Luminescence
Chapter One: The First Assignment
It seemed like they had been walking forever. It was hot and muggy and Harry was quite certain that his life was cursed. They had been hiking through the trees in an attempt to get to higher ground to figure out which way was the way back into town. Malfoy pushed past another bunch of branches and they whacked Harry in the face as he approached. He cursed and then pushed them out of the way. He was certain Malfoy did that on purpose.
"There's your broom, Potter," Malfoy said, gesturing with his arm.
Harry turned to see shards of broom scattered across the soil. One piece was dangling from a bush. Gritting his teeth, Harry trudged forward. That was the broom Sirius had given him – the Firebolt. He hadn't had a chance to buy a new broom, not that he had needed one. Since he wasn't playing Quidditch professionally, only occasionally with Ron and Ginny and others for fun, he didn't need a brand new one. A part of him wondered if it was good that he didn't have a reminder of Sirius. It was just a material object anyway; he still had the good memories of his Godfather. Ever since he had seen his parents and Sirius and Remus due to the Resurrection Stone's power he felt he had gotten some peace and closure from losing his parents, and Sirius and Remus who had become like family to him as well.
Harry snapped out of his thoughts when he noticed Malfoy had suddenly stopped. They hadn't even reached the top of the tall hill yet.
"Why are you stopping?"
Malfoy knelt down and Harry walked around him to see what he was looking at. There was a trail of red slime glimmering on a few stray leaves. It was barely noticeable yet somehow Malfoy had spotted it.
"Could that be…?"
Frowning, Malfoy pointed his wand at it and murmured: revelus invisa. Harry had never heard that spell before. The red slime suddenly turned purple and then back again.
"It definitely came from a magical creature, or some type of magic at least," Malfoy said finally.
"Wait, how can you tell?"
Malfoy glanced up at him and raised an eyebrow. "Because it turned purple."
"Er…and that means…?"
Malfoy gave him a dumbfounded look. "Potter, how is it that you managed to save the world on so little knowledge of magic?"
The sarcasm in his voice was enough to make Harry's blood boil. Malfoy was still as irritating as ever.
"Just because I haven't heard all the spells ever used doesn't make me stupid, Malfoy," Harry retorted. "Now just tell me what that was."
Rolling his eyes, Malfoy sighed. "It was an advanced charm spell that's used to reveal any sort of magic being used. If there's a barrier, like a shield, the spell won't necessarily work, especially not right away or by one caster. It's mostly meant to reveal hexes or magical properties. This slime here must be residue from the plant we're looking for. Venomous Tentacula often times will leak from its vines when it's humid or really hot outside. It leaves traces of magic in it because it's a magical plant. Is that clear enough for you, Potter?"
Harry raised both eyebrows. "You sure seem to know a lot about this plant even though Dimitri said there's not much concrete research on it."
"There's basic information on it Potter. It's basic Herbology to know that many species of magical plants, like the Devil's Snare, often times will seep its magical juices in this kind of weather. Since the plant is in the Devil's Snare family, its basic structure is the same even if its defenses and vulnerabilities are not, so it's just plain common sense," Malfoy drawled.
"I didn't realize Herbology was your thing," Harry said sarcastically. He really hated that Malfoy was trying to make him look bad, as if he could possibly know everything about magic and wizard world.
Malfoy just smirked. "There's a lot you don't know about me, Potter. Anyway, this spell is a very advanced spell. It usually takes two years just to perfect it and it only took me one."
"You're lying," Harry said. "How could it take that long for one spell?"
"Obviously because this spell requires immense concentration, adequate power, and careful pronunciation. It's a combination of a charm and a spell, that's why. Now, I came out here to do a job and get paid big bucks so I'm finding this plant."
With that, Malfoy headed in the direction where the slime was leading. Harry followed him, knowing full well that he wasn't going to let Malfoy take all the credit for his first assignment.
"Don't get in my way, Potter."
"This is my assignment too, Malfoy, and if I recall Dimitri said that I could work with a partner or by myself."
Malfoy snorted. "I prefer to work by myself."
"Well so do I, but we can't help that we're both here so just deal with it."
They both fell into an uncomfortable silence as they followed the bits of trail left behind by the venomous plant. The trail was barely noticeable after some hiking through the trees. Harry noticed that they were getting into the immensely thick part of the forest. It was cooler there but also there were hills around there covered in the thick trees. Malfoy kept using the revealing spell. Harry thought it was just to show off that he knew such an advanced spell, but suddenly they saw something glow white behind a tangle of green-leaf ivy. Behind the ivy was a small cavern that they both could just barely squeeze through.
"They like dark places like Devil's Snare," Harry murmured.
"Yeah I noticed," Malfoy drawled.
Harry bit his lip so he wouldn't retort. This was no time for an argument. They had their wands out for light and they both kept a close eye out. There was nothing on the ground or on the walls of the cavern. The trail had ended and Harry wasn't even sure if the plant was in there or not. The cavern wasn't very big and they ended up at a dead end in a small expansion of room. Harry did notice that it was by the lake and there were some cracks in the wall where water was trickling in.
"Well, maybe there's another cavern we could—"
"Fuck!" Malfoy interrupted, suddenly pointing his wand in Harry's direction.
Harry's eyes widened but before he could utter a sound Malfoy sent a hex flying. Harry dodged it, thinking it was meant for him, and found himself moving right into one of the vines of the Venomous Tentacula, which had been hovering behind him.
Harry made a sound of surprise as he was suddenly lifted off the cave floor. The plant had stuck itself on the cavern ceiling and that was why they couldn't see it. Harry was hanging upside down, just about to lose his glasses, and he thankfully freed an arm to make sure they didn't fall.
"Ahhhhh! Shit!" Malfoy exclaimed.
Harry turned his head and saw a red vine wrapping around Malfoy's leg. It encircled his body so he couldn't move and lifted him several inches off the ground. Malfoy cursed and attempted to thwart the vine with a hex. The vine shriveled a bit as if wincing and then went right back to tightening its grip on them.
"Malfoy! We have to find its vulnerabilities."
"No shit!" he exclaimed.
The vine thankfully pulled him so he wasn't dangling upside down but was in a lying position staring up at the vine. Its base was a throbbing red mass and from it extended five vines, two of which had them both trapped. The others were sticky and up against the ceiling. One of the other vines from the ceiling slunk down toward Harry. He attempted to free his wand hand with his free hand. The vine seemed to bulge and suddenly a black spot appeared on it. Harry's entire stomach felt like it turned to lead. The black spot pulsed and then opened up slowly. A thin, black tentacle came out and on the end of it was a small needle, almost like a stinger. Harry had no doubt that there was poison on the end of it. The needle started coming toward him straight at his face and Harry struggled to avoid it.
