Crack... crack...
On the wooden table beside the roaring fireplace, a pitch-black giant egg trembled slightly, producing faint cracking sounds that echoed through the sweltering hut.
At the table's edge, three young wizards stared with breathless anticipation at the shaking egg, while Hagrid on the other side was practically attempting to merge with that mysterious black shell.
If it weren't for the critical fact that you absolutely couldn't interfere during the delicate hatching stage, he probably would have grabbed a hammer the next second to forcibly chisel open the eggshell and rescue his precious "little cutie."
But even without resorting to such drastic measures, Hagrid's current behavior left Evans feeling utterly speechless.
Staring at the massive figure completely blocking his view and preventing him from seeing even a glimpse of the eggshell, Evans pursed his lips with growing frustration.
"I understand that newborn dragons will regard the first creature they see as their mother, but you don't need to completely block me like a human wall, do you?"
"Just positioning yourself close to it should be sufficient, right? This way I can't even see what's happening."
"Absolutely not!" Hagrid shook his enormous head with fierce determination, refusing to move his body even a single inch.
"If it catches sight of you, it definitely won't accept me as its mother!"
On this particular matter, Hagrid possessed complete self-awareness.
The three young wizards positioned over there were manageable, but if Evans appeared within the little dragon's crucial field of vision, even just observing from a distance, the hatchling wouldn't choose him as its mother despite Hagrid being physically closest.
Evans's supernatural talent was like a legendary enchantment to magical creatures. Although it only increased initial favorability slightly, that small boost was more than enough to capture the complete attention of a newly hatched dragon!
He absolutely couldn't allow himself to be seen, at least not during those critical first moments!
Observing Hagrid's stubborn determination, Evans shook his head with resigned acceptance.
He fully understood that if he appeared within the newly hatched dragon's line of sight, there was an excellent chance he would directly steal the newborn dragon's complete attention.
Oh well, it was just a hatching anyway. If he couldn't witness it directly, so be it.
He had absolutely no intention of competing with Hagrid for the sacred identity of the little dragon's mother. After all, Hagrid was one of his dearest friends, and this precious little dragon represented something Hagrid had devoted over half a month to carefully hatching.
From his flushed, sweaty face and completely soaked clothes, anyone could see that he had genuinely suffered considerable discomfort for this little dragon's sake.
If he accidentally stole Hagrid's coveted identity as the dragon's mother, even if it happened completely unintentionally, Hagrid would be absolutely heartbroken.
Crack... crack...
As precious minutes ticked by, the sounds emanating from inside the black egg became increasingly violent and urgent.
Gradually, a spider web of cracks began appearing across the egg's dark surface.
The three young wizards held their breath collectively, pressing themselves against the table's edge with wide, fascinated eyes, but they didn't dare venture any closer to the miraculous scene.
They had clearly heard Professor Kahn's earlier warning. If they positioned themselves too close, they might be mistaken for the mother by the impressionable little dragon, and none of them wanted to suddenly acquire a dragon as their adopted child.
On the opposite side, Hagrid turned his massive head back with obvious worry, carefully confirming that he had completely blocked Evans from the dragon's view before returning his intense gaze with visible relief and positioning his head dangerously close to the trembling dragon egg.
That reckless distance made Evans genuinely worry whether Hagrid might be accidentally injured by the dragon's powerful hatching movements.
Suddenly, a harsh scraping sound pierced the air. The eggshell cracked dramatically piece by piece along the growing fissure, and a small creature with spike-covered wings that resembled a wrinkled black umbrella and an oversized white nose crawled out from the scattered shell fragments and slowly opened its bright eyes.
The hatchling first sniffed cautiously around its immediate surroundings, then ran directly toward Hagrid, who was positioned closest, and promptly bit his thick finger.
But Hagrid didn't mind the sharp pain in his finger whatsoever. He gently removed the little dragon from his bleeding finger, cradled it carefully in his enormous arms, his weathered face completely filled with pure surprise and deep satisfaction.
"Look at this! It thinks I'm its mother! It's actually responding to me!"
