In the Room of Requirement classroom.
Harry and the others had all left, leaving Lucien alone with Malfoy.
"Why did you run this morning?"
Faced with Lucien's direct question, Malfoy stammered,
"Well, Potter chased me, so of course I ran, didn't I?"
Lucien shook his head slightly, thinking that this whole business of chasing and running was beside the point.
"All right. Come watch the dragon with me tonight. I remember you're quite interested in magical creatures."
Malfoy was genuinely surprised that Lucien remembered his hobby.
The straightforward invitation made him scratch his head.
"I get what you mean. I won't tell anyone about this."
"A Malfoy doesn't betray his friends."
Lucien continued tidying up the exam papers, musing inwardly.
Provided Malfoy's friends were strong enough, that was.
"Then… do I need to pay?"
At Malfoy's question, Lucien couldn't help looking up at him.
"What?"
Seeing the strange look on Lucien's face, Malfoy quickly added,
"Oh, my family's dragon reserve is also open to the public. Visitors can pay to take photos with the dragons."
"So… haha, I'm kind of used to it."
Uh, take photos with a dragon?
Wasn't that basically asking for death?
Dragons were XXXXX-class magical creatures—extremely dangerous.
No one should approach them except highly skilled wizards.
Hmm, the Malfoy family had several dragon reserves. If possible, he could visit them during the summer holidays.
It could also serve as reconnaissance for Norbert.
That would make things much more convenient when he eventually "conquered" those Norwegian Ridgeback kin.
"Draco, those dragons are real, right? Not magical illusions?"
Malfoy patted his chest and declared confidently,
"Our family is very honest in business!"
"If we say it's a dragon, then it's a dragon. And loads of people are always clamoring to see them!"
Malfoy's answer left Lucien momentarily speechless.
Once again, Lucien was forced to acknowledge the adventurous—and suicidal—spirit of wizards. He asked curiously,
"Then there haven't been any accidents? Dragons are extremely dangerous creatures, after all."
To his surprise, Malfoy spread his hands.
"Oh, sure. There are two or three accidents almost every month."
"So we've also introduced supporting insurance services and follow-up treatment. Everyone's very satisfied."
Heh. Truly a "one-stop service."
"Draco, if I were to visit your dragon farm, how many Galleons would it cost?"
"Eh—no, no, no."
Malfoy waved his hands repeatedly.
"No need for that. Just tell me in advance, and we can go straight there when the time comes!"
Since Lucien had brought it up, Malfoy naturally knew what to do.
His father had taught him that only through mutual help could friendships deepen and grow stronger.
...
After dinner.
Inside Hagrid's Hut.
Malfoy's eyes gleamed as he stared at the small dragon on the table, even though it was completely absorbed in the wine barrel and showed no interest in him at all.
"Oh—oh, this is a Norwegian Ridgeback!"
"It's very similar to a Hungarian Horntail, except it doesn't have spikes on its tail, and it has an extra row of ridges along its back. That's where its name comes from…"
"Its most distinctive trait is its fondness for aquatic animals. It was once seen carrying off a whale calf…"
"Unfortunately, this species is extremely aggressive, especially toward its own kind, which is why it's become increasingly rare…"
Malfoy rattled off the characteristics of the Norwegian Ridgeback as though reciting treasured family lore.
He couldn't hide his excitement at being able to observe a dragon from such close range.
Although his family owned dragon reserves, every time he begged his father to let him interact with the dragons, his father refused, citing his young age and the need to consider safety.
After all, no matter how comprehensive the insurance and medical treatment provided by the family might be, those measures were meant to make money from outsiders.
Who would ever gamble with the safety of the family heir and beloved only son?
However, before the school year had begun, his father had promised to take Malfoy out to have some fun that summer.
That was also why Malfoy had dared to make such a guarantee to Lucien.
Watching the adorable little dragon drink its chicken-blood brandy, Malfoy instinctively reached out to touch it.
"Ah!"
A sharp cry suddenly rang out.
The others hurriedly covered their ears.
Malfoy yanked his hand back. A row of bloody puncture marks had appeared along the side of his palm, blood pouring out.
Norbert, meanwhile, bared his teeth, glaring fiercely yet adorably at the human who had dared offend him.
Malfoy's face went pale as he clutched his injured hand.
"All right, it's okay, it's okay. He wasn't trying to steal your food."
Lucien reached out and stroked Norbert's head. The little dragon immediately purred contentedly, showing no sign of its earlier aggression.
Tsk, tsk. The feel of real dragon hide really was excellent.
What, then, were those so-called dragon-hide gloves sold in Diagon Alley actually made of?
Well, presumably, those were all made from Earth Dragon leather.
There simply weren't that many gloves made from true dragon hide.
Every year, new students were required to buy a pair of dragon-hide gloves, and there would inevitably be replacements later due to wear and tear.
But how many dragons were there in the entire world? How could there possibly be enough?
Pure dragon materials were still scarce. Even much of the dragon blood on the market was diluted and mixed.
Lucien glanced at the pained Malfoy. Not stopping him earlier had been intentional—so these children would understand that dangerous magical creatures were not to be approached lightly.
Experience was often the best teacher.
Lucien withdrew his hand and took a crystal vial from his robes.
"Hold out your hand."
Malfoy assumed Lucien was going to treat him, so he obediently extended his palm.
A drop of clear liquid fell onto the wound, and Malfoy's eyes widened.
The injuries were healing at a visible rate.
After being bitten, Malfoy remembered that Norwegian Ridgeback fangs contained venom. It wasn't usually fatal, but it could certainly cause swelling and pain for several days.
Dragon bites were notoriously difficult to heal, yet that single drop of liquid…
Malfoy guessed it must have been some kind of magical potion. Combined with Lucien's performance and talent in Potions class, the more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.
Watching Malfoy get bitten by Norbert due to his carelessness and then promptly healed by Lucien, Harry couldn't help clenching his own hand.
He, too, had been badly bitten by Cerberus, and being injured by a magical creature gave him a certain sympathy for Malfoy.
Of course, only a little.
After finishing the chicken-blood brandy, Norbert leapt onto Lucien's lap in a single bound, curled up, and let out a yawn.
Lucien gently patted the little dragon's back, humming a soft tune, as though lulling a baby to sleep.
Everyone watching the scene couldn't help feeling a twinge of envy toward Lucien.
Ah… how could anyone be so close to a dragon?
________
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