Sorry for the delay. I hope this chapter was worth the wait. :)

*.*.*

Frodo spent the next two days honing his shapeshifting ability. Up until Parker taught him how to shapeshift, Frodo hadn't a clue that shapeshifting was in his blood, that he needed to awaken it for that to work out well. It was impressive, to say the least.

Half the time, Frodo was getting it. He could shapeshift no problem into the creature or person that he chose. The rest of the time, he spent reminding himself how to shapeshift. It wasn't that hard. He just needed to remember what Parker taught him the first time.

"I need more time," Frodo admitted, heading back to the guest room that Parker gave to him.

The guest room had various figurines and statues of dragons and dragonoids. Drawings were plastered on all the beige walls. Drawings revealing the history of the Land of Dragons and other worlds. They showed battles, fierce battles between dragons and dragonoids who eventually found peace in their new home. Other drawings showed families, including Parker's with his human wife Eliza Bowler-Dooley and their son. Frodo looked at this drawing in interest, staring at the child standing in front of his parents.

Parker and Eliza were smiling in the drawing. They looked happy.

Frodo looked up as Parker entered the room. The gentle-hobbit smiled at the light red dragonoid, telling him, "Your family seems nice. You had a son?"

"Yes. Eliza and I did for a time," Parker said, approaching Frodo and staring at the drawing in interest. "His name was Maxin. Maxin Dooley." Parker said, referring to the child in the drawing. "We were happy together."

"What happened to him?" Frodo asked, facing Parker.

"We ended up apart," Parker explained, grimacing at the thought of his past experiences. "I became evil. I became Maranguan. I nearly killed Eliza when I was still evil. The lion Corin stopped me, prevented me from killing her. He saved her, not me. I fled. It took me a long time before I returned to the Land of Dragons." He paused, gulping. "Then I became good, thanks to Janet's daughter Anabeth. A relative of yours from a distant past." He smirked. "Anabeth saved me, made me whole again. But you know this part. You've seen it."

Frodo nodded. "Yes. Parts of it. Your wife died. You tried to save her. I remember you showed me this."

"Details got changed over the years, due to memory loss," Parker admitted, plainly. "It was Vitiate, the Sith Emperor, who killed my wife and my sister-in-law. If it weren't for him, Eliza would still be around, as would Janet. Janet and Eliza were only trying to help me." He sighed. "I guess my memory's faded, which explains why you saw a slight difference in the events that transpired in my life. They still led to the same reason. Eliza's gone again and I did nothing to stop her from being taken."

Frodo stared at Parker with remorsefulness. He understood how he felt. Frodo sighed, wondering what else to do for him, for his distant ancestor. Surely, there was a way he could help out Parker, help him see that it was okay to talk about his feelings, even if that person or creature wanted to conceal their past.

"It's not your fault," Frodo said, getting Parker's attention. "I lost my parents when I was twelve. I did nothing, too." He sighed. "I wish I could have helped them, but I didn't. They were gone. They drowned in the Brandywine River." He shook his head. "Some say the boat tipped over, due to my father's weight. Others say my parents pushed each other into the river. I don't believe them! I just wished I could have helped my parents, helped them before something bad happened."

He sighed heavily. "No. Ever since my father's death, I haven't had a father figure in my life who could be there for me."

"I haven't had a son in the longest time," Parker said, softly. He stared, quizzically at Frodo, saying, "If you're thinking we'll simply take on the roles of father and son, you might be wrong. We're distant ancestors, very distant and not really suited now for the father-son role."

"Well, a father-like figure doesn't really happen often in my life, unless you want to count Saradoc Brandybuck," Frodo said with a sigh.

There was a pause. Frodo looked at Parker, wondering what he would tell him next. Would Parker agree? Would he be like a second father to him? Frodo could dream, couldn't he?

Parker smiled, telling him, kindly, "Well, if you need someone to talk to, I'll gladly be by your side and help you out."

"Thank you. That's all I needed to hear," Frodo said, looking away.

"We leave tomorrow morning for Earth. At dawn. Don't be late," Parker nodded, turning to leave the room.

"You too, Parker. You too," Frodo looked around the room again, wondering what to do next.

.

Frodo went to bed early that evening. He slept fitfully, dreaming of far off places. However, one dream he recalled all too vividly.

He was in a dark room, searching for a way out. As he walked across the stone floor, feeling the cold air coming from the stone walls and glass windows, a burst of energy shot forth from the floor.

