From Hogwarts to Sturhaven

Norber is a typical Norwegian Spinosaurus, with its entire body being pure black except for its orange eyes. The wing membrane connecting its forepaws and ribs looks much larger than its body, and its wings are covered with many black spikes, giving it a menacing appearance.

It sneezed, spitting out a few sparks that scorched several black spots on Hagrid's log table.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Hagrid was completely captivated by the little dragon. He reached out and touched the dragon’s head, and the dragon bit his finger.

Even newborn Norwegian Spinosaurus had long, sharp teeth, which became venomous as they aged, making them extremely dangerous hunters who could easily catch their prey without breathing fire.

However, the newborn dragon posed no threat to Hagrid. Hagrid stiffened his fingers and carefully lifted it off the frying pan.

The little dragon flapped its wings vigorously and swung its long neck as if trying to tear a piece of flesh from Hagrid's fingers, but its movements only made its body, which was hanging in the air, sway.

Seemingly afraid the little dragon would fall from the sky, Hagrid supported its rear with his other hand and excitedly shouted at Ivy, "Look how strong Norber is! It's sure to grow into a big guy!"

Perhaps tired of the food he couldn't swallow, the little dragon finally relented. Hagrid carried it to Howling Flame, and the big cat stuck out its prickly tongue and licked the little dragon's forehead.

“Oh… how touching! Look at your baby! It’s healthy, you’re a hero mom, Howling Flame!” Hagrid grabbed the tablecloth and wiped his face; the heartwarming interaction between mother and child seemed to bring tears to his eyes.

However, Xiaoyan was neither a fire dragon nor a real big cat, but an Art Elemental Garden statue. Although it provided the little dragon with the necessary heat, this Norwegian Ridgeback, which was probably closely related to lizards, was obviously a cold-blooded killer. It suddenly opened its mouth and bit Xiaoyan.

Xiaoyan possessed reflexes comparable to a cat's, effortlessly dodging the little dragon's bite and pinning it under its paws.

The little dragon struggled, its limbs and tail flailing wildly, occasionally sizzling as it scraped across the frying pan.

Xiaoyan raised its claws, and the little dragon immediately wiggled its unfamiliar limbs and got up, launching another attack on its foster mother.

As expected, it was once again trampled under Xiaoyan's feet. However, this time, after struggling for a few moments, the little dragon began to howl miserably, its voice several times more unpleasant than that of a crow with its throat hoarse from shouting.

"It's calling for its mother!" Hagrid's love seemed unaffected by the cries; he gently made Howling Flame release its claws and personally comforted the little dragon.

“I think it should be female,” Ivy said cautiously.

"What? Why?" Hagrid seemed to disagree. "Look how lively it is!"

“The female Norwegian Spinosaurus is much more ferocious than the male; you should call it Norberta,” Ivy said, flipping open the large volume “Species of Dragons in Great Britain and Ireland” that was under Hagrid’s pillow and pointing to the entry about the Norwegian Spinosaurus.

"Don't be ridiculous, Ivy. You call this vicious?" Hagrid seemed to have heard a joke and burst into laughter, but his laughter seemed to have angered the quiet Norbert again. It raised its bumpy head and bit Hagrid's finger again.

"It must be hungry!" Hagrid made an excuse for his precious baby. "Luckily, I've already prepared its first meal!"

The smell of brandy mixed with chicken blood is not pleasant; the blood or alcohol evaporation makes the room smell very strange. But Nobeta seems to like the smell, sniffing the air incessantly.

“I must apologize to you, Hagrid,” Ivy said sincerely.

"Why?" Hagrid asked nonchalantly, his mind preoccupied with feeding Nobeta.

"Dumbledore already knows about the dragon eggs." Ivy grumbled inwardly at Quirrell. If Quirrell hadn't been so incompetent as a dark wizard, unable to find even the slightest fault in him, Ivy wouldn't have let it slip.

"What?" Hagrid's face was full of horror, and he didn't even notice that he had poured brandy into Norbert's nostrils.

Little Dragon coughed violently, spitting out sparks that ignited the large baby bottle in Hagrid's hand.

Ivy used the Fire Condensation spell to help the flustered Hagrid out of his predicament. Hagrid put the little dragon down by the bucket and let it go into the bucket to find food. Then he sat back down at the table with a worried expression.

“How could this be! How can I face Dumbledore? He trusted me so much… and I have betrayed his trust!” Hagrid was extremely conflicted. “But Norbert is still so small, he can’t even find food on his own, I can’t abandon him!”

“You’re right, so we need to find a way to make this a win-win situation,” Ivy coaxed.

"Do you have a way, Ivy?" Hagrid asked eagerly, his eyes filled with hope.

“Remember? I mentioned that I used to keep many magical creatures at Hogwarts, some of which weren’t so safe, like the purple horned beast, the giant purple horned beast.” Ivy nodded in acknowledgment. There was even a dormant basilisk in the castle’s underground. Compared to it, the newly hatched dragon was no threat at all.

