Chapter 16: Education
The Pern Mother's Cave, July 25, 2028...
They had barely made it in Harry's self-imposed time limit. The artificial sun had been installed in the Pern Mother's cave and was working well. After talking more with the Pern Mother, Harry had the techs rig up a photo-cell activated mechanism that varied the sun's shutter openings according to the ambient light on the surface. Now the cave enjoyed a day/night cycle that pleased the Pern Mother.
While the 'sun' was being installed, the goblins had added a large entry chamber nearer the surface with an entry door that could be closed to give those in the Mother's chamber some privacy. After Harry, Eddie, and Seamus Took had visited the Pern Mother, a wide staircase was also added. It circled the pillar the Pern Mother's tree grew from, which allowed pilgrims to approach her directly. They now helped control access to the hibernation cave. Harry had created wards that would protect the cavern and the tunnel leading to it, as well as wards that created the illusion of a solid rock tunnel leading from the goblin tunnel directly to the pillar in the center of the cave. That way, no one need even know that there were thousands of hibernating animals and insects in the cave.
Eddie started teaching about the Druid beliefs shortly after to those interested in communicating directly with the Pern Mother, who seemed to enjoy personal contact more than the Earth Mother. Harry left everything to do with the Pern Mother up to Eddie and her group. He had larger issues to contend with. He was just happy that the magic was coming back to the planet.
"Pern Mother," prayed Harry, silently. "Thank you for all you have done for us."
"Thank you, Harry Potter," replied the Pern Mother, unexpectedly. "You have made life interesting for me again. Thank you also for thinking to hide away my sleepers from prying eyes. I appreciate your care for my other charges."
King's Cross Station, Platform 9¾, Sept 1, 2028...
Harry and Hermione were seeing Emma Lily and Albus Orion Potter off to Hogwarts this year. They were starting their 5th year at Hogwarts today. This was also to be Tegan's first year at a formal school and everyone agreed she deserved to have at least one parent there when she started, which is why May was still on Pern.
"It seems odd that we have a whole planet but no good higher educational schools for our population," commented Hermione, idly to Harry as they watched the Hogwarts Express pull away from the station.
Harry watched the invisible dragon escort take flight and start to follow the train on its way to Hogwarts. He then turned to Hermione and asked, "Should we do something about that?"
"What? Oh, it was just an idle comment," said Hermione. "I wouldn't even know where to start."
"We have many engineers, doctors, and other professional people with extensive, real-world skills amongst our riders," said Harry. "I'd be willing to bet that we could find enough people interested in teaching that, if they didn't have the qualifications here on Earth, it wouldn't take them long to get them."
"Where would we put it? Here on Earth?" asked Hermione, curiously.
"Why not on Pern?" asked Harry, seriously. "We have everything we need to create a structure suitable to be an educational facility, look at the capabilities of our Conference Room alone. That would make a wonderful classroom. If we built a building specifically for education, we could meld the best of the muggle and magical worlds. Who knows, we might even get some witches and wizards from Earth want to enroll if we can offer an interesting enough curriculum."
"That actually sounds like something I would enjoy helping with," said Hermione, enthusiastically. "I'm glad I thought of it."
"So am I," said Harry, with a loving smile. "You would have to give up being the Weyr Law Smith if you were going to become the first Headmistress."
Hermione gasped in surprise and anticipation. Finally, something she could do that would take even better advantage of her vast organizational skills! She looked hopefully at Harry.
"Whoa, girl!" exclaimed Harry. "It's not going to happen overnight. It's going to take a lot of planning and getting the right people on board to help."
"I wonder if I can find the spells the founders used to create a sentient castle?" wondered Hermione. "It would be great to have something similar to help look after the students, even if they will be older."
"I think that will have to wait until we have a well-constructed building that will function the way we want it to," said Harry. "It might be that having a sentient building would work against being able to include any kind of technology and I definitely think we need to include that in order to help encourage any visiting witches or wizards into getting used to muggle technology."
"Perhaps we could visit some of the more progressive countries and find out what they include," suggested Hermione. "It would give us an idea what kinds of things others look for in an advanced education."
"We could just pick up some school catalogs for different colleges," said Harry. "That would give us an idea about what others are teaching. We might want to teach something no one else is teaching so those interested will want to come to us. Or teach similar courses from a different point of view."
"I would think Pern Planetary Biology would fit the bill nicely," said Hermione, enthusiastically. "May could probably teach that easily! You and Draco could teach advanced spell, charm, and ward creation. Remus could ..."
"Wait, Hermione!" exclaimed Harry, laughing at her enthusiasm. "First things first. Let's see if anyone else is as interested in this as you are. Also, do you really want to give up the Weyr Law Smith job to teach?"
Hermione stopped as it dawned on her what she would have to give up in order to manage an upper-level college. "Why would I have to give up the position?" she asked. "We don't have that much new legislation to worry about anymore, most of the laws are already written, and any new contracts are handled by my assistants already. I know, I could teach Pern Law!"
"And how is that something that requires a powerful witch to teach?" asked Harry, reasonably.
"It does," said Hermione, annoyed at his attitude, "because I want to teach it."
"Ah," said Harry, knowingly, "that makes it alright then."
Hermione swatted him on the arm before they turned and walked out to their dragons to fly to Hogwarts.
Hogwarts, Headmistress's Office...
"I really don't know," said Minerva McGonagall. "We never really got involved with our students' further education after they left here." I know there are advanced magical Universities in the United States and Germany, but I don't know where."
"Would you mind if we ask you and the professors here to fill out a questionnaire?" asked Hermione. "If we are going to do this, I want to make sure we do it correctly. The answers to this questionnaire will help us determine where to concentrate our efforts and help us determine how to go about getting set up properly."
"My," said Headmistress McGonagall, "you have put a lot of thought into this already, haven't you, Hermione! Knowing you from your years with us, though, I should have expected no less. If you will leave them here, I will make sure they get distributed."
"Thank you, Headmistress!" exclaimed Hermione, delightedly. "Once we get set up, if we offer anything of interest to you or the Professors here, we can offer free transportation to the University. We aren't sure yet, but feel it will probably be on Pern as that gives us the most control over the environment and will allow us to ensure the greatest level of protection for our students."
With that, Harry and Hermione said their fond goodbyes to their favorite Professor. Minerva looked down at Hermione's questionnaire and started thinking about how she would answer the questions.
In 2028 Hermione Potter asked herself why there seemed to be no advanced education for witches and wizards. Upon investigation, she found that there was, just not in the United Kingdom where she grew up and went to school. Her initial questionnaire generated an intense interest in her initiative and many existing Universities started to think seriously about changing their curriculums to more closely knit the magical and non-magical worlds together. In particular, no one had previously thought it necessary to let the basic magical schools know what was required for entrance, it was just 'assumed' that any basic magical education would be sufficient. As it turned out, that was a fallacy that was the downfall of many a prospective student.
Excerpt from The Weyrs of Pern by Remus John Lupin, published 2050.
Spath's Weyr, Main Conference Room, Sept 4, 2028...
The old business had quickly been handled and now it was time for new business. Harry recognized Eddie Took first.
"Harry, we have been monitoring the planet's Ley Lines since the awakening of the Pern Mother," said Eddie Took, "and I am happy to say that there are now Ley Lines all over Pern. Most of them connect existing Weyrs and Major Holds, but there are a few that seem to cross in unexpected places. We will continue to investigate.
"One thing we have been able to determine, however, is that the relative strengths of the Ley Lines on Pern appear to be roughly twice the strength of the Ley Lines on Earth. It is only conjuncture at this point, but we think that any magical children raised on Pern will have roughly twice the magical core size of a similar child raised on Earth.
"With the increased level of magic available, it wouldn't surprise us if new magical abilities appear or more powerful versions of older abilities develop."
"Thank you, Eddie," replied Harry. "We need to make sure that is written up and posted on our Pern-wide Website so others have access to any knowledge as it becomes available. Perhaps some sort of two-way communication can be set up so interested people across the planet are able to report on new discoveries."
