On the Wings of Dragons

by Bobmin356

The Weyr prepares for the step of going public against the backdrop of heightening international tensions and increasingly complex personal issues. And is Britain really secure now that the Ministry has been conquered? Sequel to The Queen Who Fell to Earth. Harry/Hr/OCF

4. Chapter 4

Standard Disclaimer:

"So you're stuck on your Who who epic?" asked Bob, trying to hide his glee.

Alyx nodded tearfully. "Yes I have writers block. I tried some medication for it, but it didn't work."

Bob stared at her incredulously, then shook his head. "That medication for another type of block and when it starts working you might not want to get too far from the bathroom."

Alyx looked at him in surprise, then she lunged at him and grabbed him by the shirt and started shaking. "What am I going to do? I was all set to have Severus give his rendition of Swan Lake in interpretative dance format as a birthday present for Prince Draco but I don't know what comes next!" she wailed.

Bob stepped back and recovered from being shaken, then he dusted off his shirt. "I anticipated this actually. Fortunately I managed to cobble together a couple of potential plot points for you," he said, then he turned to the audience. "Get your mind out of the gutter! I know I could have said gobble, just because she's doing slash, but I would never stoop so low."

He held out a ten inch high stack of post it notes. Alyx's eyes lit up and she grabbed the pile from Bob and read the first one. "Dastardly Harry Potter casts an enlarging charm on the Who who and tries to sell the idea to Japanese movie studios that the Who who beats Godzilla as the next major movie monster," she muttered. "Hmm Maybe."

She peeled off the first note and read the second one. "Voldemort turns the Who who into an infieri?"

Bob shook his head. "While she's doing that, I'll just say we don't own Harry Potter or the Dragon riders of Pern."

"Harry Potter enlarges the Who who and gives it to pygmy cannibals who start to worship it," Alyx said, reading another note. "I like that one. Severus wanted to do that."

Bob shook his head. "All right, on with the chapter while she works on plot points."

With that Bob walked off the stage leaving Alyx standing there. "Oh here's a good one," she exclaimed. "Harry hides the stolen Who who in a frankfurter factory. As Severus and Prince Draco race to find it, they have no clue it's already en-route to a Chicago ball park concession stand!"

Her eyes gleamed with anticipation, "I could do a whole section in the 24 hour format and have Bob make ticking noises in the background!"

---

A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.
- Winston Churchill

#10 Downing Street, London, October 1st...

Croaker, Dumbledore and Sir William filed into the Prime Minister's office. All three noted that Lord Kennewick was present and looked rather grim.

John Major looked up and waved them inside. "Gentlemen, thank you for coming on such short notice, but we have trouble brewing and we're in need of help. Cyril?"

Kennewick nodded. "Yesterday at four hundred hours, there was an explosion in Rome that leveled the Magistral Palace of the Order of Malta. The Italian government is claiming a terrorist bombing, but we have heard from some of our contacts on the continent that this may be a result of the increasingly violent Italian/Greek magical conflict."

Croaker looked a little confused and he leaned forward on his chair. "Were many injured?"

"According to press reports the night staff, twelve people, are unaccounted for, and of course any unfortunate passersby. Right now the Italian authorities are still shifting through the rubble looking for bodies."

Major picked up another piece of paper. "Last week, a bus carrying a group of Greek tourists plunged off a mountain road, killing everyone on board. The strange thing is that the Greeks are also blaming it on terrorists.

"Gentlemen, our problem is a simple one. Both Italy and Greece are NATO allies and we now believe that they are no longer in control of their respective countries. Add to that the fact that we have no view inside many of the magical governments and we're groping in the dark," he said, angrily throwing the paper on the desk. "We need to build up an intelligence network and we need to do it quickly."

"Sir, this is more of a job for MI6," protested Sir William.

"You're right, Sir William," Kennewick replied. "Under normal circumstances we'd ask them. We have a few wizards that we could send overseas, but we don't know who runs the foreign Ministries. You, on the other hand, must have access to people who either know or can obtain that information."

"We thought about asking the dragons for help, but Sir Robert explained their abilities as far as reading people was rather superficial," Major admitted.

Dumbledore nodded. "At best, the dragons are masters of what I would call a surface legilimency scan. Even Legilimency isn't true mind reading as portrayed in literature. The dragons are marvelous at determining the emotional state of a person and reading their personality, but they can't really read minds. Their exceptional hearing, coupled with their ability to perform this surface scan, implies more ability than what really exists. They can talk to others telepathically, but they can't really read any mind, except perhaps that of their rider."

Major nodded. "Yes, that's basically how Sir Robert described it. He also told me that the dragon's ability to remain hidden can be overcome with a spell?"

"Mage sight," said Croaker. "Most wizards never cast it because of the headache it causes. Professional dragon handlers become immune to the headache given enough time, but it's not a generally well known spell. It is, however, a common tool for dragon handlers and most magical law enforcement groups, since it allows a wizard to see charmed or cursed objects."

"So the dragons can't help with this. The real question is what kind of help can you provide MI6? We're going to need to set up a new department, I'm afraid, but it'll be staffed with experienced personnel at least at the management levels. We'll have people who know how to run the department, but no one will know their subject material." Kennewick said.

"It's a shame we lost Dirk Cresswell," murmured Croaker.

Major looked at him, the question in his expression obvious.

"Dirk Cresswell wasn't a pure blood wizard, but he was very good at what he did. Unfortunately, his ancestry became an issue and he was pushed to the office of Goblin liaison as a preliminary step to firing him. It was part of the old Ministry's policy to shove out the door any muggle born that was capable of out performing his pureblood counterparts. Before he was moved to Goblin liaison, he rose up through the office of International Cooperation. He was one of the few people who knew all of the Ministries and who ran them."

"Can we get him?" asked Kennewick.

Croaker shook his head. "I doubt it. He quit the Ministry at the beginning of the year and emigrated to Canada, somewhere in British Columbia I believe."

Major and Kennewick exchanged a look and Kennewick nodded. "I'll contact our Canadian cousins and see what they can do to locate him. If he's not willing to come back permanently, we'll offer him a contract to assemble dossiers on each country and who's who."

"Good idea," Major said.

"We could talk to some of our merchants or perhaps the goblins, for information. The Ministries tended to be rather insular and not really involved in the affairs of other countries, but many merchants had to make their own contacts overseas. And the goblin territory lies under most of the world, except for some of the Pacific nations," offered Croaker.

"Gentlemen, please do," said Major. "We are struggling to determine who is in charge in a great many countries. For example, we think Germany and France are fine, as it seems both the mundane and magical Ministries are working together closely. Norway and Sweden, on the other hand, have what looked like a magical ministry that is only paying lip service. It's a mess and we have no real way of confirming this right now."

"Prime Minister, what will you do if you find the wizards are in control?" asked Dumbledore.

Major and Kennewick exchanged a glance. "It depends. In the case of the United States, the wizards were just keeping the regular government in the dark as to their activities. In such cases we'll probably approach regular government at the highest possible diplomatic levels and offer our aid in wresting control back to the regular government," Kennewick offered.

"And in the case of the wizards controlling everything?" Dumbledore pressed.

Major looked uncomfortable, "We're not sure. It's not like we can openly declare war on countries. We have allies in this effort and I think we'd like to reach some sort of consensus before acting first. There are other options available, including the world court of public opinion."

"You'd expose wizards to the world?" exclaimed Croaker.

"Mr. Croaker," Kennewick said frostily, "there will soon be five thousand million people in the world and your segment of it adds up to less than ten million. We would not want to resort to that action, and perhaps the threat of exposure alone might bring some nations around. However, the simple fact is, the world needs to be back in control by the majority of the populace, not an elite few with a rare ability."

"Mr. Croaker, you knew that sooner or later your world would have to be made public. You simply cannot hide much longer. Everyday it shrinks smaller as science and technology allow us to do things you can't," Major said gently. "It was one of Sir William's tasks to work out ways to gently make your people known without causing you too much difficulty."

Croaker looked disappointed. "I knew about Sir William's tasks, sir, I just hoped it wouldn't come to that. Honestly, I can't see a way of doing this that won't result in witch hunts and public stonings again."

"You can be assured that Her Majesty's government will work very hard to see that does not happen Mr. Croaker," Major said firmly.

Croaker nodded, but he didn't look any happier.

Her Majesty's High Court, October 1st...

Cornelius Fudge was led into the small glass paneled chamber. He had two guards with him, although at this point he was a broken man and the guards were unnecessary. He looked around without any great interest. The scene was unfamiliar to him. He had lived for months without the use of his magic or any friendly conversation other than his court appointed defense. It was a crushing blow to someone who had climbed to the very pinnacle of power, only to have it snatched from his grasp at the last minute.

On the other side of the glass panels was a large room with only three people in it. A guard reached forward and flipped a switch on wall panel. A speaker crackled momentarily, then the guard nodded to one of the men in the room.

The bailiff stood and said, "All rise! This session of the High Court is now in session. The right honorable justice Edwards presiding."

Fudge looked up in alarm. He had been told that he would be sent to trial, but he never really believed it. Even the conversations he had had with his court appointed barrister hadn't driven that point home.

Justice Edwards sat and shuffled some papers, then he looked up. He peered over the rim of his glasses towards Fudge's Barrister. "Mr. Wells, your motion to make this an open session is denied, as these proceedings are covered under the Official Secrets Act. However, in order to address your concerns, I have petitioned the Lord Chief Justice to review the transcripts of these proceedings."

Wells frowned and looked unhappy, but he'd known it was a long shot when he filed the petition. The fact that the judge was asking for a review was both welcome and unwelcome. By asking for the review, the judge was short circuiting the appeals process, making it harder for him to mount an appeal at a later date.

Edwards glanced down at his paperwork, then he looked over to the Prosecuting attorney. "Mr. Simon, is Her Majesty's prosecutor ready to present the case?"

Simon stood. "We are, your honor."

"Very well then, you may proceed."

Fudge slipped lower and lower in his chair as the Prosecutor read off the list of charges, including treason, sedition, murder, willful obstruction of justice, as well as a host of other charges.

