Chapter 7: A New Life
Spath's Weyr, Hatching Grounds, Feb 15, 2021...
Filan had agreed to try to impress a dragon of her own and had been very gently brought to Pern and kept inside. May felt that she was still too fragile to take well to the fact that she was on another planet. One thing at a time. She had finally calmed down and had even started to make a few tentative friendships amongst the other candidates. She had also started to learn English through the help of Besulth who had joined her as an unofficial guardian. Filan had taken to the dragon care lessons with fervor and Besulth, as her 'practice dragon' glowed under her care. She would be sad to lose her new friend but happy when she impressed her own dragon.
Harry closely watched the candidates as each dragon hatched. Dronth had told him that Filan would make an excellent Rider. As he watched her, he could see her inherent goodness express itself. Every time one of the other candidates impressed, she was right there to help them start moving off the sands before she moved back to be with the other prospective candidates. She always looked hopeful whenever an egg started to rock on the sands, yet never unhappy that it wasn't her dragon.
Finally, the last egg had hatched and impressed. Filan was left on the sands with all the others who had failed to impress this time. Harry walked over to them, having come down out of the stands earlier in preparation for this necessary speech.
"As we explained might happen," began Harry, gently, "almost half of you have failed to impress. It is NOT the end of the world, you will all be given the opportunity to impress at each and every hatching, as long as you are young enough. I have seen some candidates return as many as five times before 'their' dragon was ready for them!
"Any of you who wish may return home to your parents or, you may remain here at the Weyr, helping to care for the new dragons, until the next hatching. Please let one of the Weyrling Masters know what you plan to do, so that arrangements may be made. I know that some of you already live in the Weyr, but you still need to talk to the Weyrling Master if you want to be included in the next hatching."
As the unhappy candidates wandered over to one or another of the Weyrling Masters present, Harry wished there was some way he could offer more hope. Then he overheard Besulth talking to Filan.
"Don't worry, Little Mouse, I know you will make a wonderful Rider. Your soul-mate just hasn't been hatched yet."
"Thank you, Besulth," said Filan, appreciatively. "I will miss you terribly when I finally impress. Do you think The Weyrleader would allow you to be a part of my family?"
"I don't see why not," said Besulth, glancing at Harry. "Other unbonded dragons are making new families, why would we not be able to?"
"Oh, I hope so," cried Filan, as she hugged Besulth's neck fiercely. "You have been the first one I've ever known who really cares about who I am and not just what I can do for you!"
Harry smiled to himself as he continued to walk off the hot sands. Perhaps he should let the unbonded dragons start laying more eggs if this was how they were going to bond with others.
Hogwarts Weyr, June 16, 2021...
It seemed like they had started a family tradition. Every time since they had first visited the Hogwarts Weyr, Harry, Hermione, May, and their children Daniel and Mary, would spend the last evening before their parents returned to Pern just inside the Hogwarts Weyr entrance. Sometimes they talked about how the school experience was working out for the children. Sometimes they talked about the Earth's situations. Tonight, however, they had somehow gotten onto the topic of what the children thought they would do once they graduated.
"I think I would like to come back one day and teach at Hogwarts," said Mary, decisively. "The material is so easy, I want to add something that would make even the best students really stretch just to meet the basic requirements. They would have to push themselves hard to do really well. I think some students would welcome something like that."
Hermione just smiled as Harry said, "You remind me of your mother, Hermione, when we were at Hogwarts. She used to hound me unmercifully to do my homework, to finish my reports, to do better than I was. I think she's the reason I did so well in school. When I learned something, it was because I wanted to use the knowledge. I didn't learn for the sake of learning. Some might enjoy your challenge, I know Hermione would have, but I'm not sure I would have."
"Well," said Mary thoughtfully. "Maybe if I can make the classes more useful than theoretical, it would make it more popular."
"It would with me," agreed Harry, encouragingly. "Whatever you do, don't let others make your decisions. It's good to listen to advice but take it in and act on it within your own framework of beliefs.
"How about you, Daniel?"
"I like working with the Dragons," said Daniel, decisively. "I want to see if I can get them to understand families better and include the unbonded dragons more into the fabric of our lives."
"That sounds like your mother, May, to me," said Harry. "She wants to heal anyone hurt. It sounds to me like you want to go further."
"I do," agreed Daniel. "I want them to understand why we weep when an egg fails to hatch. I want them to understand compassion and love as a feeling, not an urge."
May smiled at that and nodded her head up and down. "We can understand your desires to work on specific things right now," said May. "I just want you to keep all your options open. You may find you are capable of much more than you think right now."
"I agree," said Hermione. "I never thought I would become the Weyr's Lawsmith. I had no interest in law until Harry asked for my help. I couldn't imagine doing anything else now."
Though they spoke companionably for another hour, Harry had a feeling that they had already touched on the direction their lives were going to take in the future. Sybill Trelawney and Luna Lovegood could have told Harry all about his 'feeling'.
King's Cross Station, London, July 13, 2021, 0200 hours...
Guntaal was not happy. Ever since they had lost his sister in their aborted attempt to destroy this blighted, infidel train station, things had been going wrong for him. Shakir Ibn Nuh had developed a source of material and money that bypassed Guntaal. Right now, he was watching through an extra pair of night vision goggles that Shakir had procured as the three Syrian members of his team stealthily crept towards the station.
They were all dressed in black, on a pitch-black night, with no moon, to decrease any possibility of being sighted. The only way he could even tell that the others were there was because of the infrared goggles he wore. He and Dayax, his team second, were positioned on top of a building about half a mile away with a good line of sight. He was to warn them if he saw anyone else in the area. They were going to install the explosives with a remote detonator and would set it off during the morning rush.
As he watched, one of the moving, glowing figures disappeared. He must have walked behind something. Guntaal waited for him to re-appear but nothing happened. He started to get a little worried. He wasn't supposed to contact anyone unless he saw any night-watchmen or anything else that might stop them from installing their devices and escaping. So far, all Guntaal had seen were his men. He was careful not to look anywhere near the nearby skyline, because even on the darkest night, London glowed brightly.
There, a second figure had disappeared. They must be moving into some building near their destination to plant some of the explosives. Why hadn't they let him know that was part of their plan? He hated being cut out of the loop.
Now, the last figure had finally disappeared. Guntaal settled down to wait, so he could guide them around any possible interference back to their rendezvous. What Guntaal failed to realize was that the images he'd seen disappear had done so from the rear-most to the front, just the opposite of how they would have vanished if they were, in fact, entering a building.
King's Cross Station, 0200 hours...
"Does everyone see their target?" asked Ashton Kelly, Team 1 Leader, silently. He smiled grimly to himself as he received affirmative acknowledgments from the rest of his team relayed by Chornurth, the Team 1 Lead Dragon. This was so much better than anything the military had to offer! No one had to say a single word. Even in bright daylight, with just their Shadow Suits, they would have been hard to see. On this moonless night, with the invisibility cloaks engaged, their targets didn't stand a chance.
He looked at the heads-up display in his helmet and was happy to see the first two of his team moving in to intercept tail-end-Charlie, whoever that turned out to be. They were to take every target as potentially hostile, loaded with firepower and explosives, so they came loaded for bear. The wizards … and witch … amongst them could stun a human target with their wands, or any one of them could use the almost silent repeating crossbows they had been supplied with to fire a red stun bolt.
Once safely down, each target was carefully enclosed inside a blast-proof carbon-nanotube bag for transport. In fact, there was Kullith returning now after depositing their first captive at a special holding area on Dragon Isle.
There went the second target, down, captured, and transported, almost faster than he could think it. This was definitely better than fighting terrorists in the desert! Even better, there was zero chance of accidental friendly fire casualties.
Third target down and gone. Once Chornurth returned, they could all return to Dragon Isle, their relief was due any minute.
Dragon Isle, Security Holding Cell 1, July 13, 2021, 1500 hours...
The last man delivered had been placed here a little less than an hour ago, with his compatriots isolated elsewhere. In London, it was still 0300 and most people were still sound asleep.
Harry watched as his well-trained Hit Wizards stripped the man of anything that might prove dangerous. They carefully placed an apparently unopened bottle of water on the floor near where he lay on a thick exercise pad. They could commence as soon as he drank from the Veritaserum laced water. Harry didn't think this was an innocent bystander, but he wasn't going to take any chances.
He settled down behind the blast-proof one-way glass to watch what happened. They had decided to let them all recover from the stunner at their own rate as an experiment to see if the stun time varied by more than a few minutes. He wasn't planning to stay too long, the terrorists should be out for at least 3 or 4 more hours, he just wanted to see how the Aurors processed their prisoner.