"We can add a 'Pern Mother Forum' which will allow continued discussions amongst anyone interested," responded Eddie.
"That sounds like a great idea," said Harry, hesitantly, having no idea what a forum was. "Why not talk to Lee Jordan and ask him to set one up for you? He can probably arrange for you to be more or less in control of it as well."
"I will do that right after this meeting," replied Eddie. "Thank you for the encouragement, Harry."
"Please make sure that all the parents of magical children know what the problem was with their children and that it has now been resolved and in fact improved upon compared to Earth's magical field. They need to know to be able to make plans."
"That will be simple to implement, Harry. I will make sure the information gets out in as many ways as possible."
Since that was the only other new business today, Harry decided to announce Hermione's new initiative. He looked questioningly at her and she nodded her head, almost as if she knew what he was asking. Maybe she did, his wives had seemed a lot closer recently, almost as if they were inside each other's minds.
"She is in your mind when you allow her," said Cheki.
"How can that be?" asked Harry, silently to Cheki.
"Perhaps it is because of the Pern Mother," said Cheki. "I noticed it between you and Hermione, and May, but you all keep trying to ignore it."
The exchange took only a fraction of a second, but it was definitely something to think about and explore further … later. Right now, there was a meeting to finish.
"Hermione has been working on a new project that I think will help us all immensely," said Harry. "Hermione, would you please explain it to us?"
Hermione stood from her seat next to Harry, gave him a loving look, and then turned to the rest of the audience to begin. "I have been investigating what would be required to start our own University of Advanced Education. On Earth, there is an entire certification process. Here, there are no precedents but, if we can create a good enough institution, I don't see why we wouldn't be able to have the certification officials visit us to give us the same kind of approval.
"I say 'visit us', because after hearing Eddie's news, I want the University to be on Pern to take advantage of the increased magical field of the planet. I have been studying other advanced institutions and think we could offer some unique programs here. First, we would need to create the building and hire the Professors to teach what we want to be taught. In some cases, we have Dragonriders who are qualified to teach some very unique subjects that other witches and wizards will find useful."
"Do we really need a new building?" asked Harry. "Couldn't we just build a facility at the end of one of our spoke tunnels?"
"We could," said Hermione, "but I want to make sure that the result is a good mix of magic and non-magical technology. One of the required courses for gaining entrance to our University will be an Outstanding in Muggle Studies. If we created the University inside Spath's Weyr, we could use some of the unused apartments for student housing. Perhaps even set aside one entire level just for students.
"Whatever else we do, I don't want to model our setup on Hogwarts. I think having moving stairs and other distractions is just too confusing. Our students will be here to learn, not to get lost while going to and from classes!"
The discussion about Hermione's proposed University lasted more than the allotted time for the Staff meeting, but Harry felt it important enough to forgo his normal routine.
A large cavern was created at the end of spoke tunnel 12 from level 1 to level 5, which gave 1,200 ft. of height to work with. Inside, a stone castle was constructed against the wall farthest from the connection to the Weyr, wired for electricity and plumbed for running water, similar to the residential apartments on Level 1, but not exactly. …
… Stairs and Turbolifts were added for non-magical students and staff to use, but apparation was allowed from point to point within the University to make things easier on the magical students.
The classrooms and lecture halls were large enough to accommodate Centaurs if they desired to attend but, due to a desire to accommodate as many students as possible, the grand structure of the rest of the Weyr was not repeated. Dragons would not be able to attend any of the classes in person. If they wished to learn something offered in one of the classes, they would have to attend remotely.
Housing for students was initially deferred until they knew how many students would want to live in the Weyr, close to their classes. Ultimately, all the apartments on Level 3 in sectors 11 and 12 were designated as "student apartments". Each of the dragon apartments in the area were expanded to contain multiple human or centaur sized apartments along the lines of the habitation for Spath's Hold that were capable of holding 50 students per apartment for a maximum total of 25,900 students, though it was never thought that the University would host near that many students at once. A walkway from the end of spoke tunnel 12 led to a 30th floor entrance to the University.
Excerpt from The Weyrs of Pern by Remus John Lupin, published 2050.
Spath's Weyr, Hatching Grounds, Nov 22, 2028...
"I will add the new hatchling information to our website," said Lee Jordan. "It's good that the unbonded population is increasing again, too."
"Yes, 40 new bonded and 20 new unbonded this time. I wonder if it would help the unbonded dragons if they had a central place like our hatching grounds where they could lay their eggs and know they were safe?" wondered Harry. "Dronth, would it help our unbonded dragons if they had someplace special they could go to lay their eggs?"
"I will ask if they would like that," replied Dronth, Spath's Weyr's senior unbonded dragon. "It would make sense to me, though."
"Are they on the same schedule as our bonded dragons?" asked Harry. "If not, they could use these hatching grounds."
"All dragons come into their time simultaneously," replied Dronth.
"In that case," said Harry, "please let all our unbonded dragons know that I will arrange for a private hatching ground to be constructed at the end of Spoke Tunnel 9 on Level 5. That way no one should disturb them. Cheki, will you please contact Master Tunneler Brusk about creating the new hatching grounds, please?"
"Polenth has been informed," responded Chekiath. "He wants to know if they can expand their section in the main Hatching Grounds, as well."
"Of course they can," said Harry. "Tell him he might create a separate, connected cavern so it will be easier to control the light yet still allow potential rider candidates to enter."
"He liked that idea," said Cheki. "He said they should have both jobs finished before the next hatching cycle starts."
"Thank you, Cheki," said Harry, smiling at his dragon. "Dronth, please let our unbonded dragons know they should feel free to use the Spath's Weyr facilities or, if they wish, they can request help setting up their own private Weyr wherever they like. I know they can hollow out the initial chamber, but riders will help bring in the proper sized gravel and sand for their beds."
"Thank you, Weyrleader. You are ever concerned with our comfort," responded Dronth, pleased with his Weyrleader.
As the guests and families for the hatching were leaving, Harry was approached by a petite young rider from Red Butte Weyr. "Begging your pardon, Weyrleader. This humble rider carries a letter to you from our Weyrleader," she said.
Harry accepted the letter and read:
The Weyrleader, Spath's Weyr
Harry,
A situation has come up that I do not have the cultural background to be able to handle properly. A refugee from Keroon Hold stumbled into our Weyr yesterday requesting Weyr Justice against his Lord Holder.
I would be most grateful if you would be able to come to talk to this young man. He evidently was forced to walk all the way from Keroon Hold and was severely malnourished and suffering from numerous injuries acquired in his travels. We have treated him and made him as comfortable as possible while we await your decision.
I have asked Kelsang to return with your reply.
Best Regards, your humble servant,
Lobsang, Weyrleader Red Butte Weyr.
This was troubling. Red Butte Weyr was the Weyr created at Red Butte to service the new planetary Judicial and Legislative center located there. It was manned by the most trustworthy of his riders, those who were originally from the Maziang Weyr on Earth. Harry turned to the young rider who had brought him the note.
"Kelsang, how is Bolomarr doing?" asked Harry. "I remember you helped us to improve the hatching ground process after you impressed in the November 1995 hatching."
"Bolomarr is very healthy and is the most wondrous dragon," replied the shy young woman, blushing to be remembered by The Weyrleader. "We have been working to help those who work at Red Butte Hold."
"Excellent," replied Harry. "Please let Lobsang know that Hermione and I will arrive within a few hours."
"It will be as you say, Weyrleader."
Harry watched as she ran over to her dragon, mounted, and they jumped aloft to go Between to Red Butte. Harry turned to find Hermione. He had a feeling he might need her legal expertise.
Red Butte Weyr, Hospital, Nov 22, 2028...
Harry and Hermione walked into the room where the young refugee from Keroon Hold was resting fitfully. As he walked up to the bed the young man was lying on, he cast a mild legilimens spell to read his surface thoughts. After getting what he could, he gently shook the shoulder on the recumbent figure until he woke.
