Chapter 7
Bad Impressions

Just over one week later, Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat in their room talking to F'lar and Lessa.

"You three need some decent clothing." Lessa was saying as F'lar handed both Harry and Ron a set of clothing each. "You," she said directing her attention to Hermione, "will have to wear this during the hatching." She handed a white robe to Hermione. "All the candidates wear those."

Hermione accepted the robe in silence, merely nodding to acknowledge Lessa.

Harry was worried about Hermione. She hadn't spoken much since Robinton's dramatic disclosure. Hermione had also turned very pale, and her lack of eating wasn't helping her either. For the past week she had done nothing but read a new book her parents had given her, and copy some maps of Pern the Masterharper had loaned her.

"Master Fandarel sent all of you these." F'lar said as he handed them each a small package.

Harry curiously opened his. Master Fandarel (the Mastersmith) had appeared a few days before and asked to see the trio's wands. After spending a long time examining and measuring them he left.

The packages each contained a sheathed belt knife, much like the one F'lar was wearing.

Raising an eyebrow, Ron grasped the hilt of the blade and pulled it out. However the hilt revealed that there was no blade at all. There wasn't even room for a blade in the sheath. Instead there was a circular slot in the middle of the sheath that couldn't have been more than half an inch in diameter.

Harry and Hermione pulled out theirs and discovered the same dilemma.

F'lar and Lessa smiled.

"Outside of the Weyrs," F'lar paused, "and the Masterharper, no one really knows what you three are… fully capable of."

F'lar took the hilt out of Harry's hand, and with one quick motion split it exactly down the middle, from the tip to the base.

Before Harry could say anything F'lar handed it back to him. Harry then realized that the inside of the hilt was hollowed out in a specific pattern, one that looked strangely familiar.

Hermione immediately understood and pulled her hilt apart. Taking out her wand she placed the handle in the hollowed out section then replaced the halves with a satisfying snap. Hermione then smoothly sheathed her wand.

Harry and Ron stared, mouths agape, if they hadn't just seen what Hermione had done they wouldn't have believed she was holding anything other then a knife. They quickly copied what Hermione had done, and all three had cleverly disguised wands.

"Wicked…" Ron kept saying in awe he pulled his wand in and out over and over.

"You three should change," F'lar said. Then he and Lessa departed.

Hermione, with a quick glance and Ron and Harry, went to the bathroom with her robe. ("Don't stay in there too long or we're coming in!" "Ron! Shut up!")

Harry and Ron quickly changed into their clothes (which were virtually identical to each other) and briefly admired themselves in the mirror. Ron seemed rather annoyed with the way his hair was clashing with the blandness of the tan tunic. He kept fidgeting with the base of it, as if pulling it down would make his hair less fiery. Harry on the other hand was adjusting the wide belt and the positioning of his "knife," he wanted it to be as easily accessible as possible.

"You aren't supposed to wear it like that." Harry laughed, as Ron tried to tuck the tunic into his brown leather pants.

Ron grunted, and went back to tugging at the hem instead.

Harry had just finished straightening out his own tunic when Hermione walked out of the bathroom wearing the gown. Neither Harry nor Ron could miss the far off look in her eyes.

"Hey," Harry walked over to her, "it's going to be okay."

"Yah, even if you don't improvise a dragon it's okay," Ron said reassuringly.

"Impress you dolt! Impress!" Hermione said almost laughing. "Not improvise!"

Harry was glad to see that Ron's slip (which he wasn't entirely sure was unintentional) seemed to help add some color back to Hermione's face.

"Shall we head down?" Harry asked.

"Better now before I come up with a better way to make a break for it," Hermione muttered. "This all just doesn't seem right."

-----

Harry, Ron and Hermione walked towards the hatching ground together until Hermione had to break away to join the other candidates. Harry and Ron continued to the upper ledge of the hatching ground where F'lar had told them they would find the best seats. Just as they reached the ledge a large bronze dragon back winged and landed.

Harry and Ron watched as the dragonrider quickly jumped down and helped a girl climb down, then he escorted her into the coliseum which was slowly starting to fill.

Harry stood gazing at the rim of the hatching grounds. There had to be at least a dozen dragons perched around the edge simply looking at the eggs.

"Better get some seats." Ron said mistily staring at the girl who had climb down from the dragon. "How about over here." He said and half dragged Harry over to where the girl had sat down.