Suddenly, a burst of flames distracted the vine as it shriveled and pulled back the needle. The flames didn't make it lose its grip on them though. Instead, the vine around Malfoy tightened and the tip of it began wrapping around his throat. Malfoy put up a hand toward his throat so it wouldn't choke him. He was unable to use his wand at the moment though. Harry realized that the plant could only focus on one target at a time.
"Damnit!" Malfoy cursed as another vine tore down from the ceiling and approached Malfoy.
Harry gripped the vine with his free hand and managed to squeeze his wand hand out. Malfoy was attempting to turn his head away as a black spot revealed a needle coming at him. Harry had to think fast. If flames didn't work then perhaps another element would.
"Aquinus!" Harry shouted, spraying water on it.
The vine was again distracted and this time began to swell as it apparently absorbed the water. Harry's eyes widened. If it absorbed water then that meant…
Harry was suddenly thrown off guard as the needle was directed at him again. This time he had his wand free and he shouted a hex. It sliced into the vine, cutting off the tip of it. The vine seemed to thrash and Harry did it again, slicing off the part with the black spot and needle. Both parts fell to the floor of the cavern where they squirmed helplessly.
"It can't focus on both of us at the same time," Harry said.
Malfoy's jaw was clenched when he spoke. "That's fantastic, Potter. Got any other useless facts?"
The needle was sticking out and approaching Malfoy again. Harry shouted a hex that freed him from the vine's grasp. He shouted the water spell again and ran to Malfoy to help him out.
"Potter, move! Let me curse it!"
"Malfoy, hold still, I'm trying to get you out!"
The blond struggled even as Harry attempted to help him.
"Look out!"
Harry didn't even have time to react as the vine around Malfoy suddenly split off into two sections from the tip, as if a new vine was growing right out of it. It wrapped around Harry and slammed the two of them together, lifting them higher off the ground. Harry and Malfoy were now facing one another, both of their bodies crushed together. Their chests were touching but otherwise their faces were just inches apart.
"Shit! Malfoy, listen to me, you have to hex it with a wind spell, something to dry it up with. It absorbed water which means that it probably has similar weaknesses to water, and since water can evaporate—"
"Okay, I get it," Malfoy snapped. He pointed his wand at it and shouted a spell. Harry's eyes widened when he realized what spell Malfoy had used: it was a tornado spell.
The vine was swallowed up in the swirling wind, releasing them from its grasp, but at the same time they were both thrown onto the ground by the force. Harry covered his face as the wind thrashed above them. It finally died down after a couple of minutes. The Venomous Tentacula dropped from the ceiling to the ground, landing on top of them. Harry instantly squirmed out of its grip, thankful that it was all dried up and not very hard to escape. Harry grabbed a vial from his pocket and levitated the piece of the vine with the black spot that was still squirming on the ground. It had gotten blown up against the cavern wall but thankfully was still in one piece. The spell had been pointed directly at the main vine on the ceiling so it hadn't ruined the pieces on the ground.
Harry turned after he sealed the vial to see Malfoy brushing himself off.
"A tornado spell?" Harry blurted out.
Malfoy gazed at him and glared. "I had five seconds to think, Potter, be glad that I didn't let the plant impale you first."
Harry rolled his eyes. Malfoy caught sight of the specimen piece in the vial and Harry pocketed it.
"Don't we need more than one sample?"
"Er…," Harry stared down at the dried up corpse of the vine. "I'm sure it could be useful even dead. You should take a sample of it."
Malfoy scowled but reached down and collected a sample. "Fine. Let's get out of this place. I need a nice long shower and a Butterbeer."
Harry didn't want to admit it but that sounded like a great idea. They walked out of the cavern covered in dirt and grime. Harry decided to levitate himself in the air just to see and he was able to determine which direction they should go.
"Okay, it's that way," Harry said pointing as he dropped back down.
"Let's go. There's no telling how long it will take on foot."
The two of them remained silent for most of the way, except for when Malfoy cursed every time he had trouble getting through a particular tangle of bushes. Thankfully, they hadn't run into any other magical creatures. They did some birds but otherwise they were just surrounded by plants. After walking for what had to be at least a half hour, Harry realized that the sky was darkening; the sun was beginning to set.
"Are we going to make it before dark?" Harry asked aloud.
Malfoy huffed as he climbed over a fallen tree. "How should I know?"
Harry glared at the back of his head, irritated that Malfoy wasn't being very helpful. It was bad enough that he was sweating and miserable but the least Malfoy could do was answer a simple question without sarcasm or attitude. They continued to walk on in more silence and it started to get much darker as the sun lowered in the horizon.
"Damnit!" Malfoy cursed. "There's no way we're going to make it."
Harry looked around. "Well, maybe there's a safe place to stay the night somewhere."
"Potter, look around, we're in the wilderness. There aren't any safe places."
Feeling hungry and irritated, Harry finally snapped: "Quit whining and just cooperate Malfoy! We obviously have to find some place because walking in the dark is just as dangerous. Besides, we need sleep to keep up our energy. We just need a few hours; it's not like we have to camp until the sun comes up."
"Camp?" Malfoy questioned, turning around to face him. It was obviously a muggle term that he wasn't familiar with, but Harry was in no mood to explain.
"Never mind."
Malfoy just narrowed his eyes, but didn't question further. They continued walking until Harry stopped him so he could levitate to see where there might be a good place. While up in the air, Harry saw that they still had a few miles of walking and there was no way he would make it without some sleep. He noticed that to the left of where they had to go there was a small river running toward a small pond.
"Hey there's some water over there. That way we can get cleaned up and cool off."
Malfoy nodded in agreement, looking weary. They both walked about a half mile to the pond. Harry immediately took off his shirt and went to splash water on his face. As he did so the water cascaded down his neck and onto his chest. He sighed with relief. He heard a splash and turned to see Malfoy had taken off his shirt as well. His pale chest was glistening with sweat. Instead of splashing water on himself like Harry did, he just waded straight into the pond with his pants on. It made no difference if they got wet since it was so hot out. Harry stared at the water, wondering if he should do the same. He still didn't know how to swim really well, but Malfoy was able to stand up in the water. Finally, Harry decided to follow suit. He slowly lowered himself into the water gripping the shore edge until he felt his feet hit the sand. Unfortunately, he was hoping Malfoy wouldn't notice, but of course the blond had turned to watch him.