"Hello, Cennar, I am Harry. I have been asked to mediate your request for Weyr Justice."
"Can something be done soon?" asked the exhausted young man. "My mother is quite sick and my wife and brothers and sister are trying to take care of her outside the Hold, but there was little food when I left."
Harry handed him a bottle of water and said, "Drink some of this and then I will ask you some questions. If your situation is as dire as you say, we can get them help immediately. Justice against the Lord Holder may take a little longer."
Cennar took the bottle and drank a mouthful. Immediately his eyes glazed over and Harry knew the veritaserum had taken effect.
"Cennar, why do you seek Weyr Justice?"
"Lord Holder Binint of Keroon Hold declared my mother holdless simply because she is old and sick. When I and my family objected, he declared us all holdless. We have all served him honorably for many years and feel we deserve better than to be thrown out on the rubbish heap just because my mother is now too old to work anymore."
"Where were your family when you left and how many were there?"
"My wife, our young son and daughter, my unmarried sister, and two brothers were hiding in an old, unused Beast Hold far northeast of Keroon."
"Lobsang, please send a Flight of riders with a D2 Dragon Egg to find and bring Cennar's family here," said Harry.
"At once, Weyrleader!" exclaimed Lobsang, as he turned to pass on the instructions to his ready Wing Commander.
"Cennar," continued Harry, "has your Hold suffered any recent disaster that would cause it to be short of food or other resources? Can you think of any reason why your Lord Holder would have done as he did?"
"I do not think so," said Cennar, "but the Lord Holder has ever been antagonistic to everyone. He is ancient and even his new, young wife does not seem to bring him any pleasure. I have seen him yell at her for no apparent reason and she has been seen with bruises that can only come from someone striking her. If he treats his Lady Holder like that, how much worse will he treat his people?"
"Drink this and rest," said Harry, handing Cennar a sleeping potion. After the young man was asleep, Harry turned to Hermione.
"I don't like the sounds of this. Can this actually be allowed on Pern!?"
"I am not that familiar with the old Pern laws," said Hermione, with a troubled look on her face. "I would hope it isn't but, after his family is safe, we could ask the judges in Red Butte Hold. They should know, at least three of them come from among Pern's native population."
"Then I suppose we need to go there next."
After learning that Cennar's family had been found and were safe at Red Butte Weyr, Harry and Hermione left to find a Pern Justice.
Red Butte Hold, Justice Bunellai's Chambers...
"I'm sorry, Weyrleader," said Pern Justice Bunellai, "Pern Law states that a Lord Holder's power is absolute within his Hold and its boundaries. If he chose to execute every third holder on a whim, it would be entirely within his right to do so and no court which includes Pern members will go against that, as much as we might like to."
"Is there no justice for his people then? Is there any way they have of protecting themselves?" asked Harry, highly frustrated at Justice Bunellai's news.
"It has never happened before, but any holder has the right to leave the hold. Not many do because it can be extremely dangerous to cross the vast distances from one major Hold to another and there would be no guarantee the next Hold would accept them."
"Well, why don't we set a precedent then," said Harry, with renewed hope. "Lord Holder Binint needs to be brought to Red Butte Hold to stand in front of the Justices, so he knows that someone has invoked Weyr Justice on him."
"But I just told you," said a very puzzled Justice, "he will be found innocent according to Pern Law!"
"That's fine," said Harry, with a twinkle in his eye. "I have a feeling that while he is gone, his entire Hold is going to leave to find a new home. Do you know how many people are in his Hold and its surrounding land?"
Justice Bunellai almost choked on his laughter and then referred to a book on his desk. "According to our last census, there were over 3,500 inhabitants of Keroon Hold, including all its minor Holds and Cotholds. It is about 3 years out of date, but I don't imagine there would be all that many more if his Hold is such a terror to live in. I will send for him to appear before the Justices at once!"
"Thank you, Justice Bunellai, but I will send a Dragonrider for him … and arrange for a few other actions as well. Good-bye and I hope we can continue to act for the benefit of the people of Pern."
Harry's eyes glazed over. "Dragons, hear me," he called. Every dragon on the planet fell silent at Harry's call. The riders could clearly hear him in their minds, through their dragons. His voice pulsed on the wave of power that carried it to every dragon on the planet. "A Holder from Keroon Hold has requested Weyr Justice. Upon talking with Pern Justice Bunellai, I'm told that anything is within the Lord Holders' rights, including murder. I was also told that it is the right of any Holder to leave a Hold they find unsatisfactory and travel to a new Hold where they may petition for a new home.
"Lord Holder Binint is going to be called before the Justices today and told one of his holders has demanded Weyr Justice. Unfortunately for the holder, the case will be dismissed. Unfortunately for the Lord Holder, I have other plans.
"Lobsang, I want you to send a Dragon rider to pick up Lord Holder Binint to bring him before the Justices. Susan Bones, I want you to coordinate enough of our D2 and above transports to accommodate any of Keroon Holds inhabitants that want to move elsewhere. Give them all the option to move to Spath's Hold if they wish and let them know they will be more than welcome, but give them the option to go to any other Hold on the planet if they wish, which is why I want you to use as many of our smaller Eggs as possible.
"Bring the D36P and park it north of the main Keroon Hold. Anyone going to Spath's can ride in that. We are expecting somewhere around 3,500 people. Keep everyone in stealth mode until you hear from me."
Harry broke the connection and he heard an echo of many thousands of dragon voices acknowledging his orders. "Hermione, I think we need to pay a visit to Lady Holder Cilli."
Keroon Hold, Lord and Lady Holder's apartments...
"Come in, Weyrleader Harry and Weyrwoman Hermione," said a puzzled Lady Cilli, as she stumbled over the odd names. "To what do we owe the pleasure of your visit today?"
"Please, Lady Cilli, just call us by our names. Titles are meaningless amongst equals. We have come in regards to a request I received for Weyr Justice," said Harry.
"In that case, please call me Cilli, Harry, Hermione," said Lady Cilli. "What is this about 'Weyr Justice'?"
Harry took a few moments to explain what had happened. Then he asked, "You seem much younger than Lord Holder Binint, Cilli. Were you by any chance forced into your marriage to the Lord Holder?"
"Yes, I was," said Cilli, with a blush. "My parents could barely afford to keep us all fed when Lord Binint came by one day and demanded me in exchange for a more comfortable position for my family. I didn't want to go with him but, if I hadn't, he would have declared us all holdless. At least my family got something pleasant out of the arrangement. He declared his previous wife holdless and took me in the hope that I could provide him an heir. Thankfully, so far, nothing has happened."
"I have a possible solution to your dilemma," said Harry. "Do you know anyone, in the entire Hold and surrounding area, that would want to stay if given a chance to easily move elsewhere, especially if they were guaranteed to be welcomed there?"
Cilli's eyes got very large and she said, "No one! He has been so terrible to our poor people that I don't know anyone who would wish to stay. I have done what I can to distribute more stores when I can get away with it, but lately, he has taken to watching me like a dragon. I have not had a chance to help anyone for months now."
"If you asked them, do you think your people would leave with you to live under better circumstances?"
"I'm sure they would, but there are so many, spread over hundreds of miles of wilderness ..."
"Let me worry about that, Cilli. Would you step out to the public square in front of your quarters with me?" asked Harry, as he held out his arm. Lady Cilli took his outstretched arm and Hermione took his other as they walked outside.
"Well, we are here," said Lady Cilli, puzzled. "What is it you wanted me to see?"
"Hmm," began Harry, thoughtfully. "This is facing south. You cannot see what I wanted you to see from here. Cheki, would you please come closer so that Lady Cilli may mount you? I want her to have a good view north of here."
Lady Cilli gasped as Cheki suddenly appeared right in front of her and knelt down as low as possible to make it easier for her to mount. Harry jumped up and then levitated the startled Lady Holder to a position right in front of him.
