HP and Godric's Vault - Chapter - 47 (Patreon)

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows through the dense trees of the Forbidden Forest, Harry and the other Order of the Stars members followed Hagrid on a winding path through the forest. The thick canopy above was dense, filtering the fading light and filling the air with a mysterious, almost otherworldly quiet. Harry kept glancing at the small crate in Hagrid’s arms, where Norbert lay curled up and content, his tiny dragon scales shimmering faintly.

After what felt like a long walk, Harry broke the silence. “Hagrid, are you sure this place is safe for Norbert? There’s still a dark wizard out there hunting unicorns… what if he finds out about Norbert?”

The group fell silent, and a ripple of concern passed among the members. The dark wizard had slipped from their minds in the excitement of Norbert’s hatching, and Harry’s reminder was enough to bring their anxieties back.

Hagrid, however, chuckled reassuringly. “Don’t yeh worry about that, Harry. I’ve got the centaurs helpin’ with extra patrols, and I’m always on guard when I’m in the forest. We’ll keep him safe as safe can be, you’ll see.”

The reassurance brought a bit of ease, but the group still scanned the trees carefully as they ventured deeper. Soon, a soft rustling alerted them to a group of centaurs emerging from the shadows. Leading them was Firenze, his keen eyes narrowing as he approached Hagrid and the students.

“Hagrid,” Firenze greeted, his voice calm but carrying a deep authority, “what brings you and these young ones so far into the forest at this hour?”

Hagrid set Norbert’s crate down gently. “We’ve got ourselves a bit of a situation, Firenze. This little one here’s a dragon—hatched just a few hours ago. He needs a safe place ter stay, and I was hopin’ you’d help look after him when I can’t be here.”

Firenze regarded the crate with a mixture of curiosity and wariness. “A dragon in the Forbidden Forest…” He glanced back at his fellow centaurs, who exchanged glances before nodding in agreement. “Very well. We shall keep an eye on him while he remains within our borders.”

The students let out a sigh of relief, and Hagrid beamed. “Thanks, Firenze. Means the world ter me, knowin’ he’ll be watched over by folks who understand creatures like him.”

The centaurs moved aside, and Hagrid led the group further, finally arriving at a small cave nestled between a ring of stone boulders. The cave had a natural beauty about it, with ivy climbing up the walls and a small, clear pond nearby—a perfect water source for a growing dragon. Harry looked around, smiling as he took in the surroundings. This would be an ideal place for Norbert, away from prying eyes, with the added security of being stone-bound, ensuring no accidental fires.

“It’s perfect,” Harry said, his voice full of relief. “Norbert will have everything he needs here. And with the centaurs around, he’ll be safe.”

Hagrid carefully placed Norbert’s crate on the ground and opened it, allowing the little dragon to step out. Norbert gazed around, sniffing the air and flapping his tiny wings. With a joyful squeal, he trotted over to the pond, dipping his snout into the water and slurping noisily.

The club members couldn’t help but smile at the sight, each one feeling a sense of accomplishment and excitement. Blaise spoke up, “Alright, Hagrid, now it’s up to us to make sure this little dragon stays safe.”

Harry nodded, already thinking about the magical wards he would cast around the cave entrance to ensure Norbert remained well-hidden from any unwanted attention. With a final, thankful glance at the centaurs, he turned to the others. “We’ll keep Norbert’s location between us and the centaurs. And with Hagrid and Firenze’s help, he’ll be safe.”

Harry set to work, channeling all his focus and energy into transforming the small cave into a sanctuary fit for a dragon. With a flick of his wand, he cast the Expansion Charm, causing the walls to stretch back, the ceiling to rise, and the floor to broaden, creating a cavern so spacious it could one day hold an entire family of dragons if needed. The Order members watched in awe, the cavern echoing with the hum of magic as Harry molded the space. They had seen him perform spells before, like when he expanded the room at Hagrid's hut, but this was on another level entirely.

After expanding the cave, Harry began carving runes into the walls—ancient symbols he’d studied meticulously in the Black Family Library and at Runestone Castle. Each rune was layered with protective enchantments, binding the magic in place to prevent any unwanted shrinking of the cavern and fortifying it against intruders. The process took hours, with each member of the Order silently observing, holding their breaths as Harry worked. He finally stepped back, panting with exhaustion but clearly satisfied with the shimmering web of wards around the cavern.

