Chapter 13: A Day in the Life ...
Spath's Weyr, Harry's Quarters, Jan 10, 2028, 0500...
Harry awoke early as usual and gently disentangled himself from two women, a little girl, and four fire lizards. As he levitated himself up and off the bed, the fire lizards woke up and went ahead of him into the bathroom. He stoppered the wide sink and filled it to a little over half full. The fire lizards immediately jumped into the warm water and started playing.
Harry then went into the attached sauna and poured cold water on the hot rocks in the center. As the hot steam filled the chamber, he started his daily meditation. It would help clear his mind so he could better concentrate on what he had to accomplish during the day. He had gotten so good at his meditation that he could now finish in the sauna and take his shower while meditating. He usually finished both at about the same time.
After he got out of the shower and dried off, he put on the clean underwear, Shadow Suit, and flight suit that Dobby had left out for him. The last thing he did before he left the bathroom was mentally inventory everything that was in his belt pouch, adding anything he might need during the day. It never hurt to carry extra water, a passenger flight suit, and a small blanket.
Dobby popped in just then with a cup of tea and a buttered scone.
"Here is Harry Potter's breakfast," said Dobby, almost scoldingly. "You know it's not good to go out without eating something."
"Thank you, Dobby," said Harry, warmly. "We love you too."
Dobby just blushed at the show of caring for him that he still wasn't used to after all these years and popped out of the room.
Harry dutifully drank his just right, hot tea and ate his scone before leaving to join Chekiath.
Spath's Weyr, Weyrling Commons, 0515...
Harry and Chekiath came here every morning as a convenient place for Harry to check for misaligned scales and give Chekiath his daily brushing with hot oil. When there were Weyrlings in residence, he tried to coordinate their visits for when the Weyrlings were being taught to do the same thing, so Harry and Cheki could help. The inspection and brushing didn't take Harry nearly as long as it used to, but he was always very careful to search everywhere.
Spath's Weyr, 0615...
Chekiath was waiting for him on the ledge outside their private entrance on the outside of Spath's Weyr, Level 20. Harry quickly checked that his gloves were on and his helmet sealed before he jumped up on Cheki's leg and vaulted onto his place at the base of Cheki's neck. Once comfortably situated, he signaled Cheki to go aloft. Cheki activated his sticking rune as a matter of habit and leapt into the sky, quickly rising to 10,000 ft. As Cheki leveled out, Harry finished expanding his mental sensitivity and started actively looking for anything that seemed out of place or a possible problem.
'Cheki, how long do you think it will take that wagon train to arrive at the Weyr?' asked Harry on their bond.
Cheki moved his head slightly to glance in the direction his rider was looking and said, 'At least three hours if they manage to keep the same pace.'
'Probably more tourists,' said Harry, in jest. 'If they were just interested in trading their numbweed, they could have left it at Bane's Hold and sailed back home. It took a lot of effort for them to bring wagons and burdenbeasts to pull them. They must want to see Spath's Hold and Weyr with their own eyes.
'I suppose it would make sense to offer to buy it all from them to keep at Bane's Hold for when others arrive with the same idea. We could open up a 'Wagon Rental' store, offering a flat rate for any two-way rental.'
'It would save them having to take them back over the ocean,' commented Chekiath.
After Harry, satisfied with his survey, sent a greeting to the watch dragon and they went Between to …
Nutan's Weyr, 0620...
'Looks like they've excavated quite a bit,' commented Harry.
'Yes, but it's all the easiest to dig out, farthest from the volcanoes,' replied Chekiath.
'True,' replied Harry. 'I have a feeling the most interesting stuff will be found closer to the base of the mountain. Unfortunately, that will make it harder to dig out. It would take a lot longer if unbonded dragons and Goblins weren't helping.'
Harry looked carefully at the Weyr, the excavation site, and their surrounding area. When he was satisfied, he sent a greeting to the watch dragon and he and Cheki went Between to …
Bane's Hold, 0625...
'That's quite a large ship our guests arrived on,' said Harry. 'It would have to be, though with all they brought with them.'
After ensuring that there were no signs of distress below, he checked in with the watch dragon and he and Cheki went Between to …
Condron Sea Weyr and Condron Sea Hold, 0630...
'If you can't be in a mountain,' said Harry, admiringly, 'that has to be the next best place. They sure have done a great job here.'
'I like Spath's Weyr,' said Cheki. 'It's home.'
'Of course you do,' said Harry. 'I like it as well. That doesn't mean I can't admire someone else's home, does it?'
'No,' said Chekiath. 'But Spath's is better.'
Harry just smiled to himself and continued his survey until he was satisfied. Then, he sent a greeting to the watch dragon and he and Cheki went Between to …
Mertown, Center of the Inland Sea, 0640...
'Everyone here seems to be quiet, healthy, and relatively happy,' commented Harry.
'You can sense more than I can,' said Chekiath. 'I can barely make out there is something there, below the surface.'
When he was satisfied with his mental survey, he and Cheki went Between to …
Sakushima Weyr and Sakushima Hold, 0645...
'Good, looks like the SPS Dronth is in port, so we won't have to try to find it,' said Harry.
'Looks like another Pern fishing schooner is making for port," said Cheki, excitedly. 'I hope they send some of their fish to Spath's Weyr, I like fish!'
'I'm sure they will,' said Harry, reassuringly. 'Just in case they don't get there soon enough, why don't you take your consorts fishing while I'm in my meeting this morning?'
'That's a good idea,' said Cheki, happily. 'We can get some shagging flights in too.'
'Of course you can,' responded Harry, dryly. 'You do know that doesn't bother me anymore.'
'Yes, but it's fun.'
When he was satisfied, he sent a greeting to the watch dragon and he and Cheki went Between to …
Red Butte Weyr, 0652...
The new center of Pern's global law was just a dark blob against the even darker ground. There wouldn't be enough light to see anything visually for some hours yet. With Harry's extended mental senses, though, he found all quiet and calm.
With nothing else to do, he sent a greeting to the watch dragon and he and Cheki went Between to …
Spath's Weyr, 0657...
'Thanks for the flight, Cheki!' exclaimed Harry, enthusiastically. 'I really love going up with you, no matter what we are doing.'
'I enjoy it too,' said Cheki, lovingly. 'Maybe we can go out again later?'
'Maybe we can all go out later,' replied Harry. 'The only thing I enjoy more than flying with just you is flying with my whole family!'
He put his helmet into his belt pouch as he walked into his inner office ...
Spath's Weyr, The Weyrleaders Outer Office, 0700...
Harry sat at his desk and quickly went through all the paperwork Jeofrey had left him from last night. To anyone watching, it would seem like he was simply quickly flipping through most of the paperwork and making notes and/or signing a few. Thanks to the meditation he'd performed this morning, his mind was still keyed into hyper concentration. He was able to comprehend each page at a glance and commit the important contents of each report to memory and went on to the next report.
He made notes or signed those that required it as he went through them. He had an extra 5 minutes this morning, so actually managed to clear the entire inbox before he left for …
Spath's Weyr, Harry's Quarters, 0800...
"Good morning, Harry," said May, lethargically. "I didn't even feel you get out of bed this morning! I don't know how you do it. I hate getting up in the morning!"
"I felt him leave," said Hermione, brightly. "Thankfully, he was quiet enough I was able to get back to sleep again. I just wish he would remember to clean up the sink after he's let the fire lizards play in it!"
Just then Dobby and Tisky popped into the room and set out their breakfast. Tegan came running in, still wearing her 'jammies'. She grabbed chunks of meat and started feeding her fire lizards.
"Please try not to get too dirty," asked May. "Unless you want another bath this morning!"
"I'll be careful," said the small girl, as she dropped a piece of meat on the floor. Her gold fire lizard, Goldy, swooped down and grabbed it before her other fire lizard, Browny, could grab it. The two tiny lizards started to squabble over the morsel of food until Tegan grabbed another and shoved it in front of Browny.
"OK, time for us to eat," said Harry, scooping Tegan up, casting a tergeo spell on her to clean up the mess from feeding her dragons, and settled her next to him, across from his two wives.