King's Cross Station, 0630 hours...
Something was definitely wrong. The rest of the team should have been back hours ago! If they had been captured, there should have been some kind of disturbance as security forces searched the immediate area for more intruders, but there was nothing.
Perhaps they had been captured by some pre-set trap. That must be what had happened. Should he go down and try to release them or stay away so he could attack later? He almost got up to move to the area they were going to attack. "No!" Guntaal thought, vehemently. "Shakir tried to steal my team from me. Why should I help him!"
He would return well after daylight to see if he could see what trap they had fallen into. Then he would make better plans. He carefully moved back from the edge of the building and he and Dayax moved downstairs where they could change into more normal clothing. They couldn't go back to their safe house, so they had to find somewhere else to stay. Now that there were only two of them, why not stay at an inexpensive hotel somewhere?
Dragon Isle, The Weyrleader's Office, July 13, 2021, 2000 hours...
"Sorry, Harry," said Ashton Kelly, apologetically. "By the time they woke up and drank the water it was already too late. We should have awakened at least one of them right away to find out if there were others in the area. By the time my team got back to the area, there was no sign of the two men they left on lookout. Their safe house was also empty of any people but we found lots of explosives.
"What do you want us to do with our prisoners?"
Harry thought quietly for a few minutes, then, shaking out of his concentration, he replied, "Give them all the lightest possible dose of Veritaserum and turn them over to the London Police. Tell them exactly what they were doing and how we captured them. Give them everything the terrorists were carrying and tell them all about the safe house. They can handle the prisoners better than we can.
"Just consider today a learning experience but we definitely need to maintain our vigilance. If they had been able to cause an explosion during rush hour, the death toll would have been horrendous! Let the police know we are maintaining a watch for our own reasons but will let them know anything we find out."
"Will do, Harry," responded Ashton, regretfully. "It's a shame really. Since they didn't actually do any damage, the most they will likely get is some minor jail time and then get deported back to their own country so they can try again."
"The British police may not be able to do anything, but if we catch them again under the same circumstances, they will not get a third opportunity," said Harry, regretfully. "I don't want to fight anyone, but if it's us or them, I'd rather it be them. If the rest of the world cannot take action, then certain people will just have to 'disappear'.
"We must do everything in our power to ensure that anyone we catch for a second time is actually still trying to cause the rest of the world harm."
Harry watched Ashton leave his office and wondered again if he shouldn't get more actively involved. He had very little to do now, unlike May and Hermione who had their continuing Weyr responsibilities. Most of his work had now been accomplished and most of what was left had been delegated to others. He didn't necessarily want to get involved in a fight, but it would be nice to be able to get out and just join in on a patrol once in a while.
"Cheki, when was the last time we went flying together?" asked Harry.
"About 4 days ago," said Cheki. "Can we go now!?"
"Yes, Cheki, let's go now for a while," said Harry, decisively as he grabbed up his flight helmet from the nearby table.
Spath's Weyr, Hatching Grounds, Nov 22, 2021...
"Forty eggs again," said May, slightly frustrated. "Do you know what is going on, Harry?"
"I think I do," replied Harry. "I set an upward limit for the number of bonded and unbonded dragons and I think they are starting to slow down in anticipation of reaching that number." Harry also thought there was another reason why egg production had slowed dramatically, but he didn't want to say anything, He was sure that, when the proper time came, egg production would ramp up sharply on its own.
"Oh," said May. "That actually makes sense. Weren't you going to increase the number of dragons on Earth, though?"
"Yes, but I haven't let the dragons know officially yet. I want to see how tensions on Earth settle out first."
"Ah," said May, distractedly. "Look, one of the eggs is starting to rock!"
The dragons started to hum louder to encourage the eggs and the candidates edged forward even closer. Suddenly one, two, then three eggs started wildly rocking on the hot sands. One cracked open and a bronze pushed his way out. Harry watched the bronze carefully as he made his way to one of the candidates.
"His name is Spamalth!" cried Vash with joy as he hugged the bronze's head to his chest.
"Welcome, Spamalth," said Harry gently to the new dragon. "Follow your Rider and he will give you your first feeding."
"Thank you, Weyrleader," said Spamalth, looking at him in a smug manner. "Isn't my Rider wonderful!"
"Yes, he is," responded Harry. "Go and eat now, and take good care of him."
"I will!" exclaimed Spamalth. "For he is mine and I am his!"
While Harry was checking on the first hatched, six more eggs had spilled their content onto the sands and the young dragons had impressed. Harry looked over at Filan. Still nothing. He hoped she impressed soon or she would be too old. After all she had gone through, she deserved some happiness.
Spath's Weyr, Hatching Grounds, 6 hours later...
There were two eggs and 42 candidates left on the sands. Riders had been taking it, in turn, to carry drinks and light snacks out to those waiting for their egg to hatch. Finally, the last two eggs started to rock. There was a sharp intake of breath from everyone present as all eyes went to the eggs. The dragons present increased the power of their humming so much that the very sands were dancing around in standing interference wave patterns.
Harry was glad they had long ago switched to the thick-soled, heavily insulated shoes for the candidates. They never would have been able to stay on the sands so long otherwise. As it was, some were definitely suffering from the heat. If this had lasted much longer they would have had to at least come off the sand and onto the stands where it was a lot cooler. He would have to ask around to see if anyone had any ideas on how to keep the candidates more comfortable during long hatchings.
Suddenly one of the eggs literally exploded apart as the hatchling inside made a strong push with wings, feet, and neck at the same time. It was a bronze, so large it didn't seem possible it could have fit inside the small egg. No wonder it had seemed to explode. Harry watched tiredly as the dragon made its way, unerringly to Nutan.
"He says his name is Crioyerth!" exclaimed Nutan, who then tiredly but jubilantly led his dragon off the hot sands towards where Hagrid waited near the food pens.
Several of the candidates finally had too much. They despondently started moving slowly away from the last egg, towards the entrance to the Hatching Grounds by the stands. Even though some were leaving, none of them turned their backs on the last egg, so they all saw when it started to rock back and forth. Instantly, the outbound drift reversed as they made their way back nearer the egg.
The egg was moving so fast now, it appeared the dragon inside must be frantic. In fact, it started to roll in small circles that got larger and larger until the egg made straight for one of the candidates. Filan didn't know what to do until the egg stopped against her legs and she put her hands on the shell. Instantly, she was in contact with the tiny dragon inside.
"Help me!" it called weakly.
Filan looked around for something she could use as a tool to help break the shell, but nothing was nearby. She started hammering on the shell trying to break it but it was just too thick and hard. Suddenly, Harry touched her on the shoulder and offered her a small, 5-pound sledge he had conjured. She grabbed it and started hammering for all she was worth on a particular section of the shell. Finally, the shell cracked and Harry stepped in closer to help pull the extra thick shell apart.
Filan was still pounding with the hammer, but now in a line to extend the original crack. As she worked, she could feel the small life inside getting weaker but still trying to break out. She worked carefully but as fast as she could for the safety of the hatchling, to extend the crack. She had managed to extend the original crack halfway around the egg when Harry, adding a touch of magical force to his efforts finally managed to finish pulling the egg apart.
Out tumbled the smallest hatchling he had ever seen. It was barely the size of a large dog and it was pure black! Harry started to wonder if they had made a mistake but instantly changed his thoughts to reassuring ones for the benefit of the young dragon.
Filan knelt down and cradled the hatchling to her chest. When she finally looked up enough to see what the dragon was doing, she looked directly into its eyes and impressed.
"She says her name is Lanolth!" exclaimed Filan, wondrously. "Isn't she beautiful!"
Harry looked at the tiny dragon and asked, "How do you feel, Lanolth? I know you are hungry. Your Rider will help you get food soon, but I need to know if you are alright."
"I am fine, Weyrleader," responded Lanolth to both her Rider and Harry. "I don't know why my shell was so hard, but I've known for hours that my Rider was near. I just couldn't get to her! Now I am free and we will be the best Dragon and Rider on all of Pern!"
Harry smiled and sent Filan and Lanolth on their way to the feed pens. He then turned to the last of the disappointed candidates and gave them the same offer all previous unbonded candidates had been given; to stay or to go and return. When he was finished and the last of the candidates had morosely wandered off the sands, he strode over to the feeding pens to find May. Finally, he found her at one of the Hatchling Apartments watching Filan and Lanolth.
"Well, any ideas?" asked Harry.
"I will have to analyze the shell fragments to try to determine why the shell was so thick and hard," said May, distractedly. "The color seems all wrong too. Lanolth doesn't appear to be any type of dragon that has ever appeared on Pern or Earth before. Other than appearance, she is healthy and extremely happy with her Rider.
