Chapter 4
Ginny was quite glad when the Thirteen decided to postpone their appointment with Sirius for another day, thus giving her a chance to learn up on them and their dealings within Qarth. The last thing she wanted to do was make things difficult for her adoptive father.
She learned that most of them were pure born, meaning they were descendants of the deposed kings of Qarth who held hereditary seats. The rest of the council was made up of merchants who were invited by the council and remained there as long as they were powerful and feared enough not to be dismissed or replaced by another candidate.
Sirius had been invited to sit on these councils many times but he had always refused, not wanting to appear the lap dog of foolish men who only cared for wealth. Though he was the wealthiest man in Qarth and they were veritably the government, Sirius did not fear them and knew he could wipe them out if he wanted.
It all reminded Ginny a little too much of the Wizengamot back in England. All of the seats had been held by purebloods and no one of lesser birth were permitted to sit on a house seat. The seats were hereditary as well and thus it resulted in a very close minded system that cared not for the whims of anyone but themselves.
This is becoming all too familiar to me, Ginny thought to herself grimly.
There was the spice king who had told Sirius rather flippantly that his name was too long for foreigners to pronounce so he preferred only to be known as a dealer of spices.
As for the Copper King and the Silk King, she didn't know much about them nor did she want to. They were all greedy men who both feared Sirius but at the same time wished for his power.
Fools.
Ginny soon put them out of her mind and spent the next few days down in the cavern with Sirius, watching as he invoked several rituals to rouse the dragons from their slumber. Some required blood but he was careful not to spill too much and Ginny watched in astonishment as the few drops of blood disappeared into the surface of the pure white egg that was beveled and scaled as if they were made of dragon scales themselves.
"Is it working?" she asked as Sirius returned the dragon egg to the fire with a large set of tongs.
"Only time will tell," her adoptive father replied. "Come, we will check back on them this evening. Perhaps then the dragon will have decided to wake."
It wasn't only the dragon eggs that fascinated Ginny. The gryphon eggs as well also held her interest. They fit perfectly in the palms of both of her hands and whenever she picked one of them up, they seemed to pulse with light and heat all their own, convincing her even further that it wouldn't be long before they hatched.
Unlike the dragon eggs however, Sirius had no idea how to hatch them and so simply resorted to keeping them warm and hoping for the best.
It was probably best if they didn't emerge from their shells just yet. Creatures as large as dragons and gryphons were bound to receive unwanted attention and the last thing
Ginny or Sirius wanted was for them to be taken when they were too small to defend themselves.
Ginny already felt rather protective over the unhatched creatures and knew she would be more than displeased if something were to happen to them.
About a week after Sirius had introduced her to the cavern and she first laid eyes on the dragons, Ginny descended into the vault in the early evening. Sirius had shown her the spell to open the door as the last thing he wanted was for something to happen to him and Ginny to be unable to enter the place.
She had thrown herself into dragon research since Sirius had taken her to the vault and spent most of the day educating herself more about the world she lived in. It was a welcome distraction from sitting around and thinking about her parents, allowing the ache in her heart to fester.
On this particular evening, Ginny had discovered something that might help with the hatching of the eggs.
She was only going to try it on the egg Sirius had been working on to see if it would work and if not than they would have to simply resort to keeping it warm.
Blood magic was considered something very dark magic in England but during the year that Harry, Hermione and Ron had gone on their quest to destroy the Horcruxes, Ginny had searched the restricted section of the library thoroughly to see what spells she might find useful to defend herself and the rest of her classmates.
All bets had been off at that point with the Carrows as teachers and Ginny had cared about nothing else but destroying as many of her enemies as possible. All of the spells she found useful, she had written down on a piece of paper and kept it on her person at all times so that she might bring it out if she needed it.
Of course she didn't have it on her when she had fallen through the Veil but most of the spells she had written down she had used throughout the war and memorized. Just in case she had written them down in a book when she first arrived in Qarth however.
There had been a book on blood magic she had read in her sixth year and it had contained some very dark incantations, things that hadn't been uttered since the time of the Founders.
Ginny recalled one spell that required one to slit the palm of their hand and hold it over an object they wished to animate for it to come to life. She remembered that spell specifically because she had used it once to transform one of the great stone lions in the Ministry into a real lion to take out several Death Eaters.