"Can we sit here?" he asked her.

"I'm sorry! Did I take your seat?" She said quickly as she stood up sharply.

"Huh? No, no, we just wanted to join you," Ron said quickly.

The girl sat down again, and Ron right next to her. Harry rolled his eyes and joined them.

It was easy to tell why Ron was so dazed. The girl they were sitting next to had bright red hair and seemed very tall for her age. It almost looked like she was made exactly for Ron.

"I'm Ron," he said still gaping.

"I'm Menolly," the girl said quickly and looked away.

"Hi."

Harry just sat grinning at Ron's amusing attempt to pick up a girl.

Harry didn't have much more time to watch Ron's antics because the dragons perched around the rim began to hum.

Harry looked at the hatching ground and Ron finally tore his eyes away from Menolly.

The eggs all seemed to be rocking as if the creatures inside of them were quite desperate to get out. Harry did notice, however, a slightly smaller egg that seemed to have been pushed away from the main group wasn't rocking. A group of boys entered the hatching ground and stood near the eggs. The large golden egg had been pushed to its own area and a loose semi circle of girls had formed around it. Harry saw Hermione among them.

Harry looked at Hermione. She seemed on the verge of passing out. However, Harry's attention was drawn to a woman a few years their senior who was rather awkwardly stumbling into the hatching ground. One of the girls in the circle with Hermione gestured for the newcomer to join them and she did.

As the eggs continued shaking, the humming from the dragons became more intense until suddenly it abruptly stopped. The silence was only broken by the clearly audible sound of the first egg cracking open.

The little creature broke free of his shell and looked around. Harry was fondly reminded of Norbert, the Norwegian Ridgeback, the dragon Hagrid had hatched in his hut in Harry's first year (however this hatching was far more impressive). Unlike Norbert, the little creature that hatched before them seemed needier and just as frightened as the boys around it. It looked around for a moment, then stared at one particular boy and stumbled awkwardly towards him. There was a small cheer from the viewers before all attention was given back to the dragons un-hatched.

"Look at the golden egg!" Ron exclaimed pointing.

It had begun rocking violently. Harry leaned forward in his seat just in time to see the shell break in half straight down the middle, and the golden glistening creature popped her head out.

The little queen dragon turned her head to the woman who had joined the group late. Harry watched, rather confused, as the woman of the dragon's attention completely ignored it.

The dragon, however, would not be ignored and started stumbling towards her. In the blink of an eye a tiny dragon appeared over the woman's head and started squawking furiously. The entire audience watched in shock as the little dragon began diving threateningly at the queen.

Hermione and a second girl dove protectively in front of the little queen.

The woman, seemingly broken from a trance, called to the miniature dragon.

"Berd! Don't!" The woman caught the little dragon in mid air while the little queen cried in fright.

The woman holding the little dragon stared briefly at Hermione and the other girl. Then she turned around and left the hatching ground.

Slowly Hermione and the other girl turned towards each other, then all the way around to face the dragon.

The hatchling looked up at them. It turned its golden head to look at Hermione, and then slowly it turned to the other girl.

As if the girls had rehearsed it, they both slowly crouched down to eye level with the dragonet. The dragon continued looking back and forth between them.

Suddenly the two girls gasped in pain and clapped theirs hands onto their ears as if they could hear something no one else could. Then the little dragon gave a piercing shriek everyone heard and launched itself at Hermione.

Hermione didn't even have a chance to react before the dragon knocked her off her feet and began viciously slashing at her with its claws.

Harry and Ron both shot to their feet and yelled "Hermione!" just as she screamed.

Hermione had protectively brought an arm across her face and was trying to force the dragon off of her with the other, but the dragon wouldn't be moved. The creature sank its back claws into her, and continued swiping at her face and neck with its front claws.

Harry and Ron both reached for their wands, but before they could draw them the girl who had stood with Hermione stepped in.

"No!" She yelled, grabbing the dragon and trying to pull it off Hermione. The dragon, infuriated by the interference, whipped around and slashed the girl across the face. She cried out in pain and fell backwards into the sand. The dragon's entire demeanor changed instantly. It whimpered in fright and scampered over to the fallen girl, nuzzling her shoulder with its head.

The absolute silence that filled the hatching ground was broken only by the sound of the whimpering dragon and two sets of boots racing down the rock steps towards the two motionless girls.