"Cheki, would you please jump to the roof of the Hold, facing north?" asked Harry, out loud so Lady Cilli would know what was happening. Once in position, Harry pointed to a specific low hill nearby and said, "Watch there, if you would, Cilli."
As she watched, she saw a huge D36P shimmer into view. It was larger than any of the largest buildings in her Hold! Even from this distance, she could see quite a few dragons perched along its top.
"What you see is one of our specialized Dragon Transports we call Dragon Eggs. It is capable of holding 5,000 people and some of their luggage," stated Harry. "We have other, smaller transports that can take everything from people to cattle to wagons. Once loaded, they can be moved anywhere on the planet in seconds. I would like to offer you and all your people refuge at Spath's Weyr until such a time as you feel safe to return here. If your people want to stay with you, they can all travel in the same Egg as you. Anything too large for them to carry, we can arrange to move in one of the smaller Eggs.
"We will make them the offer to move them to any Weyr or Hold they wish to go to, but Spath's, or one of the Holds or Weyrs on the southern continent are the only ones I am sure they will be welcome at."
Harry felt Lady Cilli sag against him and he asked in alarm, "Are you alright, Cilli?"
"Of course I am, Harry," said Cilli, almost crying. "I feel so much relief at the thought of being able to finally escape this nightmare that I am feeling a bit faint. If I may, would it be possible for me to accompany you to my outlying Holds and Cotholds to let my people know this is a legitimate offer?"
"Of course," said Harry. "Chekiath, my dragon is more than powerful enough to take us anywhere you need to go."
"It would be my pleasure, Lady Holder," said Cheki. "May you and your people find peace and shelter under our wings."
"He talks in my head!" exclaimed Lady Cilli, startled.
"Yes," said Harry. "It would be a little hard for you to understand him if he tried to talk out loud. His mouth isn't shaped for our type of speech. He is just as intelligent as any human. It might help if you think of him as a funny-shaped human."
"You know I have tried thinking of you as a funny shaped dragon," said Cheki, for Cilli's benefit. "But you can't fly very well and can't breathe fire!"
Lady Cilli laughed at the interchange between two beings that she was starting to feel more comfortable with. "Thank you, Chekiath. I would be pleased if you would agree to help us."
"The honor is mine, Lady Holder," replied Cheki. "We were created a long time ago to help humans and derive great pleasure when we are able to do so."
"Well, now all we need to do is get your people motivated," said Harry. "I am going to do something that will allow you to be heard by everyone in your Hold. Once I'm finished, just ask everyone to take everything they own to the 'building' north of your Hold and they will be given guaranteed sanctuary." With that, he cast a wandless sonorous on Lady Cilli. "Go ahead," Harry encouraged.
Lady Cilli looked a little unsure, but gamely started, "People of Keroon!" She blinked at the sound that she heard, it did sound like everyone in the Hold would be able to hear her! "As you know, for many long years I have tried to help you survive my Lord Holder's irrational anger. Finally, due to the brave actions of one of our own, I am able to offer anyone who wants a guaranteed sanctuary away from Keroon Hold. I plan to leave and will not return until it is safe to do so. Those wishing to join me in my temporary exile should gather everything they own and make their way to the huge structure north of Keroon Hold. There you will be greeted by Dragonriders who will help you get settled while everyone enters.
"If you have something too large to carry, wagons or cattle or anything else, let the Dragonriders know what it is and where it's located and they will make sure your belongings follow you, wherever you go. If you wish to go to a particular Hold or Weyr on Pern, please let the Dragonriders know where you want to go, so you can be taken there. If you wish to follow me and possibly return here at a later time, just enter the large structure and you will end up where I go."
Lady Cilli looked questioningly at Harry. He cast a quietus on her and said, "It's safe to talk normally now."
"That was amazing!" she exclaimed. "Should we now visit the minor Holds and Cotholds?"
"Absolutely," said Harry. "First we need to get down so I can give you something warmer to wear. It gets a bit chilly Between." With that, Harry helped her down, onto the roof and gave her a passenger flight suit to don over her clothing. He was thankful that normal Pern clothing, even for women, tended to trousers and shirts unless a formal occasion called for more formal clothing. As Hermione was helping her get dressed, Harry contacted Cary Cayouette.
"Cary," called Harry. "Please get several witches and wizards and follow us when we go to the outlying Holds and Cotholds. If there are any animals, load them into an appropriate-sized cargo Egg. Have your dragons stay invisible if possible and stun any that seem agitated so they are not harmed when moved to Spath's Weyr."
"Got it!" replied Cary. Harry tuned her out as she passed on orders to others helping. He turned to find Cilli almost finished donning her passenger flight suit. Before he closed the plastic face covering, Harry set the suit communications to an inter-suit frequency so only Hermione or himself could hear Lady Cilli. He closed the covering and told her about some of what she was seeing on her HUD.
It took them about five hours before all the surrounding population had been gathered at Keroon Hold for transportation. Everything they owned was loaded into other cargo Eggs but every inhabitant of Keroon had chosen to follow wherever their Lady took them. Lady Cilli had most of the storage areas cleared out and took the contents with them, saying it was hers to take. They left more than enough for Lord Holder Binint. If he were able to care for himself, he would have food and supplies to last five years at least.
When they arrived at Spath's Weyr, Harry had the dragons carrying the D36P slowly approach the Weyr and Hold to give the newest residents time to see where they would be living. No one was allowed to leave the Egg until they had given an Equality Oath and then Harry called for several rider volunteers to give them a tour of the facilities. Spath's population had just grown by 3,644 people, all of which were assigned apartments close to each other in Spath's Hold. Within a matter of hours, most of what they had brought with them had been thrown away in favor of the clothing the Weyr gave them. Those with cattle were shown where their cattle were corralled in large open areas thick with vegetation for browsing, guarded against predators by dragons and, amazingly to them, Cheetahs.
Lady Cilli, herself, was housed in a guest apartment on Level 20, near one of the turbolifts.
When Lord Holder Binint was finally able to return to his Hold after a frustrating, unreasonable delay, he was shocked to find it totally deserted. The Dragonrider who gave him a ride back to his Hold would only tell him that there would be a Dragonrider permanently stationed on top of the Lord's residence. No amount of shouting, ordering, or cajoling could get any other information out of the Dragonrider and when he tried to get as violent as his advanced age permitted, the rider's dragon lowered his head and glared at the Lord Holder until he backed down. Lord Holder Binint had just received a very expensive education. If anyone abused their rights, there were others in a position to help those being abused to escape their oppression. This was a hard lesson for some of the Lord Holders. Many of them tried to do something through the new legal system but, in every case, were thwarted by the very Pern Laws they had been abusing for so long. It was a painful education for them, though not quite as painful as for Lord Binint.
Spath's Weyr, Unbonded Dragons Hatching Grounds, Feb 15, 2029...
Harry watched with satisfaction as the first unbonded dragons to take advantage of the Weyr's special Hatching Grounds for them watched their eggs hatch. They were somewhat melancholy since their offspring would not be getting riders, but they were also starting to feel more empowered and independent due to The Weyrleader's constant reinforcement of their self-worth. Their hatchlings would be important for themselves, not just because they had a rider or not!
The best part of having this new hatching ground was that they could gather in a group for the hatching, their hatchlings were cared for by adult humans and they didn't have to worry about providing food for their new hatchlings, as the humans provided everything. All in all, a vast improvement over what they suffered through during the Time of Beasts.
Tikreth watched with pleasure as a small team of house-elves swarmed over her new hatchling, brushing her with warm oil, spreading and exercising her wings, and scratching her in just the right places. Tikreth settled down to rest and was soon the object of attention of more house-elves. She could get used to this if she wasn't careful!
'Weyrleader.'
Harry perked up. 'Who is calling?'
'Rosalee Jordan, Sir.'
'What can I do for you?' asked Harry, mentally through Chekiath.
