Only when the enormous shadow loomed overhead did Harry finally understand what it was.
A dragon.
A real, living dragon—exactly like the ones from comic books and fairy tales, only far more terrifying.
Why is there a dragon here?!
Harry's heart nearly stopped. He spun around and tried to run, but it was already too late. The dragon was far too fast. In the blink of an eye, it closed the distance between them. Before Harry could even reach the castle gates, sharp claws extended from the creature's massive forelimbs and clamped tightly around his body.
An overwhelming force crushed against his abdomen as the dragon lifted him into the air. Harry's vision spun violently. He tried to scream, but no sound came out—his throat felt locked, his lungs squeezed empty.
As the ground rapidly shrank beneath him, despair flooded his chest. The Moonlight Fortress grew smaller and smaller until it was no larger than a fingernail in the distance.
I'm going to die.
Suddenly—
BOOM!
A thunderous explosion shook the air. The dragon let out a furious roar as its massive body jerked violently to the side, spinning uncontrollably.
At the same moment, its claws loosened.
Harry fell.
The wind screamed in his ears as he plummeted straight toward the forest below.
Whoosh—
A dark figure appeared out of nowhere. A firm hand grabbed Harry by the collar, yanking him out of freefall as if he weighed nothing at all.
Albert hovered in midair, holding the child effortlessly. His gaze flicked toward the injured dragon, surprise briefly flashing through his eyes.
He hadn't expected a dragon to appear this deep in the forest.
If Lucifer hadn't warned him at the last second, this foolish brat would already have been swallowed whole.
Thinking of that, Albert tugged the collar again—only to feel it suddenly go slack.
He glanced down.
Harry slipped straight out of his oversized clothes and continued falling.
"???"
Why are your clothes so big?!
Albert was just about to dive after him when another dark shape shot upward from below. It moved smoothly and precisely, catching Harry midair.
Harry barely had time to react. Instinctively, he clung to the object, flipped himself upright, and straddled it.
Only then did he realize—
It was a flying broom.
Even more shocking was how natural it felt. Though this was his first time riding one, it felt as effortless as moving his own arm. The wind rushed past his face, the forest stretched endlessly beneath him, yet there was no fear in his heart at all.
It felt right.
To be honest, if not for today's chaos, Albert might have completely forgotten that this thing was a sentient flying broom.
Seeing that Harry was unharmed, Albert shifted his attention back to the dragon.
The wounded beast roared in fury and turned its head toward Albert. Its massive jaws opened wide, spewing a torrent of blazing fire into the sky.
Albert's pupils narrowed into thin vertical slits.
His expression did not change.
A bolt of lightning leapt from his hand.
Crack!
A thick, pitch-black lightning bolt—wider than a human torso—shot forward, tearing through the flames as if they didn't exist. In the next instant, it slammed directly into the dragon's body.
Scales shattered. Flesh burned. Black smoke poured from the wound as electricity surged violently through the creature's entire body.
The dragon convulsed uncontrollably, its wings spasming uselessly. Unable to maintain flight, it plummeted straight down into the forest with a deafening crash.
Harry stared in stunned disbelief.
Albert raised his right hand again, extending it toward the fallen dragon. A black bow-shaped marking appeared across the back of his hand. With his left hand, he mimed pulling back a bowstring.
Dark energy condensed rapidly.
An arrow formed—long, sharp, and terrifyingly real, radiating lethal intent.
Just as Albert prepared to release it—
"Please stop!!"
The voice echoed loudly through the forest.
A faint mist passed over Albert's face, instantly concealing his cat-like features and restoring a human appearance.
He turned toward the sound.
A red-haired young man was approaching rapidly, riding a flying broom with visible urgency.
"Please stop!" the young man shouted again. "Spare its life!"
The dark arrow dissolved silently into nothing.
Albert studied the newcomer with a slight frown. "Who are you?"
The red-haired man glanced anxiously toward the fallen dragon before replying, "Sir, may I check on the dragon first?"
