The Dragons Return

by viningc

Harry had a war with Earth but he had been given the gift of a lifetime, a place where his dragons and riders would be unconditionally safe. This story continues the trilogy by Bobmin356 and Alyx started at: /s/7591040/18/The-Queen-who-fell-to-Earth

27. Chapter 27: Proper Relationships

Chapter 27: Proper Relationships
Hogsmeade, Jan 29, 2061...
When Snape had made the reservations, he had specified three bedrooms, each with its own ensuite, opening onto a common lounge. He arose early the next morning, showered, and put on the "wizarding casual" clothing he had ordered the day previously. He then took the packages for the others into the lounge and separated them into three stacks so the others in his party could dress similarly. The fact that their purchases were already segregated by the house-elves made it simple for Snape.

He was sitting in an overstuffed chair looking out a 'window' next to the door when Dave joined him. Snape pointed to two of the stacks and said, "Those are for you and Paige. I recommend we all dress in 'wizarding casual' for today. It will make a difference to your experience if you blend in, at least a little."

Later, when Paige made an appearance, Snape suggested she take Nylah's packages into her mother's room so she could also dress appropriately.

When Nylah came out of her room, Snape could see she was still a little shaken, but much improved over the day before.

Paige hurried over to her Mum and said, "Are you alright, Mum? I've never known you to get so upset about anything."

They walked over to the couch and sat next to each other. Dave got up from his chair and sat on the other side of Nylah from Paige. Nylah looked embarrassed and slightly fearful as she looked at her daughter.

"What is it, Mum?"

"If this is a private, family matter, I can leave," said Snape calmly.

Nylah snapped her head around and looked at Snape with a look of gratitude and said, "No, this is something I've been hiding even from Paige, and it's stupid for me to do so. You've shared much worse with us, the least I can do is share with you as well."

"Would you like some tea first?" asked Snape. "Perhaps even a light breakfast. We can eat here in the room if you like."

Nylah looked gratefully at Snape, so he called one of the house-elves. After he placed their order and the elf had left, Snape turned around and looked at the others to see them staring back at him as if he'd grown another head. "What? That was just a house-elf. I was told there were several here at the hotel to help take care of guests' needs."

Dave just shook his head and said, "More strangeness from the magical world is all. You never mentioned anything about house-elves, so it was a shock to see such a creature suddenly appear. I guess that is part of the reason for us to visit here so long, it will help us to get used to such things."

Just then their food appeared on the low table in front of the couch as if by magic, startling the muggles yet again. Snape went over and poured a cup of tea for Nylah, with a little extra sugar to give her a little energy. After handing her cup to her, he made one for himself and watched as Dave and Paige served themselves.

"Should we start on breakfast as well?" asked Snape.

Since the wonderful aroma of a full English breakfast was filling the room, everyone agreed to at least serve themselves while Nylah collected her thoughts. Snape conjured a round table with four chairs near the sideboard where the meal lay waiting. He noticed that the muggles didn't startle near as much this time.

They all loaded their plates and sat down at the table. Paige sighed and started to get up again to fetch their tea from the low table, but Snape levitated it all over to the table without spilling a drop. As they started eating their scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, fried tomatoes, fried mushrooms, baked beans, and toast with butter and marmalade, Nylah slowly started talking between mouthfuls. Everyone else kept silent to allow her to get what was an obviously painful memory out.

"My father used to make my older brother go out and beg or outright steal to supplement our income," began Nylah. Paige gasped at discovering her mother had a brother but managed not to actually say anything more.

"One day when I was about ten and he was maybe twelve, Dad had the both of us out and about. He said it was time to train me to do the same. My brother, Ryan, had gone on ahead to do something and my father and I were slowly following behind. Evidently, they both knew where we were to meet up. I just listened, fascinated, to my father explain how we were helping people to contribute to our lives.

"He made it sound so exciting and noble, I was excited to try it for myself.

"We had been out for maybe an hour, time is so subjective when you're so young when I became aware that someone around the corner of the building from us was yelling for someone to stop. Then I heard a policeman blow his whistle and saw my brother run out between two parked cars and into the street towards us. The driver of the car that hit him didn't even see him until it was all over. He had been hit in the back and thrown towards us, landing in the middle of the road, sprawled on his face. There was blood everywhere and he wasn't moving.

"I tried to run over to him, but my father dragged me home. I never saw my brother again and Mum finally stood up to Dad and refused to allow him to take me out to do what my brother had been doing. He had been abusive to us all before then, but it got a lot worse after that.

"I loved my brother and I still miss him all these years later. He used to do his best to keep Dad's attention away from us. With him gone, we got the full force of his anger and frustration."

When it was obvious that Nylah had said all she had planned to say, Dave asked, "Didn't anyone else miss your brother? Surely the school authorities would have been around to find out why he was missing school."

"I never saw him go to school or bring books home. I'm not even sure he could read. It's possible we were the only ones who knew about him and now he's dead in some pauper's grave where he will never be found." Nylah started crying again, almost sobbing at the unfairness of life. Paige stood and walked over to her Mum to hold her as she cried as well for the Uncle she had never known.

Snape looked over at Dave and, when he got his attention, nodded his head. Dave nodded back. Snape knew what they would be doing after hours for a while.

After Nylah and Paige seemed to settle down again, Snape decided to do something to take their minds off their own loss. He said, "Might I suggest we go find out what happened to that little girl who triggered all this? I'd be willing to bet that Nylah would feel better if she knew the girl was being properly cared for."

Dave looked at him gratefully and the two women quickly rose to freshen themselves up. After all, no self-respecting woman wants to be seen in public after they've obviously been crying!

-oooOOOooo-

Snape led his group over to the small shack where they had witnessed the interrogation of the young girl yesterday. Snape knocked on the door. After a few seconds, an Auror opened the door and looked out at them curiously.

"We were involved in the capture of a young girl yesterday and wanted to get an update on her condition, if possible. Johannes Brenna was the Dragonrider in charge," said Snape.

The Auror looked at the well-dressed and groomed wizard outside and decided to pass the request along. "If you will wait outside there, Rider Brenna should be with you shortly."

"Thank you, I hope it isn't going to be much of a wait," responded Snape.

"Not long at all," said Johannes from behind them. "My dragon let me know you wanted to see me so we got one of our standbys to take our place and came right over."

Yesterday and this morning, Snape had been startling the muggles. Now, it was his turn to be startled. He jerked around and crouched slightly as if he were going to initiate combat. When he finally realized what was going on and saw who was there, he relaxed and let his partially extended wand retract back into his sleeve.

Johannes looked at him appraisingly. 'Fast, isn't he, Hokelth?'

'Yes, almost as fast as our well-trained Aurors. He also let slip fear and a tiny part of a memory of a horrendous life or death battle he had been in. I don't know the circumstances, but he might have good reason to be on guard.'

'Well, let's not give him any reason to fear us, shall we? At least not until we know if he should or not.'

"I understand you were curious about the young girl who tried to steal this young lady's purse yesterday," Johannes said, indicating Nylah with a nod. "She was checked over by our medics and deemed in sufficiently good health to travel, along with the other nineteen orphans we rescued. They were all sent to Pern for medical and psychological healing. Almost all of them were non-magical, so their healing will take a while, but they will find plenty of new friends there and they will be carefully watched over to make sure they come to no harm.

"We captured their kidnapper, one Saami el-Safar, and he has been turned over to the magical Aurors, because he is a wizard, though not much above a squib. Probably why he was trying to steal for a living. He will be spending some time in prison, but will then be given a choice to stay on Earth or take a magical Oath of Equality and go to Pern to try to learn how to be a law-abiding citizen there."

Nylah looked surprised that the entire situation had been resolved so quickly. "Will we get a chance to see her again?" she asked, worried that what she had been told wasn't the truth.

'Unfortunately, the only way you will be able to see her again,' said Hokelth, 'would be for you to visit Pern yourself. And once you got there, she would have to agree to visit with you. You were not lied to, she will be treated well.'

Nylah's eyes got wide and asked, "Did anyone else hear that?"

"I imagine everyone in our small group can hear Hokelth," chuckled Johannes. "My dragon likes to talk to others whenever he feels he can make them feel better about something. In this case, your concern for the young girl. If a dragon tells you something, you can trust it. A dragon has never been known to lie."

Nylah still looked a little doubtful, but nodded her head and said, "Thank you, Hokelth and Mr. Brenna. I guess I will just have to take your word on faith because I find it hard to afford international travel, I'm sure I would never be able to afford interplanetary travel."

"It's Rider Brenna, and you might be surprised," said Johannes, pulling a pamphlet out of the external pocket in his flight suit. "Here is some information about Pern and links to further information, if you are interested."

"Thank you, again, Mr … Rider Brenna," said Nylah, taking the pamphlet. "I will look at this most closely."

"You're welcome, Mrs. Harper. I hope you enjoy the rest of your visit." With that, Johannes climbed back onto Hokelth and disappeared before Nylah could correct his assumption.

