Chapter 11: Life Goes On
Spath's Weyr, The Weyrleader's Outer Office, May 28, 2025...
"Courier!" called Jeofrey from outside Harry's office.
"Send whoever it is on in," replied Harry. He was getting tired of the running joke the women riders pulled on him every time he said 'he' and it wasn't.
"Getting awfully defensive, aren't you, Harry?" asked Aaron, smiling at Harry's frustration. He knew all about the ribbing Harry got but thought it funny.
"Just tired of getting harassed every time it's a female rider. Either I'm asked if I haven't learned the difference yet or if I can't tell the difference. It's gotten really old by now and I think Cheki lets them ambush me because he thinks it's funny."
"That's tough," commiserated Aaron. "I was going to suggest you have your dragon warn you, but it's gotta be hard if he's playing along with the riders. Too bad you can't see into the outer office. Then you'd know who was there."
"You know," said Harry. "I think you've just given me an idea that will resolve it once and for all!"
"Glad to be of service," said Aaron, as he grinned and snapped to an exaggeratedly stiff attention and flashed a very loose salute at Harry.
"You know, I could just ask your dragon, Zunuth, to dump you off over the ocean some time," kidded Harry.
"You could, but he knows you wouldn't really want to hurt anyone, so wouldn't follow through," said Aaron saucily. "Here's a bag from Joyero's and did you know there is a large unbonded dragon perched on the side of the mountain just above your window?"
"Thanks," responded Harry, "and yes, I know. That's Dronth. He says he likes to catch the sun there and listen to me working. Sometimes he comes in and we just talk about the past, the future, and all the changes since I impressed."
"Sounds deep," said Aaron. "All Zunuth wants to talk about is the latest episode of Star Trek we've watched and when he's going to get his next shagging flight."
"He'll outgrow some of that soon enough," replied Harry. "Once you two are totally comfortable with each other, you will probably almost know what the other is thinking most of the time. Cheki and I just send random loving thoughts back and forth during the day as a 'reminder' that we are still here and thinking of each other. I know it sounds odd, but you've only been bonded for less than 3 years."
"Something else to think about," said Aaron, thoughtfully. "Unless you have anything else, Jeofrey has the Courier pouch and I need to go see my girlfriend!"
"Thanks again," said Harry appreciatively with a smile. "Get out of here!"
"You have a lot of people coming and going all the time," said Dronth. "I used to think it exhilarating. Now I just find it tiring!"
"You're old, Dronth," said Harry, respectfully, yet playfully. "Old people think everything is too much trouble except sleeping!"
"If I wasn't almost asleep," said Dronth, playfully, "I would come in there and find out if you really think you could keep up with my 'old' self!"
"You know," said Harry, thoughtfully. "You could warn me which courier is coming in, couldn't you?"
"I could," replied Dronth, lazily, "but your dragon is having too much fun watching you get tripped up by females."
Harry just smiled to himself and made a note in his book to talk to Lee or Ronan about installing a camera in his assistant's offices that would sync to his computer only. That way he would know who was coming in.
Spath's Weyr, The Weyrleader's Outer Office, July 28, 2025...
"Courier!" called Jeofrey from outside Harry's office.
"Come on in, Lee," called Harry, after he quickly glanced at the corner of his monitor.
"How did you know it was me?" asked Lee Jordan, curiously. "Your desk doesn't look out the door."
"Ronan helped me install a few cameras," said Harry. "Now I have a way of stopping the harassment I've been getting from the female couriers."
"Cool," said Lee. "I have the last bag from Joyero's and he asked me to give you this letter as well."
"You haven't been back in a while, what did you think of the changes he's made?"
"It's huge!" exclaimed Lee. "They have an awning over the front of the shop now, so the Goblin guarding his door doesn't have to see the open sky overhead. Also, Joyero now has several branches not only in the UK but in other countries as well!"
"Did you get a chance to visit with Rosalee while you were on Earth?" asked Harry. "I know she was interested in a boy assigned to Minnewanka Weyr."
"Well, it turned out he wasn't as 'into her' as she was into him," said Lee, regretfully. "She fell in love with Minnewanka Weyr, though, so she stayed there. I took a different run coming back so I could spend a couple of weeks with her. She's really growing up!"
"Glad you had a chance to visit," said Harry. "We'll be seeing our three youngest when we go to Earth for the start of Hogwarts. Mary will be joining us while we're there."
"That's right, they're in school now," responded Lee. "What year are they in?"
"They'll be starting year 2 in September," said Harry. "We miss them, but they have to grow up and learn to leave the nest. That goes for the children as well as the parents!"
"Yeah, I know what you mean," said Lee. "After Rosalee graduated from Hogwarts, she decided to go to a muggle University and get her Degree in Education. I think that's how she ended up at Minnewanka."
"You better let us know when you're expecting grandchildren!" exclaimed Harry, jokingly.
"You too," said Lee, with a smile as he left Harry's office.
Harry opened the letter from Ted Joyero:
Mr. Potter,
I have enjoyed our transactions with you over the years. Your generous nature has enabled me to expand my business far beyond my wildest dreams.
I understand you have a branch of Gringotts on Pern. Would it be possible for me to open up a branch of Joyero's Fine Jewelry on your planet?
I don't know what you require for a merchant to set up a business on your planet, but I will be 80 soon and would like to leave my son to run the business here. If I can open up a storefront on your planet, I would like to retire there and run it myself.
Sincerely,
Ted Joyero
Harry smiled and immediately started writing his reply.
Diagon Alley, Sept 1, 2025...
Cheki set down in front of Joyero's Fine Jewelry to let Harry off and then jumped up on top of Gringotts Bank to wait. The Goblin guard looked at Harry incuriously as he walked up to the store.
"Greetings, Fierce Guard," growled Harry. "I see Mr. Joyero has acted on my suggestion of doing something to block out the unsightly sky. No self-respecting Goblin should have to put up with such thoughtless conditions!"
"It is as you say, wizard," said the Goblin, returning his polite growl. "Humans do not understand that it is not right to have to stand outside under such an endless sky."
Harry nodded his head slightly to the Goblin and said while carefully keeping his teeth hidden, "May you and yours always find sufficient trade to your needs."
"And you as well, young wizard. And you as well," said the Goblin to the properly polite wizard, nodding back as Harry walked into the shop.
A small bell dinged as he walked into the shop, something new since his last visit.
Ted Joyero looked up from the counter where he was talking with a young man while his wife and another young man looked on. "Mr. Potter, punctual as usual, I see. May I present you to my son, Roger, whom I have been grooming to take over the family business."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Roger," said Harry as he reached out to shake the young wizard's hand. "If you are even half the Jeweler your father is, you should do well."
"He is better than that," said Ted, proudly. "I have trained him well and, in a few years, I wouldn't be surprised to find he has surpassed even me."
"That is good," said Harry. "I suspect, however, that even on different planets, the two of you will still be cooperating on new designs for many years to come. Do you have everything ready to go?"
"I do," replied Ted. "As you instructed in your letter, I have everything in my case, shrunk down and in my pocket. I have read the text of the 'Equality Oath' that you said is mandatory, and my wife and I are more than willing to take it. We do have one, last-minute request, if that's possible, though."
"Oh?" asked Harry, curiously. "What's that?"
Ted indicated the younger man that he hadn't yet introduced. "This is our youngest son, Ted Jr. Ted has decided he wants to go with us. I'm hoping that won't be too much of a problem."
"Actually, not at all," said Harry. "We have transport that will accommodate 40 passengers easily. Let me get in touch with my wives, one moment, please."
"Cheki, would you ask Hermione and May to come to Joyero's and bring an extra passenger flight suit?" asked Harry.
"Of course, Harry," replied Cheki, so all in the store could hear him. "They are on their way."
Ted Jr. looked startled to hear the voice in his mind, but before he could say anything, the entrance door bell dinged, and in came Hermione and May.
"Here's the extra flight suit you wanted," said May.
