"Are we there yet?"
"Come on, Hufflepuff, we're nearly at the top..."
Angelica turned to the sixth-years as they arrived at the end of the rocky trail. "Still haven't found Charlie yet? You said he'd turn up."
"I mean, he can't have gone far on foot-"
"Look, once we're through with this, we'll HAVE to look for him. I don't want to lose my job. Anyway, I think we found our culprit."
"That's a Ridgeback, right?" asked Barnaby.
"Yep. Not only are the females more aggressive than the males, this one also appears to be guarding a nest. I can't see any golden eggs in there, but if a dragon sees anything as a threat to their children, they won't back down. I don't think we should give her any reason to attack us-"
Barnaby pulled out his wand. "No, we need to get a closer look at the nest. The golden egg could very well be there."
Dani followed suit. "I'm with you, Barnaby. I believe the best spell for this occasion is stupefy."
Merula whipped out her own wand. "OK then, STU-"
"Wait!" yelled Angelica. "Fine. But if we're doing this, we need to coordinate our attack. This is a DRAGON we're dealing with. On Dani's signal..."
"3, 2, 1..."
"STUPEFY!"
The dragon flew out of the way to avoid the flurry of blasts, which hit the rock face harmlessly.
"...Yep, none of them are gold."
"She was just trying to protect her eggs," said Penny.
"Nah, it was worth a shot," said Barnaby.
"I won't comment on who's right or wrong, but maybe that's why we have dragon sanctuaries-not to protect us from them, but-"
"HEEEEELP!!!!!"
"That's Charlie!" exclaimed Dani.
"It came from that cave over there! Let's go!"
The group began frantically sprinting down the trail towards the cave.
"Pick it up slowpoke!" Merula hollered to Penny at the back of the group.
Barnaby stopped and turned around. "Merula, I'm sick and tired of your attitude since we got here."
"And I'M sick and tired of incompetent and overexcited people putting this mission in jeopardy!"
"Guys, let's stop arguing and keep running, we've already lost Angelica and Dani," Penny panted.
"Fine," said Barnaby.
"Ugh," moaned Merula.
The girls followed Barnaby down the trail until he skidded to a halt.
"What is it n-" Merula began as she nearly bumped in Barnaby, who pointed at the large black figure in front of him, speechless.
Not only were Angelica and Dani nowhere to be seen, right in front of them was a Hungarian Horntail.
**************************************
Moments earlier...
"Angelica! Thank goodness! I have the egg!" Charlie waved the priceless treasure above his head as Angelica ran inside, followed by Dani.
"Charlie, you look like you've been out here all night!"
"I have! I wanted to be back before sunrise so I could show Merula she was wrong, but-"
"ROAAAAARRRRR!!!!!"
Dani turned around and nearly jumped as she saw the Horntail behind her.
"It's younger, which means it's quicker AND more vicious!" said Charlie.
"Oh no, and now everyone else is trapped outside!" Angelica pointed out.
Dani drew her wand. "Looks like there's only one way out..."
"Uh... I fell in the dark running and hurt my leg... It's not looking good," whimpered Charlie.
"I think I can fix that," said Angelica. "Dani, can you keep the dragon occupied?"
"I can try," was the reply. "DEPULSO! STUPEFY! PROTEGO!"
Both spells seemed to bounce harmlessly off the dragon's hard scales. It gave a firey breath, and Dani cast a shield charm just in time.
"Angelica, I don't think I can do this for much longer!" yelled Dani.
"Dani, remember Kettleburn's story?" Charlie reminded her.
"Kettleburn... Oh!" Dani immediately cast the sleeping charm, and the Horntail swayed on its feet before falling sideways. Barnaby, Merula and Penny dashed in.
"Guys, let's head back to camp," said Merula, looking at the limp dragon next to her. "I'd rather not find out how long a sleeping charm lasts."
**************************************
Back at camp...
"Merula, I really think you should stop doubting everyone here. Everyone has their talents. That's why we formed the Circle," explained Dani.
"I suppose you're right. Haywood, Weasley... I'm sorry."
"Apology accepted," said Penny.
"Actually, I'm sorry for running off like that," said Charlie. "It was silly, dangerous, and I could've gotten myself or someone else killed."
"I mean, you kind of did," said Barnaby.
"Don't do it again," said Angelica. "But not a lot of wizards, let alone a student, could survive a night alone in a dragon sanctuary. If you're considering a career in dragons, I'd say you're well on your way."
YOU ARE READING
Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery Year 6
AdventureWARNING: THIS BOOK CONTAINS DEATH, STRONG LANGUAGE, AND MENTIONS OF TORTURE AND VIOLENCE. WHO WOULD WIN: dark wizard cabal vs. a group of 16-year-olds! Our heroes return for their sixth year, a divided front and pressed for time as corrupted hands i...