She wasn't sure if it would work in this instance but figured it was worth a try. She just hoped that death wasn't necessary for them to emerge. She had already lost too much already and didn't want to lose anymore.
Sirius was her only family and if something were to happen to him, she didn't want to think about what she would do.
Shaking off the dark thoughts, Ginny descended into the vault and stepped lightly over the stream, taking care to avoid the ever burning fire on the large altar on the middle of it.
She hurried over to the alcoves in which the dragon eggs rested before gently taking hold of the white one.
For some reason it felt warmer than usual and she took that as a good omen that it would hatch soon.
It seemed a little heavier than normal as well and she wondered about the curious phenomena for a moment before she hurried over to the stream and stood ankle deep in it as she prepared to place the egg among the flames.
Sirius had told her that it would only be with fire and blood that the dragons would wake and Ginny had developed her own theory about that.
Sirius had tried fire and he had tried blood, but he hadn't tried them both together.
Ginny also recalled him telling her the story about Godric Gryffindor and how he had settled in Old Valyria, marrying and fathering god only knew how many children. They didn't know if his children had remained behind avoiding the Doom or if they had gone with him to England to escape it. Perhaps some had gone and some had stayed behind.
They would never really truly know but Ginny liked to think that some had gone to England and some had stayed behind. For some reason it comforted her to think that her ancestors had been part of Old Valyria. If she had a familial connection to this land than it would make it easier to settle here.
With this in mind, she set the egg on the edge of the altar and took a deep breath before pushing it into the flames as far as she dared before the heat became unbearable.
Once it was in the center of the inferno, Ginny took a deep breath and pulled out the small knife she had taken from the kitchen from her pocket.
She felt rather like a child who had stolen something when she had taken it but had squashed the feeling and hid the knife away.
The pressed the edge of the knife to her palm and steadied herself as she worked up the nerve for what she was about to do.
Finally, the dug the serrated edge into her palm and sliced downward. She felt a quick sharp pain and pulled the knife away before tightening her fist shut.
Hesitantly she held her hand over the flames and opened her palm wide, watching as the dark red liquid dropped down through the flames and landed, steaming upon the egg.
There was a hissing sound as the blood seeped into the shell of the egg and Ginny watched in anticipation.
After several minutes however, she realized nothing was going to happen. She let out a small sound of disappointment but turned around and made for the stairs, leaving the egg still in the flames.
She would check back on it later. If anything, dragon eggs required constant heat to hatch and this might at least speed along the process.
Sirius was away for the day and Ginny had decided it spend it reading in the library again and taking a walk along the shore.
I've spent so much time in the library the past few months I suppose this is what Hermione felt like. And she did it voluntarily.
Having not spent too much time on the shore beyond the villa, Ginny was eager to see the beach and put her feet in the water and the sand. It seemed to be a lovely idea and one that she was eager to pursue.
Once she had locked the door to the cavern and ensured the bookshelf was back in place, Ginny departed from the library and enticed Missandei to take a walk on the beach with her. The servant was only too happy to agree.
Since Sirius had set her free and she had agreed to work for him for the amount he paid her, she had become a much happier person and more open to talking both with Ginny and all the other servants who had welcomed her as one of their own.
She and the servant walked along the shore away from the house slowly. Ginny was careful not to go too far as she didn't know Qarth well enough yet to go exploring.
Missandei seemed a good deal happier to be out of the house and walking along the shore with her new mistress.
The two were quiet for a long while before Ginny recalled something she had been curious about since she had arrived in Qarth.
"Missandei," she asked. "My father has told me all about Qarth and the merchants within its walls. But there is one building he's never told me about and I've never asked.
There is an old tower in this city with no windows and doors and I've heard merchants and slaves mention the word warlocks more than once. What does it all mean?"
The servant looked a little uncomfortable. "That tower is known as the House of the Undying where the Warlocks of Qarth reside. They are known to dress in long beaded robes.
They do not come out very often but when they do you will know them by their white skin and pale blue lips. It is said that their lips are permanently stained blue from drinking shade of the evening which they think will give them greater knowledge."
"Do they practice magic?" Ginny asked warily.