"In that case," said Harry, pulling out two of the Weyr's new 'Passenger Flight Suits' he had. "You just need to slip these on and we can go for a short ride on our dragons. Our transportation is waiting at Heathrow. We have already said our goodbyes to our youngest who are starting their second year at Hogwarts today and my wives and I are anxious to get back home."
Ted, his wife, and youngest son quickly donned the overlarge coveralls which were lined with insulating carbon nanotube fibers and Harry administered the magically binding Equality Oath required of all immigrants. They left the store to find three dragons waiting for them in the street outside. Not long after, they were at a special area at the Heathrow Airport where their Dragon's Egg and crew waited for them.
Harry showed them into the Egg, closed the door, and proceeded to show them the facilities available.
"Unfortunately, we won't be able to use anything here," said Harry.
"Why is that," said the confused Jeweler.
"Because," said Harry, opening the door. "We are already here."
Ted stepped up to the door to be greeted with the sight of a huge mountain in front of him.
"Mr. Joyero, this is Susan Bones, Nimonth's rider and the Head Woman at Spath's Weyr," explained Harry. "I have asked her personally to make sure you are comfortably situated and to show you the available storefronts. If you wish, the storefront can be expanded internally so you can live there as well."
"Thank you, Mr. Potter," responded Ted, graciously. "As always, you offer more than is required and it is greatly appreciated."
After shaking hands with his three new immigrants, Harry watched them walk towards the Weyr entrance for a moment and then turned to Cheki.
"Cheki, would you please make sure the Egg is placed back where it belongs?" asked Harry.
"Of course, Harry," replied Cheki as he moved, with his consorts to replace their transport.
Harry turned to the crew and thanked them profusely. Then Harry turned to his wives.
"What now?" Harry asked.
"I need to get back to my office to see what has come up while we were gone," said Hermione, and with a quick peck on Harry's cheek and a smile for her sister-wife, she ported to her office.
"I need to get to the hospital to see if there is anything I need to know about," said May. "Would you mind taking me so I don't have to walk the entire way?"
"Of course," said Harry, as he took her hand. He ported them directly to the ER1 nurse's station, well behind the desk so they wouldn't be in the way.
"Thanks, Harry!" smiled May. "I'll see you at home later.
Harry walked out into the main cavern and called to Chekiath, "I seem to have some free time, Cheki, want to go flying?"
Cheki landed on the ground almost on top of him and, seconds later they disappeared from the central cavern.
HMP Erlestoke, Erlestoke, November 10, 2025...
Years ago, Snape had learned how Otto maintained his physique. There was a well-equipped gymnasium available that held a wide array of exercise equipment. For weeks, Severus had shadowed Otto discreetly to determine where he might be at any time of the day or night. It helped that he didn't seem to need as much sleep as Otto.
Otto, it appeared, was a creature of habit. He had a set routine and seldom varied from it without a good reason. Once Severus knew where Otto would be, he set about using the gym equipment during those times when he would be least likely to cross paths with Otto. Due to his ability to magically regenerate injured parts of his body, even if he couldn't use magic openly, he started to put on muscle mass almost immediately. In a matter of months, he matched and then surpassed Otto in pure brawn.
He next started to work on his speed and coordination. There was a boxing ring with large and small punching bags and prisoner trainers who were available to spar with. This took a little longer because he not only had to learn what he was doing but needed to train his body memory to react instinctively instead of thinking about what he would do next. After 6 more months, there wasn't a trainer who could stand up to him for long.
Now Severus varied his routine and a great many prisoners and guards were watching with interest. One day, while Severus was gently sparring with the fastest of those available, Otto entered the gym. There was a large audience of prisoners and a few interested guards who watched from the catwalk.
When Otto saw who was in the ring, he started muscling his way through the crowd. Once at ringside, he grabbed a pair of gloves and one of the prisoners helped him put them on. Once he was ready, he clambered up into the ring and went for Severus, totally ignoring the other boxer in the ring. When the other boxer got in Otto's way, Otto hit him so hard, he slid over the surface mats and under the ringside ropes.
Otto went for Severus with all the grace of a pile driver. Severus managed to narrowly avoid one punch after another while landing a few of his own. This just angered Otto so much he went berserk. This is what Severus had been waiting for. There was no finesse to Otto's attack, it was simply one powerful, wild swing after another, all easily avoided.
Now Severus really attacked. Otto's nose was the first thing to get broken, then at least two ribs, and finally, as revenge for his first few horrendous days in the prison, Severus landed a jab on Otto's leg so powerful the snap of his leg bone could be heard up on the catwalk. Severus had finally got his revenge.
The only trouble was, regardless of how damaged he was, Otto wanted blood, Severus' blood. Finally, Severus hit him twice in succession on the side of his head followed by his most powerful uppercut to Otto's chin yet. Otto went out like a light, blood flowing from his nose and ears. Severus just stood there for a moment, catching his breath, then turned and left the ring.
Because Otto was utterly committed to destroying Severus, they had to go through another 4 rematches before Otto had finally taken enough damage to realize he was never going to win. After that, Otto tried various subtle attacks but they always ended up with Otto on the floor. Once he even tried to use a shiv on Severus during lunch. Severus saw him coming at the last minute and lifted up his tray and smashed it into the side of Otto's head.
After that, Otto was a broken man. He hated Severus but knew he couldn't touch him. Severus still had to be careful, but now he could relax somewhat and take advantage of some of the other facilities the prison offered. He started to study the muggle world.
Now, he had finally taken the last of his advanced A-Level exams and obtained excellent scores. He had used his experience as a Professor at Hogwarts to help him learn. He had organized and taught, study groups among the prisoners in order to better understand the material himself. Throughout this entire period, the guards had kept a very close eye on things. Usually when a prisoner bulked up like he had and then had successfully beaten the "top dog", he turned into a bully. Snape had an ulterior motive, though, and physical bullying wasn't even remotely on his mind.
After he got the basics out of the way, he examined the possibilities of an advanced education. Unfortunately, there wasn't really much available that he was interested in. Many of the prisoners were interested in getting some kind of law degree so they could try to get out of their sentences while they were still young enough to have some kind of life when they got out. Severus wasn't interested in that. He knew he would never be able to overturn his sentence. His only option was to outlive it. Being magical gave him a distinct advantage in that area.
His next thought was to find an area that would improve his knowledge of herbology. While there were horticultural studies available, none of them included being able to experiment with different mixtures of plants. The studies might give him a slightly better understanding of a muggle's view of plants but it wouldn't advance his already extensive knowledge.
He dabbled in financial studies for several years. Long enough to find it utterly boring, but long enough to become the "go-to-man" when one of the guards needed some financial advice. The equations he developed to foresee stock market fluctuations became very valuable to him when several of the guards learned he was quite good at picking winning stocks and bonds. His newfound friends among the guards guaranteed he would never be bothered by the likes of Otto again. He didn't forget the prisoners though. Some were only in prison for a relatively short time. Those he cultivated to develop friendships that might help him while he was inside but also might be useful when he eventually got out. A couple of the short-term prisoners actually made quite a bit of money, online, using his predictions. They would definitely keep an eye on his progress and look him up when he got out.
He wasn't really interested in mechanical devices, though it took him two years of trying before he admitted to himself that he just wasn't interested. Magic was so much easier. Then he discovered the field of electronics in general, and computers in particular. He had been using computers to take his various classes. Now he studied them for themselves. He studied the microarchitecture of their processors, learned why they sometimes failed, and even went so far as to apply for some patents on improvements, which were granted. Having access to a computer allowed him to set up personal financial accounts where he could funnel any earnings from his adventures in the stock market and he could communicate almost anonymously to get just about anything done. The guards were now too much in his debt to want to know what he was doing in his free time.
One of his patents applied to the electronic hardening of circuits against an Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP). He figured that any such protected circuitry would work well around magic. He wasn't immediately aware of it, but many of his improvements started making their way into the muggle government where magic and non-magic mixed. Gone were the days when a wizard or witch accidentally destroyed a computer because they forgot and used magic near one.
