Disclaimer: I own none of JKs people...
Author's Note: Okay, I'm trying to catch up with my writing, and I am writing more then I had been previously, so hold on! Now, onto the next chapter, but before I do so, I must comment on the review made by that who remained nameless. I agree that everyone's entitled to their oppinion, but I cannot believe that you would think that I would review to my own story. That repulses me. I also must dissagree on self-insertion. If you knew me in real life you would know that I am nothing like Thorn Rose or Sparkie, I only have the pen name I do so people will be able to identify my story to she who wrote it (aka, me). And I would also apreciate it if you would read the whole thing before you review on a single chapter. I thank you for your opinion! And NOW onto chapter sixteen!
Chapter sixteen
Letters from Celestial
When they reached her home and entered Thorn went strait to her room, Fang and Sparkie followed and sat under her desk as she opened the letter from Celestial.
Dear Thorn,
It's been a while since you've heard from me, I'm sorry that I haven't written any more to you then I have, Uncle Albus and I have been really busy, and I'm sure you know with what, since you're Professor Snape's niece. We're looking for another way to protect it, Uncle Albus knows what he wants, but we can't seem to find it, though he feels very close.
Next year is going to be quite interesting, wouldn't you say? I mean, with Harry Potter attending the school. Who'd have thought that we get to go to the same school as him? Seems odd, doesn't it? To know all about someone we truly know nothing about.
Well, I must get going; we're getting ready to head to Egypt! I'll write you later. See ya!
Celestial Moon
Thorn reread the second paragraph. "To know all about someone we truly know nothing about." Celestial really didn't know, did she? No one, but Severus and Albus, knew. Thorn did know all about Harry Potter. She knew that he'd been harassed by his cousin, aunt and uncle. She knew so much as she'd let herself, from how often she let his emotions and thoughts intertwine with hers.
Thorn folded the parchment back up and put it into her drawer. Then, pulling out some of her own parchment, the same parchment that Celestial had given her for Christmas, serpents curling up the sides, she began to write.
Celestial,
It has been a while, and you from me. I suppose that both of us have been rather busy, you with your protection quest, and I because of a new addition to my little family. I'll trust you with this information, for I know that even if you tell Albus, it will make no difference, he won't do anything anyway. You've most likely heard of the crazed dragon that escaped not long ago. The truth about that whole thing is that the egg landed in my front yard and hatched yesterday. I'm raising an infant dragon. Don't worry, though, I can take care of him.
Yes, we get to meet the famous Harry Potter. Wonderful. Honestly, he's going to have some first year; after all, he knows nothing of the magic world, seeing as his family has kept it hidden from him for so long, and everyone there knows him.
Have fun in Egypt. Needless to say you will. Every other method of protection for it has been set up already; we just need the final defense.
Thorn Rose
She sealed the letter and gave it to Midnight, who took it and flew out of her window and into the dark horizon.
Fang grew quickly over the next couple of weeks. Soon, he was the same size as Shadow and the others, yet he was still small enough to live inside. He didn't know how to breathe fire yet, but that would come within the first six months.
The day before Thorn's birthday, before Harry's birthday, she and Severus were outside with the animals. Shadow and Fell were flying around, and Fang was staring up at them, his large, wings spread open, prepared to take flight.
"Do you think that he'll be able to fly by tomorrow?" Severus asked suddenly.
Thorn nodded, "He should. He is a fast learner. He can catch his own food now, it's only time that he learns to fly."
The black dragon watched his friends circle above, watched the movements of their wings, everything that they did. Sparkie could sense that he didn't quite get it, though. The Daemon Lizard flew from Thorn's shoulder to his and said, in the tongue of the Hibridean Black, "What's wrong?"
Fang shifted, "I don't understand. I see what they're doing, but I don't get how they do it."
Sparkie looked up to Shadow and Fell, whom had looked to each other then back down to the pair of reptiles below. "What part don't you get?"
Fang shook his head, "I'm not sure. How do they get into the air? I've watched them, but they don't know how to explain it to me. Shadow's tried speaking through her mind, but she has a different, well, body build that I do. I'm a dragon, she's a pegacorn."
Sparkie nodded again, then he heard Thorn's voice echo clearly through his mind. What is it? Is something wrong?
Thorn watched as Sparkie and Fang talked, but they were too distant for her to make out their words. She did, however, catch that something was bothering Fang.