“Great, so what should we do?” Hagrid seemed less worried.

"Do you remember what the Ministry of Magic's bill on dragon ownership says?" Ivy asked, then began to recite the relevant clauses of the bill, "'All private dragon ownership is prohibited...' Note that word, 'private'!"

"You mean...?" Hagrid seemed to understand, but also seemed not to.

“Hogwarts isn’t exactly a private institution!” Ivy immediately stated her purpose. “This castle is an academic institution, an educational institution, not a private one! As long as Norbert becomes the school’s property, the Ministry of Magic has no right to interfere!”

“Nober is a good baby, not some cold, hard ‘property’!” Although Ivy knew they hadn’t reached an agreement on the baby dragon’s gender, he didn’t expect Hagrid to object to the property attribute of the dragon.

“What I mean is, we have to convince the Ministry of Magic that it’s Hogwarts property. Only then can we prevent you from being separated and avoid the possibility of you being thrown into Azkaban,” Ivy advised. “Besides, the little dragon needs care too. Dumbledore can’t really just leave it with the other school property. In the end, won’t you, the gamekeeper, be responsible for taking care of it?”

Hagrid seemed to be persuaded by the prospects described by Ivy, and his mind went blank with longing.

Although betraying one's friend is unethical, all Ivy has left to do is create a little difficulty so that Hagrid is forced to agree to let the little dragon be placed in the underground of Hogwarts under Ivy's supervision.

In this way, Ivy not only got the fire dragon, but also a keeper who brought his own food.

Chapter 102 Connelly-Fudge's Wonderful Day

Slumped in the large office chair in the Minister of Magic's office, Cornelius Fudge yawned without any regard for his image.

His secretary went to make him coffee, so he could relax a little in the highest authority of the British magical world.

However, when the secretary knocked on the door of the Minister of Magic's office, Cornelius Fudge immediately adopted his usual demeanor as Deputy Minister—approachable and friendly, which was how he won the trust of the voters and thus secured the position. Of course, his successful election also owed much to the recommendation of Dumbledore, the greatest wizard of the century.

"Come in!" Connelly Fudge raised his voice, making sure the secretary outside the door could hear him.

"Good morning, Minister." The secretary, without using magic, personally brought a tray of coffee to Cornelius Fudge.

Although the British Ministry of Magic is located directly below Whitehall, this institution is not as crammed with civil servants of various titles as its siblings. So much so that if the Minister wants to get a cup of coffee, his direct secretary has to arrange it personally. Of course, this does not mean that the British Ministry of Magic has no intention of expanding its administrative agencies everywhere; it is just that the number of wizards in the British magical community limits its size.

Cornelius Fudge's most commendable achievement was becoming Minister for Magic in the United Kingdom, so his favorite phrase was "Minister for Magic in the United Kingdom." This phrase consists of three parts: the first part indicates his place of origin, the second part indicates his status, and the middle part indicates his importance.

“I am the most important person in the British magical world,” Cornelius Fudge thought smugly. He had long since lost the fear and unease he felt when he first took office as minister, and instead took the flattery from those around him as a true reflection of himself.

Unfortunately, the wizard who served Cornelius Fudge, the minister's direct secretary, seemed oblivious to this. He always simply referred to Cornelius Fudge as "minister," which slightly annoyed our kind and approachable minister, hence his frequent assignments of tasks like serving tea and water.

“Ah…coffee is such a wonderful thing.” Connelly Fudge’s gaze shifted to the latte art in the coffee cup; this secretary always showed unparalleled attentiveness in places he didn’t usually pay attention to. “…It will help to alleviate the mead I received yesterday at my Shafiq family estate.”

The British Ministry of Magic has a small staff, which means Cornelius Fudge often has the opportunity to attend banquets he hadn't been invited to before. Those pure-blood families are political animals, or rather, they always find ways to cultivate relationships with those in power within the Ministry of Magic.

Although Cornelius Fudge himself was unwilling to admit it, a large part of the voters' support for him was due to Dumbledore's letter of recommendation. However, having been in the ministerial position for so long, the warm hospitality of the pure-blood family had long made him realize that he was "destined" and that it was not due to that old man Dumbledore's efforts.

However, considering the old man's reputation and wisdom, it wouldn't be a big deal to occasionally listen to his advice. But Cornelius Fudge felt it was still necessary to find an opportunity to make Dumbledore understand that, as the headmaster of Hogwarts and a subordinate institution of the Ministry of Magic, he should have his own sense of propriety.

“Those old-school wizarding families always have countless good things,” Cornelius Fudge decided to tell a joke to help his head get rid of Dumbledore. “And they don’t have to sit in an office serving the people like I do, especially since they are also part of the people.”

Although the secretary didn't understand what was so funny about the remark, she still played along with a fake laugh: "You're so funny, Minister."