Observing the dragon constantly flapping its tiny wings with desperate energy, Harry privately felt the dragon hatchling was simply struggling to escape, but Hagrid was holding it far too tightly. The poor creature couldn't break free and could only weakly flap its wings, creating the illusion that it was responding affectionately to Hagrid's overwhelming embrace.
Well, it was probably better not to shatter Hagrid's happiness by mentioning this observation.
After intimately hugging the exhausted little dragon for an extended period, Hagrid finally contentedly placed the creature on the table, mercifully ending his torture-like embrace.
The little dragon, now resting on the wooden table, breathed heavily with obvious exhaustion, wisps of white smoke puffing rhythmically from its tiny nostrils.
After recovering for several long minutes, the little dragon finally regained some strength. It climbed up shakily from the table, its brilliant orange-red eyes scanning around with innocent curiosity about everything in this strange new world.
The hatchling seemed to suddenly sense something intriguing, crawled determinedly to the table's edge, and peered around behind Hagrid's massive form.
After spotting Evans positioned behind Hagrid, its eyes lit up with obvious excitement, and it opened its small mouth to produce a soft whimpering sound.
Taking two measured steps forward, Evans approached the table, reached out gently to pick up the dragon that appeared remarkably small in his hands, a tender smile crossing his features.
Although he had encountered many magnificent dragons during his adventures in Egypt, this marked his very first time witnessing a newly hatched hatchling.
Such an innocent hatchling probably wouldn't display the same wariness toward him as those experienced adult dragons, right?
With this hopeful thought, Evans gazed at the little dragon cradled in his arms with increasingly gentle eyes.
Observing the little dragon lying peacefully in Evans's protective arms, Hagrid's eyes flashed with an unmistakable trace of profound loss.
It was happening again. He should have anticipated this outcome.
This little dragon would probably still accept Evans as its mother, wouldn't it?
After all, Evans knew so much more than himself, understood far better how to make magical creatures stronger and healthier, and was incredibly popular with every creature he encountered. Unlike him, who simply loved dangerous creatures but remained very clumsy in his handling methods.
Contemplating this painful reality, Hagrid lowered his head in defeat, gradually losing all the light in his eyes.
Instantly noticing the dramatic change in Hagrid's demeanor, Evans's eyes flickered with concern. He carefully placed the little dragon back on the ground, patted its small head affectionately, and pointed meaningfully at Hagrid, who was hanging his head in obvious dejection nearby.
The little dragon, now positioned on the ground, appeared confused initially, then looked curiously in the direction Evans was indicating. After several thoughtful seconds, it used the sharp claws on its wings to support itself against the floor and crawled determinedly toward Hagrid using both its wings and feet.
Struggling with adorable effort to reach Hagrid's side, the hatchling grasped his trouser leg with its tiny claws, constantly rubbing its small head against his ankle in an obvious attempt to comfort its distressed mother.
Noticing the gentle movement at his feet, Hagrid turned his head with puzzled confusion, then his eyes instantly filled with overwhelming surprise. While reaching out his enormous hands toward the little dragon, he spoke with genuine amazement.
"It didn't accept you as its mother after all?"
In his understanding, the little dragon's affectionate behavior suggested it had finally found its true mother, but observing the situation now... had he been completely mistaken?
Watching Hagrid pick up the little dragon again with a radiant smile transforming his features, Evans smiled warmly and shook his head with certainty.
"Dragons will regard the first living creature they see after hatching as their mother. This is an unchangeable characteristic of their species that won't alter for any reason."
"It might display great affection for me, but the mother it recognizes will never change."
Hearing Evans's reassuring words, Hagrid hugged the little dragon in his arms protectively, his deep voice carrying obvious choking emotion.
"Norbert, Mama's precious Norbert, you'll never abandon Mama, will you?"
As he spoke these tender words, Hagrid held the little dragon even more tightly against his chest.
Harry couldn't help but notice that the little dragon was struggling with increased desperation.
Should he really not mention this to Hagrid?
Meanwhile, Evans's expression shifted to something distinctly strange.
"I strongly suggest you change that name."
He genuinely didn't want to interrupt the heartwarming scene between Hagrid and his beloved little dragon, but as a professional magizoologist, he felt obligated to inform Hagrid of an important fact.
"She should definitely be a girl."