'I've been assigned to watch over Lord Holder Binint in case of emergency. I know I was told to avoid contact but he's in such sad shape, it's really heartbreaking! He finally made his way up to where I was standing watch and has just asked me if I would have dinner with him.'
'Did he demand or did he ask?' asked Harry.
'He asked, very politely,' responded Rosalee.
'As long as he treats any of the watchstanders with respect and politeness, I will allow you to use your own discretion as to whether you interact with him or not. My goal is to get him to understand the error of his ways, not just to punish him. If he has learned how to be polite to 'the help', then I have no objection to a relaxation of my original orders.'
'Thank you, Sir. I really feel sorry for him.'
'You're Lee Jordan's daughter, aren't you?' asked Harry.
'Yes, Sir?' replied Rosalee, unsure where this was heading.
'Without your father, we would not even be here,' replied Harry. 'Lord Binint would have continued to murder his Holders with little or no check on his power. We are here though, because of good and faithful people like your father. Be proud of your heritage and don't forget why Lord Binint is in the position he currently finds himself in. If I can determine he has changed enough for the better, I will recommend to his wife, Lady Holder Cilli, that it is safe for her and her people to return to Keroon Hold. Until then, he must remain in relative isolation.'
'Thank you again, Sir. I will remember that … all of it.'
Spath's Weyr, Level 1, Mar 10, 2029...
Harry watched with amusement as the first of the Weyr's children tried their hands at laser tag. Many of the children had become almost addicted to watching old Earth Westerns. They finally convinced the centaur foals to watch as well. Soon after, the first spontaneous games of "Cowboys and Indians" had started. For some reason, the centaurs always ended up playing the "Indians", probably because they were never without their sturdy bows. Shortly after, to avoid any possible injuries, Harry had investigated the possibility of an old Earth game he had been told about called laser tag. He had made a few modifications to the game, though.
The bows used by the centaurs for the game were almost exact replicas of the bows they normally used when traveling around Pern. The dimensions, weight, and pull were as close as was humanly possible. The only difference was that, instead of shooting a projectile, the 'arrow' collapsed when the string was released and a burst of laser light impinged upon the target almost immediately. The pistols and rifles of the "Cowboys" were easier, as they had far fewer moving parts.
Everyone was required to wear safety goggles but the centaurs only wore the laser tag suits on their upper torso. Harry had declared that it wasn't fair to "kill a horse" to get to the rider. One of their recent Earth immigrants had jumped at the chance to start a Laser Tag Emporium and a Level 1, Ring 1 storefront had been suitably space enhanced to allow the required large area with separate viewing areas around the sides.
Harry watched amused as a group of "Indians" quickly took out a larger group of "Cowboys". "Looks like they are about to find out that the old Earth movies don't always deal in fact," said Harry to Bane, who was watching next to him. "I have a feeling that, if the emporium is going to stay in business, it would end up matching like species to like species. The centaurs are just too good for the lesser human, goblin, and occasional house-elf opponents."
Bane looked at Harry with almost a feral grin and said, "You are probably the only wizard I have ever met who admits that centaurs might be better at anything than humans!"
"We all are good at something and none of us are good at everything," replied Harry. "Between us all, we are good enough at everything to be able to survive anything this planet can throw at us. We need each other."
Bane looked at Harry with new respect. "I never would have believed it in the past, but I think I agree with you. Look! The birthday girl has managed to take out one of her opponents. Too bad she didn't see the three behind her."
"Poor Tegan," said Harry, with a chuckle. "She was so sure that the Earth movies were documentaries! She has a lot to learn. Ah well, she's only seven. She has plenty of time."
"At least this is a safer place to work off all their energy," said Bane. "After what happened last time, I've worried about what might happen."
"I think we all worry about our children, "said Harry, "but we can only protect them so much. They need to learn how to survive on their own and places like this are at least, as you said, a little safer than some. This Children's Day, we have offered specific activities geared to different age groups and that has attracted most of the children. Their activities have been concentrated in a few areas where they can be monitored more effectively. I made a real mistake by just allowing them to run, uncontrolled through the entire Weyr."
They both watched in companionable silence as the last of the centaur "Indians" mopped up the last of the "Cowboys". Harry was pleased to see that the losers were just as jubilant about the experience as the winners.
And at least this was a lot better than some of the other things that children had been caught doing in the Weyr in the past. The cushioning charms at the bottom of stairwells and around the cavern openings for Ring 1 at level 2 and above had been changed so that it took a lot longer to fall. Children had been found jumping from Level 20 ledges simply so they could enjoy the free fall and sudden stop at the bottom due to the cushioning charm taking effect. Now, there were charms at every level, so there was no free fall and anyone caught in the charm would have to spend about 30 minutes per level before getting to the bottom. The stairwell charms had been similarly enhanced. No one jumped anymore, it was too boring.
Children also used to delight in playing hide and seek throughout the entire Weyr, using the turbolift system to hide in some really hard-to-find places and incidentally almost causing several avoidable accidents as they never seemed to look where they were going. Now the turbolift system would only react to all children on level 1. Only children who had families living on level 2 or higher could activate the appropriate controls and then only to the specific sector where they lived. Now that game was also too boring to play anymore.
Tunnelsnakes were a constant worry to everyone, but most of all to parents. Tunnelsnakes liked to hide in small dark places, just the kind of place children liked to hide in when playing. That problem had been addressed, but not totally resolved by requiring mandatory educational sessions for everyone about the problems with tunnelsnakes, Pern's form of rats. Now everyone carried their own belt knives and was trained to use them, even children as young as five years old.
Children carrying knives was another worry entirely, but not as much of a concern as them meeting a tunnelsnake and not having something with which to defend themselves. Harry had arranged for special defense classes to be taught in cooperation with the local school system. Everyone went everywhere now with their belt knives, even children. It was as ubiquitous as wearing shoes.
Spath's Weyr, Harry's Quarters, Mar 12, 2029...
"Chekiath, would you please contact the rider guarding Lord Holder Binint and ask him to let me know how things are going," requested Harry. He was getting daily reports on Lord Binint's progress, or lack thereof but, every once in a while, he liked to check up personally with the rider currently standing vigil.
"Weyrleader, Lord Binint was agitated today and it didn't help when I didn't respond to anything he said. I think he is having a really hard time adjusting to his solitude."
"Be that as it may," said Harry. "Please continue to ignore him as long as he is verbally abusive. Your Shadow Suit will protect you if he tries anything more, but if he does, I want you to move your vigil to a new location that will be harder for him to approach."
"Understood, Sir. We have all been careful and very spare with our interactions."
Spath's Weyr, The Weyrleader's Inner Office, May 17, 2029...
"Chekiath, would you please contact the rider guarding Lord Holder Binint and ask him to let me know how things are going," requested Harry.
"Weyrleader, Lord Binint was quiet all day today, almost like he was reliving past experiences. I think he has finally realized the type of situation he is in and why."
"That is good," said Harry. "Please continue to ignore or interact with him at your discretion. You are probably helping him just by him knowing someone is there."
"Understood, Sir. Thank you for your support."
Spath's Weyr, Harry's Quarters, July 31, 2029...
"Happy Birthday, Harry!" shouted Hermione, May, Dobby, Tisky, Joddy, and Tegan. May had managed to get Harry to drink a potion of dreamless sleep last night, so he had a full night of sleep for a change. Chekiath had cooperated by not disturbing Harry until the rest of his family had arrived bearing a full breakfast in bed … for all of them. It wasn't often that any of them could convince the house-elves to dine with them, but they had used this special occasion to persuade them this time.
As they gleefully set up their morning meal together, Hermione and May cheerfully overcame Harry's objections to taking a day off and told him, in no uncertain terms, that he was going to enjoy 'his' day … or else. Given the alternative, Harry acquiesced.
