"Hagrid, you are insane."the half-giant Gamekeeper blushed at the words, but didn't take his eyes off the smooth black egg sitting on his table.
"'S alright, Harry, I know wha' I'm doin'."
"So you admit that you are currently trying to illegally hatch a fire-breathing dragon in your wooden hut, on the grounds of a bloody school!" Harry huffed where he stood, having expended al his breath as he berated Hagrid in a rant of steadily growing volume. Hagrid, for his part, just waved a meaty hand at the first-year, still not looking up from his egg.
Don' worry, I've read all o' the books- oh, I heard a crack!" There was indeed a crack forming on the surface of the egg, a thin white line breaking its smooth black polish. A moment later, the tiny fault line was joined by another, then another, until the entire stone-like surface was covered by a web of breaks. Then, with one final crack, and a small chirp from the depths of the egg, it exploded, sending pieces flying everywhere.
What emerged from the burnt and broken shards of egg could only be described as a dragon. It was long and very obviously reptilian, its serpentine body covered in tiny black scales, most of which were currently covered in some sort of sticky substance that the creature eagerly set about cleaning off itself. Unfurling slowly as it wriggled its way out of the remains of the egg that had held it were two leathery, bat-like wings that nearly encompassed its entire body length each. The creature also had a few tiny horns adorning its head, along with a couple of fangs just barely pushing out from underneath its gums.
"Aw, innit adorable?" Cooed Hagrid, stretching out a hand to the dragon. Harry, who had been slightly awestruck himself, smirked slightly when it nipped the large man's fingers, drawing a pained yelp from Hagrid.
"Aw, look .'E knows his mommy!"This was accentuated by the dragon going a step further than mere biting, and actually set Hagrid's beard on fire. Susan, Luna, and Hermione, who had been sipping their tea while waiting for the dragon to hatch, all yelped in surprise and jumped up, quickly setting about extinguishing the fire with a surprising efficiency. Harry, however, was too busy laughing his ass off to help.
"Yeah, he sure knows his- oh bollocks." The reason for the student's sudden turn in mood was apparent, as the reptilian newborn had decided to wrap itself around Harry's neck, causing him to freeze with fear. "Um, guys? A little help here?" The three girls looked over from Hagrid towards Harry, who was now apparently having his cheek nuzzled by the dragonling.
"Oh dear, it appears to like you, Harry." Said Susan, a soft smile gracing her lips. The boy really did look cute there, with a dragon stretched lazily across his shoulders, puffing a cloud of smoke into his ears. Said boy, however, didn't appear to appreciate the image he made, and was glaring up at his friend.
"I noticed. Think you could get it off?"Sadly for the Gryffindor, rescue didn't appear to be coming any time soon. All three girls burst into giggles from the sight of his glare, which had only enhanced his cute factor. Although, that may have had something to do with the dragon, which had decided his hair made a good meal, and was now trying to eat slapped at it, but with little effect. Finally, he was forced to reach up carefully, lifting the surprisingly light animal from his shoulders and setting it on the table. As he did so, Hagrid, who appeared to have finally rescued his beard, ambled over, picking up the dragon in his own oversized arms.
"Bit o' a cuddler, ain't he? I think I'll name him Norbert." Harry gaped at the half-giant as he wrestled to keep the dragon from jumping back to Harry, which it appeared to have developed an attachment to. Hagrid had named the thing? Now they would never get rid of it.
XXX
Apparently never was actually only a few short weeks away. Granted, they were dragon-filled and most of the time, Harry and the girls were worried sick that their friend would be discovered, but eventually, Harry had remembered a half-forgotten conversation with Ron about his older brother Charlie, who worked with dragons, from before the prat had broken off his and Harry's friendship. Granted, Harry doubted the other boy would be willing to help them, but luckily Ron wasn't the only Weasley in the castle at the conversation with a pair of troublesome twins, who seemed to believe that sneaking an illegal dragon out of the school under the staff's noses was a grand prank, later, their plan was set.
It was simple enough, really. Harry, Susan, and Luna would smuggle the dragon in a crate up to the astronomy tower under the Invisibility Cloak while Hermione warded off suspicion by staying in the Gryffindor Tower. The whole thing went perfectly too. Or so they thought.
"Aha, and what do we have here?" All three of the students out of bed froze, afraid that turning around would make it real. It was in that moment, as Harry attempted to come up with some way to vehemently deny their wrongdoing, that he realized just how exactly Filch had managed to see them. In their joy at finally being rid of Norbert, they had forgotten the bloody invisibility cloak at the top of the tower!
XXX
Harry shivered in the cold night air as he watched for the swinging lantern which he knew would be hanging from Hagrid's overlarge fist. Once again disappointed as the light failed to appear from the depths of the forbidden forest, the first year turned away from the foreboding trees, opting to instead observe his companions.
