Chapter 10: The Bond
It was a fish.
Or at least what Harry would have called a fish, if he hadn't been currently enrolled in the Hogwart's school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. But he was attending the institution and therefore saw the sleeping animal in a completely different light.
The creature had a large-mouthed reptilian head, too large for the rest of its body, and therefore gave it a rather deformed appearance. Curved spurs adorned its front arms, which were fairly stunted; however, it lacked hind limbs, its body dwindling down to a tailed fin, very much like that of a carp. Alternating scales of blue and green lined the animal's torso, shimmering now as Harry's illuminated wand was overcastting it with ebullient light, and a long, wispy beard was dangling from the odd creature's chin.
Harry had the most awful suspicion that its eyes would be bright and saffron, and he raced away from the paralyzed form of the extraordinary beast to retrieve his glasses, fear rising in his throat as he was able to inspect it with clear focus.
No, it wasn't a fish…far from it, actually…
It was a Dragon.
Harry had never seen a more pitiful looking dragon in his life, but perhaps this was being biased, for he had only seen 4 other beast that fell into the description of being winged, scaled, and fire-breathing, although Hagrid's Blast-Ended Skrewts came pretty close. In the past, he had seen the colossal behemoths in their fullest grandeur, towering above the trees and blasting pyre at anything that jeopardized their health, or tried to take their treasure. He had been lucky during the Tri-Wizard Tournament, barely snatching away a dragon's egg from beneath its scaled underbelly without having his head cleaved off by one of its particularly wicked claws.
But this creature was in every way unlike the brutes from times before, small and unmoving, a pool of slobber spilling from its gaping maw, small teeth glinting. And it had to be the smallest looking dragon he could ever imagine, only about the size of a Newfoundland Dog. Harry could already hear Hagrid's reaction: "Aw…look at it…ain't it a cute little fellow…" he would coo out dotingly if he could get his hands on this infantile serpent, like he had done before with Norman, the Norwegian Ridgeback. It didn't even have a proper set of wings, just two little stubs on its back.
"What a pathetic looking thing…almost hate to call it a dragon…" said Harry as he finally put away his wand, analyzing the situation to be under his control; he had channeled a lot of extra energy into his "Stupefy" spell, and it had clearly overwhelmed the poor critter.
"What am I gonna do…"
Groaning a little, worried that this predicament would surely draw questionable arguments toward him, Harry rolled the creature off of its side, onto its stomach, and was sure that it smelt of sea salt mixed with kelp. Using his thumb and index fingers of his left hand to plug his nose from the foul stench, he then began to drag the animal by its scaly, notched tail, the fingers of his right hand struggling to maintain a fast grasp on the oily surface. Harry wondered how such an immobile thing could ever reach the Gryffindor towers; it had to climb nearly 5 sets of stairs to reach the hallways outside, and even then, he was sure a dragon couldn't speak the password needed to unlock the common room doorway.
"Well…Ron was right…I did get my adventure…" smirking, his mind too bent up to actually even think of contacting a teacher or resident ghost, Harry suddenly began to ponder a new dilemma: what if this thing would wake up and turned hostile? What if it wasn't the only carp-tailed lizard roaming around the castle? He knew he wasn't entirely safe until the creature was bound and restrained, and that might not even be enough. But the dragon's breaths remained slow and rhythmic, lazily snorting out a couple puffs of ashen smoke every time it exhaled deeply.
He rounded about the pair of armchairs, so that he was next to the windows, the tiny beast hauled behind him. Although the sash was drawn down, Harry could still see the glow of the sun sinking underneath the mountains, its essence waning with the coming of night.
"Well…Harry…I guess you'd better think of something brilliant…" he muttered, staring intently at the 2-legged creature that had bombarded the common rooms, "…before someone finds out…"
Knowing that the dragon simply wouldn't be safe with Hagrid (he would probably feed it so much it would grow 5 times its size overnight…he had seen it happen before), Harry was scrambling to devise a plan to be rid of his burden of mythical proportions. Could he trust Dumbledore? No, just what would he say to the man, "Sorry, but I just found a dragon in my room and I really, really didn't bring it into the castle, what should I do?" All of the faculty members would probably start accusing him of lying, that he had actually captured the beast in the forests or something absurd like that, especially Snape, who would stop at nothing to get him expelled from Hogwarts.