Cornelius suddenly realized he would never take another breath as a free man. He had gambled and lost, not only personally, but his loss had destroyed the very pinnacle of the wizarding world.

Condron Weyr, New Mexico, October 2nd...

Harry and his three wings popped out of Between into the dry heat of New Mexico. He looked down and was shocked by the amount of equipment and buildings sprawled out below him. There had to be a hundred trucks filled with gravel and sand, waiting to be unloaded into the enormous hangars that had been erected.

Nearby there were dozens of mobile homes, some still sitting on their trailers, waiting to be seated onto their foundations. Three Quonset buildings had been set up as barracks for potentials and what would be the administration building was still being erected. The old run down hangars had been torn down and replaced with new sparkling buildings that were originally designed to house massive bombers.

It was a Saturday and what ever work crews that had been present were gone for the weekend.

"They haven't been standing still," muttered Harry in amazement, then he nudged Chekiath. "Let's land the wings."

Cheki banked and started to lose altitude. The wings followed him all the way down, maintaining their precise formation.

Harry pulled off his helmet and wiped at his brow. Even in early Autumn it was hot in New Mexico. He spotted Doctor Standish standing next to Jasper Brady, the American from the Department of Magic. Behind them were several military types he didn't recognize. Harry waved to Milton, then he lightly dismounted from Chekiath.

Milton Standish had left Campbeltown a few days earlier to return to the States and head up the NASA led scientific team assigned to Condron. Mildred O'Connor had been asked to return also, but Sir Robert had asked that she be assigned as permanent scientific liaison to the British scientific team. Harry was happy to learn that she had accepted the position. Remus was even happier.

Doctor Standish strode forward briskly with a bright smile on his face and Harry smiled back.

"Doctor Standish, I am very impressed with what you've managed to accomplish here."

Milton nodded and waved towards the buildings. "Our administration wants this very much, Weyrleader. Given that, we've been able to marshal enough resources to do a lot."

Harry grunted in agreement, then he turned to Jasper Brady. "Mr. Brady, it is good to see you again. How goes the search for potentials?"

"Ralaninth has been a big help finding potentials. We have a large list to choose from and your Miss Lovegood has been over here several times helping us in the vetting process. We currently have two lists, one of younger potentials and one at the right age. I understand you're limiting the dragons to one hundred and twenty eggs this time, but we'll have our share of candidates."

Harry looked apologetically at the man. "I know you want to send more and impress more dragons, but we'll be taking in potentials from the UK, Tibet and the US. We just don't have the room to house that many candidates and riders while they are at Disko. As it stands, we're going to need your help to keep your candidates in line. It will also take all three manned Wings to help with the training following the impression."

Brady nodded. "Yes, I saw your request. We plan on asking several of the parents to come along to provide chaperone duties." He looked over his shoulder and he motioned to one man. "Weyrleader, this is Captain Wilson of the United States Marines. He will be putting together a detail to provide security for the Weyr similar to what you have."

Wilson eyed Harry for a moment, then he snapped to attention and saluted. Harry blushed slightly and nodded to the man, then he extended his hand. "Captain, thank you for your help. I'm going to suggest you contact our Major Atkins. She maintains Weyr security for us. Doctor Standish can help you get in touch with her. She can offer you some good ideas in regard to providing security for the Weyr. She can also tell you about how we use dragons to mount an airborne patrol while her people maintain the ground patrols."

Wilson nodded, then he glanced over Harry's shoulders and eyed the dragons lined up behind him like a line of jet fighters.

Harry caught his appraising look and smirked slightly. "Captain, if I may, the best way to approach the dragons is to think of them as funny looking people with unique abilities."

Wilson nodded. He had seen some of the dragons from the White Sands Weyr and they weren't anywhere near the size of these dragons. "Yes, sir," he said softly. He had been briefed on the dragons and even had the chance to speak with a few from the White Sands Weyr. They were fearsome looking, but he found they had very gentle personalities.

Harry chuckled and turned back to Brady. "Is everything set?"

Brady nodded, then pointed at the trucks. "We have enough drivers on hand. There are fifty two trucks, half containing gravel and half containing sand."

"Excellent," Harry murmured. "Have your drivers bring up the gravel first."

Harry turned and glanced up at the tops of the hangers. Smiling, he sent a mental command and the dragons from White Sands appeared, sitting on the hangar roofs.

Everyone gasped at the sight and Harry grinned. "The dragons are as eager to move into their new home as you are to have them, Mr. Brady," he said softly. He then motioned to the elves and magical riders who stood nearby.

"The trucks with the gravel are going to be here in a moment," he told them once they'd gathered around. "They're packed with burlap bags of stones. We're going to take turns levitating them into the stalls until they cover the bottom of the stall. Then we'll move to the next stall. When that's done, we'll move to the next Hangar.

"The elves are capable of moving more than we are, so don't worry if you can't keep up with them. Do not exhaust yourselves! There are no facilities here yet that you can sleep in. Our non-magical riders will be raking out the stones so they have an even thickness. Then a dragon will heat the stones and we'll be able to move the sand in. Everyone understand?"

Seeing everyone nod, he grinned. "Let's get to it then."

The magical riders stood to one side and one of the five of the large trucks pulled up to the hangar. Harry walked over to where Ronan stood with the non-magical riders. "Ronan, let's get a patrol airborne. I want you and Sirius to take part so you can make recommendations to Captain Wilson. This Weyr is bigger than ours and is going to have different needs as far as security goes. I'll get May inspecting the dragons."

Ronan nodded and turned to the others. Harry sent a silent command to Trath to relay to May, who smiled in relief and waved to Harry. Satisfied that everyone was busy, he turned and levitated a stack of bags and walked into the hangar.

Four hours later, Harry sat in the shade of one of the hangars and drank deeply from a can of soda. When everyone started pitching in, Brady vanished, returning nearly two hours later with food and drinks for everyone present. The famished riders and the others tore into the food when they were finished preparing the dragon stalls.

Brady watched in astonishment when the dragons each picked out their stalls and set the stones glowing. He then turned to Harry, who smiled.

"It'll be years before the stalls will need to be cleaned out and the rocks reheated. These dragons are luckier than most. Most don't have these prepared beds. Chekiath's first bed was a rocky cavern floor that I laid some blankets over."

Brady joined Harry, removing his jacket before sitting next to him.

Harry had to give the man credit. After he'd returned from getting the food, he'd pitched in and helped along with all of the other wizards. But Harry was forced to wonder if there was a cooling charm on his jacket because he couldn't understand how the man wore a three piece suit in this heat.

"Thank you for your help today, Mr. Brady," he said, reaching for another piece of fried chicken.

Brady waved off his thanks. "We should be thanking you, Weyrleader. I was no great fan of our previous Secretary of Magic, you know. Once they got rid of him, the rest of us learned more about some of the things he was doing. Did you know that he completely suppressed what was happening with the dragons from the general population? I mean, we knew that we used dragons and even exported some of their products, but he hid the fact that he had lost control of the reserves, and that he was attempting to control the information the government saw."

Seeing Harry's look of surprise, Brady shook his head. "It's no great secret, but our country has been more sensitive to the other sapient races. Our civil war ingrained that into us, though some are a bit more thick than others in that regard. For example, you can bond with house elves in the States, but you must pay them and they have the right to seek out a new employer to bond with."

Harry laughed. "Don't let Hermione Granger hear you say that. She's been trying to free elves since she first learned of their existence."

Brady winced. "First born, right?"

Harry nodded.

"I'll send you a copy of a book that describes the bond of the elves and how it came into being. She's well meaning, but her attitude can be dangerous if she doesn't understand what she is doing," Brady offered.

"Hermione will never turn down a book," he said with a grin.

"Weyrleader," Brady said, now sounding rather tentative, "I've been asked if you have any problems with our researching any other areas that the Hot Rocks might be used for?"

Harry placed the chicken he was eating on his plate and wiped his hands. "Such as?"

"It's been pointed out that at their hottest, the rocks are as hot as an industrial blast furnace. We've had some people wonder if they could be used as a source of heat for a furnace. Regular furnaces are very expensive to maintain.

"Also the military have expressed some interests."

Harry sighed. "Mr. Brady, the dragons will help in anyway possible, but I cannot and will not allow them to be involved in making weapons."

Brady chuckled. "You misunderstand me, Weyrleader. Our military does perform a lot of research in new weapons technology, but they also research other things. I spent three hours the other day listening to a scientist begging for more information on Hot Rocks and the dragon's ability to vary their heat. He was intensely interested in seeing if they could be used as heat sources to keep men warm in the field. Right now, a soldier dressed in arctic gear can barely move because the coats are that bulky. He wants to see if low temperature rocks could be sewn into uniforms to warm a body."

"I see," he said, then smiled. "As long as you understand that dragons do not want to be involved in anything that hurts a person, they are more than willing to help. I'll allow any sort of research as long as it's not weapons related."

Brady nodded. "How about if we submit a proposal outlining the aim of the research and how it will be conducted, along with the goal? If you approve, we'll go ahead with it."

"I like that idea," Harry admitted. "I don't want to throw obstacles in your path, Mr. Brady, but my primary concern is to the dragons and my riders. Part of the original design of the dragons forbid them to hurt a human. That restriction has faded over the years, but no dragon wants to hurt anyone."

"I don't think we'll have any problems with that, Weyrleader, and I doubt my government will either."

Brady waved towards the large open area across the runway where they were setting up housing. "We have been putting together the staff that will be helping the riders. My boss has asked me to be the liaison between the government and Weyr, sort of like your Lord Mills."

"Are you going to do it? We haven't had much personal dealings, but the dragons say you're trustworthy and would be a fine person for that position. The dragons recommendation is high praise. They recognize that needs have to be met. For them to say you are capable of doing the job makes you the prime candidate in my book," Harry said.

"I am seriously considering it, Weyrleader," Brady admitted with a faint flush.

"Please call me, Harry," he said, "If you're going to be working so closely with the Weyr I'm certain we'll have far too much contact to remain so formal."