He grabbed a plate and placed buttered rolls and fruit on it for Tegan and placed two small bowls of meat, one on either side of her for her fire lizards. The two tiny lizards immediately landed on the table next to the bowls and started cramming the food down as fast as they could.
Harry then got a third bowl and filled it with meat for his fire lizard, Sam, who settled down much more calmly and started delicately taking his food. Since he was mature now, he knew that more than sufficient food was available any time he wanted it. He also knew how to go out and get his own if his human was too slow. May was feeding her fire lizard as well.
Harry filled his plate and put a single roll on a smaller plate and placed it to one side, closer to Hermione than to him. He knew it would disappear soon enough.
As he ate, he discussed their plans for the day with his wives and his daughter.
"The Pernese have finally realized our Legal system is far superior to theirs and I have been getting a lot of requests to draw up Living Wills, Trusts, and Limited Power of Attorneys for our Lord and Lady Holders," said Hermione. "I will be starting some classes to teach their Law Smiths how to do the paperwork themselves. I have a feeling they will have their people create the initial documents and then come to us to make sure it's binding in the courts we have set up."
"Sounds like a lot of work," said Harry, sympathetically. "Do you have all the help you need?"
"Yes, we have a lot of Dragonriders with legal degrees now," said Hermione. "I can set them up in Spath's Law Office or incorporate them into their own companies. The load should settle out soon enough."
"I've heard about an investigation Lisa Turpin is conducting about reports from concerned magical parents that their children don't seem to be as magically advanced as they feel they should be," said May, worriedly. "If our magical children are being affected, our dragons may be also."
"Please keep me informed," said Harry, worriedly. "When we have our meeting this morning, would you bring it up?"
"Sure, be happy to," said May. "I'll let Lisa know you want to learn more so she can bring what information she has."
"How about you," said Harry, looking at Tegan as she fed her fire lizards more meat.
"We are going on a field trip today!" she announced, proudly.
"Oh?" asked Harry, curiously. "Where are you going?"
"We are going to the zoo!" exclaimed Tegan. "Tisky said she would go to help with the other children. I don't need anyone to look after me!"
"Of course you don't," said Harry, convincingly. "You are a very big girl with her own fire lizards!"
"They will probably be at home most of the day, sleeping," Tegan said, seriously. "That's why I've been feeding them so much. They make the other children make too much noise."
"Ah," said Harry, smiling. "And they never make you make too much noise."
"No, they don't," said Tegan, earnestly. "I'm a big girl!"
"Well, you look like a big girl who needs to be cleaned up just a little before we go to your school," said Harry.
Tegan's fire lizards finally left the table and flew back towards Trath's bed to sleep out the morning.
As May and Hermione left the apartment to start their day, Harry cast another tergeo spell on Tegan to clean all the blood and grease off of her. He then picked her up and took her into the back to get her dressed for school. He finally got her into her jumper and ready for school. He picked her up and allowed Sam to curl up on his shoulder before he ported down to the Daycare Center on Level 1.
Spath's Weyr, Daycare Center, 0850...
"Good morning, Sofia," said Harry, politely, as he set Tegan down so she could run into the room all by herself, as big girls always did. "I understand you are going on a special field trip today."
"Yes, we are, Weyrleader," said the young witch, who had helped set up the Weyr's Daycare Center. "We are going to see all the dangerous Pern plant, insect, and animal life at the zoo set up under the canopy. The children have been excited about going since they learned about it last week."
"Is there any assistance I can provide?" asked Harry, politely. "I would hate for anything to go wrong with so many young children involved."
"We will be fine," said the young woman of Italian descent. "We have either a parent or a house-elf for each and every child. They will have tracking charms attached to their arms before we leave and their 'buddy' will have a tether attaching them to the children. The normal parents will be attached so their children cannot wander away too far without them knowing."
"Sounds like you have everything under control," said Harry, smiling warmly. "Don't hesitate to call on any Dragonrider or dragon in the Weyr for help, if you need it. Our children are important to us all."
"I will, thank you," said Sofia, gratefully. "I'm sure we won't need it, but it's better to have more help than not enough."
"If you like, I can ask one of our on-duty Dragonriders to tag along. That way, someone you know would be right there if you needed help."
Sofia considered this a moment, and finally said, "Are you sure, Weyrleader? It seems like an unnecessary imposition on someone else's time, especially since we already have so many parents and house-elves helping."
"I'm absolutely positive," said Harry, graciously. "Cheki, would you please ask Andre Liang to meet us here at the Daycare Center."
'He is on his way, Harry,' replied Chekiath.
A few minutes later, a young Dragonrider appeared outside the door where Harry and Sofia were standing.
"Sofia, may I introduce you to Andre Liang, Meranarth's rider," introduced Harry. "He is a member of our Engineering team. Andre, this is Sofia Ciocca, the Headmistress of our Daycare Center. I would appreciate it if you would accompany them on their field trip today and help head off any possible trouble."
"It would be my pleasure," said the young rider, smiling as he saw who he would be walking with. "I'm sure we will get along well and take excellent care of the children."
"Just make sure the children get enough of your attention," teased Harry.
Neither of the two he had just introduced seemed to notice when Harry left for …
Spath's Weyr, The Weyrleader's Inner Office, 0900...
"Good morning, Jeofrey," greeted Harry as he walked in the door to his office. "Anything for me this morning?"
"Nothing yet, Sir," replied Jeofrey. "I've already managed to file everything you finished this morning and nothing else has come up yet."
"That's good," said Harry. "I will be in my office, working on my meeting notes when the Monday morning courier arrives. Would you please call Eddie Took and ask her to attend today's 1000 Staff Meeting."
"Will do, Harry," said Jeofrey.
Harry sat at his desk and looked at his reminder sheet of business he wanted to bring up at the meeting today. He quickly added the Medical question May had mentioned at breakfast this morning, listing it as a top priority. Then, since he had nothing to add to the list he had generated last Friday night before he quit for the day, he turned to studying possible improvements to his Protego Defens spells.
About a half hour later, Jeofrey shouted, "Courier!"
Harry looked up from the hand-written notes he was working from and saw Alice Wagner was in the outer office.
"Send her in," called Harry.
"Morning, Harry," said Alice, as she entered his office. "Nothing really important today, just the pouch with all the Weyrs' and Dragon Isle's weekly reports."
"Thanks, Alice," said Harry. "Have you had a chance to see the new Weyr at Campbeltown yet?"
"I have. For an Earth Weyr, it's impressive," said Alice, thoughtfully. "Too bad Lord James had to die to get it built."
"I know," said Harry, "May was really broken up about his passing. She spent most of her early life thinking she was going to work for his family taking care of his livestock. He was like family to her."
"That's rough," said Alice. "Hope she's feeling better now."
"She is better, but it's going to take a while," said Harry, quietly. "She still breaks down and cries quietly at odd moments when something reminds her of him."
Alice nodded, understandingly. "Anything going on locally that I need to pass on to Earth?"
"Something came up this morning that I'm going to talk about at our 1000 Staff Meeting," said Harry. "You are welcome to stick around and hear about it first hand if you don't have anything else you need to do. Otherwise, it will probably be included with the return courier pouch for Dragon Isle. It doesn't appear to be anything that affects Dragonriders. In fact, we need to do more research to find out if we even have a problem."
"In that case, I think I'll wait for the final report and announcement to the rest of the Weyrs. I have someone waiting to see me," said Alice, with a hesitant smile.
"Go and have a good time while you're visiting," said Harry. "It will probably turn out to be nothing."
After Alice left, Harry quickly went through the reports from Earth in case there was anything he needed to address at the meeting. Shortly after Alice left, Harry rose from his chair and left his office for the meeting.
Spath's Weyr, Main Conference Room, 1000...
As Harry walked into the Conference Room on Level 20 and walked up to the podium, the level of noise dropped to nothing. If anyone had any further inter-personal business to conduct, they could continue after the meeting. Harry called the meeting to order, noted that Hermione was, out of her long-time habit, acting as recorder. She had her Dicta-quill set up next to a large bin of paper.
He smiled at her, she just wouldn't listen when he tried to convince her that a written copy wasn't needed anymore. Every meeting was video and audio recorded against any possible future need, including questions about what was covered by someone not present. Hermione insisted though, saying that the written copy would be easier to search on their network. Harry didn't push it, because he wasn't about to stop anyone doing something they thought would benefit the Weyr, even if he didn't personally see any need.