He jumped back, screaming as orange fire erupted in the centermost part of the room, blocking his way out the door. He tried calling for help, but he couldn't. The fire was too bright.

Suddenly, his gaze met that of a light red dragonoid, staring back at him. No! It was Parker. Parker Dooley was gazing back at him with concerned eyes.

"You shouldn't have come. Now, they'll be after you, too," Parker said, his expression wicked and smiling.

"No! Noooo!" Frodo cried out, landing on the floor and waking up in a sitting position in the guest room. He sighed in relief, wiping his brow to find sweat beading on it. His clothes were soaked with sweat. The flames were all too real in the dream for it to be true.

And yet, it was. He couldn't stop thinking about the dream.

And that place, that room. There was only one place he could think of that meant something for that room to be there, for Parker to be there. It was Hogwarts, only why was the room in flames? Frodo had to find out, even as he performed his morning routine and got dressed. He sighed in relief as he found Parker sitting in the kitchen, eating breakfast.

"Sit down. There's porridge out for you, still hot," Parker said with a warm smile. Frodo nodded, sitting down and eating his porridge. Parker looked at him, curiously, "You slept well or badly? I could hear you screaming from across the wall. Tell me what happened…"

"I'd rather not," Frodo said, serious. "There's nothing to tell!"

"Frodo, yesterday you told me I was like a father to you. Is that still not true?" Parker asked, smirking fitfully.

Frodo nodded silently. The light red dragonoid was right. He had to face his fears, not shoulder them. If only that were true.

"I saw fire. Fire at Hogwarts. You were there standing on the other side of it, smirking at me, telling me I shouldn't be there. Please tell me that's not where we're heading?" Frodo asked, cautiously.

Parker sighed, nodding. "It's where we're headed. We have to leave before dawn because when we get to the Leaky Cauldron in London, we should be there in time before the inn opens or right as the inn opens." He approached the lad, telling him, "Look, I know you have visions. You don't need to tell me all of them if you don't want to. I'll understand." He paused. "I have visions, too. I can read people's minds. It's two powers I have that happen on their own. I would have sensed that something was wrong, but it's clear on your face and your eyes that something's bothering you."

"Thank you, Parker," Frodo said, kindly. "You're the only true friend I have out here." He looked down, munching on his food.

"I may not be the only true friend in your life," Parker said, grimly. "And I fear you will still have battles to face, even when you become close friends with that someone, besides me. My life has already been in danger, from the moment I hatched. Even before I was born, evil touched my egg."

He paused, changing the subject. "We're going to Hogwarts, to see what danger your vision showed us." He sighed in distress. "I hope our lives aren't on the line once we get there. Hogwarts and the Wizardry World are the one place on Earth that we can go to where we can be ourselves. We can't show our true forms, our original forms, once we're in the Muggle World, but we can show our shapeshifting abilities once we're with wizards and witches. You'll have to trust me, Frodo. I know what I'm doing."

Parker walked away, finishing his breakfast. Frodo looked on at him in interest. Wow, Parker wasn't afraid of danger. That's what Frodo feared. That's what he hoped for; and yet, he feared someone would recognize them. What if they were wanted in other worlds?

"You do not need to be afraid." Parker faced the gentle-hobbit with serious eyes. "No one's following us. We'll be safe in the Wizardry World for now. We're going to be students at Hogwarts. That's our cover. That's what will save us there. I know it seems strange for wizards and witches to see a dragonoid, but we'll do our best to keep our cover."

"Parker, be careful. I don't want anything to happen to you," Frodo said, finally getting a word into the conversation.

Parker smiled innocently. "Frodo, I'm a dragonoid. Ancient and wise. I've seen many things in two hundred years. Nothing could dampen that yearning for adventure." He looked out the window, seeing dawn approach. "Ah! Dawn is coming. Well, time to finish eating and we'll go."

"Right," Frodo said, eating as much of his cooled off porridge as he could. When he was done, he followed Parker to the guest room. Parker smiled at him, pulling out a grey device and pressing a green button. A golden-brown rimmed portal that looked almost like rippled glass appeared in the center of the room. Frodo had never seen such a portal, especially when it changed to show the entrance room to a dark-painted inn.

It was the Leaky Cauldron. Its name was written on a sign with a cauldron painted above it. Parker smiled, heading through the portal first.

"Parker, wait!" Frodo said, following the dragonoid through the portal, where they were met by a black-painted door and tall rectangular, glass windows.

They arrived.

*.*.*

References:

Hogwarts and the Wizardry World comes from J.K. Rowling's book series, Harry Potter.