"Legend tells of the mighty power of the warlocks," Missandei continued, her voice becoming even lower as if she were afraid that someone would over hear her. "But it's also said in the last century that they have done very little so people believe that their power has waned. The House of the Undying was once a mighty place but has since become a grey stone ruin as they don't repair or expand it. People call it the Palace of Dust now. Even so the warlocks are still regarded with respect.
So their magic may yet remain, Ginny thought to herself. But it's likely different than Sirius's and mine. They may pose a threat if Sirius carries out his plans to obliterate the slave trade.
"And what do you think about them?" she asked the servant and Missandei looked down at her folded hands.
"I keep away from them my lady. Magic is something that is unpredictable. If there was one that could control it, it would make them the most powerful man or woman in the world."
It's a good thing you're on our side Missandei, Ginny thought wryly. I have a feeling you're going to be seeing things soon that will be the stuff of legend.
"Are the warlocks dangerous?" she asked.
"None can say my lady," the servant replied. "They do not often emerge from the House of the Undying and when they do, they say strange things. Strange things that I cannot explain, nor do I wish to know about them. Xaro Xhoan Daxos believes that the Shade of the Evening has turned their minds soft."
Ginny privately agreed. These warlocks sounded far too strange and bizarre for her liking, but if they had magic they were something to be wary about. She would need to keep an eye on the situation and thus tell Sirius to be wary as well.
Qarth was indeed a strange place.
She recalled when Xaro Daxos had said to her a few weeks earlier when she had been in the marketplace with Sirius.
"We call Qarth the greatest city that ever was or will be. It is an easy claim to make if one knows only the docks and customs of other cities. It is an easy lie to swallow if a people only see the gold and jewels of their rulers which we the Thirteen who govern this city are careful to ensure."
He seemed to place great stalk in the city itself and on things not being as they appeared in it.
He seems to prefer his parlor tricks as much as the warlocks or the Thirteen do, Ginny thought grimly.
She hoped that would be brought to an end once Sirius's plans came to fruition.
She was still a little wary of the idea of the two of them conquering the free cities. Sirius had said that he wished to make the world a better place than what it was and she agreed with him. Sometimes war was necessary for there to truly be peace.
She didn't relish the thought of killing but the bitter truth was that sometimes it was necessary. Sirius had already told her that he planned to spill as little blood as possible and it was likely that only the masters would be the ones to kick up a fuss. Ginny couldn't bring herself to care what happened to them. She had seen the scars on Missandei's arms and it enraged her that such a sweet girl as her friend had gone through something like that.
No her adoptive father was right, it was time for a change and they were the only one who had the power to do something about it.
Ginny looked down at her right arm and the wand that was bound to the inside of it. Though her abilities with wandless magic had become better over the past two months of her being in Qarth she was still nowhere as proficient as she was when she did use her wand.
It was frustration because Sirius was already so good without he didn't need to carry it at all. Ginny suspected one of the reasons she kept her own wand on her at all times was a means of security, a way to anchor herself to her old life and remember those she had left behind and would never see again.
She felt tears prick at her eyes and she blinked them away harshly. They were gone and she needed to let them go. Tears wouldn't bring her family back and she had fit into this world rather well. She wouldn't shame her family's memory by refusing the live in the second chance she had been given.
Tonight Sirius was to take her to a gathering at Xaro Daxos' manse. It would be attended by a number of wealthy Quartheen noblemen and she had a feeling one of the purposes of the gathering was to get to know Lord Gryffindor's daughter better.
Great, just great.
Ginny had been the definition of a bold Gryffindor. She could be cunning when she wanted to be but she preferred straight honesty and clean conversation. Everyone in this damnable world seemed to be a Slytherin, saying one thing and meaning the other and making her think twice about everything she did and said.
She Daxos was an ambitious man and had long seen it as ambition of his to rule Qarth. Even though he was one of the wealthiest men in the city, it never seemed to be enough for him.
Whoever loves money…..never has enough of it…whoever loves wealth…..is never satisfied.
An odd proverb to think of now.
Sirius didn't want to go as much as she did but for the sake of appearances they would have to attend.
Ginny wanted to absorb as much of the quiet before she had to her first party in Qarth. No doubt there would be many people there and she already knew that the Thirteen feared Sirius as they had offered him a place on their council which he had declined.