Brady gave him a grateful smile. The man was young, only about Sirius' age, and Harry really wanted him as a friend to dragons. He needed to make sure there were people in the American government who would see the value that the dragons were offering.

"I'll be honest with you, Mr. Brady. I don't have to be a seer to know that there will come a time when dragons are known to the general public. Imagine waking up one morning and finding a busload of school children coming to the Weyr to meet with dragons. Or one of the Wings going out on a mission to teach about dragons by visiting some rural school.

"I have riders who are looking into other areas that dragons can use to earn their keep, including offering ecologically clean tours of hard to reach places like the Amazon or providing passenger service. Imagine New York to Tokyo in fifteen minutes, and no exhausting flight experience. The possibilities are endless for both your country and for the dragons. Right now we're taking little steps forward, but where we'll be in ten or twenty years is anyone's guess. I hope you come along for the ride. The dragons need friends and we try very hard to take care of our friends."

Brady fought to hide his flush and looked down. "I'll consider it, Harry. To be honest, I have enjoyed getting away from Washington these past weeks. My wife and daughter have been wanting to come visit, but getting them a security clearance at this stage would be difficult."

Harry nodded, then he stood. "Give it some thought, Mr. Brady. By the time the riders are in place, you and your family could move into the Weyr. Now, before we have to return to Campbeltown I'd like to get Luna over here and talk about your candidates."

Brady nodded and summoned his briefcase containing those notes. Harry turned to find Luna standing nearby smiling at him and waiting for him to call her. "Are you finally ready for me Harry? I was beginning to think you had forgotten," she said brightly.

Harry shook his head ruefully and realized that Luna would always be like this. Then again, he rather enjoyed the way Luna thought, even if it did give him a headache from time to time. He smiled at her. "Don't ever change Luna," he murmured.

She blinked and frowned. The thought that Harry might actually understand her was disconcerting. How was she supposed to appear quirky if he actually understood her?

"Luna, do you have that list that Mr. Brady provided?" Harry asked.

"Weyrleader," Brady said, interrupting him. "If it's all right for me to call you Harry, then you can call me Jasper."

Harry nodded and turned back to Luna.

She arched and eyebrow and went for a killing comment. "You can call me Luna, but never call me Mona."

Harry smirked at her and pointed to the list in her hands. "The list?" he prompted.

Luna fought down the urge to stomp her foot and glanced at the list. "Currently, we have thirty seven magical students, aged fifteen to seventeen, who are being observed. We also have sixty non-magical students undergoing the same observation. Jasper plans on presenting fifteen magical and twenty five non-magical students as candidates. Ralaninth's dragons have been watching them around the clock, except for the few hours today that they needed to set up their stalls."

Luna paused and looked over at Brady expectantly.

"We're doing standard background checks on the mundane families. Like the British, we concentrated on children from military families and added the enticement of college scholarships for the students that agreed to participate in the program," Brady added.

Harry nodded. "I expect that we'll see the mating flights this month with the hatching come mid November. That means we'll have to come here to introduce the candidates to the dragons before bringing them to Disko. Can you have your forty candidates assembled here no later than the third of November?"

Brady made a note in a small pad and nodded. "I assume you'll want the chaperones as well?"

"Please," Harry replied. "It's going to be confusing enough as it is. But our plan is to give the candidates at least ten days of exposure to dragons at Disko Island. Also, considering the last hatching, we probably have thirty minutes to an hour to assemble and transport any guests you might want present. I strongly suggest you invite them to Condron for a few days, starting around the thirteenth or fourteenth."

Brady continued to write in his notebook, then he looked up and grinned. "I have to admit this is really starting to get exciting. All this time it's been an idea, now it's really happening."

"It was always going to happen, Mr. Brady," Luna said. "Harry would make it happen. The riders all knew that from the start."

Harry hid a grimace, then he glanced at his watch. "It's getting late and we best return to the Weyr. Jasper, get to know Ralaninth. As Senior dragon, he's pretty much in charge until he picks a Weyrleader. He can also contact me, should you need any help or need questions answered."

The dragons of Campbeltown had been sunning themselves on the rooftops of the hangars. At a silent command from Harry, they glided down to the tarmac and the riders started walking over to them.

Harry shook Brady's hand, then he turned and started walking towards Chekiath. "Ralaninth, thank you for your help today. Speak to me if you need anything," Harry sent.

"You have our thanks, Weyrleader. None of this would have been possible without your help. We will work very hard to make this a Weyr to be proud of," Ralaninth replied.

"I know you will. We'll talk again soon."

Harry climbed up to his spot on Chekiath and thumped his side affectionately. "It's going to be a good Weyr, Cheki. I'm sure of it."

Jasper Brady watched the riders vanish, then he picked up his jacket and trudged towards his car and the trip back to the motel. He decided he'd call home tonight and speak with his wife about moving to New Mexico. Brady's decision would be a pivotal point in his life and would help boost his career to heights he never dreamed of attaining.

Kitchen Hall, Campbeltown Weyr, October 3rd...

Harry walked into the hall to get some lunch. A quick glance around reminded him of a detail he wanted to deal with. He filled his tray, then walked over to the table where Sir Robert and several others sat.

"May I join you?" he asked.

Sir Robert and Mrs. Malfoy looked up in surprise, then Sir Robert grinned, "Sit, sit, my boy. All are welcome."

Harry sat down with a smile. "Interesting that you should say that, Sir Robert," he said, then he turned to Narcissa. "Mrs. Malfoy, you're aware that the Ministry has dropped all charges against you. I also understand that the people working with Gringotts are trying to determine how much money was stolen from you. I don't know if they'll be able to recover all of it, but they will try."

Narcissa arched an eyebrow and looked at him pointedly. "Is this your subtle way of saying it's time for me to leave?"

Harry chuckled. "You know, Sirius said you would say that. No, actually, what I wanted to say is that you're welcome here and I hope you will continue to stay. You have taken upon yourself to relieve Sir Robert of a heavy workload and that makes you valuable to the Weyr. You are welcome to stay as long as you wish. I'm certain that Draco wouldn't mind his mum close by."

Narcissa blushed and looked down and Sir Robert chortled merrily.

"What did I tell you, Narcissa?" he asked.

She glanced over at the old man who she was coming to consider almost as a beloved Uncle. "You did. It was my own fault for not fully believing you," she said softly, then she straightened her back and turned back to Harry. "I ruined my chance to be Draco's mum, Harry, but I would like to be here to be a grandmum to his children."

"Good. Sir Robert needs your help. And being here, I think, has helped you, as well," Harry said. "Just don't feel that you need to be confined here. You and Sirius both have pretty much either stayed at the Weyr, or at best only gone into Campbeltown proper. You can go shopping again at Diagon Alley if you want."

Narcissa nodded and felt shamed by Harry's acceptance. Sirius said she had a chance, but she'd never really understood that until now.

Harry quickly finished his meal and started to stand. He stopped when Narcissa reached out and grabbed his hand.

"Harry, I'm sorry. For everything."

He nodded and gave her a smile, then he turned and walked from the room. Narcissa presented him with a personal problem. She was a marked Death Eater, but she had been honestly working for the benefit of the Weyr and it seemed to him that she had put aside her bigotry. The dragons also vouched for her, which meant a lot to him. It would have been easy for him to hate her, but he just couldn't.

Narcissa sat silently. Her life had completely turned around in such a short time. Lucius was dead and part of a past she was now ashamed of. Maybe I'll talk to Michelle again. If I'm going to live here, I'll need to know how to shop in muggle stores. She can show me that, she mused to herself.

Narcissa didn't realize it, but asking the young girl to help her go shopping would draw the two closer together.

#10 Downing Street, London, October 5th...

As Harry tugged at his tie uncomfortably, James chuckled. "I know you'd rather be elsewhere, Harry, but do try to relax. The Prime Minister asked you to come here to tell him about your progress. There's no need to be nervous."

Harry's hand dropped into his lap. "It's not nerves, it's this tie! It always feels like it's one step shy of choking me."

James shook his head. "You'll get used to it. You can't expect to wear your flight suit all the time. As for your suit, well, I meant for us to get you refitted. That jacket is too tight across your shoulders and I'm sure your shirts are in the same condition. Besides, I understand that the girls are working on a formal uniform for special occasions."

Harry grimaced at that. He didn't know it at the time, but May and Karen took his acceptance of their flag as official permission to work on designing some clothing for the riders. It didn't help that their new flight suit was more comfortable and much more utilitarian. The old flight suit had many pockets that were useless under the bulky jacket. The girls moved the pockets and made them deeper. The suit itself was insulated, which allowed for a lighter and less bulky jacket to be used.

They only had two of the new suits so far, but all of the riders had unanimously approved of them, especially when they discovered the steel wire belt sewn into the waist which allowed the rider to easily attach themselves to the riding harness. Karen Khan had even located a company which would make the suits for the riders at a reasonable cost.

With two successes under their belt, the girls started looking at the idea of a formal uniform for special occasions, like meeting the Queen. At the moment they were playing with a design that resembled the dress Royal Navy uniform and it seemed to be popular with the girls. It was too late to stop them, and even Harry had to admit that a uniform would reinforce their sense of identity and unity.

James laughed a little louder and the secretary glanced over at the pair before going back to her typing.

A tall, blond haired man entered the office and spoke softly to the secretary. She smiled brightly at him then she stood and turned to Harry and James. "Gentlemen, if you would follow me please?"

She walked over to the door and opened it for the three men and held it open while they entered the Prime Minister's office. Inside, Harry wasn't surprised to see Sir Robert standing and turning to greet them. John Major also stood and waved them in.

The secretary followed them in and bustled around serving tea and coffee, then she exited the room.

"If I may," began Major, "I'd like to start by introducing Ole Lønsmann Poulsen who is currently serving as the Danish Ambassador to Great Britain. Mister Ambassador, on behalf of Her Majesty's government, we would like to thank you for clearing your calendar to meet with us today. We have an issue of mutual interest that we need to discuss.

"Before I start, let me state that the information I am about to share with you is considered secret by Her Majesty's government. Only a privileged few are aware of it, and while I expect you would share this with your government, I am relying on your discretion to keep the release of this information to a minimum."

