Harry Potter: The Forbidden Magic Legend Begins with Him

Hodge Blackthorn arrived early at Hagrid's hut. As usual, the wooden cabin's windows were shrouded in thick curtains, and the roaring fire inside made the place stiflingly hot.

Hodge pointed his wand at himself, conjuring a refreshing whirlwind that swirled around him. Hagrid, whose head was currently submerged in a bucket of water, looked on with evident envy as droplets slid down his bushy cheeks.

"Need some ice, Hagrid?" Hodge asked.

"Wouldn't mind some," Hagrid replied. Hodge flicked the tip of his wand over the bucket's surface, and a hiss of cold vapor rose instantly. "Not bad at all," Hagrid said with a grin, reaching into the bucket to pull out a chunk of ice and press it to his face.

Hodge opened the Boggart box and pulled out a comically disproportionate fire salamander. It leapt into the fire, scampered around a large, charred egg twice, then crawled back onto Hodge's shoulder. Together, they studied the dragon egg intently. A faint rustling sound came from within, and a thin crack appeared on the eggshell's surface.

"Is it coming out?" Hodge asked, eyes glued to the egg.

Hagrid glanced over. "Not quite yet. The little fella's just testin' the waters. Once the shell's properly cracked, we can take it out of the flames."

The tiny creature inside the egg stirred every few breaths, and after about half an hour, the thin crack widened into a deep fissure. Hagrid carefully used a pair of fire tongs to transfer the egg to the wooden table, which immediately sizzled under the heat.

"It's almost time," Hagrid said, his face glowing with excitement.

A knock came at the door. "It's us, Hagrid! Open up quick!" Ron shouted urgently.

"Thought you lot weren't gonna make it! Hurry up!" Hagrid, not wanting to miss a single second of the crucial moment, rushed to the door. With one massive hand, he grabbed Harry and Ron like they were chicks, hauling them inside. Hermione, keen to avoid being tucked under Hagrid's armpit, ducked her head and scurried in.

"Hey, Hodge," Harry said, shrinking back slightly.

"Shh, listen," Hodge whispered, his eyes never leaving the egg. The dragon egg on the table began to emit a series of strange noises: a crack, a tap like a bird's beak striking the shell, and a faint, muffled hiss of some creature.

"Ow!"

Hermione flinched backward as a small piece of the eggshell near them suddenly glowed red-hot, like molten metal, as if the dragonling inside had spat a burst of flame. Then, the egg fell silent for a few seconds. The group, sensing something momentous, leaned closer, holding their breath as they watched.

With a piercing scraping sound, the egg split open completely. Inside was a wrinkled, pitch-black creature. It raised its head, revealing a scrawny, lizard-like skull—somewhat resembling the fire salamander on Hodge's shoulder. But this one had a hard, knobby horn on its head, orange-red eyes, and a long snout that let out a sneeze, spraying sparks from its white nostrils.

It unfurled its spiky, black, wrinkled wings and flapped clumsily across the table.

"It's beautiful, ain't it?" Hagrid murmured, entranced.

"First time I've ever seen a dragon hatch," Ron said, equally captivated. Then, as if a thought struck him, he added quickly, "I mean, this lizard-looking thing—we can't be sure it's a dragon, right? Could just be a mutated fire salamander…"

No one paid him any mind. Hodge suddenly leapt up, darting to the door in two strides. He flung it open and shouted into the open air, "Who's out there?" The fire salamander on his shoulder sprang to attention, and they all heard the unmistakable hoot of an owl.

Harry reacted first, rushing to the window and peeking through a gap in the curtains. Someone—a boy—was creeping toward the hut, but his plan was clearly being disrupted. An owl, seemingly out of nowhere, was circling above his head, hooting loudly. The boy dodged and cursed as he retreated.

"It's Malfoy," Harry said.

The group exchanged uneasy glances, fear flickering across their faces. Only the baby dragon on the table seemed oblivious, wobbling along the edge as if claiming Hagrid's dining area as its territory.

Hodge kept staring out the door. After a moment, he extended his arm, and the group watched as an owl landed on it. Its wings, gradually folding, transformed into small, pink lizard claws. Its brown feathers fell away rapidly, leaving only a layer of dark red, thorny scales. It was none other than the familiar fire salamander.

Harry shook his head vigorously. Even with the risk of the dragon's existence being exposed, he was stunned by what he'd just seen. He glanced at Hagrid, Ron, and Hermione, who looked equally dazed, as if they'd collectively hallucinated.

"What was that?" Hermione asked, her voice shrill.

"Just a simple Transfiguration," Hodge said casually.

"Simple? Simple?" Hermione's eyes darted between Harry and Ron, searching for some confirmation in their expressions. She looked as though she suspected Professor McGonagall had secretly given everyone else hundreds of extra Transfiguration lessons.

"Did Malfoy see it?" Harry asked Hodge calmly, though he was just as curious about the bizarre Transfiguration. He knew his own classroom performance well enough to know it wasn't something he'd master anytime soon.

Hodge shook his head slightly, and Harry's heart sank.

"Probably not. I stopped him in time. But the real question is—why was Malfoy sneaking around here? I don't exactly think he and Hagrid are mates."

At that, not just Harry but Ron and Hermione paled as well.

A heavy silence fell. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Hagrid," Hermione stammered. "When we got your letter, Malfoy was nearby. He might've overheard…"

"How much did he hear?" Hodge asked.

"Not much," Harry said. "We stopped talking as soon as we noticed him."

"So," Hodge summarized, "he probably only caught a few words—something about a dragon egg, maybe 'about to hatch.' That's why he followed you, trying to figure out what you're up to."

"I'm so sorry, Hagrid," Harry said, guilt weighing heavily. "But we can't keep it."

"Hagrid, from what I know, baby dragons grow fast," Hermione added, her voice full of concern. "It won't be long before it's bigger than a calf."

Hagrid stared blankly at the dragonling on the table, his eyes suddenly brimming with tears.

"I can't… It's too small, just born. It can't lose its mum."

"I've got an idea," Hodge said suddenly. Everyone turned to him. After a pause, Hagrid asked hoarsely, "Will it work?"

Hodge shrugged.

"It'll buy some time, at least. And Harry and the others are right—you can't raise a dragon, Hagrid. You need to prepare yourself. Also, Ron, I'll need your brothers' help."

Ron's eyes lit up.

"You mean Charlie? You're a genius! He's working with dragons in Romania!"

"I meant the twins," Hodge clarified.

Later that day, a rumor rippled through the calm of end-of-term revision, injecting some excitement into Hogwarts. The new student, two months late to the term, was strutting around campus with a baby dragon perched on his head. After the initial buzz, everyone learned that Hodge Blackthorn had a remarkable talent for Transfiguration, with a particular fondness for conjuring magical creatures. There were already stories of him producing fire salamanders, Bowtruckles, and Billywigs.

This seemed to spark new prank ideas for the Weasley twins. They conjured a herd of Chimeras, leading them around the castle grounds on magical leashes, parading ostentatiously.

Though, per Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration, creatures conjured by Transfiguration lacked true magical properties, the spectacle was undeniably entertaining for students bored with their routine.

Soon, others joined in. Within days, when Evelina Selma returned from her internship at St. Mungo's, she was astonished to find the school had transformed into a veritable magical menagerie.

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