Professor McGonagall clearly could not comprehend the scene unfolding before her eyes.
Just moments ago, she and Dumbledore had been chatting in the Headmaster's office when an unidentified flying object suddenly streaked over the castle. She had considered numerous possibilities. She originally assumed it was just a student staying behind for the holidays, breaking the rules on a broomstick or some other magical artifact.
Never in her wildest dreams did she expect to see this.
A second-year student was standing casually next to a massive, animated skeleton of what appeared to be a dragon, boldly claiming it was his pet. Did this make any logical sense whatsoever?
For a moment, she had absolutely no idea how to discipline the boy. However, one thing was absolutely certain: he had broken school rules. Hogwarts strictly prohibited any unauthorized airborne travel. Riding an undead dragon was certainly no exception to that rule.
Dumbledore slowly paced around the bone dragon, examining it closely from every angle. Finally, he stopped, turned to Maurise, and offered his praise. "A truly remarkable creation, Maurise." He leaned in slightly, offering a kindly piece of advice. "However, I would think... something like this perhaps shouldn't be seen by too many people."
"Not let others see it?" Maurise shook his head. "That would be entirely too boring, Professor."
Compared to his other undead summons, the bone dragon was undeniably his most spectacular achievement. Keeping it hidden away in the shadows was completely out of the question.
Professor McGonagall turned her head, seemingly wanting to interject, but Dumbledore gently raised a hand to stop her.
Right at that moment, as if sensing its master's proud mood, the bone dragon tilted its massive skull toward the sky. A roaring torrent of scorching flames erupted from its skeletal jaws. Yes, just like a normal living dragon, this undead construct possessed the devastating ability to breathe fire.
A violent wave of heat washed over them. Professor McGonagall stepped back in sheer shock. Dumbledore, on the other hand, remained perfectly calm and did not even flinch. As the flames dissipated, a comforting warmth lingered in the freezing winter air.
Maurise's eyes sparkled. Flashing an unapologetic, beaming grin, he asked eagerly, "Well? Isn't it completely wicked?" He stepped forward and patted the dragon's thick leg bone. The massive creature cooperatively lowered its head and gently nuzzled his shoulder like a giant, terrifying dog.
For a moment, Professor McGonagall simply did not know how to react. An innocent-looking youth acting affectionate with a nightmarish bone dragon. What a deeply bizarre picture.
Dumbledore walked right up to the front of the beast and reached a weathered hand toward its forehead. The dragon shrank back slightly, intimidated, but under Maurise's soothing mental commands, it forced itself to remain perfectly still, allowing the Headmaster's hand to make contact.
"Wicked... yes, very wicked indeed," Dumbledore said, his voice steady and profound. "This child is exactly like your unicorn. I can feel it. It is no mere puppet. There is a tangible presence of... will. That is the truly astonishing part of your work."
Truly worthy of the name Dumbledore, Maurise marveled inwardly.
His undead creatures fell into two distinct categories. One type, like Tin and Cinder, possessed their own native souls. They could think entirely independently and retained unique personalities. The other type, like this bone dragon, the skeletal unicorn, and the skeletal dog, completely lacked souls. Instead, they relied on the "will" Maurise explicitly bestowed upon them. This transferred will granted them the capacity for autonomous thought and emotion. To a certain extent, it functioned exactly like a pseudo-soul.
"However," Dumbledore continued, shaking his head with a mild chuckle, "I am afraid this is not a genuine dragon skeleton, is it?"
Huh? Maurise froze. He had personally dug this entire frame out of the dirt in the Forbidden Forest. How could it possibly be a fake?
Observing the obvious bewilderment on Maurise's face, a faint smile graced Dumbledore's lips. He walked to the side of the dragon and explained. "No matter the breed, no natural dragon possesses a tailbone quite this thick. Especially the final segment; it looks remarkably like a blunt club. Furthermore, the skull is far too large, and the aerodynamic proportions of the wings are quite incorrect..."
As Dumbledore casually listed off a dozen anatomical inconsistencies, Maurise began to seriously doubt his own prize. Was this really not a naturally deceased dragon?
After all, Dumbledore undeniably possessed an incredibly profound understanding of dragons. If nothing else, his famous discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood proved his expertise beyond a shadow of a doubt. If the Headmaster said it was anatomically wrong, it was highly likely to be true.
At this point, Professor McGonagall finally found her voice. Her brows were knitted tightly together, and her tone had returned to its customary strictness.
"Albus, we must clarify one very important matter right now. A second-year student just flew over the castle on a fire-breathing skeleton without a single ounce of permission, potentially leaving the school grounds entirely. How exactly are we going to discipline this?"
Maurise looked at Dumbledore with genuine curiosity. Honestly, he too wanted to know what kind of punishment he was facing. On paper, he had definitely shattered several major school rules. If they really wanted to press the issue, he was completely caught.
Hogwarts rules really are quite strict, he thought absentmindedly.
Ah, right. Should he just transfer to a different school? With his unique magical talents, plenty of other academies would surely welcome him with open arms. Durmstrang, for example? He had heard they were far more liberal and even openly taught the Dark Arts. Oh, wait, they supposedly didn't accept Muggle-borns, did they? Aside from them, Beauxbatons seemed like a decent fallback option...
Dumbledore was entirely oblivious to the highly dangerous thoughts swirling in Maurise's head. Seeing the boy furrow his brow, the Headmaster assumed he was simply terrified of an impending expulsion.
So, Dumbledore offered a gentle, reassuring smile. "Do not worry yourself, Maurise. From my perspective, your actions today simply fall under the umbrella of normal magical research. Hogwarts has always encouraged students to explore and experiment on their magical journeys, provided they adhere to basic safety guidelines and moral standards."
"Okay!" Maurise nodded obediently.
It seemed he was safe for the time being. However, he had a sneaking suspicion that sooner or later, he was going to do something truly outrageous, like diving headfirst into highly restricted Dark Arts research. He was quite self-aware on that front. He possessed a ravenous curiosity for all things magical, and the Dark Arts were undoubtedly on his to-do list. Yes, he might actually get expelled when that day finally came. He mentally pinned the idea of transferring schools for later.
Professor McGonagall stared at Dumbledore with a face full of sheer incredulity. "You honestly consider this normal magical research? You do not think it poses any danger?"
"Relax, Minerva," Dumbledore chuckled, his eyes twinkling behind his half-moon spectacles. "For a select few with extraordinary talent, this is not unheard of at all. I recall when I was a young man... ah, never mind. Let us not ramble. Us old folks do love to reminisce." He waved a hand dismissively.
Maurise genuinely wanted to hear the story of the Headmaster's youth. Clearly, the greatest wizard of the age had not been a stickler for the rules either.
Professor McGonagall firmly steered the conversation back on track. She turned to Maurise, her expression as stern as ever.
"Maurise, you will not receive any official punishment this time. But I strongly expect you not to parade this skeleton around the school grounds. It will attract an immense amount of unnecessary attention. I am telling you this for your own good."
Her words were completely reasonable. In fact, keeping a low profile was effectively a form of protection.
Maurise immediately agreed, adopting his most angelic tone. "Understood, Professor McGonagall. I completely agree."