No, he had to deal with this by himself. But before he could even begin to think the hows or the when's of his problem's answer, the clicking of soft-clothed slippers starting to chime outside the portal door. His hand flew to his Invisibility Cloak, tucked neatly within the inside pockets of his robes, and he yanked it over both himself and the slumbering dragon, the cold fabric sending chills up and down his arms as it touched his skin. The repetition of footsteps seemed so close; anxiety was clutching him once more, only minutes after his previous incident.
This is it…I bet its Snape, just waiting to find the dragon…he must have followed it up here…he thought desperately, wondering if he could make a break for the dormitory stair ways, where he would be safe in his room. But he couldn't leave the dragon there, and he couldn't possible carry it in his arms; it might be small, but that was only in respect to a fully matured dragon, and even then, it still must have weighed at least 150 pounds.
God what am I going to do!
"Harry? Harry, are you in there?" a voice rang clear, obviously worried, from outside the latched entrance, "Are you alright?"
Eyes rolling with relief, his head thumping with a fast heartbeat, Harry slowly pulled the cloak off, letting it drape on arm of sofa. He recognized the speaker once his mind had allowed itself to ease up, think straight and listen to reason again. It was Irenes.
"Are you safe!" she asked again, words becoming a bit more thin and strained, hands tapping on the portrait; the fat lady in the pink dress must have left her post at the end of the corridor. Shuffling to his weak feet, screwing up his vigor, Harry plodded to the doorway, leaning heavily against the wooden portal, and it finally yielded to his melting strength (it wasn't everyday you found a puny dragon in your room), creaking open to reveal a rather disconcerted Professor Zelbess.
"Harry! I'm so glad to see you haven't been injured!" she blurted out, taking the boy into her arms, checking every corner of his face and arms. She stretched his skin between her long, thin fingers, probably seeing if there were any burn marks or claw strikes. As Irenes was pulling his cheeks apart, Harry wrenched himself away, rubbing his chin carefully.
"Professor Zelbess, I'm O-K!" said Harry, a little frazzled from the teacher's overly precise inspection, smoothing his robes and organizing himself. Placing his wand back underneath his belt, he stared at Irenes with a look of curiosity.
"But how…how did you know I was being attacked?"
Not wanted to mention the dragon, hoping he had even the slightest chance at a saving grace, Harry strode away from the camouflaged beast, inwardly begging that its astonishing stench didn't give away its position next to the window.
"I didn't know you were around the Gryffindor towers…" raising an eyebrow, he edged towards the opposite end of the room, hands shoved into his pockets. Irenes remained steadfast, her feet planted. The cool, serene smile, however, had vanished, and she appeared rather concerned…or afraid.
"Well, I believe I have the right to roam the halls as I please, Mr. Potter…now, seriously, I hope you haven't found yourself suspicious of me as well," she said, trying her best to seclude her irritation, "Its' bad enough with Seve-I mean, Professor Snape tagging behind me all the time…That man is becoming more and more mental these days…"
"No, it's not that…" Harry said, feeling a little guilty for having accused the kind-hearted teacher so openly. Face a little clammy, hands shaking, he was now only a few feet away from Irenes.
She was staring right through him, and he was doing the same.
"Please, don't look at me that way…I feel like a criminal…" she pleaded, mouth rigid, hair tightly drawn behind her head in an elegant ponytail, that one single braid sprouting out above all the other strands, "If you must know…I was merely seeking company. It does get very lonely in this castle, what with all the students gone and many of the other teachers simply engrossed in their papers and books…it's positively boring, even with all the Christmas cheer!"
"I know how you feel, Professor…" Harry sighed, head drooping a little, bands overshadowing his eyes. He felt one of Irenes' cold fingers touching his cheek, and then slid to his chin. Lifting his face, he met her eyes again, and for the first time noticed how bright they were, and yet, how strangely sad they appeared to be. The sorrowful gaze she was emitting eclipsed all other emotions, if any were present at all.
"And that is yet another thing we have in common…Harry…" words faint and melodious, the teacher kneeled onto the floor, putting both of her hands onto his shoulders, much like Hagrid had, and it held the same calming effects.
"I never knew my parents either…"
And to this Harry let out a minute gasp; it had been somewhat of a shock to hear Irenes mention his parents, Lily and James Potter, both victims to Voldemort's heartless savageness, both murdered in cold blood. Letting her grip fall down to the sides of his arms, Irenes squeezed a little, her actions tacitly telling him that he should not be so alarmed.