Snape had lost almost everything when he was convicted and jailed. He made it all back and more from the shadowy confines of his computer screen. He was fortunate to have a phenomenal memory. He never stored any account names, passwords, or even links in any computer's memory. He memorized everything and quickly learned how to erase any tracks in any computer he was using, so no one would know what he was doing. He knew that no matter what he was going to do when he got out, he was going to need money to do it.
His study of the muggle world was really starting to pay off.
Spath's Weyr, Hatching Grounds, Nov 22, 2025...
Harry was worried. The unbonded dragon population was slowly going down and he didn't know exactly why. Unbonded queens were laying eggs, but the increase was not keeping up with the deaths. He really needed to come up with something for the unbonded dragons to do that would give them a reason to want to continue. Right now, after the 40 newly bonded dragons, there were 9,280 bonded dragons between both planets. Worryingly, the unbonded population had actually declined from the 7,000 dragons living in November of last year to only 6,980 this year.
He resolved to spend more time thinking about the problem and developing a solution.
Spath's Weyr, Kitchen 0R, Jan 22, 2026...
"What is all that ruckus, Trath?" asked May. There was a loud squealing and hissing coming from somewhere but, for some reason, it was hard to figure out where it was coming from.
"It would appear that your green fire lizard, Gonlenth, is rising," stated Trath, as if she didn't have a care in the world.
"Oh, dear," said May, slightly worried. "I don't feel anything. I suppose they are so small there won't be any bleed-over of their emotions to their owners from their breeding."
"I would hope not," said Trath, as she looked closely at May. "It appears she was just caught by Dobby's bronze."
"Oh, dear," May repeated. "Can you get her to lay her eggs in your bed up in our apartment?"
"I can suggest it to her," responded Trath, amused. "The tiny dragons don't often listen to us when we try to get them to do something."
"Just try, please," asked May. "Perhaps if you tell her I asked it will make a difference."
Suddenly Dobby popped into the space right next to her, looking very worried.
"Miss May, Miss May, our dragons are fighting and I can't make them stop!" exclaimed the agitated house elf. "What should we do!"
"I could make a suggestion, but I don't think The Weyrleader would like it," said Trath, slyly.
"TRATH!" shouted May, thoroughly mortified by her dragon. "You stop that right now!"
"It was just a suggestion," Trath said, noncommittally.
"Miss May?" said a very confused and agitated Dobby.
"It's alright, Dobby," said May soothingly. "They are having a mating flight. I'm sure everything will go back to normal when they are through."
"Oh," said Dobby, coloring noticeably. He suddenly popped out as quickly as he had appeared.
Crom Hold Mine Entrance, Jan 26, 2026...
The miners who would normally be deep under the earth were gathered to the side of the main entrance waiting for word from Lord Holder Fiboxi. He had gone below with MasterMiner Nungrul and the Lead Miner for this shaft, Wulton, to investigate a report of an odd noise in a new side tunnel. The Lord Holder had ordered the mine cleared as a safety precaution.
Since there were no longer any standing orders for firestone, they were all trying to come up with an alternate substance to mine. In the meantime, they carefully increased their stockpile of firestone against any possible future need. Since they no longer had any set quotas, they were sometimes overly cautious. Some felt that this was one of those times.
Lady Holder Loli stood at the entrance looking intently into the darkness as if she could bring her husband back to her by force of will alone. She didn't trust the mines and looked forward to the day when they could turn it all over to their oldest son and retire. She had never been to Earth and would like to go someday.
Abruptly, there came a loud rumbling that could be felt even more than it was heard. Then the entrance to the mine exploded with a blast of fire, expelled gases, and hard rocks and gravel. Lady Holder Loli was standing in entirely the wrong place. She never knew what hit her.
One of the miners standing nearby had acquired a fire lizard the previous year and had been training it to deliver small messages. He immediately wrote out a message, attached it to his lizard's leg, and thought really hard about Telgar Weyr. The lizard looked at him for a moment and disappeared:
Help! We've had a blowout at Crom and one is known dead and three others may be as well. Please hurry!
Telgar Weyr, Main Bowl, Kitchen Area...
A tiny blue fire lizard materialized and immediately started chattering, setting off all the others. The Headwoman, Jayin, stomped out of the kitchen where she had been doing inventory and shouted for quiet. Most of the fire lizards disappeared but the small blue immediately came over to her and continued to chatter, agitatedly.
Hesitantly she held out her arm so the tiny dragon could land on it. Immediately, as soon as it touched her, she saw a memory. She was at Crom, near one of the mine heads and …
Jayin almost fainted. Instead, she screamed out to anyone near who could help, "Get the Weyrleader! There has been an explosion at one of the mines at Crom and they need help! Get the Weyrleader, NOW!"
Seconds later Bronze Coruth landed near her and Wemal leapt off his back.
"What is this about, Jayin?" asked Wemal.
She just held the tiny blue out to him. He offered his arm and, as soon as it landed on his arm, he saw the same image, Lady Holder Loli being torn apart and burned beyond recognition as a huge plume of flame, super hot gasses, and rock shrapnel blew out of the mine head. He looked down at the tiny lizard and noticed the note on its leg. He gently removed it and numbly handed it to Jayin.
He turned to Corialth and ordered, "Gather the Weyr, we go to Crom. Ask Spath's Weyrleader to join us there. They may have something or someone who can help. Send him the image I got from the blue."
Within 10 minutes the entire population of bonded dragons had left Telgar for Crom.
Spath's Weyr...
Harry had the image from the blue but he wasn't about to leave without getting someone better able to help before he left.
"Polenth," called Harry. "There has been a terrible accident at Crom. Can you get some of your Goblin friends to meet me there?"
"Of course, Weyrleader," responded Polenth, quickly. "We don't have a jump image though."
"I am going with some of my riders," said Harry. "If we have to, we will widen the mine entrance ourselves and send you a jump image when it's ready."
"We will be ready by the time you send it," said Polenth.
Crom Hold Mine Entrance...
When Harry and Chekiath arrived it was a madhouse. Dragons were orbiting the hold because everyone wanted to get as close as possible but there were people all around the mine head. There was no room.
"Cheki, clear everyone away, now," ordered Harry.
"EVERYONE, MOVE AWAY FROM THE MINE!" shouted Chekiath, fiercely. "We cannot help if you are in the way!"
The crowd melted away as if by magic and Harry and Wemal landed.
Harry jumped down and turned to Cheki, "Move into the entrance and send a jump image to Polenth. If there isn't room for them, make room!"
Cheki moved into the entrance and started vaporizing stone as Harry turned to Wemal.
"Do you know what happened?" asked Harry.
"No," said Wemal. "I just arrived myself and was trying to land when you got here. If there is any firestone near the entrance, your dragon could be in danger. Water and open flame sets it off."
"From the image I got," responded Harry, bitterly. "Fire shouldn't be a problem and we need to make a big enough entry area for those who can do something to help."
"Why can't they land out here?" asked a baffled Wemal.
"Because they cannot stand the light of day," responded Harry. "We brought dragons with us that cannot fly but can go Between from the ground. If they can get into the mine, they can bring Goblin Master Tunnelers. If there is anyone alive down there, they will be able to bring them out."
Just then Cheki backed out of the mine and turned to Harry and Wemal.
"Polenth is inside with Brusk and a team of Goblin Tunnelers, Harry," said Cheki. "All we can do is wait now."
Harry could feel the magic from the working Goblins. He could almost feel it reaching out to find openings in the rock, to look for life, and to clear away blockages as the Goblins attacked the loose rock as if it were a battle … and it was, a battle to save whomever they could. They had done this before. Explosive gas buildup was a problem on Earth too. Every few dozen yards, they created indents in the side of the lengthening tunnel that would allow them to get out of the direct line of any blast. Their magic would hold the danger away until they were all safe and out of its direct line. Then they would erect shields and allow any blast to bypass them.
As the Goblins worked, there was a series of three blasts, lessening in intensity each time. After each one, Polenth relayed their continued wellbeing to those anxiously waiting on the surface. Finally, they came to the people they were searching for. Two of them were obviously dead, but they would recover their bodies anyway. The third was barely alive. Brusk sent him to the surface as quickly as possible. The others were no longer in any hurry and they still needed to find out what had caused this disaster.