"I don't know how she managed to get her egg rolling enough to roll it to her Rider, but I'm glad she did. I don't think she could have survived for much longer. I'm wondering if some of the recently failed hatchings might have been similar."
"If so, we will have to be ready," said Harry, decisively. "I don't know why Lanolth is different, but have a feeling it may be important. Whatever she was born to do, she may need help."
Spath's Weyr, Hatching Grounds, Feb 15, 2022...
Another 40 dragons had hatched. Fortunately, none of the hatchlings had any problems, though May and her other Weyrhealers were standing by ready, just in case. Thanks to Harry, they all had a new medical instrument: a five-pound cross-peen hammer. Instead of the normal ball on one side, the hammer had a wedge-shaped head that might come in useful if they had to break into another hard shell. May had been very strict with her instructions about when to use or not to use the new hammer. Hatchlings, though large, were still relatively delicate.
Harry watched as Lekka strutted off the sands with her newly hatched dragon, Birlerth tight at her side. They were the last to bond. He wondered how the new riders would shake out. There were a few he could see making good leaders, others would make good wingmen, all would make excellent riders.
On the plain below Spath's Weyr, Mar 12, 2022...
Vash had been casually exploring the area north of Spath's Weyr and west of the stream, looking for new plants that might be useful. He had seen a likely-looking patch but had stumbled and fallen into it. Fortunately, he didn't seem to be hurt, other than an intense itching all along the side he had fallen on. Unfortunately for him, he wasn't wearing his flight suit or wearing his amulet, it was just too nice a day!
"Spamalth, let's go back to the Weyr. I don't know what is causing this itching, but it seems to be getting worse!" said Vash, irritably.
Once Vash was firmly on his back, Spamalth jumped up and went Between.
Spath's Weyr, Outside ER1...
When Spamalth landed, an emergency response team was waiting, which was fortunate, because Vash was now a raving lunatic. He jumped off his dragon and tried to attack the approaching doctors with his bare fists! There was a magical healer amongst them, so he stunned Vash until they could get him restrained.
"Weyrleader, I need your help!" called Spamalth, becoming more and more distraught as his rider became more and more mentally detached. "My rider is sick and his mind doesn't feel right!"
Harry ported down to where the doctors were still struggling with a patient that should have been all but comatose from the stun. Chekiath joined him seconds later. Harry cast a healing spell and a pain relief spell on Vash to no effect, so he decided to stay with Spamalth to help Cheki calm him down.
"Spamalth, calm yourself," ordered Harry, calmly. "The doctors will find out what is wrong with your rider and will do everything they can to help him. You must help him by staying clear-headed and calm. Let me see your memories of what happened just before he started acting so oddly." After watching the memory, Harry grabbed a medium-sized sample container, made sure his amulet was in position, put on his flight gloves and helmet, and jumped up on Chekiath. By now, there were several other dragons and riders gathered around Spamalth helping to keep him calm.
"I will return soon," explained Harry. "I'm going to get a sample of the plants Vash fell into." With that. Cheki jumped up and they went Between. About 5 minutes later they returned. Harry jumped off Cheki's back and ran into the ER with the filled sample case.
"Cheki, please contact May and ask her to get down here immediately," requested Harry, quickly. "I don't know what is going to happen to Vash, but having an agitated dragon will not help. Tell her that I want her to try to keep Spamalth from going Between if anything bad happens to Vash!" Harry understood that without Vash providing his side of the bond, Spamalth would have a great deal of difficulty focusing. It wasn't so much that his intellect was being affected, it was the overwhelming worry Spamalth was now feeling.
Spath's Weyr, Inside ER1...
Harry tried to stay out of everyone's way as they rushed about performing an analysis of the plants he had brought back. While he waited, he contacted Meekun at Benden Weyr to ask his healer if they knew what the plants were and if they were a serious threat to his rider. Half an hour later he had the information.
"They're called Sticklebush plants," Harry told the physician in charge, Doctor Jayden Waters. "They are hard to see in the spring while the sap is rising and the sap can harm humans. The spines are even more dangerous as they can cause infections or enter the bloodstream. They can be deadly if its long thin spines worm their way into the flesh and work their way into the heart."
"That could be a real problem," said Doctor Waters. "We can't see if any spines worked their way into his blood vessels, but he definitely has a severe infection. We can fight the infection but I don't know how we can counter the spines. Do you know if the Pernese have any way to counter them?"
"Not that they told me," said Harry. "Please do all you can for Vash. I don't want to lose a rider and dragon over something so stupid!"
"We are working on the samples you brought us," said Jayden, tensely. "I'm hoping we can find something we can use to dissolve or at least soften the spines while they are in the body without hurting the patient more. We have already opened him up and put him on a heart bypass machine. If the filter can catch the spines, that may resolve that issue. We won't know for a while. I'm really thankful you chose to equip the hospital here with all the latest equipment. I'm sure we would have already lost any number of patients were that not so."
"Just keep me informed, please, Doctor," requested Harry. "I have a very confused dragon to try to calm."
Harry walked back out to the main cavern where Cheki and three other dragons and May were doing their best to keep Spamalth calm while he suffered from the loss of his rider's bond.
"Cheki, let's slowly move Spamalth into one of the recovery rooms near where they are working on Vash," suggested Harry. "That way he can be nearer his rider and keep an eye on him. It might help."
Harry maintained a tight mental connection with Spamalth as they moved him to one of the dragon stalls in the ER, near where they were working on Vash. It seemed to help, as it was the only human bond Spamalth was aware of. Harry could feel Spamalth mentally clinging to his connection as they moved into the stall. Harry had the partitions between the stalls on either side removed so that Cheki and the other dragons could move in as well. They all maintained close mental contact as well as a tight physical contact.
Suddenly, Vash started convulsing and the doctors rushed to get him stabilized again. Spamalth roared out in anguish, "My Rider!" and tried his best to work his way clear of the dragons holding him prisoner on the floor. It was four dragons against his one, and he almost succeeded anyway, so great was his need to go to his rider.
Fortunately one of the attending doctors managed to clear the Heart-Lung machine of the obstruction and Vash settled down again. Harry looked up to get an explanation and was told, "One of the spines got caught in the pump and was splintered into many smaller pieces. It temporarily stopped the pump but we got it going again and the pieces have been filtered out."
"Spamalth, I need you to try to remain calm for your rider," ordered Harry, calmly. "The doctors cannot save him if you interfere."
"But I cannot feel him! Where has he gone! I see him, but cannot feel him!" moaned Spamalth to Harry through their mental bond.
"He is right here," Harry reassured the agonized dragon. "He is fighting to come back to you but you must be strong!"
"Harry, can you try to reach Vash with a Mind spell of some type?" asked May. "Perhaps if you can reach him and let him know we are helping it will calm him down enough so the doctors can finish healing him."
Harry reached out to Vash with a legilimency spell and slowly and carefully entered his mind, all the while being aware that Spamalth was present as well. They entered Vash's mind together and found terror and agony. Finally, Harry was able to find the small kernel that was Vash's consciousness. They approached it gingerly until Spamalth was able to make contact. It was like a drop of water hitting a dry paper towel, Vash's consciousness absorbed into Spamalth's and they were closer than ever. Both calmed and Harry gently disengaged.
Harry looked up at Vash and his dragon and hoped that he had done the right thing. At this point, only time would tell.
"Does anyone know if Vash or Spamalth were close to any other rider/dragon pair?" asked Harry of anyone present who might be able to help.
"I got the impression that Spamalth liked Buruth," said Cheki, hesitantly. "But they are stationed at Telgar."
"I don't care," said Harry decisively. "Call Buruth and get them here now!" Harry listened as Cheki contacted Buruth. It would take a little while, as Ralne had been sound asleep. It was night where she was.
Thirty minutes later, Buruth appeared in the main cavern and she and Ralne hurried into the ER. Harry and May met her before she could get too close to where Vash was being worked on.
"Will he be alright, Weyrleader?" asked the anxious young woman. "We were going to go through a bonding ceremony and request a transfer to the same Weyr."
"We don't know right now," said Harry as calmly as he could, wandlessly casting a light calming spell on Ralne while he talked. "Right now we need you and Buruth to help keep Spamalth occupied and grounded while his bond with his rider is disrupted."
Chekiath moved away from the group around Spamalth as Buruth took his place. Ralne grabbed Spamalth's jaw and forced his eyes to look at her while she talked to him. Harry looked up and spotted Eddie Took nearby. He walked over to her.
