Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition Season 4: Round 4

Team: Kenmare Kestrels

Position: Beater 1

Prompt: Write from a dragon's (Antipodean Opaleye) viewpoint.

Optional Prompts:

11 (dialogue) "Do you really need to do that?"
12 (song) "Magic Dance" from Labyrinth Original Soundtrack

I knew that something terribly wrong had happened. Mother's roaring flame that had been helping my brothers, sisters and I to grow disappeared. I heard strange noises, and then Mother shrieked in outrage.

Mother roared again, and I felt the flames return with a surge of relief. That relief was very short-lived, though, as almost immediately the flames sputtered out with an indignant wail from Mother.

I suppose to the poachers—Mother had warned us, even as a clutch, of poachers and their wicked ways—we were nothing more than something to be stolen. To them, we weren't our own sentient beings. I felt myself being lifted from my spot in the nest. I wanted to hurt them. How dare these creatures take me from my family?!

The next thing I felt was the cold. Then nothingness swallowed my consciousness.

I don't know how long I lay dormant in wait for the proper heat to help me grow again. It may have been moments, days, months...years. I first noticed warmth. It wasn't the pure fire heat that I needed, but the gradual temperature rise was enough to somewhat wake me. The next thing that came was my hearing. I heard... well, it sounded like a human. Not a poacher like Mother had warned about, but a hatchling. A young human. They appeared to be singing a strange tune.

"..agic...th...baby...dan..." sang the sweet voice.

The heat went away and I slept once more.

I became aware of the heat once again, only this time, it was a faster wake up. The heat was nowhere near the pure flames Mother used, but it was still much hotter than the last time I was somewhat woken from my dormant stage. I heard the strange tune again. It sounded like it was the voice from before, only a bit more mature. I could actually make out the words this time.

"You remind me of the babe. ~What babe?~ The babe with the power. ~What power?~ The power of voodoo. ~Who do?~ You do. ~Do what?~ Remind me of the ba-" the human grunted and I felt myself tip over.

"No!" the voice cried out. I was jostled in my protective layers, but my fall was halted by the voice catching me. "Gotcha! Mum would be so mad if I broke you," the voice whispered. "Pretty thing, you are. Someone took great care in painting these pictures on you. Strangely warm, too. Hmm..." I was set back in my place and the voice left once again, taking the warmth with it.

I woke once more to warmth, but the voice was arguing with two older voices now. "It's not a decoration!" I felt myself get lifted and cradled in the now familiar heat.

"Put it down," came the exasperated tones of one of the older voices.

"No! It's an egg! A dragon egg! It's a Class A non-tradable item in the wizarding world. We could get in so much trouble for even having it, and you've displayed it like a bauble," my familiar voice retorted.

"What? My savior is a magical? They will want to take me apart for potions. What do I do now?" I curled up tighter, wrapping my underdeveloped wings around my body.

I heard my savior gasp. "It's moving. It's afraid."

"Honestly, Hermione? Do you really need to do that?" the other voice finally spoke. "It's just a decoration. It's not an egg—I mean, it is, but it's a painted stone egg. Not a real one. Stop talking about it like it's alive."

My human—Hermione, my mind supplied—tried to plead with the others, "You don't understand! You never understand… I'm leaving, and I'm taking it with me."

"Hermione, wait!"

"I'm sorry," came Hermione's response before I felt the magic that I'd only felt once before: the day I was taken.

When the magic dispersed, I felt my fear spike again. "This magical could destroy me… "

Hermione made a cooing sound as she stroked my egg. "I won't hurt you, sweetheart. I'm going to get you back to your kind. Maybe not your family, since I know you've been separated for at least fifteen years. Charlie was telling me about a rescued Antipodean Opaleye that had been attacked by poachers. Maybe she will take you in as her own."

"Hermione?"

"Oh, thank Merlin. I thought you'd already gone back to Romania, Charlie," Hermione said, relief evident in her tone.

A chuckle sounded. "If you wanted a date, all you had to do was ask."

"Charlie, I have a problem."

I felt myself being lifted.

"Good Godric. Where did you get an Opaleye egg?" The new voice was incredulous.

"My parents got it when I was still a child, around the time I started having bouts accidental magic, actually," Hermione responded. "It's still alive, Charlie. Even after spending a decade and a half sitting on a shelf, it's still holding on." Hermione's voice dropped lower now. "I can hear it sometimes. Not well enough to know whether it'll be male or female, but enough to hear frantic thoughts or strong emotions."

"You can hear it? Even some of the best dragon tamers can't hear or speak to the dragons—even after they've hatched!" Charlie's voice scared me.

"Charlie, your exuberance frightens the poor thing." Hermione hugged me closer to her chest. "I don't think I can just hand it over to you. Can you take me with you to the reserve?"

"Well…" Charlie hedged. "I'm not sure how the boss will react to me bringing in a civilian."

