Disclaimer – I solemnly swear that JKR owns everything Harry Potter. Whether or not I am up to no good with her characters is for you to decide.
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Harry Potter: Dragon Whisperer
Chapter 23 – Mementos of Australia
6:20am
Tuesday, 23 August 1995
Australasian Dragon Preserve, Australia
.
The sunlight glittered on the water as far out as Harry could see. Not even the ever-present waves could stop it. Or, more likely, they helped the sparkle.
An enormous body dove through the air, the sunlight shining off of his pearl-like scales bright enough to cause Harry to squint and throw a hand up in front of his eyes. He watched as Zanzyn twisted, folded his wings to his back and dove into the water with a much smaller splash than would have been expected.
Moments later, the great dragon burst from the waves, his mighty wings beat and he rose high. A twist and flap, a toss of his head and two fish were thrown high before being gulped down.
Watching a dragon's breakfast and swim so early in the morning, the warm breeze ruffling his hair, the sand under his feet and the ocean before him was something that Harry knew that he was going to greatly miss. Soon, probably much sooner than he wanted, he'd be heading back to Romania. And while the northern country had some wonderful attractions and friends, it wasn't the same.
§What do you, Speaker§?
Harry looked up at Dankrum, the Weyr Leader, and held up the piece of eucalypt in his hand.
"I'm carving," he said.
§The wood in your hand looks like a dragon§, Dankrum stated, her jaw resting on the sand so that her great eye didn't tower so far above him.
"That's what it's supposed to be," Harry grinned at her. "I've used my knife to shape the wood into an Antipodean Opaleye."
§Why§? She asked.
Harry shrugged. "You've seen me paint, this is like that. I find it relaxing and having the carving is a reminder of my friends."
§You have other pieces of wood that you've shaped§? she asked.
"A couple of other dragons, as well as a few other animals that I've encountered – a unicorn and a hippogriff," Harry replied. There was no way that he was going to mention the merperson or even the bunyip that he was working on.
Dankrum watched him as he turned the piece in his hand, chipping away and shaping it to match what was in his mind.
§It is not unlike the hidden ones§,Dankrum said and Harry's hands froze even as he turned to her.
"Hidden ones?" he asked carefully.
He'd heard the term before. Memzath, the Romanian Weyr Leader, had said it. Not that he'd explained when Harry had asked what he meant.
Dankrum lifted her head, her long neck extending over the sand dune towards the ocean. Harry watched her, waiting, hoping. When there had still been no response after two minutes, he went back to his carving.
Further out, Zanzyn had been joined by another pair of dragons and he smiled, dividing his attention between the frolicking dragons the piece of wood in his hands.
§The hidden ones§, Dankrum said unexpectedly, startling Harry so much that he nearly sliced his hand. §They are not ones that we generally talk about, even among ourselves§.
"I understand," he said.
Dankrum, though not shifting her gaze from the horizon, continued to speak.
§Two-legs know of us, of dragon-kind and of our weyrs§, she said.§We have managed to find a way to live with two-legs, allowing them to believe that they know us and have penned us in§.
"The Dragon Keepers know better than that," Harry told her. "They know that the magic that they place around your weyrs aren't strong enough to keep you here. They do it more for your safety, so that other two-legs who might want to hurt dragons cannot get to you."
§Once I would have scoffed at the idea that any could harm a dragon§, she said.§Even for two-legs, it takes many working together to harm just one of us. No longer do I think that way. You, Speaker for Dragons, you have shown us that there are some that can be trusted§.
"The men and women here would never hurt you," Harry said. "They grieved with you for the loss of the eggs and were just as angry as you were."
§This is now known to us§, she said.§But the one that rises above them is you, Speaker. You are rightfully our champion just as we are yours. You asked about the Hidden Ones. They are of us, but unknown to two-legs§.
Harry gaped at her. 'Unknown'? Was she saying…?
"Do you mean…?" he asked.
§That you know that they exist is enough, Speaker. Ask no more§, she said, turning her great head to look at him.