"Yes…I know about Voldemort, and what he did to you…" she spoke in a hushed manner, eyes searching Harry's face, and noticed that there was no twinge and the mention of the Dark Lord's given name. She had before refrained from using his little spoken of title, but only because she had been in the presence of other students, namely, Ron and Hermione.
"Sometimes I wish I was oblivious to that which went on around me…believe me, I wish I didn't even know who Voldemort was, but some things cannot be helped…
"H-how did you know about my parents?" Harry felt his arms become numb, as the rest of his body was becoming more and more weary. The memory of his mother and father was still as potent as having a rusty nail driven through his heart, and with Irenes' melancholy stare penetrating him, he couldn't help but choke a little.
"Honestly, Harry, with your reputation, did you think I wouldn't find out about them?" a reclusive smile surfacing, Irenes stood up away from Harry, never breaking the line of sight between them. She patted him on the head.
"They were good people…even if I never knew them…I only wish I could say the same for my own father and mother; I can't even picture their faces, not to even mention remember their names or title. But sometimes, Harry, we have to cope with this loneliness, and learn to bear with it, until we finally break away."
She paused for a moment, considering her next words with care, as Harry simply stood transfixed, pushing the tears back into his eyes. If the smell of the dragon hadn't been lodged in his nostrils, he might have utterly forgotten about it being in the same room as them; the very memory of it had been clouded by his conversation with Irenes. He listened on intently, ears eager to hear more.
"I'll never forget the first day I came to Hogwarts, how scared I was…I can still see the rain hitting my face…the lightning blistering across the dark clouds. But no, that wasn't what frightened me the most. No, Harry, it had to be the fact that although I wished it not to be, I was alone, without a friendly soul in the universe to look up to.
"It wasn't until I awoke in Madam Pomfrey's hospice the next day that I understood what had happened, that I had been brought out of the cold, although I was still shivering from the bitter cold. So many faces were surrounding me; I didn't recognize any of them. But out of all the people there, I must have taken special notice to Albus Dumbledore, for he was radiant above all else.
"I guess it was his eyes, or perhaps his entire visage that told me I was with good people, that I was safe. He just nodded at me, and I nodded back; we hadn't said a word, but we had said so much just by looking at one another. For the first time…I felt at home…I had broken away from the loneliness, Harry…"
It took a few moments for Irenes' anecdote to absorb into his mind, it had been so profound; for the first time in his life, and he could directly relate himself to another person. Harry smiled in spite of himself. The teacher grinned in return. It was like looking into a mirror once more, but with a much happier reflection glaring back at you. He felt as if he were talking to Lupin again, and a warm sensation, one that was reminiscent of soothing butterbeer washing down his throat into his stomach, begin to grow in his heart.
"Harry…I want you to know, that if you ever need to talk…whether it be about school, or just life…" giving another interlude, Irenes suddenly gave a quick glance over Harry's head, and the heat under his ears rose. Had she felt the dragon's presence all of a sudden? The coziness inside him started to fade at a disturbingly fast rate.
"…That I will always be happy to do so…"
"Thanks…Professor…" taking great pains to form a response, Harry tried to recapture Irenes' concentration, but found his actions too telltale, and she was suddenly eyeing him as he had once done to her.
"Is…is something wrong?"
But she did not answer him, but simply drew out her azure wand, its jeweled tip flicking as its power began to form. She steadily rounded about him, and he spun on his feet, doing a stupid sort of pirouette, as he was becoming somewhat exasperated.
"Harry…I know what tried to attack you…but it's not as dangerous as you might think it to be…" she said slowly, drawing her wand to full height, "Wingardium Leviosa!"
She had spoken the spell with such eloquence and with so much grandeur, Harry could have been 115 sure that Hermione would be applauding wildly. However, he was much to frightened to even consider that thought, as an invisible shape was lifted into the air, and hovered next to them. It clambered over the carpeted ground with a deadened sound, and giving another swish, Irenes removed the concealing Invisibility Cloak, sending it to rest on a nearby chair. The dragon was revealed to all, and thankfully for Harry, that meant only himself and Irenes. Her face had lost all its color, or what was left of it, but she actually remained bewildering tranquil and placid.
He couldn't even begin to think what her next move would be.
