Chapter 47: The Journey in the Dragon's Belly
Alexander felt a bit embarrassed now. He usually hated receiving letters, thinking there were always too many. But after just two days, he began to suspect Penelope might have tricked him.
Just like Percy in the original Harry Potter series—during the summer holiday when he fell in love—he had written letters every single day and even bought a special owl, with no fear of being discovered.
But why wasn't Kate surprised at all? Didn't she have the closest relationship with Penelope?
At that moment, Kate had just finished exercising and came up from the fourth floor after taking a shower. Seeing Alexander's expression, she said something that shocked him.
"Alexander, are you wondering why Penelope hasn't written yet?"
"You are? No, you're thinking about it!" Alexander, who was still trapped in his own thoughts, snapped back instinctively.
"Hmph, fine, think of it as me! Have you forgotten that Penelope went on a family trip to France—as a Muggle?" Kate proudly brushed back the short hair around her ears.
"Muggles? Can Penelope even travel with her family without using magic?" Alexander raised an eyebrow.
"Alexander, you're acting strange! Anyway, Penelope should be in France today," Kate replied a bit unnaturally.
Although Alexander found it a little odd, he didn't sense any danger, so he didn't push further.
Lunch was the same as the night before. The only addition was a sour meatball soup—beef and rice meatballs floating in a broth flavored with lemon juice.
He probably liked rice, but the beef-rice combination was strange. And while the sour soup had seemed novel yesterday, today it just didn't taste as good.
That afternoon, Kate gasped several times, claiming to see two shining golden horns, but every time Alexander looked, there was no sign of a dragon at all.
"Look, Alexander!" Kate suddenly jumped up.
"What? Did you see the dragon again?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.
He saw a black dot approaching through the already dim sky.
"Alexander, it must be our new mode of transport! Is it a dragon?"
"Kate, don't tell me you're falling for the hype. This isn't some kind of hunger marketing." Alexander rolled his eyes.
But Kate was right—it was a dragon. A Romanian Longhorned Dragon with two shiny golden horns and blackish-green scales.
Upon closer inspection, however, it was only a dragon-shaped aircraft. Unlike Britain's strict legal restrictions, Romania allowed a wide variety of magical flying props. Aside from broomsticks and flying carpets, even vehicles designed like Muggle aircraft were common.
So, this dragon-shaped vehicle wasn't entirely surprising. But still—had all the protective spells been removed? Alexander realized there was no magic like the Knight Bus's concealment charm. Muggles would be able to see this massive creature clearly.
Accompanied by strong gusts of wind, the dragon aircraft landed behind the castle. Its open mouth faced the fifth floor, and a thin wizard emerged from within.
A long, dramatic commercial followed, enthusiastically describing the terrifying journey ahead. Once the wizard had politely confirmed they had packed everything, he motioned for them to board—through the dragon's mouth.
"Alexander, how cool! I finally get to see a dragon. Even if it's fake, I get to go inside it!"
"Gogoogo!" Kate shouted, like a wild horse let loose.
It was amusing, but Alexander couldn't help questioning the motivation behind designing a vehicle like this.
There had been repeated hints and advertisements along the way about the Romanian Longhorned Dragon and how to see one—completely free.
Raising expectations, only to dramatically unveil a massive flying vehicle shaped like a dragon—it was the perfect setup. Was this psychological manipulation?
So the vampire Salvatore didn't let them leave right away not to delay them, but to build anticipation. Alexander had to admit—it was brilliantly immersive. The entrance was crafted like the dragon's teeth and tongue—realistic and grotesque. Walking on the slippery "saliva" floor felt like stepping into the belly of hell.
The prop even breathed—complete with the sound and airflow.
Once they reached the skull, the junction between throat and head, a long, dark tube descended below. Inside, it was dead silent—even Kate's voice disappeared. The soundproofing was top-notch.
The thin wizard reappeared and bowed politely.
"Mr. Smith, the cockpit is located in the head. The belly is your resting area with Ms. Kate. You'll arrive by tomorrow morning, and there will be a musical wake-up notification." He tapped the dragon's tongue with his wand, and a passage opened above.
After the wizard vanished into the dark, Alexander followed, jumping down into what was essentially an enchanted slide.
One of the obvious spells was the Slide Charm—an ancient piece of magic dating back to at least the Middle Ages. In the original Harry Potter timeline, Hermione had used it to escape with Harry and Ron during the Battle of Hogwarts.
Although the dragon aircraft's neck wasn't especially long, Alexander slid for nearly a minute before the darkness gave way to dim light.
So this was the "slide inside the dragon's mouth."
What greeted him was a soft, flesh-colored floor.
This room was much larger than their previous train carriage, and the decor was positively grotesque. Simulated blood vessels bulged along the walls—it really did feel like they were inside a dragon's belly.
"Alexander! Come over here!" Kate sat on a heart-shaped couch, with food spread out before her.
A nearby menu listed the dishes: Braised Dragon Meat, Blanched Dragon Tendons, Black Pepper Dragon Steak, and Curry-Flavored Dragon Hind Leg.
Eating dragon meat inside a dragon? Talk about a full-circle moment.
All the dishes had been magically altered to be non-toxic. These were specialties of Romania's wizarding world.
Dragon meat in Romania was surprisingly cheap—even cheaper than pork—but highly regulated. Only local restaurants could purchase it, and it couldn't be taken outside the country.
"I thought this couch would feel like an actual beating heart. I almost didn't dare sit down," Kate said while slurping her dragon meat noodles.
Strangely, the sofa felt completely normal—and there was even a one-way transparent window to view the passing scenery.
Despite being airborne, it felt like they were still grounded inside.
Even the grotesque design was starting to grow on Alexander, making him wonder whether his sense of aesthetics was being forcibly adjusted.
Just like when he'd watched Kamen Rider Ex-Aid in his previous life—it seemed ridiculous at first, but turned out to be quite enjoyable.
Dragon meat tasted a lot like chicken. It's said that chickens are descended from dinosaurs. And dinosaurs, by some logic, are dragons.
So… eating dragon meat is basically eating dinosaur. Or chicken.
Though it resembled turkey more—rougher texture, a bit gamey.
No wonder dragon meat never caught on elsewhere. Even with regulations, if it were truly delicious, wouldn't it have spread?
(End of Chapter 47)
-----------------------------------------------------------
If you like the story please give it some power stones and reviews. And if you want to read 30 advance chapters or just want to support me please join my patreon at patreon.com/Translatingfanfics