Chapter Two: Streak
I ran towards the edge of the Forbidden Forest in my animagus wolf form at 9:45pm. The run would take 5 minutes which would get me there for 9:50. More than enough time to call the Centaurs.
"Kiara," a voice stopped me running along one of the edges of the Forbidden Forest. It was unfamiliar, but must know of me been an animagus so it was someone who was trusted.
I turned to see one of the Centaur stood beckoning me over. Deciding it was very safe to do so I walked over to the creature, lowering my head as I did and returning to my human form.
"Come," he demanded, turning from the school and walking into the Forbidden Forest.
"You sent the owl?" I questioned in shock.
"No, however we've been asked to care for it until you got here. The poor guy came to us an hour ago asking for permission to have it in our forest, of course he was welcome to leave it, a most gracious gift he is giving to you," the Centaur explained.
"Who was he?" I demanded, following closely behind the Centaur.
"You'll see Kiara, he is beside the egg," the Centaur explained. "Let us run, it is hatching shortly," the Centaur instantly changed to a gallop whilst I changed form to my animagus albino wolf form and followed closely beside him.
My eyes landed on a rather large egg that lay in the middle of an area of the forest with not may trees, allowing the moonlight to beam directly down on the slightly moving egg.
"That's a-" I paused, edging closer to the crimson egg which was shaking violently, definitely ready to hatch. "Dragon egg," I finally finished, edging within touching distance of the egg.
I never thought I'd be this close to a dragon egg. Never in my life, let alone be this close to one at Hogwarts. My mind blanked from everything else as I watched the egg form tiny cracks along its hard shell.
I couldn't believe for a moment I was watching a dragon hatch, and I half expected at any moment for the four Marauders to jump out of the egg and laugh at me. I wouldn't put it past them doing something like that. Getting somebodies hopes up then shattering them in an instant.
That didn't happen though; instead the egg finally split open, its shell breaking along the cracks and out came a crimson dragon hatchling. Embryo from the egg covered the small creature whose eyes were trying to open. I knew from reading that a dragon could walk and see when it was born. According to people who have tried to tame a dragon in the past, the most dangerous stages are the first few weeks when the fire that was for its own protection at birth can be unleashed upon anybody. So many had died in the first weeks due to trying to tame such a wild creature.
I sat in complete awe at the tiny creature and it began coughing up black smoke, finally clearing its throat and looking around that the centaurs and myself. It made a high pitched whine as a lot of newly hatched creatures do.
I glanced around the area and found that food had already been placed down for the small hatchling. Mice and rats mainly.
I took one of the rats by the tail and held it out for the hatchling. It gave it a sniff and clamped its jaws around the dead animal, eating the thing whole.
I read that dragons could not in any way be tamed; however they say that about all animals. I grabbed another rat and held it out to the small dragon but it turned its head from it, seemingly full from one.
"Not hungry no more?" I questioned, reaching out and giving it a calming stroke on the head.
The dragon was watching me curiously and clumsily walked further my way, resting its head in my outstretched head peacefully.
"Sleepy?" I quizzed, having enough courage now in the little creature to pick it up and hold it closer, examining the small creature up close. "Can..." I paused and lifted its tail, trying not to cause harm to the dragon. I smiled and my eyes retuned to the centaurs "he stay here?" I looked towards the Centaurs.
"He can yes, however we need to know it will not do us harm, we will chance it and help with its growth. We trust you can tame this beast, however one sign of danger and we'll kill it do you understand?"
"I understand," I nodded, watching the now sleeping dragon in my arms.
"It has somewhere safe to stay you know," a very familiar voice spoke from behind me and I only just realised now just who the owl was actually off. The voice alone threw confusion through my entire body.
"You," I turned, glancing at the boy who stood with a smug look across his face. "How did you get it?" I walked closer to none other than Sirius Black. "No scratch that...why?"
"You like magical and non-magical creatures. Where I got it is no interest of concern, and does it matter how I got it? Point is I got it," Sirius smirked, watching the crimson dragon in my arms.
"So what's the catch?" I questioned, knowing Sirius would not do this for nothing.
"You and Kali to stop stopping the Marauders pranks," Sirius spoke up after a moments though.
"Consider it stopped," I nodded, looking behind Sirius to a hole beneath a tree with hay inside.
"The Centaurs will watch over him while you're in school. How about it Lupey, can you tame such a creature?"
I smirked and gave the dragon a kiss on its nose and stared into its yellowy orbs. "Of course I can, right Streak?" I named as the dragon extended its wings, carefully folding them back just before I put him in the hole at the tree base.
Streak glanced out the hole, curiously, watching me backing off from him. He opened his mouth and let out another high pitched whine, this one different to his last when he was hungry.