Sparkie looked back to her, then thought, I can handle it. It's okay. Thorn nodded to him, completely trusting his judgment, and he turned back to his friend.
"Alright," Sparkie started, "You have a closer body build to me then to them, so let me try to explain." He leapt off and let himself float down in front of the dragon. Fang bent his head down to watch him more closely. "Okay, the two things that make us different from the others are our weight and our tails."
"Weight?" Fang cut in, "But you must be light."
Sparkie laughed and said, "For your wings I would be light, but to carry my own weight is just as difficult as you carrying yours." When Fang nodded as to say that he understood, the red and blue lizard continued. "Now, the tail is what makes taking off more difficult for us. While in the air it comes in really handy, helps us direct ourselves and such, but taking off you have to keep it off of the ground, and make sure that you don't swing it, or you'll merely roll over inches from the ground, well, feet from the ground for you. See?" Then he began to take off, but made sure to swish his tail to the right, making him swerve to the left and roll over once, his wings wrapping around him, and fell back to the earth.
Fang nodded. "I see. What else must I do to take off?"
Sparkie took a minute to unravel himself from his wings and stood before Fang once again. "You have to kick off strong with your feet and powerfully stroke down with your wings. A light kick or weak stroke will get you no where, that's where the weight comes in. It will drag you down if you don't get a strong enough start."
Fang nodded again. "But don't the others have large weight too?"
Sparkie nodded, "Oh yes, but in contrast to ours its lighter. You're the same size as them, but if you're wings were on them it would take almost nothing to get them in the air. You're much heavier because of what you are. If I were their size it would be the same deal. It's a species thing," he concluded, waving it away. "Anyway, are you ready to start?"
Fang looked back to the sky, where Talon and Feather had joined the two others. Then he turned back to his small teacher and said, "Yes. You are coming with me right?"
Sparkie nodded, "Of course I will! Did you really think that I'd make you go up there alone?"
Fang grinned and then got ready to spring up. "If you leave me, Sparkie, I swear I'll kill you!"
Sparkie laughed and stood right next to his dragon friend, "If you can catch me!" Then both of them leapt up and pushed down strongly with their wings. The downdraft from Fang's made Sparkie thump right back to the ground no sooner then he'd been up. "HEY!" He called up to the dragon, who was clumsily making his way higher, "You cheated!"
Thorn smirked as she watched Sparkie fly right back up with Fang, flying circles around him, no doubt telling him how to direct himself. Nice job, Sparkie. You did it.
Did you have any doubts? he replied, probably grinning down at her.
She shook her head, No, but I bet everyone else did.
And then, just to prove her point, she heard Shadow think to him, Wow! Sparkie! You taught Fang to fly? We're all quite amazed!
In turn, she heard Sparkie shoot back, Hey! I did a lot better then you did!
She shook her head, the small smirk still across her face, when she heard Severus say, "Did Sparkie teach him to fly?" When she nodded he said, "Surprising."
"HEY!" Sparkie shouted down to them. Thorn may have been the only one that understood, but Severus got the general meaning of the high toned babbling, "I HEARD THAT!"
Severus chuckled and said, "Well, it's a good thing he can fly now. He can join us tomorrow."
Thorn looked up to him, her dark eyes looking over his face, but she could not read his expression. Well, he was the one that taught me occlumency, she reminded herself, then asked, "Join us in what?"
Severus smirked curtly and said, "It is your birthday, and Jamie Wood has invited us to go up to her house then. Mr. Roran and his muggle friend will be there as well. I accepted so we'll be there tomorrow. You're leaving at six, as to arrive at nine, and I'll apperate sometime before then. I thought that you would like that."
Thorn continued to watch him, slightly surprised. Not only had Maken remembered when her birthday was, but he and his family had invited them up for it. And she was also surprised that Severus had decided to come along. He didn't like to be with other people very often, but he was willing to for Thorn.
"That's great," she stated, "But what do you mean Fang's joining us? He's an illegal dragon and Mr. Wood works at the ministry."
Severus nodded, "That's true, but Gary already knows of him." At Thorn's grave expression he added, "But he shan't tell Fudge. He's never been fond of the Minister, and he believes that you can handle raising a dragon. He doesn't want to see Fudge lock you in Azkaban for taking in an orphan."
Thorn nodded, relieved, and then asked, "How did he find out? Did Maken slip?"