They heard it before they saw it. Groundwater had broken through an old abandoned tunnel and trickled down into a deeper, as yet unworked area of the mine. Eventually, it had come into contact with firestone. This mine would have to be closed and partially backfilled. They started collapsing the tunnel behind them as they returned closer to the surface.
Crom Hold, Outside the Mine Entrance...
Harry had already called for an ambulance when Polenth informed him they had a barely living survivor. As soon as he was brought to the surface, he was bundled up carefully and transported directly to ER3 in Spath's Weyr. Harry couldn't believe anyone could be injured so severely and still be alive. Both his legs were gone below the knees, cauterized by the fire. Most of his body was covered in burns which could be seen because most of his clothing had been burned away. He had no hair on his body anywhere which reminded Harry of a painful incident he had once suffered through.
"Hermione," sent Harry through Chekiath. "There is a very badly burned patient on his way to ER3. Please ask Aberforth or Sirius or Remus to perform a deep Legilimency on the patient and try to let him know we are doing what we can to help and try to find out what happened."
"Will do, Harry," Hermione sent back.
Two hours later, Polenth and his group of Goblins were once again near the surface.
"Harry," said Polenth, so everyone could hear. "Water broke through one of the old tunnels and started leaking into the deeper parts of the mine. We have collapsed the tunnel in alternating baffles to help slow down and stop any future blasts. The entrance to this tunnel should have a hill of earth raised in front of it to stop any possible future explosions from escaping to hurt anyone else. We will leave the two sets of remains we found just inside the tunnel mouth. I wish we could have better news for you."
"Thank you, Polenth," said Harry, tiredly. "It is always sad when someone dies, and this was tragic. You did your best and I thank you for your efforts."
Just then Hermione contacted Harry through Comaloth and Harry relayed through to all the dragons present.
"Harry, our patient's name was Wulton," said Hermione. "They were going down to investigate a strange noise. The Lord Holder insisted the mine be cleared before they went down and MasterMiner Nungrul threw him to the side of the tunnel just before the blast or he wouldn't have survived as long as he did. He has just died from his wounds. We did everything we could, but there was just too much damage. The only reason we know what we do is because Aberforth was able to enter his mind and comfort him as he lay on the operating table. At least we were able to deaden the pain."
"Harry," sobbed Hermione, sadly. "All three of these men were heroes, but they shouldn't even have been in that tunnel. No one needs firestone anymore!"
As she finished and cut off contact, Harry turned to the miners of Crom and looked at them sadly. He turned to Wemal questioningly, and Wemal indicated he should go ahead.
"Miners," began Harry. "Something terrible has happened here today. It was a senseless accident that could have been far worse were it not for the foresight of your Lord Holder and the bravery of those who entered the mine. It could have been far worse. I have known supervisors who would insist that everyone keep working regardless of any possible danger. You were fortunate that your Lord Holder was more concerned with your lives than with any possible profit.
"You have also seen what can happen if you continue trying to mine using the methods you have used for all these past centuries. I would like to propose a change in the way you operate.
"We have Goblin Master Tunnelers who have burrowed under oceans, so great is their skill. Your MasterMiner just died today because he didn't have proper warning about what was happening in the tunnels. Our Goblins have delayed or even arrested volcanoes from erupting! I am sure they will have some information that you could learn. I would like your permission to set up a cooperative venture between your group and the Goblins. They have knowledge that you don't have, but you have something they don't and will never have, the possible ability to bond with a dragon.
"The dragons they work with are so light-sensitive from being underground all their lives that they cannot come out of their tunnels, but they are still dragons. They have the ability to bond with humans but not with Goblins. You may not be able to bond because you are too old, but your children may. It is a way to keep your mining heritage alive but with an advantage.
"I will categorically state right now, for the record, that the Dragon Nation will never purchase firestone from anyone. As you should know, all the dragons who can use firestone are now living at Benden Weyr where we can protect their biological diversity against future needs. They will never be allowed to use firestone, ever again!
"I am, however, personally willing to underwrite a cooperative venture between you and the Goblins. They can provide the modern knowledge and skills, you can provide riders for their dragons. You need never worry about accidents such as what happened here today. Please talk about this amongst yourselves and send word to me at Spath's Weyr if you want to try."
Harry turned to Wemal, "Please let us know when you will be holding the funeral for these men. We will honor their sacrifice by attending."
"Thank you, Weyrleader," said Wemal, softly.
Crom Hold, Closed Mine Entrance, Jan 30, 2026...
Hermione and Susan Bones had worked hard to produce a special ribbon for the humanitarian actions of Jan 26th. Polenth, Chekiath, and all the Goblins who took part in the rescue attempt would be receiving the ribbon along with a certificate explaining what had happened and why they were getting the award. Harry had even insisted that the little blue fire lizard and his owner get an award as well. They had also insisted that Harry get an award also and he had finally accepted graciously but asked for it to be kept private. He didn't feel like he had done anything to earn it.
When Ragnok had shown up early for the ceremony, Harry had discussed the proposed cooperative venture with the human miners. Ragnok eventually tired of the discussions and said he would talk about it with his advisors. The humans seemed equally reluctant, but Harry was more sure of his ability to convince them. He would have to work harder with Ragnok. He had stressed that they would be able to gain bonded dragons.
After the funeral, Harry presented the ribbons and certificates to those who were to be awarded them. Of course, he also had to explain to them what this was and how they were supposed to wear them if they wore them at all. The Goblins thought it laughable to get any kind of award for anything other than a bloody battle until Harry explained that it had been a battle, one that had been lost because none of the four had lived through it. There hadn't even been enough of three of the bodies to bury, so they had all been cremated, at least everything they had been able to recover. There wasn't much found of Lady Holder Loli.
At least one good thing came of the disaster. People around Pern now knew that fire lizards were definitely good for something other than as very flighty pets. Without the blue that had taken the initial message, aid would not have arrived for days.
Spath's Weyr, Hatching Grounds, Feb 15, 2026...
There were now an additional 40 bonded dragons but 30 fewer unbonded dragons. Harry was starting to get really worried about the number of unbonded dragons. Every Weyr on Pern was now led by a Weyrleader riding an Earth-Standard dragon, even Benden. If there was anything in the world that Harry wanted to be done, all the Weyrs would support him. Harry's biggest problem was, he wanted less authority, not more. What he did want was more unbonded dragons. He had even enlisted first May, for her Medical knowledge, and then Hermione, for her Analytical prowess, to help.
Harry was amused when he found out that Ted Joyero had created a commemorative Hatching pin. It showed the Dragon Nation's Dragon-in-Flight symbol, the year and month of the hatching, how many eggs bonded, with the name of the dragon and rider engraved on the back. It seemed that now he had a guaranteed market for specific jewelry at least twice a year. The parents of the new Dragonriders even wanted their own pin! The pins were guaranteed to be available for delivery within 20 days of the hatching. He might even commission one for both of his wives!
Spath's Weyr, May 15, 2026...
No matter where he went, he couldn't escape the constant keening of thousands of dragons. He knew they liked the man, some even seemed to worship him but he had never realized the level of adoration was quite this intense. Finally, he couldn't take the increasing pain and pressure he was feeling anymore.
Harry's eyes glazed over. "Dragons, hear me," he called. Every dragon on Pern fell silent at Harry's call. His voice rode on a wave of power far easier than it ever had before. His ability to contact every dragon was connected to his Mage abilities and his magical core was still growing.
"We all learned that Sir David Attenborough, known to our dragons as The Nature Smith, has died on Earth at 100 years, two months and four days from the date of his birth. We all admired him very much but, until now I didn't realize the universal wonder and awe our dragons felt for him.
"I am going to ask Remus, our Weyr Historian, to create a new book, The Book of Dragon Friends, where we will maintain a record of all those who have helped us in extraordinary ways. Those we feel are Honorary Dragonriders, even though not bonded, those who have helped us grow through their extraordinary persistence and belief in the Dragon Nation.