"Do you know what this is…well, that was a stupid question, why even bother beating around the bush…" giving her forehead a little slap, Irenes crouched next to the sleeping beast, a hand placed on its fish-like head.
"I'm sure you realize that this is indeed a dragon…but obviously not a full grown animal…I really hope it's not hurt…"
"How can you be so calm!" Harry sputtered suddenly, hands doing windmills over his head, face stricken with confusion, and terror, for the dragon's long eyelashes had begun to batter, revealing, yes indeed, yellow eyes, "And this thing is bloody dangerous! It was probably trying to tear off my head!"
"Oh, don't be so silly! It wouldn't do such a thing!" mouth issuing a soft laugh, with eyes that were now twinkling with returning ebullience, Irenes beckoned Harry towards the creature.
"And anyway, it hasn't developed even rudimentary attack skills, couldn't spit flame to save its scaled hide!"
"I can't believe this…no wonder you're friends with Hagrid, you both can trust these things as if it were a common house cat…" confounded and appalled by Irenes' apparent lack of cleverness, Harry refused to even dare a meager step closer to the dragon.
"I can't believe this…"
"Harry, I know this might seem strange, and I must ask you not to tell any of the other teachers about this…" face all of a sudden becoming quite severe, the brown-haired professor had once again entrusted him with another spellbinding secret, one that would most likely have Irenes packing and out of Hogwarts n the blink of an eye.
"I'm sure you've read plenty about dragon's in Hagrid's class…but with all the stuff you heard about them being tenaciously bestial creatures, I doubt you even touched upon the fact that most of them start out like this…a Yu Lung, better know as a Carp Dragon.
"But how did it get here?"
"I was hoping you could tell me that, Irenes…" Harry said with a little groan of disappointment, wondering if his professor was so enwrapped in the splendor of seeing a live dragon that she failed to notice that natural dangers lurking around now.
"Shouldn't we get it to a safer spot…perhaps outside?"
"No! It'll surely die in the cold…it's such a young dragon. It most likely came out of the sea, and found its way into the lake nearby…I'm surprised it could have actually made its way up here; they can only last about an hour out of water before they suffocate…" Irenes took a closer look at the awakening reptile, its eyes lolling about in a dumbfounded muddle.
"And yes, it is a dark arts creature…although they don't actually acquire any arcane powers until maturity."
"D-dark arts…you mean to say, that this thing, once its grown up, is…is evil?" stammering as he spoke, Harry drew back in absolute dismay, trying with all his courage not to fetch out his wand and blast the creature with another "stupefy" spell.
"I didn't say that, Harry," she answered resolutely, tending to the animal carefully, touching its forehead lightly. She didn't even seem bothered by the smell of salt water and pond scum.
"It will, as it transforms into a larger dragon, certain traits prevalent of evil creatures, and this is why many dark wizards and witches call upon them to do their dirty deeds. But the animal's themselves are not inherently bad, although many times misunderstood.
"If raised by a person with good intentions, the dragon sometimes forms a bond, one that can never be broken, not even by death…"
Silence was filling the room, and a certain air of foreboding was laying heavily on Harry's mind, as he stared down at the dragon, which was now breathing rather heavily. Its face was shimmering with life, and he backed away abruptly as the dragon sat up on its haunches.
"Harry, promise you won't tell anyone about this…please…"
"How many more secrets am I going to have to keep for you? I starting to think that every single thing you do is illegal!" Harry whispered hotly, as he pointed towards the recuperating dragon once more, "That thing can't be here, but it is! I don't want to see you get in trouble, but I don't want to get expelled! We have to do something!"
"And we will, Harry, please understand!" Irenes said, her face growing in despair, "I'm sorry that I've been making you conceal so much…"
For a moment, Harry's vision fell to the floor, away from his professor and the dragon, which by this point was slowly moving its front arms. He didn't know what kind of action to take now, what to do with his little adventure now that is was turning into a nightmare. Sighing, he realized that perhaps he was being too hard on Irenes. Knowing what it felt like to be the center of attention, Harry guessed he could understand why the Dark Arts teacher wouldn't want her secrets getting out. But hiding the truth about a dragon? Things were quickly getting out of hand.
"Okay….I promise I won't tell," he finally said, much to the woman's relief, a smile spreading across her lips. It made his heart lift to see her grin, even if he wasn't too keen about this whole situation.
"But, how did you know about the dragon, if you don't mind telling me?"
