lay on the table, its shell marked by deep cracks. Something stirred within, a soft clicking noise emanating from it. Both Harry and Hagrid drew their chairs up to the table, watching with bated breath. Suddenly, there was a scraping sound, and the egg split open. A baby dragon, rather ungraceful in its first moments, flopped onto the table. It wasn't exactly pretty, resembling a crumpled, black umbrella. Its disproportionately large spiny wings flapped weakly beside its skinny, jet-black body, which ended in a long snout with wide nostrils. Tiny stubs of horns adorned its head, above which bulged a pair of orange eyes. The creature sneezed, and from its nostrils shot a couple of sparks. "Isn't he beautiful?" Hagrid murmured, reaching out to stroke the dragon's head. It snapped at his fingers, revealing pointed little fangs. Hagrid, undeterred and beaming with pride, said, "Bless him, look, he knows his mummy!"
Harry, bemused by Hagrid's affection for the creature, asked, "Hagrid, how fast do Norwegian Ridgebacks grow, exactly?" Hagrid, rubbing his beard thoughtfully, replied, "Pretty fast, so long as they're fed proper." Sighing, Harry shook his head, "You cannot keep it here, Hagrid. Not only will it be dangerous for the students, but it will also implicate you and the Headmaster." Harry's mention of Dumbledore seemed to strike a chord with Hagrid, who looked torn. "Where else can I take him?" Hagrid asked, his voice laced with concern.
Harry thought for a while then said, "If you trust me, I have a place to take it." Hagrid looked hesitant. On one hand, he didn't want to part with the creature; on the other, he knew it was not feasible to keep a dragon in his hut. "Where?" Hagrid asked, his eyebrows knitting together in a mix of curiosity and concern.
Harry thought for a moment, then explained, "An isolated ecosystem with various flora and fauna. It will be a fitting choice for it, don't worry." He spoke with the confidence of someone who had explored the possibilities offered by his unique technological companion.
Hagrid mulled over this for a minute, then asked again, with a hint of worry creeping into his voice, "He will not be in danger, will he?" His concern was palpable; the dragon, albeit newly hatched, had already begun to carve a place in his heart.
Harry smiled reassuringly, "Don't worry. I know the overlord of the place, and I will ask it to protect this little thing." His words were meant to assuage Hagrid's fears, to ensure him that the dragon would be in safe hands, or claws, as the case may be.
Hagrid then asked, "When are you goin' to take him?" Harry looked outside; it was still early. "I will come back this evening." Hagrid looked hesitant. "It is not allowed, Harry," he said. Harry chuckled, pointing at the dragon. Hagrid followed Harry's gaze, then bashfully laughed, "Right."
That evening, under the cover of his invisibility cloak, Harry made his way back to Hagrid's hut. At the door, Hagrid gave one last affectionate kiss to the small dragon, who was making valiant attempts to bite the giant's head off, and handed her over to Harry. Holding the creature was challenging; she was trying to squirm out of his grasp with fiery determination. "Stop," Harry whispered, using the Omnitongue ability to speak in Dragon Speech, surprising even himself when it worked. The baby dragon ceased her squirming and looked at him, eyes wide with curiosity and a newfound calm. "Good, I will take you to a nice place, where a Thunderbird will take care of you. But let me tell you, she's a fiery one, so you better behave." The small dragon, now seemingly intimidated, crawled into Harry's palm and waited silently, a stark contrast to her earlier ferocity.
Nodding in approval, Harry considered, "What to call you? Hagrid didn't give you a name, did he?" After a moment of thought, he settled on a name that felt just right. "Ash," he declared, repeating it a few times to let it sink in. "Ash, yeah, this one is good."
Upon arriving in his room, Harry retrieved the Enchanted Potter Heaven Briefcase from his inventory and whispered the password, "Potter Heaven." The finger-sized briefcase, upon hearing its command, enlarged to reveal an entrance to a different world—a separate ecosystem inside, including a mansion and a vast forest.
Harry bypassed the mansion, walking directly into the forest, and called out with Thunderbird Tongue, his voice rumbling through the trees, "Thunderbird! Sorry to disturb you so late at night, but could you please come down?" After a few seconds, accompanied by the rumble of thunder and a flash of lightning, the majestic bird descended.
The Thunderbird, a creature of immense beauty and power, landed before Harry, its eyes gleaming with intelligence. "I have a new friend for you," Harry explained, gently showing Ash to the Thunderbird. "She's quite special, and I was hoping she could stay here with you. Can you take care of her?"
The thunderbird regarded the tiny dragon, its gaze thoughtful as it remarked in a deep, resonant voice that seemed to echo the storm clouds above, "A ridgeback? That is a rare one." Harry nodded in agreement, "Can I leave her in your care?" The majestic bird responded with a firm nod, "Sure. But you need to prepare her food until she grows up. Later, I will teach her how to hunt for herself." Harry's heart lightened at the response; gratitude was evident in his voice as he replied, "Thank you!"
Then, curious about something that had been on his mind, he inquired, "By the way, I never asked your name." The Thunderbird seemed almost bashful, diverting the question back to Harry, "What is her name?" pointing at the dragon. Harry, with a smile, said, "Ash." The thunderbird sighed, a sound that rumbled like distant thunder, "A Potter indeed. You don't have a naming sense." With a graceful leap, she took off, her departure marked by a rumble of lightning that seemed to whisper her name, "Spark."
Harry struggled to keep his laughter in check as he exited the briefcase and laughed heartily in his room. The irony of calling the majestic bird Spark amused him greatly. Nigel couldn't help but join in, his voice rich with amusement, "How ironic. As if you haven't just named a majestic dragon 'Ash'. Really, Master Harry, your talent for naming could use a bit of polish."
Harry chuckled at Nigel's observation, his voice low to ensure only the two of them were privy to the conversation. "Ash is a cool name, Nigel. It promises a fiery retribution."
Nigel's retort came with a blend of dry amusement, "Whatever helps you sleep at night, Master Harry. Though, one might argue, naming a dragon 'Ash' after it has caused an inferno seems a tad redundant."
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For those who don't know yet, my name is Asher. I was often teased and called 'Ash' in my younger days. So, yeah. Anyway, it's nice to meet you all!
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