Susan and Luna were with him of course, struggling to maintain some form of heat in the cold scottish night. They, just as him, had been saddled with this detention for their late night wanderings, as McGonagall had called it in her ire. That, however, was not nearly as devastating as the blow of fifty lost points from each of their houses, which had earned all three of them ostracization from all but Hermione and the Slytherins, who praised their good luck and thanked the three for securing them victory in the house running. Their bushy-haired friend, on the other hand, was distraught, since Mcgonagall had not allowed her to join in their punishment. The bookish young girl begging and pleading for a detention had been such a surprising sight that nearly the entirety of the Gryffindor common room had been struck speechless for an entire hour, except for one quietly laughing Harry, of course. That had earned him a painful lump on the head later, but he didn't regret a thing.
None of that, however, was what had Harry raising an eyebrow in confusion as the three students had been led down to Hagrid's hut for their punishment by an uncommonly gleeful Filch. No, what really bothered him was the fact that they weren't going to be alone in their endeavor.
"So, Malfoy. What's got you disregarding you daily quota of beauty sleep? Surely you don't enjoy my company that much." Harry said, sending a wry grin to the 'Slytherin Prince'. The other boy's aloof nature had earned him several posh titles around the school's voracious rumor mill, but that one was Harry's particular favorite. It just seemed to fit him nicely.
"Of course not, Potter. I merely thought I would witness you and your friends get eaten by the monsters in the Forbidden forest." Draco shot back, his face expressionless except for a tiny tugging at his lips.
"Well I hope you can get a refund on your ticket, because i don't plan on getting eaten."
"Oh? And how will you manage that? I doubt your stunty self can outrun a werewolf." Harry's grin turned sly, and he nodded towards the forest.
"I don't have to be faster than the monsters. I just have to be faster than you." Draco raised an eyebrow, before drawling a response.
"Of course, however could I be so dull?" Harry's eyes narrowed, and his smile turned into a frown. Fine, if the guy wanted to be a prat, he didn't need to talk to him anyways. Besides, he could see Hagrid's light coming now.
"A'right there, children?" Harry smiled at the familiar rumbling of his oldest friend's voice, the comfortable bass bringing him a warmth that easily warded off the cold air. The large man was dressed in his normal attire, but surprisingly, or perhaps not considering their destination,there was a large crossbow swinging in his free hand, and the large boarhound Fang was bounding about at his side.
"Hello there, Hagrid. We're fine, except being a bit chilled." Responded Susan, earning a wide bearded grin from the large man.
"Sorry 'bout that, had a bit o' things to take care of at me home. Now, let's be off, shall we?" With a round of chorusing assents, the group of five-if you counted hagrid as only one person, that is- and a dog did just that, marching towards the dark forest with all the determination of justified eleven year olds.
Harry didn't know what to expect from the forbidden forest when he entered it, not having been in the castle to have heard too many stories of what exactly resided underneath those dark canopies, but if there was anything he was truly surprised by, it was the magic. The young Gryffindor knew exactly the moment he stepped beyond the bounds of Hogwarts wards, and no matter how hard he tried couldn't possibly stifle the shudder that ran through him at their loss. Another step forward, however, he was brought to a stuttering halt entirely, as were the three other students around him, each gasping at the new sensations.
The sound of fey laughter danced through the air as power, ancient and tasting of dust and rain, pulsed through Harry's veins, Darkness surrounded him, the night air bearing a chill that shook him to the bones, yet there was warmth as well, like a fire burning brightly in his mind as he felt the life-force of the forest itself. Magic, that ethereal and ineffable energy, swirled around him, and as he marveled at it, he could hear words of ages long past, and feel the ancient bones of spells long spent, fused with the soul of the forest. So much had happened here, he could feel, events which had made the entire world shiver with their weight. It felt almost a crime to as Harry took another tentative step forward, deep into a place where history had been born, and powers capable of reducing Hogwarts itself to naught but a pile of dusty rubble had been spent.
The air hummed with memories of battles long past, raging balls of fire and vast swathes of ice imposing themselves over his mind's older than the castle flitted through him and his memory, only to evaporate into nothingness once more, but what did stick with him was an undeniable sense of home. Even more than the castle, this place felt familiar, as something ancient and primal awoke within him as he breathed in the magic infused air. For some reason, he felt the need to run deep among the ancient oaks, and lose himself in a wild dance, throwing away all thought and memory as he rejoiced at the feeling within.