Poulsen looked surprised, then he reluctantly nodded.

Major smiled. "Excellent. Let me begin by introducing you to Sir Robert March, chief scientific advisor to Her Majesty's government, and one of the principle scientific minds who helped formulate this government's policy concerning a 'First Contact' scenario."

"First Contact?" Poulsen said, the confusion evident in his voice.

Major glanced over to Sir Robert, who smiled and turned to Poulsen.

"Sir, if I may, even if you discount all the stories of UFO's and Aliens, there is one undeniable fact," Sir Robert began. "The universe is so large and diverse that sooner or later we are bound to meet with a race of intelligent beings from another planet. First contact is a scientific term for such a meeting and our plan defines what should be done, and by who. The whole point of the exercise is to try to minimize the chance of a misstep, which could lead to the encounter turning sour."

The ambassador nodded. "I understand that, but I don't see why I am here."

"You're here because nearly a year ago we had our first contact with a race of intelligent creatures who have been hiding right under our very noses for thousands of years," Major answered with a bit of a grin.

Poulsen looked at the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and shook his head in disbelief.

John Major smiled. He could well imagine what thoughts were running through the Ambassador's mind. "Mr. Ambassador, let me say this right now. Everything I am telling you is not only true, but you'll see for yourself. We have a helicopter standing by to take you to the location where some of these beings are living so you can meet them."

Major turned towards Harry. "With your permission, Weyrleader?" he asked.

Harry looked up and nodded quickly. "I don't have a problem with it. We aren't doing anything special at the Weyr today."

Poulsen glanced at Harry and his confusion only deepened.

Harry frowned. "Sir, I think we might be moving a bit fast for the Ambassador."

Sir Robert nodded. "Yes, I think so, too. We need to back up a bit. Mr. Ambassador, your embassy has a department M, like most embassy's in the world. You are aware of it?"

Poulsen nodded. "Yes, they represent the wizarding society."

Sir Robert smiled. "Yes, they do. What we didn't know was that our wizards were hiding an important fact from us. We learned there are many other intelligent races in the world, and most of them are suppressed and poorly treated by the wizarding society. In December of last year, we learned about one race that was treated as cattle. They were herded into reserves and slaughtered by wizards for meat and ingredients, leather for boots and clothing and so on."

"All that changed," Lord Mills said, "when I caught this lad buying my flocks of sheep in the middle of the night. I very shortly discovered that, through an act of fate, this teenager had become responsible for an entire race of intelligent beings. Being totally unprepared for such a bizarre thing, I contacted Sir Robert, who has been helping us ever since."

Poulsen nodded slowly, "And the reason for calling me today? How does Denmark fit into this?"

"You fit into this because the dragons, long before Denmark existed, used an island off the coast of Greenland, which you currently control. One could make a case that the dragons actually own Greenland, but we're willing to forgo that particular exercise. All we'd like is permission to use the island twice a year for our hatchings," Harry said, jumping into the conversation.

Poulsen blinked and stared at Harry, while everyone else winced.

Harry looked around and noted the looks he was being given. "What? Sooner or later you'd have to tell him what they are. Ambassador, thanks to the wizards, an entire race of intelligent dragons has been treated like little more than cattle for centuries, but the dragons have existed on this planet since the time of the Wooly Mammoths. They were flying our skies while our ancestors cowered in fear from fire and panicked at a lunar eclipse. If you will allow it, I'll be happy to introduce you to beings that are every bit as intelligent as you are.

"We can pay for the use of the island, if that is an issue, or we can approach another country if Denmark is unwilling to allow it. There aren't many places that can provide an active caldera that we can use, but we know most of them," Harry said.

John Major looked pained and James Mills was unable to hide his amusement at Harry's comments.

"He is right," Sir Robert said. "Once we have the design finalized for the power plant, I expect we'll be constructing a lot of them. The Weyr will have the resources to lease land anywhere in the world."

"Ambassador, might I introduce you to Weyrleader Harry Potter? Her Majesty's government currently recognizes the Weyrleader and his dragons as a race of indigenous people who have no homeland. The Weyrleader is right, however. They can lay claim to territory across the globe which they have lived on for hundreds of centuries. They aren't asking for that land back. What they are asking for is the right to live and be recognized as people with all the rights and privileges of people.

Poulsen looked around in bewilderment.

"Harry, I think we should show him," Chekiath announced privately.

Harry nodded, grateful that his dragon hadn't spoken to everyone. "Mr. Ambassador," he said softly, "May I invite you to visit our Weyr and meet with the dragons? I'm sure you have hundreds of questions which we can clear up for you. Right now you're sitting in this plush office and it all sounds like a fairy tale. All I ask is you suspend your disbelief for a few hours and give us an opportunity to prove it to you."

Poulsen nodded and Major looked relieved. The meeting was getting a bit out of hand. "Sir Robert will escort you to the Weyr, Mr. Ambassador. He can answer a lot of your questions in route and I'm sure the Weyrleader will be there to meet you. There is a helicopter standing by to bring you to the Weyr."

Harry nodded fervently. He didn't want to scare the man, but their beating around the bush was trying his patience. He had been studying with Mr. Franklin, who had told him there was a time to be precise and cautious and a time to be blunt. This seemed like one of those times to him.

Sir Robert gently led the ambassador out of the office and Major leaned back in his chair and sighed heavily.

"Now I am beginning to understand what you went through, Weyrleader," he said softly, then he turned and looked at Harry a bit hesitantly. "Weyr... Harry, if I may. I understand that you're young and sometimes it seems like politics and diplomacy are a great waste of time. While it worked out this time, the tendency to jump in and say what you want to say can work against you. Do try to remember that in the future."

Harry blushed and nodded. He understood that he could have been more tactful. "I'm sorry, sir. It just seemed like we kept dancing around the issue at hand. I've been working with your Mr. Franklin and he told me that sometimes you just have to push ahead to get to the important points."

Major smiled. "Yes, diplomacy can be like that. But it can also be painstakingly slow and tedious. I remember one time it took us a month of talks just to determine where we'd hold the meeting before we could even begin our talks."

Major ginned at Harry's astonishment. "Diplomacy can be measured in tiny steps, Harry. When you're dealing with someone you've just had a war with, you don't want to reignite that war, so you take things slowly. The Danes are our allies and you have more latitude with allies than you do with enemies, but always be cautious in your dealings with other nations. A single word misinterpreted can be disastrous."

Harry sighed and looked unhappy. "I'm sorry. I guess I shouldn't have said..."

"No, Harry," James said firmly. "Perhaps your wording could have been better, but you'll learn. This isn't something that we can really expect you to be great at. You're only fifteen, after all, and the art of diplomacy comes not just from study, but also from experience."

Major nodded. "He's right. Normally we don't let anyone under the age of thirty act as a diplomatic representative. Usually they spend years as assistants and junior under secretaries. This is one of the things your tutor will help you with."

Harry nodded uncertainly, then he stood. "I guess I better return to the Weyr so I can meet the Ambassador when he arrives."

"I'll brief the Prime Minister on our candidates," James offered.

Harry nodded and left the office.

Once the door closed, Lord Mills and the Prime Minister exchanged amused looks.

"Did you see Poulsen's look when Harry mentioned the dragons could press an older claim to Greenland?" Major said with amusement.

"He's trying, John. I know he's been reading the books your office sent over," James offered.

Major waved a hand, brushing off the comment. "It's fine, James. It's actually refreshing to jump straight into a topic rather than spending forty minutes approaching it obliquely. He'll learn. Even with what he told the Ambassador, he never raised his voice or faltered in his explanation. It was a measured delivery all the way through. I couldn't do that until I was twenty eight. I can already see Franklin's influence on him."

Campbeltown Weyr, October 6th...

Harry trudged tiredly from Hangar two to his quarters. It was early afternoon and most of the riders were just coming from their lessons, heading toward the kitchen hall to get a snack, or toward the social hall. He had skipped today's classes because he had another meeting with Ambassador Poulsen about Disko Island.

Suddenly a dragon bellowed and he turned to see what was causing the commotion. Around him several other riders gathered to watch as Momnarth grabbed a sheep and tore it apart. The large dragon bent her head down and lapped at the blood.

"She's blooding her kill," he murmured.

"She's what?" asked Ronan.

Harry nearly jumped in surprise. Ronan and Draco stood nearby watching the same scene. He pointed to Momnarth, "She's blooding her kill. She's getting ready for a mating flight that will result in an egg. If they rise for a mating flight normally they don't do this, but she did this last time. Watch her carefully, her scales will become darker and darker as she bloods."

Ronan frowned and pointed to the other female dragons nearby. "And them?"

"They will probably do the same thing. We're contributing five eggs to this hatching. Maziang will contribute five eggs, as will each of the three American Weyrs. The rest will come from the other Weyrs," Harry replied uneasily. The flight hadn't started and already he was feeling unsettled.

Four other females stood off to one side, watching and waiting their turn. They knew it was dangerous to have females mating so close together, so each would pick a different direction to fly when they rose after blooding their kills.

Momnarth glanced over at the group of nearly a hundred male dragons, all in their prime, and she bellowed a challenge at them, then she sprang for another sheep.

"She's going to try to out fly all that?" exclaimed Draco.

Harry shook her head. "No. See how they are in clusters? Spath said the dragons worked it out before hand. I didn't get into all the details. As long as they are happy with the arrangement, we'll go with it."

"That's her fifth animal," muttered Draco in awe.

Harry nodded, "She'll go soon. It's about the same amount as last time. Look at her."

Momnarth was now a dark brown with faint hints of gold in her coloring. She turned her long neck and looked at her would be suitors, then she bellowed again and launched herself skyward.

"Lord, look at her fly!" exclaimed Ronan.

The Horntail, full of hot blood, with the mating instinct riding her, was moving faster and more sinuously than any dragon could under normal circumstances. A group of twenty or so males bellowed and sprang skyward, following Momnarth. It was a mixed group, containing every dragon breed there was. The large dragons had the stamina, but the smaller ones had the agility. It was now a race to see who could catch the Horntail.