"What if I can tell him where to find an injured dragon that had been trapped in the bowels of Gringotts as a guard dog?"

"You know where to find her?"

"Yes."

"Let's go. We'll Floo to the office and try to talk Mayweather into allowing you to stay at least until this one hatches."

"Thank you."

I felt the heat of a real fire for the first time in a long time, but it still wasn't right.

"Mayweather!" Charlie called as soon as the heat of the flames went away.

"What, Weasley? You're late, you know," came the response.

"I brought a friend. She found… well, come look and see."

I felt myself be passed to a new set of hands. No, no, no. Don't let them take me. I'll be good; I promise.

I heard Hermione start to protest, "Be careful! It's scared of you!"

"What are you talking about? No one can hear an incubating dragon speak. Only female dragons can do that," the new one, Mayweather, snapped.

"Well, I can," snarled Hermione. "Don't presume that you know everything!"

I shifted and tried to transmit my thoughts to Hermione. "Mature humans—not that these humans are mentally mature—always think they know everything. They aren't paying attention, though. One of my nest mates is here. If you can get me to her, she will help my finally break free and hatch."

I felt myself being lifted again into comforting, familiar arms. "What is her name, little one?"

"Lyra. She hatched just before the poachers came. Mother had sent her to play with my Aunt's clutch, as they had all hatched. She wasn't there the day we were taken," I hoped she would catch everything.

"Lyra? Charlie, where is Lyra?" Hermione asked.

Mayweather spluttered, "How do you know that name?"

"I told you. I can hear him… him. You're a boy!" Hermione exclaimed.

I shifted in my shell to look at myself. "Yes? Is that a problem?"

Hermione laughed. "No. Let's get you to your sister. Do you think I'll be able to understand her like I do you?"

"Probably. She's had more time to learn the ways of humans."

Charlie spoke up then. "The best way to find out is to take you to see her. Come on."

A few minutes later I relaxed almost completely in the familiar heat of my nest mate. "Lyra! You're really here."

"Of course I am, Senna. I was injured by poachers a few moons ago. Then I was rescued by the self-proclaimed tamers here. I lost sight in my right eye," my older sister said.

I heard Hermione gasp. "You poor creature. I may be able to help you regain your sight, but I'll need to double check a few things before I try… if I may?" she added softly.

Lyra hummed in contentment. "You understand me, human. That's a rare gift reserved for those with dragon blood in their veins."

"I'm a muggleborn though. First in my family to have magic."

"Muggleborns are born because we—dragons, elves, merfolk, and others—gifted a drop of our blood and a spark of our magic to those deserving. It is possible you have magic merely because Senna was near you," my sister stated.

"Oh. This explains so many things."

"Think on it later, human. My brother needs the flames of a dragon to finally break free of his shell. Do your research and come back in two weeks. My flames aren't as hot as our mother's was. He'll need the extra time. Say goodbye for now and be on your way. I'll cause a scene if the tamers don't let you back. There's another 'tamer' here that hears our speech. He'll get the point across."

"Oh. Of course. Goodbye, Senna." I felt her caress my shell. "I will be back, Lyra."

Two weeks passed and I knew it was finally time for me to break free, but Hermione wasn't back yet. "Lyra, where is she? She promised."

"I know, brother. She'll be here soon." Lyra's voice is soothing, lulling me back into a sense of comfort.

A huge boom resounded across the compound and I heard a voice yelling at someone. Hermione.

"HOW DARE YOU TRY TO KEEP ME FROM LYRA AND SENNA?! I'LL HAVE YOU REMOVED FROM YOUR POSITION FOR THIS!"

"Lyra? Maybe you should retrieve her before she does something she'll regret?" I asked.

Lyra snorted. "Humans. So dramatic."

I shifted then stilled when I felt my shell crack.

"I'm here now, Senna. Sorry for the wait." I saw Hermione set her hands on my shell through the thinned walls.

I pushed at the spot with my snout and gave a dragon grin when the shell splintered and broke apart. I pushed my wings out, shattering the remains of my home and looked up at the human who had awoken me and helped me finally be born. I locked eyes with her and sneezed, coating her in soot.

She just gave me a funny face and turned to speak with Lyra. After a few sentences, Hermione pulled out her wand and cast a series of spells at Lyra. Lyra snorted and shook her head a few times.

"You fixed my eye… I didn't think you'd be able to." Lyra's voice is full of gratitude and amazement.

"I had promised," Hermione retorted.

"I don't want you to leave me again," I whined softly, curling around her ankles.

Hermione knelt down and picked me up. She settled me around her shoulders. "Easiest way for me to not leave would be for you and your sister to scare Mayweather into hiring me. If you could get one of the horntails in on it too… that would fix the deal."

I grinned at my sister from my perch. "Yeah. This human is one of a kind, and she's mine."

Lyra rolled her eyes. "If you say so. Let's secure her a place with us."