Refusing the Thirteen was something that hadn't been done before and Ginny imagined they would keep a greater eye on Sirius after that.
The last thing that they would want is an upstart.
"What do you know of Xaro Daxos Missandei?" she asked and the servant girl shrugged. "He is one of the wealthier men in Qarth like your father but perhaps less so. He built his way up from nothing like your father did and has much to show for it. Perhaps he believes they have something in common in that regard."
And that was the ticket of it.
Ginny knew that Daxos was rather envious of the amount of wealth that Sirius had amassed for himself in the days that he done what no man dared to do and sailed into the Smoking Sea. Qarth didn't even know about half the wealth he had brought back in terms of dragon and gryphon eggs and if Sirius had his way no man would ever know until the dragons were full grown.
Daxos had built his livelihood on trade and Ginny had a feeling that he was jealous that Sirius had done the same thing and been more successful at it than him.
But he doesn't have magic, Ginny thought thinking of her adoptive father proudly. Sirius had worked so hard to get where he was at and he deserved the recognition and benefits that came along with being Lord Gryffindor.
Perhaps tonight won't be too bad, she thought to herself. As long as I avoid Daxos and speak with only the appropriate amount of people than I should be fine.
She knew a lot of people would be curious about her parentage and who her mother was but she was glad that she and Sirius had worked out a story for that.
She was a woman of Volantis who had recently died and was of some small wealth and Ginny had taken a small retinue of her mother's east to Qarth to meet her father and that was to be the end of it.
Ginny just hoped people's curiosity would stop there. The last thing she wanted to do was tell people where they could shove it. She didn't want to make things difficult for Sirius.
Missandei took note of the sun growing lower in the sky and touched Ginny's arm hesitantly. "We should return to the house my lady. We need to ready you for your departure to the gathering. Lord Sirius should be arriving soon as well."
Ginny sighed, giving up even her private desires for a quiet evening in.
"Very well," she said. "Let's go."
Ω
"Well," Ginny said. "This is certainly…..decadent."
She and Sirius had arrived at the home of Daxos no more than two hours after her walk on the beach with Missandei and even the red head was a little impressed with the wealth that he displayed.
The gardens were a wonder of trees and flowering shrubs as well as enormous golden statues of the Quartheen birds scattered along the paths and among the shrubs. The scent of incense was heavy on the air and though not an unpleasant situation, she assumed it would give her a headache after a while.
There were exotic fruits everywhere and Ginny felt her stomach growl quietly with hunger. The spices on the air masked the smell of meat cooking and she suddenly felt ravenous not having eaten much all day.
Ginny had taken hold of Sirius's arm as his daughter and was attired in a long blue dress that bared her shoulders. There was gold lattice work about the shoulders and it had a plunging neckline with the same gold lattice work about the waist which made her a little wary of putting it on.
She was just thankful that she wasn't truly wearing the Quartheen fashion for if she did the dress would require her to leave one breast exposed a concept she found galling.
Missandei had left her hair long in scarlet curls.
The red head was not accustomed to having servants as her mother was a self-made woman who never kept a house elf. Ginny had learned to do things by herself and not to complain about what was put on the table in front of her.
The fact that there was so much opulent wealth displayed only reminded her of how thankful she was for what she had in this new life and all those who didn't have it.
All in good time, she thought. Sirius and I are going to try and bring about change.
There was the low murmur of laughter in the garden as guests dressed in rich garments milled about with goblets of wine in their hands.
As soon as Sirius made an appearance with his daughter however a good many people came over to talk to them. He seemed to be the one that all of them wished to talk to and converse with.
Being the wealthiest man in Qarth did inspire a good deal of admirers as well as those who wished some of his good fortune would smile upon them.
Ginny could feel eyes on her as she remained on her adoptive father's arm and after a while her cheeks began to hurt from smiling and making small talk.
She glanced up at Sirius who was conversing with the Spice King about variations in the trade through Qarth.
Merlin how does he do this day in and day out? She wondered. I would go absolutely insane!
Finally the Spice King turned his gaze on her. "Ah and this would be the mysterious daughter I have yet to meet Lord Gryffindor. Quite a beauty she is. It must come from her mother."
Ginny knew he was subtly asking about her previous residence and standing and decided she wasn't going to give this man the satisfaction of trying to intimidate her.