"Well, Mrs. Harper," said Snape, grinning and holding out his arm, "shall we continue our visit?"

Nylah swatted his arm but then took it as they turned to visit more of Hogsmeade.

St Dunstan's College, Stanstead Road, London, Wednesday, Feb 2, 2061...
Dave had been able to find the initial incident while working in the evenings after the two women had retired to bed. There was a report of a near-fatal car impact on a pedestrian on October 3, 2027. Snape dug into the Harper family history and found a birth certificate for Ryan showing he had been born May 23, 2016, which meant he was less than two years older than Nylah.

He had then taken everything he could find and searched forward to finally find the person who could only be Ryan Harper. Evidently, the young boy had suffered amnesia from a head injury related to the accident and couldn't give more than his first name. From his hospital records, Ryan had also suffered from dyslexia and autism, which hadn't helped with his schooling. One psychologist also mentioned that Ryan had severe anxiety due to his feeling of being abandoned. He finally dropped out of school after ninth grade after twelve years of trying … at twenty-three years of age! He was currently working as a night janitor for a local London day school.

Dave and Snape agreed that Snape would go get him and bring him to meet his sister and niece the following day. Snape had disapparated from in front of the hotel to his new address in London. He rousted his 'gang' out of bed in time to take him to collect their 'guest' as he got off work. He was hoping to give Nylah at least two days with her brother. He'd even had an additional room added to their suite just for Ryan. Now he was sitting in his Limo waiting with Archie while Charlie and Sean collected their 'guest'.

Snape watched as Ryan exited the school building and carefully locked and checked the door. It wasn't until he turned around that he noticed the two men waiting for him to finish. He couldn't hear what was being said, but he did see Ryan try to run only to be brought up short by Sean. The two men then grabbed an arm each and almost dragged the poor man to the car. Charlie opened the door, got in, and Sean pushed Ryan in and got in after him. Ryan looked decidedly frightened.

"Didn't I say 'gently', boys?" asked Snape.

"Yeah, boss, but he wouldn't listen ta reason," said Charlie.

"Well, since you can't follow orders better than that, I'm going to let you two take his place for the next two days if he agrees with my proposal. Archie can help … if he wants to."

Snape turned to Ryan and said, "I apologize for my employees' heavy-handedness, Ryan. I simply wanted to make you aware that your sister has been looking for you and I am offering to take you to meet her tomorrow if you want. If not, you are free to get out of this car and we will all leave. You may continue with your life as you've been living it, without a sister, and we will go back where we came from and you will never see us again."

"Nylah?" exclaimed Ryan, still looking terrified, but now starting to entertain the new emotion of hope.

"Yes, Nylah. She is in Scotland right now and doesn't know I have found you. I want to surprise her tomorrow morning by showing up with her long-lost brother. If you are agreeable, I would like to take you back to my place so you can clean up and get a good night's rest. I will provide you with some nicer clothing than you currently have, and we will fly up to Scotland to meet her.

"If it would make you feel safer, we can drop you off at your place and pick you up in the morning, but if you go to my place, I will also provide breakfast."

Hogsmeade, Feb 3, 2061...
Snape had asked Ryan to think most carefully about everything he did when he cleaned the school and then had extracted a copy of the memory. It elicited an expression of awe from Ryan when Snape played the memory back for his three gang members. He told them to not only clean, but to repair anything that they could, he would provide money for the materials. From the memory Ryan provided, Snape pointed out several areas that could do with a little help. He wanted to make sure that Ryan's workplace was better off when he went back than it had been when he left. He also provided a letter of introduction for his three 'assistants' explaining to the school about Ryan's absence, why it was necessary, and that he would be providing cleaning support while Ryan was away.

After they had been dropped off at King's Cross Station, Ryan was suitably impressed by the big train engines, but almost terrified of the dragons sitting on top of the transports … until they 'talked' to him soothingly. Then he didn't want to leave. It took Snape repeatedly reminding him that his sister was waiting to see him to get him to leave the 'wonderful dragons'.

Both Snape and Ryan were dressed in muggle-style business casual dress. Snape's were designed specifically to hide his bulked-up physique, but Ryan's made him look like a successful businessman. As they exited the transport at Hogsmeade, Snape could see Dave with two puzzled women in tow. Snape gave Dave a 'thumbs-up' and walked down the short stairs to ground level with Ryan a short distance behind.

"Is everything OK, Brad?" asked Nylah. "All Dave told us was that you had to go back to London for a family emergency.

Snape led them all off to one side, so they were a little apart from the rest of the tourists just arriving. Finally, when they were far enough away, Snape got started. "Nylah, I would like to meet a new friend I met for the first time just last night." He turned to Ryan and said, "This is Ryan Harper. Ryan," Snape then gestured towards Nylah, "this is your sister, Nylah."

The two were completely gobsmacked and initially just stared at one another. Paige on the other hand squealed and ran up to Ryan and gave him an enthusiastic hug. "Uncle Ryan! I just learned about you for the first time earlier this week and now you're here!" Ryan returned the hug as if he weren't sure what to do but his eyes never left Nylah. He was desperately looking for his younger sister in this older woman's face. Nylah could see some of her brother but he was so much older, it was hard to tell.

Dave, who had an idea this would happen, suggested, "Why don't we all go back to our rooms where we will be more comfortable and you two can compare histories."

After they were all seated in the lounge of their suite, Snape called for tea for them all. Ryan didn't even notice the house-elf appear, he was staring at Nylah so hard. He was starting to look slightly more hopeful.

Nylah started out, hesitantly, explaining about what had happened to her starting from that fateful day when Ryan had been injured. She told of her father's increasing abuse, of her mother refusing to allow Nylah to do what had gotten Ryan apparently killed. She told about meeting a boy who promised to take her away from her abusive environment only to get her pregnant and abandon her. She told him about Paige and how she had now become the center of her life. How she had been struggling until she 'met' Brad Harper on the Internet and how her and Paige's life then took a turn for the better. When she finally finished some two hours later, Ryan, Paige, and Nylah were all crying and Dave looked at them with compassion.

Snape ordered a light brunch in the lounge so they could continue to talk and Ryan started on his story. His earliest memory was waking up in a bright room with a terrible headache. He remembered his first name but nothing else. He was told he had a concussion and that his memory should return soon, but it never had. He told of being sent to school but he could never seem to grasp what they were trying to teach him. He spoke of finally being able to finish ninth grade by attending night school when he was in his early twenties. Since then, he had held a series of low-paying, menial labor jobs because he didn't have the education for anything better.

When Ryan finished his story, neither Ryan nor Nylah were totally convinced they were actually in the presence of their sibling, the other was just too old and looked too different. Snape even had each of them try to remember as clearly as they could, their earliest memories of around that time so he could extract copies of their memories for everyone to watch. It was heartrending to watch as Nylah was being dragged away by her father and agonizing to watch as Ryan tried to remember, but even pensieve memories didn't seem to help.

Suddenly Snape had an idea. He called for one of the house-elves who worked for the hotel.

"How may Jardey help you, Master?"

"Jardey, can you get in touch with one of the Dragonriders here? We have a problem that one of their dragons may be able to help with."

"I cans ask, Master. Whats do I ask?"

"Please ask if we can meet with a Rider and his dragon somewhere that we five can comfortably discuss something with them. It should preferably be indoors and where no one will feel uncomfortable or pressured."

"I will asks," responded Jardey, who then popped out. Ryan had finally noticed the small creature and looked wonderingly at Snape. Snape just looked at Ryan and said, "Magic is real." Ryan's eyes widened and his mouth gaped open in shock, but he believed. Mentally he was about the maturity of a fifteen-year-old teenager and children typically are more able to believe the fantastic than adults.

A few minutes later, Jardey popped back in and said, "Rider Brenna asks if hes can meet you here to find out whats you need."

"That will be fine, Jardey. You can bring him back or he can come to the hotel on his own, whichever is more convenient."

Jardey disappeared and reappeared seconds later with Dragonrider Brenna.

"I must say, that is nothing like going between on a dragon!" said Brenna.

"Thank you, Jardey, that will be all for now," said Snape to the house-elf. "Thank you for coming, Rider Brenna," he said to the Dragonrider. "Won't you have a seat? This may take a little while to explain and I'm still not sure we will be able to accomplish anything."

An hour later, Brenna took his leave so he could forward Snape's request on to others better able to answer his question. Snape had explained about the two siblings and their resistance to believing they were related after 33 years apart. Snape asked about the possible use of a dragon helping them see each other's memories. They then touched on legilimency and occlumency in a clinical situation to aid in memory recall before Brenna left.

"Well," said Snape, "we won't be able to do any more until Rider Brenna gets back to us. Why don't we go down to The Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade and have a late lunch?"

