A/N: This was a real challenge, because I positively detest writing in the first person. But it actually didn't turn out too bad. Also, did I spend 30 minutes researching Romanian mountains? Yes. I did.


Title: Why Taking Interns Is Sort Of A Bad Idea

Summary: Dragon spotted near Recea by Muggles. Descriptions from eye-witnesses seem to point towards a classical Romanian Longhorn, though the exact size of the creature varies from person to person. Charlie and Roxanne go dragon-rescuing.

Word count: 1,525

Genres: Family, adventure

Characters: Charlie W., Roxanne W.


25th April

Dragon spotted near Recea by Muggles. Descriptions from eye-witnesses seem to point towards a classical Romanian Longhorn, though the exact size of the creature varies from person to person. Most were unable to even suggest a size of the creature, insisting on the fact that it was "enormous".

Will send someone to review rumours and give complete interviews of witnesses and obliviate the Muggles.


26th April

Roxanne and myself (Charlie) went over to check.

Roxanne did not manage to get much more information from the Muggles, apart the fact that is was "a dark flying devil". Information does neither confirm nor eliminate the Romanian Longhorn.

Tried to convince Roxanne to have a go at obliviating, but she refused.

As for the other signs of a dragon passing, there were no claw prints, so claw-identification is out. Some trees were burnt, and it looked like short, close-range and slightly weak fire. It seems to be that this dragon is a baby, which would explain why it came so close to the village. Regrew the trees.

Roxanne and I will be setting up camp for the next couple of days to see if we can spot the dragon again and follow.


27th April

No dragon yet. However, the locals were still a little confused as to why we are camping in their field. Roxanne needs to practice her confundus charm a little (because she agreed to do that one. Honestly, what had Professor Flitwick been teaching the children nowadays? It was a very weak confundus). Honestly, if you're going to let children go out in the wild and give them permission to use their wands, might as well make sure that they're competent!


28th April

We spotted the dragon! It flew right above our heads just before noon, which is unusual as Romanian Longhorns are rather nocturnal. It definitely is a baby. Approximate wingspan is 12.5 meters, and length from head to tail is 14 meters.

It escaped into the mountains at the south into the Caparthians and Moldoveanu Peak. We will track the dragon into the mountain tomorrow. Roxanne grumbled a lot when I told her we would have to go hiking, but she should've known she'd have to do it if she came to the Reserve).


29th April

After an eight hour hike, we've finally managed to find the dragon's lair. It's made a nest near the peak of Moldoveanu, in a remote and out-of-sight nook. Also, Roxanne broke the rock-climbing rope, which frankly, I did not think was even possible but she managed it. We will be needing to buy more.

The dragon is actually not a Romanian Longhorn at all. When Roxanne finally let me have the binoculars, I spotted it easily. It is actually a very young Hungarian Horntail! And a truly aggressive one to, unfortunately for us.

It looks like the baby has been separated from its mother, which would explain why it is in Romania, and not heading to Sweden as it usually does for its annual migration from Hungary. It doesn't seem hurt in any way, but it is extremely wary of any movement. We tried to approach it (despite the fact that we didn't have any more rock-climbing rope) and it immediately shot flames at us. We will need to proceed with extreme caution. I am considering leaving Roxanne at the camp, though she refuses to hear it.

A suggestion for all future dragon-rescuing mission: do not take your intern niece with you, even if she begs and begs and begs you, even if it is her birthday in a couple of days, even if she promises that she will be very well-behaved. It will probably not end well. 14-year-olds are not to be taken!

The rest of the evening will be spent placing a fake storm around the perimeter, an absolutely necessary step if we don't want any more Muggles to see the dragon.


30th April

All communication attempts with the dragon failed today, despite the insane amount of precautions we – the term we is to be used very loosely – put in place.

After spending the better part of the morning carefully installing ropes (I conjured up some more) all along the side of the mountain to reach the dragon's nest, I set off to try to coax the dragon into the net Roxanne was supposed to be levitating under its nest.