Biting her lower lip, Irenes then started to chew on her thumbnail. Harry arched an eyebrow; this was the first time he had ever seen the teacher lose her cool.
"Like I said…it must have come out of the ocean. I heard something crawling in through the dungeon's ventilation systems and had to investigate…I was prepared to subdue whatever had entered the school, but when I saw that it was this dragon, I…I simply couldn't…." she bowed her head down, her sapphire bangs framing the fair skin on her forehead.
"I knew it, clear as day, that it needed someone's help…that it wanted to be protected…."
"H-How did you…you know that?" Harry asked, "I mean I know you've studied this sort of thing, but I never knew there are those that could speak to dragons!"
"I can't….I just knew…" Irenes sighed, "Anyway…I guess we had better get this thing out…"
CRASH!
A terrible noise erupted behind them, and Irenes turned about quickly, only to see that the common room's only window had been leapt through. The drapes were torn through the devastated frame, shredded by the sharp edges of broken glass.
The dragon was gone.
"On NO!" Harry shouted, quickly brandishing his wand, "Accio Firebolt!"
With a hair-splitting "whoosh," Harry's broomstick flew down from the boy's dormitories, a blur of finely polished wood and carefully trimmed bristles. It stopped patiently by his side, and without a second thought he mounted it, literally throwing himself out of the cracked window, nearly cutting his own hands and legs on the shards. Behind him, Irenes was calling after him, screaming words he couldn't hear, as he soared down the side of the tower.
The cold air streaked by his face at incredibly high speeds, and he felt his cheeks becoming chapped already. His robe rippled behind him as he descended like a falling star, ears tearing from the wind. Squinting them, Harry could see the dragon plummeting down fast, whipping its pathetic arms in mid-fall. Pressing himself as close as possible to the broom's body, Harry zoomed after his target, nearing it with every possible second, knowing that the ground below them was also closing in on them. It would only be another 100 feet before they would collide…the world around him was zipping by like a flash of reality…ready to fade away if he didn't succeed.
Snow stung his bare skin, his right hand fighting the forces of propulsion as he tried to reach out towards the plunging lizard. He was getting nearer, so near that the tips of his fingers just touching the dragon's scales.
Closer…his wrapped his hand around its fish-like tale…closer…he tightened his grip…
"GOTCHA!" he cried out, pulling up at the last available second, moments before he would have splattered on the snowy banks below. The head of his broom had actually graced the ground, as a small clump of snow was stuck to its end. But now Harry had a new problem, as the rescued dragon was writhing about madly.
"Hey! Stop that, stupid, or you'll get us both killed!"
Struggling to keep his broomstick straight, Harry finally was forced to land, tumbling off of it so that he could quickly control the obstreperous beast, ignoring its high pitched squeaks and cries. He put his entire weight onto the creature, holding its maw shut with both hands, fast becoming annoyed with the animal's stubborn nature.
"Listen! I need you to stop wiggling around! Do you want us both to get caught!" Harry hissed into the dragon's face, meeting it eye to eye, teeth barely parting in his irritation. Surprisingly enough, it promptly stopped its thrashing, giving up its fight to escape.
"Thank you…"
"Harry! HARRY!"
Irenes came streaking across the castle's front lawn, wand in hand. Harry could see tears streaming down from reddened eyes, and the moment she reached him, her arms were encircling him firmly.
"Are you alright?" speaking between sobs, Harry suspected that Irenes was not familiar with his flying abilities, that the situation was well within his hands, even with the circumstances of having to rescue a dragon. It was ironic; just last year he had used the exact same spell to fly away from a similar creature…
"I thought you were going to crash into the ground…I thought you were going to die…"
"Irenes…I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you…" Harry said guiltily, letting himself be hugged again. It was comforting to have someone other then your classmates worry for you…someone other then the headmaster…
"But shouldn't we get the dragon back into the ocean or lake or whatever?"
Irenes didn't have a chance to reply, for standing just 15 feet away, dark clothing stark against the white snow, was Snape, once again intruding in at the worst possible moment.
"What dragon, pray tell, do you speak of?"
Harry gasped as he wheeled around, half-ready to clasp a hand over his open mouth.
"Professor Snape, what a pleasant surprise to see you out here, and not in that despicable dungeon of yours," Irenes bit harshly, her owlish face alight with annoyance.
