"The Dragons"
"How exciting... Watching the birth of dragons is always a spectacle," said Hagrid with a mix of awe and tenderness as he watched the two eggs on the table closely.
Neville and Harry were equally expectant, their eyes sparkling with excitement. Einar, on the other hand, leaned calmly against the wall, arms crossed. However, his gaze was intense, full of interest.
After all, in Skyrim, dragons had been extinct for centuries… until the rebirth of Alduin and the awakening of those ancient beings. Dragons laying eggs was extremely rare. The more ancient and powerful a species was, the harder it was to produce offspring. Even his master, Paarthurnax"one of the wisest and oldest"had no child of his own. He had only adopted a young dragon revived by Alduin, killed in the past, whose parents had never been found.
Amid the reverent silence, both eggs began to crack rapidly. The red egg vibrated with wild energy, and suddenly burst into pieces, causing everyone to flinch.
A small red dragon emerged from the fragments. It shook itself fiercely, scattering the shell remains as if they were unworthy of touching it. Then it lifted its head proudly, locking eyes with Neville.
Showing no fear"in fact, with a touch of arrogance"it walked toward him and let out a playful growl.
Neville, surprised and a bit nervous, cautiously reached out his hand. The red dragon immediately accepted the gesture, rubbing its head against his fingers. But its attitude changed instantly when it saw Hagrid approaching.
With unexpected speed, it dashed across the table and stood before the giant in an attacking stance. In its eyes gleamed a clear desire to challenge.
"Raaawr!" it roared, despite how tiny it looked compared to Hagrid's massive figure.
"How adorable!" Hagrid laughed as he reached out a massive hand to pet it.
The red dragon didn't hesitate to bite his finger fiercely, making Hagrid chuckle and gently pull his hand back.
With a satisfied look, the small dragon returned to Neville. But as it passed by Einar, it suddenly stopped. It stared at him from a distance. Then, as if recognizing something in him, it quickly ran and leapt into Neville's arms, hiding. Not completely, of course. It poked its head above Neville's arm, casting an inquisitive and challenging look toward Einar.
Einar gave it a slight smile. That bold, proud, and reckless personality… was so very dragon-like.
The atmosphere grew tense again when the other egg"the black one"began to crack. From the fissures emerged a dark head, its scales gleaming and its piercing green eyes scanning everyone. It stared silently until its gaze settled on Harry.
Ignoring everyone else, it began to bite the shell calmly, eating it with majestic, almost noble composure.
"Even as hatchlings, they have an incredible presence..." Einar murmured, more to himself than anyone else.
The red dragon, seeing its companion emerge, immediately pounced toward him. It planted itself in front of the black dragon and roared, eager to start a fight.
"Raaawwe!"
The black dragon merely looked at him with disdain, as if he were a minor annoyance, and continued eating unfazed.
"Wow… they really do have their own personalities," Hagrid commented with a laugh. He was even more excited than Harry and Neville, who couldn't take their eyes off their respective dragons. "Have you thought of any names yet?"
"No… it was all pretty unexpected," said Harry, still amazed, while Neville nodded, completely enchanted with his new companion.
The red dragon kept hopping around the other, trying to get its attention, but was thoroughly ignored. When the black dragon finished eating, it walked with dignity toward Harry and stopped in front of him, staring up expectantly.
Harry carefully lifted him up, as if afraid of breaking something precious.
"Raaa," said the black dragon softly. His tail moved slowly and his little wings fluttered slightly at the contact.
Jealous, the red dragon ran to Neville and began hopping around, asking to be picked up too.
Neville lifted him with a nervous smile, and the little one snuggled contentedly into his arms, throwing one last defiant look at the other dragon.
After the dragons' birth, Neville, Harry, and Einar left Hagrid's cabin. As they walked back, Einar gave them a calm look before saying:
"I'll inform the professors… and issue a few mild threats, just in case."
Neville gave a nervous laugh, and Harry smiled, thinking their professor was joking. They still didn't fully grasp how seriously Einar took such things.
Both boys arrived at the Gryffindor common room with their new companions in their arms. As soon as they passed through the portrait of the Fat Lady, murmurs spread across the room. Everyone turned to look at them with wide eyes.
"Harry, Neville, what is that?!" asked Seamus, immediately approaching with a stunned expression.
"Seriously? They're dragons!" another student huffed, unable to look away.
"You're insane! It's completely illegal to raise dragons without authorization!" Hermione burst out, marching over with a stern tone.
"Professor Einar gave them to us," Harry jumped in quickly, knowing he had to calm her down before she launched into a speech on magical law. "He said he would take care of everything."
At that name, Hermione froze. For a moment she hesitated… then sighed.