Albert observed him carefully. His magical strength was average at best, but the concern in his eyes was genuine.
After a moment, Albert nodded.
The man immediately descended into the forest. He inspected the dragon's severe injuries, then drew his wand and began casting healing spells. He sprinkled a strange powder over the wounds, slowing the bleeding and stabilizing the creature's condition.
Harry guided the broom to Albert's side, whispering cautiously, "Uncle Albert… who is he?"
Albert shook his head. "No idea. Might be the dragon's owner. If that's the case, I should charge him for damages."
As he spoke, Albert gently patted Harry's forehead, pulling his hair forward to fully cover the lightning-shaped scar and securing it so the wind wouldn't blow it aside.
Then he landed on the ground. Harry followed closely.
Seeing Albert land without a broom made the red-haired man tense even more. He hadn't expected someone to fly unaided—much less defeat a dragon alone.
Albert glanced at him. "Finished treating it?"
"Yes," the man replied, standing up nervously. "It won't die—for now."
"Good. Now introduce yourself."
The man swallowed and nodded. "Thank you for stopping when you did, sir. My name is Charlie Weasley. I'm currently an intern at the Romanian Dragon Sanctuary."
"There's a dragon sanctuary?" Albert muttered. "Quite professional."
"So this dragon is…?"
"A newly discovered wild Norwegian Ridgeback," Charlie explained. "We believe it escaped from a Dark Wizard. The sanctuary dispatched us immediately—we can't allow it to harm Muggles."
"Muggle?" Albert repeated, confused.
Is that some rare herb? A regional specialty?
Charlie hesitated, then said carefully, "Muggles are… ordinary people. Those without magic."
"Oh," Albert nodded. "You mean Muggles. Sorry—my hearing isn't great."
Charlie blinked, but continued.
"So, there are more of your people nearby?" Albert asked.
"Yes, sir. May I call them over?"
Albert waved his hand. "Go ahead. Don't be nervous—I'm not a bad person."
What a shame. No extortion today.
Charlie raised his wand and fired red and blue sparks into the sky. They burst like fireworks high above the forest.
"My colleagues will arrive shortly," he said.
Albert nodded, then seized the opportunity. He rarely met wizards willing to talk—he wasn't about to waste it.
"You're quite young. Already working?"
Charlie sighed, glancing regretfully back at the dragon. "I'm still a student. About to enter my seventh year. This is just a summer internship. Dragons are my passion."
"I see. Not many students plan their future so clearly," Albert said thoughtfully. "By the way, where do you study?"
"Hogwarts," Charlie replied.
He then looked at Harry and added, "If you're from Northern Europe, your child should attend Durmstrang."
"No," Albert said calmly. "We live in Britain. Temporarily."
"Oh—then Hogwarts it is," Charlie smiled, extending his hand to Harry. "Looks like we'll be schoolmates."
Albert wrapped an arm around Harry, smiling. "He's almost school age. Do you know where to buy school supplies? Places wizards usually go?"
Charlie brightened. "Diagon Alley. It's hidden on Charing Cross Road in London. The entrance is the Leaky Cauldron—Muggles can't see it."
"I understand. Thank you."
With that, Albert bid farewell and left with Harry.
Not long after, Charlie's colleagues arrived.
When they saw the nearly dead Norwegian Ridgeback, they were horrified.
"Charlie, what happened here?!"
"I'm fine," Charlie said quietly. "But I met an incredibly powerful wizard. He defeated the dragon alone."
"That's impossible—it's a dragon!"
Charlie lowered his voice. "He must be one of those ancient wizards living in seclusion. He even asked me where to shop—clearly cut off from the world for decades."
The others nodded solemnly.
Charlie was convinced.
Somewhere deep in the mountains lived a lonely, ancient wizard and his grandson.
If Albert had heard this, he would have beaten Charlie senseless—just to clarify that he was neither old nor anyone's grandfather.
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