"My mother was quite the beauty in Volantis sir," she said her tone light so as not to give him the wrong impression but firm enough so he would not think her pliable. "My father often tells me I take after her."
"Ah," the Spice King said peering at her closely. "A pity we never learned the name of the woman who had captured Lord Gryffindor's heart. He is one of the most sought after men in this city and upon hearing of the arrival of his daughter, many of the women were crushed thinking he was already taken."
Ginny opened her mouth again to speak but was silenced when Sirius cut her off. "My daughter Ginevra is the only company I need. The women will surely have to fend for themselves."
"Of course," the Spice King replied and when he had moved off Ginny looked at Sirius sideways.
"He had all the subtlety of a raging dragon in a small village. Why are they all so curious about me?"
Sirius chuckled. "I live a quiet life Ginny. They are curious about anyone of wealth and position in this city and to know that I have a secret daughter that none of them knew about is….well to say the least scrumptious gossip. They all want to know who you are and where you came from. And they will keep prodding until they know for certain."
Ginny scowled slightly. "Bunch of old busybodies. I wish I could tell them where they could stick it."
Sirius's chuckle deepened and he patted the hand that was on her arm. "At time so do I. And it won't be much longer that we need to endure their pleasantries. We only need to be here for an hour or two to be polite."
Ginny wanted to say to hell with politeness but if they left early it would make Sirius look bad and the last thing she wanted to do was make things harder for him.
The maze of hedges the wound its way around the gardens was like a maze separating her from the entrance and she looked at it longingly, wanting to escape.
Fortunately then she was engaged in conversation with another woman who seemed eager to meet Lord Gryffindor's daughter.
They spoke of various things like how Ginny was adjusting to Qarth and the red head seemed more at ease when Sirius left to speak with the Copper King. She was glad the subject of her nonexistent mother hadn't come up.
The woman had dark hair almost all pinned up with some curious golden bands scattered throughout her dresses and she was wearing a bronze gown. She seemed nice enough so Ginny indulged her.
"And you simply must visit the Night Market. The Qartheen Night Market is like no Night Market you have ever seen," the woman said and Ginny was simply forced to smile along.
Having never seen a Night Market, she had no idea what it was.
"It sounds wonderful," she said with a smile, keeping one eye on Sirius to make sure he was within sight at all times.
"The Mereen in the east have a Night Market," the woman went on. "I will take you there myself."
Ginny continued to smile at the woman before she caught sight of Sirius beckoning to her. "Excuse me."
She smiled at the woman and inclined her head before hurrying off to her adoptive father.
He had just finished speaking with the Copper King who leered slightly at Ginny and eyed her up and down before hurrying away to speak with Xaro Daxos.
"I believe I have spoken with everyone that it is necessary to speak with," Sirius said to her quietly. "Did you play nice?"
Ginny rolled her eyes. "How do these people act as if I am so important when they don't even know me?"
"You are the daughter of the wealthiest man in Qarth," Sirius supplied. "I am important and by extension so are you."
"I'm not really your daughter," Ginny said very quietly.
"Sometimes a daughter of the heart is far better than a daughter of the blood."
His words caused a tension to ease inside of her, something she didn't even know that she was holding on to and she gave him a soft look. "Thank you Sirius. And sometimes a father of the heart is better than a father of the blood as well."
He smiled at her and bent down to kiss the top of her head.
"Lord Gryffindor! Lady Ginevra!"
Both witch and wizard turned around to see a tall pale man in deep purple robes approaching them. He was bare headed and had not an inch of hair upon his scalp. His lips and mouth were tinged a deep blue and his dark blue eyes flashed curiously as he took them in. He reminded Ginny of the way a man might look if he never got enough sleep and drank too much caffeine. It was an odd and bizarre combination.
He stopped a few feet from the two of them and bowed only to her. "On behalf of the warlocks of Qarth, I welcome you to the city."
He took a step forward and offered her his hand. "A demonstration."
Ginny looked at him warily when she heard the word warlocks but realized far too many people were looking at her she realized it would be unwise to refuse and she was no coward so she stepped forward and took his hand.
He took her hand in both of his and suddenly produced a jewel from his sleeve. "This gem….look at it."