"Still, dragons grow very quickly. They're dangerous if you don't have experience. Are you sure that...?"
"He said they're special. That they'll grow with us and only obey us," Neville interrupted her, with a beaming smile. The little red dragon in his arms seemed to share his excitement, squirming as if wanting to launch at everyone nearby, growling softly with its chest puffed out.
The black dragon in Harry's arms, on the other hand, gave the curious crowd a brief look before settling down with total indifference, as if his rightful place was there in the Chosen One's arms and the rest of the world was irrelevant.
"They're so cute!" several Gryffindor girls said in unison, rushing to their dormitories to bring snacks.
The red dragon, seeing the avalanche of food, forgot his desire to fight and began devouring everything in sight, shoving his head into a bag of cheesecake with such eagerness that he came out with crumbs and sugar all over his face.
The black dragon, meanwhile, examined all the snacks with a sharp gaze, like a noble judging a banquet. He only took a piece of dried meat, bit into it elegantly, and continued resting, not getting even slightly messy.
"Be careful what you feed them. They could get sick from junk food," Hermione warned, though less firmly than before. The little reptiles' cuteness had drawn a subtle smile from her.
Neville, nervous, pulled the sugary food away from his dragon, who began writhing, frustrated at the sudden withdrawal of his feast. Harry, on the other hand, didn't even have to worry. His scaly companion had already decided that nothing else was worthy of his palate.
...….
"Einar, you always talk about protecting the students… and now you're giving a dragon to two of them," said McGonagall with a stern look, arms crossed over her chest.
The teachers' lounge fell silent. The atmosphere was thick with tension, and everyone waited for the response of the professor from another world.
Einar did not flinch. He stood tall, with a straight back and a serene face, like an unbreakable monolith.
"They are not ordinary dragons from your world," he replied in a deep, calm voice. "They are true dragons. Their souls are bound to their companions'. They possess intelligence that surpasses any human's. In my world, they are the most ancient, proud, and powerful race. What greater protection could a child have than to be bonded with such a creature?"
The professors watched him in silence. They knew his story. Einar had never hidden it, though he didn't repeat it unnecessarily. Not out of secrecy, but simple annoyance.
"And what's the difference? They're still dragons," McGonagall retorted. Her teacher's logic refused to accept the idea of magical beasts walking freely through the castle's halls.
"Let me make it clearer," said Einar, stepping forward. "These creatures are not from this world. They are unique. Once bound to a soul, they will fight to their last breath to protect it. And in return, that soul will be strengthened. In my world, there were Dragon Priests: humans blessed by their bond with these creatures. They were rulers, sages, and warriors. Unbeatable. I myself have faced their revived corpses… and even then, they were a threat, despite being weakened."
Slowly, he pulled a small group of masks from his robe. Instantly, a magical pressure filled the air. It was ancient magic"dense, almost oppressive. Those present felt the energy cling to their wands, reminding them that what stood before them did not belong to this world.
"These masks, which I use to contain my own power, come from them," he explained. "And now, Harry and Neville have the chance to form a bond no wizard in this world has ever had. I protect my students, Minerva. But I also care about their future. And tearing those dragons away from them would be cutting off their wings before they learn to fly."
The silence that followed his words was overwhelming.
Even Dumbledore, seated in the back, narrowed his eyes attentively. Everyone knew that Einar had defeated the headmaster weeks ago. He didn't despise wizards… only their fragility. Their complacency.
McGonagall studied him carefully. Her gaze was sharp, critical, but also fair. She knew that, in his own way, Einar never lied. He never did. His way of protecting the students was different, yes"but real.
"Are you sure those dragons won't endanger the other students?" she finally asked in a tense voice. Because if what he said was true… she could be denying Harry and Neville a brilliant future. Especially Harry, whose life seemed tied to the fate of the magical world, according to Dumbledore.
"No," Einar answered bluntly. "Unless their companions are in danger."
McGonagall closed her eyes for a moment, bringing her fingers to her temple. After all these months, she had learned something about Einar: he would never do anything that would endanger his students. If he defied the rules, it was to protect them. If he stood against the Ministry, it was for them. Questioning him now would be doubting all the times he had risked his life for Hogwarts.
"Very well," she said at last, slowly lowering her hand. "But if these dragons lose control or harm another student, their companions"as you call them"will be held responsible. Even if it means expulsion."
Everyone present knew her words were more form than substance. McGonagall could be strict, but she never abandoned her students when they needed her most.
"Accepted," Einar replied with a calm smile. He turned and walked toward the door.
But as he reached it, he stopped.
"Although I find it curious that you see two little dragons as a threat… when the Dovahkiin is a professor at the school."
Upon hearing that, everyone wanted to ask what he meant"
but Einar had already left.