Harry glanced at May and could see she was ready with her information. Unfortunately, she would have to wait until later. He didn't want to take her out of order in case something else, just as important, got passed over. He called for old business first and Ronan Clark raised his hand. Harry nodded to him to indicate he had the floor.
"As reported last week, one of our new heavy milling machines came loose from its mount and started 'walking' across the shop floor after it had been in use for a week. We discovered the problem was a weak lag bolt that sheared off and caused several others to fail, one after another. We have tested and replaced all the bolts and have had no further problems.
"Fortunately, the other bolts held it in place long enough that no one was in any danger. It was slightly funny to see one of the dragons that had visited the shop, make a startled jump almost 20 feet in the air. He didn't think that such a large machine would start chasing him."
Harry waited for the amused chatter to settle and thanked Ronan for his report. As Ronan sat, Draco Malfoy raised his hand and Harry nodded to him.
"We have finally finished the new ward runes for all Weyrs and Holds on the southern continent and Red Butte Weyr and Hold on the northern continent. Since the new Protego Thread rune is a little more complex than the old rune, we had to increase the power of the magical accumulators. We found that, in some areas, the accumulators took an exceptionally long time to charge. That is still under investigation."
"Thank you, Draco," said Harry. "May has a new report that she will be telling us about later that might connect. After the meeting, if you think there could be a connection, would you please coordinate with her?"
"Will do, Harry," said Draco, as he sat down. Arnas Roberts then raised his hand and Harry nodded to him.
"We have finished installing all the new remote weather stations across Pern and linking them to our network. As I reported last week, we had to replace all the old ones when we found that part of the structure was susceptible to damage from thread. Some of the Lord Holders in the north expressed an interest in what we were doing and I told them I would be happy to show them how to access the information but I would have to clear it with The Weyrleader first."
Harry shook his head and then looked up at Arnas. "I have no problem sharing weather information with anyone on the planet. As our official Meteorologist, giving them access is entirely within the power of your office alone. They will have to acquire a computer capable of connecting to our network and someone will have to be taught how to operate the computer and how to interpret the weather station results. You might want to take extensive notes the first time you help someone with this, as it will make your job easier if you can get Lee Jordan to convert your notes into an easy-to-understand manual."
Harry looked over at a suddenly interested Hermione. "You might also get Hermione involved, Arnas. I'm sure, with her experience converting my chicken scratches into readable and useful text, she can probably also be a great help." Hermione just looked smug and smiled at him.
"Thank you, Harry," said Arnas. "I will make sure it all happens and report on our progress after the first installation." Arnas sat down and Millicent Bulstrode raised her hand. Harry nodded to her.
"At your request," began Millicent, "we have been performing ongoing experiments to determine exactly how Pern is different from Earth. The list is really too extensive to discuss now, but I have a short 50-page summary that may be of help to anyone wishing to know the information. We have covered not only the solar system and planetary orbital mechanics but have listed all flora and fauna discovered so far with descriptions and possible uses and/or cautions. Remus has already approached me for the information. He wants to add it to his book 'The Weyrs of Pern'."
"Thank you Millicent," said Harry. "I will be interested in seeing your report … at least the summary." This got another chuckle from those who knew the amount of paperwork Harry waded through on a typical day. As Millicent sat, Lisa Turpin raised her hand. Again, Harry nodded and she stood.
"We now have an effective cure for the fever and sickness caused by the Pern fleas. It comes in two different forms, based upon the patient's physiology, Earth-based or Pern-based. The repellant has been improved to last 6 months. Unfortunately, I don't think we can extend that period or we risk poisoning the host."
"That's great news, Lisa!" exclaimed Harry, happily. "Please send out a notice in our newsletter, on the front page, so that everyone gets the word. Those fleas have been a real problem for us since we arrived. I hope this is the beginning of the end of that problem at least."
As Lisa sat, Susan Bones raised her hand. Harry nodded at her and she stood.
"We had a request from the Centaurs to include some of their foals in our school for younger children in the Weyr. We have had the classrooms expanded and portions modified for their comfort. So far, everything seems to be working out fine. I will continue to report as anything important comes up."
"Centaur foals are usually mentally and physically more advanced than human children of similar ages," said Harry. "Has that had any effect on your students?"
"We place them according to their educational needs," said Susan. "Usually, they will be placed in classes with older children, but, for some classes, they need to be in classes with children closer to their actual age. We are proceeding in a case-by-case manner. Each Centaur foal takes placement tests and is put into classes according to their needs. So far, the Centaur parents have seemed pleased."
"Thank you, Susan," said Harry. "Do you have any further information about the sudden influx of tunnel snakes?"
"The infestation we found was in one of the outer ring storage rooms. Evidently, a mother snake came in because of the warmth and hatched a clutch of eggs. The Weyr's fire lizards are having the time of their lives hunting down and eating the baby snakes and the mother was killed when she was found. I don't think there will be any further problem but it probably wouldn't hurt to warn our citizens to be careful if they enter a dark area. The snakes seem to love dark, tight places. They aren't dangerous unless they catch someone by surprise."
"Thank you, Susan," said Harry. "Would you make sure that information is also added to our newsletter?"
"Of course," she said, as she sat down. Rubeus Hagrid raised his hand and Harry nodded at him to go ahead.
"We finally finish'd tha 'Gringotts Drag'n Guide'. It's not that different from our other manual except in how we exerciz' tha litul dragons and how we teach 'em ta go B'tween."
"Great work, Hagrid!" exclaimed Harry. "I can't think of anyone who could have done a better job. Your love of the dragons shines through in everything you do. Thank you for being such a wonderful Weyrling Master."
Hagrid sat down amid appreciative applause and cheers. Once it settled down, Harry asked if there was any further old business. When no one responded, he said, "May brought up a disturbing possible problem this morning. I am going to ask her to let us know what the problem may be and what she knows so far." He nodded to May, who stood to address the rest of the group.
"This isn't really my report but, as the official Head of the Hospital, I guess I'm the logical one to track it. Lisa Turpin is conducting an investigation on reports from concerned magical parents that their children don't seem to be as magically advanced as they feel they should be," said May. "If our magical children are being affected, our dragons may also.
"Lisa, can you add anything to my limited information?"
Lisa stood and addressed the group. "So far, I don't have anything concrete, just enough to be worrying. Several parents from fairly powerful magical families have approached me, worried because their babies and very young children don't seem to be expressing accidental magic at near the level they feel they should be at this time in their lives.
"I have conducted every magical test I can think of and Doctor Sheppard has conducted every muggle test he can think of. All test results return normal for the age of the child, but I can feel the magical core of the children seems smaller than it should be. Since this just recently came up, I haven't made any determination about a possible course of action yet, but feel it may be beneficial for those concerned parents to take their children back to Earth until their magical cores attain their initial growth.
"Harry's children never seemed to have this problem, but they were constantly traveling back and forth between Earth and Pern. There may be something in Earth's atmosphere that is required for magic to grow properly and develop, at least until the initial magical core has been established.
"I never even thought about dragons until May just now brought it up."
As May and Lisa sat back down, Harry turned to an infrequent visitor to their Staff meetings.
"I have invited Eddie Took and her husband Seamus here today, specifically because I feel they may be able to shed some light on this issue," said Harry, in introduction as he looked toward the Druid High Priestess and her husband, a Druid Priest.
"When we first came to this planet," began Eddie, "we sought out the Pern Mother to thank her for letting us visit. We were unable to find her! This is of major concern because where there is life on a planet like Earth or Pern, there is a planet mother. There has to be!
"On Earth, there are magical Ley Lines that link specifically important magical points on the planet's surface. Though I don't consider myself magical, we are still able to easily detect these lines. The lines on some areas of Earth's surface are weak, in other areas, they are strong. Strongest still are the places where such lines cross, such as Disko Island, and Hogwarts.
"Here on Pern there are extremely weak Ley Lines and they don't seem to connect any specific points at all! When we first arrived, there was a line to the north of Spath's Weyr and one to the west, neither going any place in particular. Today, when The Weyrleader requested our presence here for this meeting, we decided to check on those lines again. They are both still there but they have shifted slightly and now run underneath Spath's Weyr. They also seem to be slightly stronger than when we first found them.