"I give you my word that no one will ever know what you have told me," Harry promised solemnly. "Dragons have named me Speaker, I will never betray them in any way."
Dankrum bowed her great head to him, her eyes swirling with greens and yellows.
§Of this, we have no doubt§, she said.
They sat there in silence, then, the sun slowly rising. Zanzyn and the other dragons finished their breakfast, floated in the water for a while, their great eyes shining like beacons just under the waves before eventually lumbering out of the water and onto the beach.
Harry and Dankrum remained where they were until Harry had finished his carving and long past time that Harry knew breakfast would have been served. Reluctantly, Harry eventually rose, gave Dankum a respectful bow, mounted his broom and flew back to begin his day properly.
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8:55am
Tuesday, 23 August 1995
Australasian Dragon Preserve, Australia
.
Harry had barely landed before he was captured by a hand landing on his shoulder.
"Morning Charlie," Harry said. "I was just heading in for some breakfast."
He switched his Nimbus to his off hand, expecting that Charlie would want to walk with him towards the Mess Hall. He'd barely managed a step, though, when he felt that hand on his shoulder pivot him ninety degrees and begin quick-walking him in the wrong direction.
"Charlie?" he asked, gesturing vaguely towards where the tantalizing aroma of bacon and eggs still lingered.
For his part, Charlie simply looked down at him and grinned. "We've all had breakfast, time to work."
"But I haven't!" Harry protested.
"Well, some of us make sure that we do eat before work instead of going off and playing with the dragons," Charlie stated.
"I wasn't playing!" he protested, looking longingly back at the Mess Hall that he suspected would remain out of his reach for the next few hours.
"What were you doing?" Charlie asked lightly.
"I was sitting on the beach talking with Dankrum," Harry replied before adding in response to Charlie's expectant look, "and doing some carving."
Fishing his latest carving out of his pocket, he held it up to show the dragon keeper. Instantly, Charlie stopped and carefully took the tiny wooden dragon. Harry watched as he almost reverently turned it around in his hands, examining it.
"This is really good, Harry. An Opaleye?"
"Yeah," Harry nodded.
"Well, it may not be 'playing' in the traditional sense of the word, but remember who I grew up with, I've seen a lot of different types of 'play', so there's no pulling the wool over my eyes," he said.
With a sigh, Harry took back the carving and let himself be led away. Maybe, if he was really lucky, he could snag an early lunch?
"Found him!" Charlie declared a few moments later
"Where've you been?" Sirius asked, cutting off his conversation with Andy and Remus.
"Like I said, he was playing with the dragons," Charlie replied for him.
Harry started to protest before snapping his jaw shut; there was no way that he was going to win that one.
He'd been led to a bluff that overlooked the great sand dunes that formed the Preserve and where the dragons all had their weyrs. It looked peaceful, the golden sand with clumps of grass dotted here and there, sometimes in great lines winding their way across the tops of the dunes and the bright blue, cloudless sky above. A slight shifting off to his right saw a dragon back emerge from the sand where it'd buried itself before it gave a massive shake before settling back down once again.
Harry itched to get a brush or a piece of charcoal in his hand to capture the scene. But that, he knew, would be called 'playing'. Suppressing his sigh, he focussed on the men around him.
"How are our dragons this morning?" Andy asked.
"They're good," Harry nodded. "I think flaming the bunyip yesterday helped to heal them. Mind you, they're still maintaining a wing over Shiklyn's weyr, just in case of any more trouble."
"Not that we expect any," Remus stated.
"No, that bunyip was alone," Andy said. "In every story that the Elders told, there was only ever one bunyip."
"A solitary creature," Charlie nodded.
"Indeed," Andy nodded.
"In that case, I would say that the job here is done," Charlie stated, causing Harry to start and stare at him.
"What?" he blurted.
"You knew that this was only a temporary assignment, Harry," Charlie said.
"But the contract…" Harry began.
