It had been just a week since Norbert hatched, and the once–tiny dragon now filled half of Hagrid's hut. She had already outgrown her makeshift nest, and the scent of smoke and scorched wood clung to everything.
Roy, Hermione, and the others often visited, but even Hagrid had to admit the truth: Norbert was getting too big to stay.
🐲 The Farewell
Harry, Hermione, and Ron stood in the hut as Norbert thrashed playfully, bumping her head against the rafters. Smoke puffed from her nostrils like an overeager chimney.
"Hagrid, she's going to burn your house down one of these days," Ron said nervously.
Hagrid looked heartbroken. "I can't just let her go, Ron! She's like me own child!"
Hermione sighed softly. "She'll be happier somewhere she can fly freely, Hagrid."
Ron suddenly brightened. "Wait — my brother Charlie works at a dragon reserve in Romania! He could take care of Norbert properly!"
Hagrid's eyes widened. "Charlie? A dragon tamer? That'd be perfect!"
And so it was decided. Charlie Weasley would take Norbert to Romania, where she could grow in safety.
Two days later, Harry and Ron helped Hagrid carry Norbert — now nearly the size of a pony — to the castle tower where Charlie's friends would arrive. The dragon let out a low, sorrowful growl as she was lifted away, wings beating against the cold night air.
Hagrid sniffed loudly, tears glistening in his eyes. "Bye, Norbert, me girl… be good now."
As Norbert vanished into the night sky, Harry and Ron stood beside him, trying to comfort the gamekeeper. They didn't notice the shadows that crept behind them — Filch and Draco Malfoy.
⚡ The Price of a Good Deed
The next morning, the castle buzzed with whispers.
"Fifty points each!" someone exclaimed in the common room. "For each of them!"
The Gryffindor hourglass had lost a shocking hundred points overnight, and every student in the house now glared daggers at Harry and Ron.
Harry's fame as "The Boy Who Lived" dimmed almost instantly, replaced by murmurs of recklessness and arrogance.
Even Hermione could only sigh. "You two really should've been more careful."
At least she wasn't with them that night — she had been with Roy, who was helping her practice spells inside the Room of Requirement.
Inside that vast, echoing chamber, Hermione's wand trembled slightly as she tried a new defensive charm Roy had shown her.
"Focus," Roy said gently, correcting her stance. "Magic responds to intent more than incantation. Feel the spell, don't just speak it."
Hermione took a deep breath and tried again. This time, her spell formed perfectly, light swirling around her fingertips.
She smiled brightly. "I did it!"
Roy nodded approvingly. "Well done, Hermione. I knew you could."
The warmth of his voice made her cheeks flush faintly, though she quickly turned away to hide it.
🌌 The Detention
That night, Harry and Ron — along with Draco Malfoy and Neville Longbottom — were called to serve detention under Hagrid's supervision.
Their task? To track down a wounded unicorn in the Forbidden Forest.
Roy, unseen beneath a layer of concealment magic, followed them silently from above. Something about the forest that night felt wrong — heavy, like the air itself was holding its breath.
Hagrid divided the group."Harry, Neville, yer with me. Ron, Draco — you two take Yaya," he said, motioning to his faithful boarhound.
The groups split, lanterns flickering as they ventured deeper into the ancient woods. The silence was broken only by the crunch of leaves underfoot and the faint rustling of unseen creatures.
Then Roy heard it — a faint, pained whimper.
He moved swiftly, finding a unicorn lying in the clearing, her silver coat matted with blood. But what made Roy's blood boil was what he sensed — a dark, parasitic aura feeding on her.
🔥 The Phantom and the Fire
From the shadows, a figure cloaked in black robes knelt beside the dying unicorn, its hands trembling as it drew in silvery life essence. The unicorn's breathing weakened.
Roy's eyes hardened. "So, you're the one."
The figure turned sharply — its voice a hiss that chilled the air. "Who dares—"
Before he could finish, Roy moved. His hand reached into the void of his system backpack, drawing out the blazing blade of Ryūjin Jakka.
The sword's flames ignited the forest floor, yet the fire obeyed him — swirling like a living serpent.
"Reduce all creation to ash — Ryūjin Jakka."
The black-robed wizard shrieked, shielding himself as searing waves of fire engulfed the clearing. Even so, he managed to stagger away, grievously wounded. His aura — one that Roy knew all too well — slithered into the distance.
Voldemort.
Roy extinguished the flames with a wave of his hand, leaving the unicorn's resting place untouched.
Moments later, Hagrid burst into the clearing with Harry, Neville, Ron, and Draco.
"Merlin's beard… what happened here?" Hagrid gasped, seeing the scorched earth and the wounded unicorn.
Roy appeared from behind a tree, his cloak rustling. "I found her like this. Someone was attacking her, but they're gone now. She's still alive, barely."
Hagrid knelt immediately beside the creature, murmuring softly as he examined her. "She's pregnant… poor lass has lost too much blood."
Roy crouched beside him, his expression grave. "I've already stabilized her magic flow. Take her back, Hagrid. She'll live if treated quickly."
Hagrid nodded, and with Harry's help, lifted the unicorn gently onto a levitating stretcher.
As they left, Roy stood in the fading moonlight, staring into the dark forest. He could still feel the residue of that cursed aura, faint but distinct — the mark of Voldemort.
"So you're still alive," he murmured, eyes narrowing."But this time… I'll be ready."
And with that, he vanished into the mist, leaving behind nothing but the faint scent of ash and the sound of distant, echoing wings.