Severus shook his head. "No, as you were leaving when you visited last Jamie came home and saw his on Shadow's back. You know as well as I that Maken can not lie, so when she questioned him, he had to tell her. It wasn't as if he were betraying your word."
Thorn nodded again, "Well, it's good to know that I can trust them around Fang."
Severus smirked just as a large golden owl landed on Thorn's shoulder. "Hey Kara," she whispered as she took the bird's note and package. "You seem tired, why don't you stay here a night?"
Kara sighed a thankful hoot and furrowed her head in her feathers, instantly falling asleep on Thorn's shoulder. Sparkie and Fang landed not far off, Sparkie smooth as silk and Fang nearly falling over himself. "Ah, you'll get it in time." Sparkie reassured him. Then he saw the golden ball of feathers on Thorn's shoulder and an angry glint appeared in his eyes. He spread his wings, prepared to defend his Thorn, and began to fly off when he suddenly could fly no further and felt something on his tail, "Why that little- Fang! Lemme go!"
Fang snorted with a laugh, a small puff of smoke coming from his nostrils. "Sparkie, you gotta get over this!"
"Over what!?" Sparkie exclaimed, now on the earth, trying to push Fang's clawed foot from his long tail.
Fang chuckled, "Over your... jealousy issue."
"I do not have a jealousy issue!" the lizard insisted, now breathing fire on the dragon's foot, but being unsuccessful in getting it to budge. "Well duh!" he muttered to himself, "He's a dragon!"
"Oh, no, not at all," Fang said sarcastically, "Right now you're just trying to get to that owl to make friends." Sparkie glared at him, "Man, you gotta get used to it! No animal is going to, uh, take your place. You and Thorn have a mental connection!"
"Yeah?" Sparkie said as he lifted one of Fang's claws and tried to pull it away, "Well," he said with an exasperated sigh, "What about other humans? Can they take my place?"
Fang laughed and said, "Well, depending on what kind of relationship she has with them. Like, if they're just a friend there's nothing to worry about, but if she gets a mate, he might take your place on how much she cares for them."
Sparkie froze and, with clenched teeth, he said in a tone of complete hatred, "Maken..."
Fang laughed again. "Maken? Maken!? You actually think that Thorn thinks of him in that way?"
Sparkie huffed and crossed his little arms over his chest. Then, as Fang dropped his guard, he grabbed his tail, whipped it out from under Fang's claws, leapt into the air with a, "Ha!" and sped to Thorn and Kara.
Just as he was about to knock the owl from her shoulder, Thorn turned abruptly and caught him in mid air. "Sparkie," she warned.
He smiled guiltily at her and shrunk under her gaze. "Kara's had a long trip; she'll be resting here for the night. If you do anything to her, you will be punished, am I understood?"
Sparkie sighed, but nodded, and crawled into the pocket of her pants, his head and wings sticking out of it. "I can't wait till you wear your school robes again! Those pockets are so much bigger, much less constricting." He squirmed a bit.
Thorn rolled her eyes and said, "Well, tomorrow we're going to Maken's." Sparkie glared up to her, "So you'll have to behave yourself."
Sparkie sighed, "Fine..."
When inside and in her room Thorn set the brilliant golden owl on the perch in her room next to Midnight. The charcoal black owl looked sleepily up to Kara and hooted drowsily. Kara nodded and hooted back, then they both fell back to sleep. "See, Sparkie?" Thorn stated as she sat at her desk and the Daemon Lizard crawled from her constricting pocket and onto her shoulder. "They get along, why can't you?"
Sparkie rolled his eyes and flew to the dresser, watching over the entire room. Then Fang came in, bringing his large wings close to his body so he could fit through the door. He settled himself in the corner and laid down, his purple eyes wandering over everyone.
She opened the letter from Celestial first.
Dear Thorn,
You have a dragon? I can't believe you! You know that it's illegal! And besides, dragons are completely untamable! Well, Uncle Albus says that because you can talk to them it might be possible for you, and we both wish you luck. I have no problems about you taking care of it, but I'm worried that it will take care of you! If you catch my drift.
According to my uncle Harry Potter has been living with his muggle aunt, uncle, and cousin. He has witches and wizards following him everywhere he is. Apparently its heck living with them, but the others can do nothing. Uncle Albus wants him to grow up as far from all the hassle of being the most well known wizard of his age.