"After hearing from Lisa, it is our professional opinion that the magical children need to be returned to Earth until their magical core has solidly started to form. There is just not enough magical energy on Pern to aid in the formation of such an important part of a magical being's life. Once a child reaches puberty, their base core is steady and has started its growth which will finish growing in about 100 years. From the age of about 2 years until they reach about 18, however, the magical core is very fragile and needs constant support of a nearby magical field."
This information caused an instant increase in the noise of concerned voices, as many of those present either had young children or knew of someone who did. Harry allowed the buzz of concerned conversation to go on for a few minutes and then he called for order.
"Eddie, do you think Pern is dying?" asked a very concerned Harry.
"No, Harry," replied Eddie, quietly. "I do think that, just as on Earth, when there is a conflict, the planet mother withdraws to escape the pain to her children. What has been happening on Pern for who knows how long?"
"Thread has been falling periodically," said Harry, anxiously. "Would it be possible to find where the Pern Mother is located, protect her, and entice her to return?"
"Anything is possible," said Eddie, calmly. "We can only try. I will write a letter to some of our Elders back on Earth to see if we can entice a Grove of Druid Elders to Pern to help."
"That would be appreciated," said Harry. "Tell them they will get a free vacation on Pern out of it, even if they aren't able to help, complete with free transportation."
"I don't think you need to do that, Weyrleader," said Eddie appreciatively, "but I'm sure they will appreciate the gesture."
"Finally, Chekiath and I noticed a trader wagon train approaching Spath's Weyr this morning about 0615. They should have arrived already if they weren't delayed. They must have gone to great expense to bring their wagons and burdenbeasts with them. I thought it would make sense to offer to purchase their wagons and burdenbeasts from them, so they wouldn't have to take them back by ship. It must be awfully crowded on the schooner we saw at Bane's Hold."
"I will ask them if they are interested," said Susan Bones. "This will be my first direct contact with traders. Usually, they conduct all their business at one of the other Holds or Weyrs, closer to the ocean."
Harry adjourned the meeting a little before 1100, he had been warned a long time ago that long meetings were boring and if it couldn't be covered in an hour or less, then you didn't trust your subordinates enough. Harry didn't feel like he had any 'subordinates' but he still tried to keep to the time limit. He felt that his time was too valuable to waste, as was everyone else's.
Disko Island Hatching Weyr, Jan 10, 2028, 1100...
Chekiath came out of Between 3,000 ft over Disko Island. Harry didn't care if anyone knew if he was there, but wasn't planning on announcing his visit either. He had let the Spath's Weyr watch dragon know he would be gone for about an hour or less and then jumped here immediately. It had become a part of his routine to do a quick check of all the Dragon Nation sites at least once a week and today he was going to do it early in the week.
Below he could see the International Hotel and the busy Technology Center. Since Dragon Isle had opened, this location was used less and less, but it still brought in a fair amount from tourists and business executives who wanted to visit the first home of the dragons. At first, Harry had worried that opening up the Hatching Weyr's location to the public would attract that element that seemed to dislike dragon-kind. It might have but for the multi-national forces that regularly cruised the waters around the old volcano and the troops that were constantly rotated in and out.
Harry had a feeling that such obstacles to an attack tended to make any terrorist think twice about attacking such a hardened target. Of course, there was always at least a Flight of dragons invisibly watching, just in case. Harry and Chekiath came out of Between about 1,000 ft. below the dragon patrol. He couldn't see them, as they couldn't see him, but they each knew the other was there. He said goodbye to the Lead dragon of the Flight as he finished his meditation rituals then he and Cheki went Between to …
Hogwarts School Weyr, Earth, 1110...
Harry and Cheki came out of Between 4,000 ft. over Hogwarts. He expanded his consciousness and did a quick scan for anything that shouldn't be here. The first time he had visited like this, he had come out of Between just slightly higher than one of their popular "How to fly without a broom" classes. After that, he always made sure to give them plenty of room.
He didn't sense anything dangerous, so he and Cheki went Between to …
Dragon Isle, Earth, 1120...
Cheki came out of Between 4,000 ft over Dragon Isle to immediately sense a problem. There was a large private yacht sailing, as fast as its screws would push it, towards Dragon Isle. Harry wasn't worried, it was still outside 300 NM from the Island and he could see the stealthed Rapid Response Team was already over halfway to it. He knew they flew straight to give any such approaches the chance to "make things right" by responding to the proper radio frequency and indicating why they were there.
He could see that they must have ignored the radio demands because the team was about to land on the ship. Since they were all invisible to normal light and infrared, they were safe enough. The dragons found safe places around the ship to perch in case they were needed to restrain the vessel.
Harry landed with the team, taking up a position, behind the last wingman. They knew he was there, but were concentrating on their mission as they were trained to do and factored him in as another resource. Harry didn't identify himself, because he wanted to see how well they operated.
Everyone fanned out and went to different parts of the ship. Some went below decks to search for explosives, terrorists, or captives. All the ones going below were wizards or witches in case they had to hurriedly port back out topside to escape. This group found and captured one terrorist holding a gun on the engine crew. He never knew what hit him. The muzzle of his gun was covered with a heavy steel cup in case it accidentally fired, and he was stunned.
The group that entered the main lounge found most of the original crew and passengers being guarded by another pair of terrorists, who were subdued just as quickly and quietly as the one below decks. No explosives had been found so far, but the former prisoners were taken quietly to the fantail where they could be quickly evacuated if necessary.
The last group, with Harry following close behind, found the largest group of terrorists on the bridge with the ship's Captain and its Owner held under close guard. Since there were five terrorists and only two team members, neither of them magical, Harry finally identified himself as a magic user and offered to immobilize everyone there. The Team Leader quickly moved himself and his wingman out of the area of effect and Harry cast a silent immobulus spell on everyone else, including the Captain and Owner. Almost immediately after, Harry cast a finite spell on the two prisoners. Once the enemies had been disarmed and tied up, Harry removed his invisibility cloak and identified himself to the Owner of the Yacht.
By the time Harry was finished talking to the Owner and Captain, the terrorists had been transferred to Dragon Island for interrogation and disposal. Harry turned to the Team Leader and said, "Did you learn something from today's assault?"
"Yes, Sir," said a disconcerted Adam Wright. "When we split the team up, we need to have a magic-user with each split-off section in case of emergency. With only two non-magicals there, the other three might have opened fire as soon as we fired our first stun bolt."
"That's right," said Harry. "I don't need anyone to necessarily know I was here. It's not a secret, but I just don't want anyone to realize I was here. Feel free to take full credit. Other than the problem on the bridge, you and your team did a phenomenal job. Just make sure you mention the 'possible problem' so others will have the benefit of your experience here today."
"Will do, Sir, thank you, Sir," said Adam, still slightly rattled that he was in the presence of The Weyrleader and he'd been caught in a mistake!
Harry knew what the young man must be thinking, so he replied, with a smile, "Please, just call me Harry unless we are in a full on formal diplomatic situation. Everyone makes mistakes. I've made some real doozies! We just need to learn from them and do our best never to repeat them."
"Yes, S... Harry," said Adam. "I will remember that but, if it's OK with you, I would rather report that you were here."
"That's fine, Adam," answered Harry, with a wide grin. "Just give me a chance to disappear first!"
"Sure thing, … Harry," said Adam. "I need to find out what this yacht was doing when they were captured anyway."
"Just make sure your wingman stays stealthed while you talk with them," warned Harry. "You never know, they might actually be cooperating with the terrorists!"
"Will do," replied a startled Team Leader.
Harry left the bridge, mounted Cheki, and they jumped Between to …
Joensuu Weyr, 1140...
After Cheki came out of Between, Harry took a few extra minutes to settle back into his meditation before he continued casting his mind across the area looking for anything dangerous. He quickly ascertained that everyone was calm and mostly happy, so he had Cheki leave sooner than normal for …
Minnewanka Weyr, 1145...
Harry sensed a large number of non-Weyr personnel present but they were concentrated in one of the classrooms. A little closer check and he assured himself they were students here to use the Weyr's telescope.