On the way there, they made a quick stop at Gladrags to get a T-shirt for Ryan. It was auto-sizing and had "I went to Hogsmeade and all I got was this magical T-shirt" emblazoned on the front. The back showed an image of Hogsmeade with a dragon flying over it. The dragon actually moved from one side of the image to the other.

All Ryan seemed interested in talking about during lunch was dragons. He regaled them all with how he had met them at the King's Cross Station the previous day and how they'd talked to him and told him he was a 'good' boy. Little did they realize, but all dragons in Hogsmeade were listening in with amusement as he talked about them and were sharing their impressions of the 'good boy'. For an adult, he was refreshingly childlike in his innocence and trust in the dragons.

After lunch, they visited the Post Office where Ryan mailed several postcards. Most went to his school for the various teachers there, but he sent one to himself as a reminder of the wonderful time he was having. He found that he liked the intelligent Post Owls almost as much as the dragons. The owls couldn't talk back to him, though they seemed to understand what he was saying to them.

After visiting the Post Office, they decided to join one of the tourist tours to give Ryan a good idea of what was going on and what was available to see in Hogsmeade. When the tour was over, they retired to the hotel for dinner and sat around in their lounge talking until time for bed.

Hogsmeade, Feb 4, 2061...
They checked out of their suite early and were visiting the dragons at Ryan's insistence when one of them looked at Snape and said, 'Hiding Man, Dragonrider Brenna has some information for you. He will be arriving soon.'

Snape knew he was being addressed, but didn't understand why he was being called 'Hiding Man'. He would ask Brenna when he showed up.

Just before lunch, Johannes caught up with them. "Sorry it took so long, but I needed to finish my shift before I could talk to you. Do you have time now?"

"Of course," said Snape amiably. "Why don't you join us for lunch. We thought we'd give The Hog's Head Inn a try. Will that be OK with you?"

"Of course," replied Brenna. "I haven't tried it yet, but hear they serve excellent food there."

As they sat down, and before ordering, Brenna handed Snape a sheet of paper. Snape opened it up and saw it was a consult for a complete medical for Ryan. There were four different starting dates, but Ran would need to remain hospitalized until all the tests were complete. Snape looked up at Brenna.

"The doctor I finally got in touch with, Doctor Isaac Sheppard, is a wizard healer trained in non-magical methods. He has been instrumental in creating many procedures that have made our lives infinitely better than if we only went to a non-magical doctor. Even our non-magical riders swear by the man. He has taken an interest and is willing to bill the examination to research if Ryan is willing to undergo all the tests."

Before anyone else could respond to that, Hokelth added, 'And Ryan could visit with and talk to dragons almost the entire time he was there.'

As soon as he heard that, Ryan was ready to go, but Snape had questions. "Does this doctor think he will be able to help Ryan?"

"He said there is no way to know until he's run some tests, but he has been able to help many of us when other, more traditional doctors, didn't think there was anything that could be done. If nothing else, I'd be willing to bet that he would at least find out why Ryan can no longer remember his early life or even now has trouble with retaining esoteric knowledge.

"Ryan needs to be accompanied by his next of kin who have a medical power of attorney, just in case something goes wrong. I would guess that would be Mrs. Harper," said Johannes as he looked at Nylah. She again didn't correct his misconception, this time because she was slightly embarrassed.

'You embarrassed the woman, Johannes. What did you say that would cause that?'

'I don't know, Hokelth. If it's important, I guess we will eventually find out.'

"As you can see, there are four different proposed dates. The testing will take place on Dragon Isle. All travel and accommodations for all involved will be taken care of by The Dragon Nation as part of Doctor Sheppard's research."

"I see this is for three people," said Snape. "Ryan, Nylah, and …?"

"Well, we had assumed you would want to go with your wife," said Johannes, innocently.

Snape looked at Nylah who was blushing furiously but not saying anything one way or another. He turned to Brenna and said, "We will need to discuss this amongst ourselves. Is there any possibility of the accommodations being expanded to more than three?"

"I don't see why not," said Brenna. "They will probably be using a dragon apartment which will allow a dragon to physically visit with Ryan during his stay. The Rider portion of the apartment could be easily space expanded to accommodate just about any number, but if you are thinking of a huge number of people, we would probably have to arrange for a more formal introduction to our facilities. Usually, most of the people coming to Dragon Isle are there for emigration indoctrination.

"Talk it over. If you decide to take Doctor Sheppard up on his offer, simply mark one of the starting dates and find a house-elf to deliver the form back to him."

"We will do that. Thank you very much, Rider Brenna."

After that, they all quickly ordered and had a most enjoyable lunch. When they finished, Dragonrider Brenna excused himself and the other five continued with their sightseeing in Hogsmeade Village.

11 Lindley St, Stepney, Feb 5, 2061...
Last night they had caught the last return flight from Hogsmeade after thoroughly enjoying their time together. Ryan finally started nodding off he was so tired, so Snape agreed to take him to his apartment and return to talk to Nylah today. Snape was now sitting in Nylah's parlor in an overstuffed armchair across from Nylah. Paige and Dave were seated slightly off to one side.

"Shall we start with 'the elephant?" asked Snape.

"Elephant?" queried Nylah.

"Yes, when Rider Brenna first referred to you as 'Mrs. Harper' and then referred to you as my wife."

"Oh, that," blushed a suddenly very nervous Nylah.

"Oh just tell him, Mum!" exclaimed Paige. "You're acting like a schoolgirl before her first date!"

Snape looked at Paige and raised his eyebrow, then looked back at Nylah and waited for her to gather her courage.

Hesitantly at first but quickly gathering her courage, Nylah started, "It didn't happen right away. After all, I hardly knew this mysterious 'Brad Harper' I met online. But sometime within the first year we first met each other online, I fell in love with you, or if not the physical you, then at least the idea of you. You took an interest in me and my problems. You offered good advice that I first came to trust and then rely on. You made things happen for me, opened so many doors that had previously been closed.

"I thought you were a romantic figure safely far away in Australia, but even then, if you had shown up on my doorstep, I would not have hesitated to invite you in if I'd known you were 'my' Brad Harper. Over the years, that feeling has grown more and more, until recently after you first physically came into our lives and I learned all that you truly did. I knew I would be miserable if you weren't in my life anymore.

"I don't care what your past crimes were, though you told us enough that I know they were terrible. I trust the man I've gotten to know, I trust you with my life and happiness. After all, you've taken such good care of both all these decades, why wouldn't you continue to do the same in the future?

"I love you, Brad Harper, or whatever your real name is, and want with all my heart to marry you and live with you the rest of my life."

Snape just looked at Nylah stunned, so stunned, he didn't at first know what to say. He had ever only had one friend and she had married his bitter enemy. He felt a tightening in his chest and closed his eyes to better study his feelings.

"Brad? You've turned very pale. Please say something, anything," pleaded Nylah, finally.

Snape opened his eyes and looked closely at the successful woman doctor in front of him. She already had everything a woman could ever want, didn't she? Why would she even consider hooking up with him? He caught his breath and replied, "You do know that I'm more than twice your age? Many of the diseases you can catch I am immune to and there are some diseases that are fatal to me that would not even cause you to have sniffles. My lifespan is probably fifty years longer than yours, though that would place us at comparable ages towards the end of our lives, come to think of it.

"With all I've told you since we've met, why would you want to be anywhere near me!?"

Nylah got up and kneeled on the floor in front of him with unshed tears in her eyes. "Oh, Brad, all I know is what I've lived and I know that where everyone else abandoned me, you always stayed faithful and supportive. Why would I not want to share my life with you now that I know you are available? Please say yes."

She leaned forward and hugged him as best she could in the awkward position she was in, then laid her face down sideways on his lap, still hugging him as best she could. Snape looked down at her then looked up at Paige, smiling and looking hopeful, and Dave, just looking a bit shocked.

Snape looked up at Dave and asked, "What would that do to your career as a policeman to have an ex-con as your father-in-law?"

Dave looked thoughtful. "I researched the name you gave me and found that man did some terrible things, but I feel he has paid his debt to society. I have also researched 'Brad Harper' and found nothing but good attached to that name. Brad Harper has many patents registered to his name that have been of benefit to our world. Most interestingly, in a world fighting to be on top of the heap as far as having the most wealth, I have learned that you are wealthy, but no one knows just how wealthy.

"It might not have meant that much to you, what you did for Nylah and Paige, but it meant the world to them. As Nylah herself told us, it meant the difference between life and death for them. For that alone, I think I would be proud for you to be known as my father-in-law, no matter which name you used."

Snape looked down at the woman lying across his legs, sniffling slightly, and came to a decision. He took her by her shoulders and lifted her up to look at him. She looked back at him worriedly, because his face had never betrayed any emotion at all, even now.

"Miss Harper, I would be honored to become your life mate if that is truly your wish, but I will marry you as Brad Harper. There is just too much baggage attached to that other name."

London Metropolitan Police Department, Feb 7, 2061...
Dave Hamilton had just finished his verbal department briefing on Severus Snape. His colleagues and the Chief Superintendent had followed along while looking at his written report.