“Alright! That’s enough for our pre-work break.” Connelly-Fudge put down his coffee cup. “Tell me about my schedule today. I remember a shop in Diagon Alley invited me to a ribbon-cutting ceremony?”

“Selwyn Boutique, yes, but next week.” The secretary answered without confirming Connelly-Fudge’s schedule, his professional work being unexpectedly excellent.

“Oh! I thought it was today.” Connelly-Fudge stared at his coffee cup for a moment, then asked, “Any new reports from the Reversal of Accidental Magic Events Team?”

“To my knowledge, no, Mr. Minister,” the secretary replied.

"Where is the Memory Deletion Command Center?" Connelly-Fudge asked again.

No, not at all.

"Then... the Muggle Problem Mediation Committee?"

“It’s always been peaceful there, as always, Minister,” the secretary explained. “The last time they were needed to come out and fabricate a plausible explanation for the Muggle community was when Mysterio fell from power, and everyone took to the streets to celebrate.”

“Great.” Connelly—Fudge wasn’t going to delve into the issue of not having contributed much. “What about the stealth task force? Ah—you don’t need to tell me, they’ll definitely be fine! As long as they keep the Loch Ness Monster under wraps, that’s their job.”

“You’re right, Minister.” The secretary nodded and asked considerately, “You seem very concerned about the work of the Department of Magical Accidents and Disasters. Should I write a note to inquire about their situation?”

“What? Of course not!” Cornelius Fudge shook his head and refused. “If there’s a serious problem, they’ll report it to me! As long as the Department of Magical Accidents and Disasters is alright, it proves that the British magical community is at peace!”

Meeting the minister's expectant gaze, the secretary nodded and said, "Yes, since the fall of the mysterious man, the British magical world has been relatively peaceful for over a decade. Everyone says you are the luckiest minister!"

Cornelius Fudge's smile vanished quickly, and he instructed his secretary, "Go check on the Department of Law Enforcement. I've heard there's been a lot of magic being misused lately; perhaps Chief Crouch has something to report."

"As you wish, Minister." The secretary turned and left.

Barty Crouch was once a rival to the Minister of Magic, but his political career was ruined because his son was a Death Eater. Cornelius Fudge was pleased to see someone who posed no threat to his position sitting in the Department of Law Enforcement, which was, after all, the largest department in the Ministry of Magic.

The secretary pushed open the door and came back: "Minister, here is a new proposal."

"A proposal? From the Department of Legal Enforcement?" Connelly Fudge asked.

“No, it’s from the Department of Magical Creatures Control, it’s a proposal about Hogwarts.” The secretary walked quickly to the desk and placed the paper document on it.

“Hogwarts!” Cornelius Fudge sat up straight. “Was it Dumbledore who instructed… I mean, authorized?”

“No. It’s clearly written above, from the Board of Trustees.” The secretary pointed to the first two lines of the document.

"The Board of Governors?" Cornelius Fudge leaned back in his chair, picked up the document, and began to read. "'A draft plan to utilize Hogwarts' existing Forbidden Forest resources to build a breeding and raising facility for magical creatures and to train personnel for the related industry'... What does this mean?"

"Does that mean Hogwarts is preparing to start using the magical creatures in their Forbidden Forest?" the secretary cautiously offered his opinion.

“Of course I understand the literal meaning!” Cornelius Fudge’s tone was somewhat stern, but he quickly realized that this was inconsistent with his kind and approachable image, so he softened his tone and said, “What I mean is, what’s the purpose behind those members of the Board of Governors proposing this draft? I thought Hogwarts was Dumbledore’s one-man show!”

“Then why don’t you ask Mr. Dumbledore for his opinion?” the secretary suggested. “After all, he is a good friend of yours and you correspond with him frequently.”

“Dumbledore…” Cornelius Fudge hesitated for a moment, “He is indeed a humorous and wise old wizard, but I don’t want to appear that way…”

Connelly-Fudge shut his mouth, then said, "Be careful."

“There’s nothing wrong with being cautious,” the secretary said sincerely. “It’s much better than making a wrong decision impulsively and then trying to fix it.”

Cornelius Fudge looked at his secretary in surprise, and after a long while nodded and said, "You're right! Why don't you go and ask Director Travers of the Department of Magical Creatures Control to come over? Tell him we can discuss this draft in person."

“As you wish, Minister,” the secretary said respectfully, bowing slightly.

But before the secretary had even left the Minister of Magic's office, she spoke again: "There's a visitor request, Minister?"

“Who? Dumbledore?” Cornelius Fudge immediately dismissed his own idea. “No, he never comes to the Ministry of Magic to see me. We communicate by letter.”

Actually, Fudge himself didn't want to see Dumbledore at the Ministry of Magic, because it would make him feel like the entire building was a gift from Dumbledore. So he usually avoided everyone's sight and went to the Hogwarts Headmaster's office to meet Dumbledore in person. However, recently, their meetings haven't been as frequent as when he first took office.

“It is Mr. Lucius Malfoy,” the secretary stated the visitor’s name.