Harry fought the wave of lust that washed over him and he turned and quickly headed towards his quarters.

"It'll get easier, Harry," Chekiath said privately.

"I hope so, mate," he replied shakily. For some reason, the closer he was to a dragon, the more affected he was by their mating.

Ronan looked around as another female started to blood her kills. "Where did Harry go?"

Draco glanced around then turned back to Ronan. "He probably went to his quarters. Michelle said the mating flights affect him more than they do us."

Ronan nodded and looked thoughtful. He'd talk to Karen later about it. Karen wasn't a gossip, but she listened to everything. If there was someone who would know what was going on, it would be her.

It would only be a few more days before the dragons moved to Disko, but Hagrid was already instructing the elves in what to do there. The flock was being moved into some pens and more tents were being erected to handle the larger group.

The gravid females would arrive early. None of them wanted to risk going Between when they were heavy with egg and everyone agreed that was a safe precaution. As to the candidates, they wouldn't arrive until early November.

The cluster of riders slowly broke up as the dragons flew overhead. It was, to many, a sign of things to come and not one among them didn't wonder how it would affect them when their turn came.

Administration Building, Campbeltown Weyr, October 7th...

Lord Mills looked up when he heard the knock at his door. "Come in!" he called.

Harry entered and sat down in front of his desk. "I got your email. What's up?"

James smiled. "Well, we managed it, but I dare say it wasn't easy, even with Ambassador Poulsen's help."

Harry leaned back and smiled in return. "They agreed? The way everyone was talking, I thought it was going to take months. I was about to move the entire hatching here!"

James nodded. "Yes, they agreed. Between Ambassador Poulsen and Sir Robert, they managed to convince the powers that be. It helped greatly that they had several reports from Sir Robert detailing use of dragon produced Hot Rocks and their applications."

James tried and failed to hide a grin. No matter how hard Sir Robert campaigned against the name, Hot Rocks just wouldn't go away.

Harry's grinned broadened. Sir Robert had started to compile a list of what he called 'applications', which extended the use of Hot Rocks far beyond just generating electricity. He even had a dream of reviving steam locomotives, using the clean power source provided by the dragons.

"So, what do they want in return?" He asked.

James lifted a page off his desk and glanced down at it. "They would like to participate in some of the research efforts and are willing to help fund those. We don't have a problem with that. They would also like at least one of the first five power stations to be built in Denmark, using Danish companies. Again, that's fairly standard. If you picked a British company to do the construction, they'd have to move their equipment, which would drive up costs considerably."

Harry nodded, then a thought occurred to him. "James," he said worriedly, "is someone setting up a company or something? I mean, who's going to be building this stuff?"

James smiled. "I wondered when that would hit you," he replied. "You can relax. The British government is funding the basic research into the design for the power plants. We're already in talks with several manufacturers to license the designs. I'm setting up a parent company, owned jointly by the UK and by the dragons, which will hold the patents, oversee the license process and deliver Hot Rocks as needed. The government involvement will remain until it's recovered the costs and the dragons, with you as their representative, will have a majority share in the company. At a certain time, the government will probably sell off its shares at a public offering, or offer their share to the dragons to be bought back."

"More stuff for me to learn?"

"Hardly. If you'll take some advice, let Karen find some people to help her and let her worry about it," James replied.

Harry pulled out his book and looked through it. "Karen mentioned wanting to take classes in business and economics, so I guess this will fit into that."

James chuckled, "It certainly will." Reaching down, he lifted another piece of paper from his desk. "How are we on female dragons now?" he asked.

"Five from our Weyr rose to mate. Maziang had five rise and Condron, Mount Hood and Knick Glacier combined for another fifteen total," Harry replied.

"But that's only twenty five dragon eggs," protested James.

Harry nodded. "It is, but we had a number of Weyrs around the world contribute an egg. It will be years before all of the Weyrs are staffed with riders, this way everyone feels they are contributing. As to candidates, we hope to offer one hundred and forty people. I hate to offer so many, as that just means disappointed candidates who won't get chosen, plus it means more work for us. Spath and I are looking into ways of reducing that number. He seems to think that if the candidates handle the eggs before hatching, it may start the imprinting process early."

James stared at Harry in astonishment. "Will you try that?"

Harry nodded. "I think so. Twenty people will be kept in reserve, but available at Disko. If the initial candidates all impress like Spath thinks, then we'll make sure that twenty are part of the next group."

"How will you decided which egg goes to which candidate?"

"I'm not sure, but I think the easiest way is to let the mothers pick. Call it a gut feeling, but I think that will work," Harry replied.

"When will we know the final egg count?"

"By the sixteenth, at the latest. I expect our five dragons will leave for Disko in a few more days. And the egg will be laid between the fourteenth and the sixteenth. Hagrid has been visiting Disko daily to get everything ready. I expect it to be around one twenty, say plus or minus four to six eggs. I'd rather be on the high side, actually."

Harry paused and looked thoughtful, "You know, we should consider ourselves lucky. The Pern dragons were capable of laying up to one hundred eggs. Even without controlling their laying abilities, the best our dragons can do is three to six eggs. We think they can do more, but we have no proof of it, other than their say so. And I'm not about to let one female contribute twenty or more eggs when I'm asking the others to strictly limit themselves."

"Perhaps the large number of eggs is driven by the imperative to fight thread?" offered James.

Harry smiled slightly and nodded. "It could be, but again I'm not about to dig up some thread to test it either."

The pair shared a laugh at the idea. Nobody wanted that.

Diagon Alley, October 8th...

Chekiath and Neruth flew in low over the alley, giving the people on the street a chance to see them, then they banked hard and aimed for a point right in front of the newly reopened Ollivanders' Wand shop.

Wizards scattered out of the way as the two dragons lightly touched down. Neruth was about ten feet longer than a typical Norwegian Ridgeback and Chekiath barely had enough room to land next to her. Harry dropped lightly to the ground and waited patiently for Karen Khan to dismount. She was a petite girl, which made the distance from the top of Neruth's shoulders to the ground seem greater than it was.

Once she was down, Harry was about to order the dragons to find a perch when a small voice intruded.

"Are those real dragons?"

Harry turned to see a small boy of about six standing a few feet away, looking up at Chekiath with wide eyes. He held the hand of a smaller girl, who seemed to be afraid of the dragon.

Harry smiled and knelt on one knee. "They are very real and very gentle. Don't be afraid of them, they won't hurt you."

The little boy nodded with wide eyes and the little girl looked at Harry as if she didn't believe him.

"What are your names?" Harry asked.

"I'm William and this is my sister Connie," replied the little boy.

"Hello, William and Connie. I'm Harry and this is my best friend, Cheki," Harry said.

Chekiath turned his large head and moved close enough for Harry to reach out and rub along his eye ridges. "Hello little wizard and little witch," Chekiath said with a rumble.

"He talks!" exclaimed Connie excitedly. "Does he know Puff?"

"Puff would be a funny name for a dragon," Chekiath replied. "I don't know Puff but I haven't met all the dragons in the world."

Connie looked a little disappointed, but she moved a little closer, intrigued by Cheki's eyes which were slowly twirling with streaks of blue and green.

"He likes his head scratched, like this," Harry said, scratching around Cheki's eye ridges. "Would you like to try?"

William nodded and he reached with his free hand.

"William!" shouted a voice.

Harry glanced up to see a woman, obviously the children's mother, hanging back with a look of panic in her eyes. He smiled at her while her son scratched Cheki's eye ridges. "Don't worry," he told the mother. "Cheki would never harm the children."

The woman stood uncertainly while Cheki thrummed with pleasure. A light flashed and Harry looked over to see a photographer taking a picture. He sighed. He knew sooner or later the press would get involved.

"Harry, we need to get going. It's nearly time for our appointment," Karen said.

Harry nodded and turned back to the two children, who by now were enthralled with the huge dragon. "It's time for us to go," he said a bit sadly.

He led the children back to their mother, who took them in her arms. She also had trouble tearing her eyes from the huge dragon.

"Little witch, if I ever meet Puff, I will tell him you were asking about him," Cheki offered.

"Thank you, Cheki!" exclaimed the little girl with a bright smile.

Harry nodded and the two dragons sprang into the air, they quickly found a spot to perch and sat watching the still frozen traffic in the alley.

Harry turned and hurriedly walked to the entrance of Ollivanders before the photographer and reporter could realize they were gone. Like everyone else in the alley, they were staring up at the dragons, who were staring back down at them.

Harry grabbed the door and held it for Karen. She smiled and entered the dusty old shop.

As usual, Ollivanders just appeared before them, causing Karen to gasp and step back in surprise.

"I always said you would do great things, Mr. Potter," Ollivander said softly. He waved towards the window. "That encounter in front of the shop is a perfect case in point. You could not have driven home the point that dragons are not dangerous any easier than by having a small boy scratching the dragon's head."

Harry shrugged uncomfortably. "His sister was afraid of the dragon. I just wanted to show them that the dragon wouldn't hurt them."

"That you did, my boy. That you did. I received the message your elf brought asking for a meeting. How can Ollivanders assist you and your dragons?"

"Mr. Ollivander, I would like to introduce you to Miss Karen Khan, Neruth's rider. She has been exploring opportunities for the dragons to earn their own way in the world with our help. One of those ways concerns you and your business."

Ollivander arched an eyebrow and looked over at Karen. "I don't believe I've ever sold you a wand, Miss Khan."

Karen smiled tightly at him. She had dealt with this sort of wizarding attitude before. "I'm Neruth's rider, I have no need for magic," she replied firmly, then she reached into a pouch tied to her belt and withdrew a handful of scales ranging from four to twelve centimeters in diameter. "The Weyr is currently producing an average of six hundred scales a month and we expect that number to steadily increase. I understand that the scales can be cut up to be used in wand cores. All of our magical riders now have wands crafted by Professor Dumbledore, or crafted under his instruction."

Ollivander perked up and looked interested. "Eh? What happened to their wands?"

