“Draco, Draco, Draco” sighed Lucius, folding up his copy of the Daily Prophet and looking over at his son, who had stampeded through his door with all the elegance of a rampaging hippogriff.

“You’ll never, ever guess!” Draco cried, bouncing on his toes, his face flushed and his eyes alight with joy.

Lucius smirked “So perhaps you’d better tell me, my dragon?”

Draco’s grin split even wider “That’s just it! Hagrid’s got a dragon!”

“A what?!”

“A dragon! A Norwegian Ridgeback! Harry said so! Severus is going to build it an enclosure in the forbidden forest and Dumbledore’s applying for a licence and everything!” chirruped Draco “It is so cool! Do you think we’ll be able to ride it?”

Lucius pinched the bridge of his nose. Sometimes he didn’t know whether to laugh, cry or hex everyone until they showed themselves capable of even an iota of common sense.

oOoOo

Severus sat marking, listening to the birds singing and the occasional whoop of joy as Harry and Hagrid raced their threstrals. The Gamekeeper had introduced Harry to a particularly sweet-natured filly and the gangly, black threstral had won Harry’s heart and, more worryingly, his imagination: if flying on a broomstick was cool, flying on a Pegasus would be super-cool. “Besides, Blaise’s mum lets him” Harry said, looking up at his father with pleading, green eyes.

Severus, having cast potent cushioning charms on Harry, allowed him to take a short flight. One taste, however, hadn’t been enough and, having been assured of the threstral’s imperviousness to the imperious curse, Severus had accepted defeat.

“Severus! A word!”

The Potions Master turned and saw Lucius’ flushed face glaring out of the fire. “Come in, Lucius.”

Lucius swept into the room, looking extremely disgruntled and, ruthlessly smoothing his robes, asked “Why does Draco believe that Hogwarts will soon be in possession of a Norwegian Ridgeback?”

“Ah!” Severus said, feeling rather like a naughty schoolboy under his former prefect’s stern gaze “Yes, Hagrid, it seems, has come into possession of a dragon egg.”

“Dragon breeding is illegal, Severus!”

“Well, Hagrid did not actually breed the dragon, per se…”

“Nevertheless, Dragon Eggs are a Class A Non-Tradable Substance!” Lucius interrupted impatiently.

“He was given it by a traveller a couple of days ago” Severus said soothingly. “Hagrid’s status as Grounds keeper of Hogwarts is well known amongst the wizarding population.”

“And why, may I ask, has he not handed it to the MacFustys? Even if Hagrid did not wish to involve his employer, which does not seem to be the case, the Hebridies are but forty miles as the threstral flies.”

“Sit down, Lucius” Severus said, pouring a substantial glass of elf made wine and handing it to his flustered friend. “Let me explain my thinking.”

“Very well.”

“While it is true that dragons are classified as one of the more dangerous of species…”

“They’re Pentuple X, Severus! Known wizard killers!”

“That classification is based on the worst breeds, for example the Hungarian Horntail." Severus explained patiently. "Less aggressive breeds such as the Norwegian Ridgeback are capable of partial-domestication, and, if under the guidance of a Parselmouth, can even be tamed.”

“Parselmouth? But that’s the language of snakes?” Lucius said, frowning.

“Dragons understand Parseltongue in much the same way that a German will understand Dutch.” Severus replied calmly.

“If Slytherin were alive, that may be a consideration” Lucius sneered, crossing his legs “However, I am not aware that Hogwarts has any Parselmouths on the staff.”

“I learnt Parseltongue earlier this week.” smiled Severus.

“Oh come on, Parselmouths are born, not made.” laughed Lucius.

“While this is true, a basilisk can, if they deem it wise, grant the gift.”

Lucius stared at Severus, truly speechless for the first time in his adult life.

“There is a ‘Chamber of Secrets’, Lucius, and a 'monster'. Slytherin kept a pet basilisk, totally tame, mind you; the rumours of his duty to kill muggleborns were nothing more than a foolish, wicked myth. Slytherin discovered that Harry is a Parselmouth, Riddle unintentionally passed the ability onto him when the killing curse rebounded. Slytherin wished that his former pet be bound to Harry, so as to avoid Tom Riddle possessing the poor creature again.”

“Again?” Lucius spluttered, completely at sea.

“Tom Riddle imperiused ‘Hissy’, Slytherin’s basilisk in the forties, forcing him to kill a young girl. The basilisk, who is an intelligent, gentle creature, hates Riddle with a vengeance”

“Where is this Chamber? Can the Basilisk get out?” Lucius asked, looking horrified.

“The Chamber is hidden in the bowels of Hogwarts. Hissy cannot get out via the entrance we use” Severus evaded. No need to mention the exit.

“Nevertheless," Lucius said, shaking his head "While I have every confidence in your abilities I remain concerned: what if, in your absence, the dragon went on a rampage?”

“He is to be confined to a secure enclosure in the forbidden forest unless needed. You know that I am capable of creating sufficient wards.” Severus replied “Moreover, Mr Macfusty has already promised his support; Hagrid will have a world-class trainer to guide him throughout the dragon’s adolescence.”

“Yes, well, it still appears a great risk for no benefit.” Lucius said, slightly mollified.

“Hogwarts had, in the past, been guarded by dragons” Severus said slowly “and there may come a time when such defence is, again, necessary.”

Lucius frowned “I am, of course, aware of the Pettigrew incident and, naturally, of Harry’s encounter with the troll, however, I do not see that these events necessarily suggest a third party involvement, much less the prospect of an invading army.”

Severus’ expression darkened “I am certain that the troll was released by someone who was aware of Harry’s movements: Harry had taken to eating alone in a remote corridor of the dungeons. It was no coincidence, I believe, that the troll was released when and where it was.”