"What are you so afraid of, Potter? It's not like there are Kappa Demons swimming around."
Harry felt his cheeks heat up instantly. He splashed his face, hoping that Malfoy couldn't tell he was embarrassed.
"I'm not afraid. I just didn't want to get my pants wet, but it's too damn hot."
Malfoy snorted, seeming to believe his answer. The blond then dunked himself under water. Harry tipped his head back to get his hair wet and stood up just as Malfoy resurfaced.
Harry looked around and noticed that there was plenty of open grass next to the pond. There was some dirt scattered about but for the most part it wasn't bad.
"We could sleep here near the water and build a fire," Harry said.
"We should really find shelter Potter in case there are wild animals."
They locked eyes and Harry shrugged. "Well, we could always cast a spell to raise up the ground and sleep up higher."
Malfoy stared at him. "I suppose so. I just hope there aren't any flesh-eating slugs out here."
Harry recognized the creature; Hagrid had once complained about flesh-eating slugs getting into his cabbages. He wasn't sure just how dangerous they were, but they didn't sound friendly.
"Can they climb?"
Malfoy shrugged. "I don't know. Hopefully a fire will keep them away, if there are any. My main concern is food. I haven't eaten anything since lunch. Hopefully there's something around here."
Harry nodded, but didn't comment. He would be fine without food for a night. After all, he had been starved by the Dursleys for years so he could go weeks without much food. The sun had now completely set turning the sky was a dark red. Thankfully it was a bit cooler. Harry cast a spell on the ground to make it so the area they slept on was about five feet off the ground. It was large enough for both of them to fit snugly and still have room for a fire if they needed it. Malfoy cast some simple protections on the area as well, much like Harry, Ron and Hermione had done in the woods during their search for the Horcruxes.
"I'm going to look for some possible food before it gets too dark," Malfoy said, standing up.
"Er, okay. I'll build a cool fire then."
Malfoy's looked startled, as if he seemed almost impressed that Harry knew how to charm a regular fire to produce a chill instead of heat. Harry knew it was advanced magic, but he had had to learn a lot for survival.
Malfoy nodded to him and then walked away. Harry wasn't concerned; he knew Malfoy could take care of himself. Standing up, Harry slipped back on his shirt now that he was dry and dug a circle with his wand, casting a spell so the fire wouldn't go outside the circle. Then he murmured "incendio" to create the fire. The fire blazed to life but didn't go past the circle. He felt a rush of heat and then murmured the incantation "frigus puteulanus" and the blazing orange fire turned white. Harry instantly felt a nice cool breeze come from the fire every now and then; it was a refreshing relief from the humidity. He wiped the sweat from his forehead. Not only was he still hot, but that had taken a lot of energy and concentration to perform, as well as the spell to raise the earth. He knew that the more advanced the spells, the more it would take a toll eventually. Harry wondered what he would have done had he fought with Voldemort for a long time. Had Voldemort been immune to feeling weak or tired? It had seemed like Voldemort never slept, as if he didn't need it.
Shaking his head, Harry pushed the thoughts away. Voldemort didn't matter anymore; he was gone. After a while, Malfoy came trudging back. He sighed gratefully as he sat down in front of the cool fire.
"There wasn't anything but some grapes," he said, holding a small handful. He hesitated. "There's probably about five for each of us."
Harry felt the stirrings of appreciation toward Malfoy. The blond had actually thought to share with him. Perhaps the war had made Malfoy mature faster. Probably working for Voldemort had struck so much fear into him that it drove all of his insensitivity out. Harry often wondered what Malfoy had gone through when he joined Voldemort's ranks. It must have been terrifying. He remembered having a discussion with Ron a couple of times. Ron was convinced that Malfoy and his family joined of their own will, but he and Hermione weren't so sure. Harry always thought that his parents supported Voldemort since the beginning, but then again maybe Malfoy's parents had also been intimidated into joining from the start. He was quite sure that Malfoy hadn't wanted to be a part of that; the way he had been crying in the Hogwart's bathroom seemed proof of that.
"Oh, thanks, but actually I'm not hungry. You can eat them all."
Malfoy looked surprised but then shrugged and began munching on them. Harry could tell he was really hungry. Since Malfoy did Harry a favor by offering, Harry did him a favor by letting him have them all. Besides, Harry wouldn't be as hungry as Malfoy; he knew his body could handle going without food for a while. He watched Malfoy as the blond ate the rest of the grapes feeling a different emotion stir at the thought of Malfoy actually aiding him. First, Malfoy had saved him from being poisoned by the plant, then he had offered him food. Perhaps the arrogant Malfoy from Hogwarts was gone, or maybe Malfoy was finally showing his good side. Either way, Harry was beginning to think that being stranded with the blond wasn't as bad as he thought.
Harry transfigured a stick into a simple blanket and lay down on it. He stared up at the sky which had exploded with stars. It actually wasn't bad out there, it was rather peaceful. Harry folded his hands behind his head and relaxed. They had gotten the samples and data that they needed. Tomorrow they would be able to go back to the office, give the information and samples, and get paid. Harry had to admit, without Malfoy he wasn't sure how long it would have taken him to find the plant. There was no exact time limit on assignments, but the more assignments they did the more they would get paid.
Harry didn't really need the money, and he was sure Malfoy didn't either, but it was nice to have something to do. In fact, Harry wondered exactly why Malfoy had applied for the job. He just assumed he would inherit his money, marry some wealthy Slytherin girl, and continue in his family's footsteps. Malfoy didn't have a ring on his finger, and if he did get his inheritance why was he working at all? Not only that, but why a Herbology job? Harry didn't think Malfoy liked Herbology. He was rather curious to know what Malfoy wanted to do as a career. Maybe he was like Harry and just searching for something to do while he figured it out.
Closing his eyes, Harry drifted off to sleep rather quickly. He was dreaming something really nice when he was awoken by someone shouting his name. Harry blearily opened his eyes, realizing he fell asleep with his glasses on, and slowly raised himself up. What he saw confused him. Malfoy was standing up in a crouched position but wasn't moving. He was breathing heavily and it seemed like he was reaching down slowly. It was then Harry heard heavy breathing followed by a soft, low growl. Turning his head, Harry saw a massive figure hovering nearby them. It was illuminated by the fire enough that Harry could see the long snout, large wings and gleaming eyes. The dragon stared at them, entranced by the fire it seemed, but didn't make any move to attack. It was on the ground while they were on the earth that Harry rose up five feet, and yet the dragon still towered over them.
Harry put two and two together rather abruptly. Malfoy was reaching for his wand and that's why he was moving slowly.