"Is there anything the Goddess can do for him," asked Harry? "We are already doing everything we can but I'm not sure it will be enough."
"I will ask," replied Eddie, and she started chanting in a low voice.
Spath's Weyr, ER #1, three hours later...
"I don't know if it was us or Eddie, but all the spines seem to be gone now," said Doctor Waters, softly. "I don't know what you did to calm the two of them down, but it needs to be reversed now, so we can get some valid readings from Vash."
Harry sat down next to Vash and again carefully used a legilimency spell to enter Vash's mind. There he found Vash and Spamalth, no longer merged but close and comforting each other.
"Vash, Spamalth," called Harry. "You must separate now so the doctors can finish healing Vash."
"I am afraid," said Vash and Spamalth together.
"It is alright to be afraid but you must separate now to finish healing," urged Harry. "The doctors will not be able to help Vash if you stay here!"
He started to gently tug the entity he saw as Spamalth away and back to his own body. When he finally succeeded, he opened his eyes tiredly and looked at a much improved Vash. Most of the tubes were out of his body and he seemed to be resting peacefully. He glanced over at Spamalth who was alert but calm and staring right back at him.
"Thank you, Weyrleader," said Spamalth. "I don't think we could have lived without your help!"
"I think Eddie Took might have had something to do with it," suggested Harry. "Why don't you talk to her for a while as you wait for Vash to wake up."
Spath's Weyr, The Weyrleader's Inner Office, Mar 14, 2022...
"We had a close call two days ago," said Harry to his wives and Eddie Took. "I want to try to develop some means of keeping half of a bonded pair alive if the other half dies.
"We came so close to losing both lives two days ago and I don't want a repeat if we can help it. What happens if something like this happens for a larger bonded group!? I can't imagine what Cheki and I would do if we lost one of you, much less two if one of you dies and your dragon follows!" he said to his wives.
"It is something we will all have to face at some time," said Eddie, soothingly. "But there may be something we can manage for 'untimely' accidents such as just happened. Let me pray on it for a few days and see if the Goddess has any insight. I will get back to you when I have anything useful to offer.
"In the meantime, I must say that whatever you did to calm the two of them down at the height of the crisis, seemed to help more than anything the doctors were doing."
"I was just trying to use a legilimency spell to reach Vash but Spamalth was still tagging along. When I found Vash, they seemed to merge," said Harry. "I'm not sure I would be able to do the same again. One of the things we CAN do is stress that everyone wears their full flight suits and their amulet any time they are exploring on Pern.
"We should also let all bonded pairs know about what happened. It wasn't that long ago that Spamalth would have automatically jumped Between, even though we eventually saved his rider. We need to make sure the dragons know that, even though they cannot feel their rider, we may still be able to save them. If they jump Between prematurely, they are leaving their rider to a lifetime of loss."
Spath's Weyr, Hatching Grounds, Mar 21, 2022...
The latest Weyrlings had been delayed from starting their World Tour because one of the dragons had developed an infected scale. While Lekka was devastated, it hadn't really been all that bad. Birlerth hadn't been in any discomfort yet and the infection was quickly cleared up. May just looked at it as another way to drive home the importance of carefully checking their dragons.
Harry watched the dragons disappear with mixed emotions. He wished he could be going with them but every time it looked like he was going to be able to relax, something new came up! There always seemed to be just too much happening for him to take time off unless it was very carefully scheduled. Originally, the World Tour had taken about a month with over 30 Weyrs on Earth. On Pern, there were a lot fewer Weyrs but there were still a few Weyrs on Earth that also needed to be visited. Harry had decided that the visit to each Weyr would be extended in such a way that all the new riders had plenty of time to get comfortable with their new sight images, had a chance to meet the current inhabitants, and start making up their minds where they wanted to be assigned when the tour was over. For most of the new riders, their scheduled visit to Earth would be the first time they had ever been off-planet. To make sure they had a pleasant experience, he had assigned triple the Riders necessary for the Earth portion of the trip. Each new rider would always have other riders to help if necessary with extra eyes to watch for trouble.
Hogwarts Weyr, May 15, 2022...
Harry had finally decided that enough was enough. This year he and his wives were going to take a real 'vacation'. It would be a sabbatical for all three of them. Harry was going to help teach some add-on classes in "Defense Against the Dark Arts", May was going to help teach some classes on "Healing of Magical Creatures", and Hermione was going to teach a special class called, "How to Fly without a Broom".
Harry had made sure he remembered how to perform a Patronus and other defensive spells. He also had a few special defensive and offensive spells he knew no one here had ever heard of. He was looking forward to teaching the 6th and 7th-year students.
Hermione had asked a full wing of unbonded dragons to help with her class. She would be 'teaching' 2nd through 7th-year students, basically, any student that was allowed to fly a broom. She had a feeling her class would be the most popular. She also would be teaching at least the basics of dragon care.
May would be concentrating on those 7th-year students that had opted to follow their Hogwarts education with a University degree in Veterinary Medicine. She had arranged for some extra diagnostic tools to be delivered from Dragon Isle to the Hogwarts Weyr so she would have some unexpected visual aids. She also had a theory she wanted to check that might allow the injured dragons here to at least get airborne once more.
The main thing all three of them would be doing would be spending as much time with their children as possible.
Chekiath had earlier finished creating a new dragon apartment, opening onto the cliff-side but also connected internally with the other apartments. Harry was just finishing up the space-enhancing spell needed to allow all three dragons plenty of room. He had also conjured the gravel and sand for their bed. It wouldn't last forever but would still be here long after they left in mid-July. When the conjuration finally died out, real gravel and sand could be brought in for the next tenants.
"Finished yet, Harry?" asked May, as she glanced in the entrance of the new dragon apartment. "They are ready for us now."
"Just finishing up now," replied Harry, as he conjured the last of the sand for the dragon beds. "Will you and your consorts be comfortable here, Cheki?" he asked.
"Yes, Harry. It is even tall enough we can jump up and go Between to be wherever you need us that much faster," said Cheki. "Go do what you need to do. My consorts and I are going on a shagging flight."
"Have fun," said Harry, as he turned to go to the main hall.
Hogwarts Main Hall...
"Just a quick announcement before we start our evening meal tonight," said Minerva McGonagall, the Hogwarts Headmistress. "We have invited three guest instructors to teach here for the next two months. All three are Dragonriders that some of you may have heard about.
"Harry Potter is a mage and he has agreed to teach a special class of 'Defense Against the Dark Arts'. He has evidently developed some new defensive and offensive spells which will be useful for anyone who may come up against an attacking spell-caster. The class is specifically designed for 6th and 7th-year students but he said he will accept earlier years if they have a recommendation from their Spells instructor. I have been informed that quite a few senior Aurors will also be taking the classes.
"May Potter is the world's foremost authority on Dragon Physiology. She will be teaching a special class on 'Healing of Magical Creatures' and has arranged the delivery of some very interesting equipment from Dragon Isle to help in the classes. If you have an interest in the healing arts as they apply to magical creatures, I think you will enjoy her classes. Please be aware that she is a normal. As such she would not normally have any defenses against magical pranks. Just remember, she came here with an extremely large dragon who would tear her way through this castle to get to her Rider if she had to. I will not be pleased if any of our students are the reason our school gets damaged!
"Hermione Potter is a witch and is the Weyrs' Lawsmith. She will be teaching a special class called 'How to Fly without a Broom'. It is only open to those who have already finished their required 'Broom Flight Class'. Sorry, 1st years are not eligible. She has told me that the classes will last approximately 2 hours a session and will start after the morning meal each day and extend on into the late afternoon if necessary. Each session will be limited to 60 students but there will be a sign-up list, so get your name on it early.
"All three classes will start tomorrow so, if you are interested, please sign up in your dorms tonight."
As the Headmistress sat down, the tables filled with food, and excited students started talking with each other.
"Thank you for the introduction, Headmistress," said May. "I'm sure I didn't have to worry about magical pranks, but thank you in any case. I'm sure that, even if someone tried something, nothing would have been bad enough for Trath to break into Hogwarts."
"I'm sure that is true," said Minerva, with a slightly grim look, "but I have some students who could benefit from the image of one of the largest dragons in the world tearing apart a castle just to get at them!"
"I don't suppose it would hurt," said May, gayly. "Harry made sure I had protection against any possible problems before we left home, though."
"Oh," said Minerva, interestedly. "Perhaps I should attend some of his classes as well."
"I think you would find it very interesting, Professor," said Harry.
Hogwarts Lawn, May 16, 2022...
