Dumbledore's reminder didn't do much for Cohen, but it was at least somewhat helpful.
Cohen already knew this anyway—otherwise, he wouldn't have a plan to become Minister of Magic. It was the best way to peacefully resolve lingering historical issues.
The real value of Dumbledore's gesture was the goodwill it showed toward Cohen.
Dumbledore's message was clear: if the Ministry clashed with Cohen over him being "an evil dark magic creature," Dumbledore would stand by Cohen's side.
Congrats, Dumbledore's favorability with Cohen just went up by 10.
After being sent back to the dorm by Fawkes the phoenix, Cohen shoved the trunk under his bed and slipped into the covers amidst a chorus of snores.
Tomorrow, he could toss Norbert in there.
Maybe he could even divide it into sections—set aside some land to grow real grass, raise sheep for Norbert as a self-sustaining food chain, and keep a few other interesting, valuable animals.
If the unicorn herd in the forest was willing, Cohen actually wanted to sneak them in too. They were practically made of gold, had pleasant voices, smelled like ice cream—Cohen was a huge fan.
The next day, after the final Potions class, Cohen headed to Hagrid's with the trunk in tow. Trailing behind were Harry and Ron, brimming with curiosity about what was inside, and Hermione, fascinated by the trunk's magic and itching to study it.
"Didn't you already see something in the eighth-floor room?" Cohen said, a little exasperated by Harry and Ron's persistence. "No need to be *that* eager…"
"A house inside a trunk…" Harry said dreamily. "If I had one, I'd stay in it all the time when I go back to the Dursleys and never come out."
"Such grand ambitions," Cohen quipped.
"Ever since you mentioned the Extension Charm, I looked into it," Hermione said, walking beside Cohen. "The Ministry has strict regulations on that spell, Cohen. Using it on personal items is illegal—"
"Raising a dragon isn't exactly legal either, Hermione…" Cohen replied, lowering his voice. "If they don't find out, it's not illegal. Worst case, we've got Dumbledore. We'll just say he did it—after all, we're just kids. Who'd believe little wizards could pull this off?"
Hermione opened her mouth but stopped, seemingly convinced by Cohen's logic.
"Isn't that a bit unfair to Professor Dumbledore…?" Harry asked, his lingering conscience kicking in.
"But it's the truth," Cohen said, his own conscience either missing or never there to begin with. "Besides, he's Dumbledore. The Ministry wouldn't arrest him over an Extension Charm on a trunk—they'd be a laughingstock."
"Don't worry, Hermione. We could also say it's a Muggle item. Then it'd be my dad coming after us," Ron added reassuringly. "You know, he's the head of the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office. At worst, he'd let Mum give me a thrashing and then take the trunk home."
They reached Hagrid's door. This time, Norbert even recognized Cohen's footsteps—the noisy chaos inside the hut went silent the moment Cohen arrived.
As Cohen pushed the door open, Norbert lunged straight for his arms—only to be promptly kicked away.
"I almost thought you were trying to murder me," Cohen said to the dragon, who stood there with its wings tucked and a wronged expression. "Next time you see me, don't get *that* excited—I might reflexively do something even more dangerous."
No sense of restraint—if it broke this body with its enthusiasm, what then?
Inside, Cohen opened the trunk in front of everyone. A translucent staircase led downward.
"It doesn't look like a person could fit through there…" Harry said uncertainly.
"Just take the first step. Magic handles the rest," Cohen said, giving Harry—who was peering inside—a nudge.
The narrow staircase instantly enveloped Harry, prompting a gasp from Hermione.
Hagrid went next—he didn't get stuck, at least, thanks to some handy modifications Cohen and Dumbledore had made to the entrance.
Once everyone was down, Cohen followed with Norbert in tow.
At the bottom of the stairs was a magically crafted wilderness.
Grasslands, a stream, and a sky that looked real, complete with a breeze and dark clouds rolling in.
"Is this a Weather Charm?" Hermione asked, recalling it from *Spells Prone to Causing Natural Disasters*. "A Weather Charm covering this big an area must be really advanced…"
"Dumbledore did it," Cohen lied. It was actually his doing, but explaining it would be a hassle—he wasn't in the mood to play teacher.
"Merlin's beard, Norbert, look! Now you can fly around freely!" Hagrid said joyfully to the dragon. "I can build you a nest here—no one'll come hurt you—"
Cohen had already planned to let Hagrid handle the building initially, with some tweaks later.
When Cohen mentioned leaving the trunk with Hagrid for the rest of the term, Hagrid looked deeply grateful.
"I can come visit Norbert here often?"
Hagrid wiped his tears and thumped his chest, promising, "Brilliant, Cohen, don't you worry—I'll build you a big house down here, and Norbert'll have a cozy nest…"
Cohen would wait until after the end-of-term exams, just before leaving school, to take the trunk back.
"Looks like Hagrid's got five months to finish this big project," Harry said, calculating as they walked back to the castle from Hagrid's hut. "With a dragon constantly making trouble—if no one's watching, won't Norbert burn down whatever Hagrid builds?"
Cohen wasn't too concerned. Norbert was getting smarter and knew the consequences of messing up something this important.
"Five months!" Hermione suddenly exclaimed, as if struck by a horrifying thought.
"What's wrong, Hermione? What happens in five months?" Harry asked, confused.
"The end-of-term exams! We've only got five months left until them!"
"Correction: it's not 'only five months,' it's 'a whole five months,'" Cohen said, bristling at her anxiety-spreading. "Just cram a bit before the test…"
"What happens if we don't pass?" Ron asked Hermione, equally puzzled.
"Don't you remember what Professor McGonagall said? If anyone fails the exams, there'll be severe consequences!" Hermione said anxiously. "I bet failing students get expelled—oh no, I should've started revising right after the Christmas holidays! First the Philosopher's Stone, then the dragon—it's been insane—I hope it's not too late…"
After her frantic rant, Hermione hurried off to the library.
"I think the Philosopher's Stone and the dragon combined aren't as crazy as she is," Ron remarked. "Is she taking these exams too seriously?"
"Be careful saying that around Hermione," Cohen warned rationally. "If we want to keep copying her homework later."