"I'm going to Hagrid's," Dany said, coming down wrapped in her winter cloak. "Coming?"

"Again?" Harry asked, incredulous. Ever since Hagrid down them the Norwegian Ridgeback egg, Dany had been going down to his hut at every possible opportunity.

"You're obsessed with that thing," Ron said.

"It's a dragon egg, it's interesting," Dany protested. "Hermione, you understand,"

"Yes it's fascinating," Hermione agreed, looking torn. "But I'm sorry, I hate to say it, but I'm siding with Ron this time," Ron grinned as Dany looked indignant.

"It's fine," He said. "We get it, it's a weird Targaryen thing," Dany hit him.

"Blood of the dragon, remember," Harry said, making Ron laugh loudly. Dany glared at him.

"Not you too," She said. "Fine. I'll go on my own,"

Harry still remembered the first time they'd seen the egg. It was hard to forget, not least because it was a real dragon egg - his inner eight year old still couldn't quite get over that - but also because of Dany's reaction to it. She'd known it was there even before Hagrid told them, and the look on her face had been eerie, something ancient burning behind her eyes. She had reached out a hand almost reverently, and before anyone could stop her she had plunged it into the fire to rest a palm on the egg's ridged surface. The three of them and Hagrid had all cried out in shock, but she had been just as shocked as they were to see her hand was unharmed, even as flames flickered around it and the egg must be scorching to the touch. It was unnerving, to say the least.

Hermione, of course, had spent the next few days furiously researching any type of magical condition that would allow that to be possible, when by all rights Dany's hand should be a burned, blistered mess. The best she could come up with were several stories - rumours, really - of the Targaryens of old, the only witches and wizards in history ever to ride dragons. Though the accuracy of those claims was disputed, everyone agreed there had always been something odd about the Targaryen family, beyond the obvious incest and insanity. Being slightly resistant to flame was mentioned, as well as prophetic dreams. Dany had frowned at this, saying those apparently prophetic dreams were what drove her dead brother Rhaegar to kidnap fourteen year old Lyanna Stark and escalate the war with Voldemort further. That was the only other family member she could think of who displayed any of those reported traits. Her other brother, Viserys, showed nothing but the madness of their father.

"I hate that dragon," Harry said as he, Hermione and Dany sat on the floor of Hagrid's hut, the abandoned crate kicked to one side as Hagrid stood over them, upset more at them than the dragon ('you're scarin' hi - her'). Norbert the Norwegian Ridgeback - now known as Norberta, after Dany had pointed out it was female - had grown to the size of a small dog, and was currently as docile as any housecat as Dany idly scratched behind its horns. If anyone else tried to so much as touch the little beast, even Hagrid, they got bitten, or slashed, or scorched. The creature never showed such inclination towards Dany, who was as bad as Hagrid when it came to sticking up for it.

"We need to get it in the crate," Hermione said decisively, though she sounded as weary as he did.

"We've been trying for hours," Harry pointed out. Dany hadn't arrived until several minutes ago, and prior to that had been a mess. Norberta was leaving that night, with Charlie Weasley's friends from Romania, and he, Ron - who was still in the hospital wing after being bitten by the dragon - and Hermione couldn't be more glad. Dany, on the other hand, seemed sad, almost as heartbroken much as Hagrid. Harry could honestly not imagine why. They had done everything they could think of to get that damned dragon into the box, and had been sat on the ground exhausted whilst the evil little beast picked its claws in the corner. That was when Dany had walked in and let the dragon crawl all over her, round her shoulder and on her head, like it was a pet rather than something that would grow up with foot-long fangs and fiery breath.

"You were scaring her," Dany said a little reproachfully, and Harry and Hermione exchanged incredulous looks. "No wonder she wasn't going in. I don't see why they can't just let her fly alongside them,"

"If you haven't realised why by now, there's no point trying to explain," Hermione said, rather disgruntled. Her idea of throwing meat into the crate to entice the dragon inside had failed miserably, and earned her a scratch on her wrist. Dany glared at her.

"Here," She said, then proceeded to gently coax Norberta into the crate in under a minute, closing the lid with a distasteful expression on her face as they gaped at her. "I still don't like it,"

"You did it," Hermione blinked. "How - "

"Let's just go," Harry said quickly. "We've got to get her all the way to the tower yet,"

Charlie's friends who came to pick up Norberta were a nice bunch. Harry recognised Bella and Gendry's half sister Mya Stone easily; all the children of Robert Baratheon seemed to have the same black hair and blue eyes, except those he had with Cersei Lannister. Mya was a woman in her early twenties, tall and lean with muscle, her black hair cut at her chin, with a wicked grin and sharp wit, very different in personality to the rather surly Gendry, and the loud, unabashed Bella. She of all of them seemed to understand why Dany was so sad at the idea of the dragon leaving.

"You can come and visit her in Romania once she's settled in, if you like," She suggested to the younger girl, grinning. "In fact, we'd love you to. It's incredible how she responds to you. It would be fascinating to look into," Dany seemed slightly happier after that, and the farewell was eagerly awaited by Harry and Hermione. At last, Norberta was gone, hung in her crate in a harness between the broomsticks. They left Dany up on the tower watching the dragon be flown away, gleeful in their success as they climbed down the stairs. Only to be caught by Filch at the bottom of the staircase and dragged to McGonagall. Lucky Dany stayed up there, and was smart enough not to follow them.