May had the five injured dragons in a small arc in front of her. They were on the small hillock on the opposite side of the drive from the main entrance, in clear view of any student who wished to watch. She wanted to test her theory before classes started, so had decided to start early this morning.
"Lornth, I know you can still fly but it's painful to do so," said May, consolingly. "I don't want you to try to fly today but I do want you to access your latent telekinetic abilities to hold yourself in the air, just above the lawn.
"If it helps, you may extend your wings, but I don't want you to fly."
"I'm not sure I understand, Weyrhealer," said a very confused Lornth.
"Trath, would you and Chekiath please join us," asked May.
When the three dragons arrived (Comaloth was curious), May asked, "Chekiath, would you please give everyone here a view of your memory when you rescued the Cheetah kit from the rocksnake?"
May and all the dragons saw Cheki unable to leap up to save the kit and then they saw the rocksnake jerked into the air. More importantly, they understood, from the dragon link, how Cheki had done it.
Slowly Lornth extended his wings slightly and stood quite still for a few moments. Slowly, he started to rise off the ground. "This is hard to do!" complained Lornth, as he came back down with a slight bump. "But it doesn't hurt as much as flying."
"When you fly, you unconsciously control your weight so that you are light enough for your wings to support you and whatever load you are carrying," explained May, carefully. "What you were doing just now is consciously controlling your weight instead of flying. I think that, with enough practice, even those dragons not able to 'fly' using their wings, could 'fly' using this method.
"It will probably take a lot of practice but isn't it worth it to be able to fly again?"
May received a generally enthusiastic response from the five injured dragons, so she proceeded with her experiment.
"Wenalonth, I want you to try now," said May, encouragingly. "I know you are missing a part of your wing sail, but I don't want you to fly with your wings. Just think about getting lighter and lighter until you rise straight up and hover in the same place."
Wenalonth got a look of extreme concentration on her face and finally started to rise up from the ground. She was concentrating so hard, she didn't even notice it until the other dragons congratulated her. She immediately lost concentration and fell to the ground with a thump.
All the dragons were now enthusiastic about this new game. Even Chekiath rose from the ground and hovered around the immediate area without flying. Finally, May called all the dragons back down.
"I don't know how tired this will make you, so I want you all to promise me you will not go too far above the ground for the next two weeks as you get used to 'flying' this way," said May, confidently. "At that time, I will talk with you again, specifically about how tired this new method of flying makes you feel. If you are not feeling overly tired after two weeks of practice, we can graduate to longer flying times and higher altitudes.
"Does anyone have any problems with that?"
"No, Weyrhealer!" exclaimed the dragons, all of whom had thought they would never enjoy flying again.
"I want everyone who tries this to make sure you retain detailed memories of how you feel before, during, and after," said May. "I need to try to determine how it affects your energy levels, whether or not you require extra food, and how much effort it is for you to maintain such flight.
"I will be working with you every day, in the mornings, so you can share your memories then. For now, we can keep practicing until I have to break for lunch."
Hogwarts Circular Drive...
Hermione had decided to set up inside the circular drive, right outside Hogwarts' main entrance. That way it would be convenient for the students. Right now, she was conducting an examination of the few yearlings amongst the volunteer dragons. She wanted to make sure they were all in good health and weren't suffering from any scale problems. As she finished up the last examination, she noticed a group of students nervously milling around just outside the entrance doors.
"Are you my first students?" Hermione called out to them.
"Yes, Miss," said a young 2nd-year witch. "We were told to wait outside the doors but don't know what to do from here."
"And what's your name?" asked Hermione, encouragingly. "All of you come on over here, near me."
"I'm Amelia Cole," said the young 12-year-old girl as she led the group of students over nearer to Hermione. "What were you doing?"
"I was inspecting the dragons for any health problems," said Hermione.
"But there aren't any dragons here!" exclaimed one of the other students.
Hermione turned around and looked at the dragons. She realized they were all shimmering slightly which must mean they were invisible to the others. She hadn't realized that she could see any invisible dragons other than her own.
"Please allow our new friends to see you," said Hermione to the dragons as she watched the students for their reactions. She didn't need to see the dragons to know when they became visible, there was a collective gasp from all the students present.
"That's one of the problems with dragons," said Hermione, smiling. "Their normal state is to be invisible to anyone except their rider. These are all unbonded dragons, meaning they don't have a rider, so they are really rather shy.
"Comaloth, would you mind coming over here please?" asked Hermione. As her dragon gently landed near the others, it was obvious that she was much larger than any of the others.
"This is my dragon, Comaloth," said Hermione to the students as she started rubbing her dragon's jawline. "She isn't nearly as shy as some of the others, but she will still tend to be invisible unless I ask her to be seen."
There was another gasp from the students who had gathered in a tight little group not far from Hermione. This new, beautiful golden-tinted dragon was easily twice the size of any of the other dragons present!
"OK, what I would like you to do is pick out a likely-looking dragon and introduce yourselves to them," explained Hermione. "They cannot talk but can hear and understand you. When you've introduced yourselves to them, they will reply telepathically, from their mind to yours. They enjoy their eye ridges scratched like this," she said, demonstrating on Comaloth.
Hermione watched as the tight little group slowly broke up, led by Amelia Cole. Soon enough, all the students had paired off with an unbonded dragon and they were getting to know each other. Many of the dragons had to actually lie on the ground so their new friends could reach to scratch their eye ridges. She planned on using the first hour to let them get to know each other and teach the humans a little about what it took to care for a dragon and how to get on one. The second hour would involve the dragons walking around with their riders on their backs, followed by a short flight around the local area so the students could see Hogwarts from the air. Hermione had told the dragons to take flight orders from no one but her, Harry, or May. If there was any problem at all, they were to return to their starting point and lie down so their riders could easily dismount.
Hogwarts, Room of Requirements...
Harry met early with a group of 30 Aurors from the Ministry of Magic. Most of them seemed overly sure of themselves and weren't certain Harry would be able to teach them anything at all. He decided to start with the one with the most seniority, the one who seemed the least sure about the benefits of meeting with Harry at all.
"Senior Auror Marshall," started Harry. "It seems you have some doubt about the usefulness of our class today. Would you mind helping me in a little demonstration?"
"Certainly, Mage Potter," said Harry Marshall, respectfully. "How may I be of assistance?"
"I am going to stand over by those manikins which we will eventually be using as targets. I want you to move in to about 10 ft. or closer, so there is no chance you can miss, and fire off the lowest level stun spell you can at me.
"I want everyone else to line up along either side and half watch me and the other half watch you."
Once everyone was in position, Harry stood placidly in place. When Auror Marshall was ready, he fired off his stun spell. Harry just stood there but Auror Marshall collapsed to everyone's amazement. Harry wasn't going to tell them about his amulet, but he was going to teach them the basic spell. After Auror Marshall had been revived, Harry started.
"What you just saw demonstrated was a Dragonrider's basic defense spell. It's called Protego Defens and I'm going to teach you how to cast it," began Harry. "Auror Marshall, would you say that it was effective?"
"I would say that it's definitely effective against a low-power stun spell," said Auror Marshall, grumpily. "I have yet to be in an engagement where our adversaries limited themselves to low-power stun spells."
Harry waited for the expected laughter to subside and then continue, "What would you say if I told you that the same spell would not only protect you from any of the unforgivable spells but also from muggle projectile weapons below a specific muzzle velocity.
"The reason I had you use a low-power spell was that this spell causes any other spell or physical projectile to reflect back onto the caster. Aren't you glad I didn't ask you to cast anything stronger?"
There was a murmur of amazed comments as Auror Marshall reconsidered his opinion about this session.
"There are two drawbacks to the spell," said Harry. "If two people, both protected by the spell, attack each other, their own spells will reflect back, through the defensive spell, and hit the caster. We have tested this out extensively and found no spell we know of that will penetrate the defense unless it is a reflection of a spell you, yourself cast. I suppose this could also be considered an advantage. If you are injured, you could cast a healing spell on someone you knew was protected and it would reflect back on you.
"The other drawback is that it is powered by your magical core. No matter how much magic you have, if you are being attacked by a large enough number of aggressors, eventually one of the attacks will get through. The larger your magical core, the longer it will take. You need to keep this in mind and try to minimize actually using the spell. This may seem counter-intuitive but the spell is designed as a last-ditch defense when everything else has failed. Please keep that in mind when you use it. Also, as long as the spell is active, anything trying to come through the protection causes a drain on your core. If you bump into a desk, that is an attack as far as the spell is concerned.
"Of much more concern is the fact that, if you are incapacitated somehow, your protective spell must be removed before you can be treated! A healing spell is a spell and will not be able to pass the Protego Defens."
