A/N I Own Nothing

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Archiveofourown - Once_Upon_A_Potter

Italics - Years ago

Year One : Saskia

Hailey knocked on Hagrid's door, Daphne, Hermione, and Cedric, behind her. A dog barked loudly from inside. "Back! Fang, Get back Fang!" They heard, just before the door swung open, to reveal Hagrid holding Fang back. As soon as the dog saw who it was, though, he immediately stopped barking, and started wagging his tail. Hagrid stepped aside to allow them to enter.

Once they had entered, Hailey crouched down to Fang's level, although this actually made her shorter than the dog, and started scratching behind his ears with her nails. "Hi, Fang. How are you doing, boy?" She asked, the dog just dropped to his belly, before rolling onto his back. Hailey just giggled slightly and moved to scratch his belly instead. Honestly, the only animal she didn't at least like was Ripper, Marge's (She had gotten in trouble several times for her refusal to call her 'Aunt Marge') horrible dog. Ripper had once chased her up a tree and she hadn't been able to get back down until almost midnight, as none of the adults wanted to help her, it wasn't as if they cared, though, or missed her. They didn't. At all. She would've ended up in 'Her Bedroom (for the first ten years of her life)' also known as The cupboard under the stairs, or Maybe Dudley's second bedroom. 'And, for the love of- why is it so hot in here!' she thought to herself.

Hailey was pulled from her thoughts, when she heard; "What are you doing here?" The four turned around, or, in Hailey's case, looked up, to see Ronald Weasley glaring at them, especially Hailey.

"Is there a problem?" Hailey asked, an eyebrow raised, the others had turned back to talk to Hagrid, though, they kept looking back at her, especially Cedric, ready to defend her, though there wasn't an actual threat.

Before Ronald could respond, Hermione asked; "Hagrid, why is it so hot in here? Can we have the window open?" While fanning herself with her hand.

"Sorry 'Eermione. Can't." He said, looking over to his fire place. Hailey stood from her crouch as she and her three friends followed his gaze.

"What is that?" Hermione asked, looking at the big, black, tear drop shaped egg.

The answer, was surprisingly given by Hailey, not Hagrid. "A dragon egg!" Hailey breathed. "Where'd you get it? Aren't they meant to be extinct? Hagrid?!" As she fired these questions at him, she crouched down by the fire, that the egg was in. "Where'd you get it? Even if they're, apparently not extinct, it can't be legal for someone to just... own one." She added, not taking her eyes off the egg.

"Won it," Hagrid answered. 'Las' night. I was down in the village havin' a few drinks an' got into a game o' cards with a stranger. Think he was quite glad ter get rid of it, ter be honest."

"But what are you going to do with it when it's hatched?" Hermione asked. Hagrid started to answer, but Hailey interrupted.

"Hold up. A stranger? Did you see his face at least?" Hailey questioned, finally looking up from the egg, and to Hagrid, who didn't even answer her.

"Well, I've bin doin' some readin'," Hagrid answered, pulling a large book from under his pillow. "Got this outta the library —Dragon Breeding for Pleasure and Profit — it's a bit outta date, o' course, but it's all in here. Keep the egg in the fire, 'cause their mothers breathe on I em, see, an' when it hatches, feed it on a bucket o' brandy mixed with chicken blood every half hour. An' see here — how ter recognise diff'rent eggs — what I got there's a Norwegian Ridgeback. They're rare, them."

"Rare?! They're supposed to be extinct! All Dragons are supposed to be!" Hailey exclaimed, before looking back at the egg in the fire, and reaching for it, just to jerk her hands back again. Hagrid looked at her warily, as he had seen the whole thing.

Hagrid looked very pleased with himself. "Hagrid! You live in a wooden house!" Hermione exclaimed.

"'Ailey!" Hagrid exclaimed, as she plunged her hands into the fire and grabbed the egg.

"You idiot, Potter!" Ronald exclaimed. The flames didn't seem to burn her though, just flickering merrily around her hands, as she pulled the egg out of the fire.

"You're the idiot, Weasley." Hailey responded, rolling her eyes, as rebalanced herself, still crouching. She looked down at the black, teardrop shaped egg in her hands. She could almost picture a white egg, almost identical to this one.

xxxXXXxxx

Merlyn ran into a room, it had a stone floor, and gold pillars, in the middle of the room, though, was what looked like a half pillar. It was also golden, but the bottom and the top were made of pearl. It was, however, what was on top of the pillar, that had Merlyn walking toward it. On top, was a white, teardrop shaped dragon egg. She reached for the egg, then, "Don't touch that egg!" a male voice shouted from behind her.

Her hands jerked back, and she spun around, her dress and hair whipping around her. The man that had shouted, was of slightly more than average height, had shaved brown hair that had started growing back weeks ago, brown eyes, and a moustache. "Who are you, to tell me what I should, and should not do?" Merlyn asked, what seemed like golden fire burning in her eyes. The man stalked forward threateningly, pulling a knife as he did so.

A moment of silence passed, as he stalked over, Merlyn stumbled back a step, as he had gotten right in her face, before she righted herself. "I am a dragon lord." The man answered.

