"Why do all the teachers have to give us so much work?" Harry whined, throwing his head back dramatically and dropping his quill. Greyson slowly looked up from the book he was reading just to give Harry a deadpan look when he righted himself.

"Because we need to prepare for our exams," Hermione tutted without even deigning to glance at anyone else. "Honestly, we should have been preparing months ago."

"Hermione, I think you're overreacting, and Harry it's honestly no more than what we had last semester," Greyson reasoned. "Besides, I'm here to help you. I've finished my assignments."

"Well, we can't all be book nerds," Ron shot back, irritable and depressed from such a long study session.

"Nor can we all be chess masters," Greyson replied easily and didn't rise to the bait Ron was setting. Enough studying sessions had been cut short by people getting snippy, and he wouldn't allow it this time. Exams were so close, and Harry needed to pass so he could keep his spot in the Quidditch team. "You don't see me complaining. Oh, how is your club going?"

The distraction worked and he ignored the pulse of warmth in his chest as Ron grinned brightly and leaned forward to gush, "Brilliant! I beat Seamus at a game yesterday."

"That's good," Greyson smiled encouragingly and noticed Hagrid's large form approaching in the corner of his eye, turning to wave in greeting. "Hello, Hagrid."

" 'Ello, 'Arry, Ron, 'Ermione, an' Greyson," Hagrid listed warmly and his eyes fell to the books. "Don't tell me yer still lookin' fer Flamel."

"Oh, we found out about him already," Harry dismissed the idea with a flap of the hand. "We know all about him and the stone."

"And that's what Fluffy, Rascal, and Coal are guarding with all sorts of other things," Greyson informed him of the most important finding, since it didn't look like Harry was going to give Hagrid any more information as long as the books in front of him were causing him to look as if he had constipation.

"And I started a wizard chess club," Ron told him proudly and puffed up his chest for extra effect.

"You lot need to stay out of that," Hagrid warned, even as he rested a hand on Ron's head and gave him an affectionate ruffle.

"Well, Dumbledore hired whoever wants to steal the stone," Greyson pointed out. Hagrid started, becoming all flustered as he grumbled out a goodbye and grabbed a book before shuffling out. "What was he looking for in the library?"

"I don't know," Ron admitted, going over to where Hagrid had been and snooping around a bit. He came back with a thick book that smelled of smoke. "That's the section about dragons."

"Hagrid mentioned to me that he wanted a dragon," Harry piped up, "He told me when we were in Diagon Alley!"

"You don't think..." Greyson trailed off. Surely Hagrid wouldn't go and get a dragon without telling anyone, right?

"It's possible, but where would he get one?" Hermione hummed from her section of the table.

"Maybe..." Greyson trailed off. Hermione met his eyes and gestured to the door. He nodded, getting up and heading out, leaving Ron and Harry to scramble to catch up behind them.

"What are you two talking about?" Ron asked.

"I hate it when you both speak like you have a code language," Harry agreed.

"Hagrid got a dragon! Or is looking to get one, obviously," Greyson said exasperatedly. "Why else would he start researching dragons?" He didn't even look back to see the look of understanding dawning on Ron and Harry's faces. They made their way across the grounds quickly, heading for Hagrid's hut.

Greyson knocked on the door and heard Fang's lazy, loud barks. "Hush, Fang," he heard Hagrid shouting behind the door, and then closer, "Who is it?"

"It's us," Greyson shouted. The door opened and they crowded in around the fireplace after Hagrid stepped aside. A large fire was already blazing.

"What are you doing, Hagrid? It's quite hot in here." Hermione asked carefully as Hagrid closed the door to the sweltering hut. Greyson decided to follow his suspicions and moved to peer into the fireplace, where he saw something round glittering amidst the flames.

"What's in the fire?" he questioned carefully, studying the way the fire seemed to wrap around the object as it suddenly started to shake.