An odd request, Ginny thought. But she stared at the strange amber gem all the same. She didn't see anything particularly fascinating about it and looked up at the warlock with one eye raised.
"So many facets," he said before giving her an odd smile. "Look closely enough…..and you can see yourself in them."
He turned and looked back towards the golden statue of the bird he had stopped in front of as if he were looking at someone.
"Often more than once," another voice said and Ginny looked up from the gem, startled to see an identical man to the one speaking to her on the other side of the statue. They bore the same dress, bearing vocal tone everything.
Do all warlocks look the same? She wondered.
"Should your curiosity about Qarth ever consume you," the first one said. "It would be an honor to host you at the House of the Undying. You would always be welcome there."
And then he turned as quickly as he had come and walked off with the other man, taking the gem with him.
Ginny blinked. What the bloody hell just happened?
The watching audience began to applaud and Sirius stepped forward to put a hand on her shoulder. "Are you alright Ginny?"
"Yes," she said slowly. "That was just…..bizarre. I felt like he was peering right into my mind. I thought the magic of the warlocks had waned throughout the centuries?"
"It has," Sirius said grimly. "Yet even their magic is different to ours. Most of what they do now is parlor tricks, but I would be wary of them all the same. History dictated that they had been very powerful. They wouldn't have tried anything here so you were safe enough. Though I find it very odd that you were the subject of their speculation."
"Maybe they were just curious," Ginny offered although in her heart she truly didn't think that was so.
"Maybe," Sirius said watching the place where the warlock had stood moments before with his eyes narrowed. "But all the same I would be watchful none the less. They might pose a problem in the future."
"My apologies," said a voice and Ginny turned around the see Xaro Daxos approaching. "Pyat Pree is one of the Thirteen so it was customary that I extend him an invitation. Customs die slow deaths in Qarth."
He was dressed in the garb of Qarth with a sword at his side and a collar of golden threaded lattice work was woven about his neck.
"It's alright," Ginny said though she could tell by Sirius's expression that it was most certainly not alright. "What exactly is the House of the Undying?"
She had heard a little bit about it from Missandei but now she wanted to hear Daxos' definition.
"It is where the warlocks go to squint at dusty books and drink Shade of the Evening. It turns their lips blue….and their minds soft. So soft in fact that they actually believe their parlor tricks are magic."
If that was magic it was unlike anything I've ever seen, Ginny mused as she looked up at their host for the evening. "Have you ever seen them perform magic?"
"Not since I have been a part of this city. And in my private opinion they their magic is only in their mind and may very well be a hallucination."
"All the same Xaro, I believe my daughter and I will retiring for the evening. We thank you for your hospitality."
"It was pleasure," the dark skinned man replied. "It would be my honor to host you again."
He gave Ginny an appreciative look before Sirius took her arm and led her back to the entrance of the gardens so they might apparate back to the villa.
Ω
Ginny thought about the interest of the warlocks in her until late into the night.
Just what had it all meant?
Pyat Pree had looked at her as if she were someone very special and not in the good way. He looked as if there was something he wanted from her and he would not stop until he got it.
For a moment, she panicked. Does he know about my magic? But how could he possible know that? I admit the magic of this place is strange but could he have seen into my mind? And wouldn't I have felt him if he did.
She sighed and threw back the covers of her bed, knowing she wasn't going to be getting any sleep tonight after the evening she had had.
She needed to find out more about these warlocks and what their purpose was in Qarth. They were spoken of with a great deal of respect but there had to be a reason they merited it now even if their magic was mere parlor tricks as Xaro Daxos had claimed.
She wrapped her robe around herself and padded silently into the hall taking her wand with her.
Ginny quickly descended the stairs and made her way to the library and the vault. She wanted to have a look at the dragon eggs again. Just being in the cavern with its warm fire and the eggs surrounding her gave her a peace that she had only found on the shore.
She quickly locked the door to the library and pushed the bookcase to one side until the door to the vault was revealed.
Ginny spoke the incantation that would open the door and watched with satisfaction as it opened before she lit up her wand and descended into the darkness.
The time it took to reach the cavern seemed faster than usual or perhaps that was because she was hurrying.
When she finally reached the bottom, she took in the still blazing fire on top of the altar and the egg still sitting among the flames and breathed a sigh of relief.
