Disclaimer: see chapter 1
Chapter 5: Fira's Secret
Later that night, Hermione pulled Harry into the Gryffindor common room and waited for everyone to go into his or her dorm rooms. "What's up?" Harry asked her. "Something's up with Fira," Hermione said. 'I already know that, Herm," Harry said, "and if that's all you've got to say, I'm off to bed, I'm really sleepy." "Wait a minute, Harry," Hermione said. "Listen first. Something weird is up with Fira. I mean, get this. First, she has a DRAGON-HAWK that actually follows her orders. Second, she got a new beaker of dragon blood right away after her first beaker broke this morning at Potions. Third, she got a huge cut on her arm and didn't go to Madame Pomfrey. Forth, she keeps disappearing a few minutes after meals have started. Fifth, her blood isn't red. It's actually copper. Sixth, she seems to really love brandy. Seventh, she drinks chicken blood. And eighth, what was with that thing she said at dinnertime, 'I've gotten used to it…had to if I wanted to survive…' There's something you know about her, Harry, and are just not explaining to me." Defeated, Harry told Hermione everything that had happened that night Fira had told him pretty much half of her life. Hermione was thoughtful for a moment. Suddenly, she snapped her fingers. "So that explains the blood, and the cut…" she said. "What?" Harry said. "I get it now," Hermione said, "Barely survived…lost a lot of blood…Harry, Ron was right!" "Right about what?" Harry asked. "Fira IS a dragon!" Hermione said. "What?" Harry said for what seemed like the hundredth time that night. "You lost me somewhere." "You said it yourself," Hermione said, sitting down in the other armchair by the fire. "She lost a lot of blood after You-Know-Who attacked her that she BARELY SURVIVED! The only way that she could still be alive is if someone had donated blood to her! I doubt anyone in her family can sustain her, so the wizard doctor got a dragon to give her blood! That's why her blood color is copper!" "That's ludicrous, Hermione!" Harry said. "There's no possible way a human can live on dragon's blood…is there?" "It's happened millions of times before, since a million years back!" Hermione said. "So…to a certain extent, Fira is a dragon?" Harry said. "Weren't you listening?" Hermione said. "No wonder her reflexes are so fast…" Harry said, pondering over the Quidditch tryouts that weekend. "Weird, really," Hermione said. "She doesn't really have the attitude of a dragon…who'd have thought, eh?"
"You're very clever, Hermione," a voice suddenly piped up. Harry and Hermione both turned to face the doorway. Fira had stepped in just in time to hear Hermione's theory. "I was just wondering how long it would take you to figure out." Harry was wide-eyed. "Fira, I never knew-" "Very little people know about me," Fira cut in, "Adding you 2 would make it a count of…let me see…6 people in this school. But I'm sure Ron is going to find out, so that makes it 7. Yes, 7 if my calculations are correct…3 professors, 4 students…" "Uh, 4?" Harry said. "Yes," Fira said. "Aside from you, there's Draco, and believe me, you wouldn't want to know how he knows. That's a little secret I won't ever let you know." Hermione swallowed. "N-now that we know, Fira," she said, as if she expected Fira to breathe fire and burn her and Harry into a crisp, "y-you're not going to do anything to us, are you?" Fira smiled bemusedly. "No, silly girl!" she said. "What did you expect, I was going to breathe fire and burn you 2 into a crisp! Fat chance! All I ask is that you must not tell anyone. Let them find out for themselves. If you do tell, whether by accident or not, THEN I'll come 'round and burn you into a crisp. Understood?" Harry nodded, but Hermione was still a bit shaken. "Look Hermione," Fira said, "I assure you, I haven't burnt anyone to a crisp in my whole life. A few minor burns maybe, first degree ones, but I've never really killed anyone, and I bet I couldn't even if I wanted to." "Is that why you expected to be in Slytherin?" Harry suddenly piped up. "Yes actually," Fira said, as if she were so used to people asking if she were a dragon or not. "It would have been torture to have to share houses with Draco." Hermione seemed much more relaxed now. "Don't worry," Hermione said. "We'll keep it a secret. Under lock and key. We promise." Fira nodded and smiled. "I'm off to bed then," Hermione said. She said goodnight to the 2 of them and left for her dorm.
An awkward silence passed between Harry and Fira. Fira took to staring into the fire again. "I never thought…never knew…" Harry said. "You're blabbing, Harry," Fira said. She sat down on the armchair opposite Harry. "How come you never told me? I thought you trusted me." "I do trust you," Fira said, "it's just that, I don't exactly go around saying, 'Hi, I'm Fira Black. What's your name? I'm looking for a friend, you know. By the way, just so you know, I'm a dragon'. That would just be a big turn off, wouldn't it?" "I suppose if you put it as bluntly as you just did, yes," Harry said. "But you could have told me the other night." "I'm not used to pouring out my whole heart in just one night, you know," Fira said. All of a sudden, she grabbed her left forearm (the one without a bloody, bandaged wound) and hissed in pain. "What's wrong?" Harry said. Fira couldn't find words. The pain in her arm felt like it was burning her up. Then, in unison, Harry's lightning scar and Fira's flame scar started to hurt. "Voldemort," Harry said to himself. "I have to go, Harry," Fira said. She let go of her neck and held on to her painful arm, wincing at the pain as she stood up and went to the portrait hole, Harry following her. "There's something I have to do." "Wait," Harry said, "Fira, where are you going? What's happening?" Fira looked back at him, a glassy look in her eyes as if she were worried about Harry. "Believe me," she said. "You don't want to know." With that, she disappeared behind the portrait hole, Harry watching after her, his fingers on his still burning scar.