Since they knew how much Harry loved to fly with Cheki, Hermione had arranged for full flight suits for their three house-elf family members, and May had arranged for three unbonded dragons with sticking charms to act as their transport. Dobby and Tisky were a bit timid to start, but Joddy absolutely loved the idea, especially since he got to wear a flight suit, just like a real Dragonrider! When Harry explained that no one would know who they were, because of the flight suits, Dobby and Tisky settled down and started to enjoy the new sensation. In fact, Harry enjoyed watching them enjoy the novel sensations of dragon flight almost as much as he enjoyed flying himself.
May had thought ahead and had their favorite cook in Kitchen 0R create a picnic lunch for all seven of them. They had a leisurely flight out to the Sea of Azov, just south and east of Condron Sea Weyr. They found a beautiful wide beach of clear, fine-grained sand, and set up their lunch while six of the dragons romped in the sea while one of the unbonded dragons kept a careful watch for any potential problems. Every hour or so, the dragons switched watch duties and they spent an enjoyable few hours on the beach, eating, digging in the sand to make sandcastles, and chasing and being chased by Tegan and Joddy.
After they had managed to work off being comfortably full from their lunch, Hermione suggested they swim.
"I don't think you'd like to swim here," said Comaloth. "There are tiny little fish trying to bite us. It tickles, but I don't think you would like it."
"Can you catch one to show us?" asked Hermione.
Comaloth returned moments later with a three-foot-long bloodfish, dead in her jaws. "They seem to be all along the shore," said Comaloth. "I might have to come back sometime. They are quite tasty!"
Hermione stuck her hand in the water near the shore and decided that, even though their Dragon Amulets would protect them, the water was really just too cold to be much fun after all.
They then had the house-elves seal up their flight suits and everyone went Between to Sakushima Weyr and Hold. The house-elves had never seen a ship on the ocean and they were fortunate to be able to watch the SPS Dronth coming into dock. While they were there, they were able to help free some dolphins of attached bloodfish. Joddy, in particular, seemed to find the dolphins and their friendly antics endearing.
Harry, Hermione, May, and Tegan had an early dinner with Christopher Dalsgaard and his wife, Britta. Nothing they were able to do would convince their house-elves to join them. Instead, they ate in the kitchen and were admired by the local house-elves for their fine clothing. They spent most of their time in the kitchen telling the other house-elves about their day's adventures, eating a meal with 'their' family, riding by themselves on the backs of dragons, and playing with their humans on the beach. Harry didn't realize it at the time, but this was the day that house-elves really started to believe they could be equal to humans.
After a relaxing time with the Lord and Lady Holder of Sakushima Hold, they all mounted their dragons, to the wide-eyed amazement of the local house-elves seeing some of their own on dragon back. As their dragons leapt aloft, Joddy gaily waved goodbye to his new friends and awed admirers.
Back at Spath's Weyr finally, all seven of them settled into their quarters on Level 20 to just enjoy some time together. Joddy and Tegan watched a movie on TV while the five adults just relaxed on the sofa and chairs in the living room. Hermione had never seen house-elves so relaxed around humans and vowed to do something like this every chance she had, even if it was only for a short time and totally spontaneous. If she could, she would get all her closest friends to try to do the same with other house-elves.
ICW Headquarters, Paris, France, Aug 19, 2029...
Harry, in his Dragon Nation official dress uniform with white beret, and Emma Lily Potter, in her Hogwarts dress robes, followed Arthur Weasley into the general assembly hall and sat with him in the box allocated for the British delegation. As they sat down, one of the gems on the gem-studded panel attached to one wall of the box started to flash. Arthur touched the gem and their box shimmered slightly as the privacy charm kicked in. "Konnichiwa, Weasley-san. I recognize The Weyrleader from our earlier efforts together, but I do not recognize the young lady. Is that a new assistant?" asked a voice.
"This is The Weyrleader's youngest daughter who also happens to be a mage," explained Arthur. "Though he doesn't have to, he felt it only polite to introduce her to Earth as one of Pern's newest mages. Emma Lily Potter, it pleases me to introduce you to Yoshi Masabe, Imperial Wizard and councilor to his Imperial Highness, the Emperor of Japan."
"Thank you, Arthur," said Yoshi. "Well done, Potter-san. That makes four mages in one family! Quite an achievement! Welcome to Earth, Emma Lily Potter. Our loss is Pern's gain."
"Thank you for your welcome, Wizard Yoshi," said Emma, politely. "Perhaps one day you could visit us on Pern to see what it is like for yourself."
"Thank you for your kind offer, Miss Potter," said Yoshi, approvingly. "I would love to see Pern. Unfortunately, affairs of state keep me bogged down at home. Perhaps we can meet again somewhere, sometime, in the future."
Just then, the lights flickered indicating the session was about to start and the privacy charm was deactivated as Yoshi Masabe returned his attention to the business of the day.
The Chief Mugwump walked into the chamber and signaled to the hit wizard in his chamber, who in turn signaled to the others by flashing the room lights again. The lights dimmed again and came up to about half their previous level. The Chief Mugwump took his position and banged a heavy stone against the table.
Arthur rose and waited to be recognized by the Mugwump. "You wish to address our assembly, Delegate Weasley?"
"I do, Chief Mugwump," said Arthur. "You all know Mage Potter who was presented just before his 16th birthday. He realizes he has no obligation to introduce new mages to our Earth organization, but he felt it polite to continue to do so. It is with no small amount of delight that I introduce to you today, Pern's fourth mage, all from the same family. Ladies and gentlemen, it pleases me to introduce to you, Emma Lily Potter."
The Mugwump looked at Emma expectantly. Arthur sat and Emma rose.
"Chief Mugwump, honored delegates, I thank you for your gracious welcome. While I was born and raised on Pern, I will soon be starting my 6th year at Hogwarts. I fully expect to impress a dragon soon and plan to follow in my father's footsteps by becoming the best Dragonrider I possibly can be. Our nation is still successfully fighting Thread incursions on Pern and we continue to expand our presence there for the benefit of all intelligent species. We are even hoping to start our own University for Advanced Magical Degrees combined with Advanced Muggle Studies in keeping with the Dumbledore Plan. Everyone on Pern knows about the magical world and we hope to see many witches and wizards from Earth join us, at least for a visit, in the coming years."
Emma sat and polite applause rose to welcome her to the wizarding world.
Spath's Weyr, ER#1, Aug 26, 2029...
"Duty Doctor needed at Keroon Hold. Lord Binint just clutched at his chest and collapsed with a gasp!"
Maxine Kelly grabbed her intern and everything she thought she might need and sprinted for the cavern floor where her dragon, Glarenelth, was waiting for her. Within seconds they were at Keroon Hold and tending to the Lord Holder.
About an hour later, Maxine contacted Harry, "Harry, Lord Binint had a mild heart attack. If I hadn't gotten here as soon as I did, he would have died within a few hours. As it is, he may never walk again. May I bring him back to the Weyr for ongoing treatment?"
"No, Maxine," said Harry, sorrowfully. "He is alone there for a reason and he hasn't yet shown the change of heart needed for me to allow him to re-enter polite society. If he were on Earth, he would have been imprisoned for life. Have the Duty Wing bring you anything you need, a hospital bed, portable power generator, medicine, help, whatever.
"Put him in a pleasant room, with a view if possible, but defer to the Dragonriders who have been watching him as far as any contact other than that strictly required for his recovery. Keep any personnel, including yourself, out of his sight and hearing unless you must interact with him. Even then, do not engage him in conversation unless he is polite."
"Understood, Harry," said Maxine, upset that she couldn't treat her patient as she felt he needed for his recovery. "I will pass along your orders."
"Maxine," said Harry, sadly. "I know this goes against all you believe in. It bothers me as well, but I am trying to send a message to all the old Pern Holders that they can no longer do completely as they please. Like it or not, we are the police force on Pern and everyone from the highest Lord to the lowest drudge relies on us to be fair and equitable in our treatment of anyone accused of harming someone else. As disagreeable as this situation is, we must follow through or the other, like-minded, Lord and Lady Holders will think they can continue to literally get away with murder."