Once again experiencing a sort of atmospheric mood swing, Harry felt the cold morning air stiffen, as his own heart seemed to fall into his shoes. Had Snape seen the entire broom chase? Had he seen the dragon? His stomach twisted into a double knot, and he looked at Irenes for relief, but found that she too was as nervous. Snape saw this and sneered.
"The pleasure, my dear Miss. Zelbess, is all mine…" he said smoothly, "Now, would be so kind as to explain yourselves…Why is Potter with his broomstick, and what dragon is he idiotically blabbering on about?"
"Actually, it's none of your concern," just as icy, Irenes placed herself in front of Harry, "And, my dear Mr. Snape, would you be so kind as to explain why you're roaming about in the snow? But then again, maybe you're just connecting with your bitter personality…"
"How cute," Snape retorted, as Harry commanded his broomstick to return to his room. It reared into the air, and Snape opened his mouth to say something, but he was too late. In a matter of seconds, it had vanished back through the splintered windowpane. Irenes smiled smartly.
"Well, if you must know, I was looking for a certain herb in the gardens…it grows only in cold climates, and you should be very thankful that it does, as I do believe it has certain worth to you…"
Irenes' hair was standing on end as Snape said this, fisting her hands. They froze in place, like two statues having a staring contest, and Harry flinched in the uncomfortable silence.
"Um, excuse me, but I think I'm going inside now…" he said, moving out from behind Irenes, face flustered from the cold. Snow flakes as fat as quarters fell towards the Earth, but the two "combatants" dared not move, glaring strongly at each other. It wasn't long before all three of them had a thin blanket of snow collected on their hair. Harry started to move away.
"Ah, don't you move an inch, Potter!" Snape did not look at Harry, but his voice was just as potent, enough to stop him in his tracks.
"The headmaster will be informed of this…and I'll make sure to have this entire premise searched for this supposed dragon, and have it exterminated."
Irenes' mouth opened, but it froze, and she was too late to catch her own mistake from happening. Snape's mouth contorted into a horrible smile.
"So I see…there is a dragon…and it seems you've a certain fondness for it…" he sneered, as he broke away from the woman's intense gaze. Harry felt the heat rising inside him.
"I'll be off to speak with Albus now…
Just then, a willowy, wizard apparated in front of the small group, his silver beard blending perfectly with the snowy weather.
"There will be no need for that, Severus…" the man spoke with a wizened tone, as he slowly moved towards Irenes, who was closest to him. Dumbledore placed a wrinkled hand on her slender shoulder, kneading the soft fabric of her robes betwixt his fingers.
"Now, I'm sure none of us are finding much pleasure in the midst of an oncoming storm…I say, shall we retreat inside…to my office?"
A chill went down Harry's spine as he followed the professors inside, feet trudging through the snow. He open and closed his right hand several times, the hand that had just saved the life of a dragon…a dragon that was going to get Irenes banned fro Hogwarts.
His nose wrinkled as a pungent odor filled his nostrils, one that seemed to be coming from his own hand. Putting it up to his face, Harry coughed as he suddenly recognized it as the fragrant smell from earlier in the school year, when Ron, Hermione and himself had went to see Hagrid, and had found Irenes with him.
But the dragon hadn't been there, it hadn't been in the gamekeeper's hut…or had it?
Harry shook the snow from his hair as he entered the castle through a side entrance, although little balls of ice were still clinging tightly to the ends. All of the hallway torches were lit and blazing like miniature bonfires, but it did nothing to cheer up the sense of dread that was coursing through him. Absentmindedly, Harry sniffed his hand again and found that the smell from before had disappeared.
Irenes did not look back at him once. Harry could only imagine what must have been on her mind, probably more then he could imagine.
They strode after Dumbledore, who was not in his usual, lighthearted mood, and they soon found themselves standing in front of his office. Dumbledore tapped the handle with his wand and the door swung open, and it remained open even after they had all filed into the spacious office.
"Harry, I must ask you to leave for a moment…I must speak with Professor Snape and Professor Zelbess alone," voice low and grave, Dumbledore sat himself into his chair, politely motioning for Harry to leave. Irenes cast a helpless glance towards Harry as he was nearing the doorway, mouth pursed and thin eyebrows drawn. He wanted to say something to ease her tensions, but the words became lodged in his throat like a clogged toilet, and he instead flashed a quick smile, closing the door behind him.