“Nonetheless…”

“Riddle created Horcruxes, Luc.”

“A Horcrux?” Lucius asked, horrified. The possibility that Riddle might ressurrect himself, while awful enough, was no where near as terrifying as knowing that he had the requisite means of doing so. 

“Horcruxes, plural. More than one. Many more.” Severus said, wretchedly “I legilimised Slughorn; Riddle wanted a seven part soul!”

Lucius, white as a sheet, shook his head “He became progressively more insane… by the end his brilliant mind… subtle manipulation gave way to brute force.”

“He whittled away at his soul until it degraded beyond repair” Severus said grimly. “One horcrux was destroyed but that leaves five.”

“Three, I think…”

“Lucius?” Severus looked up, his dark eyes piercing.

“I… I think… rather, I am sure that I destroyed two.” Lucius said jerkily “After our discussion at Yule, I withdrew all the dark artefacts from the vaults entrusted to me. There was a cup and a diary amongst them. Riddle entrusted the diary to me and the cup… Well, I found it in Bella’s vault and it had the same aura as the diary. It couldn’t be banished or summoned ether and, when I placed it, them, in the fiend-fyre… it screamed.”

Severus bit his lip “Riddle will rise again, Luc. Hogwarts needs every protection we can obtain.”

oOoOo

To: Cornelius Fudge. British Minister for Magic.
From: L. Malfoy. Head of Governors, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry.

21st February

RE: Death Eaters at Hogwarts

Dear Cornelius,

I am absolutely appalled that no steps have been taken to secure the school from further invasion attempts by former Death-Eaters. Young master Potter is, it appears, in considerable danger from these ne’er do wells, a horrific situation which could not fail to seriously distress even those whom only know him as the saviour of the Wizarding World. I, of course, as his de facto Godfather, have other grounds on which to base my interest in the welfare of this delightful boy. It is a matter of no insignificant concern that Master Potter has been attacked not only by a Death-Eater but also a troll! As Head of Governors, I am parley to certain, privileged information and, in light of the second incident, I feel it my duty to inform you that I have good grounds to believe was released by a party familiar with Mr Potter’s movements, who knew that Master Potter would be alone in the dungeons when they released the troll. I also am certain Peter Pettigrew, who failed his O.W.L in Care of Magical Creatures, was not responsible for the incident with the troll. Two attacks from two separate criminals in two terms is a statistic to disquieten any parent and, having discussed the situation with Messrs Nott, Crabbe, Goyle and Madam Zabini, we are all agreed that this cannot be allowed to happen again.

Given that my eleven year old son, Draco, not only shares a dormitory with Harry but is practically joined to him at the hip, I am extremely anxious to hear what steps you plan to take to safeguard Hogwarts against further Death-Eater activity. Although Professor Dumbledore has assured me that extra wards, designed to detect animagi, have been erected, I am highly concerned that Pettigrew’s attempt on Harry’s life will encourage other Death-Eaters to test Hogwart’s defences. Dementors are, naturally, out of the question, but could the Ministry not place some other powerful creature as guard against potential assailants?

Yours Sincerely,

Lucius A. Malfoy.

oOoOo

Smirking, Lucius crumpled the parchment to make it look slightly second hand and slipped it under a folder on Cornelius Fudge’s desk. He then wrote a Memo:

To: Cornelius Fudge. British Minister for Magic.
From: L. Malfoy. Head of Governors, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry.

28th February

RE: Letter of 21st February: Death Eaters at Hogwarts

Dear Minister,

I have yet to receive a response to my urgent letter of 21st February. To discover that the security of Hogwarts and the safeguarding of its students, which includes my own son and Harry Potter, is not a priority is disheartening to say the least and causes me to seriously consider whether the Malfoy family, who have attended Hogwarts since the school opened it’s doors a thousand years ago, should continue to fund your Ministry.

L. Malfoy.

oOoOo

From the Desk of Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore.

29th February

Dear Cornelius,

Splendid news! Serendipity has provided a solution as soon as the question is posed!

Historically, Hogwarts has been guarded by dragons on many occasions and, indeed, these creatures have proved an effective line of defence on many occasions, particularly during the incumbency of Headmaster Trelawney, when the school was attacked by the muggle army.

Last night, my brother, Aberforth, discovered a dragon egg under one of the tables at the ‘Hogs’ Head Inn’ and, as my Grounds Keeper, Hagrid, is something of an expert on dragons, he, quite naturally, deemed it best to deliver the egg into Hagrid’s care.

A young, well-trained dragon would be an absolute asset to Hogwart’s security and should certainly discharge your duty to provide adequate protection for the children.

Hagrid, whose case, as you know, was reviewed, yesterday, by the Wizengamot (who, naturally, delivered the unanimous verdict that had been a severe miscarriage of justice as he was clearly innocent on all charges) is more than willing to care for the young dragon and Angus MacFusty, who has a daughter in Hufflepuff, has offered to be ‘on-call’ to advise and support. Moreover, our esteemed Professor Snape, a powerful wardsmith, will create an enclosure for the dragon in the Forbidden Forest, which, as I am sure you are aware, houses many other such species.

I anticipate that you will be as delighted by this situation as I; serendipitously, we appear to have obtained an egg and a dragon keeper at no cost to the Ministry whom, as you know, are obliged by law to fund both the staff retainers and the upkeep of Hogwart’s grounds and security.

I would, therefore, like to request a renewal of Hogwart’s permit to keep dragons. I have spoken to Mr Malfoy and he is in complete agreement that this would be, by far, the most sensible solution to our Death-Eater problem.

Yours Respectfully,

Albus Dumbledore.