As they stepped inside to see the final work, the Order members gasped. Harry had crafted a beautiful, spacious lair, with stone alcoves for Norbert to climb on, a small pool of fresh water for him to drink from, and an area softened with straw and cloth for the little dragon to curl up and sleep. The cave was illuminated with gentle glows from the runes, casting the cavern in a warm, magical light that felt both safe and cozy.

Hagrid’s face lit up with pure joy. "Blimey, Harry, this is amazin'! Norbert's got himself a proper home here!"

The students laughed as Hagrid fussed over Norbert, who seemed to understand that this was his new domain, prancing around proudly. Harry took Hagrid aside, explaining, “This should be enough to keep him safe for now, but if we can get a couple of strong ward stones, I can enhance it even more. For now, it’s as secure as it can be.”

The Order members huddled together, admiring Harry’s handiwork, and already began planning how they would help Hagrid care for Norbert. This wasn’t just about the dragon anymore—it was about their shared secret, their duty, and the magic that had woven them closer together.

With Norbert safely nestled in his new cave, Blaise Zabini and Theodore Nott decided it was time to deal with the thorn in their side: Draco Malfoy. Draco had been an endless nuisance, throwing around dragon jokes, sneering about "Mudblood Lovers" and "Blood Traitors," and constantly keeping an eye on them like a self-appointed spy for older Slytherins. Theodore, in particular, had enough. He’d already gotten a howler from his uncle, who had been furious about his association with Harry Potter and the other Order of the Stars members. His family was steeped in pureblood ideals, and the news of his friendship with a group that included Muggle-borns had reached his uncle thanks to Draco’s meddling. The howler had embarrassed Theodore in the Great Hall, and he was determined to get even with Draco for dragging his family into it.

Together, Blaise and Theodore began to plot. They knew Draco was watching their every move, especially after the hatching of Norbert. They could almost feel his presence lurking in the shadows, trying to catch them in any act he could report back to his father or one of his Slytherin contacts. So, they devised a plan to turn the tables on him.

Theodore grinned as he outlined his idea to Blaise, who listened with increasing enthusiasm. They would use Draco’s own paranoia against him. "Let’s make him think we’re planning something big—something dangerous that he’ll want to interfere with," Theodore explained. "We'll lure him into a trap, make it seem like we’re meeting in some forbidden part of the castle. When he sneaks after us, we’ll lead him right into trouble.”

Blaise and Theodore exchanged mischievous glances as they went over the plan loud enough for Draco to overhear. They knew he was just outside the door, likely hanging on to every word as they "discussed" the top-secret dragon egg operation.

Blaise began, his voice carrying purposefully, “So, when is Charlie Weasley coming to Hogwarts?”

Theodore replied, just as theatrically, “In two days. It’s all set up. It’s a super-secret handoff since, you know, if anyone found out we were smuggling dragon eggs to the Weasleys to send them to a dragon reserve, we’d be in massive trouble. Those eggs are some of the most illegal items in the magical world. The Ministry would be all over us.”

Blaise nodded, pretending to sound nervous. “So, what's the plan again? Just to be sure?”

Theodore continued, “Alright, listen carefully. The Order members will gather at midnight, sneak to the hidden location, and grab the egg. We’ll take it to the seventh-floor corridor, and Charlie will be there, waiting on his broomstick. Once he arrives, we’ll do a quick hand-off, and he’ll be on his way with the egg. No one will even know it happened.”

Blaise nodded gravely. “Yeah, we have to be careful. One wrong move, and it’s Azkaban for all of us.”

Outside the door, Draco’s eyes went wide, his heart pounding. He could hardly believe what he was hearing—a real, live smuggling operation right here in Hogwarts! And dragon eggs of all things! The temptation to be the one who exposed such a scandal was too much to resist. He could already picture himself, the hero who brought down the illegal dragon trade within the castle. Surely, his father would be proud—and the entire school would finally see him as someone important.

Inside, Blaise and Theodore could hardly keep straight faces as they laid out their trap. They whispered the "secret" details, glancing at each other knowingly as they tried not to burst into laughter. When they finally heard Draco scurry away, clearly in a rush to tell anyone who would listen, they allowed themselves a small, victorious smirk.

