"Professor Kettleburn has handed me a bit of a headache." Alaric opened the case in front of Lupin, revealing its contents. There was no reason to keep this a secret from his employee.
Lupin's eyes widened as he stared at the dragon egg nestled inside. "A dragon egg?" he whispered, his voice laced with shock. "Where on earth did it come from?"
Alaric gave a slow nod, pointing to the textured surface of the shell. "It's a Chinese Fireball. Kettleburn left it with me. As it happens, it's likely only a few days away from hatching."
Lupin was well-acquainted with Silvanus Kettleburn; the man had been the Care of Magical Creatures professor back when Remus himself was a student at Hogwarts. Hearing that a dragon was about to be born, Lupin leaned in closer for a better look.
"Looks like trouble," he noted.
"Naturally," Alaric sighed. "And it gets worse. Word is the Ministry is actively hunting for this little darling."
Lupin's brow furrowed, his gaze shifting from the egg to Alaric. "Then why not just turn it over to them? It's just an egg. It might be valuable, but surely it's not worth the risk for you."
"Because Kettleburn would likely murder me," Alaric chuckled, shaking his head. "The Professor is merely... storing it here temporarily."
"Very well. I won't say a word to anyone," Lupin said solemnly.
"Ah, I know you won't," Alaric replied with a faint, appreciative smile. "In fact, I never doubted you for a second."
Being trusted felt remarkably good—especially to a man like Remus Lupin.
As Lupin reached out to touch the shell, Alaric caught his wrist. "Careful. You've just been handling the Lethal Dittany."
Though it was unclear if a dragon egg could be poisoned, Alaric wasn't about to take the chance. Lupin's hand froze in mid-air.
"How do you plan to handle it, then?" Lupin asked, drawing his wand and performing several rapid Scourgify charms on himself.
Alaric beckoned for Lupin to follow him. "We need to move it to a more suitable environment. What does a dragon need to hatch? Intense heat!"
They exited Conservatory Three and crossed over to Conservatory Two. Lupin had been inside this specific greenhouse before, but he had never ventured far from the entrance. He knew only that it was a sprawling forest of various exotic trees.
Alaric led him deep into the left sector of the conservatory.
"Where are we actually going?" Lupin asked, glancing around at the towering silhouettes of strange flora.
"As I said, a region better suited for a dragon's temperament," Alaric called back. As they walked, a wave of blistering heat suddenly rolled over them from the path ahead.
"Look," Alaric said, slowing his pace. "We've arrived."
Lupin looked up. Dominating the clearing was a magnificent, tower-like tree. Its trunk was perfectly straight and sturdy, a picture of vibrant health. But the most striking feature was the canopy: it was carpeted in a dense cluster of brilliant red flowers.
The blooms were shaped like tulips, resembling flickering flames. No—that wasn't quite right. As Lupin squinted, he realized they weren't just like flames. Actual fire was dancing upon each flower.
The air around the tree shimmered and warped with the heat, which seemed to pour off every individual petal. A tree that catches fire? Lupin rubbed his eyes, but the scorching temperature confirmed it was no hallucination. Even from several yards away, the heat was becoming oppressive.
Species: Flame Tree (Spathodea)
Level: 2
Traits: Combustion
Status: Growing (22%)
This was a mutated Flame Tree that Alaric had brought back from Africa. Under the influence of his ability, it had developed the "Combustion" trait.
"I think we'd better stay back," Alaric told Lupin. The temperature was even higher than his last visit; given enough time, the tree could likely turn this entire sector into a volcanic vent. Fortunately, the conservatory roof was charmed for height and heat resistance, so there was no fear of the Flame Tree burning through the ceiling.
Alaric flicked his wand, whispering an incantation. The dragon egg rose slowly from its silk-lined case, floating through the shimmering air until it settled gently into a nest of warm soil at the base of the Flame Tree.
The moment it touched the ground, the shell took on a brilliant, glowing crimson hue.
"It's not going to cook, is it?" Lupin asked, wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead.
Alaric smiled at the gently vibrating egg. "Hardly. You could put a dragon egg directly into a furnace and it wouldn't 'cook.' For a dragon, as long as the heat doesn't exceed their biological limits, they actually thrive and grow stronger in such environments."
Lupin nodded, though he was beginning to lose count of how many times he'd been shocked today. Every plant in Alaric's collection seemed to defy the natural order.
"Are we going to tell Harry about the dragon?" Lupin asked suddenly.
"Why not? Every wizard should learn a bit about dragons. They are fascinating creatures, and nearly every part of them is a precious resource. Scales, bone, teeth..."
Alaric brushed a speck of dust from his robes and turned to head back. "Come along, Lupin. We have other work to attend to."
The dragon hatched six days later.
The newborn was incredibly energetic, immediately asserting its dominance by tearing a small branch off the Flame Tree—a sight that caused Alaric a small pang of botanical heartache.
For wizards and Muggles alike, dragons possessed an irresistible allure. Harry was no exception; once he learned of the egg, he made a daily pilgrimage to the Flame Tree to check on its progress. However, his interest waned quickly once the creature actually emerged.
The hatchling was, quite frankly, hideous. It was also remarkably ill-behaved. It acted like a bratty, hyperactive toddler that hissed and snapped at everything in sight.
Only someone like Professor Kettleburn could find such a thing adorable.
A newborn dragon required constant supervision, but Alaric had no interest in being a full-time nanny, Harry was too young, and Lupin had his hands full with the harvest. Consequently, the monumental task of babysitting the dragon was delegated to the Devil's Snare.
Fortunately, the hatchling hadn't yet developed the ability to breathe fire, meaning the Snare was safe from being incinerated.
Professor Kettleburn arrived as promised on the day of the hatching. He spent a long time observing the Flame Tree, seemingly fascinated by how much it resembled a giant torch, before officially naming the dragon "Torch."
After the visit, Kettleburn decided to leave Torch in Alaric's care for the foreseeable future.