"So, you don't currently see this man as a threat to the welfare of Greater London or the UK, then," stated Chief Superintendent Gordon.

"Not at this time, no, Sir. My only ongoing concern is where he is getting his money from, how he is getting it, and how much he has. So far our IT Department has only been able to uncover one personal account. They have not been able to find any improprieties concerning the accounts he set up for Nylah Harper or my wife, Paige.

"He has absolutely nothing we can find under his given name of Severus Tobias Snape. He has several fairly substantial accounts spread across several large banks and other financial institutions under the name of Brad Tobias Harper … he must like his middle name, but he always pays his taxes on time and all income to those accounts has been matched up with legitimate investments. Other than the trusts he put into place for Nylah and Paige Harper, he has created other funds anonymously for several charities with checks and balances to ensure all the money goes to those who need it."

"Have you been able to determine how he sets up those anonymous funds?" asked one of the detectives present.

"In some cases. In others, we were only able to determine it came from his accounts by matching amounts withdrawn from his accounts to those used to set up the new charitable accounts. Why, has something new come up?"

"Yes, most definitely. Over the weekend, a new trust fund, The Police Orphans and Widows Trust, was set up with three purposes. It is to provide living expenses for widows until they are able to support themselves, it is to provide scholarship funds for deserving orphans of police killed in action, and a separate portion of the fund is to go towards repaying victims of the Carr Crime Syndicate!"

"Damn," said Sir Blake. "Whoever did away with the Carr brothers and most of their gang must have decided to put the money they stole to a better use. Wish we could find out who it was so we could give them a medal! How much was the trust initiated with?"

"Almost 500 Billion Pounds Sterling!"

The room instantly went so quiet that conversations in the outer office could be heard. "There is no way this Snape character is involved, is there?" asked Sir Blake, looking carefully at Detective Hamilton.

"I don't see how, Sir. That is more than the total of all the accounts we've so far uncovered for Brad Harper. It wouldn't just make him insolvent, it would make him a debtor to the tune of at least 200 Billion Pounds Sterling! Unless he still has accounts we haven't been able to find, I just don't see how … or why … it would be him."

"Well, check into it anyway. Whoever killed all those gang members broke a lot of laws and is liable for multiple counts of murder. On the other hand, with all the evidence and signed confessions, they would have all gone to prison for the rest of their lives and then some and now we have been able to clear decades of cold cases. I'm torn between arresting whoever is in charge and giving them the key to the city. I'm almost afraid to find out … almost. Continue investigating Snape and find out what you can."

"Yes, Sir, I will. On another note, Nylah, even though she now knows of his background has asked him to marry her and he's agreed if she will marry him as Brad Harper. Evidently, he plans on letting the name Snape die in prison."

"If he is committed to starting a new life, that might be the most intelligent thing he's done. In any case, start a new file on 'Brad Harper' and make sure they are cross-referenced so anyone looking up one knows the other alias exists."

"Yes, Sir."

Dragon Isle Hospital, Mar 9, 2061...
Nylah and Severus were planning on getting married on May 16th, but Nylah wanted to make sure that Ryan's care was managed first. She took time off from the hospital for 'Family Business' and Severus accompanied them so Nylah wouldn't have to be in a strange place on her own. In fact, Nylah almost insisted on it. They had been living together in Nylah's house since she had proposed to Brad/Snape.

They were both astonished at the sheer size of the facility, almost completely built into the walls of an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Since Ryan had shown an amazing affinity for dragons, he was to be housed on the same level as the visiting dragons, on the second level, and an unbonded dragon would be staying in the larger section of the apartment. Nylah was impressed with the size of the 'Dragon Apartment' they were shown. The smaller side of the apartment had been space enhanced and there were two bedrooms each with its own ensuite and a lounge that opened onto the larger dragon sleeping area. They were expected to take most of their meals in the common kitchen area.

They were all, including Snape, amazed by the 'Turbolift' that allowed even the non-magical access between the first and second level. They were informed that the hospital turbolift had only been operational for a little over a year. Given that there were no stairs or normal elevators, it was a necessity for Nylah. They had been here since the 7th and Snape had yet to have to side-along apparate anyone.

Almost their entire time there, Ryan spent as much time with 'his' dragon as he could, even attending special 'Care of Dragons' classes so he could learn more about dragons. Now, however, he was in the hospital undergoing tests. He had been there since early morning. Nylah and Snape had taken some time to take in some of the classes offered but were now walking back into the hospital so they could be there when Ryan was released for the day.

A few minutes after they returned, Dr. Sheppard walked out into the waiting area, saw them, and walked over. "Good morning, Mrs. Harper. Your brother should be out soon. The tests have been going well and have given us good and bad news so far. The good news is that some, if not most, of the damage done when he was struck by a car all those years ago, can now be corrected. A portion of Ryan's cerebrum associated with learning suffered atrophy due to pinched blood vessels in the area.

"The bad news is that, due to the atrophy of the area of the brain involved. There is very little likelihood of him recovering any of his memories from earlier that he doesn't already have.

"We have diagnosed him as having Dyslexia, which his new friend, Danianth has been helping him with. He also has a severe learning disability and severe depression and distrust of others. The learning disability will hopefully be overcome by restoring the blood flow to his brain. The last we feel you, yourself, have gone a long way towards helping simply by being there for him and helping him to relearn about his family.

"With your approval, I would like to schedule a specialist to operate on Ryan early next week. After his recovery, we will have a better idea of his possible future abilities."

"Will there be any danger to Ryan?" asked Nylah. "I would hate for him to lose even the least of what he has now."

"It is a simple procedure that has been refined over thousands of operations since it was first performed. I could probably perform it myself but have asked for Doctor Gabrielle Ross to take point. She has many years of doing just this type of surgery and will be much more comfortable performing it than I."

"Then please go ahead and schedule it. I want him to be as whole and well as possible. It's the least I owe him for what he went through. I still have a lot of the money left from my father's insurance. If there is anything that needs to be done that isn't covered, I will be more than happy to cover it."

Snape looked at Dr. Sheppard from behind Nylah and shook his head and pointed to himself. Dr. Sheppard took this to mean that Brad Harper was indicating he would cover any costs accrued. He just smiled to himself as he replied, "The Weyrleader is most generous when it comes to research which can have a beneficial outcome for his riders and/or dragons. I have listed this series of tests and treatments as just such research, so everything is covered. I appreciate that you were willing to make that sacrifice though. It shows your level of commitment to Ryan's well-being.

"He should be coming out soon. The tests today, while time-consuming, were relatively straightforward. You might be able to catch him to drag him off to lunch before he tries to go learn more about dragons," Dr. Sheppard said with a laugh.

Just then Ryan came rocketing out of one of the corridors and Snape almost had to tackle him to get him to stop.

"You are going to lunch with us, first," said Nylah firmly. "It won't do you or your dragon friends any good if you die of starvation!"

"Yes, ma'am, I'm sorry," said Ryan, not apologetic in the least.

'She is right, Ryan,' said Danianth. 'We will have plenty of time together after you've eaten.'

Everyone in their small group heard, but none of them, except Dr. Sheppard, remarked on a dragon calling someone by their given name who was not a rider.

The Weyrleader's Office, Pern, Mar 10, 2061...
Harry opened the letter from Dr. Sheppard and read all about Ryan Harper's problems and treatment but then he got down to the end and the good doctor had added a P.S.

P.S.-Danianth called Ryan by his given name rather than by some kind of Dragon nickname. I don't know if this is a major change in how dragons relate to everyone or just Ryan. In any case, I thought it significant enough to mention it to you.

'Cheki, what do you think of this?'

'It's possible that Danianth knows that Ryan can impress and has done him the honor of calling him by his name. I would have to talk to Danianth to find out more.'

'Let's let things percolate for a while first,' said Harry.

He then wrote a reply to Dr. Sheppard.

Dr. Sheppard
Dragon Isle, Earth

Dr. Sheppard,
Thank you for the update on Ryan Harper. I am pleased that you were able to help him while furthering your research between magical and non-magical brains. I was most interested in your postscript.

Please invite Ryan and his family to our next hatching at Disco Island in November. From what you've told me about this young man, once he gets the invitation, no one will be able to keep him away, even if he has to walk there on his own!

Find out how many will be accompanying him and I will pay all their expenses. I have a feeling this will be a unique event. I plan on attending Disco Island this year. I will let Daniel oversee the Spath's Weyr hatching.

Harry Potter, The Weyrleader
Spath's Weyr, Pern

Dragon Isle Hospital, Mar 16, 2061...
Nylah alternated pacing up and down with collapsing bonelessly on the sofa in the hospital waiting room. Ryan had gone into surgery at 0800 this morning and it was already 1600 and no one had told them anything! She just knew something had gone wrong and they were afraid to tell her! Paige and Dave had come with them this time, and Paige was almost as agitated as her mother. Dave had gone off to explore after being assured that he could be returned instantly if anything happened that needed his presence.

