Harry Potter: Magic and Guns

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After leaving Grindelwald’s office, Harry drifted off in thought for quite some time, a wide, uncontrollable smile on his face. Other students he passed on the way were left puzzled by his expression.

Some even started spreading rumors that Harry might be in love. Even though half the school year had already passed, Harry’s popularity at Hogwarts remained high.

What girl, smitten with romance, could possibly resist a boy like Harry Potter—strong, handsome, academically gifted, rich, and tragically orphaned?

During Christmas, Harry had given away almost forty Nimbus 2000s, spending more than 8,000 Galleons without a second thought. When word spread, many younger students nearly broke down the doors of the dueling club to join, but the club wasn’t accepting new members anymore. In fact, they were even expelling unqualified ones.

As Hogwarts’ number-one most eligible bachelor, plenty of older girls were eager to get closer to Harry. If he weren’t so rarely seen outside, a line of girls trying to strike up a conversation could’ve formed an entire regiment.

When Harry walked into the Great Hall, intending to grab a bite to eat, he was suddenly brought back to reality by the intense gazes of a large group of girls. Since the "celibate monk" label had been thrown off and someone had already made a move, there was no reason for them not to join in! After all, if you swing the pickaxe hard enough, there’s no wall you can’t topple.

As he made his way to the Hufflepuff table, Harry had already encountered several older students braving the cold weather, ditching their warm milk and sneaking into more revealing outfits beneath their robes. Of course, these attempts often ended in awkward wardrobe malfunctions.

"It seems like a trip to the Soviet Union really wasn’t a bad idea after all," Harry thought calmly, completely unfazed by the chaos around him. Although nothing had actually happened there, after a night of a surreal, hyper-realistic dream, Harry felt he had matured in a way. Apart from a few days where he was too embarrassed to face Ayya, nothing awkward came out of it.

"I really wish I had the Philosopher's Stone already," Harry thought as he absentmindedly chewed on a piece of steak. After tasting the raw heart of the Frost Tyrant, regular meat no longer held much appeal for him. The flavor hadn't changed, but compared to the potent magical essence of the beast’s flesh, it all felt bland.

The more he thought about it, the less interested he became in the food before him. He put down his fork and got up to leave. If he had a craving, then why not satisfy it?

Though Hogwarts' Forbidden Forest was much smaller than the Eternal Glacier, it was still abundant with resources. Dragons, who required vast territories, didn’t live there because the dense magical creature population left no space for them. Any dragon foolish enough to try settling there would quickly be eliminated by the magical creatures sensing a threat.

The ecosystem and species composition of the Forbidden Forest naturally made it a dragon-free zone.

But Harry wasn’t like Hagrid; he had no particular fascination with dragons. If anything, his only interest in a dragon was putting it on his dinner table.

"Knock, knock, knock!"

"Hagrid, are you home? I’ve come to visit!"

As Harry knocked on Hagrid’s door, there was a sudden burst of chaotic noises from inside, as if something had been knocked over.

"Huh? Fang, what are you doing outside in this freezing weather? Come in and warm up!"

Before Hagrid could answer the door, a shiny black head popped out from a makeshift doghouse near the door. Fang, upon recognizing Harry, began wagging his tail enthusiastically, circling around him in excitement.

"Woof, woof!"

For some reason, Fang seemed a little downcast and whimpered as he glanced sadly at the small hut. Then he nudged Harry’s leg with his head.

"Harry!"

A massive head suddenly peeked out from the barely opened door, startling Harry for a moment. Usually, Hagrid would open the door fully, but today he seemed to be keeping it tightly shut.

"You're alone, right?" Hagrid scanned the surroundings warily before gesturing for Harry to come inside. "Quick, quick, come in. It's freezing out there."

Relieved, Hagrid hurried Harry into the cabin, and as soon as Harry stepped inside, an intense wave of heat hit him, almost singeing his hair.

"No wonder Fang refused to come in earlier. If we stayed in here for a few more hours, we'd be having roasted dog for dinner," Harry quipped, glancing at the roaring fire. "Hagrid, are you that afraid of the cold? This fireplace is about to set the whole place on fire!"

"Oh, uh... that," Hagrid muttered, clearly uncomfortable. He hesitated, but after a moment, realizing he couldn't come up with a good excuse, he stepped aside, revealing the fireplace blazing behind him.