"I understand, Harry," said Maxine, sadly. "It's just hard ..."
Spath's Weyr, Kitchen 0R, Sept 3, 2029...
This year Emma and Albus had decided that they were not going to be escorted to the Hogwarts Express by their parents. They were 'adults' now and wanted to start doing things on their own. Harry had reluctantly allowed himself to be convinced and the two children had gone off to Earth with the duty courier. Now Harry, Hermione, and May were having a last breakfast before Tegan started her first day of 2nd grade. Soon they would watch as she walked across the Weyr to her new classes. She was now a 'big girl' of seven years old and didn't need any adults to show her places she had been running around in for 'years'!
Harry looked across at May and thought, 'They grow up so fast, don't they!'
'Yes, they do,' responded May, quietly in their newly discovered mind-to-mind communication. Hermione just sadly smiled her agreement with them.
Only Harry, Hermione, May, and their dragons could talk telepathically together, but they were still able to mentally track Tegan's progress around the Weyr and instantly know if she was in any kind of trouble or needed help. May had talked with other soul-bonded families and had found that, universally, the adults were all now able to communicate telepathically with each other, but not with any of their children or any other adults. Eddie Took seemed to think this was a result of the Bonding Ceremony combined with the new Pern Mother's influence. Whatever the cause, they were still able to use their new communication method even when off Pern.
Tegan loudly told them she was going to get her own breakfast and had proceeded to stand at the counter for five minutes before anyone realized there was anyone there. Finally, Dobby, at Harry's suggestion, had offered to help Tegan, "so the adults won't know", and she had unsteadily wandered over to their table. Harry had only had to rescue her and her tray of food three times with carefully placed levitation spells before she finally got to the table and sat down to eat. She might be a 'big girl' but her parents would always try to be there for her if needed.
"I'm finished now!" said Tegan, excitedly. "I am going to take my tray over to the collection slot and then I will allow each of you a single hug and maybe a kiss before I go to school."
"Only one hug," said Harry looking as hurt as he could contrive.
"Well, maybe I'll allow you to have two since you're just a father," said Tegan, importantly. "Mothers can handle being away from their children and don't need more."
As she walked deliberately over to dispose of her try and cutlery, Harry and his wives just shook their heads at Tegan's self-assurance. Harry also wondered how he had lucked out at being able to 'need' two hugs. He had a feeling his wives would get more than the one promised in any case. When Tegan came back to their table, the rounds of hugs and kisses started.
"Hey!" complained Tegan, indignantly. "Daddy just stole another hug!"
"I didn't steal it, I gave you an extra one," said Harry, reasonably as he smiled down at his tiny, self-possessed little girl.
"Oh," said Tegan, seriously. "That's OK then. It's OK for me to get more than you. I can store them up for later."
That started off a new round of hugs and kisses. Harry noticed that Hermione and May were starting to look a little teary-eyed. Finally, Tegan announced that it was time for her to go meet her new teacher. As they first watched her leave and then mentally followed her progress across the Weyr, they all hoped that they would be 'allowed' to escort her to school at least sometimes.
After too short a time, Dobby popped up and said, "Tegan is in school now, Harry Potter."
"Thank you, Dobby," said Harry appreciatively. "I don't know what we would do without all the help you've given us over the years."
Dobby, by now used to the praise his Harry liked to give him, just smiled shyly, nodded his head in acknowledgment, and popped back to his own family.
Spath's Weyr, The Weyrleaders Inner Office, Oct 1, 2029...
"Courier!" called Jeofrey, as Mark Harper came barging into Harry's Office.
"Sorry, Weyrleader, I have a priority message from Brenden Caris. He said you needed to see this right away!"
Harry took the envelope Mark held out to him and opened it, As he looked at it, he got more and more excited. On official Buckingham Palace stationery appeared the following:
1st October 2029
Dear Mr. Potter,
The Queen has asked me to respond to your kind offer of a royal tour of Pern.
Her Majesty has informed me that she will be available for such a tour from 19th November 2029 until 25th November 2029. She has an audience she cannot miss on Monday, 26th November 2029, so requires assurance that there will be no problem returning her to Buckingham Palace before then.
I have been informed that communications with you is not time-sensitive, so would appreciate a response at your earliest convenience. We shall require accommodations for 52 additional people. The Queen said to tell you she still has her flight suit.
Yours sincerely,
Mrs. Sonia Boniei
Senior Correspondence Officer
Encl: List of Royal Party
Harry looked at Mark in shock for a minute. "Did you know what was in this?"
"No, Weyrleader, I was just told to deliver this to you with no delay and to wait for a reply."
"Jeofrey!" yelled Harry.
"Yes, Sir," responded Jeofrey. "You need me to type up an official reply, I'm ready."
"Are you reading my mind again?" asked Harry, impressed by his Admin Assistant's immediate understanding of the requirements.
"No, Sir. I just had the intercom open and knew you had just received an important letter and needed to send a reply. I will make sure the reply is on the Official Dragon Nation letterhead and will have it ready for your signature within half an hour of you dictating it to me.
Forty minutes later, Harry signed the letter, sealed it into an addressed envelope, and handed it to Mark to take back to Earth.
1st October 2029
Dear Mrs. Sonia Boniei,
I was pleasantly surprised to receive The Queen's request for a visit today and have done my best to expedite my reply.
Since we are located in the southern hemisphere, our climate is moderate at this time of year. If anyone wishes to wear their own clothes, I would recommend casual dress as for a bush hunting party. If the Queen decides to tour any of the Holds in the northern hemisphere, the setting can be a bit rustic. I will make available a complete flight suit for each member of her party, complete with a name tag and identifying insignia. Such a flight suit has become quite acceptable here on Pern, no matter what the occasion, and it will keep you comfortable and well protected no matter what the weather is like.
We will have a D2, 80 passenger Dragon Egg available in front of Buckingham Palace, or any place else you designate, early on the morning of 19th November 2029. Travel time between our planets is a fixed 2.6 seconds, so I can guarantee that we can have you back at Buckingham Palace within seconds of finishing breakfast here on 26th November 2029 or you can leave at the Queen's pleasure at any day or time before then. If you bring the clothing needed for her audience, she can step off of our transport ready to immediately attend to her audience.
Best Regards,
Harry Potter,
The Weyrleader of Earth and Pern
As Mark ran out of the office to deliver Harry's reply, Harry turned to Jeofrey and said, "Please get with Susan Bones and ask her to fill the order for the 52 full flight suits. Have her add a suitable patch to all suits that reads, 'Pern Tour, 2029' and have an extra one made for the Queen's suit. They should have full communications but none of our proprietary electronics stealth suite, and the outer flight suit should be bonded to the inner Stealth suit so it cannot be removed. Give Susan a copy of the guest list."
As he finished setting things in motion for the Queen's visit, he opened the regular courier pouch that had been delivered moments before Mark arrived and noticed there was a letter from the Johns Hopkins APL. He opened it and read another exciting piece of news:
27th September 2029
Harry Potter
The Weyrleader, Pern
Dear Mr. Potter,
Due to your generous contribution to our Prosthetics Labs, we have been able to push forward with your requested research. If you can present the two individuals to our Research Center in Laurel, Maryland at your convenience, we feel we can fit them both with advanced prosthetics that will be almost as good as the real limbs they have lost.
We have been able to make astounding advances in mental and muscle control of attached prosthetics and feel they will be extremely pleased.
Best Regards,
Heather Curran
Technology Transfer Inquiries
Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory
Now he just had to think up a good excuse to get both Ronan Clark and his wife and William Kincaid and his sister to Laurel, Maryland.
New Campbeltown Weyr, the Weyrleader's Office, Oct 8, 2029...
Ronan and Karen Clark and Connie and William Kincaid met in the Weyrleader's Office on Level 11 of the New Campbeltown Weyr.
"Do you have any idea what this is all about, Sir?" asked William. "I've never gotten orders to do anything. Usually, I request a change or my Weyrleader discusses proposed changes and we agree on a course of action. This is very mysterious."