Brad/Severus just calmly watched Nylah. He was halfway into a meditative state, just conscious enough of what was going on that he could respond instantly, but deep enough that he could be performing memory maintenance and formulating new ideas at the same time. He had a slight smile on his face at Nylah's antics. He, probably better than anyone, knew how to wait.

Finally, Nylah had enough. She rounded on Brad/Snape and started to yell at him. "What are you smiling about! Don't you know ..."

"Mrs. Harper?"

She turned instantly, all her attention now on the woman who appeared in fresh surgical garb. The woman appeared to be slightly older than Nylah, but it might just be the rigors of the surgery she had just performed.

"Yes, I am Mrs. Harper," responded Nylah anxiously.

"The surgery on Ryan went off without any problems," said Dr. Ross. She had taken a few moments to change her surgical gown. she didn't think it would have done much for her patient's family's peace of mind to see her in the blood-splattered gown she had been wearing. "The hardest part, getting down to the site of the injury safely, took the longest time. Once we were in position, we were able to quickly clean out the old blood clots and graft in some new blood vessels using microsurgery. Once done, it took us less than an hour to safely make our way back out, making sure everything was as it should be and then seal the bone and scalp.

"We want to keep him here for a week just to make sure there are no complications, but he should already be showing marked improvement. We are keeping him sedated for the rest of the day and night to promote healing, but you should be able to visit with him tomorrow morning."

Nylah was stunned. She would have thought that after an intrusive brain surgery there would be a need for an extended stay in a highly sterile environment. As if knowing what she was thinking, Dr. Ross continued. "I was told you are also a doctor, so I can give you a little more information that will make sense to you. The procedures I have developed married to the techniques that Dr. Sheppard has developed over the years allowed us to close up the skull cavity and scalp securely, so there is no chance of infection. We don't need a sterile environment except for during and the first few hours after surgery. The incision will present a very faint, circular scar, but otherwise, outwardly there will be no discernible difference.

"He had been suffering from constant headaches ever since the accident. Those will also now be gone."

Nylah almost burst into tears. "Thank you, Doctor. That is a huge relief to hear. What time may we visit Ryan tomorrow?"

"I would recommend a little after 0900. That will give him a chance to wake up and eat breakfast. He may still be a little woozy, but not near as much as he is now. He will be moved to the same Dragon Apartment he was evidently in last time he was here."

"Thank you, Dr. Ross, we will be back tomorrow morning. Danianth, can you hear me?"

'Yes, Ryan's Sister, I can hear you.'

"Please make sure Ryan is safe, knows we care for him and will be back tomorrow."

'I will let him know when he wakes. He is not thinking very clearly right now.'

"Thank you, Danianth."

'You are welcome, Ryan's Sister.'

Dragon Isle Hospital, Mar 23, 2061...
Ryan had finally been presented with his very own Flight Suit two days ago, on Monday, when Dr. Ross finally was satisfied he was healed enough for some light exercise. A young wing second, Sara Griffiths, who was also on light duty for a couple of days had been assigned the task of teaching Ryan all about his new flight suit: how to use it, how to take care of it, and as much of its capabilities as Ryan was able to comprehend. She was also tasked with teaching Ryan and Danianth how to fly together.

The reason for the sudden lessons was because Dr. Sheppard had seen how close the young man and the dragon had become. He had asked permission for Danianth to stay with Ryan, at least for a while, to keep track of their patient. Harry had sent word back that it was entirely up to Danianth. Danianth had accepted the new tasking joyously and was very protective of his new charge.

'Danianth, the jump images you are sending me from Ryan are just too unclear for a safe jump. I'm sorry, but unless you personally know where you are going to jump to I don't think it would be safe, for either of you, to accept any jump images from Ryan. He can be re-tested in the future if you think he has improved, but for now, you may only jump to places you know or from jump images given you by another Dragonrider or dragon,' instructed Sara.

'I understand, Sara. I don't think Ryan really cares at this point. He is just too happy to be able to remain close to me. Flying is new enough that it won't bother him if he cannot direct our flight. He is like a newly impressed Rider, even though he is much older than any rider I have ever heard of that has impressed.'

Sara, with Ryan as her wingman, continued to fly gentle circles around Dragon Isle until she was notified the transport was due to leave soon.

'Releth, please take us down to the Dragon Egg Landing as gently as you can. I know Ryan is supposedly healed, but I don't want us to be the cause of anything going wrong.'

'As you wish, my Rider.'

Sara found Ryan to be very open and friendly when around Danianth, but a bit immature. Though he was older than she was, he seemed to be much younger mentally. A moment later they landed in tight formation with Danianth closest to the transport getting ready to leave. Danianth would take one of the places on the transport to help take it back to London. From there, he would 'shadow' Ryan wherever he went. As they dismounted, Sara turned to Ryan and took his hand.

"Ryan, it's been a pleasure getting to know you and teaching you and Danianth how to fly together. Don't forget to ask Danianth to take you to one of the UK Weyrs at least once a month to have your flight suit checked out and cleaned. You don't want to need your flight suit only to find that it smells of that sandwich you forgot in your pocket last week!"

"I will, Sara," replied Ryan. "I've enjoyed getting to know Danianth better and I thank you for helping. I hope I get the hang of being able to clean my suit myself soon, but flying with Danianth, no matter the reason, is enjoyable by itself. Thank you again!"

They shook hands and Ryan walked over to the transport where Nylah, Paige, Dave, and Brad were already waiting for him. He was so happy. Not only did he have a dragon for a friend, but he also had his sister and mother back. That was almost as important to him as Danianth! He noticed that Dr. Sheppard was on hand to see them off.

"Thank you for everything, Doctor Sheppard," said Ryan as they shook hands. "I think my headaches are almost entirely gone now and it is easier to understand new things now."

"You're welcome, Ryan and it's good to hear that your headaches are going away so fast. Please ask Danianth to contact me if that ever changes. We repaired you, so want to make sure you stay well!

"The Weyrleader asked me to give you an invitation to our next hatching at Disko Island, the end of November. If you are interested, you and your family are welcome to come visit. You might find it interesting."

"I will, Doctor, and thank you for the invitation! I will make sure we go, even if it's only me and Danianth. Goodbye."

"Goodbye, Ryan. I hope the rest of your life is much more pleasant."

Ryan was the last to enter the transport. The 'pilot' closed the door and, before Ryan even had a chance to sit down, reopened it to King's Cross Station, London. They were home.

St Dunstan's College, Stanstead Road, London, Apr 3, 2061...
Ryan was feeling pretty happy. Last night as he left the school after finishing his chores, a group of older students had been waiting for him. This had happened in the past, and he had not realized what was going on. This time, possibly due to his operation or possibly due to Danianth, he realized the students were baiting him.

As he had turned around from making sure the door was locked and latched, the group of five male students blocked his further advance. They had started verbally abusing him and he had simply asked why they were doing such a reprehensible action. One of the students had gotten insulted that a 'retard' should get above his station and had raised his fist to hit Ryan. That's when they heard the low growl.

Ryan just looked up and smiled. The five boys turned and soiled themselves. There, between them and the road was a thirty-foot-long, pitch-black dragon with shallow, sharp-looking ridges along its back, bat-like wings, an arrow-shaped spike on the tip of its tail, and brilliant, glowing purple eyes glaring at them. They didn't know or care, but they were looking at Ryan's Hebridean Black, Danianth.

Ryan promptly ignored the five students, walked around the end of their line to Danianth, and proceeded to scratch his eye ridges after he lowered his head. Danianth had never taken his eyes off Ryan's antagonists the entire time they were there confronting each other. After a few minutes of scratching, Ryan had eventually turned and started walking home. Eventually, Danianth had also turned and followed, after sending a mental promise to the boys that they would never again attempt to attack Ryan or it would not end well … for them.

Ryan hadn't thought anything of the whole scenario until seeing the school again this afternoon. He was looking forward to finishing his cleaning chores so he could spend time with his friend. As he walked into the building, he saw the Principal waiting for him, so he walked over. There must be something that needed special attention tonight.

"Mr. Harper, do you have any personal belongings on school property?"

"No, Sir, I keep what's mine at home and what's the school's here."

"In that case, I have here a check for two weeks' wages in lieu of warning. Your services are no longer required."

Ryan was devastated. He could feel Danianth starting to get upset as well, so he sent a quick mental calming thought to his dragon. He then asked the question foremost in his mind, "Why?"

"This morning it was reported by five of our Seniors that they were accosted after school yesterday by a dragon that evidently you are familiar with. We cannot allow dangerous creatures anywhere near our grounds."

"That's just Danianth, he wouldn't hurt a human. If it's the same five boys who were waiting for me when I finished cleaning, he was just letting them know they shouldn't be attacking me."

