[135] The Hollow Crown

Hall and Harry slipped out of the infirmary. Their footsteps were as light as cats'. The dim light flickered in the corridor. Night had fallen. Hogwarts was enveloped in tranquility. Silver moonlight bathed the ancient castle.

They crossed the deserted lawn, avoiding patrolling teachers and students, and headed towards the dragon's enclosure. After a tense journey, they arrived at Hagrid's hut.

To their surprise, someone was already there.

Hall and Harry exchanged a glance and quickly hid in the shadows, barely daring to breathe. Under the cold moonlight, Dumbledore, Snape, and Hagrid stood around the dragon's corpse. Its massive body lay silently on the ground, exuding an aura of death.

Dumbledore frowned slightly, intently examining the corpse. Snape stood expressionless, his black robes fluttering in the night breeze. Hagrid paced anxiously, muttering to himself.

The Dragon Protection Society demanded that Hogwarts provide an explanation within three days. Otherwise, they would never again allow Hogwarts to borrow any dragons. They believed someone at Hogwarts was harming these creatures.

This forced Dumbledore to take the matter very seriously. He bent down, carefully examining the body, his fingers tracing the hard scales. No wounds. No magical traces.

This made him ponder. No wounds. No magical traces. The dragon had not suffered any external harm. But what had caused its death?

"Perhaps there is another possibility," Dumbledore said softly, his voice unusually clear in the quiet night. "The dragon's food was the problem."

Hagrid immediately shook his head, his face filled with anxiety. "Impossible! I investigated the droppings with the conservationists. They were normal and healthy." His voice trembled. He could not accept that the dragon's death was due to its food — he had helped prepare every meal.

Snape watched expressionlessly. But upon closer inspection, a hint of wariness and doubt hid in his eyes.

Hall and Harry listened from the shadows. If the food was not the problem, what had caused the dragon's sudden death?

Dumbledore straightened up, his eyes filled with worry. "We must find out the cause as soon as possible. Otherwise, Hogwarts will face even greater trouble."

Snape raised his chin slightly. "You had better hurry. Or things will get really messy."

Hagrid paced anxiously, his thick hands clenched into fists. "What on earth happened?" he muttered.

Hall and Harry exchanged another glance from the shadows.

Something was very wrong.

Hall's heart still pounded. Tension gripped him. He crept towards the dragon's body, Harry under the Invisibility Cloak beside him.

They stood before the corpse, examining it closely.

Hall knelt quietly before the dragon's massive head, his thoughts drifting back to that shocking sight — those eyes, burning like raging fire, wild and unfocused. The intense light still flickered before his eyes, but now only deathly silence and gloom remained.

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He frowned, prying open the dragon's eyelids with his fingers, studying the lifeless eyes — larger than light bulbs but now dull and empty — searching for a clue.

Harry, meanwhile, carefully examined the dragon's scales.

For a fleeting moment, he noticed a scale of a strange colour, which puzzled him greatly. After examining every scale, Harry finally found what he was looking for.

He touched it gently. "Hall, there's something etched on this scale."

Hall crossed to him.

The scale Harry had found was mostly hidden under the dragon's belly — a blind spot for adults like Dumbledore, but visible to two teenage boys.

Hall frowned, studying the patterns on the scale. He reached out and traced them. Nothing in his magical knowledge matched. He searched his memory — no book, no lesson had ever shown him this symbol.

As his fingers completed the circuit, the scale beneath his hand grew scalding hot.

Hall dropped his hand, startled by the sudden heat.

He stared at his palm, his heart pounding. For a moment, his hand felt as if it were burning.

Then he felt it — faint magical fluctuations radiating from around the dragon's body. Almost imperceptible.

"Harry, can you feel it?" Hall asked.

Harry closed his eyes, concentrating. After a moment, he nodded. "Hall, what's going on? What does that symbol mean?"

Hall searched his memory but shook his head. It belonged to no book, no lesson.

"We have to tell Headmaster Dumbledore," Harry said.

As they discussed this, soft footsteps approached.

Hall and Harry tensed, hiding in the dragon's shadow. A dark figure approached in the night, face obscured. They stared at the approaching figure as it came into view — Barty Crouch.

How could he be here? And at this hour?

A chill ran through Hall. A bad feeling settled over him.

Harry also sensed something wrong. He gripped his wand, expression wary.

Crouch was searching the dragon's body carefully, examining every scale with his head bowed.

Hall's instincts told him Crouch was looking for the scale — the same one he and Harry had found, right in front of them. Harry understood this too. They both knew that if they stood still, it was only a matter of time before Crouch discovered them.

They slipped into the Invisibility Cloak.

Their hearts pounded as they moved with extreme caution, each step deliberate. They slowed their breathing, making no sound, creeping behind Crouch.

Crouch was intent on his search. In the dim moonlight, his figure appeared tense and anxious. Hall could sense the desperate determination radiating from him — he seemed willing to pay any price to find that thing.

Harry clung tightly to Hall, their eyes meeting, both seeing the worry and wariness in each other.

But fate always seems to enjoy playing tricks at the most tense moments.

Just as they were about to slip past Crouch, Harry's foot caught a dead branch.

The sharp snap shattered the silence like a thunderclap.

Crouch stopped what he was doing and whipped around warily. His eyes darted like blades, searching for the source of the sound.

Hall and Harry's hearts leaped into their throats. They huddled together, barely daring to breathe.

"Come out! I know you're here!" Crouch's voice was low and stern, echoing in the night air.

He waved his wand, a flash of light illuminating the surrounding area.

Hall quickly cast a Cushioning Charm on their shoes, and the two continued moving slowly.

But Crouch was not one to give up easily. He began pacing back and forth, searching every corner. His footsteps drew closer. Hall and Harry could feel the immense pressure radiating from him.

"Stop hiding, I've found you!" Crouch shouted again.

Click.

Hall froze. He looked at Harry, who winced in pain. The Invisibility Cloak had snagged on a dead tree.

Crouch heard it.

"Show yourself!"

A beam of light flew towards them.

"Watch out!" Hall pushed Harry aside.

At the same time, Hall pulled back the Invisibility Cloak and shouted, "Stupefy!" Red light shot towards Crouch.

Crouch reacted quickly, dodging the attack. He swung his wand in retaliation. "Expelliarmus!"

Hall cast a protective shield in front of him and Harry. "Protego!" Blue light enveloped them, deflecting Crouch's spell.

Magical light flashed in the night sky, illuminating the darkness. Leaves scattered from the shockwaves.