"Sorry, William," said Ronan. "If I knew I'd tell, but we are as puzzled as you. The orders were rather vague as well, 'For detached Special Duty for a duration yet to be determined'. What does that even mean! I have a lot of work that I need to supervise."
"I'm sure your teammates will be able to get along just fine without you," said Karen, soothingly. After all, you all trained together. They should know just as much as you."
"Yes, but ..." began Ronan.
"But nothing," said Harry as he strode into the office. "I have a special operation that only you four are uniquely qualified for. Please follow me. We are going to jump to a specific location on the planet and your dragons will get the jump imagery from Chekiath."
Stunned at The Weyrleader's abrupt manner, the four riders followed him outside, mounted their dragons, and jumped aloft when he gave the signal. After everyone had formed up, with Hermione, who was already airborne, Harry gave the command and they all went Between to …
Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab...
They came in for a landing in a large field with a lake to the right and a small building to the left. After they dismounted, Harry led them towards the building. Across the road from where they had landed, they could see a large parking lot full of cars. As they approached the building, they could make out a sign that read, "Kossiakoff Building" which wasn't very informative.
After entering the building, Harry approached a receptionist's desk and said, "Harry Potter and group to meet with Dr. Ralph Semmel."
The receptionist placed a call and said, "He will be right out."
Almost immediately a tall, distinguished older gentleman walked out from a corridor behind the receptionist and approached Harry. "Good Morning, Mr. Potter, exactly on time. Shall we go back to the Lab?"
As they followed Dr. Semmel, the Clarks and the Kincaids looked around curiously. What was all this about? Why the mystery?
Dr. Semmel led them into a room where a large mainframe computer could be seen behind a glass wall. There was a counter with computer terminals on it dividing the room from the door.
"Kate here will get you set up with access badges and give you a map of the area, so you will know where to go. I hope everything works out to your expectations, Mr. Potter."
"So do I," replied Harry, cryptically.
After everyone had new photo ID security badges, they went to find Dr. Semmel again.
"I take it you haven't told them anything yet?" asked Dr. Semmel.
"No, I haven't," said Harry. "I wanted this to be a complete surprise."
Dr. Semmel picked up his phone and called the receptionist. "Would you please ask Dr. Chi to join us?"
A few minutes later, an ancient-looking human walked in. "So these are the two," he said enigmatically.
Dr. Chi turned to look at Ronan and asked, "May I see your hand?"
Ronan removed the glove he normally wore, showing his missing two fingers and the reattachment scars for the other two. Dr. Chi studied it for a while before saying, "He would be an excellent candidate for either of two prosthetics we currently are developing. The first would be fitted almost like a glove. All electrical connections would be induction, through the skin and requires no surgery. It would give limited motion to the two artificial fingers and could be made to cosmetically appear almost normal."
Ronan stared at the doctor in wonder. This couldn't be real!
"The second requires surgery to reroute some of the nerves in the hand," continued Dr. Chi. "The fingers would be mounted directly to your hand through a process called osseointegration. A pair of posts would be implanted in the residual bone and allowed to physically integrate with your body. Once the bones have firmly attached to the posts, the fingers could then be attached and permanent connections made to your nervous system. The advantage of this method is that it's possible you could develop actual sensation in the prosthetic fingers."
Karen reached over and hugged Ronan as he sat there overcome with emotions.
Karen said, "The second method, please!"
"That will take considerably longer," replied Dr. Chi, "but will give you the best ultimate experience. While we are working on the implant, we can also have a plastic surgeon work on the rest of your hand to help remove or at least hide your existing scarring. We can even provide, once the main prosthetic has been fitted, a thin, lightweight, strong artificial skin glove for the entire hand that will make it look almost normal to a casual observer."
Karen squealed and hugged Ronan again. Ronan turned to Harry, "Won't this cost an awful lot?"
"It already has," said Harry, with a smile. "I have already donated three billion dollars to the Prosthetics Research Lab and have already agreed to underwrite any costs with your rehabilitation and therapy. I want you back, working for the Weyr at 100%!"
Karen grabbed Harry in an almost suffocating hug and cried into his shoulder as Ronan and the others looked on, staggered by what he had already done. Finally, Karen allowed Harry to come up for air. He gently pushed her back into Ronan's arms and turned to Dr. Chi.
"Let's put further discussion about Ronan on hold while we talk about William," said Harry, looking at the young man who had almost died from a terrorist attack so long ago.
"This is the young man missing a leg?" asked Dr. Chi.
"Yes, Sir," said William, hesitantly. "I've been without it for so long, I'm not sure any other artificial leg would make a difference."
"Let me see what we have to work with, just in case we can make it easier for you," said Dr. Chi.
William quickly slipped out of his pants, not embarrassed in the least. These were his fellow Dragonriders! Dr. Chi looked approvingly at the almost 12 inches of upper thigh that still remained of William's original leg.
"We can do quite a bit with what you have," said Dr. Chi, pleasantly. "Right now, you have to put a 'sock' on your leg stub before you settle it into the end of your artificial leg and it still rubs and chafes, am I correct?"
"Yes, some days I'm not sure I will be able to put up with it anymore, but Fartelth is a big help. He helps me prepare for my day when it just seems like too much trouble."
"Fartelth?" asked a confused Doctor.
"I am his dragon," said Fartelth, so everyone could hear. "It is not his fault that he was injured before we met. It is my pleasure to make sure his days are as easy as I can make them. If your tiny building weren't so small, I would have carried him around on my back so he didn't need to walk."
The two doctors looked startled and William said, "That's my dragon. We are soul-bonded for life and he is more important to me than anyone else, even my parents!"
"So," said Dr. Chi, hesitantly, "we will be working with dragons as well as people."
"They will be an asset," said Harry, reassuringly. "Any time a rider is down about anything, their dragons always know, sometimes before their rider. They are bonded mind-to-mind and will always love and care for each other."
"Well, that could be an advantage, I guess," said Dr. Chi, unsure of himself. "In any case, we can bond a post to your leg bone similar to the way we would take care of Mr. Clark's fingers. Once complete, you will eventually be able to walk, run, and jump with no discomfort.
William looked at Harry hopefully.
"I've been hoping to do this ever since you were injured, William," said Harry. "It's only now that the technology has become readily available to make it possible. The Weyr takes care of its own. All four of you are, from now, on detached duty. Your jobs, Ronan and William, are to go through the procedures and get better. You, Karen and Connie, are here to give them any additional support their dragons cannot provide."
At that, Harry was attacked by two grateful young women as Hermione watched, entertained by Harry's growing uneasiness. After he was finally able to disengage himself from hugging females, he addressed additional, important matters.
"I have arranged for a suite for all eight of you at Campbeltown Weyr. When you can't travel, but must stay in the hospital for any amount of time, I have transferred a line of credit for nearby housing. The women cannot stay in the hospital with you the entire time, besides, it gets boring looking at someone sleeping when you're tired yourself.
"You can use your dragons to keep updated with any ongoing projects any of you have, but I don't want you to actually work on anything but getting through this process. If work-related input is required from any of you," Harry looked at all four of them sternly, "one of your team members will contact you through your dragons. I don't expect that to happen, though, because I told them they are on their own until you return.
"Connie, if your parents want to be involved, I have made sure the line of credit will include enough funds for them to set up permanent residence in the area here in Maryland if they want. If they want to stay with you at Campbeltown, feel free to ask for volunteers among the unbonded dragons if they need transport."
Harry looked at Hermione, "Have I forgotten anything?"
"Well, yes," said Hermione, quietly, "Harry was going to pay for all this out of his own account. When May and I found out, we double-teamed him until he relented. This is now a Weyr-funded operation. We all care for you and want to be a part of your recovery as much as possible."
This led to another round of hugs from the women and handshakes and 'thank-yous' from the men. Eventually, Harry and Hermione left to return to Spath's Weyr, their undertaking successfully accomplished.
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