"This book will not only contain a simple printed recording of Sir David's life and accomplishments. I will have a special vault created that will hold every video he has ever recorded, kept up-to-date with the very latest media, and we will take pensieve recordings of any time Sir David has interacted with dragons and add those to the vault. We will hold a galaxy-spanning memorial for him, record that, and add it to the vault. This will be more than just a simple page or two because he has had such a profound effect on all dragon-kind. I will ask everyone with a unique memory of him to step forward and schedule a time when we can record your memories.
"Everything will be stored in a special weight-reduced, bottomless pouch within the vault where they will be safe for centuries to come, yet available for viewing by anyone wishing to do so. All I ask at this time is for you to please try to not broadcast your grief quite so forcefully. I can hear thousands of dragons and, through them, their riders, making it hard to even think. We will get through this. He was a great man, but life goes on, life is for the living, even if we grieve and want to remember those who have passed on to the next great adventure."
Harry broke the connection and he heard an echo of many hundreds of hopeful dragon voices acknowledging his orders. He knew that the riders had also heard him and would be offering any help they could in the coming days and weeks of the project.
There was so much to do! He pulled his notebook towards him and started adding thoughts in no apparent order:
1 Ask Ragnok to create a special vault, not necessarily in Gringotts, to which I can allow universal access to view the contents.
2 Ask Susan Bones to create a special container, not necessarily a bag, to contain all our memories. The design will be used for all other such people we so honor.
3 Enchant the container to be weightless and bottomless.
4 Teach all magical Weyrleaders and others as necessary in the procedure to record pensieve testimony.
5 Assign specific individuals to collect all materials for transport to the vault.
6 Design a suitable memorial ceremony for both planets.
7 Assign 'gatekeepers' to the vault permanently. Their job will be to accept new material into the vault and to magically duplicate any information anyone wishes to see and give them the duplicate. None of the originals will ever leave the vault.
He knew he would probably think of more in the days to come, but this would get things moving. He wrote up a quick memo for Jeofrey to duplicate and distribute to any who needed it and just indulged for a sad moment in the relative quiet of his mind.
"It will feel better soon enough," said Cheki, quietly.
"I know, mate," replied Harry, sadly. "I should have thought of this a long time ago, though."
"You think of as much as you can at the time," responded Cheki, lovingly. "You cannot think of a proper solution without a cause happening first."
Harry smiled up at his true friend and bonded dragon. "Thank you, Cheki. Sometimes in the press of emotions, it is hard to remember that. I love you!"
"I love you too, my rider," responded Chekiath.
Spath's Weyr, May 25, 2026...
Harry couldn't believe how quickly things had come together. The special timing courier had left over an hour ago and they had started their memorial service on Pern 2.6 seconds later. Earth started theirs as soon as the courier appeared. Now Harry was just watching. Since everyone should be in the audience, watching the memorial, Harry had insisted that anyone with anything they wanted to say should be recorded and that recording edited for brevity and appropriateness. The recording was duplicated and both planets would start their recordings as close together as was humanly and draconically possible.
Ragnok had created a large, space-enhanced vault near, but not in, Gringotts. It had a large entry hall at the end of a long corridor suitable for the mounting of images of those to be remembered. The initial vault only had 100 niches for the remembrance boxes but it could easily be extended at need.
Susan Bones and several of the other magicals had combined their efforts in creating the boxes that would ultimately be used. It was modeled on Albus' old travel trunk, though a lot more ornate. When the box was opened, it looked like it had exploded, as it grew to almost the size of a small walk-in closet with drawers and shelves on the two sides of the split box, ready to be filled with memories. If necessary, the box could contain additional boxes. An unused box, the original, was to be kept in a secure location so it was always ready to create a new box for a new initiate to the Vault of Memories.
All the senior magical beings in every Weyr and Hold now knew how to safely find, extract, and copy specific memories. Each Weyrleader had agreed to personally collect and deliver all material from their Weyr to the vault.
A small army of multi-species, magical gatekeepers were accepted from the volunteers. They were trained in the care and duplication of their charges.
Harry personally had designed the wards and magical accumulators that protected the vault and its contents from accidental or intentional damage.
He had known Sir David and had admired him greatly, but what he had done was not for the man Harry had known, it was for the 'idol' his dragons had known. He knew there would be very few, if any, that would be able to even come close to filling a box.
As the memorial service drew to a close, Harry realized he was crying, not so much at his own emotions but at the shared emotions of those around him and all the dragons he could feel. He could also feel their approval for a fitting memorial for such a wonderful person.
Spath's Weyr, July 26, 2026...
Harry, Hermione, and May had just welcomed ex-Lady Holder Bridai. Her husband had died quietly in his sleep of advanced age the day before, and she had turned over the keys to her oldest son after the funeral. When she had arrived here a few hours ago, looking for a place of rest and solitude, they had given her one of the dragon apartments on level 20. Garackeath, the female Swedish Short Snout, that had been watching over her all these years, shared the apartment with her.
Harry hadn't particularly liked Lord Maustan, but he didn't hate him either and he rather admired his wife as a strong, fair woman. He would do what he could to help her in her grief.
The Pernese hadn't had a very long lifetime when The Earth dragons had arrived. Their life expectancies had jumped significantly after their arrival simply due to the improved medical knowledge available, but many of the older Pernese were still going to be dying in the near future. There was nothing Harry could think of that would change their fate.
The Republic of Mauritius, Indian Ocean, Aug 22, 2026...
Arthur Weasley was getting much better at this covert operation 'stuff'. He had been working with a tour group going to Mauritius for the past month. He was supposedly one of the tourists in the tour group but his real mission was to show that Diricawls, or 'Dodos' to muggles, still existed. All the tourists were avid amateur ornithologists equipped with long telephoto lenses on their high-resolution cameras. They had all been brought to the island by motorboat from their luxurious Quonset hut accommodations on Diego Garcia.
Another part of Arthur's team was already planted on Mauritius. Their job was to inject a weak drug into the Diricawls so they wouldn't consider the slowly approaching tourists to be a danger. Arthur wasn't going to be the one to 'discover' the birds unless there was absolutely no other way. He was there solely as a backup.
As luck would have it, one of the more annoyingly enthusiastic members of the group, Doctor Eleanor Cunningham, spotted the small flock of drugged birds about five minutes after Arthur did. He had a feeling that his steady gaze through his camera lens might have helped draw her attention to the area. Since Arthur purposely didn't take any pictures until well after she did, her images had the earliest date/time stamp and she was considered the official first discoverer. She even managed somehow to get an image of one of the birds as it slowly faded into the background after the group was purposely allowed to get "just a bit too close".
Over the next several years, several groups were "allowed" to discover further evidence of the magical birds, just to verify that the first discovery wasn't a fluke.
King's Cross Station, Sept 1, 2026...
Harry and family had just seen their children off for their 3rd year at Hogwarts. Unlike previous years, Lee Jordan had talked Harry into taking a 'World Tour' of their different supporting nations. This year was special, as the New Russia Parliament had voted unanimously to request peace terms with the Dragon Nation. In accordance with that request, their newly instituted magical community had requested of the ICW that the next magical reveal take place on Russian soil.
Harry wasn't totally convinced, hence the two Divisions of additional dragons that would be accompanying them unobtrusively wherever they went. One Division of bonded dragons was paired with a matching Division of unbonded dragons. Each Unit in the Bonded Division had a matching Unit of unbonded dragons paired with them to act as additional airborne cover against any possible act of aggression. The reason Harry chose to double up on the bonded component was because half of them, the wingmen, were all new riders since the war. They didn't have the experience of having to protect themselves and he hoped they would never get it but, until this tour was over, he wanted battle-hardened Unit Leaders and unbonded dragons to help watch for trouble.
Their first scheduled visit of the tour was Balmoral Castle, where he would supposedly be inspecting the dragons assigned to guard the Queen. She had taken to flying around the castle when she had a chance and she and Narth would lazily fly around the grounds. Usually, she wore old pants and a heavy coat that had seen better days.