On top of the fiery pile of wood sat an iron bucket, nearly glowing from the heat, seemingly close to melting. Inside the bucket was a massive egg, basking in the flames.

"Is that a dragon egg?" Harry's brow furrowed sharply. Grindelwald had been right—whoever they had caught earlier had wanted to get caught. The real mastermind was still at large.

Someone had targeted Hagrid, and this dragon egg was proof of that. It was possible they'd abandoned their pawn because they had gotten something valuable from Hagrid.

"Yes! It's a dragon egg!" Hagrid beamed like an excited child, no longer hiding anything. Now that Harry had recognized the egg, Hagrid seemed to relax.

"This is the egg of a Soviet Ironbelly, one of the northernmost dragons. They're the largest breed in the world. When fully grown, they can weigh over a hundred tons and reach lengths of 110 to 150 meters. This is no baby compared to the dragons used in the Triwizard Tournament last year—those little ones, like the Hungarian Horntail, are barely 30 meters long. They're practically cute in comparison."

"And this one!" Hagrid grinned with an almost fanatical glint in his eye.

"I might not be able to grab it by the tail and play spin-around like I could with smaller ones, but while it’s still young, I can! I can't carry it up into the sky like its mother to teach it to fly by dropping it, but I can throw it a few hundred meters into the air! If it doesn’t manage to fly on its first try, I can catch it below!"

Hagrid had become a complete chatterbox, his enthusiasm overflowing. His long-standing obsession with dragons was clear, and now that he had an actual egg, his excitement had reached a fever pitch.

"Hold on, Hagrid. This isn't the time to discuss how to hatch a dragon. Can you tell me how you got your hands on this egg?"

Hagrid suddenly froze, realizing he had said too much. His expression grew awkward, and he mumbled—although his voice was still loud enough to be heard clearly—"I know the Ministry of Magic doesn’t allow private dragon breeding, but I couldn’t help it! I could find a spot for it in the Forbidden Forest. Sure, it’ll be a big one, but I can feed it and make sure it doesn’t cause any trouble."

"I get that, Hagrid, I really do. But who gave you the egg?" Harry pressed gently.

"How did you know someone gave it to me?" Hagrid asked, surprised.

"Just think of me as having a bit of foresight," Harry replied, his expression serious and calm.

Hagrid took a deep breath, steadied himself, and then explained.

"Well, it was during Christmas. I went to the Hog’s Head in Hogsmeade for a drink. I won the egg in a card game. The bloke I won it from seemed desperate to get rid of it. Given the egg's likely... unsavory origins, I reckon it wasn’t something he could sell on the regular market, even in the black market—it’s risky, especially for an outsider wizard."

"An outsider wizard?" Harry’s eyebrows rose slightly.

"Yeah. He had his face hidden under a hood, but his accent was strange—didn’t sound like he was from around here. But you see a lot of those types in the Hog’s Head. Not really out of the ordinary there."

"Other than losing a dragon egg to you, did that guy ask you anything?" Harry asked cautiously. After all the bizarre events he had experienced, he was now extra wary of things that seemed too straightforward.

"Ask me anything else?" Hagrid scratched his head, trying to recall. "Oh, yeah, we talked about the big creatures I've handled. I reckon he was interested in those too. Especially after I told him about how I managed to tame Fluffy—three heads and all. Maybe that's why he thought betting the dragon egg was a safe gamble, knowing I could handle creatures like that."

"He seemed fascinated by the big ones," Hagrid added with a grin. "We had a good chat."

It was clear Hagrid had a favorable impression of the man. Then again, Hagrid had a soft spot for anyone who shared his passion for magical creatures, especially the more dangerous ones. Not many could control such beasts, and Hagrid rarely encountered someone who appreciated them the way he did.

"Next time, Hagrid, you should probably keep your distance," Harry advised. "Most people interested in dangerous magical creatures are poachers. You know that dragon egg didn’t come from any legal source."

"They won’t dare step foot in the Forbidden Forest. I’ve been watching over it for decades now. I must’ve taken out close to a hundred poachers, if not more," Hagrid said, his tone turning sharp. "The Forbidden Forest belongs to Hogwarts, and I’m here to protect it."

A flash of fierceness crossed Hagrid’s face. "I shouldn’t be telling you all this."