"Malfoy, don't—"
Harry barely got the words out before the dragon released a tremendous roar and opened its jaws toward Malfoy. Malfoy's eyes were wide as he attempted to shout hexes at it. Harry jumped up, grabbing his wand, knowing that Malfoy had just pissed it off. Out of nowhere the dragon's tail whacked Harry so hard he flew off the edge and landed on the ground.
"Potter!"
Harry groaned as he turned over grateful that nothing was broken. Thankfully it wasn't that far of a drop but it took him off guard. The dragon roared and Harry could feel the ground trembling beneath him as he heard rocks cracking from the force of the beast. Harry realized that he couldn't see; his glasses had been thrown off of him. He searched frantically for them hearing Malfoy shouting hexes; the blond's voice sounded panicked. He could barely hear him over the roaring of the dragon but he knew that Malfoy needed help. His damn glasses! His wand also had fallen out of his hand when he fell.
"POTTER!"
Malfoy's found sounded strained and fearful. Harry's heart was pounding in his chest. He couldn't let Malfoy die; it would be all his fault if he couldn't find his damn wand! Harry heard the dragon again as it flapped its wings, letting out flames. He could feel the heat, but could barely see anything. Malfoy hadn't screamed for him again. Was he too late?
"Fuck! I need my wand!" Harry exclaimed desperately.
Suddenly, he felt something fly into his hand unexpectedly. His eyes snapped open realizing he had summoned his wand somehow.
"Accio glasses!"
His glasses flew right into his hands. They were cracked but he easily repaired them and threw them on his face. Since the dragon was obviously drawn to them by the magic fire, he wondered if he could distract the beast. Harry summoned a bright ball of magic and shot it high into the air. He heard the dragon growl and then he saw the massive form lift off into the air. Harry took that opportunity to levitate himself up. He landed and his heart nearly burst out of his chest when he saw the flames and scorch marks, as well as the cracked ground, but no Malfoy.
"Malfoy!" Harry exclaimed frantically. If Malfoy died it would be all his fault; if the blond died…what would he tell Dimitri? He knew there was some risk to their job, but this was their first assignment. It couldn't happen already, not when Harry thought things were finally going in the right direction.
He heard a coughing sound nearby and Harry immediately wheeled around. He jumped down and used his wand for light as he shined it among the trees and bushes. He saw something move and he shined his wand.
"Damnit, Potter, that's bright!" Malfoy snapped, wincing as the light illuminated his face.
Malfoy's clothes were scorched, his pants ripped and his shirt had so many holes in it he might as well have not been wearing one. His hair was in disarray and his face and arms were all covered in dirt. Otherwise, Malfoy didn't appear to be bleeding, or dying. In fact, he was very much alive and now in an even worse mood than before.
"Bloody dragon!" Malfoy hissed as he pulled some twigs out of his hair. "Almost set me on fire!"
Harry felt relief flood through him so much that he was actually tempted to smile and pat Malfoy on the back. However, he held back mostly because that would have been awkward, but also the sour expression on Malfoy's face made him keep his distance.
"We should get out of here. I don't know how long that ball of magic will last," Harry said.
Malfoy nodded. "Screw sleep! I'm getting the bloody hell out of here!"
The two of them raced through the trees using their wands for light as they made their way the last few miles toward the town. Harry was out of breath by the time they reached the town. It was just barely dawn so they knew the train station wouldn't be operating for another hour.
"I need something to eat, now!" Malfoy grumbled.
Harry just sighed and trudged along with him. He was hungry as well, and thirsty. There was only one muggle café open that early. Before they stepped inside they used charms to clean themselves off so they wouldn't look like a couple of runaways or homeless. They sat down and a waiter came over to them.
"May I get you something to drink?" he asked.
"Water for me, thanks," Harry said, licking his dry lips.
"Me too," Malfoy said, picking up the menu.
The waiter left and a couple minutes later came back with their waters. Harry chose a simple breakfast of eggs, bacon and toast. Malfoy had something similar only with sausage and pancakes. It seemed like he just picked one of the specials that had a lot of food. The waiter left again and Harry sighed as he gulped down his water. Malfoy had already finished his and he brought out his wand and magically refilled his glass.
Harry nearly choked on his water. "Malfoy! What the hell are you doing?" Harry whispered harshly. "You can't do that here!"
"Shut-up, Potter, I'm thirsty! And that waiter is taking forever!"
"Because it's a muggle café, Malfoy. Obviously things don't just appear or float to us instantly," Harry said dryly.
"Well I'm bloody starving, Potter and was nearly killed by a dra—"
Harry kicked his shin so hard that Malfoy cursed loudly, drawing the attention of an old man eating along at a table and reading a newspaper. He glanced over at them but went back to reading. The waiter, who had come at that precise moment, just stared at them curiously. The waiter lowered their plates in front of them as Malfoy glared across the table at him. Harry just gave him a look.
"Will you both be needing anything else?"
The waiter eyed Malfoy's full glass of water and Harry's empty glass.
"Er, more water would be great," Harry said, smiling widely.
The waiter nodded and went to fetch the pitcher.
"Nice going, Malfoy, you almost said the D-word in front of a muggle," Harry whispered.
The blond glared at him, but didn't comment since he was stuffing his face with food. Harry raised an eyebrow since he was not showing very many table manners but decided it best to eat and just ignore him. The waiter came back with a pitcher and filled Harry's glass and then left them to eat in peace. Thankfully Malfoy was rather silent as he ate. Harry glanced at the blond a couple of times finding it odd that they were eating breakfast together. It was a rather surreal feeling since they had never liked to be in close proximity to one another. Even at Hogwarts they were at very separate tables during meals.
When they finished eating, the waiter came back and was ripping the bill off for them. Malfoy stuck his hand in his pocket and Harry heard the jingle. Instantly, he knew what was going to happen. Malfoy was going to pull out a handful of wizard coins in front of the waiter. Harry did the only thing he could in that moment, he kicked Malfoy again really hard in the shin under the table.
"OWWW! Fuck, Potter!" Malfoy blurted out, clutching his leg.
The waiter looked startled and then stared at Harry. Malfoy was fuming and looked ready to jump across the table and strangle him. Harry just stared at him firmly.
"Malfoy, I'm paying, remember?"
"I don't need you to pay for me, I have my own bloody money!" Malfoy exclaimed.
"Here you go, we don't need any change," Harry said, quickly handing the waiter some money.
The waiter looked surprised but he just nodded and left in a hurry. Malfoy was seething and suddenly Harry hissed in pain as Malfoy slammed his foot against Harry's shin.