"Oh!" Hagrid said excitedly, grabbing a pair of tongs to get it out of the fire. Greyson could see more clearly now that it was indeed a dragon egg, golden in color and wrapped in dragon scales of various shades. He sat the egg on the table as it continued to shake. Everyone was holding their breath, eyes trained on the hatching egg. With a sharp sound, cracks began to spread along its surface. Soon enough a piece of shell popped off, the rest quickly following as the baby dragon finally tumbled out, eager to break free. "Aw, look at 'im," Hagrid cooed, cut off by the little one sneezing a burst of flames right onto his beard. Greyson resisted the urge to laugh at his panicked grumbles and frantic movements, instead moving to help him put out his facial hair.

"Hagrid, it's illegal to have a dragon," Hermione already starting on her lecture. "It is against law 49A to possess one, because the secrecy of magic could be uncovered!"

"He'll be fine," Hagrid dismissed her growing shrieks as the little baby dragon moved to curl up to the gentle giant, gently sniffling. "Aw, he knows I'm 'is mum!"

Ron suddenly spoke up after his intense studying of the dragon, his excitement palpable, "I know what he is! He's a Norwegian Ridgeback. My brother Charley studies them in Romania."

Greyson nodded excitedly. "He is! He has the tell-tale spine going down his back," A pause, "Hagrid, you know Norwegian Ridgebacks are known for being extremely territorial, right?"

"I've been studying up on them," Hagrid defended himself as he clutched the hatchling tighter. "Besides, I trained Fluffy, Rascal, Coal, and Fluffy."

"Yeah, but both cerberi and dogs are known for making pack bonds. Dragons, especially Ridgebacks, are known for being territorial," Greyson pointed out softly. He hoped he didn't upset Hagrid too much, but this couldn't be left alone. "And your hut is pretty flammable."

"You need to get rid of him," Hermione pushed, hands on her hips. "You could get in serious trouble."

Greyson rolled his eyes, shooting her a glare at her unnecessarily harsh word choice, as Hagrid rumbled, "Nonsense, he's just a baby." Another glare from Greyson ensured they all left it alone for now. Hagrid would vehemently go against any sound logic when it came to an animal he cared about. They'd have to find another way to make him see reason.

In the coming weeks, Greyson spent more time at Hagrid's helping with the dragon than anything else. They had affectionately named him Norbert and he was a delight. Greyson did have to admit after a while that (for a dragon) Norbert was very well behaved, despite accidentally almost setting Hagrid's hut on fire a few times. It turns out dragons can have allergies and their sneezes are very hard to control. He also made sure Fluffy, Rascal, and Coal were taken care of while Hagrid focused on training Norbert.

After a month however, Hagrid's hut was becoming quite cramped. Norbert had doubled in size in such a short time, and if this trend kept up they had a real problem. "Hagrid," Greyson started one evening as the five of them were attempting to have tea in the cramped hut. "I don't think a hut is a good place for Norbert."

"Where would he go?" Hagrid asked with a frown that was dangerously close to a pout. "I can't just kick him out. He'd never survive."

"I know! My brother Charley could take him!" Ron suggested excitedly. "He'd make sure Norbert was safe and cared for."

"No!" Hagrid said petulantly. Now he was just being contrary.

"But, Hagrid, he'd be happier if he was somewhere he could spread his wings," Hermione reasoned, and as if on cue, Norbert knocked over one of the pots with his tail and scared himself into a corner.

"But, what if the other dragons are mean to him?" Hagrid henned, twisting his large hands nervously.

"Well, you have to trust that he can handle himself, and trust that Charley will keep an eye on him," Greyson took his hand and met his eyes with a reassuring smile. "And trust yourself that you've taught him well." He glanced at Harry, remembering the panic and terror he felt when he couldn't watch over his little brother himself.

"I don' know," Hagrid grumbled, not liking the idea of releasing Norbert out into the world. After a bit more convincing and a couple more knocked over items, they finally got Hagrid to grudgingly agree to let Norbert go with Charley to Romania. Greyon would make sure they got lots of pictures, and everything was taken care of when Hagrid inevitably worked himself into a right worry and needed to go see Norbert for himself.