CHAPTER TWENTY NINE
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-: seventh year :-
── IN WHICH THEY
GO TO HAGRID
. . .
Amongst the career paths Hogwarts was prepared to put forward to those facing important decisions that would directly impact their futures, it was safe to say that running away to a dragon sanctuary in the middle of Romania was not upon the list. Nor was it amongst the handy leaflets McGonagall had produced on various occasions to slide across the desk to a student sitting in front of her with a look of horror on their face akin to the expression one would make when being faced by a particularly ugly troll.
It seemed, all in all, that all Charlie and Kai had to go off was that poster. Which wasn't entirely descriptive. It just had a name, a short couple of sentences explaining the job position and a moving print of what looked like a Hebridean Black - although it was too grainy to tell. It didn't give them a lot of information or context and quite frankly, didn't give them anything.
But neither of the pair were exactly ones to give up in the fact of the first hurdle.
They couldn't go to McGonagall, that was out of the question. She would, whilst always advocating for them to follow their dreams, push or them to go for something more... safe. Like Healer or Arithmancer or - God forbid, you prefer lessons like Defense Against the Dark Arts - a Curse-Breaker for Gringotts. For Bill, that was the idea which he had gone into the meetingss with and clutched to following McGonagall's suggestions of safer jobs better suited to his gradees - only because he had an 'E' in DADA and an 'O' in Herbology. But he also had an 'O' in Ancient Runes, which somewhat pushed her over the edge in confidence of his choices.
And yes, Charlie and Kaida flaunted top grades in Care of Magical Creatures, but it wasn't zoology they were looking into. That would be another story, and Kaida had almost considered it at one point - an apprenticeship alongside the Scamanders didn't come about often - but it had been agreed upon long ago that she and Charlie were going to be sticking together. If they did end up playing Quidditch professionally, best believe it would be together. Anything else was out of the question. Maybe it was a little stupid, but they had promised each other in first year that they would remain by each other's sides for long after graduation.
Thus, the job at the dragon sanctuary was perfect for them both. The lack of information on the poster was nothing of a deterrent to them and so, on a particularly damp evening of which was foggy but not yet expecting rain, Charlie and Kaida left the warmth of Gryffindor common room in favour of the cosy stone walls of Hagrid's cabin.
Because who else might hold any knowledge at all, although sometimes unwittingly, on the illegal market surrounding dragons, on the creatures themselves, and just how one might come across a dragon sanctuary.
Charlie, despite Kaida's claims of been entirely healed and all the more happier, was a little more cautious than she liked as they walked down, insisting on her holding
"Alright yeh two?" Hagrid swung the door open just moments after Kaida had knocked, wiping her knuckles on her jumper from the slightly grimy wooden front door, large iron bolts rusted from harsh weather. "Awful weather, isn' it? Yeh would've been better stayin' up in the castle."
"But then we wouldn't have been able to see Fang." Kaida was smiling as the overly-large black boarhound nudged at her hand, her love for almost all animals shining through with inexplicably happiness. "Hey, boy?" Charlie's hand found the small of her back as Fang became a little more excited and his best friend was at risk of falling backwards. "Thanks." She added in a mumble, as they wiped their feet from the mud on the path down from the bridge and found a hook or two to hang up their coats and scarves.
"No Quidditch tonight, then?" Hagrid, much like the rest of the staff up in the castle, often frequented the matches played amongst the houses and was more than aware of the pair's love for the sport and Charlie's current position as captain. "I suppose it's gettin' too dark to play this late though, ay? And I reckon yeh'll be gettin' plenty o' homework to keep yeh busy as anythin'."
"We have practise tomorrow and Monday." Charlie replied, as they found seats around the small table which looked more similiar to a Muggle cable wire than anything and Hagrid retrieved the whistling kettle from over the flickering fire and settled with them, Fang's slobbering chin on his broad knee and cups of tea with the necessary ammenties (a small pot of sugar, a jug of milk that needed both of Charlie's hands to lift it and a plate of what looked to be rock cakes that were so hard Kai worried it would chip a tooth after biting into one) placed in front of them. "This is just... we just have a few questions, Hagrid."
The man before them looked slightly bewildered; he couldn't say it was an common event, people asking him questions with the idea that he would have the answers for them; but nodded along and as they explained the predicament they were in, the mere mention of dragons was enough to draw a warm spark in his eye.
And quite quickly, it became apparent that Charlie and Kaida had come to the right man.
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