"Bloody hell!" Harry exclaimed through clenched teeth.
"That's for kicking me twice!" Malfoy exclaimed, pointing a finger at him. "Don't you dare ever do that again, Potter."
"I was saving our arses!" Harry exclaimed, glaring at him as he rubbed his leg. "Because you were being a stupid idiot, you bugger!"
Malfoy's eyes narrowed. "How was I—"
"Because first you used magic in a muggle place," Harry said as Malfoy crossed his arms. "And then you wanted to pay him using wizard coins," Harry whispered. "This is a muggle restaurant they don't accept mysterious gold coins, got it? I have muggle money, do you?"
Malfoy breathed out heavily and then uncrossed his arms. "Fine. Whatever. So I forgot that this was a stupid muggle place. I was literally starving!"
Harry rolled his eyes. "Oh stop being dramatic, Malfoy, it hasn't even been a full 24 hours since you've eaten. It would take a lot more than that to starve."
"Really? And you're telling me you weren't starving?"
"No, I wasn't. That's why I didn't need the berries," Harry said as Malfoy snorted. "I can go a long time without food."
Harry said that calmly but on the inside he felt his heart pounding. He didn't want Malfoy to know what he went through, but at the same time he did. He wanted Malfoy to understand that despite that the blond thought that he loved his fame and that his life was wonderful, the truth is that his life was far from wonderful. Even without Voldemort, he had had a miserable experience with his relatives and a part of him wanted to reveal that fact to Malfoy. He wasn't sure why. Perhaps he wanted the blond to understand that he didn't have a big head and that he had gone through a lot. Maybe then Malfoy would show more respect to him. Or maybe not. Maybe he would just think Harry was itching for sympathy.
"Been stranded often, Potter?" Malfoy asked with a raised eyebrow.
Harry shrugged. "Doesn't matter. Point is that you can actually survive a while on just water. Anyway, we should probably get going if we want to make the first train."
Sighing, Malfoy stood up and Harry followed suit. They managed to make it in time before the first train left. It felt so good to be sitting upon a wizard train in a comfortable compartment. Unfortunately since they bought their tickets at the last minute there was only one compartment available – a very small one at the end of the train that they had to share. Malfoy was scowling, slumped against the seat probably just as upset that they had to be stuck together yet again. Harry just stared out the window trying his best to ignore the blond. A part of him wanted to try to start up casual conversation, but it seemed ridiculous. Malfoy always seemed to be in a bad mood and he didn't ever seem to want to just talk. All the blond did was argue all the time and it was infuriating. There was no way that they could ever get along. Harry hoped this was the last time they would have to work on the same assignment.
To his relief, the trolley came in and Harry bought some chocolate frogs. He had grown to like them despite being weirded out the first time he had tried one. Malfoy bought a bottle of Butterbeer and was asked for ID. Harry just smiled to himself watching as Malfoy's cheeks turned a bit pink out of anger. He obviously didn't like being thought of as a minor. Once Malfoy had his butterbeer he seemed to relax a little, but he didn't say anything. Harry found that there was a Famous Wizard Card in his chocolate frog and he grinned.
"Hey look!"
Malfoy turned when he spoke and Harry grinned as he revealed the Famous Wizard Card. It was a picture of himself.
"I can't believe I made the Famous Wizard Card collection already. The war just ended a few months ago."
"How are you not surprised?" Malfoy drawled. "The whole world's been talking about you since you showed up at Hogwarts."
The blond snorted and then took another swig of his butterbeer. Harry just shrugged. "I thought it was rather wicked considering out of all the cards I got myself."
"You actually collect those?" Malfoy asked with an amused grin.
"No, not really, I only have a couple because I like chocolate frogs. Actually, I have one of Dumbledore too," Harry said, smiling. "Hmm…I doubt they'll ever put Voldemort on one of these, but what about Grindlewald?"
"Grindlewald and You-Know-Who are both considered infamous wizards, Potter. I thought that was obvious," Malfoy said sarcastically.
"Yeah, I guess so," Harry said. "Why do you call Voldemort that still? The war's over. He's not coming back."
Malfoy stared at him and his expression hardened. "I can call him whatever I want to, Potter."
Harry shrugged. "I'm just saying usually people who are afraid of him call him that. If it helps you can call him by his muggle name. I called him that to his face the last time I saw him."
Malfoy stared at him with an unreadable look in his eyes.
"It's Tom, if you're interested," Harry said.
"I'm aware of that," Malfoy said tersely.
"Oh," Harry said. "He told you?"
Malfoy glared at him. The blond suddenly seemed uncomfortable with where the conversation was going and he wasn't hiding it.
"Don't be daft Potter, obviously my father told me. Why don't you just oogle yourself on the Famous Wizard Card and not speak to me?"
"I'm not oogling myself! That's something you would do. I'm not arrogant and narcissistic."
"I wouldn't be lame enough to end up on a wizard card and I'm not narcissistic!" Malfoy snapped. "You're the one with the big inflated head."
"No!" Harry shouted, leaning forward as Malfoy looked taken aback by his harsh tone. "That's your assumption of me. You've always been wrong about that. I never asked for my fame nor did I want it. I still don't want it. It's a nuisance. I just want to get on with my life and forget about the war and I wish people would just leave me alone."
Harry sat back in his seat, not realizing how angry he felt. He could feel the anger swelling inside of him and couldn't control what came out. He hadn't even meant to start an argument with him. He expected Malfoy to shout right back at him and insult him like he used to, but Malfoy just took another gulp of his butterbeer.
"If you feel that way, Potter, why don't you become invisible?"
"Right, Malfoy," Harry said dryly, "I'll just live my life that way. Besides, I don't know how to become invisible without my cloak."
"That's not what I meant," Malfoy said, rolling his eyes. "I meant you can make your whereabouts unknown to just about everyone, except the Ministry of course."
Harry's anger died down. "Er, really? How?"
"Simple charms of course. It prevents any reporters from getting anywhere near them. Sometimes, depending on the charm, it confuses them. Or it makes them forget what they were doing in the first place. It depends on how strong you want the protections. I would have thought you'd have learned that by now."
"No, I didn't know there were such things," Harry said, realizing that Sirius' place had had similar protections. Its whereabouts had been unknown for their protection, but Harry had no idea what kind of spells or charms had been placed on it. He still hadn't gone there since the war ended. He knew it was his but he couldn't bring himself to go back there.
Malfoy snorted. "You're so clueless Potter."
Harry just gave him an annoyed look. "You know I didn't grow up in the wizard world."
