Hogwarts: This professor is too Muggle.

Chapter 99 Fire Dragon Sanctuary

The next morning.

The two professors and the gamekeeper stood in the hotel courtyard.

The three Isserlong horses in front of him had the smell of brandy lingering in their mouths and noses, and their broad and long horse faces revealed a bit of joy. They stood in front of the carriage, their hooves were restless, and they were ready to set off at any time.

Today's trip was relatively short. It was only a half-hour drive from here to the Fire Dragon Sanctuary, so Professor Kettleburn did not stop the Pegasus from drinking brandy.

"Sorry, Melvin, we have to go to Romania first. During breakfast, Aibo told me that the number of wizards coming to see the dragons has increased dramatically during the summer vacation, and the reserve is starting to limit the number of visitors. We need to rush over and complete the entry procedures."

"Don't be sorry, Professor. It's very close here. We can Apparate back anytime."

"..."

Hagrid came over with a big face and got closer, but he was not kicked by the horse's hoof today.

Melvin looked around, occasionally looking up at the guest room upstairs, trying to estimate how far the noise here could be heard.

Slow footsteps could be heard behind them. The inn owner, Aibo, gradually approached and handed them the package he had prepared. There was a hint of teasing in his kind smile: "It contains lunch and white savory essence, Sylvanus."

"What do you want the white savory essence for?" Hagrid asked, turning around.

"If he gets his hands or feet bitten off by a fire dragon again, the white savory essence will quickly stop the bleeding."

"..."

Hagrid looked at the two of them and opened his mouth several times, not knowing what to say. He felt that communicating with wizards was a hassle, so he decided to continue to pester Iseron.

Melvin listened to the two old wizards' banter and joking. Judging from their words and actions, the hotel owner did not seem to be under the control of the Imperius Curse.

"I don't want to waste my time with you here. I'll get you drunk with brandy and turn you into an idiot."

"I hope you still have hands to hold a glass of wine when you come back." The tavern owner turned to Melvin and smiled, "Professor Lewyn, keep an eye on him while you're visiting the dragon. Don't let him get into its mouth."

"I will." Melvin nodded with a smile. The old wizard did not mention what happened last night, nor did he make trouble.

"Wait!"

Kettleburn got into the car, cursing and swearing, and Melvin and Hagrid followed closely behind.

The three passengers climbed into the carriage, and Iserlon trotted forward, flapping his wings, and the carriage swayed and set off.

The clouds under the sunlight looked like surging waves, filled with dazzling silver-white colors. Three Pegasus plunged into the clouds, spread their huge wings, sprinted towards the sun, then turned sharply, and dived out of the clouds, leaving a long white trail.

Hagrid sat at the door of the carriage and looked into the distance. He could vaguely see a green mountain range. Unfortunately, he was in mid-air, and even if he opened his eyes wide, the color of the area over there would only become greener.

"That's the Fire Dragon Sanctuary, right?"

The half-giant, who had hardly left Britain, looked forward to it eagerly.

After heading southeast for about half an hour, the Isserlons arrived above the emerald green area. The mountain range stretched out as if there was no end in sight. Clouds and mist shrouded the mountaintops and valleys, and the scene was somewhat dreamy.

The Carpathian Mountains, starting from the Danube Gorge on the border between Austria and Slovakia in the west, passing through the border between Poland and Ukraine to the river valley in southwestern Romania, are vast and sparsely populated, with endless forests, valleys and meadows, providing ample space for activities and hiding places for the fire dragon tribe.

The moment he entered the boundary of the protected area, the hairs on Melvin's arms stood up slightly, as if he had passed through an invisible curtain. With a slight static electricity, various magical auras such as Muggle-Repelling Charms, Apparition Charms, and Sealing Charms floated in the air.

The roar of a fire dragon could be heard faintly from the front.

A black shadow suddenly jumped out of the cotton-like sea of ​​clouds. It was like a fire dragon pushing away the waves of clouds. It had dark green scales and two long horns that shone with golden light. Its eyes were covered with a thin film that glowed in the sunlight. Hot air was steaming from its mouth and nose, and it looked very majestic.

"Roar……"

The sound is deep and has built-in reverberation effect.

The Auror on a broom next to him was like a fly next to a dragon.

……

As a world-famous dragon sanctuary, with the arrival of summer vacation, due to the excessive number of wizard families visiting Romania and all kinds of bad guys mixed in, the relevant departments had to block the border and set up 7 immigration offices in all directions. Even so, wizards from all over the world still lined up in long queues.