Harry stepped forward when Karen hesitated. "Some of us still have our original wands. In the case of those with heartstring cores, the wizards were bonded to a dragon who found the wand very disturbing. It would be like crafting a lamp using the bones of your ancestor. Hermione Granger, for example, had a Vinewood and heartstring core. Once her new wand was ready, she and her dragon destroyed the old wand using dragon fire."

"It was most unsettling," Chekiath added. "Comaloth loves Hermione, but the wand made her unhappy and very uneasy."

Ollivander's eyes widened at hearing Chekiath in his head.

"Mr. Ollivander, we understand you are a wand maker, but we're hoping you'd be willing to become the middle man to providing scales to other wand makers, or perhaps point us to someone who can do this?"

Ollivander sat heavily on a stool and stared at the floor. "Destroyed? Oh my, oh my," he muttered. He took a heavy breath then he looked up at Harry. "It's very unusual for a wizard to willingly destroy their first wand. I'm am sorry to hear that, but I think I can understand the reasoning."

"And the scales?" prompted Karen.

Ollivander smiled at the girl. "It is a pity you have no magic, my dear. I think you would have made a fine witch," he told her gently. Then, sitting up straight, he addressed the issue at hand. "Ollivander's specializes in casting devices, but I have a nephew who isn't very good at wand crafting. He had been looking for a related field, something to keep it in the family, as it were, and this may be just the thing. I will have him contact you. He may be a terrible wand crafter, but he's a good salesman and would be ideal for selling your core materials."

Harry grinned. "We can be reached via owl now. Send your letter to Remus Lupin. He'll see it's delivered."

Karen flushed slightly and looked away. The very first owl she had received caught her by surprise. Not knowing about owl mail delivery, when the bird had arrived, she'd panicked and fled from her office with the owl in pursuit. No one had told her about owl post and her reaction was about what one could expect from a city girl who had never been exposed to an owl before, let alone one intent on its delivery!

"So, tell me, Mr. Potter. Did Albus make the wands for your people?"

Harry nodded. "He did. But once it generated enough interest, he held a workshop where we all crafted a wand using a scale from our own dragons," Harry said, then he pulled out his spare wand.

Ollivander stared for a moment, then he held out his hand. "May I?"

Harry nodded and presented the wand to him, handle first.

Ollivander took the wand and held it up close to his eyes. "Elm," he muttered, "and quite rigid, too." He examined the wand carefully, trying to spot the seam, but he couldn't see it. "This is really excellent work, Mr. Potter. Yes, for a first wand, even my old master, a harsh, miserable, cantankerous old man, would have called this acceptable."

Ollivander handed the wand back to Harry with a smile. "I must congratulate Albus. I never thought he would be capable of teaching such a difficult subject."

Harry re-holstered his spare wand and looked at Ollivander. "Thank you for your time, Mr. Ollivander. Please have your nephew contact us soon. I would like to start supplying scales at least to the British Wand Makers to start."

Ollivander smirked at Harry, knowing exactly what he was saying. He would sell the scales only to those societies that had stopped trying to cull dragons. At the moment, there were only a handful of countries doing that; the UK and most of their commonwealth nations, the United States and Tibet.

Ollivander waved and turned to Karen. He reached for her hand and pulled it up to lay a soft kiss against her knuckles. "My dear, it is our loss that you are not a witch, but I think you and your dragon will do quite well. Especially with Mr. Potter leading your merry little band."

Harry led Karen out of the shop a few moments later and she turned to him.

"He's creepy," she said softly.

Harry laughed. "I think he does that on purpose. Let's do a little shopping before we head home. I want to pick up a few items."

Karen nodded uncertainly and moved a little closer to Harry. This was a world she had only a small exposure to and it made her uncomfortable.

Social Hall, Campbeltown Weyr, October 8th...

Harry walked into the large room and placed the large bag at his feet, then he looked around, noting everyone was present. Karen glanced up at Harry and smiled from her place next to Ronan. She had promised to keep secret about his shopping spree. In return, he made sure he took care of her, as well.

"Folks," he called and waited for everyone to settle down.

Lee Jordan turned down the radio that was playing and everyone turned to look at him.

"I know it's been a while since the Ministry of Magic fell, and we've been all working very hard. Today, Karen and I went to see Ollivander's about arranging for us to sell some of our dragon scales for wand cores. After that, I took the liberty of picking up a few items."

Harry opened the bag and with a swish of his wand, small containers flew out from the bag and landed in a neat pile on a table next to him. Then he reached in and pulled out another container. He took the container and walked over to Karen, handing it to her. "Here you go! Fortescue's finest mint chocolate chip ice cream, as promised."

Harry waved to the pile on the table. "Dig in, folks. Dobby has put away the large five gallon containers, but I thought you might want some of the finest ice cream in the world."

Turning back to the bag, he waved to Draco, who walked over to him. He pulled out four large boxes and handed them to Draco. "Place three of these on the shelf for now, and set up the last set. I bought the sets that didn't require a wizard's magic to operate. If you can't find someone to play against, I'll play a game to show them how it's done."

Draco grinned and took the boxes eagerly. Harry turned and picked up the bag, then he walked over to the table where May, Hermione, Luna, Susan and Emma were sitting. Emma seemed to be practically drooling into her half pint of chocolate demise. Harry shook his head in amazement. How she could have maintained her perfect teeth with her chocolate addiction confounded him.

Placing the bag on the table, he reached in and pulled out a stuffed wolf, which he placed to one side. When Hermione snickered, he blushed. "It's for Remus," he muttered defensively.

He pushed the bag toward Hermione and May, who looked at him with interest. "I know we'd been working with books that Albus borrowed from Hogwarts, and even then it wasn't a very good selection, so I picked up several books on potions and magical animal care. One of the books is actually a manual on how to research potions for magical animals. I don't know how good they are, but I thought you girls would be interested."

Hermione grabbed the bag and started pulling books out, while the other girls clustered around and examined the growing pile. Harry smiled at the group who were now ignoring their ice cream in favor of the books, then he turned and walked over to the corner and made himself a cup of tea.

A few moments later, he joined Sirius, Remus, Dan and Doctor O'Connor at their table. With a grin, he handed the stuffed wolf to Remus, who looked at it, then looked at him, puzzled. Reaching out, Harry tapped the toy with his wand. The wolf immediately sat down on the table, lifted it's muzzle and howled.

"I figured you wouldn't want to forget what you've gone through," Harry said with a teasing smile.

Remus looked at the toy, immobile once more, then he glanced towards Sirius, who was barely concealing his laughter. Mildred started to giggle and that was all it took for Sirius to slide out of his chair. He sat under the table laughing in that strange barking laugh of his.

Harry leaned back and sipped his drink. He glanced over toward Draco, who was busy explaining Wizarding Chess to Michelle, and sighed with relief. Draco wouldn't need him and he wouldn't have to show his riders just how bad a chess player he really was.

#10 Downing Street, London, October 9th...

Sir William O'Hearny walked into the office and Prime Minister Major waved a greeting. Sir William nodded, approached the PM's desk and placed a newspaper on it for everyone to examine.

Major leaned forward and picked up the paper, which had a huge photo of Harry, his dragon and two small children. "Is this the beast we learned to fear?" he said, reading the headline. He briefly skimmed the article, which explained how Chekiath talked with two small children and they scratched his head. The scene played out in front of him and he found it heartwarming. It was a sign of change, and a positive one.

He smiled and passed the paper to Lord Kennewick.

"Its nice to see someone is getting some good news," he said sourly.

Sir William looked at Lord Kennewick curiously.

"With that comment, let's start," Major said.

Kennewick nodded, then he placed the paper on the coffee table and opened his briefcase. He withdrew a folder and opened it. "MI5 is seeing an increase in intelligence activity from the Chinese, but that was to be expected.

"Additionally, there's been a second COSMOS launch over our territory. We've confirmed they are using old SS-25 missiles as a launch platform, which explains the short duration of the flight. Comparing the trajectory of the first COSMOS launched in August to this one, we found a few common points."

He paused and pulled out a sheet which he handed to Major. "Unlike our friends in the U.S., a single pass of a COSMOS is usually enough to cover the entirety of England, Scotland and Wales. The difference in the two overflights allowed MI6 analysts to put together the list of possible points of interest that the Russians might be looking at."

Major glanced down at the paper and frowned. The list included some of the largest military bases and research centers in Scotland.

"Damn," he muttered. No one wanted a return to the cold war. He looked up from the list. "What else have you got?"

Kennewick glanced down at his folder. "MI6 reports an increase of staff at the Chinese Embassy thanks to that spy the dragons discovered. We've also noted a small but noticeable increase in tourists from China, which in itself is very unusual. Scotland is not exactly tourist country at this time of year, after all. MI6 is monitoring the situation and they've asked MI5 to place a few officers in Campbeltown proper to keep an eye on things."

MI5 couldn't place officers in the Weyr, but they could place people in the town of Campbeltown.

"Sir William's people put us in touch with an expatriate citizen now living in Canada who's put together some really good information for us. It took a bit of talking to get him to understand we weren't representing the old Ministry of Magic, but once he believed us, he came on board very quickly.

"Thanks to Mr. Cresswell, we've been able to determine that most of the European countries are not under anyone's control other than their normal government. In most cases, we have the Wizards ignoring the regular governments and trying very hard to pretend they don't exist.

"MI6's special M branch has compiled a list of countries under three different categories. The first designation is 'Uncontrolled', meaning the regular government is in full control of the country, even if they are not totally aware of everything their wizarding counterparts are doing. Canada, Australia and Japan are prime examples of such countries. We also recently added France, Germany, Denmark and Sweden to this list.

"The second designation is 'Misinformed', which means that the regular government is either unaware of the wizards or unaware of what they are doing. The Misinformed group mostly contains countries who's government is aware of magic, but the wizards are deliberately trying to keep them ignorant of what's happening with the Wizards. It also included United States, until recently. I think it would be safe to say the wizarding governments in these countries should be considered as possible hostile. This included most of the middle eastern countries and, we suspect, China, based on the report filed by the Weyrleader.

"The third designation is 'Controlled' and these countries are those whose regular government is completely subservient to the Wizarding government. They list Italy and Greece as certainties. Other countries such as Spain and Russia are strong possibilities.