Malfoy just raised an eyebrow. He took another swig of his butterbeer. "So are the rumors true that you're writing a book about your experience fighting the Dark Lord?"
"What? No. Where did you hear that?"
Shrugging, the blond just set his drink down. "I read it in an article of The Chronicles."
Harry's eyebrows furrowed. "What's that?"
"It's the most well known paper in Ireland, almost as well known as The Daily Prophet."
"Well it's a load of crock. You should know better than to trust any of those papers," Harry said. "Even I know that and I didn't grow up here."
Malfoy shrugged. "Sometimes their articles are true."
Harry just shook his head. "Well, it's not."
The two of them fell into silence and Harry turned back out the window. It was so strange having a conversation with Malfoy, one that didn't involve insults. While they still didn't get along, Harry noticed it was different from their interactions at school. He was tempted to ask him why he wanted the money and if his parents had been arrested by the Ministry, but he figured that wouldn't go over too well. Instead, Harry just stared out the window again unsure of what else to say. Harry didn't realize he had fallen asleep until the train stopped and made a loud noise. He woke up and turned to see that Malfoy was rubbing at his eyes. The blond must have fallen asleep too. Neither one of them had gotten much sleep the night before due to near-death experiences. The two of them got off the train, which was only a short distance from where the Heleborey building was.
To Harry's dismay, Cyprian was walking down the hall as they entered.
"Harry! It's nice to see you again," he said, squeezing into the elevator with them.
Malfoy gave him a disdainful look. Cyprian didn't even notice since he completely ignored him.
"I see you're still alive after your first assignment. Always a good sign," he said, grinning widely.
Harry forced a small smile. "Er, yeah."
Cyprian was rather annoying and awkward.
"So what assignment did you get? I know you're working on the dangerous creatures volume so I know it has to be something good."
"Uh, Venomous Tentacula," Harry answered reluctantly.
"Wow! Seriously? I heard those things can be lethal! Good thing you're not lying dead somewhere, huh?"
Cyprian laughed at his own joke and turned away for a moment. Harry's eyes caught Malfoy's and he saw the most appalled expression on Malfoy's face. The blond exchanged a look with him then rolled his eyes as if to signal he felt the same as he did about Cyprian. Cyprian adjusted his glasses and finally turned to Malfoy, as if noticing him for the first time.
"Me and Harry are very good friends," he said smiling.
Malfoy forced a lopsided, sarcastic grin. "How wonderful."
Malfoy stole a glance at Harry who was subtle shaking his head vigorously that he was not at all friends with Cyprian. The second Cyprian glanced at him however Harry held still and forced another smile. Malfoy's lips curled into an amused smirk. Then Cyprian turned his attention back to Malfoy.
"Who are you? I haven't seen you here before. Are you a new researcher? If so, I can certainly show you around."
"That won't be necessary. I'm not a researcher."
Cyprian looked surprised. The elevator opened and Harry and Malfoy immediately got off.
"See you later, Harry!" Cyprian exclaimed as he waved.
"Er, yeah."
The elevator door closed and Cyprian continued to go up. Harry breathed a sigh of relief.
"He gives me the creeps," Malfoy said, scowling toward the elevator, which was now gone.
"Yeah," Harry said in agreement.
He was rather lost in thought. He knew they were here for the money and to turn in the first assignment and probably collect a new one, but he started to actually wonder if it would be better to work with someone on the assignments. He used to prefer working alone, especially when Malfoy was involved, but it had taken the both of them to really get that plant. If Harry had been by himself and taken off guard like that, the plant would have probably poisoned him. He hated to admit it, but Malfoy had been a big help in that situation. Maybe there was another person working in the same area as Harry. Perhaps if they made a compromise to help one another with their assignments…
Harry's thoughts were interrupted when they approached the door with a sign that read Field Employees Only. It flashed in bright gold letters. Malfoy snorted. "They really use way too many fancy charms in this place."
He pushed the door open and Harry followed him inside. What he saw astounded him. The room was huge – at least twice the size of the lobby. It must have been charmed that way so as not to make the building look lopsided. There were people working at desks that were floating midair. Papers were flying by themselves and entering drawers. There were columns and columns of drawers that levitated up and down depending on which files needed to be accessed. There were probably thousands upon thousands of files. There were stairs that led up many flights of stairs toward the tall, expanding ceiling which had to be at least as tall as Hogwarts. Each of the stairs led to more drawers that were grouped together. There were golden letters that appeared in midair above certain groups of drawers. One said Volume One: Ancient Plants Used in Sorcery, Volume Two: Plants and Potions, Volume Three: Swamp Plants and Related Species, Volume Four: Plants as Pets, Volume Five: Plants with Healing Properties, Volume Six: Medicinal Plants for Hexes, Volume Seven: Underwater Plant Species, Volume Eight: Medicinal Plants for Curses, Volume Nine: Dangerous and Carnivorous Plants. Harry realized that their volume, Volume Nine, and Volume Eight were flashing red. That must have meant that those were the ones currently being worked on. That meant others out there were working on Volume Eight: Medicinal Plants for Curses. It sounded it a lot less intense than their volume.
"Why hello there," a young woman not much older than Harry and Malfoy said as she lowered her desk. "Are you here to compile your data?"
"Yes ma'am," Harry said automatically.
Malfoy snorted as if holding in a laugh.
The young woman just smiled and chuckled. "You can call me Liaeda. What are your names?"
"Draco," Malfoy said nodding toward her.
She extended her hand toward him and he shook it politely. Harry smiled at her and nodded.
"Er, Harry."
Instantly, Liaeda's eyes widened and her eyes traveled up to his forehead. "You're Harry Potter!"
Harry instantly froze. He was quite sure his bangs were covering his forehead.
"I heard you were working for us. Word travels fast especially when it's 'bout someone like you." She smiled again. "Are you both working on the same volume?"
"Yes," Malfoy said. Harry could sense a bit of sarcasm so he sent him a glare as soon as Liaeda looked away.
"Great! I will need you both to compile your data on these forms," she said.
Harry took his form as did Malfoy. He looked down at all the blanks wondering if they were supposed to bring their own quills. Then he glanced over at Malfoy who was waving his wand over each question. Harry felt his cheeks burn. Of course they could their wands as quills, why not? Malfoy grumbled the spell after he reached the next question and Harry scooted closer to listen. He finally caught the spell but Malfoy turned to see him right next to him.
"What are you doing Potter? Trying to cheat off my paper?"
"No, of course not, just…you know, er…that spell," Harry said uncomfortably.