"Regardless, Mr. Harper, we have already started looking for a suitable replacement for you. You and your dragon are no longer welcome here. Please leave."

Ryan was devastated. He'd had this job for almost seven years! They paid enough that he could afford a small one-room efficiency apartment and food. What was he going to do now!

'Come outside, Ryan. I will contact someone who will handle this for you.'

The Principal looked startled to hear the voice in his head, but Ryan just turned around, resigned to his fate. How was he going to take care of himself, much less Danianth?

'Acheth,' Danianth called to the dragon of Campbeltown Weyr, officially called The Lord James Mills Memorial. 'My rider is in need of legal representation. Can you get someone here tomorrow? Preferably someone who can extract copies of memories. Here is an image of where I will be.' He gave a jump image of Ryan's apartment building.

'Hallonth and Chloe will be there tomorrow morning.'

'Thank you. I must go try to calm my Rider.'

Ryan's Apartment, Apr 4, 2061...
'Ryan, you need to get up and get dressed. Someone is coming to see you this morning.'

"I don't wanna get up. My life is ruined. I'm just going to spend the rest of my life in bed."

'The Lady who is coming is a Dragonrider and she's a lawyer for the Dragon Nation. I think she can help a lot. Now please get up. If not for you, then for me, please.'

Ryan reluctantly crawled out of bed and pulled on the same clothes he'd worn last night. He was a bum now, he may as well look like one. Danianth didn't agree but didn't say anything. At least Ryan was up and dressed.

About ten minutes later, Danianth announced, 'She is here, please let her in.'

Ryan roused himself from his beat-up old armchair and went down from his second-floor apartment and opened the main door. There he saw an enormous gold dragon behind a petite redhead who appeared to be in her early thirties. She was wearing a standard Dragon Nation flight suit and had a courier bag with the strap crosswise over her head resting on the opposite shoulder.

"Mr. Harper?" she asked, politely, ignoring the crumpled mess that Ryan presented.

"Yes, that's me," he replied laconically.

"I am Chloe Walker, Weyr Legal Counsel. The Weyrleader of Campbeltown Weyr on the Scottish west coast has asked me to investigate your dragon's claim of Unfair Termination from your former job. May I come in?"

"Sure, why not. It won't help, but if it makes Danianth happy, I don't mind."

She stepped in, pulled the door shut, and waited for Ryan to lead the way. He led her up to his second-floor apartment, all the way at the back of the building. She looked around with some distaste at the tiny one-room apartment. It was scrupulously clean, but the finish and furnishings had obviously been old even before he'd moved in. More importantly, the room smelled clean, which was surprising in a building so old. Ryan was obviously very good at his profession. It was her mandate to do what she could to improve his circumstances. Anyone referred to by a dragon, any dragon, as 'My Rider' needed to live in the Weyr if at all possible.

"First, let me ask, do you have a lease on this apartment or just rent it month to month?"

"I had a lease for the first year, but the landlord agreed to rent it on a monthly basis after that. Why?"

"Anyone referred to by their dragon as 'My Rider' deserves to live in the Weyr. We have much better accommodations. I'm sure you would be much happier there."

Ryan perked up. He wasn't sure what she was talking about, but living where the dragons lived had to have its advantages. If nothing else, he and Danianth would be able to be together more. "What kind of cleaning jobs are available in the Weyr? It must be a big place, I'm not sure I'd be able to clean it all by myself."

"I think that is something we should put off for the time being, but I don't expect you will be employed as you have been. I'm sure there are more suitable jobs for a Dragonrider than simple cleaning. Now I need you to sit down and get comfortable. I am going to ask you to remember certain times from your past and I want you to remember them as completely as possible. In between each memory, I will be extracting copies and saving them for later viewing. I will also ask Danianth to recall his memories of two nights ago so the memory of his memories may also be extracted."

Ryan obediently settled into the armchair and she started asking about his previous encounters with the school's students. There had been six previous encounters, not counting the one two nights ago, and Chloe carefully copied Ryan's memories, storing each in separate phials, labeling each with a tiny, precise hand as to name, date, and description. She then carefully helped him to remember as much as he could about the encounter of two nights ago. Once she had that safely stored away, she had Danianth recall what he had seen so Ryan could have that memory extracted.

"Now, would you like to move into the Weyr?"

"Yes, please, I don't make much, but surely I can sleep in a blanket in the kitchen or something."

"I think we can do a little better than that for you," said Chloe annoyed at the obvious abuse this poor young man had put up with. "Jondy!"

"Miss Chloe calls Jondy?" asked a house-elf who suddenly appeared in the middle of the room, startling Ryan.

"Please pack all of Mr. Harper's personal belongings so he may move into the Weyr. Place them in temporary storage until we find out where he will be living and then move it there, please."

"Yes, Miss. Mr. Harper being please to show Jondy what to pack?"

Ryan bemusedly pointed to the dresser and told the house-elf to pack everything that was in that and that would be everything he owned.

"Whats about dishes and these odd things with the lovely smelling cheese on them," asked the house-elf pointing to a mousetrap.

"The dishes stay, but the mouse traps can be packed I guess," said Ryan, not sure if they would be needed, but he had paid for them, may as well take them. "Just throw the cheese away."

"May Jondy haves?" asked the house-elf.

"Sure, if you want, but why don't I give you a nice fresh piece out of my fridge? … Wait, don't touch that trap that way!" yelled Ryan as the elf started to pick up the trap. The elf quickly pulled back with a frightened look, not sure what he had done wrong. Ryan saw this and smiled reassuringly at the small creature.

"Sorry I yelled, I just didn't want you to get hurt," explained Ryan. He carefully picked up the trap and carefully tripped it with an unbent paper clip to show the elf what would have happened if he had touched it the wrong way. He then threw the tiny piece of cheese into the trash and gave the elf the large slab still left in the refrigerator. Chloe saw the tiny elf fish the tiny piece of cheese out of the trash when Ryan wasn't looking. He was obviously still in the hoarding phase, still not sure if he would have a home himself in the future.

"Yous just as nice as all the other Dragonriders," said a clearly emotional house-elf. "Being nice to someone so insignificant as mes being."

"You can't be insignificant," said Ryan forcefully, "you are magical!"

After adding his remaining cleaning equipment and his soap, toothpaste, toothbrush, and razor, his meager belongings were packed.

Chloe had watched with a happy smile to see how well Ryan interacted with the small house elf. Jondy had just recently started working for the Weyr after his former abusive master had given him some clothes to 'fire' him, so he was still a bit fearful.

"Jondy, Mr. Harper has never lived in a Weyr before and many things will appear strange to him. I would like you to attach yourself to him primarily and answer any questions he has to the best of your ability. If you don't know the answer, then ask one of the other house-elves to get the correct information before telling Ryan.

"You are also new to the Weyr, but you've been with us for almost three months, so know more than Ryan. I think you will be good for each other."

"Yes, Miss, Jondy be happy to help such a kind human." With that, he popped away with all Ryan's belongings.

"Now, you need to write a letter to your landlord letting him know you won't be back. I can have it delivered to his office or you can just leave it here unless you have a deposit to collect. Is there anyone else you need to contact that might get worried if you turn up missing?"

"My landlord lives downstairs just inside the entrance. He lets me clean his apartment once a week instead of charging a deposit. My sister is the only other I need to notify. She can tell everyone else."

Chloe had a feeling she was going to end up taking Ryan's landlord to court for back payment of cleaning services as well. There was no way a simple rental deposit could be equal to weekly cleanings over seven years!

"How long does it take you to clean your landlord's apartment?"

"Oh, I spend most of the day every Saturday cleaning. I don't know how, but it gets really messed up in between cleanings."

"Fine. Write your letter to him and we will deliver it personally ..." so I can see what his apartment looks like now, thought Chloe. "After we've dropped off his letter, we can go visit your sister to let her know about your change of status."

They exited the now empty, clean apartment and Ryan locked the door, putting the key in the envelope with his letter. They walked downstairs and knocked on his landlord's door. When he answered the door, she could see he was a real slob. After the almost painful cleanliness of Ryan's apartment, the landlord's apartment, or at least what she could see of it, was a disaster. Food cartons all over, dirty clothes lying on the floor, old newspapers thrown any which way, and tracked-in dirt. She was going to enjoy taking him to small claims court.

When he tried to claim that Ryan couldn't just up and leave, Chloe told him in no uncertain terms that his years of taking advantage of Ryan had just come to a sudden and very expensive halt. When they finally left, the man was worried if he would have anything left when they were through with him.

The two went outside and mounted their dragons. Chloe told Danianth to take them to Ryan's sister's house, which he did, but they found Nylah was at work. Since it wasn't far, they walked to the hospital. Once inside, Chloe asked for her to be paged and to meet in the lobby.

They had to wait about thirty minutes because Nylah was teaching a class, but when she came into the lobby, she looked decidedly worried. She walked over and hugged Ryan after he stood to meet her.