"Right now, my department is exploring our options and we are leaning towards a coalition type arrangement. Our hope is that the threat of going public, backed by a possible multinational force, including wizards, may be enough to cause the Wizards to release their grip on the country."

Kennewick handed the papers over to Major, who read them briefly.

"And your side of things, Sir William?" he asked, looking over the edge of the papers.

"I'm pleased to say that things are actually settling down on our side. A bulk of our wizards seem to be very indifferent to who is in charge, as long as they aren't inconvenienced. We've had a few incidents and made a few arrests, but generally, I would say that our wizards are unnaturally placid. I see more expressive behavior in some of Manchester United fans than I do in some wizards. On the other hand, we have heard a few rumors of unrest that we're tracking down, but it seems to be coming from a very fringe part of the population.

Major nodded. "Very well. We'll meet again soon. Cyril, keep me informed on this, please."

Both men stood and nodded. "Yes, sir," replied Lord Kennewick.

After the men filed from the office, Major reached for the newspaper that Sir William had brought. He examined the photo again and chuckled at the children confronting the dragon, then he folded it and placed it into the dispatch bag for Buckingham Palace. He was sure the Queen would enjoy seeing it.

Harry's Office, Campbeltown Weyr, October 9th...

"Harry Potter, sir?"

Harry looked up from his desk. "Dobby?"

Dobby stood tugging on one ear and looking very nervous. Harry frowned, unable to think of any reason why Dobby would be so nervous. "What's wrong?"

"Harry Potter, sir, you said the Weyr would accept more elves if they needed a place to go?"

Harry blinked. "Yes. Elves will be welcome here or at the other Weyrs. Why? Do you know some elves that need a place to stay?"

Dobby nodded, looking relieved. "Many elves lose their homes. Some masters not like having to pay elves so they give them clothes."

Harry's frown deepened, "Tell your friends they are welcome here. There's going to be a lot of work in the coming weeks. We'll use the same pay grade the Ministry suggested for each elf."

Dobby smiled timidly and vanished with a pop.

Harry turned and reached for his keyboard, then he fired off a quick email to Dumbledore, explaining the problem.

He had thought this would happen. The new Ministry had mandated that the elves be paid a minimum of one galleon a week, with one day a week off, and some of the wizards, offended by this, opted to fire their elves entirely. Harry wasn't too upset about it. The five elves he had in the Weyr were equal to a much larger human work force. By hiring on more elves, the Weyrs would have a force in place capable of doing anything from erecting housing to cooking and cleaning.

Idiots, Harry grumbled to himself. By firing the elves, they're left to fend for themselves and some wizards are incapable of doing the simplest of things!

With a pop, Dobby reappeared in his office. A second later a bunch of elves appeared. Harry blinked and smiled reassuringly at the little beings. The wizarding world's loss was the Weyr's gain in his mind. He smiled at the idea of wizards discovering they couldn't even feed themselves.

"Welcome to Campbeltown Weyr," He said, standing and moving around to the front of his desk. "I know some of you don't want to be paid, but the law says I have to. If you don't want to be paid, money will be put aside for you in case you change your mind."

He paused and waited while the elves thought that over. When they all nodded, he continued. "There are wizards here, but there are also muggles. Those muggles already know about magic and house elves, so there is no need to hide yourselves. The other beings you will find here are dragons. Dragons who will not eat you, nor hurt you in any way. Dragons will be your friends, if you're willing."

Harry pointed towards Cheki's stall. The elves turned, then almost as one, they stepped back in fear.

"No, no," Dobby said, then he stepped up to Chekiath. "This is Cheki dragon and Dobby's friend. All dragons like Dobby."

"I would never hurt you, Dobby. You're my friend and you give some of the best back scratches," Cheki replied.

Harry grinned. He wasn't able to use elf magic, which is what Dobby used to scratch Cheki's back, reducing the dragon to a crooning puddle of bliss.

"Is this true, Harry Potter, sir?" asked one of the elves.

Harry turned and looked at the elf clutching at his pillow case timidly. "What's your name?"

"Spinksie, sir," replied the elf.

"Spinksie, the dragons lived for a long time without knowing who they were. But then they woke up and remembered. Now all they want is to live in peace and be friends with everyone, including elves," Harry replied.

Dobby motioned and Spinksie walked fearfully forward. The other elves gasped when Cheki looked at the little elf.

"Hello, Spinksie. Welcome to Campbeltown Weyr. We would love for you to stay and live with us." Cheki said, his eyes twirling with streaks of green.

Spinksie turned to Dobby. "Is all dragons like Cheki dragon?"

Dobby nodded. "Cheki is Harry Potter's dragon, but all dragons like elves. Dobby has many friends who are dragons."

Spinksie nodded and looked back at Cheki and smiled shyly. "Spinksie would like to work with friends," he said softly.

"Dobby will show you around today. He is the head elf here at Campbeltown. Take a day to get used to the place, then Dobby will tell you what needs to be done," Harry said, getting the elves' attention.

The elves nodded and Dobby looked at Harry expectantly.

"Talk to Susan Bones, Dobby. She wanted to pull down some of the older buildings. We'll start with that."

Dobby nodded and vanished. A moment later, the elves followed him.

"I like elves," Chekiath announced.

Harry laughed. "You like anyone that is willing to scratch your back."

"Very true, but you're still the best."

Harry blushed and shook his head. He knew better than trying to argue with his dragon. He never won.

Hangar Two, Campbeltown Weyr, October 15th...

Harry smiled as he walked up to the stage. He had called an all hands meeting, mainly for the riders, but it was open to everyone and everyone had shown up.

He hopped up onto the stage and his smile broadened, then he waved his wand and a large "126" appeared on the white board in bright glowing letters.

"One hundred and twenty six eggs," he announced. "That was the count as of a little while ago when I left Disko Island. All of the clutching females are done laying and are eagerly awaiting the arrival of the candidates."

A cheer broke out among the riders and Harry stood patiently until they quieted down again.

"As we discussed, we're going to let the mothers pick a candidate to help her care for their egg. Is Lisa Turpin here?" he asked.

"Here!" Lisa said from the back of the room. She hadn't impressed at the last hatching and Harry had promised she'd be allowed to try again.

He grinned. "Momnarth has specifically requested your help. She says you've learned more about yourself this past year and she thinks you're ready."

Lisa looked shocked, then her eyes filled with tears. She nodded and looked down. Momnarth was a highly respected dragon in the Weyr and to hear that endorsement shook her. Several of the riders shot her supportive looks and she smiled timidly in return. Lisa had been hovering around the fringe of the Weyr activities for months without having any real job to do other than attend classes. When Doctor Sheppard came to the Weyr, she slotted into a position in the clinic even better than Hermione and some of the other girls, who could only give part of their time to the clinic.

Harry nodded, then he looked over towards Susan, who seemed to be practically bouncing in her seat. "Susan, you look like you're about to burst. You have something you want to share?"

Susan stood. "Harry, what is the plan for the elves?"

He blinked at her. "Erm, well, I'm not sure. to be honest. Do you have an idea?"

She nodded eagerly. "We had a total of one hundred and eighteen empty buildings that were part of the old base housing. Of that, forty seven were too old or too damaged to salvage. I was sure we'd have to tear them down. Then Dobby appeared on my doorstep with his work crew.

"So far, the elves have repaired fifteen of the buildings I had planned to pull down. The buildings are now in better shape than some of the newer housing. The elves will move on to repairing all of the housing when they are done with the original forty seven."

She paused and took a deep breath. "My point is, elves are an untapped resource. I've been watching them assemble the buildings for the new research station and I'm certain the elves could erect the basic buildings in a third of the time, then allow the people to come in and finish the job. They love to clean things because it makes them feel needed, but they really love to build or fix stuff. I watched a two elf crew pull down a building and rebuild it using the original materials and do it in half a day."

Sir Robert stood up in the back of the room. "Are you saying let the elves assemble the basic building, then let the regular crews finish it, adding wiring, plumbing, interiors and so on?"

Susan turned to Sir Robert. "Yes, sir! I know it's asking for the elves to do something new, but I think they could follow instructions to put something up."

"They did just fine with the greenhouses," Remus added. "That was a basic kit, but they put together in a day what the plans said would take three days."

Susan nodded and turned back to Harry, looking at him expectantly.

"All right, Susan, let's just back up for a moment. We'll soon have another forty six riders. Do we have housing for them?"

She nodded. "We need to do the space enlargement charms and install the dragon doors, but we'll have it ready with Dobby's help. The mobile homes we were planning on buying can be canceled now. I've already spoken to Karen about it. Fortunately she hadn't placed the order yet."

Harry nodded. "All right, with enough housing, we're set. I'm not sure how well we'd be able to handle an elf construction company and hide it from the muggles, but it's something to explore."

"Perhaps for the same application we're using them for, Harry," Lord Mills said from his chair. "Military buildings or base housing. That sort of thing tends to be all prefabricated to start with and we'd be working with people used to dealing with secrets."

Harry nodded and looked back at Susan. "When we're certain everything is set here, talk to Sir Robert and Lord Mills about this. We might be onto a way of letting the elves earn their own way. Now, how is Disko?"

She smiled. "We now have twenty tents capable of holding twelve people per tent. That's a lot more space than we need. The kitchen and administration tents have been expanded. Once the riders have impressed, they'll move out of the tents, but I wanted to have extra space for guests and other staff.

"I've spoken with Dobby and he's planning a major feast following the impression and then a farewell feast when the new riders leave Disko for their Weyr tour."

"Condron Weyr will be fully ready to accept riders by the time they get back from training and Maziang has been building places for their riders. I won't say that it's something I'd want to live in, but it's far better than most of the villagers. Also, I saw something interesting when I was there last week. May and Hagrid might want to talk to their brewers. They seem to have a higher number of healing potions than we do."

May and Hagrid both looked up with interest.

Harry grimaced and summoned his book. "Damn," he muttered. "I knew that."

Susan looked at him, concerned. "Harry?"

He glanced down at an entry from months ago that he had never acted on. "I saw the same thing in our visit and made a note to mention it to Hagrid and May, then forgot it," he replied, looking chagrined.