Also: though I hate to admit it, Roxanne has made a rather valid point: why don't we fly to the net instead of grope along the rock?

But of course, Roxanne decided that she would rather follow me and leave the net all alone.

We were very close to the nest, and I had a hunk of meat to offer the beast (they're notoriously greedy when it comes to meat), who came creeping out slowly, when it spotted Roxanne's earring, a silver shiny thing that jingles. The dragon was immediately angered by it and nearly singed our heads off.

("Duck, you idiot!" said I. "Huh?" replied she. Honestly, why did I ever think that this was a good idea).

We literally had to run back across a rock wall to get back to a safe distance from the dragon. Meanwhile, Roxanne had dropped her levitation spell, and the net had fallen to the bottom of the mountain. We spent the better part of the afternoon retrieving it – once again, 'we' is loosely used, I sent Roxanne to get it.

The dragon is now regularly sending puffs of fire and smoke. We have clearly managed to anger it. We will have to proceed with even more caution tomorrow if we wish to succeed in any attempt of communication.


1st May

Mission is a success! Although how it managed to be a success is still a mystery to me…

The day started out as yesterday. I told Roxanne not to come with me today, and to leave all of her sparkly jewellery in the campsite. She complied, but only begrudgingly, and levitated the net she had had so much trouble with yesterday (turns out levitating spells are one of the ones she's perfectly mastered, so maybe Flitwick is teaching them something…).

I made my way towards the nest as slowly as possible, being as careful as it is humanely and magically possible, with (unfortunately) the same meat as yesterday – but covered with a little spice, Hungarian Horntails have a soft for spicy peppers, for some reason.

All was going perfectly fine, and I had already started coaxing the dragon out with the whisper-cries that are so particular to their breed, when suddenly, the baby dragon burst out from the nook where it was hidden. It shrieked, flew up, came bolting down and plunged straight for me. It started to grapple up the wall of the mountain to where I was.

I'm pretty I screamed at that moment – I'm not going to lie, I was scared. Those Hungarian Horntails aren't called the most dangerous for no reason – and let go of the meat. The dragon didn't even bat an eye.

But then, out of the blue, Roxanne was next to me (how she even got there is still a mystery) and she had an old teddy bear in her hand (again, where it comes from is an absolute mystery) which she chucked to the Hungarian Horntail.

"I got your back, I'm here for you," she said, which I now find ironic as I was supposed to be protecting her!

Then, to my surprise and amazement, the baby dragon clutched the teddy bear in its jaws and flew away from us, and to a small platform beneath us where it cuddled the teddy bear. I had never seen a Hungarian Horntail behave like that! What a solution! They truly are most unpredictable.

While I was positively stricken, Roxanne was intelligent enough to bring the net she had been levitating upon the dragon, and voilà! We had a trapped, but happy dragon.

I called for the pick-up team from the Reserve, and the dragon will be back in the Hungarian mountains tomorrow. Hopefully the team will be able to find the poor baby's mother.

"I don't understand," I told Roxanne, "How did you know you hadto give him a teddy bear?"

"We have a dog at home," she explained. "And he was so sad when he first came to us until I gave him one of my teddy bears, and then all was fine! I'm good with animals that way."

I was going to retort that dragons are not animals, but then again, her clever trick had saved me so I didn't really have a right to say anything!


2nd May

The pick-up team took the dragon, and we finished our rounds in the valley, checking that no Muggle had seen the dragon.

It was also Roxanne's birthday, and she seemed very pleased to have managed to capture a baby Hungarian Horntail.

Note for future dragon-rescuing missions: though having your 14-year-old niece with you can sometimes save your life, it is still not a good idea! Rather, prepare yourself better and bring someone fully trained with you.


FOR HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY

House: Ravenclaw

Assignment #10: First Aid Task #4: Write about someone being very careful with an activity they are doing.