In Harry Potter as Neville Longbottom - Chapter 97: Magical Contracts

After Halloween, there was a weekend and with the weekend came the trip to Hogsmeade village. This was only meant for third-year students and above. But this cannot stop Neville.

Neville still had the invisible cloak from Harry, and he is not the one to return it without any reason. On Saturday, finding time after breakfast, he walked around the castle and then using the secret One-Eyed Witch Passage, he simply disappeared.

Thankfully the headmaster had removed all the protection and barriers across the secret passages and tunnels.

After coming out of the familiar Honeydukes Sweetshop cellar, Neville walked towards his own Longbottom Library in Hogsmeade. He had copied and sent most of the books from their manor to here and unless this topic was taboo, it must be here.

While Neville took off his cloak in a very open manner and started checking the books, the crowd simply gave way to him. Neville didn’t realise but all subtle noises disappeared, and a few young adult witches and wizards even blocked the windows or doors to make sure that young Longbottom Lord could study in peace and his presence is hidden from the prying eyes.

Neville had no idea how much respect and gratitude his family commanded in a wizarding circle ever since this library opened here. Knowledge from a century-old family was priceless and it might even trigger secret wars among families, but Longbottoms simply gave all that knowledge away for free.

This was also subtly changing the status of muggle and half-blood wizards. Now, they will have access to potion books, alchemy books and other secret and inaccessible knowledge, and they can improve their own knowledge base and apply for a higher position in their guilds.

Many have even left their guilds and are saving money to open their own shops in future. This subtle and hidden current that was flowing through the wizarding world was something Longbottom’s started and no one was going to let anything happen to Longbottom Lord.

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“Ritual Magic… Contracts… Soul Bindings….”

Neville picked up several books from the library and then walked towards a private area and found his own private office.

He opened the door to find a clean and tidy small office with just a chair and table.

“Good!” He praised the cleanliness of his house elves and then sat down with his books.

“Ritual magic….” Neville picked the first book and started reading about different types of magic arts that have been forgotten by the wizarding populace in modern times.

Neville noted several key points, and many things became clear to him but these were all references to Blood Magic and he was not sure if the conclusion he found was correct.

“It seems I must double check with Professor Ravenclaw,” Sighing Neville picked all the books and notes. Leaving the books on the counter of the young beautiful librarian, Irvina MacFusty, Neville left the counter.

However, he had taken only a few steps he remembered something.

‘MacFasty Family is the only family that has taken on the responsibility of looking after the Hebridean Black dragon and had done so for many centuries. This specific dragon family is known for its most volatile anger and aggressiveness, and it still was kept in control thanks to one wizarding family.

But how?”

Neville walked back to his library and checked the library carefully. However, his actions were wrongly interrupted by the young librarian.

“Ahem… Lord Longbottom… do you anything to speak to me?” The young librarian spoke with the young Lord with a tinge of pink on her cheeks.

She felt her beauty managed to capture the young and foolish heart of Lord Longbottom and he must have come back to sneak peek at her.

“I must say…I do. Miss MacFusty…If I am bold enough, can you please share your family story with me? I must say, I am very interested in how your family have managed to keep the most ferocious breed of dragons under control.”

Instead of the sweet words she expected, Miss MacFusty heard Young Lord Longbottom speaking in a serious tone.

“So, it’s not my beauty but the tales of dragons that interest the young lord. Oh! I should have thought about it!” Keeping these disappointing thoughts to herself, Irvina MacFusty walked outside her cabin and accompanied Neville towards a more secluded area.

“You know Lord Longbottom; you are not a child anymore. I expected you would ask me something different.” Irvina spoke after taking her seat.

“Apologies. I can assure you I do read about politics and economics in my free time,” Neville spoke his thoughts. However, this made Irvina laugh stupidly.

“Sorry…Sorry. I meant…Sorry. Just forget it.” Irvina could hardly control her laughter. ‘Politics and Economics’… oh Merlin! What have they done with boys these days…?”

“You see… there is a legend about our family. Like most families…it is said the males in our family are blessed with magic. Somehow, the MacFusty boys can communicate with the Hebridean Black dragon.

We girls don’t have the ability nor our kids in future will inherit this ability. Only boys and kids from their line.”

Irvina said thinking carefully. This legend was not a secret among the wizarding families. There are many similar secrets among the wizarding families and most of the legends are often based on true stories.

“But is that true?” Neville asked in a low voice.

“Maybe. I have never seen anyone with any Black dragons walking in our family manor. Even the last painting of our ancestor with a dragon by his side is almost 100 years old.

But we are still the only family that keeps their oath and watches over these dragons. Even ministry can’t do anything about it.” Irvina spoke with a big pride in her voice.

“Oh! Disappointing…Do you know how this legend started?” Neville scratched the secret more.

“Oh yes! It is said one of our ancestors was sailing across the seven seas when he found a trapped young dragon baby on an island where a volcano had just erupted.

The dragon’s wings were caught under some huge rocks and the fire had burnt his tail to some degree. Unlike other wizards who fled the scene, he was the only one who came for the dragon.

Then without caring for his life, he braved his way out of all the fire, ash and smoke and saved the young hatchling. After he bought the young dragon baby back far away from Island, he was then surrounded by a big family of Hebridean Black dragons.

Then the family of dragons recognised the effort of our ancestor and to repay the gratitude, they signed some sort of contract with us.”

Irvina said this story in a fascinating tone and Neville was just lost in visualising this story when Irvina threw the wrench in his dream engine.

“Well, this story is the same as how the Dumbledore family got the Phoenix except in their case, their ancestor was hiking through the volcano islands and the dragon was replaced with Phoenix.”

Irvina laughed looking at the frozen expression on the face of Young Boy. Neville had nothing left to say. He simply thanked her and left the library and made his way back to Hogwarts.