Last year, in preparation for her 100th birthday, Harry had created a special flight suit just for her. It featured the standard automatic size adjusting suit with overlapping velcro closures for ease of donning and doffing, but instead of a helmet, there was a hood that could be pushed back behind her head without having to detach it. There was a limited HUD (Heads Up Display) once the hood was in place, which allowed her to see compass points, altitude, and air temperature. She could also contact anyone on her staff with the built-in, hands-free satellite phone and special band radio. It was to be presented to her the day before the 'inspection' and all its features explained.
The outer covering, over the 'Stealth Suit', was a modest, yet fashionable pantsuit with special patches on the shoulder indicating the Royal House of Windsor. The hood could even be camouflaged by attaching one of the hats she was famous for wearing. Harry looked carefully but couldn't determine if she was wearing her gift or not. He hoped so because one of the things the flight suit would do was help protect her from attack. It also kept track of her vital signs and her security detail could track her location more accurately than by cell phone alone.
Harry could see that Narth stood with her head just over the Queen's right shoulder as if she were a Dragonrider awaiting inspection. As they landed, he decided to treat it as if she were. Knowing Queen Elizabeth, she would probably enjoy it immensely.
Chekiath landed at the end furthest from the Queen and he and Harry slowly started up the line of the Royal Dragon Guard. Harry stopped at every dragon in the line with a surreptitious scratch and a personalized word or two of encouragement. The dragons seemed to glow under his obvious pleasure at their service to the Nation of their initial birth as an actual Nation of Dragons. He personally asked each one if there was anything that could be done to make their posting more pleasant. Each and every one replied they were very happy where they were, doing what they were doing. Almost every single one had become close friends with various members of the Queen's guard, so they also had human/dragon friendship bonding.
When he finally reached Narth, he inspected her first, much like he had the others but with a few new questions.
"Hello, Narth," started Harry. "Is your rider taking good care of you?"
"Yes, she is, Weyrleader," responded a startled Narth. "We have been very happy here together."
"Have you had enough time to enjoy flying together?" asked Harry. "Flying with your rider is very important to the bond between a dragon and her rider."
"We have not had as much time to fly as we would like," responded Narth, now getting into the spirit of Harry's ruse. "We have talks almost every day, but my rider is very busy and cannot always make time for me."
Harry turned to Queen Elizabeth who was standing stock-still as if she were a new recruit facing a drill sergeant. There was no hint of any expression on her face, but Harry could see a merry twinkle in her eye. He was also finally able to see her new flight suit well hidden under her outer covering clothes.
"Elizabeth," said Harry, sternly. "Your dragon tells me she is lonely because you do not make time to fly with her. What do you have to say for yourself?"
"No excuse," murmured the Queen, barely able to suppress a smile.
"Hmm," said Harry, thoughtfully. "In that case, I think it is time you and your dragon led all the dragons present in a quick tour of this local part of your domain."
The Queen looked startled but was still game. Surprising in a non-magical over 100 years old.
"I would suggest you mount your dragon then and commence as you mean to continue," said Harry, mock sternly as he turned to mount Chekiath. Once on his dragon, he turned and discreetly helped to levitate the Queen to Narth's back. Her royal guard were starting to get worried but they were also familiar with the Queen sometimes flying around the castle.
"She wants to know where we should go," relayed Narth to Harry privately.
"Wherever she desires," responded Harry. "Until we land again, she is in total control of all the dragons present. The only restriction is that if it requires a flight Between, Chekiath or I are the only ones who may give the jump images. Show her an image of the signal to jump aloft."
"With that, the Queen on her dragon pumped her delicate fist in the air and, en mass, every dragon at Balmoral leapt into the air and took up formation with Narth in the lead and Harry as her wingman.
As the huge flock of dragons circled the castle, Narth again contacted Harry. "Weyrleader, my rider wants to know what she can do and where she can go."
"Let her know, she may go anyplace she wishes on the planet," responded Harry. "If she wishes to go Between she needs to make sure her hood is up and closed and I will have to be the one to give the jump imagery. You can just let me know where she wants to go and I will then issue the jump command."
"She wishes to see London," said Narth.
Harry reminded everyone to adhere to VFR flight regulations for the UK and sent the jump image and command. Over 600 dragons blinked out of sight over Balmoral Castle and almost immediately appeared over the outskirts of London. After that, as her personal guard were quietly going insane with worry, they appeared in fairly rapid succession over Victoria Falls, Windsor Castle, South Africa, Denmark, Canada, The United States, and Dragon Isle. The only reason the UK didn't announce a state of emergency was because her troop commanders could tell she was in fine health and they knew exactly where she was. She even talked to them a few times and told them to leave her alone, she was in charge of her own destiny for once in her life and she would enjoy it as long as it lasted, thank you very much!
Three hours into the Queen's whirlwind World Tour, they made a rest stop at Dragon Isle. A buffet lunch was served and the queen sat at the cafeteria-style tables amongst the other riders without a care in the world. Harry took a few moments to contact the Colonel in charge of one of the Balmoral units and let him know what was going on. He quietly assured the man that his Queen would be returned to her home, safe and sound, before the end of the day. Harry didn't want to be the cause of the next world war! He also took a moment to suggest she change her hood for a full helmet which would not only give her better protection but improved communications.
After their rest stop at Dragon Isle, the tour took a decidedly odd turn. The South Pole, the North Pole, a quick stop outside the International Space Station, the site of the American Moon landing, and finally Balmoral Castle for their final landing.
Once everyone had landed in perfect formation at the Queen's command, Harry slid down from Chekiath, surreptitiously helped the Queen down using a wandless levitation spell, and walked over to where she was again standing in front of a very amused Narth. In the corner of his eye, he could see the Queen's security forces driving up as fast as they could.
"Well, Elizabeth, Narth's rider," began Harry, mock officiously. "You seem to have learned how to fly with your dragon quite well. Even the formations you commanded can stand with the best any of the rest of us can command."
With that, the Queen finally broke down and smiled. She stepped forward and pulled Harry into a firm hug. "Thank you so much, Weyrleader!" she whispered fiercely. "I had a most wonderful time being in charge of my own life for once in my life. I will remember it fondly as long as I live."
With that, she stepped back in line and was suddenly Queen Elizabeth II, no longer Dragonrider Elizabeth.
"We were glad to be of service, your Majesty," said Harry, quietly with a devilish grin. "As one ruler to another, I know there is little time for oneself. If I am ever allowed near you again, you just have to ask."
The Queen smiled again and responded, "Yes, I understand that my keepers may not allow you near again, but we can always dream. And I will have Narth to replay her memories for me. Thank you again, Weyrleader. I hope the rest of your World Tour is less stressful than the start."
Contrary to proper leader-to-leader protocol, Harry bowed deeply to the diminutive, yet colossal leader before him. Then he turned, mounted Chekiath, and gave the signal for his Divisions to get airborne.
Moscow, Russia, Sept 7, 2026...
Posokhov Svyatoslav Stanislavovich had started out as a lowly Minister of Agriculture. He had survived the Dragon War because his battered car had given up the ghost before he could reach Moscow for a scheduled meeting. Now, he had been elected as the top man in the government by popular vote. Others had run, but he had been so busy trying to feed his people, that he hadn't even known about the election until he was informed he had won!
It had been a tremendous shock to him, not only that he had won, but that there were things in the world that most people had no idea about. Magic! It existed, and he was supposed to rule over both worlds! He had known nothing of their world until, after his election, he had been visited by a delegation from the UK. They had gently informed him as to the real reason their nation had been attacked, explained to him about magic, and offered magical protection until he could get his own in place. He now had his own magical protection detail charged not only with protecting him but with protecting those around him, the normal, everyday Russians who made up the bulk of the country.
Everything was so confusing! But he had slowly learned all he had to and was still Premier because all the people, normal and magical, were firmly behind his platforms of "People First" and "Advance into the future together".