Melvin, Kettleburn and Hagrid landed under the guidance of the dragon and Aurors.

This is a campsite built with wooden boards. The buildings are very low, and the tallest wooden house is only two stories high. The patterns of alchemical arrays float on the surface of the wooden boards. Dozens of peepholes are hung on the eaves and corners of the walls, and some traces of protective magic can be seen.

This kind of camp not only has to defend against attacks from fire dragons, but also has to monitor the surroundings at all times to prevent dark wizards from sneaking in.

During the peak summer vacation period, a temporary security checkpoint was set up.

The three Pegasus and the Romanian longhorned dragon were placed in the open space, attracting a lot of attention. The Auror on the broom scratched his head and said in a somewhat lame accent while gesturing, "Line up, security check."

Kettleburn was already a regular customer and nodded to show that he understood.

The Auror breathed a sigh of relief and set off again on his broom. The fire dragon lying on the ground had its eyelids drooping, looking lazy, and this time had no intention of following.

Hagrid looked at the huge thing that looked like a hill and wanted to go over and touch it.

"Fire dragons are practically impossible to tame. Dragon riders are out of the question. Gringotts can only force them into submission through torture and pain, forcing them to perform tasks based on instinct, such as immediately attacking any living creature around them upon hearing a specific noise."

Kettleburn couldn't take his eyes off it. "The reserve is using food as bait and taking advantage of the dragon's hunting and tracking instincts to patrol. Is it compatible with watching the dragon?"

Melvin was also looking at the fire dragon, mainly observing its two long horns. Unfortunately, they were two curved horns with arcs, not as beautiful as the horns of the horned water snake and the unicorn.

"Roar……"

The fire dragon in the open space twitched its eyelids, as if it had noticed his slander.

Many wizards from all over the world gathered in front of the cabin waiting for security checks. Melvin even saw the familiar golden Gordian knot - the school uniform of Ilvermorny.

The two Aurors in front were security inspectors, one male and one female. The wooden sign next to them had the security inspection procedures written in several languages, mainly about the registration of wands, space items and dangerous items.

I was queuing outside the camp waiting for security check. It only took half an hour to get here from Budapest, but I waited in line for 40 minutes.

Before they knew it, it was their turn. Melvin looked up at the front and saw the two Aurors working together. The witch was responsible for checking identities and registering wands, while the wizard was responsible for checking luggage.

The witch took the identification they handed over and found that they were actually professors at Hogwarts, one of whom was a professor of Magizoology. The expression on her face softened a little, but when she saw that the old professor only had one arm and one leg left, she couldn't help frowning.

"Professor Celtburn, here to see dragons again?" the wizard in charge of checking luggage joked, then explained to Melvin and Hagrid beside him, "I'm also a Hogwarts graduate, and I even took Professor Celtburn's class. Be careful while you're sightseeing." Melvin handed over his suitcase, his gaze unconsciously lingering on the young witch a few more times. He thought her face was somewhat similar to the old witch he had seen last night, and they both had black hair and blue eyes.

"..."

The young witch thought the professor was a little strange, so she avoided his gaze and registered her wand in a businesslike manner with a stern face.

There were some common daily necessities in the suitcase, including clothes, bedding, food reserves, and miscellaneous items. The only thing worth noting was some magical equipment and some dark magic items. When the male Auror turned over these things, his expression changed slightly.

"I'm a professor, and these are teaching aids."

"I know that Hogwarts is short of a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, so the Muggle Studies professor is helping to teach the class, right?" the wizard asked softly.

"Yes Yes."

If it were any other wizards, these things might have been confiscated, but Hogwarts's reputation was very effective, and the two Aurors turned a blind eye and let them go.

This place is not under the jurisdiction of the British Ministry of Magic, so Hagrid's wand can be registered. He actually enjoys the process of displaying his wand in public.

She folded her little pink umbrella and followed the old professor inside. She glanced at the suitcase, then at Melvin's pockets and scratched her head.

……

The interior of the wooden house, which was built of solid wood, also used the Untraceable Extension Charm. The layout inside was somewhat similar to the Ministry of Magic's hall. Marble fireplaces were neatly arranged on both sides of the corridor. Romanian was engraved on the top, but I couldn't understand it. Judging from the patterns next to it, it should be the identification of different fire dragon races.

