The late-winter chill still lingered in the air when Harry came running into the Great Hall after breakfast, a letter clutched in his hand.
"Roy! Hagrid wants you to come to his hut right away!"
Roy looked up from his plate, half-smiling. "Did he say why?"
Harry shook his head. "No, just that it's important."
Roy glanced at the others — Hermione, Daphne, and Cassandra Vole — who were already watching him with curiosity.
"Well then," Roy said, standing and brushing the crumbs from his robes, "let's not keep him waiting."
🐉 The Egg in the Firelight
By the time they reached Hagrid's hut, smoke curled lazily from the chimney. The sound of clanking pots and a deep humming could be heard inside. Roy knocked once, and the door swung open.
"Ah, there yeh are!" Hagrid boomed happily, ushering them in. "Come in, all of yeh! Got somethin' ter show ya."
The group stepped inside, and the warmth of the fireplace washed over them. On the rough-hewn table sat a large, black, scaly egg, faintly steaming in the heat.
Roy immediately recognized it, while Hermione gasped and Harry's eyes went wide.
"Is that—" Hermione began.
"A dragon's egg!" Hagrid said proudly, puffing his chest out. "Won it las' night, I did! From a stranger in the pub. Said he'd been savin' it fer the right person!"
Ron nearly tripped over himself rushing closer. "You won a dragon egg? That's— that's brilliant!"
Hermione groaned. "It's illegal, Ronald."
But Hagrid only looked delighted, rubbing the egg fondly. "Ain't she a beauty?"
Roy folded his arms, amused. "And you have no idea what kind of dragon it is, I presume?"
"Nope," Hagrid admitted cheerfully. "But I'll find out soon enough, I will."
Daphne rolled her eyes. "Honestly, you sound like a proud father."
Ron turned toward Roy, noticing that neither he, Cassandra, nor Daphne looked particularly shocked. "Wait a minute — you three don't look surprised at all! It's a dragon!"
Daphne smiled faintly. "That's because Roy already has one."
Ron blinked. "What?"
Hermione gasped, remembering. "Right — you mentioned it at Ollivander's! I completely forgot!"
Hagrid leaned forward, beard bristling with excitement. "You've got a dragon, Roy?"
Roy nodded calmly. "Her name is Dvalin. She's a Sky Dragon — very intelligent, fiercely loyal, and lives in a separate dimension I maintain."
Hagrid looked awestruck. "A Sky Dragon, yeh say? Blimey… That's incredible!"
Cassandra smiled proudly. "Dvalin is majestic — she's as graceful as she is powerful."
Daphne nodded. "Her wings can split clouds when she flies. You should see her sometime."
Hermione, her curiosity piqued, leaned forward. "You promised back at Ollivander's that I could meet her one day. Can I — maybe this summer?"
Roy smiled warmly. "Of course. I'll introduce you properly then."
Hermione beamed.
Hagrid, however, looked like a child on Christmas morning. "I'd love ter meet yer dragon too, if that's alright."
"We'll see," Roy said diplomatically, knowing Dvalin didn't take kindly to strangers.
After chatting a while longer — and after Hermione's careful reminder that dragon breeding was outlawed by the Ministry — Roy and the others excused themselves.
"Try not to set your hut on fire, Hagrid," Roy teased on his way out.
"No worries!" Hagrid called back cheerfully. "Got everythin' under control!"
🌋 The Hatching
That night, the news spread quietly — Hagrid's egg was about to hatch.
Roy, Cassandra, Daphne, and Hermione slipped through the cold corridors and hurried to Hagrid's hut once more. Inside, the fireplace burned brightly, and the egg trembled in its stand.
A sharp crack echoed through the room. Then another.
With a final hiss, the shell split open — and a tiny black dragon unfurled, blinking up at them.
Hagrid gasped. "Look at that! Ain't she beautiful? I'm gonna call her Norbert!"
Harry and Ron — who had stayed behind earlier — were speechless, watching the small creature stretch its wings.
But then something unexpected happened.
Norbert looked around the room — then toddled straight toward Roy, bumping his head against Roy's leg affectionately.
The room went silent.
Hagrid blinked. "Well, I'll be… she likes yeh!"
Roy crouched, smiling faintly, and scooped the hatchling gently into his arms. Norbert curled up against his chest, purring softly — if dragons could purr.
Hermione's eyes softened. "She really trusts you…"
Cassandra leaned close to Daphne, whispering, "He'd make a great father someday."
Daphne blushed, looking away quickly. "You're not wrong."
Roy looked up, noticing their flushed faces. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"N-nothing!" they said together, which only made Hermione giggle.
Roy chuckled, then took a small bottle of enchanted milk from his satchel — one of his alchemical formulas — and fed Norbert gently. The dragonling drank happily, curling its tail around his wrist.
"Good girl," Roy murmured. "You'll be strong in no time."
Hermione, Cassandra, and Daphne couldn't stop watching — something about the way Roy handled the tiny dragon, calm yet protective, stirred something warm in their chests.
After a while, everyone took turns holding Norbert — though she squirmed when anyone else touched her, except Roy.
When it was time to leave, Hagrid was still staring proudly at the baby dragon, muttering things about building a little nest.
Roy handed Norbert back carefully. "She'll grow fast. Keep her warm and out of sight, or the Ministry will be here before long."
"Aye, I will," Hagrid promised, eyes shining. "Thanks, Roy."
As they left the hut, the night air was cold and clear. The girls walked beside Roy, still smiling softly.
Hermione glanced sideways at him. "You really do have a way with magical creatures."
Roy shrugged. "Maybe they just sense I won't hurt them."
Cassandra laughed. "Or maybe they just know you're a walking magnet for trouble."
Daphne added dryly, "At least he looks good doing it."
Roy grinned. "Flattery will get you everywhere, you know."
The three of them blushed again, and Hermione quickly changed the subject — but all of them felt the same quiet thought lingering in the winter air.
Maybe Roy wasn't just a prodigy.Maybe he was someone destined to lead creatures — and people — who trusted him without fear.