He smiled apologetically at Harry, quickly reverting to his usual cheerful self. As for the poachers, the Ministry didn’t interfere. The Forbidden Forest was considered Hogwarts' property, and any trespassers were dealt with harshly. Those who entered without permission had no right to complain if they didn’t make it out alive. In fact, the Ministry would even back Hagrid in defending Hogwarts' grounds. It was entirely legal.

"It’s fine," Harry reassured him, nodding. "I agree—those poachers deserve what they get."

Harry understood Hagrid’s perspective now. No matter how friendly Hagrid was with someone, if they ever set foot in the Forbidden Forest with bad intentions, they'd be greeted by Hagrid's giant crossbow. The bolts—thick as a man's arm—would fly at supersonic speeds, easily surpassing the destructive power of a tank cannon. Infused with Hagrid’s magic, even the strongest magical creatures couldn’t withstand the impact. No magical shield would stop it either. Sometimes, raw physical force could be deadlier than magic.

"Now, back to the dragon egg," Harry continued. "I suggest you don’t hatch it. I have a feeling that man tampered with it. What if, when the dragon hatches, it runs wild and attacks Hogwarts?"

Harry’s face took on a serious expression. "We should just eat it."

Harry flashed a grin, showing his perfectly aligned, gleaming white teeth. For some reason, seeing that smile made Hagrid shiver. The sight of those sharp teeth seemed even more terrifying than a dragon’s maw.

"Please, Harry! Don’t even joke about that!" Hagrid’s legs almost gave out from under him as he imagined the horrifying scenario. He felt drained of all his strength, utterly overwhelmed by the thought.

"Why... why would you even think of something so dangerous?"

"It’s all for the glory of evolution," Harry said, sighing softly as he placed a hand over his chest.

"After eating the Frost Tyrant’s heart, I’ve... started to feel things differently."

“Maybe if I can taste something equally powerful, I might undergo some changes, make myself even stronger.” Harry mused, his hand still resting over his chest.

"Let's go!" Hagrid suddenly bellowed, seizing a massive steel spear from the corner of the room. It was as thick as an average man's leg and three meters long, resembling a steel pillar more than a weapon. If not for the spearhead on one end, Harry might have thought it was part of the cabin's structure.

But the faint scent of old blood lingering on it made it clear this was no ordinary tool.

“Whatever you want to eat, as long as it’s in the forest, I’ll drag it here for you to try!” Hagrid’s eyes were serious as he stared at Harry with a hint of pleading in them.

“I’ve worked so hard for the chance to raise a dragon, Harry. Let this one go. I can give you anything else.”

Harry fell silent, realizing the mistake in his earlier words. Hagrid genuinely considered him a friend, and this giant of a man was now showing him a vulnerable side he didn’t often reveal.

"Don’t treat me like Hogwarts' big bad bully, Hagrid!" Harry laughed, giving Hagrid a playful slap on his huge arm.

"Sure, I’d love to try dragon meat, but it’s not like this egg is my only chance. Professor Snape—uh, the professor—still has half a dragon in storage. And if I really want more, I’ve got the money to buy some."

"I don’t need this egg for that, but I still think there’s something off about it."

"You told that guy how to deal with Fluffy, didn’t you? Or how to tame him, maybe?"

Hagrid’s shoulders relaxed in relief once he realized Harry wasn’t serious about eating the egg. But as soon as Harry mentioned Fluffy, his tension returned.

“How do you know about that?” Hagrid frowned. “Weren’t you in Russia at the time? How’d you know it feels like you were standing right next to me?”

Harry had told Hagrid about his journey to Russia and had even brought back a portion of the Fountain of Life for him, so the giant knew about his travels.

“Let’s just say I’ve got a knack for knowing things,” Harry smirked. “So, you told that guy how to handle Fluffy?”

“Yeah, well...” Hagrid hesitated, then nodded. “I might’ve had a bit too much to drink, and I told him that Fluffy’s not that hard to deal with. All you gotta do is calm him down. Sing him a lullaby, and he’ll be asleep in no time.”

“Not music then? What about playing an instrument or something?”

“No, no, it has to be a lullaby. Fluffy’s used to falling asleep to my voice. No way would music work.”

And right then, Hagrid began singing, his voice booming like a bell:

“Sleep, sleep, my dear little baby!

Sleep, sleep, Mama loves you!”

It was like a thunderclap in Harry’s ears, the sheer power of Hagrid’s voice almost knocking him back.

(End of chapter)