"Streak I'll be back, I just have to go for a while, I have school, but don't worry I'll be back. For now the Centaurs will watch over you and if you're a good boy I'll bring you lots of treats," I reasoned, not sure the dragon understood or not but he curled into a ball moments later and fell asleep.
"You like Streak then?" Sirius questioned, his eyes focussed on the sleeping dragon curled in the bed of hay.
I stood from my kneeling position next to the sleeping dragon hatchling and turned to Sirius.
"Thank you," I gave a smile and looked up towards the crescent moon. "Why trade such a creature for a simply request to ask Kali and I to stop?"
Sirius gave a shrug. "Well truthfully my mother got the egg given to her for my brother to torment and train magic on when it hatched. Finally killing it. Better you have it than him right?"
"Thank you," I grabbed his wrist and pulled him into a tight embrace. "Thank you so much," I mumbled into his shirt.
"Welcome," Sirius laughed, returning my embrace.
I pulled away and gave a simple smile and continued walking towards the Hogwarts castle. "I'll take good care of him," I promised myself, glancing back to where I knew Streak laid.
Why did I name him Streak? It was just a simple detail I'd found on the hatchling. His whole body was crimson except for the black streak of spines which ran down his back, which in time would grow to be a ferocious weapon to him.
"By the way don't tell Lily or Kali about this, as far as they are concerned you didn't receive anything but you met up with Mooney who discussed his liking to Kali to you," Sirius explained as we exited the Forbidden Forest after a mostly silent walk.
"But Remus-"
"Prongs, Wormtail and Mooney know obviously and Mooney agreed to this, besides Mooney wrote the letter for me," Sirius stuck his tongue out.
"Well sorry to burst your bubble Padfoot but Lily and Kali aren't stupid and they'll know Mooney is with them and not you," I rolled my eyes.
"Actually none of them are in Gryffindor tower, they're in one of the secret passages in Hogwarts waiting for me, trust me Lupey we're not stupid either."
I shrugged. "Whatever," I spat and with that I'd transformed into my animagus form and made a sprint for the Gryffindor Tower.
Lessons finally came around the third day of returning to Hogwarts and not surprisingly I shared a lot of my lessons with James and Sirius. In fact the only lessons I didn't have with the two was Ancient Runes and Care for Magical Creatures, which still I managed to get with Sirius and Peter
No idea how the two did it but they managed perfectly to get each advanced class they chose with each other.
"Kiara you coming?" Lily knocked on the bathroom door, signalising the other two were going down to breakfast.
I moved my hair out my eyes and finished my simple eyeliner which I wore daily. Nothing else, just the eyeliner to bring out my gold and grey eyes more.
Satisfied I opened the bathroom door and followed Lily and Kali down to breakfast. Kali was shier than she'd ever been before, as was Remus I observed every morning when we all sat for breakfast.
I had my book bag on as I entered the Great Hall for breakfast, looking at my timetable as I did so.
Thursday. Which meant Defence Against the Dark Arts first with Kali. Not a bad lesson to start with at all, and one I was looking forward to. We had exactly two hours before the start of lessons, which meant I'd be off on the morning routine with any spare food to give to Streak.
Since Sirius had given the hatchling to me three days prior to this morning, Remus and James had seen the creature, but as promised I didn't mention it to Lily and Kali.
As far as the two girls where concerned I had been wondering off with the Marauders to fix up Kali and Remus. A story they seemed happy with, but made Kali and Remus very shy around eating times.
Lily had also questioned James about Kali and Remus which I learnt the previous night and James agreed I'd been helping them get the two together.
I felt a tap on my leg under the table and glanced across at Sirius who gestured for me to look under the table. I cast a shifty glance around at Kali and Lily.
Both were trying to have conversation with me so no way could I look under the table for no reason. I shoved a bit of pancake in my mouth and had a feel under the table.
Sirius seemed happy enough with my hand under the table and found it quickly and put some food into my outstretched hand.
I cast him a thankful smile and stuffed the food in my bag along with some that James had kindly slipped in from his position beside me.
"Lupey you got a sec?" James smiled once I finished eating.
"Can it wait a second?" I sighed, resting my head in my hands.
"Nope," Sirius laughed, jumping across the table and dragging me up with James.
"Leave her alone!" Lily snapped, slamming her fists into the table and glaring at the two boys.
"It's okay Lily we'll take care of her love," James blew Lily a kiss, making her fume instantly and cast a bright red blush across her face.
"Lil calm down, I'll be right back okay?" I showed her a calming smile. "See you in Defence Against the Dark Arts Kali," I gave her a wave and left with Sirius and James.
Once outside the Hogwarts school we glanced at the rising sun and headed to the Forbidden Forest to see the ever growing Streak.
