On the other side, the Harry trio was quietly discussing Hagrid in the common room.
So far, the worst had happened.
Hagrid did indeed have a dragon, and even worse, the hatchling was seen by Malfoy when it broke out of its shell.
During this time, Malfoy kept looking at the trio with a malicious smile, which left them somewhat at a loss.
Fortunately, they had persuaded the irrational Hagrid to entrust the hatchling to Ron's older brother, Charlie.
All they needed to do was put the hatchling into a wooden crate tonight and send it to the top of the Astronomy Tower, where Charlie's colleagues would take it to Romania on broomsticks.
"Don't worry too much, Hermione..." Harry, uncharacteristically, comforted the anxious little witch. "Once tonight is over, and we've safely sent Norbert away, whatever Malfoy says will be useless. Who would believe him?"
"Exactly!" Ron also nodded emphatically. "These past few days, every time I see Malfoy's smug, stinking face, I just want to punch him. He even borrowed a book from me today, but I could tell he was clearly trying to mock us..."
"Did you lend it to him?" Harry asked.
"Of course I did," Ron replied. "I needed to keep him calm, didn't I? What if he really went and complained to the Ministry of Magic?"
Hermione closed her book and confirmed with Ron again, "It's twelve tonight, right? The letter said that time, right?"
"You've asked several times," Ron replied helplessly. "Yes, that's right. If you're still worried, I can show you the letter again…"
As he spoke, he opened his textbook and suddenly froze under Harry and Hermione's gaze.
"Oh no..." He raised his head in horror, his voice hoarse. "I just remembered—I put the letter in the book…"
Hermione's eyes widened, and she asked him incredulously, "Don't tell me it's the one Malfoy borrowed!"
"I wish I could tell you it wasn't, but it is that one..." Ron said with a bitter face, and Harry and Hermione sighed in unison.
"It's too late to change the plan now," Harry told the two. "We don't have time to send another owl to Charlie. This is the only way we can get rid of Norbert. We have to send him away tonight..."
"But Malfoy won't let us off..." Hermione said pessimistically. "If he reads the letter, he'll know this is his last chance to expose us!"
"Don't forget we have the Invisibility Cloak," Harry reminded them. "Malfoy doesn't know we have that."
"Harry's right. No matter how smart they are, they won't think we can turn invisible," Ron quickly agreed.
That night, when the three of them went to Hagrid's wearing the Invisibility Cloak, they found Fang dutifully guarding the door of the hut, his tail still bandaged.
Hagrid, with tears in his eyes, put the dragon into the wooden crate, almost sobbing as he bid farewell to Norbert inside the crate. "I've packed some mice and brandy for you. Eat them if you get hungry on the way."
His voice was hoarse and low as he turned to the trio, who had lifted the Invisibility Cloak, and said, "I also packed his toy bear to prevent him from feeling lonely during the journey..."
A loud tearing sound came from inside the wooden crate, and Hermione estimated that the toy bear had already fulfilled its mission prematurely.
"Goodbye, Norbert!" Hagrid cried. "I'll come see you. Don't forget me…"
Harry and the others also felt sad about their separation, but it was very late, and they could not delay any longer.
Harry stepped forward and covered the wooden crate with the Invisibility Cloak. At the same time, the three of them also ducked under the Invisibility Cloak.
Hermione took out her wand and used the Levitation Charm to make the wooden crate float. Harry and Ron were ready to lift the crate at any time to prevent Hermione's magic from running out.
They didn't know how they transported the crate to the top of the Astronomy Tower; every step felt like an ordeal.
Even when they walked up the long staircase, they unluckily encountered Peeves.
He was holding a bucket and a brush, oiling the stairs and humming an unknown tune. Harry and the others tried their best to avoid being discovered by him.
"Just a little more, we're almost there," Harry panted, struggling to reach the corridor below the top of the tower.
Suddenly, there was a commotion ahead, scaring them so much they almost dropped the box. Fortunately, they remembered they were invisible, so they quickly retreated into the shadows, closely observing the spot only about ten steps away from them.
They saw two shadowy figures entangled with each other, one tall and one short, with a lamp faintly flickering.
It turned out to be Professor McGonagall, wearing a plaid nightgown and a hairnet, tightly clutching Malfoy's ear with one hand.
"Detention!" she shouted sternly. "Twenty points from Slytherin! Wandering around the castle in the middle of the night—what are you trying to do?"
"No, Professor, let me explain—Harry and the others are coming, he's got a dragon!" Malfoy pleaded urgently.
"Nonsense! You can't even make up a decent excuse! Come on, let's go to Snape and see what he'll do with you!" Professor McGonagall said angrily, dragging Malfoy in another direction.
The trio under the Invisibility Cloak were overjoyed when they saw Malfoy being caught by Professor McGonagall. Ron was ecstatic, and even Hermione, who had been gloomy lately, couldn't help but smile.
They carried the wooden crate to the top of the Astronomy Tower, but Charlie's colleagues had not yet arrived.
"I can't believe Professor McGonagall ended up solving our problem for us. I'm so happy, I even want to dance to celebrate!" Hermione took light dance steps, shaking off her previous dejection, her mood quite joyful.
"Don't!" Harry and Ron stopped her. "I think you need to calm down right now—"
"Alright..." Hermione shrugged easily. "But Malfoy looked so funny just now..."
At this, the three of them remembered the scene of Malfoy being dragged away by Professor McGonagall by the ear and couldn't help but giggle.
A few minutes later, four wizards on broomsticks descended from the darkness, interrupting their conversation.
Charlie's friends cheerfully greeted them. They tied the wooden crate containing Norbert to their broomsticks with straps, while telling the trio about their time studying at Hogwarts.
Their voices were a bit loud during the conversation, and Harry even awkwardly reminded them.
Everyone worked together to secure Norbert, then the trio shook hands with them one by one, and immediately after, they rode their broomsticks and left the tower.
The matter finally came to an end. They had gotten rid of Norbert, and the return journey was no longer burdened by the wooden crate. The trio's steps seemed much lighter.
There could be no better outcome—the dragon was safely sent away, Slytherin had points deducted, and Malfoy would be in detention.
"I'm so happy, nothing can spoil this joy now—"
"Oh? Is that so?"
A hoarse voice suddenly appeared, followed by Filch's pale face emerging from the staircase corner.
"..."
The three young wizards froze.
They had forgotten the Invisibility Cloak on the rooftop because they were too pleased with themselves, and now Filch had caught them red-handed.
"Look what I've found?!" A triumphant expression spread across Filch's face.
He deliberately drew out his words, his gaze sweeping back and forth between the three. "Well, well, as much as I don't want to spoil your joy, I still have to say: you're in trouble!"
_________
12 Advance chaps- P@treon/DarkDevil1