This is your entire fault, Harry…If you had just kept your stupid mouth shut, Irenes would still have her job… Harry thought, as he stood outside the office, hands fisted and held to his sides. He felt like kicking himself in the head or bashing his brains on the hardwood floor. It was his thirst for adventure that had caused all this trouble, his stupidity.
Harry knew it was foolish to try and eavesdrop now; he was almost certain that the door had a charm or enchantment on it that would block out any sound that attempted to escape; it might have even bit his ear off. It was better to just leave, go back to his room. Who cared what Dumbledore had to say now…he was used to being suspected by everyone, just because he was different.
But he stayed put, green eyes shut, trying to suppress the urge to run.
The door behind him suddenly opened, and Snape was the first to appear, wearing not the smile Harry expected to see, but instead an awful frown.
"Consider yourself very, very, lucky, Mr. Potter…" he scowled at Harry, rushing past him, robes floating behind him like a cowl of midnight. Harry looked at the diminishing Potions Master with a look of confusion, wondering what the teacher had meant. Perhaps there was a glimmer of hope for him.
"Harry…Professor Dumbledore will speak to you now," Irenes said as she exited the office, face emotionless but not in agony or sadness, which Harry considered a good thing. He nodded his head.
"Irenes…what's going to happen to you? You're not being kicked out?" Harry said hopefully.
"Of course not, Harry…but you should hurry, its best not to keep a great man waiting!" she smiled as she too left Harry's side, walking down the nearby staircases. Then, when she had disappeared, he entered the room.
Sitting at his desk, a hand raking through his waist-length beard, Dumbledore waited patiently for Harry to approach him. When he was about five feet from the professor, Harry noticed that the teacher's phoenix, a magnificent bird by the name of Fawkes, was notably absent.
"I should let you know that Itrust you as much as I do any of my faculty, Harry," the old wizard started to speak, leaning over his desk, a twinkle in his pale blue eyes.
"I know that, Professor," Harry squeaked out, surprised at how quiet his voice was. But then again, Dumbledore was a very imposing man, no matter how feeble he might appear. Harry wondered if he was reacting to the life force Dumbledore radiated, as the headmaster continued.
"Then I must ask you to trust me as well, and by doing so, tell me the truth."
Harry gulped as Dumbledore spoke to him, as if his words could shoot right through him, and if he lied to him, they would tear him apart.
"Was there a dragon or anything like it in your room, and did you have anything to do with it being there?"
Harry opened his mouth immediately, but it was a few seconds before he actually began to speak.
"Y-yes…there was a dragon…in the common rooms…" he answered quietly, shoving his hands inside of his pant's pockets.
"But I don't know how it got there…Irenes, I mean, Professor Zelbess said…"
"I know what you're about to say…because she has already told me, Harry," the kindness returning to his voice, Dumbledore rose from his chair, walking towards the young boy.
"Irenes Zelbess is a very trustworthy person, just like you are a very trustworthy person. It's a trait that no good person is without…and Severus Snape is an owner of this trait as well…"
"Professor Snape?" Harry felt like lashing out with a thousand insults towards the nasty man, "Are you sure you could trust him? I mean, do you think it's safe to have Professor Zelbess around her?"
"I believe that our Defense professor will be perfectly safe…in fact, I believe that she is most safe around Professor Snape than with any other teacher," Dumbledore replied, patting Harry on the head gently.
"Although his demeanor may not be desirable to most, I hope that one day you two shall see eye to eye…there's more to him than meets the eye…he just has much on his mind…"
Dumbledore eyed Harry peculiarly.
"I'm sorry, Professor Dumbledore, but what's going to happen to the dragon?" said Harry, "You're not going to kill it are you?"
"Ah, yes…dragons are fascinating creatures, aren't they…" his voice trailing off, the headmaster's face was not easily readable, his innermost feelings concealed from Harry.
"If it can be found, I've made special arrangements for it to be sent to Romania, where it can receive the attention it needs in a colony…that is, if we can locate it. Dragons are just as, if not smarter then we wizards and witches. It could take months before it turns up."
Harry almost smiled, knowing that Irenes would be most pleased to know that the animal wouldn't be destroyed.
"Well, now that that's been settled, how about we retire in the Great Hall for some supper?" smiling from behind his soft, silver beard, Dumbledore touched Harry's shoulder, and they both faded out of view, the young, brown-haired wizard's stomach grumbling louder then a dragon's growl.
