CHAPTER FOURTEEN
They looked at the dragon. It had grown three times in length in
just a week. Smoke kept furling out of its nostrils. Hagrid hadn’t
been doing his gamekeeping duties because the dragon was keep-
ing him so busy. There were empty brandy bottles and chicken
feathers all over the floor.
“I’ve decided to call him Norbert,” said Hagrid, looking at the
dragon with misty eyes. “He really knows me now, watch. Norbert!
Norbert! Where’s Mommy?”
“He’s lost his marbles,” Ron muttered in Harry’s ear.
“Hagrid,” said Harry loudly, “give it two weeks and Norbert’s
going to be as long as your house. Malfoy could go to Dumbledore
at any moment.”
Hagrid bit his lip.
“I — I know I can’t keep him forever, but I can’t jus’ dump him,
can’t.”
Harry suddenly turned to Ron.
“Charlie,” he said.
“You’re losing it, too,” said Ron. “I’m Ron, remember?”
“No — Charlie — your brother, Charlie. In Romania. Studying
dragons. We could send Norbert to him. Charlie can take care of
him and then put him back in the wild!”
“Brilliant!” said Ron. “How about it, Hagrid?”
And in the end, Hagrid agreed that they could send an owl to
Charlie to ask him.
The following week dragged by. Wednesday night found Her-
mione and Harry sitting alone in the common room, long after
everyone else had gone to bed. The clock on the wall had just
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