"Are you alright, Ryan? What's wrong that you came here in the middle of the day?"

"Nylah, this is Chloe Walker, a Dragonrider and the Weyr Legal Counsel. She has been helping me with a problem today and she said we needed to come see you."

Nylah looked at the woman with her brother and said, "What trouble could my brother have possibly gotten into that he would need legal representation?"

"Mrs. Harper, your brother was wrongfully terminated from his job last night simply because his dragon refused to allow five senior students to attack your brother. It is the Dragon Nation's imperative that all Dragonriders be protected to the fullest extent of the law and, if they are in the wrong, to be punished sufficiently that the authorities never attempt to remove handling of their legal problems from us. Your brother did nothing wrong and we intend to sue the school and bring charges against the five young men who had been systematically bullying him. All of them are close enough to adult age that I am sure we will be able to have them arraigned as adults so the sentence is entered into their adult records.

"On a side note, I found today that your brother's landlord had been systematically cheating your brother out of payment for cleaning services. I will also be bringing charges against him. Because of that and other considerations, I felt it would only benefit him to move to better quarters."

Nylah looked slightly dazed at all this avalanche of information, but finally responded to the last piece of information, "Where will he be living now? London is so expensive."

"I am taking him to Campbeltown Weyr on the Scottish west coast where he will be allocated an entire Dragon Apartment for his own use, free of any charge. All meals are provided and I'm sure we can find much more suitable employment than being forced to clean up someone else's messes."

Nylah looked at Ryan and asked, "Are you OK with all this? You could live with me, at least for a while, if you had to."

"No, I think I will be OK. I like the idea of being around more dragons. I just don't understand how I'm suddenly eligible for all these neat things."

"You are eligible, as you put it, simply because your dragon calls you 'My Rider' and uses your full name rather than a nickname. Because of that, even though you have not formally impressed a dragon, we consider you to be a full Dragonrider with all the perks and responsibilities that implies," explained Chloe.

"Responsibilities?" asked Ryan slightly concerned.

"Don't worry, Ryan," said Chloe soothingly. "We won't expect you to do anything you aren't capable of and you will be given training in all number of things related to dragons, which, from what I've seen, you would enjoy."

Ryan perked up at that and looked much happier. Nylah looked a little more subdued. "I just got my brother back after thinking he was dead for 33 years and now I'm going to lose him again."

Chloe could see Nylah looked really worried and was starting to get emotionally overwrought. "You probably don't see him much now except on weekends and Ryan will only be 2.6 seconds away from you at any time. Give him a call on your cell phone and he can be with you almost instantly, as long as he isn't involved in something he can't break off. He can also arrange for you and the rest of his family to come visit him any time you and he wishes.

"You can't walk or take a taxi to visit him, but he can come to you much easier now."

Nylah grabbed Ryan and drew him into a fierce hug. "Please be careful and call me if you need my help with anything," she whispered frantically into his ear.

"He now has access to a satellite phone," said Chloe. "Ryan, put on your suit helmet and I will walk you through placing a call to your sister's cell phone."

Chloe proceeded to help Ryan add his sister's phone number into his contacts list and then place a call to her phone. Once she received the call, Nylah then added the number to her contacts list under her brother's name. Much happier now about what was happening, but still a little unsure, Nylah gave Ryan one last hug before he and Chloe left to return to their dragons waiting outside. Nylah watched from just inside the door until both dragons disappeared Between.

Campbeltown Weyr, Apr 4, 2061...
As Danianth came out of Between in the central cavern of the new Campbeltown Weyr, Ryan stared around himself in wonder. Here was a true place for dragons to live. He could see many openings in the walls all around him that had dragons lying on ledges looking back at him. Ryan was in 'Dragon heaven'.

Shortly after arriving, Ryan was assigned his very own Dragon Apartment where he would live with Danianth. After it was explained to him that he could set up 'his' side any way he wanted, he asked for the Rider portion to be expanded so he could entertain his family if necessary, so his portion of the apartment now had a central lounge/study area with three bedrooms opening from there. Each bedroom had its own ensuite and built-in storage.

"Ryan, since you are now a part of the Dragon Nation, you will have your own financial account set up with a debit card you may use to draw on the funds. I recommend among your first purchases should be newer clothing. Almost everything you have is old and much repaired. If you like, I can ask around to see if there is anyone who can help or you could ask your sister.

"Don't forget, the only way in or out of this apartment is via dragon-back or apparation. Since you are not magical, you will have to rely on Danianth to get you up here or down to Level 1."

"If my sister comes to visit, how will she be able to come and go without Danianth's help?"

"We don't usually have that problem. I will discuss it with the Weyrleader. We may have to create a special Turbolift just for such occasions. For now, Danianth will have to carry anyone you invite up or down. I understand your brother-in-law is magical. Once he has visited the first time, he will be able to come and go and bring others with him."

They talked about various things Ryan needed to know before Chloe left to allow Ryan to get familiar with his new surroundings.

Royal Courts of Justice, London, Apr 18, 2061...
"Your honor, we realize this will be an unusual case, but feel that justice will best be served by trying them all concurrently since all the evidence is in a form of pure memory recall and official records. Once testimony has been given, it will be a simple matter to pass judgment on all involved," said Chloe in her opening remarks.

"I understand this case involves a Dragonrider," stated Judge Waleed Koury.

"Yes, Your Honor, but for most of the time detailed in the case, he was not a Dragonrider. He has just recently become a Rider and we found out about the abuses shortly after that."

"Then proceed. We will call a halt if we feel this needs be broken into different trials."

Chloe presented her case against the five students first, showing a steady, systematic abuse of her client, culminating in the incident stopped by Danianth. She only asked for probation for the students for the next five years. If they were found guilty of bullying in that time they would then get the maximum sentence.

She then presented her case against St Dunstan's College, showing a high disregard for her client's reputation and an uncalled-for trust of the students involved. Again, the school, as embodied by the Principal, was found guilty. Again, Chloe asked for a minimal sentence, only asking for a £1000 judgment and a formal written apology to her client. She also informed them they would have to find a new custodian as their old one had moved up in the world. It would not surprise her if the Principal lost his job.

The last portion of her case involved the landlord. She was able to show an outrageous exploitation of her client for seven years. Here, she went for everything she could get. In the end, he had to sign ownership of his building over to Ryan and swear never to become a landlord again. On Ryan's behalf, Chloe promised to house all current tenants at the Dragon Nation's expense while their building was torn down and rebuilt to more modern requirements. She promised that the tenants would be able to move back in within the year, at their old rate of rent to larger, more modern apartments. She was so sure of the Dragon Nation's abilities that she even made it a matter of the settlement that, if the construction was not finished and the old tenants able to move back in within a year, she would allow any and all penalties against the old landlord to be vacated.

The Dragon Nation didn't fool around. When they found something wrong, they did their best to ensure it was corrected, no matter who was at fault.

Marks & Spencer, 458 Oxford Street, London, Apr 24, 2061...
Danianth landed gently just outside the main entrance to Marks & Spencer just before noon. It was a Sunday, so there wasn't as much traffic as if it had been a weekday. There was just enough room for the dragon to land, drop off his passengers, and jump to the roof to wait for his Rider to need him again.

Nylah, dressed in a passenger flight suit, was a bit dazed. It had been her first ever dragon flight. It wasn't unpleasant, just … different, especially trying to get up or down. It helped that Brad was with them and was able to use his levitation skill to help.

Once she had settled down, Nylah entered the store, dragging Ryan along, and proceeded to make him try on clothes like he didn't have any, which was almost the fact. At first, Ryan wanted to get clothing sized so it would easily fit on top of his flight suit. Nylah allowed him to pick out three trouser/shirt sets before she tried to force him to remove the flight suit and pick out additional clothing that would fit him when not wearing his flight suit. After all, he couldn't wear it all the time, could he?

She was soon informed that most Dragonriders wore little else, but always tried to wear their flight suits underneath anything else. When he informed her that the suit had unique protective properties, she finally desisted. He would just have to learn on his own.

While there, she started looking at wedding dresses but knew she wouldn't ever buy something she would only wear once. She and Brad were scheduled to be married in a small ceremony presided over by a Registrar and held in her hospital's small Chapel. Her mother, Paige and Dave, and Brad's three employees would be the only ones there other than the bride, groom, and the Registrar. She kept thinking about the day when she would become 'Mrs. Harper' for real.

"Daydreaming again," asked Brad with a small chuckle.

"Of course," said Nylah dreamily. "I can hardly wait. I've been dreaming about marrying you for years. Now that I've finally landed you, don't even think about trying to get away!"

"I wouldn't dream of it, but I think we are about finished here and we still need to go visit Ryan's new home."

Brought back to reality, Nylah allowed herself to be escorted back out of the store and back onto Danianth. 2.6 seconds after they were airborne, they were inside Campbeltown Weyr. Danianth hovered in the center of the cavern for a few moments while his passengers looked around, then he gently landed on the Level 6 landing that led to their apartment.