Cheki and Harry made their next jump to …
Campbeltown Weyr, 1150...
It looked really busy 4,000 ft below. There were three large yellow school busses in the parking lot along with four tour buses, which meant a lot of tourists today, as well as quite a few individual vehicles, probably belonging to visiting families.
Cheki and Harry made their last jump to …
Yelansy Weyr, New Russia, 1155...
The New Russia Weyr looked peaceful. The new Premier, Posokhov Svyatoslav Stanislavovich, seemed really concerned for his people's wellbeing and was very open about his actions on behalf of his country. Harry hoped it would remain that way.
This wasn't yet a well-known location, but there were plenty of tourist attractions nearby. He had a feeling the New Russia people would eventually want to visit and learn more about their one-time enemies turned benefactors. He was thankful the Yelansy Weyrleader would be the one to handle that problem in the future.
After a careful examination to ensure everything was as it should be, Harry had Cheki return to …
Spath's Weyr, The Weyrleader's Outer Office, 1200...
"Hey, Jeofrey!" called Harry. "Running a little late today. Anything important come up while I was gone?"
"Just the big boss came in wanting to know when you would be here for lunch," replied Jeofrey.
"What's this? Do you think one of my wives is big!? Should I tell her? Which one is it and what do you want engraved on your tombstone?" asked Harry, in a rush before Jeofrey could reply.
"NO, NO!" exclaimed a panicked Jeofrey. "Tegan came in and said you had to go straight home! Tegan, not either of your very scary wives … with equally scary dragons!"
Harry laughed and said, "Thanks, Jeofrey. I guess you get off this time. By the way, I'll be in the Main Conference Room after lunch with a group of unbonded dragons and Aurors."
As Harry walked out he noticed that Jeofrey looked greatly relieved, even though Harry was sure Jeofrey knew he was kidding.
Spath's Weyr, Kitchen 0L, 1200...
Harry walked out of the Turbolift receiving area near Kitchen 0L, verified his family was already there and got in line to get himself a tray of lunch.
As he approached his family, he noticed that Tegan was excitedly showing them something on her cell phone. It wasn't until he placed his tray on the table that Tegan even realized he had arrived.
"Daddy! Daddy! Look at what my teacher took using my phone!" exclaimed Tegan as she thrust the phone in his face.
Harry pulled back a little so he could see the image she was so excited about. He saw her standing under the Spath's Weyr Canopy, looking towards the camera and smiling widely. He couldn't tell exactly where she had been when the picture was taken without studying it closer, though. Her two fire lizards were on her shoulders looking very proud of themselves. He zoomed in on one of the fire lizards and saw it had what looked like a worm hanging from its mouth.
He scrolled over to see the other fire lizard and it also had a 'worm' hanging from its mouth.
"Is this a …?" began Harry, troubled by what he was seeing.
"Yes, it is," replied May, before Harry could finish. "Evidently there was a swarm of them trying to escape the Weyr and the Daycare tour walked right up to them before they were seen. Tegan's fire lizards swooped down and started attacking … and eating … the baby tunnel snakes. Just before this picture was taken, several other fire lizards appeared and helped finish them off. As far as Sofia could determine, none of them managed to escape."
"Tunnel snakes!" said Harry, in wonder. "That small, they wouldn't have killed anyone, but with so many and the children so small, there would have been some very sick children. Dobby."
"Yes, Harry Potter?" asked the small house-elf as he arrived to Harry's summon.
"Were you aware of this?" asked Harry, showing the picture in the phone to Dobby.
"Yes, Jorby helped hunt them down and eat them," replied Dobby. "They all thought it great fun."
"Dobby, I know you have been working on some special fire lizard treats. I would like to contribute whatever you need to make enough so every fire lizard in the Weyr can have one," said Harry. "I think they deserve our thanks and appreciation for what they did to save our children."
"Dobby will be happy to help," said the house-elf, with a smile of pride for the recognition he was receiving from Harry.
Harry looked over at Tegan's fire lizards, Goldy and Browny, and concentrated on sending them his feelings of love and appreciation for what they had done. They both turned and looked at him, startled, and then settled down on Tegan's shoulders once more.
Dobby returned with four fire lizard treats for Harry. He thanked Dobby and then, leaving the treats wrapped, he placed them in his belt pouch for later tonight. He had a feeling the tiny fire lizards were still a bit full from their snack earlier.
After they finished their lunch, Hermione took Tegan back to her Daycare class and Harry looked around to see who had come down to talk to him 'unofficially'. As he looked up, Ted Joyero sat down across the table from him.
"Good afternoon, Ted," said Harry, pleasantly. "What can I help you with?"
"Good afternoon, Harry," responded Ted, promptly. "I don't want to take up too much of your valuable time, but my son found a counterfeit dragon pin that had been sold this morning."
"Sounds serious," responded Harry. "It must not be a very good copy if you are complaining."
"Actually, the workmanship on the pin is exquisite," said Ted, flustered. "I'm more concerned that someone may be using our reputation to sell other, inferior quality jewelry."
"Well, tonight is Dragon's Mast where anyone in the Dragon Nation may bring up problems," said Harry. "If you can catch someone, bring them along, and I will try to find a solution."
"Thank you, Harry," said a relieved Jeweler. "I will get most of my employees working on looking for anyone involved."
"Just make sure nobody gets hurt," implored Harry. "It might be safest if you find someone to contact an Auror to apprehend them and hold them until Mast."
"Good idea," agreed Ted. "Thanks again and, hopefully, I will see you at 1500."
As Ted got up to go look for counterfeiters, Harry left to go to …
Spath's Weyr, Level 20 Conference Room, 1300...
When Harry walked into the Conference Room, there were already several Aurors and unbonded dragons waiting for him. From past experience, he knew the Aurors would allow the dragons to ask about their concerns first, as usually, they didn't have that much to ask about and, since they were communicating mind-to-mind, it went a lot faster.
"Chornurth, I can see you have a question," said Harry after he'd reached the podium. "Why don't you start?"
'Thank you Weyrleader,' replied Chornurth, politely, broadcasting so even the human Aurors could 'hear' him. 'The dragons who work with the Aurors were wondering if the armor we wear could be changed so it looks more like an Auror uniform. Most of us have our armor colored to match our scale coloring as close as possible but we feel that, when we are working with Aurors, it should plainly show in the armor we are wearing.'
"I agree, Weyrleader," added Ashton Kelly. "It's fairly intimidating when a dragon suddenly appears, it would be more official if the dragon were obviously associated with the Aurors in some way.
Harry knew that the armor Chornurth was talking about was the carbon nanotube cloth they put on the dragon's body to hide its unique infrared signature from heat-seeking missiles.
"I think that is an excellent idea," responded Harry. "Chornurth, would you please ask Susan Bones to make the changes? She might even have an idea how long it will take to accomplish since she's the one who places the orders. Auror Kelly, if you can discuss what the modifications should look like, that would make this happen that much faster,"
Harry could feel the satisfaction and pleasure coming from the dragon at being a part of the Dragon Nation and interacting with The Weyrleader successfully. Auror Kelly just nodded agreeably. Harry had noticed a distinct increase in the camaraderie between the Aurors and the assigned dragons since he had instituted these weekly meetings. He was particularly delighted to know that it gave the unbonded dragons a necessary feeling of contributing to the Dragon Nation. It made them all a part of the process, instead of just the ones who had been there when it started.
The rest of the meeting went smoothly. There was a new magical Auror who wanted to schedule some time with Harry to learn the specialized spells they used, specifically the resizing spell used on the dragons' 'armor' and the special, wide-area immobulus spell Harry had developed solely for the Auror forces. Since there were no other time consuming questions that came up, Harry was able to teach the new Auror the spells at the end of the session, before he had to start …
Spath's Weyr, Level 20 Conference Room, Dragon's Mast, 1500...
The Aurors and the Auror assigned dragons filed out of the Conference Room and Jeofrey allowed the Dragon's Mast attendees to enter. The early arrivals had been waiting in a room Harry had been required to add, just off Jeofrey's office when the Auror/dragon meetings had started. Since they were usually scheduled next to each other for optimum use of The Weyrleader's time, early arrivals now needed someplace comfortable to wait until they were allowed to enter the Conference Room. Harry had created a comfortable lounge that Jeofrey could control entrance to and egress from when it was in use.