"It's… beautiful," The breathy words cut through his thoughts like a knife through hot butter, yanking Harry back to the present, and he turned to the side, meeting familiar black eyes. "Do you feel it, Harry? So much power…" Susan trailed off as she looked back to the forest, and but Harry still nodded, his throat suddenly dry. Gods, what had he been about to do? Even now, he could still hear that strange, ringing laughter, coercing him from conscious thought, but with a herculean effort, Harry pushed the sound away. There was nothing magic about it, he could tell; even in the vast and varied magics filling the air around him, he retained enough sense to realize they were all just echoes of whatever spells may have been cast here before, but the laughter had tugged at a part of him he never knew he was something strange about this forest, to be sure, and glancing around at his fellow students, Harry guessed he wasn't the only one to notice.
With a swift motion, Harry grasped the hands of both Susan and Luna, pulling the girls close before they could go running off to the forest. Draco, luckily, seemed to have worked his way through whatever it was as well, shaking his head before casting a curious eye towards the Gryffindor and his two friends, who were struggling in his grasp. After a few seconds, the two ladies's eyes cleared, and they stopped fighting against Harry, their eyes widening as they looked at the golden-eyed boy.
"Harry? What-what was that?" Susan whispered, horror clear in her , as well, looked faint, but she cut Harry off before he could answer.
"Old magic. This is where it began, and where it will end." The girl's eyes sharpened, and she looked back out into the forest as both Harry and Susan looked at her in surprise, and even Draco raised an eyebrow. "This forest is the sight of battles beyond even our measure, and the weaving of spells the likes of which can never be reproduced." As Luna stared at the forest, an odd gleam in her eye, Harry once again got the sense that there wasn't something quite right with her, as he had on Halloween, and that there was something far older and more powerful than an eleven-year-old girl standing in front of him, her hand in his.
Unbidden, Harry's eyes followed Luna's to look into the depths of the forest, and the magic surrounding him sharpened, as every cell of his body was suddenly thrown into a state of hypersensitivity. Underneath the dark boughs of trees, something moved, and the raven-haired boy drew in a sharp gasp. It came slowly, like a heavy fog, but still it came, and as the form slowly took shape, fear started to creep into Harry's veins.
There wasn't much to be said about the thing, whatever it was, at least in physical form. It was little more than a shadow, surprisingly wearing a very solid cloak, which slid and rasped over the ground like a snake's underbelly, scraping quietly. Magically, however, it was terrifying, and Harry had to fight the urge to run screaming as it drew near. The thing was like ice, so very cold that the boy's mind started to grow numb from the feel of it. It was hollow too, a deep pit of darkness from which nothing escaped, and the four students who could feel it shuddered as they imagined it sucking the very life from them.
When the creature drew within twenty feet of them, Harry was suddenly shocked out of his study of it by the sound of a sudden twang, and a crossbow bolt striking deep into the folds of the robe. The deadly blow did nothing to halt it's progress, however, and the creature continued to move forward even as Hagrid, who Harry realized with a start had shot the thing, cursed and quickly set about reloading his weapon. Harry knew that would do nothing against whatever this was, obviously, but before the boy could do much more than tighten his grip on Susan and Luna beside him, it was upon them. With a flap of it's cloak, harry felt something crash into his chest, and suddenly he was sent flying, the girls's hands torn from his grasp.
Harry hit the ground hard, a burst of pain assaulting his back as the impact went straight through his school robes. The boy was no stranger to pain, however, and with a grunt, he pushed himself back up, stumbling slightly as his vision swam at the sudden movement. Once it cleared, he looked back to where he had been a moment before, his eyes going wide at the sight. Susan and Luna ad both been thrown aside, and he watched with horror as Hagrid, bless the half-giant's soul, jumped at the cloaked best, only to be tossed aside just as easily as the children.
AS adrenaline poured into his veins, Harry's eyes darted frantically around the small area just outside the forest's treeline, wondering what on earth was going on. Was this some part of the detention? Why was there some… thing, and why was it attacking them? His questions were wiped away a second later, however, as Harry's eyes narrowed onto the scene. No, this was no test, or punishment. Hagrid had told them on the way from his cabin that there was a creature stalking Unicorn's in the forest, and for some reason, he had a feeling this thing was it. He couldn't explain it, but somehow Harry knew that this thing was responsible for such an evil atrocity, and as the scent of dead leaves drifted through the air towards him, he knew that they must stop it, before it decided that they were to be its next meal.
But how? Harry thought, his pulse pounding as the creature turned towards him. Just as he was wondering whether he should try to turn and run or just dodge out of the creature's path, something caught his eye. Behind it stood Draco, his blonde hair glinting in the firelight from Hagrid's hastily dropped lamp, and with a wand in his hands. Their eyes met, and with a flash of understanding, Harry tensed his muscles, slipping his own wand out of its resting place within his robe sleeve. Even as the creature started moving towards him, crossing the considerable space it had thrown him previously, Harry grinned.