“Think he’ll take the bait?” Blaise asked, chuckling.

“Oh, absolutely,” Theodore replied with a grin.

In the Slytherin common room, a quiet but determined energy had settled over Blaise Zabini and Theodore Nott. The two boys had spent days planning their elaborate prank to put Draco Malfoy in his place. Malfoy had been insufferable, tossing out constant jibes about “dragons” and calling anyone who dared hang around Harry Potter names like “Mudblood Lover” and “Blood Traitor.”
Tonight, it was finally time for a little payback.

They waited in the common room, acting as if they had nowhere important to be, all while keeping an eye on Malfoy. Just as they’d expected, Draco lingered nearby, pretending to be deeply absorbed in his Potions notes. But his sidelong glances betrayed him—he was watching them, ready to catch them sneaking off with a dragon egg.

When the common room emptied out, Blaise gave Theo a quick nod. They stood, stretched, and casually walked out the door, keeping their pace slow and relaxed. They knew Malfoy would follow them, likely dragging Crabbe and Goyle along as his loyal (if clueless) accomplices. Sure enough, as they left the dungeon and turned down a quiet corridor, Blaise caught a faint echo of footsteps behind them. Perfect.

After taking a corner, Blaise and Theo ducked into an abandoned classroom, pressing themselves against the wall to watch with satisfaction as Malfoy and his goons—Crabbe and Goyle—moved further away from the Slytherin common room. The boys felt a rush of excitement at the thought of their prank coming to fruition.

“Did you see the look on his face?” Blaise whispered, barely able to contain his grin. “He thought he was being so clever.”

Theo chuckled softly, leaning against the doorframe. “He never learns, does he? It’s too easy to bait him.”

Their plan was simple yet devious: they would let Malfoy think he was onto something, that he could catch Blaise and Theo in the act of smuggling dragon eggs to the Weasleys. They were confident that Draco would be caught red-handed, as it was impossible for him to escape the watchful eyes of the Hogwarts patrols.

As the excitement buzzed through them, sleep was elusive. Every creak of the old castle echoed in their ears, amplifying the tension and anticipation. “I can’t believe we’re doing this,” Blaise said, glancing at the closed door. “It feels like something out of a story.”

“It is a story,” Theo replied, his eyes sparkling with mischief. “Just wait until we tell everyone about it tomorrow. Malfoy will be the laughingstock of Slytherin.”

Time passed slowly in the dim room, and they could hear faint noises of footsteps echoing through the corridors. A patrol was passing by, and Theo and Blaise exchanged glances, hearts racing. They knew the castle was alive with secrets and shadows, but for now, they felt invincible, ready to see their plan unfold.

“Do you think we should check on Malfoy?” Theo asked, a glimmer of curiosity crossing his features. “He might get himself into real trouble.”

Blaise shook his head, suppressing a laugh. “Let him worry about that. We did our part. Besides, it’s more fun to let him stew in his own mess.”

Finally, the footsteps faded, and the corridor grew quiet again. The anticipation in the air was thick, and both boys leaned closer to the door, their hearts beating in sync with the thrill of the impending chaos.

Blaise and Theo exchanged triumphant smirks as they slipped out of the abandoned classroom and made their way back to the Slytherin common room, their hearts still racing with excitement. They strolled through the dimly lit corridors, acting completely nonchalant, as if nothing had happened.

As they reached the entrance to the Slytherin common room, the familiar green light from the torches cast eerie shadows on the stone walls. Blaise and Theo pushed the door open, the soft creak echoing in the stillness. Inside, a few first-years were huddled together, whispering and giggling, while older students lounged on the plush sofas, immersed in their own conversations.

“Just another normal night,” Blaise said, feigning innocence as they walked past the group, exchanging knowing glances with one another.

“Yep, nothing to see here,” Theo replied with a grin, his heart still buzzing from the night’s mischief.

They made their way to their respective beds, and as soon as they settled in, the thrill of their prank began to wear off, replaced by the comforting blanket of sleep. They knew they had left Malfoy to deal with the consequences of his own arrogance, and the thought made them chuckle softly into their pillows.

Soon, the weariness of the day took over, and they drifted off, their minds filled with dreams of dragons and revenge, oblivious to the chaos that was soon to unfold.