Harry watched as the day's petitioners walked in to take their places. This was the average inhabitant's opportunity to obtain ultimate justice from the Planetary Governor if they didn't want to wait their turn with the court system. Harry tried to use common sense to adjudicate any dispute and, only once, had anyone found the need to try to take any further legal action. Harry had learned that the judges had agreed with his decision and fined the plaintiff for wasting their time.
Harry nodded at Hermione as she walked in and sat behind him to act as his legal counsel if he needed it. He appreciated the support and asked her opinion any time he wasn't absolutely sure. Sometimes, he just talked to Hermione, so it would look like he was seeking additional input to the question, especially if he knew the decision wouldn't be popular. She knew he didn't need her input often, but wanted to show her visible support of her husband. It always amazed her that Harry could hear about a complex situation and make such an obvious and fair solution every time. Sometimes, he would have to visibly think about it for a few moments, but usually his response was immediate and final.
Harry had early on earned a reputation for being fair but also for causing all sorts of problems for those simply intent on trying to garner a personal reputation for having attended Mast in front of him. One of his first cases had been with a nameless minor holder who wanted his son officially recognized for doing something the father was proud of. Harry had instantly granted recognition to the son but then turned around and required the holder to create a framework that would recognize all other similar accomplishments across the entire world. The holder had to keep coming back, day after day, until Harry was satisfied with the results, a waste of about a week of the holder's time. After that, there were no more frivolous requests. Harry was supportive of anyone wanting to recognize anyone else's good work, he just didn't want to get involved in the process, there was just too much going on for him to have the time to get involved in everything.
The first case of the day involved a specialty sweets shop, Sally's Sweet Spot, which adjoined a print shop, Ned the Printer, which specialized in printing papers with the latest news from Earth as well as local information of import to many inhabitants. The two shops had set up areas outside their shops where their customers could sit and enjoy their purchases while enjoying the relaxed atmosphere the central cavern provided. Apparently the problem came about when each shop owner realized patrons from the other shop were seated in their shop's area.
"Lord Potter," began Ned, as Harry cringed at the fawning and totally unnecessary title. "I run a very crucial business which provides the most up-to-date information to our citizens. I decided to create an area outside my shop where my clientele may sit and read my papers while they relax for a while before going about their busy day. Imagine my surprise when I looked out our front window one day and found careless customers of the place next door were taking up my table and leaving their plates and food wrappers behind!
"I demand you require Sally's Sweet Shop keep her customers out of my area!"
Harry already didn't feel like he wanted anything to do with this officious egotist. He maintained his outwardly serene demeanor, though, as he turned to get the opposing view from the other shop owner.
"Sir," began a hesitant young girl. "I'm just trying to offer a service that is pleasurable enough to others that they will want to keep coming back. My shop is not that far from kitchen 2L. If my customers were hungry, they could eat there. Instead, I try to offer them something unique. I want to earn my place on this wondrous new planet but cooking and candy making is the only skill that I have right now."
Harry liked the girl better, she wasn't so full of herself as the man, but he had to be totally impartial.
"Sally, have you ever seen any of your customers reading anything at your tables?" asked Harry, getting an idea how to resolve the issue.
"Yes, Sir, I have. Sometimes they have electronic tablets they read, but sometimes they have paper books or even newspapers from next door they read. They just want a moment to relax and catch up with the world."
"Ned, you have already said you've seen people in your area eating food," said Harry. "Do you know for a fact that all the food comes from the shop next door? I want you to think about the question and answer as accurately as you can."
Ned thought what seemed a long time and finally said, "No, I'm fairly sure I saw someone with a bag lunch, probably from some other shop. Sally uses white bags and this one was brown."
"Since both of you want your customers to be able to sit and relax outside your shops, I cannot, nor will I allow, any segregation between customers and non-customers," began Harry, gravely. "This is my Weyr, after all, and you are impinging upon a public area. Sally, I can increase the size of your shop so you can offer indoor seating, but I have a feeling that the outside area will continue to be popular." Sally nodded at this, hopefully.
"Ned, I can also do the same for your shop. Space enhancing charms are not that hard to perform and, if it helps our citizens have a better day, then I'm all for it. I have a feeling that your customers … sorry, clients, will also prefer the 'outside' seating. I use outside deliberately, knowing full well that it only means 'outside your shops' since even our gardens and lake are actually inside my Weyr.
"My solution, which I will expect both of you to agree to, is as follows:
1 Ned, you will provide Sally with a stack of papers for her to sell for you from her shop. She is to give you the money or return any unsold papers at the end of the day.
2 Sally, you will provide Ned with a plate containing a variety of your different offerings. This will not be for sale but for display. At the end of the day, it can be either returned to Sally or she may opt to allow Ned to keep it.
3 You will both pool enough of your income so that you can hire someone to clean tables and the surrounding area during the day.
4 You will both place covered trash containers in appropriate places in your areas so that your customers have someplace to throw their trash and your employee can place any trash they pick up there.
5 You will both create a single 10" by 10" card advertising your businesses. It can contain any information about your business you desire. When the card is completed, you will give it to the other shop owner to place in any prominent area in their shop they so choose. It needs to be readily visible either when entering or exiting the shop.
6 You are required to do this for three months. After that time, you may continue if you wish or pursue other options at your own expense. If you come back to me, I will expect to hear what was good and bad about this solution before even considering any further action.
"Do you both understand this ruling?" asked Harry, serenely.
"I understand," replied Ned, not looking very pleased.
"I do," replied Sally, looking hopeful.
"You are dismissed," said Harry. "Next applicant, please."
Auror Cook stepped forward and started, "Ted Joyero approached us this morning with a complaint about counterfeit jewelry being sold based on his proprietary design. After quietly wandering through the merchant area under the canopy and on Level 1, we found a young girl of unknown origin selling what appeared to be pins similar to those Mr. Joyero sells.
"We have brought her along, as well as a man claiming to be her father."
Harry looked at the young girl, who appeared to be about 16. Her father was deeply tanned as if he spent most of his time outside, under the Pern sun.
"Do you have samples of the two pins?" asked Harry.
"Right here, Harry," said Auror Cook as he handed two very similar pins to Harry. Harry knew instantly, by the trace magic, which one was Joyero's. He studied the other pin closely and could detect no magic about it at all. It was similar, but it was obvious to Harry that it had been completely handcrafted. Most importantly, it wasn't a copy. The dragon depicted was facing in a different direction and the eyes were not stones but were painted on. Other than that, the detail was very fine, just as with Joyero's work.
Harry looked up at the girl and asked, "What is your name? I can't call you girl or half the population of the Weyr will answer!"
"I'm called Dannea, your Lordship," answered the extremely nervous young lady.
"Did you make this?" asked Harry, curiously.
"Yes, your Lordship," replied Dannea. "We are traders and I usually work on some kind of trinket every night after dinner. I used to make smooth dragons until I saw one of yours one day. I finally talked my Da into coming to visit so I could see where they came from. They are beautiful!"
"Well," said Harry, to Joyero. "It looks like we don't have a counterfeit at all, just a fully hand-crafted pin that is similar to yours. Do you wish to withdraw your complaint?"
"Yes, Harry," replied Ted, hesitantly. "I apologize. If I had looked at the pins closer, I never would have bothered you with such a trivial problem."
"Actually, I'm glad you did," said Harry. "It gives me the opportunity to address another issue with Dannea's father, who I assume is the Trade Master?" Harry looked at the darkly tanned man.
"That I am, your Lordship," said the man anxiously. "My name is Bermorg. I never would have agreed to come if I'd thought we would have run afoul of any of your laws."
"Rest easy, Bermorg, you have nothing to fear here," said Harry, soothingly. "I don't know how Lord or Lady Holders treat traders in the north, but here we treat them fairly as we would any other intelligent species. Dobby."
"Yes, Harry," said the house-elf, as he suddenly appeared at Harry's side.
"Please make sure that our guests have suitable quarters for themselves and their burdenbeasts while they are with us. Also offer them either a storage area for their wagons or a prominent place under the canopy where they may set up to offer their goods for sale."