"Is for all of the signed dragon reserves around the world," Charlie finished for him. "That's true. But you know that your primary base is to be the Romanian Reserve, especially during your first year where you're still learning the job."
Sirius' snort had all of their heads turning to him.
"What?" he asked. "You know that Harry's teaching you a Merlin-sight more by talking to the dragons than what you lot can teach him."
Andy laughed. "He does have a point."
"Don't agree with him too much, he's already got an ego the size of a dragon, he doesn't need it inflated," Remus stated causing everyone but Sirius to laugh.
"I am assuming that you want to see Ramaranth and the hatchlings?" Charlie asked.
"Of course!" Harry quickly replied. "And Memzath and Grouleth and all of the others. I just … I wasn't expecting to have to say goodbye to the dragons here so soon."
"I dare say that you'll be back before you know it," Andy said, laying a hand on his shoulder.
"When do we leave?" he asked.
"We'll take a portkey from here at four this afternoon," Charlie said. "With the eight-hour time difference, that'll get us there at eight this morning."
Harry nodded, his mind already on getting back to the dragons to say goodbye properly.
"Just in time for you to have breakfast," Charlie finished, causing Harry to glare at him.
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12:05pm
Tuesday, 23 August 1995
Australasian Dragon Preserve, Australia
.
Harry had packed in what felt like record time. All of his notes about the Antipodean Opaleyes, the bunyip, his painting, sketches and carvings had been secured in his trunk. He'd also done his rounds of the dragon keepers, saying goodbye to each of them. Now, with a sandwich in hand, he was ready to spend the next few hours with the dragons.
For some reason, that Harry found completely unnecessary and irritating, Charlie had magically stuck a piece of bark to his arm.
"It's got an alarm charm on it," he was told. "As soon as it goes off, you get your ass back here, got it! That portkey will not wait for you."
He'd nodded his agreement, assuring him that he'd even be back before the thing went off, not that Harry completely believed it himself. Nor did Charlie, judging by the look on his face.
Mounting his Nimbus, Harry took to the sky.
As he soared towards the beach, dragon heads lifted towards him, many bugling in greeting and Harry grinned and waved at them all. Crossing the last sand dune, he swung around to the south, following the coastline. The Preserve was big and, just near the southern point, he knew that there was a small inlet that wound its way inland for a number of kilometres. The dragons had avoided building their weyrs in that area, thus it wasn't a section that he'd really explored. Time, though, was about to run out.
Landing his broom, he took a look around. The banks of the inlet were high and the water appeared deep, dotted with the occasional log resting on the bottom of it. There were plants in there, too. Water plants which, he hoped, were magical. Really, he had no way to tell. Still, he knew that Neville would appreciate whatever he managed to collect and send back. It was the thought that counted, right?
Kicking off his shoes, Harry waded into the water. Whisps of sand were kicked up and they obscured his view of the plants that he was aiming for. But only for a couple of seconds. His eyes widened as he saw a dim green glow appear in the swirling water that quickly grew brighter and brighter as the cloudy water cleared.
"Brilliant!" Harry grinned. "A water cleaning plant!"
Judging by its glow, he knew that it had to be magical. Quickly, he bent and began digging into the sand under the water before pulling a plant free.
Digging into his pocket as he waded back onto shore, his pulled out a miniature bucket that was quickly resized, before being filled with a layer of sand, the plant and sea water. The stasis spell was applied using his rowan and willow wand to give it added potency for a longer-lasting spell.
He was so intent on his task that he was startled when a triplet of dragons crested the bank above him, two flying, one in a lumbering run and all three flaming! Harry's eyes widened in shock and he dropped the bucket, even as he stumbled backwards towards the water.
A great paw – Cantrum, Harry belated realised – reached down, grabbed his arm and yanked, jerking him off of his feet and up into the air. The snap of jaws right below his boots had him looking down. Right into a set of jaws full of the sharpest teeth that Harry had ever seen!
§What the bleeding hell do you think you're doing§? he yelled at the crocodile.