"Maybe you should start from the beginning of your list and check for other items you've missed." suggested Remus.

Harry nodded, then he turned back to Susan. "Thank you, Sue. Do you have anything else for us?"

Susan shook her head and sat back down.

"All right, when you're sure that we're all set here, have Dobby take a few elves to Maziang and see if they can improve the housing the villagers have erected," he said.

She nodded and he gave her a slight bow in gratitude. He had originally tasked Susan and Hermione to assume the traditional head woman role, but Hermione had to bow out of that task, due to her Wing duties.

"Anyone else have anything?" asked Harry, looking around the room.

Emma stood and glanced over to Issac Sheppard, who nodded at her. "I have something," she said softly. "With the help of Issac and Major Atkins, we've arranged for all of the girls to see a gynecologist starting on the twentieth. I've posted a list of names and dates on my office door. Girls, check the list and see when you're scheduled for your visit. Finally, I will ask that all the girls meet in class room four this evening so I can explain what to expect."

Several of the girls looked unhappy with her announcement, but they all realized that time was counting down to their dragon's first mating flight.

"I will say this much. The doctor we will be seeing is a military physician and a woman," Emma said. "We'll be going to a military hospital using the Weyr minibus and Doctor Sheppard has agreed to come along to answer any questions you might have. I understand that some of you have never been to this type of doctor before, as magical medicine doesn't seem to have specialists like mundane medicine does, but believe me, it's important."

Issac stood and looked around with a wry grin. "Boys, I'll see you tonight in class room six, just after dinner. You might not have appointments with a special doctor like the girls do, but I want to make sure you're all as well informed as they will be."

Harry walked to the edge of the stage and looked at his riders, his jaw set. "I don't like this any more than you do," he said to his riders firmly. "We made a mistake with our first impression that we won't repeat. I have been instructed quite firmly by the Prime Minister to see that our personal lives remain private and do not become a matter of public knowledge. Once you are a legal adult, you are free to do what you want. Until that time, I do not want to find anyone having children. I'm not ready to be a parent and I doubt any among us are, at this point. Underage children having children of their own could be disastrous for the weyr."

Harry glanced down at his book, then he looked up. "Now, then, I expect our candidates to arrive on the third. Wing Three will go Between to meet with the candidates at Condron Weyr. We'll have two days of orientation and getting them used to going Between. On the fifth of November we'll take the candidates to Disko. That will give them enough time to learn about the dragons before the hatching.

"Make sure you're packed and ready to go on the fifth. Hagrid has a schedule of classes set up for the new riders and he has a listing of what he'll need to help out with that training. Wing seconds, look over Hagrid's listing and see what you can do to help schedule our riders to help out. I've spoken with Hagrid and at any given time only one Wing's worth of riders will be needed after the hatching. As such, we'll be returning to Campbeltown after the impression."

He paused and looked up from his list. "Any questions?"

"We're not going to stay and help out at Disko?" asked Lee Jordan.

He laughed. "I'm not going to let your willingness to volunteer get you out of math class, Lee."

Lee flashed him a brilliant smile, but there was more than a bit of truth in Harry's comment. He did hate math with a passion. Lee had an artistic soul and his drawings of dragons and riders were cropping up all over the Weyr, but math was something he struggled with.

The riders broke out in laughter and Harry waved them to silence. "We'll all take our turns helping out, but we have our own obligations, including math class."

A ripple of laughter ran through the riders as Lee sunk lower into his chair.

"Speaking of class, wizards are with me for charms. We'll see you after lunch for English literature," Harry called, dismissing them.

Hogwarts Great Hall, October 15th...

Neville Longbottom walked into the Great Hall and looked around. Something important had changed in him this year. Without meaning too, Neville was becoming a leader of the Gryffindor students his year and below.

He grinned and waved to Hannah Abbot and walked over to sit with her. The students had been issued workbooks by the muggles that detailed many of the subjects they would be tested on. Neville had been appalled, at first. Then he'd done what he thought Hermione would do. He'd organized study groups around the muggle born or half blood students who had attended muggle schools before coming to Hogwarts.

At first they filled the Gryffindor common room, but then people started asking about the groups and many people sent them to Neville for answers. As a result, he and a few others reorganized the groups and took over the Great Hall after dinner for their use.

"Neville, did you see this bit about muggles flying?" Hannah asked.

He smiled at the girl. He enjoyed her company and hoped that maybe something could come of that, but wasn't sure how to ask her or tell her how he felt. "History, right? The first great war or the second one?" he asked.

She blinked and sat back. "Does it matter which one?"

He chuckled. "Yes, it matters. Don't you believe they can fly?"

"But, but their muggles!" protested Hannah.

Neville reached across the table to gently close her book. "We fly brooms. The muggles fly aeroplanes. If you fight with every fact you'll never get anywhere. The best thing to do is take these books as being correct and go from there. They don't have any reason to lie to us and they have every reason to be proud of what they've accomplished."

He pulled her history text away from her and flipped to a section he had read the night before. He turned it so the photo on the page was visible and pushed the book back toward her.

Her eyes went huge at the image of Neil Armstrong standing on the surface of the moon, the Earth clearly visible in the background. "How is this possible? How could they do this without us knowing about it?" she whispered. She was unable to tear her eyes away from the picture.

Neville opened his own book and shrugged. "We knew, but we were so convinced we were better that we didn't want to recognize it. Look what happened to us, Hannah. Over eight hundred wizards attacked the goblins and they lost because they thought eight hundred was enough. Muggles, goblins and dragons killed all of the WDF, then they arrested Fudge and took over the Ministry.

"I think we're probably the lucky ones. When Harry was here with the dragons, I got the distinct impression that he'd do whatever was necessary to protect the dragons. I can't say for certain, but I'll wager good money that he was the reason muggles got involved in the first place."

"He hates us that much?" she exclaimed. "Even Susan?"

Neville shook his head. "No, you misunderstand me. Harry doesn't hate you or I. He hated a society that allowed dragons to be killed for their parts. I'm certain that he'd much prefer to live in peace, but until Wizards recognize the rights of the dragons and house elves and all the other thinking species that the new Minister has declared protected, he'll be there fighting for them."

Neville's voice dropped a register and he never noted the hushed silence around him as he spoke.

"I know Harry. He will react to protect anyone in trouble. That includes us, Hannah. Look around you. We're learning muggle subjects because at some point in our lives, the muggles are going to know about us and we're going to end up hoping the muggle government, and the dragons, will protect us from those muggles who might want to destroy us.

"I want to be worthy of that," Neville declared firmly. "I failed my friend once. I won't do so again."

Hannah looked at Neville with renewed interest. She was seeing a side of him he had never shown before.

All around the couple other wizards and witches looked down at their muggle study books and realized they had a greater meaning than they had been willing to believe. Perhaps it was time to stop living in the past.

---

Author's Notes and Mockeries:

- A note of thanks to everyone that left a signed review. A note of bleh to everyone that didn't. Roughly 60 unsigned reviews came in, including more than a dozen flames, threats and other idiocies. They were all gleefully deleted, but we thought we'd share some of those comments with you.

- Guest writes. "You assholes! Harry has a dragon that can melt steel and he let the muggles arrest the Dursleys! He should burn them to nothing dickheads!"

- Dear Guest, thank you for your stupid comment. Your inability to figure out how to login is surpassed only by your inability to think about what you're saying. Like we want to write a story about Harry spending his time inside a muggle jail? No thanks, but please feel free to write that story on your own.

- Guest writes. "You peeple suck!"

- Dear Guest, sigh. Bite us. And buy a spell checker.

- Guest writes. "I hate Hermione, she's a useless whiny annoying book worm. Hook Harry up with Luna and maybe May, or Katie Bell. And I really think Harry would make a neat phoenix animagus, he'd be able to fly anywhere then! Why haven't you sent Harry to Gringotts to get his vaults? You could make him Merlin's heir!"

- Dear Guest. We don't care that you don't like Hermione, or Random Girl created because the author needed a new girl in the story. Its our story. Vaults? Animagus? Merlin's heir? No, just no. Harry isn't rich in this story. He doesn't have vaults, he has one vault, his trust vault which had roughly 20K in galleons in it. He spent most of that money funding the Weyr in the beginning and the Weyr is paying it back. He has a dragon capable of flying him anywhere, so scratch the animagus, and since he's a dragon rider, being Merlin's Heir is like saying he's related to Napoleon Bonaparte. Big deal. Just no, no and no.

- Guest writes. "Please please please please please hook Harry up with Draco. He's so cool!"

- Dear Guest. Seek help. What part of we don't write slash don't you understand? Canon Draco is an ugly vile character only marginally better than Snape. And if this Draco is cool, it's because we made him so, but he's still not cool enough for us to consider writing slash. Haven't you been reading our grand Who Who epic?

And that's just a small sampling of what Guest had to say. Needless to say, not a single Guest review managed to make it to the review page and given some of the above, its understandable why it didn't make it. Many of those guest reviews were quite positive, but because they were unsigned, they got deleted. We meant what we said when we said we'd delete all unsigned reviews.

- Several have written about the two missing dementors and expressed concerns. I think it's safe to say that those two missing creatures have managed to hook up with dementors on the continent and won't be back as such. The Dementor population in the UK has been wiped out, but many other countries still have them, so the problem will pop up from time to time.

- Other crossovers. Some people have written suggesting their favorite anime and asking we write a cross over in that anime. I'm sorry to say this, but no. If we do not know the verse fairly well, then the odds of us being able to write a successful story are slim and frankly, I don't watch Japanese cartoons. So most animes are out.

- And finally, thanks to a change at FFN (Another?) One shots, short stories and the like stand to be lost due to the new popularity sorting methods available. Short stories, tend to have fewer reviews and that is a shame because there is some really good one shots out there. Therefore I'm going to start recommending some older, one shots or short stories that I personally like. If you like the story, drop them a review and boost them up!

Harry gets Motivated by BajaB

Story ID: 3427377 A one chapter look at a Harry that goes to extreme lengths to end the war. Its rather good. Highly recommended.

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