Harry then started teaching them about the spell and how to craft it, layer upon layer. When they were finally finished for this class session, the Aurors were all enthusiastic about coming back to learn more.
Hogwarts Weyr, late that night...
After they had retired for the night, Harry, Hermione, and May sat near their dragons discussing the day. Each started with a simple explanation for the others about what they had accomplished.
"I'm really psyched about how well it's going with the infirm dragons that live here," said May excitedly. "Most of them have finally been able to get off the ground under their own power for the first time in years! I think with a lot of practice and encouragement, they will be getting around just as easily as their uninjured brothers and sisters."
"I was able to help my students overcome their initial fear of the dragons. By the end of the lesson, they were all really enjoying themselves. Comaloth told me that at least five of those that we interacted with are potential riders!"
"I had a little harder time getting started with the Aurors," said Harry. "Once I was able to demonstrate the Protego Defens spell to them, though, they all immediately realized it could really help them. They are all now excited to come back to learn more. I'm hoping they will be able to teach their fellow Aurors. The students I met with were all a lot more open-minded and were able to pick up a lot more, a lot faster."
They continued talking for the next hour before finally drifting off to sleep held comfortably in their dragon's paws.
Diagon Alley, May 21, 2022...
Hermione had wanted to show Diagon Alley to May, and the children needed to pick up a few potion ingredients, so they all trooped down to The Leaky Cauldron to give May the 'one penny tour'.
"Why are we going into this dusty old building?" asked May, curiously. "There doesn't seem to be anything here."
Harry cast a spell on May that allowed her to see more magical things than she ordinarily would be able to as a squib.
"Wow!" exclaimed May. "Where did everyone come from? And where did all the dust go? This place looks like a prosperous pub now!"
Harry just smiled and led her into a small, walled courtyard with a dustbin.
"Press that brick," said Harry, pointing to the third brick up and the second over from the trash bin.
May did as instructed and was astounded when the wall folded back on itself to form a large archway leading into another small street, almost an alley. As soon as they entered, the two children ran into the first shop on the right while their parents leisurely followed.
"This is Slug & Jiggers Apothecary," explained Harry. "This is where most of the local community purchase any required potion ingredients. They also sell finished potions here as well."
May looked around the shop with interest as the children finalized their purchases. "Is there anything in here that we could use on Pern that we can't get anywhere else easier?" she asked.
"Not really," said Hermione. "It's fairly easy for us to collect whatever we need by ourselves. Even the rarest of ingredients are only a trip Between away."
"Right," said May, as they continued on past what looked like a sporting goods store and a stationery store on their right and other, unidentifiable to her, stores on the left. Just opposite the stationery store was what looked like a pet store. Daniel stopped in there, Eeylops Owl Emporium, to purchase Owl treats for Hedwig.
"Three more storefronts down on the left is where we are headed next," said Harry, with a smile. "My treat."
When they arrived at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour, the children led them in and to a booth at the back.
"Is this where you get that Chocolate Demise that Emma Granger loves so much?" asked May.
"This is the place," confirmed Harry, as everyone ordered their favorite flavors. Forty-five minutes later, they left the shop after having an enjoyable time eating and talking about general topics.
Coming out of Florean's, they turned left down the alley and eventually came to the imposing facade of Gringotts.
"What's down that way?" asked May, pointing down a dark alleyway directly across from the bank. "It looks dreary!"
"That is Knockturn Alley," explained Harry. "They deal mostly with dark magic. It doesn't really come 'alive' until after dark."
"You could say the shoppers in Knockturn Alley are nocturnally predisposed," punned Hermione.
"In that case," retorted Harry, "the shoppers in Diagon Alley never see anything on the straight and narrow. They always look at everything out of the corner of their eyes ... diagonally."
"Oh, I think I'm going to be sick," complained Mary. "Parents trying to be punny!"
"Isn't that a parent's main job, to pun-ish their children unmercifully?" asked Harry.
"Now I remember why it is an advantage to go to school on another planet," commented Daniel.
"Which reminds me," said Harry, looking at Daniel and Mary. "I want to go into Gringotts and make sure there are still sufficient funds in our Family Vault here for anything we might need to do while on Earth. I also want to increase the amount being transferred into your private accounts to 100 Galleons a month."
When they came out an hour later, the children could access the Family Vault and withdraw as much as they needed, up to the entire contents. Harry wasn't too worried they would go wild, he usually kept less than a million in the Earth vault anyway. He would ask Gringotts Pern to let him know if the balance in the Earth bank ever dropped too low.
They walked out of Gringotts and turned to the right to continue down the Alley. At the next building, Hermione grabbed May and Mary and went inside. Harry looked up at the storefront, then back at Gringotts, and frowned.
"What's wrong, Dad?" asked Daniel, who had been left standing in the Alley with his father.
"We almost lost a very important Rider right in front of this store a little over 24 years ago," replied Harry, quietly. "He was caught in a crossfire between two wizards trying to kill each other. The casual violence of the assault still bothers me.
"Come on, let's go inside," said Harry. "I just thought of something else I need to try."
Daniel followed Harry into the tiny shop. The three girls were already looking at earrings when Harry and Daniel walked up. Harry waited until the three girls were engaged in animated conversation about the merits of some piece of jewelry before he stepped forward.
"Mr. Joyero?" asked Harry of the small, delicate-looking man behind the counter.
"Yes, it's Mr. Harry Potter, isn't it?" asked Teddy Joyero, now the owner of Joyero's Fine Jewelry. "I still remember that day, long ago when I first met you. Please, call me 'Ted'"
"In that case, please call me 'Harry'," said Harry. "I also remember that day with many different memories associated with it."
"Did your Rider survive?" asked Ted. "I never heard and not long after that, I became too busy taking over the store from my father to try to find out."
"Yes, he survived and has been married to the young lady for whom he had purchased the gifts from your store," replied Harry. "He was most grateful that one of the investigating Aurors was able to retrieve his gift to Mariah. They had a baby girl, Rosalee, who is now 19, is a Dragonrider in her own right, and will soon be attending University to get her degree in Mechanical Engineering."
"Thank you so much for the update, Harry," said Ted. "I have worried about it over the years. It is a relief to finally know. Please give my regards to him and his family next time you see them. Now, how may I help you?"
"I will," agreed Harry. "I would like to commission two pairs of special pierced earrings. I want platinum posts with a yellow gold dragon-in-flight as the design. There should be tiny blue gems for its eyes."
After a short time to get the exact dimensions that Harry required, they settled on tiny blue diamond chips for the eyes. Ted agreed to have them ready in about 4 months.
All the time Harry had been discussing the purchase with Ted, the other members of his family had been listening interestedly.
"Harry, what is this for?" asked Hermione, curiously.
"Remember those earrings we got from the Japanese?" Harry asked. "I thought I would try my hand at creating more. I figured that if I was going to create something, it might as well be something unique."
"Unique!" exclaimed May. "It sounds like they will be beautiful! I know I will want a pair whether or not you get the translation spell to work."
"I'm fairly certain the spell will be trivial. What I want to do is enchant every earring I create. That way, if you have a pair and need to give one to someone else, you will still have one that works for translation. I also wanted them easily identifiable with Dragonriders."
"Are you planning on making enough for all the Riders?" asked May. "That could get really expensive. It sounded like the earrings you wanted were going to cost about £100 a pair!"
"That would only be about 50 Galleons," said Harry. "I want every rider to be able to at least be able to understand what someone else is saying, even if he or she doesn't want to talk. It could make for fewer misunderstandings."
"In that case," said Hermione, "we will make it a required item of flight gear and it can be paid for out of the Weyr funds, just like the flight suits are now. There is no way I'm going to allow you to pay for almost ten thousand pairs of earrings out of your own money!"
Harry just smiled. He knew the financing wouldn't be a problem whether he did it or the Weyr. The earrings would get purchased and enchanted and every rider would get a pair. That's what mattered, making life better and easier for his riders.
Before they left Diagon Alley, Mary stopped in at Magical Menagerie to get some special treats for Crookshanks and they stopped in at Ollivander's to say hello.
Hogwarts Lawn, May 23, 2022...
May had her dragon patients arrayed in front of her again but this time she had a small group of interested students observing her. She had decided that the students should get involved as part of the classes. It would help the dragons and it would help the students in any future sessions they had with patients.
"Alright, there are two students per dragon," said May. "What I want you to do is one student stand to one side and observe as closely as he or she can while the other gets into a riding position on their assigned dragon and does their best to maintain mental contact with the dragon as we go through the exercises. The 'rider' will do their best to remember everything they and the dragon experience mentally.