Chapter 5: Fira's Secret
Later that night, Hermione pulled Harry into the Gryffindor common room and waited for everyone to go into his or her dorm rooms. "What's up?" Harry asked her. "Something's up with Fira," Hermione said. 'I already know that, Herm," Harry said, "and if that's all you've got to say, I'm off to bed, I'm really sleepy." "Wait a minute, Harry," Hermione said. "Listen first. Something weird is up with Fira. I mean, get this. First, she has a DRAGON-HAWK that actually follows her orders. Second, she got a new beaker of dragon blood right away after her first beaker broke this morning at Potions. Third, she got a huge cut on her arm and didn't go to Madame Pomfrey. Forth, she keeps disappearing a few minutes after meals have started. Fifth, her blood isn't red. It's actually copper. Sixth, she seems to really love brandy. Seventh, she drinks chicken blood. And eighth, what was with that thing she said at dinnertime, 'I've gotten used to it…had to if I wanted to survive…' There's something you know about her, Harry, and are just not explaining to me." Defeated, Harry told Hermione everything that had happened that night Fira had told him pretty much half of her life. Hermione was thoughtful for a moment. Suddenly, she snapped her fingers. "So that explains the blood, and the cut…" she said. "What?" Harry said. "I get it now," Hermione said, "Barely survived…lost a lot of blood…Harry, Ron was right!" "Right about what?" Harry asked. "Fira IS a dragon!" Hermione said. "What?" Harry said for what seemed like the hundredth time that night. "You lost me somewhere." "You said it yourself," Hermione said, sitting down in the other armchair by the fire. "She lost a lot of blood after You-Know-Who attacked her that she BARELY SURVIVED! The only way that she could still be alive is if someone had donated blood to her! I doubt anyone in her family can sustain her, so the wizard doctor got a dragon to give her blood! That's why her blood color is copper!" "That's ludicrous, Hermione!" Harry said. "There's no possible way a human can live on dragon's blood…is there?" "It's happened millions of times before, since a million years back!" Hermione said. "So…to a certain extent, Fira is a dragon?" Harry said. "Weren't you listening?" Hermione said. "No wonder her reflexes are so fast…" Harry said, pondering over the Quidditch tryouts that weekend. "Weird, really," Hermione said. "She doesn't really have the attitude of a dragon…who'd have thought, eh?"
"You're very clever, Hermione," a voice suddenly piped up. Harry and Hermione both turned to face the doorway. Fira had stepped in just in time to hear Hermione's theory. "I was just wondering how long it would take you to figure out." Harry was wide-eyed. "Fira, I never knew-" "Very little people know about me," Fira cut in, "Adding you 2 would make it a count of…let me see…6 people in this school. But I'm sure Ron is going to find out, so that makes it 7. Yes, 7 if my calculations are correct…3 professors, 4 students…" "Uh, 4?" Harry said. "Yes," Fira said. "Aside from you, there's Draco, and believe me, you wouldn't want to know how he knows. That's a little secret I won't ever let you know." Hermione swallowed. "N-now that we know, Fira," she said, as if she expected Fira to breathe fire and burn her and Harry into a crisp, "y-you're not going to do anything to us, are you?" Fira smiled bemusedly. "No, silly girl!" she said. "What did you expect, I was going to breathe fire and burn you 2 into a crisp! Fat chance! All I ask is that you must not tell anyone. Let them find out for themselves. If you do tell, whether by accident or not, THEN I'll come 'round and burn you into a crisp. Understood?" Harry nodded, but Hermione was still a bit shaken. "Look Hermione," Fira said, "I assure you, I haven't burnt anyone to a crisp in my whole life. A few minor burns maybe, first degree ones, but I've never really killed anyone, and I bet I couldn't even if I wanted to." "Is that why you expected to be in Slytherin?" Harry suddenly piped up. "Yes actually," Fira said, as if she were so used to people asking if she were a dragon or not. "It would have been torture to have to share houses with Draco." Hermione seemed much more relaxed now. "Don't worry," Hermione said. "We'll keep it a secret. Under lock and key. We promise." Fira nodded and smiled. "I'm off to bed then," Hermione said. She said goodnight to the 2 of them and left for her dorm.
An awkward silence passed between Harry and Fira. Fira took to staring into the fire again. "I never thought…never knew…" Harry said. "You're blabbing, Harry," Fira said. She sat down on the armchair opposite Harry. "How come you never told me? I thought you trusted me." "I do trust you," Fira said, "it's just that, I don't exactly go around saying, 'Hi, I'm Fira Black. What's your name? I'm looking for a friend, you know. By the way, just so you know, I'm a dragon'. That would just be a big turn off, wouldn't it?" "I suppose if you put it as bluntly as you just did, yes," Harry said. "But you could have told me the other night." "I'm not used to pouring out my whole heart in just one night, you know," Fira said. All of a sudden, she grabbed her left forearm (the one without a bloody, bandaged wound) and hissed in pain. "What's wrong?" Harry said. Fira couldn't find words. The pain in her arm felt like it was burning her up. Then, in unison, Harry's lightning scar and Fira's flame scar started to hurt. "Voldemort," Harry said to himself. "I have to go, Harry," Fira said. She let go of her neck and held on to her painful arm, wincing at the pain as she stood up and went to the portrait hole, Harry following her. "There's something I have to do." "Wait," Harry said, "Fira, where are you going? What's happening?" Fira looked back at him, a glassy look in her eyes as if she were worried about Harry. "Believe me," she said. "You don't want to know." With that, she disappeared behind the portrait hole, Harry watching after her, his fingers on his still burning scar.