What came next, none of the observers or participants ever quite remembered clearly, but the feel of it, at least, was branded deeply into their memory. A sudden clarity came to Harry's mind, and suddenly it seemed as if he were more observer than controller within his body, thoughts and actions disconnected from each other was a rush of power that left his wand arm tingling, and just as the creature came within reaching distance, a bright crimson light burst from his wand, throwing it back with a shriek that rent the air. It didn't land, however; just before the creature could touch the ground, an emerald green sheet appeared beneath it, richer and deeper than the grass it covered, and the monster crashed into the sheet, which Harry recognized later as pure energy, wrapped around the being atop it, imprisoning it entirely, with a wave Harry recognized as more instinctive than anything, Draco sent the now-ball of energy flying, to slam harshly against a nearby tree. The action, however, broke the ball of energy, and before Harry could take more than a few steps towards the boy who had conjured it, the creature rose, looking only slightly dazed as its featureless hood glared balefully at them.
As Harry moved to stand beside Draco with his wand ready, Susan and Luna had just managed to pick themselves up off the ground, and before he knew it, they were both there as well, eyes glittering with an otherworldly light that Harry was certain both his own and Draco's shared. For a moment, the four students stood there, and Harry shivered as a sudden, foreign feeling descended over him. There was something about the moment that just felt so right, like the final piece of a puzzle falling into place, that brought a wide, feral grin to his lips, one matched by each of the three standing shoulder to shoulder with him. Yes, they were from different houses, doomed at the start of the year to be ever divided, but each of them knew, within their heart of hearts, that regardless of what color they wore on their robes, or which common room they retreated to at night, standing together like this, side by side as a creature of darkness threatened their school, was right. This was how things should always be.
With a roar that shook the trees, the creature moved forward, charging at the united quartet, each holding their wands at the ready. The air around them hummed, and by instinct, all four flicked their wrists, sending streams of light out the ends of their wands. The four streams collided, and with a bright flash, merged. The creature, looking like darkness incarnate, crashed into the wall that formed between it and them, the magical construct glowing with swirling lights of gold, crimson, emerald, and sapphire. As they watched, the beast was picked up, the barrier twisting into a ball similar to the one Draco had summoned before, but thicker, and tossed through the air, flying deep into the depths of the forest.
XXX
Hermione was utterly surprised when Harry stumbled through the porthole into the Gryffindor common room, his hair full of dirt his glasses askew. She rushed from the comfortable armchair by the fire she had been waiting for him in, and squeaked in surprise as he collapsed into her arms.
"Harry, what on earth happened to you?" She asked, struggling not to let the boy fall to the floor. Merlin, he was heavy! Annoyingly, the boy didn't answer immediately, only grunting and pushing her away. Hermione watched aghast as the boy rose slowly and limped to fall into the very chair she had just vacated, a soft moan escaping his lips as he sunk deep into the warm chair.
"Oh, that feels good. I'm just gonna… stay here for a minute." Hermione frowned down at him, her hands on her hips. What on earth could've happened to make him so dirty and tired? He had even come back from his detention early, so it couldn't be that; could it?
"HArry, what's wrong. What happened to you?" At the sound of her voice, Harry's eyes, which he had closed in comfortable bliss as he soaked in the heat and comfort of the Gryffindor common room, cracked open to look at her, their exotic golden color startling against his dark lashes. For a moment, he eyed her,and Hermione's temper rose with his silence. Just as she was about to yell at him, however, he spoke.
"Detention, Hermione. Bloody detention."
XXX
(Slowly creaks open door to nuclear bunker, peeking out slightly) Um… hi? (Ducks as barrage of rotten food slams into door, splattering every where) Yeah, Imma just let you guys get that out of your system for a bit… (Tomato paints hair gooey red) Yeah, I deserved that.
Anyways, I'm back! (Grins weakly) yeah, okay, I know that doesn't make you feel any better. I know, it's been two months since I updated this story, and a bit less but still quite a while for everything else, but I have an excuse!
...Okay, I don't have an excuse. To be completely honest, this chapter just didn't want to work. Hell, I'm still not completely happy with it, but that's life, i guess. IT's decent enough, and I really don't want to risk this story sliding into Hiatus like my other stories. So, here it is, in all its semi-mediocre glory, at least by my standards. As always, if you have any questions, comments, or concerns, don't be afraid to Review or PM me. I'm always open to conversing with my readers about my stories, and actually quite enjoy it. So with that, I shall let you all go, and I thank you for your patience.
(Ducks Banana) Alright, now that's a bit far!