Merlyn's eyes flashed golden, as she used her magic to push the man out of her personal space. "I am the last Dragon Ruler!" She exclaimed. Dragon Rulers were the closest kin to the dragon, except the dragon itself. Dragon lords were next, then Dragon trainers, both of which could train a dragon, and hatch them if absolutely necessary, but no more. Dragon Rulers, were so much more, they were kin to Dragons, they could tame them, speak their language, and were the only ones, other than Dragons themselves, that could name and hatch a perfectly healthy Dragon, or hatch a dragon by naming it.

The man chuckled in disbelief, "You? Mere girl?" He asked, "You're Emrys?" He added.

"I am." Merlyn answered, simply ,yet confidently. She suddenly found a knife at her throat, and her eyes widened in shock, she knew the man had the knife, she just didn't think he had it in him to use it. Her hands immediately flew to the hand that was holding the hilt of the knife, and pulled it away from her throat, and twisted the mans arm, and yanked the knife from his grip, putting it to his throat, as Arthur had insisted on teaching her to do, and she used her magic to bind the mans hands and feet. She saw gold building in the mans eyes, as he reached for his own magic. Before the man could even move a muscle, a sword was suddenly running him through, the man gasped in pain, as he fell to his knees, and falling to his side. Merlyn stumbled back several steps, looking down at the man, before looking up and seeing a royally pissed off Arthur Pendragon.

xXx

"How do I hatch it?" Merlyn asked, she, Arthur, and the Great Dragon were in an open clearing.

"You name it." The Great Dragon said, simply.

"She names it? That's it?" Arthur asked, in disbelief.

"I... name it?" Merlyn asked, uncertainly. The Great Dragon nodded, encouragingly. Merlyn closed her eyes for a moment then, "Aithusa!" She breathed, she opened her eyes, and the white egg started hatching, revealing a beautiful white dragon.

xxxXXXxxx

Hailey shook herself from her memories, which seemed to slip away as soon as they surfaced.

Hailey looked down at the dragon egg in her hands, and, running completely on instinct, she closed her eyes and it was almost as if the dragon was speaking to her, letting her get to know it before anyone else. She learned several things; Gender : Girl, Color : Black (Which was pretty obvious already), Personality, and her need to protect anyone and anything. Hailey smiled, before whispering, "Saskia!" Hailey's eyes snapped open when she felt and heard the egg cracking open. The Dragon, Saskia, broke through the shell and jumped into Hailey's hands, causing her to have to put the shell down.

To most people, the dragon would be pretty ugly, to Hailey it was a beautiful black creature, with big orange eyes. It sneezed, a couple of sparks flying out of it's snout.

"Isn't he beautiful?" Hagrid murmured. He reached out a hand to stroke the dragon's head. It snapped at his fingers, showing pointed fangs. "Bless him, look, he knows his mummy!" Hagrd said.

"Please don't get too attached to her." Hailey muttered.

"Hagrid," Hermione started, hesitantly. "How fast do Norwegian Ridgebacks grow, exactly?"

Hagrid was about to answer when the colour suddenly drained from his face — he leapt to his feet and ran to the window.

"What's the matter?" Daphne asked.

"Someone was lookin' through the gap in the curtains — it's a kid — he's runnin' back up ter the school." Hagrid answered, nervously.

"It was probably Draco, he's been practically stalking me, trying to get me into trouble." Hailey answered, calmly.

"You did this on purpose! didn't you, Potter?" Ronald Weasley, growled,practically spitting the name.

"Of course not! I didn't even know he had a dragon egg!" Hailey exclaimed. "But it won't even be a problem." She said, standing up.

"'Ailey?" Hagrid asked nervously. She walked over to the door, muttering under her breath, in a language none of them could understand.

She reached the door and turned back to Hagrid. "You can't keep her Hagrid." She said, regrettably. There was a faint flapping of wings outside.

"'Ailey?" Hagrid practically whimpered, Hailey was worried he would burst into tears.

"I'm sorry Hagrid, you can't keep her." Hailey told him, opening the door and stepping outside, into the night, Hagrid and Ron jumped up and followed her. Daphne, Hermione, and Cedric remained where they were trusting Hailey to know what she was doing, for some reason.

By the time Hagrid and Ron got outside, Hailey had already handed the baby dragon over to a huge white dragon. "Thanks for coming, boy." Hailey muttered, patting the white dragon on the snout. "Care for him please."

"Anything for you, your majesty." The dragon said, bowing slightly. Hagrid and Ron looked as if they could pass out at the sight of a talking dragon.

"Why are you here?" Hailey asked.

"You summoned me." The dragon told her.

"But, How could I have done that?" Hailey asked in confusion.

"You will know soon." The dragon answered, taking off into the air, "You will remember soon." As the dragon soared off, Daphne, Hermione, and Cedric came outside.

Hailey turned to Hagrid, sight blinded by tears. "I'm sorry, Hagrid." She said, before wipng her tears away.

Just then, Minerva Mcgonagall came outside, doing her nightly rounds and saw them, and that is how they got detention.

A/N The name Saskia means : Protector of ManKind