Both of Malfoy's eyebrows rose. "You don't know a simple writing spell?"
"It was never taught in school," Harry grumbled. "They always had us use quills. I know there are quills charmed to write by themselves based on your voice."
Malfoy rolled his eyes. "Of course Potter, that's been around for ages. So has this spell," he said with a smirk.
Harry just glared at him and muttered the spell as he filled out all the questions. Once he was done he also handed it to Liaeda who was staring at them both with a grin. She probably overheard their argument.
"Very good," she said, waving her wand. The forms flew up toward the drawers under their volume and disappeared inside them. "Now, do you have any samples at this time?"
"Oh, er, yes," Harry said, taking out the vial.
Malfoy took out his as well and handed it to her. She waved her wand again and they flew to a separate drawer labeled For Study.
"Our experts will study those samples to learn more 'bout the creature you've encountered. It will be included in the volume," she said, noting Harry's curious expression.
Harry nodded. "Oh great. Er, are we supposed to go check in with Dimitri?"
She nodded and smiled. "Yes. He might have another assignment for you, but he usually likes to discuss the findings for his own benefit. It was nice meeting you both!"
Harry waved to her and Malfoy was staring at him as they walked down the hall toward the elevator.
"What?"
"She obviously fancies you," Malfoy said.
Harry raised an eyebrow. "That's the first time I've met her."
"Please Potter, everyone fancies you when they meet you," Malfoy said with a sarcastic drawl. "You can't seriously be that blind?"
Harry clenched his jaw. So Malfoy was back to insulting him again. It didn't take long for his true personality to show through. Malfoy's comment struck more than one nerve. Harry realized that his glasses were a problem. They had fallen off when the dragon had appeared and if he hadn't managed to summon his wand in time, Malfoy could have…
There must have been something he could do about his glasses. There were so many potions out there he thought there had to be one for vision, even temporarily. He would have to owl Hermione when he got back home. Thankfully, they reached Dimitri's office rather quickly so Harry wasn't tempted to insult Malfoy back. He knew he would say something he'd regret. Malfoy knocked on the door and it swung open, startling them both.
"Come in!"
Angrily, Harry walked ahead of Malfoy stepping in his way as he did so. Malfoy was forced to step backward and he glared at him. Malfoy had enough sense not to curse at him when Dimitri was in hearing range so Harry had temporarily gotten away with it.
"Ah, Harry, Draco! You're both here! That must mean you've completed a part of your assignments."
"Actually, I believe we completed the whole assignment," Harry said, glancing at Malfoy who nodded.
The blond was making sure not to make eye contact with Harry. Dimitri's eyes widened considerably.
"You finished it? In one go? That's unheard of! I don't even have another assignment prepared yet!" he exclaimed gleefully. "That's alright, I can find one for you both in a couple of days. In the meantime let me get you your pay."
Waving his wand, he summoned two envelopes with their names on them. The envelopes floated to their respective owners.
"Inside is 198 Galleons, 10 Sickles and 10 Knuts for each of you," he said smiling.
Harry calculated that in his head into muggle money. He was still not entirely used to how wizard currency worked, but it amounted to about $2,000 dollars in muggle money. It was a lot of money for just one assignment, although they did risk their lives.
"Now, I understand as we get into the more aggressive creatures there's more of a risk. When we come to that I will double your pay."
Malfoy seemed rather pleased by the smile on his face.
"Were you both able to collect samples as well as data?" he asked curiously.
Harry and Malfoy both nodded.
"Really? What kind of samples?" he asked with excitement.
Harry glanced at Malfoy who didn't seem to be initiating it. "Er, well, I managed to collect a sample with one of their black spots with the poisonous needle sticking out."
"My word! Well done, Mr. Potter! I daresay that is one the most important features of this creature that we have yet to understand! We don't know what kind of poison it uses or how it's emitted. This will help us immensely!"
He clapped his hands together and as he did so he turned around. Harry glanced at Malfoy who was in the midst of rolling his eyes. Obviously, Malfoy was sick of hearing people praise him. Harry felt a bit guilty. After all, he wouldn't have been able to get that sample if Malfoy hadn't distracted it.
"Er, Malfoy was acting as decoy for me so I could get it."
The blond snapped his head in his direction and Harry avoided his gaze.
"Really? What a wonderful plan," Dimitri said, grinning at Malfoy. "Very risky too, Mr. Malfoy."
Malfoy just shrugged. "It wasn't that bad."
Harry had the urge to roll his eyes but he didn't.
"Well, I must say, you two work splendid together! Sometimes people end up working together and sometimes they don't, you know, just some people can't really work well together."
Harry instantly swallowed and he was sure Malfoy was feeling just as uncomfortable. It felt like they were lying to Dimitri.
"It does work out much more efficiently to have a partner, that's why we always have at least two people on an assignment together. It's not just for the diversity of information but it's also because a lot of times the creatures encountered are rather a pain, or very hard to get close to and sometimes it's a lot for one witch or wizard to handle. That's why we operate the way we do. That's also why it usually takes us so long to come out with a volume. It's very hard to find people brave enough to take this kind of a job. Now, you two might be a little young, but have you heard of the great wizard Solomney Grunnion?"
Harry shook his head.
"Yes, I've heard of him. My great grandfather mentioned him one time a long time ago. He was a greater explorer and researcher wasn't he?" Malfoy said.
Harry glanced at him and Malfoy gave him a smug smile. He tried very hard not to let it bother him.
"Yes, indeed, one of the best. He traveled all over the world and was the first to see quite a few creatures that are well-known now, including the mythical Hippocampus."
Harry remembered that from Hagrid. It was a Mer-horse with the head and forequarters of a horse, and hindquarters and tail of a giant fish. It sounded preposterous.
"No one has ever seen it up close like he has. That's why people think it's a myth. He's the only one to claim to have seen it, although there was an odd skeleton that resembled such a creature found by Gilderoy Lockhart some years ago."
Harry's hands instantly clenched hard at the name. Dimitri didn't seem to notice and Harry had to bite his tongue not to say anything. What was the point in telling people about Gilderoy Lockhart's schemes? There was no concrete evidence and now Lockhart was in St. Mungo's with no memory of his great "achievements" or what he did to those who really experienced the adventures in his books.
"Anyway, I'm sorry to go about babbling. I just get so excited about this subject. You two have just made my day. With you two working here, we can get three or four volumes out in a year instead of just one or two. Our business will definitely pick up! I must get started on preparing your next assignments and future volumes. I will owl you both when I have your next assignment."