"Yes, Harry, Dobby will take care of it personally," said Dobby. "I will be back to escort them before you are through here."
With that, Dobby popped out of view to begin his new task.
Harry looked up at the two traders in front of him. Dannea looked startled at where the house-elf had vanished, while her father looked more amazed at the way things had turned out.
"First," said Harry, comfortingly. "Let's put the question of your pins to rest. I have examined them and find no traces of magic about it and can see that it is a finely executed piece of jewelry. This is no counterfeit for many reasons, one of which is that I could tell that it is sufficiently different from Mr. Joyero's work not to be derivative.
"Ted, this work is comparable to yours and your son's work. I would like to suggest that, knowing how you create the bulk of your similar pieces, you would be well served to offer this young lady a partnership. She is already well past the apprentice stage. I will leave that for the two of you to work out later on your own, though.
"Bermorg, I saw you making your way to our Weyr early this morning. We do not often get Traders as visitor. Feel free to decline my offer, but I was thinking it would be rather expensive to have to ship wagons and burdenbeasts over the ocean. I am of a mind to offer to purchase your wagons and beasts for a fair price so that any future travelers, such as yourself, can then simply rent them at Bane's Hold and return them there when they are through.
"If you agree, any such purchase would not take place until you had removed anything you wanted to keep and were at Bane's Hold ready to depart. What say you?"
"It is a very generous offer," replied the thoroughly shocked trader, "depending on what you consider a fair price. I would like to make a counteroffer, though."
"And that would be?" asked an interested Harry.
"I would not have brought all I own here if I were only going to visit," stated Bermorg, confidently. "I came on what I hoped would be a one way journey. I want to move here with my family and set up trade routes here on the southern continent. I will need my wagons and burdenbeasts for that. What say you, your Lordship?"
Harry was taken aback by the legitimate but uninformed request. All the trade goods on the southern continent moved either on dragon back or in Cargo Eggs. There was just no place, even in a confined locality for such an enterprise. Bermorg must have gambled everything on the success of his mission and Harry didn't want to tell him he had basically destroyed himself.
"Why don't you and your family enjoy yourselves as our guests for a few days," said Harry, calmly, "while I think over your proposal. As I'm sure you are aware, it is a huge undertaking we are talking about here. If my answer were required right this minute, I would have to say no, but with some time for reflection, I may find a way to accept your generous offer."
"If that is the case, your Lordship," said Bermorg, confidently, "we will set up shop and wait for your ruling."
Just then Dobby popped in, ready to escort the two traders to their quarters and show them around.
"Before you go," said Harry. "There is a formality for everyone allowed to wander freely on the southern continent. We have an oath which we require of all citizens. You and your entire family will be required to take these oaths before we allow you to wander where you will."
"Can't be as binding as the Trader's Oath," said Bermorg, calmly, "but, if you require it of everyone, I can't refuse, now can I?"
"No, you can't," said Harry, firmly, realizing he would have to set requirements for any 'port of entry' to require the Equality Oath before allowing anyone free entry. "Auror Kelly, would you please accompany our new friends to their new quarters and ensure they all take the Equality Oath individually. Take Jude Cook and Lexi Bennett with you.
"Also, please show them how to use their television in the quarters and set it up to display our Intro to other Cultures video. They will need that to lighten the culture shock. I have no idea if they even know about magic!"
"Yes, Sir," said Kelly as he followed Dobby and the two traders.
The rest of the pleas Harry adjudicated were much easier and in all cases, both parties left with the feeling they had gotten the better part of the judgment. After the last case, Harry rose and walked out to go to...
Spath's Weyr, Level 20 Track, 1700...
"I wish there was an easy solution to Trader Bermorg, Cheki," said Harry as he and his dragon started their daily run around the huge track on Level 20. "His daughter is talented enough to be able to do quite well here, but I just don't see any place for a trader that basically goes door-to-door traveling in slow wagons!"
"Maybe he could do something else," suggested Cheki, as he easily followed his rider on the spacious track.
"Hmm," said Harry, noncommittally. It took them most of their allotted half hour to make their way around the track. When they got back around to their start point, Harry cast a quick tergeo on himself to remove all the sweat and dirt from the run and a quick scourgify on his clothes to freshen them up and then took the Turbolift to …
Spath's Weyr, Level 1, Promenade, 1730...
Harry did his best to walk around the promenade on Level 1 every day. There were any number of people who had approached him during his walks for unofficial help with their problems. Harry didn't mind, but he had set one specific rule in concrete from day one. If they wanted to talk, they had to walk. He would talk with anyone as long as they walked with him. In the first few days, some of his more interesting conversations were scattered over days or weeks, because very few of the normal inhabitants of the Weyr were in good enough shape to be able to keep up for long.
Now, as he walked, he had come to easily recognize those waiting ahead of him, hoping to be able to pick his brain over some problem they didn't think they could solve on their own. He didn't set a fast pace, but he did set a very deliberate and steady stride. Today, he needed to be finished before 1900 when he was due in the Weyrleader's Mast. Other days, he had other responsibilities, but he always set his walk to last no more than one and a half hours.
As he walked past the shops adjacent to kitchen 2L, he noticed that Sally and Ned had already made progress. The tables and comfortable chairs in front of their shops presented a more uniform appearance and a young goblin was moving through the area, industriously clearing up any trash, straightening vacated tables and chairs, and cleaning tables so they would be ready to be used again.
As he neared kitchen 0L, he had outright solved 5 problems and had continued 4 more partial conversations. Those who couldn't keep up had by now learned to stop talking after covering a set number of points and they knew they could rely on him to remember what had been said before. Harry cleaned himself up again as he walked up to the Turbolift to go to …
Spath's Weyr, Conference Room, Weyrleader's Mast, 1900...
Weyrleaders and their Seconds, including a few of their dragons from every Weyr on Pern and on Earth were present. Harry usually enjoyed these meetings, because he got to find out how 'his people' were doing and how some were improving the Dragon Nation. He especially relished being able to hand out the Dragon Friend awards with their cash bonuses.
It was also their chance to talk about lesser situations that often, after the fact, turned out to be humorous or at least educational.
This time, Harry passed on the problem with the tunnel snake infestation and how fire lizards loved to eat the baby snakes. He also asked for input into the Trader Bermorg problem. No one knew of any way that a Trader using wagons could stay competitive, even if he were to concentrate on a closely defined and limited sales area. Then someone made an entirely off-the-wall comment about another situation altogether that triggered an 'ah-ha' moment for Harry.
If Bermorg couldn't be a Trader on the southern continent, perhaps he could help educate northern Traders about what was required to conduct trade with the new southerners. Give him a full orientation with regards to other species and magic, show him how they moved not only small, fragile items, but huge ton lots of goods, send him on a cruise on the SPS Dronth to show him what that was capable of, and then set him down with Hermione to write up information that would help northern traders succeed when trading with the south. Once that was done, give him a Loyalty Oath and put him in charge of ensuring any Trader wanting to conduct business adhered to their requirements.
Since nothing else important was being discussed anyway, Harry spent the rest of the time creating a plan of attack with the other Weyrleaders for convincing Bermorg to become the Dragon Nation's Trader Liaison. When the meeting finished at almost 2000, Harry left the Conference Room to go to …
Spath's Weyr, Harry's Quarters, 2000...
"Daddy's home! Daddy's home!" screamed Tegan, as she rocketed toward him. Unfortunately, her hard head was just the wrong height on his body, as he had quickly learned previously. When she got close enough, he reached out and grabbed her under her arms and turned her forward momentum into circular momentum as he swung her around in a fast circle once, twice, three times before he launched her tiny body, wildly screaming with laughter, toward May, who stood there like a deer caught in headlights.
As Tegan reached the top of her trajectory, Harry cast a quick, wandless levitation spell and suspended Tegan in the air. She just took it in stride and tried her best to 'swim' over to her fire lizards who were looking at her with deep suspicion. Suddenly, Tegan moved towards the tiny dragons, still screaming with laughter. and a wild chase ensued. Finally the fire lizards realized she couldn't follow them both and they split up and then, when they overcame their shock at being chased through the air by their little girl, they went Between to escape. Let her catch them now!