Instantly, the jaws snapped shut again, only this time, Harry was sure that it was in surprise, more than in an attempt to eat him.
His eyes stayed fixed on the crocodile as it dropped back into the water, its powerful tail working to propel it through the water and deep below the surface.
§Speaker, are you unharmed§? Cantrum asked as he lowered Harry to the ground.
§Yeah, yeah I think so§, he replied, his legs feeling like jelly. He sat and looked up at Cantrum, Dankrum and Zanzyn. §Thank you, you saved my life§!
§You are our Speaker§, Dankrum stated as if saving his life was of no importance.
Harry looked back at the water and shivered. That was Merlin-be-damned close. It took two tries before he was settled enough for his magic to grab up the fallen bucket and fly it back into his hand.
§Did that crocodile understand me§? he asked, staring at the water where now only a 'log' lay on the bottom.
§As it should. You are a Speaker§, Cantrum stated.
Harry thought about that. Speaker. Parseltongue. When he'd first heard the term, it'd meant 'someone who could talk to snakes'. Of course, Ramaranth had proved that it also meant being able to talk to dragons. Snakes and dragons. And now crocodiles? What else? They were all reptiles. He wondered if anyone had ever done a study on it?
§What was it you were doing, Speaker§? Zanzyn asked.
Harry looked at the bucket sitting between his legs.
§I was collecting a plant for my friend§,he replied.§He really likes plants and I thought a magical plant from Australia would make a good present for him§.
Reading dragon expressions wasn't easy but even Harry could tell that none of them thought that a plant was a good gift for anyone. Neville, though, wasn't a dragon.
"He'll like it," he assured the dragons. "Now, I just need something for Daphne, Hermione and Susan."
§These are more two-leg friends of yours§? Dankrum asked carefully.
§Yes. They're girls. And Daphne is very special to me§, he replied. §I know that they'll be disappointed not to meet you§.
§It is rare for us to meet anyone, even others of our own kind§, Dankrum stated.
Speaking of Daphne gave Harry an idea. He checked his watch, did the time conversion and winced. He thought that his idea was a good one, after all, the way that she'd been with Ramaranth proved it. Surely, she'd think so too?
Decided, Harry pulled the mirror from his pocket.
"Daphne," he said. When there was no answer, he tried again. "Daphne! Daphne! Daphne Greengrass!"
"Do you know what time it is?" a grumbling Daphne asked.
Her eyes were barely open and she had the most atrocious head of bed-hair that he'd ever seen, not that he'd ever tell her that.
"Hi, sorry for waking you?" he said.
One eye opened, looked at him and promptly slammed shut.
"Where are you?" she asked, her words slurring somewhat. "It's too bright to see."
"I'm still in Australia. At least for a few more hours," he replied. "But before I leave here, I though that you might like to meet some friends of mine?"
"Friends?" she asked, her eyes opening wide. "Harry! I'm still in bed!"
"They're not going to care about that," he laughed. He twisted about then and waved his hand at the mirror, spelling it to float up and away. "Can you see my friends?"
"Is that…?" she breathed.
Suddenly, the picture in the mirror jostled before settling on an image of Daphne now sitting up in bed, her eyes wide.
"Yep," he replied. "This is Dankrum, Cantrum and Zanzyn."
"Antipodean Opaleyes," Daphne said, staring at them. "Can you say 'hello' to them for me?"
"Sure," he replied before looking up at his friends. §The person you can see in the mirror is my girlfriend, Daphne. She lives on the other side of the world. She says that it's an honour to meet you and wishes that she was here to do so in person§.
§The honour is ours, meeting the mate of our Speaker§, Dankrum said, inclining her great head.
"What did she say?" Daphne asked anxiously. "And what did you say? That seemed a lot of hissing to just to say 'hello'."
"I used the appropriate form of introduction," he grinned. "And Dankrum said that it was an honour to meet you."
"They're beautiful," she breathed, a sentiment that Harry immediately passed on.
§Your mate is welcome to visit our weyr§, Cantrum said.