Egypt was great, but now we're in China. Uncle Albus FINALLY knows were we're going to find this mirror thing, or whatever he's been saying. It's somewhere north of hear. Anyway, I know that it's your birthday soon (and I'm hoping that this reaches you before then at the least) and I picked something up for you here. It's in the package. I hope that Kara doesn't die delivering it!
Celestial
Thorn nodded to Celestial, though her friend was miles away. "Harry Potter does have a hard time living with his family..."
"Hmm?" Sparkie asked, taking time away from his harsh glares at the golden bird to look to Thorn.
"Nothing, just talking to a piece of parchment," she said with a sigh. Not having Celestial, Maken, or Cade around had become rather odd. Since she met them she'd begun to talk more. Not like she hadn't talked to Severus, she enjoyed talking to him, but she did miss her friends.
"That's nice," Sparkie said blandly, obviously not having had listened to a word his friend had said.
"Sparkie, stop trying to kill Kara with a look," Thorn said with a sigh as she took her gift from Celestial into hand, "You are not a basilisk."
Sparkie made a small noise of annoyance and turned to face the wall. She heard Fang say, "Jealousy issue..."
"Shut up!" Sparkie replied as he flew to Thorn's bed and hid in the covers. Fang snickered.
Thorn turned her attention back to small, wrapped package. Carefully taking the orange paper from it she opened the box and took out the little red rod. It was about three inches long, and at the top there was the head of a Chinese Fireball. The base would fit in her hand entirely, only exposing the head of the dragon; its eyes were emerald colored gems. A small note fell from it. Thorn picked it up and read.
Thorn,
This is a Chinese Danger Detector. When you hold it in your hand and there is danger near the eyes will glow. It only glows when something near is dangerous to the holder. For example, you could hold it and I'm betting that it won't activate, despite the dragon, but if I held it it would glow. Fang would be classified as dangerous to me, but not you. Get it? Uncle Albus told me that you would like it. He said that it would come in handy, but he wouldn't tell me what he meant.
Celestial
Thorn held the slender part of the scarlet rock and looked at the Fireball's head. The eyes remained shine less. "She was right," she commented to Fang, who looked up to her, "You are no danger to me."
Fang smiled, "Of course I'm no danger to you! Now Sparkie, I might be a danger to, if he doesn't get over his issues."
Sparkie muttered something in another reptilian language, making it so Fang couldn't understand him. Thorn however caught his words. "Nice, Sparkie," she replied in the same tongue, "Use foul language in another language so that he won't understand."
"Keeps me safe," Sparkie answered and he hid under her pillow.
Thorn nodded and took out her quill, etching her words onto a piece of parchment.
Celestial,
I don't worry about Fang. He may be a dragon, but I raised him from an egg and could speak. Without communication nothing would work.
Harry Potter will be much happier at Hogwarts then where he is. He'll probably never actually meet us unless he is sorted into one of our houses, which generally means that he'll get to meet you, Maken, and Cade. I'd bet Sparkie that he'll get into Gryffindor. Don't tell the jealous-crazed lizard that I said that.
China must be fun. I hope you find what you're looking for soon. Thank you for the gift. I agree with Albus, it will come in handy. Tomorrow is my birthday. Maken invited us up to his house so for once I'll have a birthday with a group of people. Hopefully you'll be back by the end of the summer and will get to meet Cade's friend. She's a muggle and she and Cade seem to be getting rather close. Sparkie and Maken were having a bit too much fun making them feel uncomfortable. Well, I must get going.
Thorn Rose
Sealing the letter she went over to Midnight, shaking her softly. The black owl hooted in an annoyance and looked up to Thorn, her great golden eyes now fully awake after sleeping the whole day. "Midnight, I need you to take this to Celestial." She tied the envelope to her leg and brought her to the window. "I'll send Kara in the morning, she needs rest."
Midnight nodded, playfully pecked at Thorn's hand, and flew into the dimming sky.
Thorn turned back to her room and walked to her dresser. After changing into her nightclothes she went back to her bed. Fang followed her and climbed onto her bed as well. Sparkie came to her side and Fang was against the wall. It was rather crowded, but since Thorn and Fang didn't move there was no problem. Fang's wing spread over them as an extra blanket and his tail wrapped around them. Thorn fell to sleep instantly, dreamless as always.