"I'm going to have the dragons do a series of five exercises and then we will switch student positions and do the exercises five more times.
"What I am hoping to do is have the students build a better rapport with the dragons and I want the dragons to build up their stamina. We've already determined that the exercises are tiring the dragons. What I want them to realize is that it will make no difference if they have a rider or not. Once they get used to the first five exercises, we will shift to a new set."
"I know it's been a whole week," she said mentally to the dragons. "but it's been years since you did anything other than walk from one place to another. Your 'telekinetic' abilities are just like your muscles, they need to work to get stronger."
"OK, let's begin!"
Hogwarts Circular Drive...
Hermione was really enjoying the interaction between her students and the dragons. The dragons were having a lot of fun and each group of students got over their initial fear of dragons faster and faster as word of the classes spread throughout the school. She now allowed them to start flying about 15 minutes earlier than previous classes because they were so much more relaxed.
"OK, class, follow me as we fly west over the Forbidden Forest, south over the Quidditch Pitch, and then east over the lake," instructed Hermione. "We will finish our flight by going north and around the castle to circle back west and south to our starting point.
"I want all the students to remember as many landmarks as possible from the air, we will have a quiz later."
Hermione smiled at the 'whoops' from the students as they became airborne in their slow flight around Hogwarts. She had a feeling no one would be able to pass her quiz but wasn't too worried. She was more concerned with building a good rapport between the dragons and the students.
Hogwarts, Room of Requirements...
Harry had one of the 7th-year students try to stun him as Minerva watched in one of the rows of observers. She seemed almost as impressed as the Aurors had been last week. After the young girl, Ava Davis, had been revived, Harry began.
"What you just saw demonstrated was a Dragonrider's basic defense spell. It's called Protego Defens and I'm going to teach you how to cast it," began Harry. "Ava, would you say that it was effective?"
"I would say that it's definitely effective against a low-power stun spell," said Ava. "I'm not sure it would be all that useful in an engagement with Death Eaters."
Harry waited for the expected laughter to subside and then continue, "What would you say if I told you that the same spell would not only protect you from any of the unforgivable spells but also from muggle projectile weapons below a specific muzzle velocity.
"The reason I had you use a low-power spell was that this spell causes any other spell or physical projectile to reflect back onto the caster. Aren't you glad I didn't ask you to cast anything stronger?"
There was a murmur of amazed comments as Ava considered what might have happened.
"There are two drawbacks to the spell," said Harry. "If two people, both protected by the spell attack each other, their own spells will reflect back, through the defensive spell, and hit the caster. We have tested this out extensively and found no spell we know of that will penetrate the defense. The other draw-back is that it is powered by your magical core. No matter how much magic you have, if you are being attacked by a large enough number of aggressors, eventually one of the attacks will get through. The larger your magical core, the longer it will take. You need to keep this in mind and try to minimize actually using the spell. This may seem counter-intuitive but the spell is designed as a last-ditch defense when everything else has failed. Please keep that in mind when you use it. Also, as long as the spell is active, anything trying to come through the protection causes a drain on your core. If you bump into a desk, that is an attack as far as the spell is concerned.
"Of much more concern is the fact that, if you are incapacitated somehow, your protective spell must be removed before you can be treated! A healing spell is a spell and will not be able to pass the Protego Defens."
Harry then started teaching them about the spell and how to craft it, layer upon layer. Minerva became more animated and excited the more she became involved. It made Harry feel good to see her so enthusiastic about learning again. Her enthusiasm for teaching had seemed to diminish with Albus' death. When they were finally finished for this class session, everyone was enthusiastic about coming back to learn more.
ICW Headquarters, Paris, France, June 30, 2022...
Harry, Daniel, and Mary followed Arthur Weasley into the general assembly hall and sat with him in the box allocated for the British delegation. Shortly after, the lights flickered indicating the session was about to start.
The Chief Mugwump walked into the chamber and signaled to the hit wizard in his chamber, who in turn signaled to the others by flashing the room lights again. The lights dimmed again and came up to about half their previous level. The Chief Mugwump took his position and banged a heavy stone against the table.
Arthur rose and waited to be recognized by the Mugwump. "You wish to address our assembly, Delegate Weasley?"
"I do, Chief Mugwump," said Arthur. "You all know Mage Potter who was presented just before his 16th birthday. It is with no small amount of delight that I introduce to you today, Britain's fourth and fifth mages. Ladies and gentlemen, Daniel James Potter and Mary Rose Potter."
The Mugwump looked at Daniel and Mary expectantly. Arthur sat and Daniel rose first.
"Chief Mugwump, honored delegates, I thank you for your gracious welcome. While we were raised on Pern, we were born in the UK and are currently in our last year at Hogwarts. I fully expect to impress a dragon soon and plan to follow in my father's footsteps by becoming the best Dragonrider I possibly can be. Our nation is currently fighting Thread incursions on Pern and it will be many years before we are able to turn back to Earth and expand our presence here for the benefit of all intelligent species."
Daniel sat and Mary rose.
"Chief Mugwump, honored delegates, I thank you for your gracious welcome. I am also expecting to impress soon, but after having enjoyed the halls of academia, it is my wish to eventually return to the UK and attempt to gain a teaching post at Hogwarts. From there, I feel I will be well-positioned to help not only the Dragon Nation but the wizarding world of Earth."
Mary sat and polite applause rose to welcome them to the wizarding world.
Hogwarts Lawn, July 15, 2022...
May's five patients were again arrayed in front of her, only this time their student friends were arrayed with them.
"You have all done very well," said May, with a beaming smile. "So well in fact, that my dragon patients no longer seem to be the invalids they once thought themselves to be."
She waited for the cheers from the students and the rumbling of happiness from the dragons to subside before continuing.
"I know it has been a lot of work for our dragon friends but I'm sure that the humans amongst this group worked just as hard. Without humans befriending the dragons, there would have been no progress, because they would not have felt there was any reason to progress. You have given them something that they have needed more than anything else, a reason to get better. You have all accomplished something very remarkable here and whether you realize it or not, you have also forged a lasting bond of friendship which will benefit both species for the rest of your lives."
Hogwarts Circular Drive...
To Hermione, it looked like most of the school was arrayed all around the drive where they usually held their classes. She had wanted to congratulate her students and thank the dragons for helping but suddenly found it hard to talk. Finally, she took a deep breath and cleared her throat.
"Today will be the last day that I will be here to help with bridging the gap between two very wonderful species of intelligent beings," began Hermione, through her sonorus. "The humans have really learned that dragons are loving, caring beings, and just all-around fun to be with. The dragons have learned all about the human idea of friendship.
"It is my hope, though I cannot command it like The Weyrleader can, that these dragons and many others over the years will continue to come to Hogwarts to develop new friendships and to cultivate old ones. Being an unbonded dragon doesn't mean you have to suffer alone. Instead of having one bonded partner until one of you dies, you can now have many thousands of friends. Even if one dies, you can continue because you have others to rely on and who rely on you.
"Learn to live your own life that includes many others ... all of you!"
There were loud cheers and applause from the human audience and deep thrums of approval from the dragons, who had indeed learned more than they had ever thought possible.
Hogwarts, Room of Requirements...
All his students, including his son and daughter, were in the room, surrounding him. Over 120 Aurors and a slightly larger number of Hogwarts students and staff.
"I called you all together today because someone filched Snape's desk …," began Harry. He waited while the snickers and laughs among the staff died down. He knew that anyone who didn't know about the incident would soon learn about the infamous house-elf thief. Good thing Dobby spent all his time on Pern now.
"It has been my honor and pleasure to share some knowledge with all those here today," he continued. "When I arrived, I had no idea what to expect. After all, I've never taught before. I was pleasantly surprised to find a … mostly … receptive audience," Harry said with a wink, he looked at Auror Marshall, who winked back.
"After the first demonstration of the first defensive spell, though, I am fairly sure I had everyone's complete attention. I had each group for two hours a day for two entire weeks. In those 14 days per group, we covered many defensive spells unknown anywhere else on this planet. I hope they serve you well.
"We also covered many offensive spells, most also unknown on this planet. I hope you never have to use them.
"I will tell you that I have not taught you everything I know. If I did, there would be no incentive for you to try to create new spells of your own. I have taught you how to craft new spells and how to deconstruct existing spells. Both skills should prove useful to you in the future. Whether you need a new spell or not, there is something extremely satisfying in creating something new that is all yours, even if it never gets used.
