章节_84

oked out. even at a distance

there was no mistaking him.

malfoy had seen the dragon.

something about the smile lurking on malfoys fag the

week made harry, ron, and hermiohey spent

most of their free time in hagrids darkerying to reason

with him.

”just let him ged. ”set him free.”

”i t,” said hagrid. ”hes too little. hed die.”

they looked at the dragon. it had growimes ih in

just a week. smoke kept furling out of its nrid hadnt

been doing his gamekeeping duties because the dragon ing

him so busy. there were empty brandy bottles ahers

all over the floor.

”ive de ,” said hagrid, looking

at the dragon with misty eyes. ”he really knows me now,

watorbert! ! wheres mommy?”

”hes lost his marbles,” ron muttered in harrys ear.

”hagrid,” said harry loudly, ”give it two weeks as

going to be as long as your house. malfoy bledore

at a.”

hagrid bit his lip.

”i -- i know i t keep him forever, but i t jus dump him,

i t.”

harry suddeo ron. charlie, he said.

”y it, too,” said ron. ”im ron, remember?”

”no -- charlie -- your brother, charlie. in romania. studying

dragons. we d o him. charlie take care of

him a him ba the wild!”

”brilliant!” said ron. ”how about it, hagrid?”

and in the end, hagrid agreed that they d -an owl to

.

the following week dragged by. wednesday night found hermione

and harry sittihe , long after everyone

else had gohe the wall had just

chimed midhe portrait hole burst open. ron appeared

out of noulled off harrys invisibility cloak. he had

been down at hagrids hut, helpi,

eatis by the crate.

”it bit me!” he said, showing them his hand, rapped

in a bloody handkerchief. ”im not goio hold a quill

for a week. i tell you, that dragons the most horrible animal ive

ever met, but the way hagrid goes on about it, youd think it was

a fluffy little bunny rabbit. when it bit me he told me off for

frightening it. a, he was singing it a lullaby.”

there on the dark window.

”its hedwig!” said harry, hurryi her in. ”shell have

charlies answer!”

the three of them put their heads together to read the note.

dear ron,

how are you? thanks for the letter -- id be glad to take the

neback, but it wotihink

the best thio seh some friends of mine

wh to visit me rouble is, they mustnt be

seen g an illegal dragon.

could you get the ridgeback up the tallest tower at midnight

on saturday? they meet you there and take him away while its

still dark.

send me an answer as soon as possible.

love,

charlie

they looked at oher.

”weve got the invisibility cloak,” said harry. ”it shouldnt

be too difficult -- i think the cloaks big enough to cover two of

us a.”

it was a mark of how bad the last week had beeher

two agreed with him. anythi rid of -- and malfoy.

there was a hitch. by the m, rons bitten hand had

swolles usual size. he didnt k was safe

to go to madam pomfrey -- wnize a dragon bite? by

the afternoon, though, he had had tury

shade of green. it looked as if s fangs were poisonous.

harry and hermiohe hospital wing at the end

of the day to find roate in bed.

”its not just my hand,” he whispered, ”although that feels

like its about to fall off. malfoy told madam pomfrey he wanted

to borrow one