"Jondy."

"Master Ryan calls Jondy?" asked the small elf as he popped into the lounge.

"Yes, Jondy. This is my sister and soon-to-be brother-in-law. If they call to you while in the Weyr, would you please try to help them as you would me?"

"Of courses me doos that," said Jondy. "I can asks a female elf to help your sister if she would prefer."

"I don't think that would be necessary, Jondy, but she might ask if it does. Thank you, that will be all for now."

The young elf disappeared again. Ryan could see he was a lot less nervous around humans than he had been. Now he turned his attention to being a tour guide of sorts. He first showed his guests where their permanent room would be as long as he lived here. Then he showed them where the back door led to the Ring Corridor leading to the Turbolift. He showed them how to use it to get to Level 1 and the lunch there. After lunch, Ryan took them to where they could see Danianth sitting on his ledge so Brad could get his bearings. Once he was sure of where they were and where they were going, Brad grabbed Ryan and Nylah's hands and side-along Disapparated the three of them back to Ryan's apartment.

"What work will you be doing?" Nylah asked her brother. "Surely they aren't still making you clean!"

"Only my own apartment," said Ryan. "Even then, I only have to clean what I mess up. I will be helping the Weyrling Masters when they have Hatchings. In between, I will be helping with research into dragon abilities and helping injured dragons in the hospital!"

Nylah could tell Ryan was truly happy with the turn his life had taken.

The Ryan Arms, London, May 2, 2061...
The location where Ryan's old apartment building had stood, at the confluence of the A212, S Circular Rd, and Stanstead Rd, was now a vast seven-story hole in the ground. Yesterday, the last of the old tenants had moved out into temporary housing. Now the building wasn't only gone, a lot of the underlying ground was gone as well. The only thing the locals could see was a protective fence to keep pedestrians from falling down the hole. All the water mains had either been capped or rerouted so as not to disadvantage any of the nearby neighbors, electrical lines had been expertly rerouted until the current construction was completed, and any sewage that would have passed through the site was magically moved from one side to the other.

That night, the bottom four stories of the hole would become home to a huge Hot Rock Power Generating plant. The Ryan Arms would not only be an apartment building, it was going to sell electrical power back to the city of London. The new apartment building would have a large central courtyard and garden for the residents to enjoy. What they wouldn't know was that underneath it all was a huge circular hatch giving access to the heat transfer chamber of the power plant for when it needed to be recharged. All the old residents would live above ground in approximately the same location they had before, but now there would also be two additional stories of deluxe apartments below ground that offered the latest in goblin magic air exchange and magical windows that allowed their views to be changed at the utterance of a few commands.

The building and property now belonged to the Dragon Nation. The old landlord's apartment, however, now belonged to, and was reserved for, Ryan's private use if he ever cared to use it. If not, he could rent it out through a leasing agent. The Dragon Nation was using this opportunity to investigate installing hot rock power plants into existing urban environments. The fact that the entire apartment had suddenly become 'available' was just fortuitous.

Royal London Hospital Chapel, May 16, 2061...
Severus Tobias Snape had finalized his official name change to Brad Tobias Harper over a month ago and was already getting used to being called 'Brad'. Of course, that's all Nylah and Paige had ever known him as, so there was no change there and he didn't think anyone who had known him before would recognize him, even if there were any still alive. Now he was waiting for Nylah to show up for their marriage ceremony. All the blood tests and permits had been passed and paid for, now they just had to get through with this simple ceremony and they would officially be man and wife.

Brad wasn't sure how he felt about this turn of fate. He had thought of Nylah for so long as an 'investment', that he'd never even thought about 'collecting' on his investment someday. Was he in love with her? He didn't know. He did know that she was a delight to be around; intelligent, beautiful, caring, there were so many positives to marrying her, he hadn't been able to come up with any good reason to say 'no' when she asked him.

Still, two nights ago he had broached the option of marriage bonding instead of a simple ceremony.

11 Lindley St, Stepney, May 14, 2061...
When it came time for him to say his vows, he had a feeling he wouldn't be able to stand it if something went wrong later. He'd already lost one love, he thought he just might destroy the world if he lost another. Just before he and Nylah went up to bed for the last time as single members of society, Snape finally got up the nerve to talk to her about it.

"Nylah, what are you expecting to 'get out of' this marriage?"

"The standard, I guess, a loving and committed marriage to you for the rest of our natural lives. Why, should I be expecting more?"

"Quite possibly," replied Snape thoughtfully. "I have lived a long time and have only loved one other woman and she married someone else and they both died. I feel I know you enough by now to want to make sure we spend the rest of our lives together. Let me explain to you how we 'get married' in the magical world.

"Let me explain about the magical marriage bonding ritual. It was one of the only 'blood oaths' still allowed on Earth. At the start of the ritual, I will take a previously prepared ritual knife and cut into both our palms. We will then hold those two hands together, palm to palm, as we say our vows, which have to include certain specific phrases. Normally, each partner would push their own magic into the bond as they say their oaths. Since you aren't magical, I will be providing the magic for both of us."

"Will that hurt you?" asked Nylah, concern obvious in her voice.

"No, I am more than powerful enough to handle two marriage binding oaths; the thing you need to know is that once we have both recited the oath, we are both bound together, inseparably until one or the other of us dies and then, the surviving partner will die fairly soon after, probably within the year."

"Is there any other effect, related to the bond, I should know about?"

"Not really," replied Snape, looking slightly away from Nylah.

"There is something you are not telling me, Brad, what is it?" Nylah demanded.

Snape looked decidedly uncomfortable, and replied, "It's nothing, really."

"Obviously, it is, and I feel I need to know before I agree," said Nylah firmly.

Reluctantly Snape continued, "There are two things, actually. Some of my magic will be transferred to you. Not enough to make you truly magical, but enough to make you an official Squib. A Squib is normally a child born of at least one magical parent who never develops the ability to perform magic. They can, however, see magical things which are hidden to non-magical beings; things like certain magical objects and creatures that could be beneficial to them. You would be like this."

When Snape hesitated, Nylah just said, "And the other?"

"Your life will be extended by some small amount ..."

"That's not all is it?"

"... and mine will be shortened by a similar amount."

To say Nylah was startled by this revelation was an understatement. Up until now, Nylah hadn't seen any problem. Now she was horrified! "No! I could never live with myself if I knew I was the reason you died earlier than you would have ordinarily!"

They argued back and forth on the subject until finally, Snape hit upon the real reason he wanted to perform the bond. "Think about it, Nylah. If we get married and stay so until one of us dies, it will be you. My lifetime is as much as fifty to one hundred years longer than yours. How do you think I will feel after losing the only woman I love? The next years of my life will be miserable beyond belief. I would rather have a shortened life and give you some of mine so that we can spend all our lives together, happily, lovingly, knowing that when one of us dies the other will not have that much time left to suffer."

After that, Nylah finally relented, and they discussed exactly what each would be required to say and what was optional that they both felt important to include.

Royal London Hospital Chapel, May 16, 2061...
Now he was about to take one of the final steps in matching her fate to his. After all, it wasn't like he had anyone else he could leave all his worldly goods to when he died … and now, thanks to his time in prison, he had an awful lot of worldly goods.

He was mentally going over how to have all his various accounts automatically revert to where he wanted them to go when he died when Nylah finally entered. He turned and looked at her as she walked in. It was obvious to him that she was infatuated with the idea of 'Brad Harper', but did she really love him? She said she did, but was even she sure. Shortly they would have a chance to find out.

She walked up to her soon-to-be husband, took his hand, looked up into his eyes, and smiled at the man she had so long dreamed of marrying. Today, after all these years, she was finally going to become Mrs. Brad Harper! She had decided that the honeymoon could wait for when they had more time. Right now they were just going to get married and he would officially move in with her.

As he reached her, Snape pulled out a small ritual knife and nicked his palm, then, after looking at her for confirmation, nicked her palm as well and joined their hands. As she said her vows to him, he pushed a small amount of magic into the slowly forming bond as her portion of the magic required for the slowly forming bond. Snape was thinking deeply about his future and desperately wanted to have one. This was the only woman who seemed to want him, so why not.

As he said his vows, he mixed much more of his magic in with the words and the witnesses were amazed to see a slow silver glow slowly rise from the couple's feet until, at the end of Brad's vows, it broke over their heads and sank into the two people holding hands.

At the end of Brad's vows, Nylah suddenly felt a rush of … something. Emotion, power, weariness, she knew not what, but suddenly she felt both so tired she was ready to drop and so full of energy she could run a marathon without breaking a sweat. Her knees felt wobbly, but Brad helped hold her up as if he knew what was happening to her.

She looked into his eyes as he looked deeply into hers. Suddenly she heard, 'Hello, Mrs. Harper,' just as the Registrar pronounced them man and wife. She pulled him to her and did her best to let her kiss let him know just how much she loved him.

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