"My Protego Defens alone is quite useful but has several limitations, as we discussed in class. I know what those limitations are. I also know of some not mentioned. I leave you all with the homework of finding out what those limitations are, not through using it until it fails, which could be extremely dangerous. Find them through deconstructing the spells included. Study the layering of spells and how they interact. If you study close enough and thoroughly enough, you should develop new insights.
"Don't work alone on your deconstructions. The best way to study is with others. The larger the group you work in, the more likely you are to find out something new as each individual finds little pieces of the puzzle. Try to find ways to defeat the spell, because as you look for ways around the protections, you will find ways to improve those protections.
"To Hogwarts Castle, I would like to express my thanks for allowing us to use the Room of Requirements in all its varied modes for our meetings. Clarence, I know you're listening. If I can ever do anything to help you or your charges, please get in touch." At those words, the lights in the room winked off and on in a pattern around the room. Clarence was definitely listening.
"To Headmistress McGonagall, I would like to express my appreciation for allowing me to return and find out I'm not nearly as good a teacher as she is." This got a round of applause from the staff, students, and quite a few of the Aurors present. Minerva blushed shyly.
"To all the Aurors present, I would like to let you know that, yes, there are people out there who appreciate that you put your life on the line to protect the rest of us. If there is anything the Dragon Nation can do to ease your burden, please let a Dragonrider know. The request will always find its way back to me." That got applause and a murmur of approval from the Aurors.
"To the staff, most of whom were here when I was a student, I would like to thank you for not giving me any more detentions ..." Harry paused while the laughter died down. "And I would like to thank you for all that you taught me while I was here. Sometimes students can be very ungrateful but eventually they come to realize how they got to be so good." More embarrassed looks and smiles of appreciation from the staff at that.
"To the students, I leave to you, along with the staff, to help spread this amongst the rest of the student body. I have found that good wins only if good is very vigilant and works hard to be better than bad. Good supports good, while bad tends to be back-biting and divisive. Help your fellows as you would hope they would help you."
With that, Harry was finished. Slowly applause grew until it became almost a roar of approval. Cheers and shouts punctuated the growing tumult. Finally, with tears of gratitude in his eyes, Harry turned and left the room.
Hogwarts Main Hall, July 16, 2022...
"Tonight, we have a special feast prepared in honor of the six guests that have been with us for the past two months, teaching us more than they realized," announced Headmistress McGonagall. "You will notice we have added a fifth table for those Aurors who attended classes here and their families. Before we begin, I would like to present some awards.
"To Hermione Potter, Weyr Lawsmith, a graduate of Cambridge Law School, and instructor of 'How to Fly Without a Broom', I would like to express my gratitude. We have truly learned not to fear that which is unfamiliar. We have gained many new friends and hope they will continue to visit our school so the friendships may grow beyond what was started here. I would like to present this plaque naming you as a Professor of Interspecies Cooperation. We thoroughly enjoyed your short tenure here and would love to have you return. And, since I know why you were unable to continue to normal graduation, I would also like to present this Diploma of Honorary Graduation from the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."
Hermione rose to receive her awards and thanked Minerva profusely. She was extremely nervous, having never had to address such a large audience before, but she gathered her courage in both hands and turned to the students and Aurors below.
"Thank you, Headmistress, and I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to all the students who made my stay here so very special. I know the dragons enjoyed the classes. The students also enjoyed our time together, and that's why it was such a success. Thank you all!"
As she sat down, a loud round of applause rose from the entire student body. It turned out that Madam Hooch had conducted an abbreviated 'Broom Flight Class' for all her 1st years, so they would be technically qualified to take Hermione's class. Since she had never flown without a broom, she felt it was important to attend along with all of her 1st-year students. She had become one of the most popular teachers at Hogwarts on that day.
"To May Potter, Weyrhealer, a graduate of the Royal Veterinary College in London, and one of the best instructors for 'The Care of Magical Creatures' we have enjoyed learning with, the one who is almost solely responsible for the improved condition of the five dragons in our Weyr, I would like to present this Diploma of Honorary Graduation from the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Along with it, I would like to present this plaque which names her as a Professor of Magical Creature Care."
May rose to receive her gifts from Minerva and was so overwhelmed she was crying.
"Thank you so much for everything you have done for us," said May, bravely through her tears. "I came here mainly to see where the rest of my family had gone to school and to follow up on a theory I had developed about dragons unable to fly. While I succeeded in both, I also found new hope for our continued existence on Earth. We have made friends here, helped dragons and humans, but we have also received so much support from everyone here. I will treasure my time here for as long as I live. I hope that sometime in the future I will be able to return and help to teach here again."
With that, she almost collapsed back into her chair with a teary-eyed look of gratitude for Minerva.
"To Harry James Potter," continued Minerva. "The Weyrleader, Leader of the Dragon Nation, holder of a Degree in International Studies from Cambridge awarded by Her Majesty's Government no less, I would like to thank you personally for everything you have done for this school. You took your valuable time to teach not only many of the staff and students, but over 100 Aurors how to craft and deconstruct spells, how to better protect themselves, and how to expand on what they were taught. That is the true meaning of teaching. You taught a special class on 'Defense against the Dark Arts'. I feel it only appropriate that I award you this plaque naming you a Professor of Defense Against Dark Arts at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Also, as with Miss Hermione, you were unable to continue to normal graduation, I would like to present this Diploma of Honorary Graduation from the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."
Harry sat silently for a few moments, long enough that the room grew silent and May started to worry. Finally, he stood to address the gathered throng.
"Hogwarts, Headmistress, Students, and gathered guests, I graciously accept these awards but am not sure I am worthy of such high honors. All I have done is what I felt was right and just. Something that any one of you here have done many times. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time to act as a catalyst that catapulted our Nation into prominence. I feel there are still dark forces out there and it behooves us to be ever vigilant. I felt that by coming here and doing my small part, I might help make a difference.
"My partners and I talked this over last night and all the special equipment brought here for May's classes will be left here in the care of the School for the use of future classes of students who wish to follow in the healer's path.
"I have indicated to all our dragons worldwide that this is to be considered a 'Special Place'. As such, they are all encouraged to come and visit as their duties allow both bonded and unbonded dragons. Never fear, I have asked they not all descend upon you at once!" Harry waited for the general laughter to die down before continuing.
"I have instructed them to schedule any such visits through Timath, your Senior Watch Dragon, permanently assigned here. I have requested that he allow no more than 60 at a time, which is a full wing and I have asked that they eat before they come." Again, he waited for the laughter to die down.
"Again, I thank you for the gift of your time and acceptance. I hope that we are able to continue to live up to your expectations."
Harry sat down to a rising wave of applause and cheers. Minerva then rose regally from her seat.
"With that, let the feast begin!" she announced, as the tables filled with food and the guests started talking animatedly.
"Thank you very much for your gifts, Harry," said Minerva. "I'm not sure 'thank you' is enough, but thank you very much!"
"It was my pleasure, Professor," said Harry, with a calm smile. "Truth be told, it was not that big a deal for the Dragon Nation and I think that it will help us as much as it helps you. I have a special gift for you and the Head Auror which I would like to give you before we leave tomorrow if you can arrange a private meeting."
"Of course, Harry," said a slightly confused Minerva.
Headmistress's Office, Hogwarts, July 17, 2022...
"Thank you both for meeting with us like this before we leave," said Harry to the two occupants of Minerva's Office. "I want to give you both a special amulet which contains an advanced form of the Protego Defens spell. This amulet will work best for a magical being because it can enhance the casting ability, which normals do not have. While normal Protego Defens amulets will work for anyone, they will only last about 30 minutes of constant attack before they must be recharged. These amulets take most of the attacking energy and use it to keep the amulet charged. They will allow an over-charge of approximately 200% which will make you feel like your core is about to burst. At that time, or before, you must cast a spell using the energy or it will dissipate, rather dramatically, at the next caster who casts a spell against it. It can be fatal to anyone attacking it. Think of it as an extension to your magical core that will automatically return attacks.
"Please know that, if you attempt to deconstruct this amulet, it will destroy itself. If you wish to duplicate its abilities, you must do so the hard way, with original research and effort. In the meantime, you both will have available an unprecedented artifact of protection. The problem with the spell rejecting helpful spells has been overcome, so there will never be any reason for you, or anyone else, to remove it. I would highly recommend you tell no one of its existence."
Minerva and Auror Marshall were grateful for Harry's generous gift. As Harry placed the amulet around Minerva's neck, she looked up at him and placed the back of her hand gently on Harry's cheek. "You always were a very caring student," she said, with tears in her eyes.
As Harry placed the amulet around the Auror's neck, Auror Marshall looked at him and murmured, "I will do my utmost to live up to your trust."
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