The air was pleasantly warm down there but it wasn't stifling and she was glad for it.
Ginny caught sight of the egg still sitting wreathed in flames and walked slowly towards the altar, wary of the blazing heat.
As she neared the altar, it almost seemed as if she were looking into a mirage because her vision of the egg seemed to waver and shimmer in the heat.
Ginny peered at it and looked around for some way to remove the egg so she could get a better look at it.
All of a sudden, she remembered something, a charm Professor Flitwick had taught her privately in fifth year.
It would make her immune to the effects of fire for all but five seconds. He knew how to maintain it for longer and she knew there were potions that would make one immune to the effects of fire but she didn't have time to whip out her cauldron and concoct one right now.
Instead, she took a deep breath and whispered the words to the spell, pleased when she looked down and saw that her right hand seemed to shimmer at the spell took hold.
Hesitantly she reached towards the flames, knowing she had to be quick.
The moment she touched the egg however, something strange happened and she felt a tingling sensation like ice racing up her arm and she drew it back with a curse.
Ginny stared in surprise down at her hand and saw with astonishment that a peculiar mark was forming on her palm.
The mark itself was no larger than a coin and completely silver as if the egg had been dipped in some sort of solution that she now had upon her hand.
Ginny stared at it in shock for a moment. What the bloody hell just happened?
She hesitantly touched the mark and felt it tingle, as if cold spring water had been dashed onto her palm. She jerked her fingers back, unsure of what to do, at a loss as to explain what had happened.
She touched her palm again and it gave off the same sensation but the mark didn't go away and Ginny's curiosity only increased.
She was about to examine her palm even more closely and brought it up to the light of the fire when a curious sound stopped her.
It was the sound of something cracking, tearing apart and a slicing sound like something wet being torn in two.
Ginny looked up and felt the breath leave her lungs when she saw the white dragon egg wreathed in flames…..begin to move.
She blinked stupidly when all of a sudden a large line appeared in the surface of the egg indicating that it was cracking in two.
The red head watched at the lines in the egg fragmented and became larger and even more noticeable like a canyon appearing after years of erosion.
Finally the shell could sustain no more fragmentation and split apart to reveal the small creature that was inside.
And Ginny found herself face to face with a living breathing dragon.
No thoughts passed through her brain as she gazed upon the tiny creature other than how utterly beautiful it was.
It's scales were as brilliant a white as pearls and shone like diamonds. It was no larger than a kitten and seemed about as graceful as one as well. Its's wings which it attempted to unfurl were wet with the membrane of the egg and sticky as well. Its wingspan was no longer than her arm from the tips of her fingers to her elbow and it's neck was about as long as her hand.
Ginny gave a choking gasp and hesitantly raised her hand toward the dragon as if to touch it.
It gave a peculiar squeaking sound and hopped towards her.
The moment Ginny's fingers came into contact with its head, she felt the same tingling sensation in her hand as when she had touched the egg earlier.
Completely unafraid, the white dragon hatchling hopped onto her hand and crawled up her arm to rest on her shoulder.
It sat there, completely content to stay and clean itself off as if it were a cat that had fallen into the water.
Ginny hesitantly decided to try some of her wandless magic and see if it would work. She raised her palm slowly to the dragon's head so it would see that she meant it no harm.
"Scourgify."
The effects were instantaneous and the dragon shook out its wings that were free of any moisture now and nuzzled its head against the side of her face.
Ginny gave a shaky gasp, having no idea why she was feeling so emotional and reached out to stroke the dragon's scales.
I can't believe this is happening, she thought to herself in astonishment. The dragons have been gone for so long…..and now they've returned.
As she stood there in the stream slowly touching the head of the beautiful white newborn dragon on her shoulder, Ginny began to smile because she realized they were now that much closer to make Sirius's ambitions a reality.
With the might of the dragons, they would end the slave trade for good….and perhaps make Essos a better place in the process.
For the first time since she had arrived in Qarth….she felt happy.
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The warlocks' interest in Ginny will be explained in the coming chapters. I had an idea that might prove to be interesting regarding them and I want to keep them around for a while before Ginny and Sirius go to Astapor. Yay a dragon has hatched! This will be the start of interesting things for Ginny and Sirius. I hope you enjoy it and don't forget to review!