"Lupey what does Lily like? I was thinking of getting her a gift maybe," James explained as we ran across to the Forbidden Forest.
"Prongs to be honest you gave Lily the perfect opportunity to dislike you," I admitted to him after a long time of keeping what Lily felt secret.
"What do you mean?" he quizzed with deep cuiousity burning in his eyes.
"Lily sees her friendship with Snape breaking up because of you," I revealed simply.
"Me!" James gasped. "But...but in fifth year was the first time Lily had stuck up for Snivellus! And Snivellus called her a Mudblood! How was I anything to do with it?" he demanded to know.
"Simple. If you were not bullying Snape because you were bored, Lily wouldn't have tried to stop you. Snape vented his rage at Lily after been humiliated by you," I explained as simply as I could. "Lily was crying in her room after that with Kali and I trying to comfort her. She feels if you hadn't bullied Snape, he wouldn't have turned on her like he did."
"Good job Prongs," Sirius clapped James on the back with a smile. "Now you gotta make 'em mates again."
"No," I shook my head. "Snape loves Lily, it wouldn't be go-"
Both boys broke down laughing before I could finished. When I say broke down, I mean rolled onto the floor laughing.
"GET UP!" I yelled after hearing enough from them both, dragging the two up as best I could.
"Snivellus stands no chance with Lily," James grunted, finally carrying on walking towards Streak.
"And neither do you as it stands," Sirius chipped in. "Seriously Lily and Snivellus won't get together, try to make em mates again."
"Again no," I shook my head instantly. "I don't trust anyone friends with Slytherin right now," I spat with hatred in every word I spoke.
"Okay you know something we don't," James clicked his fingers. "What's your rents been doing recently?"
"Knights of Walpurgis or something like that," I revealed and Sirius instantly stopped walking. He came from a darker family so he may know something. "Padfoot?" I questioned, glancing at the boy.
"I've heard about them a while back from my parents when they were talking to Regulus. I think my parents are with them or support them or something like that," Sirius revealed.
"And my parents are trying to work out just exactly what they are. All the Auror's are. Muggles and Muggle-Born wizards are been murdered around the world, purely here also. Auror's have been tipped about some Knights of Walpurgis are the cause so far, and it's beginning to spread some fear."
"Lily's muggle born," James instantly thought of his love.
"Prongs don't worry about Lily, Dumbledore won't let anything happen to her," I showed him a smile. "Now can we get walking! Streak's waiting."
James was obviously in thought over Lily as we entered the clearing where Streak was living. He was so deep in thought that I had to nudge him as we neared where Streak was supposed to be.
No sign of him.
"Streak!" I called out, looking around the area, but nothing was moving...
"Up there," Sirius pointed up in one of the trees where Streak had perched himself, staring down at us.
"Dragon's shouldn't be able to fly until their at least 2 months old," I gasped. "He must have climbed," I decided and looked at the poor hatchling, guessing he was stuck up the tree.
"Gimme a boost," I demanded after realising I wouldn't be able to reach the first branch in the tree. James complied and allowed me to stand on his shoulders so I could hook myself on the first branch and reach up to the hatchling.
"Streak come on," I demanded in a firm but gentle tone, my eyes making contact with his own as he slowly edged over to my outstretched arms, feeling safety in them.
"Good boy," I smiled, gently stroking down his developing scales and reaching into my bag for some food which James, Sirius and I had been collecting day by day.
"Do you think it will be tame when it's older?" James asked as we sat beside a tree and began playing with the small hatchling, trying to develop its own survival skills whilst living out here.
"Who knows, hopefully," I shrugged. "Let's see if I really can charm animals. Who knows maybe if Streak and I have a success rate of becoming dragon and tamer a new view on dragons may open up."
"Well people said nobody could keep a Phoenix but Dumbledore has managed it," Sirius noted. "Lupey think you'll be able to like ride on the back of him when he's old enough?"
"Let's focus on helping him fly first and watch over him grow. Dragon's growth is Amazing. By 2 months he'll be bigger than us and that's when we'll start to know if he really is tame slightly," I revealed.
"Wouldn't it be better if he stayed with you then?" James quizzed, snatching up Streak, making Streak try to bite him.
James soon pulled back from Streak and allowed him to come back to me and curl up in my outstretched arms.
"No," I shook my head, lifting up the curious hatchling and smiling at it. "These visits are enough. It gives him something to look forward to and also allowed him to see that no matter where we are we're still thinking of him."
James and Sirius didn't understand that but after an hour and half of playing with Streak we had to leave for lessons and left him some food to eat and put him down and said out byes.
Streak followed us out of the clearing but once we got out of his boundaries he didn't follow and instead let out baby roars after us.