§Thank you§, Harry replied.§Although, I'm not sure when that will be§.
§You will be here at the hatching§,Dankrum stated, as though it was an irrefutable fact. §Your mate will join you then§.
Harry blinked and gave the most solemn bow that he could, considering that he was seated on the ground.
§It would be our honour§, he replied, and turned to the mirror. "Um, Daphne, we've both just been invited to the hatching of the dragon eggs in a month or so."
She gaped at him, her jaw dropped and her eyes round. "What? Really? I'd ... we'd love to see that. Wouldn't we?"
That last part sounded a little uncertain to Harry and he smiled reassuringly at her.
"Definitely," he nodded.
A scratching, tearing sound had Harry turning to see Zanzyn pulling at the scales just below his wing. He watched, wide-eyed as the dragon pulled three loose and dropped them just in front of Harry.
§Zanzyn§? he asked.
§For your mate and your other two-leg friends§, Zanzyn stated.§A much better gift than plants§.
Harry looked down at the pearlescent scales the size of a dinner plate. Each was slightly concave and shone with the radiance of the reflected sun.
§Zanzyn, that is such a generous gift! I don't know what to say but on behalf of my … my mate and my friends, I thank you from the bottom of my heart§, Harry said, adding in the deepest bow that he could.
"Harry? What's going on there? Are those dragon scales?" Daphne asked.
"Yes. They are," he replied. "Zanzyn has gifted one to you and others for Hermione and Susan."
She stared at him, obviously struggling to comprehend the enormity of the gift. To some, those scales would be worth more than their weight in galleons. But he knew that Daphne – and Hermione and Susan once they found out – they'd understand the real worth of them, a dragon's friendship and that couldn't be measured on any scale.
"What about Neville?" Daphne asked when she found her voice.
Harry held up the bucket. "I got him a magical Australian plant."
Daphne snorted in a very un-ladylike way. "Yes, much more appropriate."
"Is there anything that you'd like to ask the dragons?" Harry asked her.
At first, she stared at him, and he could see her mind spinning at the absurdity of talking to a dragon. But only for a moment. Then the questions came thick and fast and he was left simply as an interpreter between the dragons and his girlfriend, something that all of them seemed to find fascinating.
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3:50pm
Tuesday, 23 August 1995
Australasian Dragon Preserve, Australia
.
"It's been great having you here, mate," Andy said, shaking Harry's hand.
"I'm glad that I could help," he smiled.
"You know that you're welcome back here anytime," Andy continued. "Hopefully, next time won't be an emergency."
"Next month," Harry nodded.
"What's that, Pup?" Sirius asked.
Harry looked at him with a lop-sided grin. "We'll be back here next month."
"Perhaps you'd like to elaborate on that," Remus stated mildly.
"I've been invited back for the hatching," he shrugged. He barely gave them enough time to digest that before he dropped the bombshell. "Dankrum invited Daphne, too."
"The dragon leader of this weyr invited your girlfriend to come see the hatching of baby dragons?" Charlie breathed, having staggered slightly.
"Yeah, so?" Harry asked.
"Harry, you do understand that dragons don't let anyone – and I mean anyone, not even dragon keepers – anywhere near their eggs when they're hatching?" Charlie managed to choke out.
Harry blinked at him. No, he had no idea that was the case. In the end he simply shrugged. He was the Speaker and he'd helped save those eggs so that they could hatch. As far as he was concerned, it just felt right that he'd be there to see the happy event.
Deciding to change the subject, Harry grasped the piece of eucalypt on the thong around his neck that allowed him to pass through the Preserve's wards and started to take it off.
"Keep it, Lad," Andy said. "I suspect that you're going to be needing it more than most."
Harry nodded at him and let the wood dangle onto his chest once again. "Thanks, Andy. See you next month!"
"It's almost time," Remus warned. "Everyone grab hold!"
Instantly, Harry reached in and grabbed the boomerang, his hand between Charlie and Sirius. A few seconds later, a flash of intense blue grabbed them and magicked them away.