The green flames burned brightly in the furnace, creating a warm atmosphere.

I don’t know if it was an illusion, but the air seemed to be filled with an indescribable smell, as if it was a mixture of burnt rocks and boiling sulfur.

Melvin and Hagrid followed Professor Kettleburn inside.

Hagrid looked at the fireplaces, even reaching out to feel the flames, and asked curiously, "Is this connected to the Floo Network?"

"Pretty much," Melvin explained briefly. He had read about it in the documentation. "These are localized Floo networks, isolated from the outside world. They only cover a few different areas of the reserve, making it easier for keepers and visitors to get around."

"Which area is Norbert in?"

Melvin stopped and looked at the office next to the old professor in front of him. He said softly, "You'll have to ask Charlie Weasley about that."

……

in the office.

Charlie sat on a chair he had nailed with wood, and used a dagger to prick the red blisters on his fingertips. The calluses were quite thick, and if he used a little too much force, blood and pus would spurt out without care, making it look bloody and scary.

My colleague next to me gasped: "The dragon leather gloves didn't even protect me. Did you feed that Swiss short-nosed dragon again this morning?"

"I heard it didn't eat last night, so it dragged a sheep over."

"And then it was burned by the dragon's breath?"

"Um……"

Charlie had no expression on his face as he sprinkled the distilled essence on the wound. The dragon flame and the magic power of the potion reacted with each other, like pouring ice water on a red-hot iron, and a puff of white mist rose with a hissing sound.

"It won't die if you starve it for two days." The colleague handed him the bandage and sighed. "That short-nosed dragon is in its incubation period and has a bad temper. It will spit at anyone who comes close. We should wait until it is completely weakened before feeding it. You are an experienced breeder, how could you make such a mistake?"

"The mother became weak during the incubation period, the dragon's breath temperature was uneven, and the cubs were born in poor health."

"You're not feeling well, just take care of yourself. A fire dragon's vitality is much stronger than yours. How many dragon breaths can you withstand..." said the colleague. "Aside from that, I heard that your friend who hatched Norbeta is coming to visit today. When will he arrive?"

"It should be in the morning."

Charlie wasn't sure. In his impression, Hagrid was kind-hearted and caring about animals, but not very reliable.

At this moment, heavy footsteps were heard in the corridor outside, accompanied by a knock on the door. The deep and powerful voice of the half-blood giant penetrated the wooden wall and came in: "Is Charlie there? Charlie?"

……

Just as Hagrid was about to knock harder, the door suddenly opened.

"Hagrid."

"Charlie!"

Hagrid had a smile on his face, but he didn't go in. He just blocked the door and insisted on chatting.

Professor Kettleburn, standing behind him, also smiled and greeted him. Charlie Weasley was a well-known figure in his school days, captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, and had led the team to numerous championships. Most importantly, while his grades in other subjects weren't top-notch, he always achieved excellent marks in Care of Magical Creatures.

After graduation, I became a fire dragon breeder. It has been almost ten years and all my limbs are intact.

Impressed Kettleburn.

"This must be Professor Lewynter of Muggle Studies!"

Without waiting for the others to be introduced, Charlie took the initiative to greet Melvin. He was older than Melvin, but his attitude was very respectful. "Mom and Ron mentioned the professor in their letter. He takes good care of my brothers at school and even helped Ron get a new wand."

"He earned his own salary."

Melvin said with a smile, he had a good impression of this Weasley.

He has the Weasley family's unique red hair, a broad, weather-beaten face covered with freckles. Long-term sun exposure has made his skin color close to brown. He is shorter and fatter than Percy, and also stronger. His fingers and arms are covered with various scars such as claw marks, bites, and burns.

After some friendly exchanges, they didn't go into the office and headed directly to the Norwegian Ridgeback's habitat.

"You may not know this yet, but Norbert is actually a girl. We changed his name to Norbeta."

“In this valley.”

Charlie knew that this was Melvin's first time in Romania and his first time visiting a fire dragon, so he introduced it to him as they walked.

Fire dragons are dangerous animals after all. Different species have different living habits. Some dragons live in groups, while some can only live alone. We also have to take into account the territorial awareness of different fire dragons, prevent conflicts between young dragons and adult dragons, and take special care of female dragons in the incubation period. Therefore, the protected area is also divided into different areas.

Norbert, now known as Norbeta, is located in the Norwegian Ridgeback Territory, in the juvenile dragon care area.

(End of this chapter)