With that Dimitri grinned and shook both of their hands. They left the office with their envelopes and Harry could still feel the anger bubbling within him.
"What the hell was that about Potter?" Malfoy asked.
Harry turned to him, not realizing he was staring off into space. "What?"
"When he mentioned Gilderoy Lockhart you got all red like you drank a bottle of Firewhiskey. I thought you two were all chummy what with that photo of you two taken during our second year."
Harry remembered that Malfoy and his family had been there in that store when Gilderoy appeared and pulled Harry aside. He didn't want to think about the past.
"Nothing, he just…he's a fake, and he got what he deserved."
Malfoy's eyebrows rose. "You know what happened to him?"
"Of course I do! I was down there with him in the Chamber of Secrets when the idiot tried to obliviate me and Ron but accidentally obliviated himself. Good riddance."
Malfoy's eyes were wide with shock. "In the…wait, he obliviated himself? I thought memory charms were his specialty?"
"Yes, but Ron's wand was broken so it wasn't working properly."
"Hmm, interesting," Malfoy murmured. "Everyone was talking about that when he left the school, wondering how he became like that. I suspected it had to do with you, of course, but nobody else did."
"That's not all he did," Harry said, clenching his jaw.
Malfoy turned to him. "What else?"
Harry took in a deep breath. "He admitted that he used people. He would go and interview brave people who encountered all the things in his books. He went there to steal the information from them. After the interview was over he would obliviate those people and take credit for things he never did! It's disgusting! That's why he wanted to obliviate us, because we knew the truth. Among other things I guess. I mean, those poor people. They go and risk their lives, spend their lives searching for this information and it's all gone in one instant, taken away from them. Not only do they not remember it, but they never got credit for it. How many people died that no one cared about, who seemed like they didn't do anything very special, but in reality did?"
"It happens more often that you think, Potter," Malfoy said. "There are loads of people who take credit for things they shouldn't. It's happened throughout the ages."
Harry glanced at him. Malfoy wasn't giving him his usual scowl or taunting sneer. "Well, that still doesn't make it right. I for one may not like my fame, but it would upset me if I risked my life all these years going up against Voldemort, but someone else takes credit for all of it, including his defeat."
"If that had happened, you would have been obliviated and wouldn't be angry about much of anything," Malfoy countered.
Harry turned and gave him an irritated look. "You know what I mean. Anyway, we need to get along better if we're going to be partners. I felt guilty when Dimitri was praising us in there for working hard together."
Malfoy glanced at him with a scowl. "Potter, I don't need your help. We can just pretend we were helping each other out."
"That would definitely be lying and I'm not doing that! Besides, we're less likely to die if we come across a really aggressive plant creature, and yet we still get the same amount of money. It would be mutually beneficial."
Sighing, Malfoy answered sounding tired. "Fine. We'll work together, but you better not get in my way. And next time that I'm being attacked by a dragon don't sit on your ass on the ground!"
"My glasses had flown off! The dragon's tail threw me off the edge and I couldn't see!"
"Well you better fix that problem because if we're going to work together you're not going to leave me like that. Besides, I thought you were a hero, Potter," Malfoy said, smirking.
"I'm not perfect, okay, Malfoy? Whenever I faced Voldemort I didn't survive because I had a plan, I had to think on my feet."
"Well, considering that thinking on your feet this time landed you on your ass, you better start planning."
Harry was tempted to turn the nearest statue into a Banshee so it could scream into Malfoy's ear and blow his arrogant, annoying head off. Malfoy apparated once he exited the building before Harry could act on any of his thoughts. Harry was fuming with annoyance, especially at the idea of spending even more time with Malfoy. He walked a little ways, not being able to apparate quite yet due to the distance from any streets he was familiar with that were nearest to his place. He felt the hairs on the back of his neck prickle and he looked behind him. Nobody was there. Harry felt uneasy and walked a few more steps before he was able to apparate. He apparated to the small town just a few blocks from his place. There he got some lunch and took it with him back to his place.
Harry owled Hermione about the issues he was having with his glasses and if she knew of any way to cure his eyesight. She would understand best not just because she was smart and knowledgeable but because she would understand when he wrote 'like contacts'. Harry thought about how his friends would react when they found out he was not only working at the same place as Malfoy, but as partners. He knew they would find out sometime, but he would try to hold it off as long as possible.
TO BE CONTINUED…
Hopefully, you all enjoyed this next chapter! I will try to update a chapter a week, if I can. It shouldn't be more than a couple of weeks if I'm bogged down with homework. So let me know what you think so far! :-)
A big thanks to all who take the time to review! You keep me motivated! I really hope this story proves to be better than my others! That's my goal!
Disclaimer:A lot of my information on people and creatures and plants, including the Venomous Tentacula, I get from Harry Potter Lexicon. Check it out if you haven't already! It's wonderful! I do make up some of my own things though. :-)
To Reviewers:
messyhxdlovers: Yes, I'm back! Haha! And better than ever! Hopefully. I'm glad it feels different to you. I want it to be its own unique story, but at the same time have both the feel-good quality of Captivation, and the suspense of Pure Rhapsody. At least that's my goal. And I do promise you there's less angst in this story! There will always be drama/suspense but this story I feel is more humorous. It's definitely not going to be as angsty-ish as Pure Rhapsody. It will have the same feel-good as Captivation only hopefully with more complexity and more humor. Awww, thanks so much! It's such an honor to be considered one of your favorite authors, thanks! I'm so glad you liked Captivation. It's so funny because I've gone back to it a couple of times and already found things that I would have liked to change. Ah well, it's never perfect. I'm hoping this one will be even better!
Kitty-kat-the-ninja : Thank you so much! I'm glad you like it so far! I will update asap!
blkphoenix88: Thank you! I'm glad that this story is interesting to you so far! I hope that it will continue to get better!
Eyeinthesky: Thanks! I'm glad you like the setup! I wanted something different from anything I've done previously. And it's fun to explore the wizard world a bit and make up your own stuff. Hehe! Hopefully it flows even better than my other stories. I'm hoping that I've improved. It's possible that there may be some things that don't flow quite as well, but do let me know if you ever catch that.
Unknown/anonymous: Thank you! I'm really glad you like this so far. I hope it only gets better from here. Oh yes, I like to include several different countries because it's fascinating to me. Actually, I was researching dragons at the Harry Potter Lexicon and found this one to be interesting to me. It happened to be from New Zealand, according to the books, so that's where I decided to take them. It's not the only place they will go though. I've actually never been to New Zealand. I've never been out of the US in fact. So it's fun for me to research various places and pick locations for my evil plots, hehe!