The general public were enjoying a standard of living they had never dreamed of. Manufacturing was back in production creating consumer goods rather than machines of war. Recently he found out that independent groups had determined that the output of the new products by Russian industry were, in some cases, far superior to those produced by other nations!
Once he had learned about the Dumbledore Plan, he wanted to help in any way he could, which was why he was standing outside nervously scanning the sky for the fifth time this morning. The ones responsible for the resounding defeat of the previous administration were due in their skies again after over 16 years. He hoped they liked what they found.
There was a shocked silence from all around him as 636 dragons burst into the air above their heads at precisely 10 a.m. which is when he had asked for this meeting. As those around him were paralyzed into frozen stances, he walked forward to meet this mystery leader he had been told so much about by Arthur Weasley all those years ago.
As he hesitantly walked forward, the dragons landed en mass with a precision that would make a drill instructor cry. Slava kept his eyes on the helmeted figure on the lead dragon, a creature surely out of anyone's nightmares and large enough to swallow him whole if he looked at it wrong. He started to tremble violently but continued his forward progress. If this was to be his last day, no one would be able to call him a coward. He wanted to normalize relations with this new power in the world and he was not about to do so from an apparent position of fear.
Harry jumped down lithely from Cheki's back and removed his gloves and helmet. The Russian Premier looked at him in confusion.
"Is there some problem?" asked Harry calmly.
"How can you be the same leader who destroyed my country 16 years ago, you are just a child!" exclaimed Svyatoslav.
Harry just smiled gently. Cheki had already told him the man was terrified but was resolute. Harry wasn't about to do anything to damage any possible relations after hearing what this man had accomplished almost single-handedly after being placed in power. Cheki had also informed him about the four guards, presumably with drawn wands, under invisibility cloaks nearby. He slowly closed the distance between them.
"I'm sorry to disappoint, Premier," said Harry, gently. "I am that man and I still have nightmares about what I was forced to do to your countrymen."
Chekiath had kept pace with Harry's advance and Slava was almost petrified by the slowly advancing reptile. He was almost relieved when Harry offered his hand for a handshake of friendship.
As they shook hands, Harry looked pointedly behind the Premier and said, "You can tell your hidden bodyguards to stand down. If we were intent on harming anyone here, they would not be able to stop us. In fact, if they try to fire off a spell, they might be in for a rather unpleasant surprise. I say that, so you may understand our coming is in peace and we expect to be treated fairly and as equals, not kept at the end of a loaded gun … or wand." The last was delivered with a hint of steel that made Slava shiver anew.
He turned to where he assumed his security detail was hidden and said, "We are equals here and they come in peace. Please allow yourselves to be seen. Do you really think you could defend against this huge dragon?"
Reluctantly the four wizards removed their invisibility cloaks and holstered their wands.
"Now, in the spirit in which you have admitted we are equals," said Harry. "I will ask my advanced security team to reveal themselves as well."
Behind each of the formerly hidden wizards, a pair of figures appeared. First, there simply appeared dark shadows where none should have been, and then, as they removed their gloves and helmets and donned their outer flight suits they were revealed to all. The fact that they were grouped precisely behind each of the supposedly invisible wizards was a point not lost on anyone.
Harry decided to start defusing the situation, so started with some explanations. "I know you have fairly recently learned about magic. What you probably haven't been told is that the more powerful a wizard is, the slower he … or she … ages. I am currently 43 years old but have the possibility of living to be 150 to 200 years old, as would any wizard or witch."
"Amazing," murmured Premier Svyatoslav. "I am still learning about your world and am amazed that you have kept yourselves hidden from us all these years."
"It was not always so," said Harry, "and I understand you wish to help in the Dumbledore Plan to help reveal the magical community to the rest of the world. That is part of the reason I wanted to meet with you. The other is because I highly approve of what you have done for your people and your country since the end of the Dragon War. With so little to work with, you have managed to bring your country from the brink of extinction back to being a peaceful World power.
"Contrary to some regrettable actions in the past, I am all for peace and wish to encourage it when and where I can. I have brought my entire staff with me so that if anyone has questions I am unable to answer, they are here to provide the answers."
Premier Svyatoslav and those behind him relaxed at The Weyrleaders' words. They had hoped, but not believed. These words were a step in the right direction. Perhaps they would be able to work together peacefully.
New Moscow, Public Square, Announcement Board, Sept 11, 2026...
Muscovites gathered thickly around the announcement board as those closest read aloud for those behind them to hear.
"The New Russia Premier Svyatoslav Stanislavovich has declared that an old Russian cure for baldness has been rediscovered. He has invited scientists from any foreign country wishing to investigate his claims to come to Moscow and see for themselves. He has even gone so far as to suggest they send some bald scientists to perform a definitive test."
The crowd laughed at this and there was a lot of speculation about where the cure had been found. Not a single person there doubted their popular Premier. In the 16 years since he had been elected, he had never been known to lie and had always put the people ahead of himself. Even now, though he lived in Moscow, he lived in a small apartment building not far from where he worked. He usually walked to work or rode his bicycle.
The magical community knew different. The 'Capillatum Potion' released in Russia as a sure method to regrow hair was actually a mixture of the Capillis and the Makrenimalli spells applied to a thick potion. From many years of use, it was determined to have a 98.6% chance of working, giving its user a full, luxurious head of hair after about a month's treatment that could then be terminated. The few that the potion didn't work on, at least got some hair growth, though sometimes it was rather patchy.
The Dumbledore Plan had gained another proponent in the New Russia government.
Spath's Weyr, Hatching Grounds, Nov 22, 2026...
There were 40 new bonded riders with this last hatching, giving a total of 9,320 bonded dragons. However, there were now only 6,920 unbonded dragons between the two planets, a definite decrease. Harry was still worried about the decline in unbonded dragons and, after his 'World Tour' he thought he had a possible answer. He looked at the Earth calendar on the wall next to his desk and realized he would have to wait until tomorrow anyway. He slowly walked from the hatching ground and went home.
Ministry of Magic, Office of the Deputy Minister and staff, Nov 23, 2026...
Harry walked into the Outer Office of the Minister of Magic. The secretary behind the desk was someone he had never seen before, but he was sure it wouldn't be a problem. She looked up from the document she was typing and asked, "May I help you, Sir?"
"I'm here to see Sir William O'Hearny," replied Harry.
"I'm sorry, Sir, no one by that name works here," she said, already starting to go back to her work.
Harry was a bit confused by this, so thought he'd better make sure he was in the correct office. "This is the Ministry of Magic, isn't it?" he asked, hesitantly.
"It is," said the secretary, annoyed at being interrupted, yet again. "Do you have an appointment?" she asked, knowing he didn't and hoping he would go away.
"I've never needed an appointment before," said Harry, baffled. "Does Alejandro Croaker or Arthur Weasley still work here?"
"Of course they do," said the annoyed older woman, "but if you don't have an appointment, you will have to come back when you have one!"
"Cheki," called Harry. "Can you sense Alejandro or Arthur in the room next to me?"
"Yes, Harry," replied Chekiath. "There are five men in the room. I assume that two of them are the protection detail they usually have there."
The secretary looked startled at the voice in her mind but was alarmed when Harry started for the door. She yelled, "You can't just walk in there!" but it was too late.
As soon as he opened the door, two stun spells arrowed straight for him only to instantly rebound on the two wizards of the protection detail who collapsed on the spot. Harry saw Alejandro and Arthur at their normal desks but there was a very surprised man behind the desk that Sir William used to sit at and he was swiftly bringing up a wand.
Harry just watched, as he knew what would happen, but Arthur yelled, "DON'T!" before the man could fire off whatever spell he had planned on using. The man stopped and stared at Arthur curiously.
"Who is this young man, Arthur?" asked the stranger.
"This is The Weyrleader, Harry Potter, Sir Elliot," responded Arthur.
"And just why is he barging into our office and knocking out our security team?" asked Sir Elliot, slowly getting angrier by the minute. "And what is a Weyrleader!?"
"Harry, are you alright?" asked Chekiath, worriedly. "I sense a lot of anger in the room with you and I heard the secretary call for security. Do you want me to come down?"