Tegan kept flying through the air, now flapping her arms as if they were wings. and started dive-bombing both Hermione and May, who were by this time wildly laughing themselves. Finally, Tegan slowed a little and got too close to Hermione who grabbed her and clung tightly until she felt the levitation spell release.
May turned fiercely on Harry and shouted angrily through her laughter, "Don't you ever do anything like that again! I thought my heart would stop when I saw you throw her towards me!"
"No, Mommy! It was fun!" yelled Tegan, as she ran up to May and grabbed her around the knees almost tripping her in the process. May reached down, picked Tegan up, and hugged her fiercely.
"You not mad at Daddy?" she asked, with a very concerned and serious look on her face.
"No, sweetheart," said May hugging her again. "I was just frightened for you. I should know by now Daddy would never do anything intentionally to hurt you. You do realize you can't really fly without Daddy's helping, don't you?"
"I do, Mommy," said Tegan, seriously. "Isn't Daddy the best for helping me play with my baby dragons?"
"Yes, he is," said May, looking lovingly at Harry.
May then went over to Harry so she and Tegan could hug him. Tegan looked at Hermione and called, "You too, Mommy! You too!"
Hermione joined the threesome as their dragons looked on from their beds, amused at what their humans got up to. Shortly after that, Tegan's fire lizards returned, evidently after being told it was safe to do so. They still looked a little skittish though until Tegan called to them to come join the hug.
Spath's Weyr, Harry's Quarters, 2030...
Dobby and Tisky appeared with dinner for Harry and his family. They knew how much Harry valued his alone time with his family, so they always tried to serve them a private dinner before Harry mentioned they should go downstairs to eat.
The first time it happened, Harry had been surprised …
Dobby and Tisky popped into the room with plates and bowls and platters full of food for their dinner. Harry looked up in surprise and said, "Dobby! You and Tisky shouldn't be doing this! You should be at home spending time with your own children."
"Dobby is where he needs to be, Harry Potter, Sir," said Dobby, almost forcefully. "If it weren't for Harry Potter, Dobby wouldn't have a family … besides … Harry Potter's family is Dobby's family too."
Harry, Hermione, and May all looked at the house-elf with shock that he would feel that way. Harry called Dobby and Tisky over and pulled them into a gentle hug, soon followed by his wives.
"We feel that way too, Dobby," said Harry, tearfully. "We feel that way too."
Since then, Harry or his family hadn't said anything when the elves popped in to do something for them but Harry made sure that everyone knew, in no uncertain terms, that all house-elves were just as good as any other intelligent species and in Harry's eyes, they were a lot better than some people he had known in the past.
As the four humans gathered around the table, Harry looked at Dobby and said, "Thank you so much, my friend."
Dobby just shyly nodded his head, blushed slightly at the praise, and popped out of the room when they were finished laying the table.
"I likes Dobby and Tisky," said Tegan.
"I like Dobby and Tisky," corrected May.
"Of course you do, Mommy! They are a part of our family!" chirped Tegan loudly, with an imperious air. It really confused her when the adults started laughing and even the dragons snorted in amusement.
Spath's Weyr, Harry's Quarters, 2100...
May and Hermione tag-teamed Tegan to get her ready for bed. Once she was ready, they turned her over to Harry to get her settled. She was bathed, her teeth were brushed, and she was in her jammies when she had been given firmly to Harry to put down to sleep.
Harry started by telling her a story …
"And the brave dragon saved the Lady Holder and, in appreciation, she gave him and his rider a special award. The end," said Harry, after a quick 20 minute sanitized summary of the attack on Balmoral Castle.
"Can I meet the brave dragon, Daddy?" asked Tegan, seriously. "He sounds like he was really brave!"
"You already know him," explained Harry. "It was Cheki."
"How could it be Cheki, Daddy?" asked Tegan, with all the guile of a steam roller, "you aren't as brave as the rider in the story!"
"No, I guess I'm not," chuckled Harry, amused at being put in his place by a 5 year old. "Time for light's out now, Sweetheart."
Harry got up and walked over to the door. As he was getting ready to turn out the light, Tegan called out, "Wait, Daddy, you forgot to close my cupboard door!"
Harry shrugged as if this was the first time he and Tegan had this conversation and walked over to her cupboard and closed its door. He then walked back over to her bed to hug and kiss her once more. After they both said goodnight to each other, Harry turned out the light and went into the living room to join his wives.
Spath's Weyr, Harry's Quarters, 2105...
"Daddy!"
"That sounds like your daughter, Harry," said May.
"Wait, she's all of a sudden MY daughter? Weren't you the one who wanted to 'keep her'?" asked Harry, mightily aggrieved at the unfairness of women, but loving every minute of his interaction with them all.
"She is YOUR daughter when you've been entrusted with putting her down and getting her to stay asleep at night," stated Hermione, who knew exactly what was happening, but played her part anyway.
"Fine!" grumbled Harry, actually looking forward to more interaction with his daughter.
"What is it, Tegan," he asked as he walked into her room without turning on the light.
"Can I have a glass of water?" asked Tegan, sleepily.
"Of course you can," replied Harry, quite logically. After all, they had been through this all before.
"Well," responded Tegan after a few seconds without further response from Harry, "where is it!?"
"Oh, did you actually want me to get you a glass of water," said Harry, shocked that he hadn't understood what she wanted. "You just asked if you COULD have one, you didn't ask me to get you one."
Tegan growled softly to herself and said, "May I please have a glass of water, Daddy?"
"Of course, dear," said Harry. He quickly levitated a small plastic container of water to him by the door. Then he cast a weak Lumos spell and took the water to Tegan.
"Thank you, Daddy," said Tegan, tiredly. "Would you please get some water for my fire lizards, too?"
"I don't think they want any water right now," said Harry, reasonably, pointing to where the fire lizards were fast asleep, despite the ongoing disturbances. "Look at them. They are fast asleep on their bed."
Tegan glared at her traitorous fire lizards and said, "Thank you for the water, good night, Daddy."
"Good night, Tegan, said Harry, as he carefully cast a light healing spell on his daughter to relieve any scrapes she might still be feeling from her adventurous day. He gently closed the door and went back to the living room.
Spath's Weyr, Harry's Quarters, 2110...
"Daddy! Daddy! There are tunnel snakes trying to get me!"
Harry's wives just looked at him as he hurried back to his daughter's bedroom. He cast a brighter Lumos this time and made a great fuss about looking for tunnel snakes or any other monsters.
When he didn't find anything, as he knew from the warning runes in the room, he turned to Tegan and said, "It's OK, Tegan. Nothing can get in here. The walls are solid stone, the only entrance is through your door and Daddy, both Mommies, and three full-grown dragons are right outside your door to protect you. Besides, you know I have wards on the room to let us know if anything or anyone we don't know about comes into your room. You will be just fine."
"Thank you, Daddy," said Tegan, finally closing her eyes, which she could barely keep open any longer.
Harry sat by her side holding her tiny hand gently until he felt her grip slacken in sleep. He waited a good five minutes more, just to make sure, and then quietly left her room.
Spath's Weyr, Harry's Quarters, 2120...
Harry walked into the room where his wives were waiting for him.
"Was that the last time?" asked Hermione, curiously.
"Yes," responded Harry. "She was fast asleep when I left the last time. I don't know why she feels she needs these games, but I will play as long as she feels she needs the reassurance."
"That's probably the answer right there, Harry," said May, softly. "She needs reassurance that we aren't going to leave her like her other parents did."
The three adults sat in their chairs for about fifteen minutes of companionable silence.
"Let's watch a movie," said May, suddenly. "I understand they have a new one from Earth on the network."
"What's it about?" asked Hermione, curiously.
As May explained the plot as she understood it, Harry thought to himself, "Ah, another chick flick."
Eventually, they all cuddled on the sofa in front of the TV. The women watching the movie and Harry reveling in just being with his family.
Spath's Weyr, Harry's Quarters, 2300...
Harry entered their bedroom after getting ready for bed only to find Hermione and May both standing there looking at the bed.
"I thought you said she was asleep?" said Hermione, grinning.
"I think she is actually magical," said May, smirking.
Harry, gently as he could, levitated Tegan into the air and took her back to her own bed. Her fire lizards roused themselves and followed.
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