"No, mate," responded Harry, hurriedly. "There isn't really room down here. It will be alright."
Sir Elliot Dean, the newest Deputy Minister of Magic looked surprised and confused. "What was that!?"
"That, was the largest dragon in two worlds wanting to know if he should come rescue his bonded rider," explained Arthur. "I think if we can all just calm down, we can find out what is happening soon enough. Sir Elliot Dean, Deputy Minister of Magic, may I present to you Harry Potter, The Weyrleader, bonded rider of Chekiath, and the acknowledged leader of every dragon on Earth and on Pern.
"Harry Potter, may I introduce you to Sir Elliot Dean, the newest Deputy Minister of Magic."
Sir Elliot sat down stunned. "This is the man who kidnapped the Queen a couple of months ago!"
"No, Sir," replied Harry calmly. "She decided she wanted to take an impromptu world tour and we escorted her to keep her out of trouble. I was a bit surprised when she insisted on visiting the International Space Station and the old American Lunar Landing site."
Sir Dean just looked at Harry as if he was a lunatic. Suddenly there was a disturbance in the outer office and several men barged into the room with drawn weapons. Harry looked at them uneasily. He wasn't afraid for himself, he didn't want them to get hurt, which they would if they fired at him.
"I think you should tell your men to put their weapons away, Sir Elliot," said Harry, as calmly as he could. "I would really hate for someone to get hurt because I'm a little out of date with your office procedures."
Alejandro quickly stepped in between Harry and the new men in the office. "Please put your guns down," he said. "No one has been hurt except the security detail and they just accidentally stunned themselves."
Sir Elliot waved the newcomers back out of the office. He had come to trust Alejandro and Arthur, just as his two predecessors had. The explanation had better be really good though. His secretary looked in through the door at him and he nodded reassuringly to her, so she backed out and closed the door.
When the door closed, Arthur guided everyone over to the comfortable chairs on one side of the office and started getting some tea ready.
"Harry," Arthur started. "I know you have been on Pern for a long time but the British government does change from time to time. Sir William retired 20 years ago, and Sir Elliot is the third man to hold the office since it was created. I apologize for the rough welcome you've received, but I really think part of that is your fault."
Harry blushed slightly at the mild rebuke. "My apologies, Sir Elliot," said Harry, contritely. "I am having a problem with my unbonded dragons and I think I have come up with a solution that will benefit us both. I was so excited to get it started I didn't even think about how long it had been since I was here last. I'm just glad that Alejandro and Arthur are both still here or it could have been very embarrassing."
"Embarrassing? How so," asked Sir Elliot.
"Before I continue, may I be allowed to revive your security detail?" asked Harry, contritely. The men were mostly still covered by their invisibility cloaks, so he could understand them being forgotten with the heated emotions that had been aroused in the office.
"I have no objections," said Sir Elliot. "The office equipment is shielded against magic." He watched to see what this young man would do.
Harry simply looked at the two unconscious security men and they started to stir as they came out of the stun. When they finally came around, they both started to reach for their wands.
"Accio Wands!" said Harry quickly, and the two security men were instantly disarmed before they could hurt themselves again.
They looked at Harry shocked and then at Sir Elliot. He looked back at them and then at Harry.
"If they promise to behave themselves will you give them back their wands?" he asked.
"I will after I explain why it would be a bad idea for them to attack me," said Harry. "I wear a permanent spell that reflects any spell or projectile back to the source ..."
"Protego Defens!" exclaimed one of the men in the security detail. "I haven't been on the course yet, but all the senior Aurors swear by it."
Harry looked at him and said, "I'm the first one who ever taught that course. Believe me, I don't know what they are teaching as the spell now, but it is nothing compared to what I'm protected by. If those gentlemen who came at your secretary's call had fired their guns, they might have just managed to kill themselves."
At that, Harry gently levitated their wands back to the two men.
Sir Elliot looked at Harry and said, "Well, I've never heard of this course. How do I know you are telling the truth?"
"Use your weakest possible stun spell, barely enough to cause a tingle, and fire it at me," replied Harry. "I will just sit here, totally defenseless."
Sir Elliot wasn't sure that was exactly the truth, but he pulled his wand and aimed it at Harry. After a few moments, he dropped it as if shocked. Sir Elliot looked at Harry with new respect.
Arthur spoke up then. "Sir Elliot, do you know of Albus Dumbledore?"
"Wasn't he the wizard who worked here before you?"
"He was much more than a wizard, he was one of Britain's greatest Mages. He was 114 when he died. What does that say to you?"
"His magical core had just stabilized around 14 years earlier," said Sir Elliot, curious to know where this was leading.
"Our Harry here was only 16 at the time and already a greater Mage than Dumbledore was at the height of his power. Harry is now around 46, so his magical core is still growing. Harry doesn't think twice about some of the things he does, but he could probably level this entire building and no one in it would be able to stop him. Do you really want to make an enemy of someone like that?"
"Not to mention," added Chekiath, from the roof, "He commands the absolute loyalty of over 16,000 dragons on two worlds. If you thought the Dragon War that almost totally destroyed Russia and Saudi Arabia in less than a day was bad, just try to hurt our Harry and see what it's like to have to cook your food over a wood fire … if you live through it!"
"Easy, Cheki," said Harry, calmly. "I'm sure they get the idea and we really came here to do them and our unbonded dragons a favor, not start a fight."
Sir Elliot looked at Harry with new respect and not a little bit of healthy fear. "You were the one behind the Dragon War!" he said, with widened eyes. "You did all that damage and then almost disappeared!"
"We had a new planet to colonize," said Harry. "Besides, we didn't disappear. We still have dragons and riders in full stealth mode guarding specific places against terrorists."
"Would one of those places happen to be King's Cross Station by any chance?" asked one of the security guards.
"Yes, why?" asked Harry.
"Over the last several years we've found questionable characters tied up tight and left on the front steps of local police stations with notes saying they've committed various violent crimes. Every time we've investigated, we found the individuals were wanted for several outstanding warrants. If you're behind that, there isn't a bobby who would even dream of picking a fight with you!"
"Yes, we do leave some of them tied up for your police," responded Harry. "The ones we aren't sure about."
"What happens to the ones you are sure about?" asked Sir Elliot, curiously.
"You really don't want to know," said Alejandro with a shudder.
Sir Elliot looked at him with a curious expression and Alejandro knew he would have to explain later.
"Right now we seem to have drifted off the topic of why you are here, Weyrleader," said Sir Elliot, finally using Harry's title.
"Just call me Harry, please," asked Harry. "I didn't ask for all this, but I am doing my best to make it work for the dragons' sake. The reason I came here today was triggered by what I learned when I visited Her Majesty a couple of months ago. The dragons of the Queen's Guard all felt happy and fulfilled. I have stated many times that we will never fight in a war unless attacked first but I routinely assign dragons to work guard details.
"I started wondering if they would also like to help the Auror forces of different Nations in a covert manner. They can turn themselves invisible to anyone they don't wish to see them and we have developed dragon armor that masks their thermal image, so they cannot be seen, even with your latest infrared vision devices.
"Can you imagine how much that could help your Law Enforcement establishment? An Auror or two sitting on the back of such a dragon would be totally invisible as well. They could conduct stakeouts right on top of the criminals they are watching and go undetected.
"Their scales are proof against small caliber firearms and the armor we provide them protects them even more.
"Right now, the Dragon Nation is suffering from a decline in the population of our unbonded dragons. I think if I can give them a big enough job that will put them into daily contact with those they can become friends with, it will give them a reason to want to keep going.
"We can help you, but it would be helping us as well."
They talked for another three hours, but in the end, Sir Elliot Dean agreed to hire several Flights of unbonded dragons on a trial basis. Arthur Weasley was assigned to be the coordination point of contact for any questions from the Aurors or the police. Harry then assigned a Flight of unbonded dragons to shadow Arthur in case he had any questions they could answer and he introduced Arthur to his dragon detail's leader, Corath.
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