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

15. Chapter 15

Standard Disclaimer:

Bob watched Alyx in confusion, she was hunched over her desk, busily writing something down.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

Alyx screeched in surprise and bolted from her chair. In the process she stepped on the cat's tail causing Pagan to run headfirst in Alyx's pet llama, which bolted into the Christmas tree. The tree toppled over and the heavy llama thrashed about, destroying most of the ornaments.

"So much for Christmas this year," Bob murmured, then he turned back to Alyx. "I'll ask again, what are you doing?"

"You know about 2021 right? The end of the world?" Alyx asked after catching her breath.

Bob blinked. 2021? he thought, someone has mixed up their digits.

"No, do tell," he offered.

"Well it all goes back to ancient South America, or maybe ancient Canadians. Anyway these really old primitive people had a colander that ended in 2021."

"A colander is something that strains pasta and salads," Bob replied. "Perhaps you meant Calendar?"

"Am I telling this story or are you?" Alyx said with a growl.

Bob, spotting the loaded shotgun she held, and strangely enough, a dripping colander in her other hand, wisely chose to discover what's behind door number one. "It's your story oh' mighty one."

"Thank you. Anyway the ancient old primitive Canadians predicted the end of the world in 2021. So I'm including it in my Who Who epic. I'm trying to think of ways to end the world like Invasions of Who Whos from Outer Space, A Who Who Epidemic resulting in Zombie Who Whos, maybe a massive Who who colliding with the earth, knocking us out of orbit," Alyx said excitedly.

Bob rubbed at his temples. "Why can't you just tell the people that we don't own Harry Potter or the Dragon Riders of Pern?"

"Oh boring! Not going to happen, I have to plan the end of the world and still somehow save Draco and Snape!" Alyx shouted.

"You can't."

Alyx stopped and slowly turned to him, the muzzle of the shotgun rising up to crotch level. "What?" she hissed.

Bob shuddered and soldiered on. "First off, it's not 2021, it's 2012 and it's already past the due date for the end of the world."

Alyx blinked and looked at Bob. "Past?"

"Yep," Bob replied smugly.

Alyx screeched and pushed past him. "Do you know what this means? Shopping! Ebay here I come, it's time to buy up all the toilet paper and cans of beans from the survivalists that are now realizing they are broke!"

Bob sighed and turned to the audience. "While Alyx makes breaks our bank, why don't you enjoy the chapter?"

He looked at Alyx and sighed. "The last time she shopped ebay we ended up with 1500 plastic pink flamingos for the yard," he muttered.

---

A good plan, violently executed now is better than a perfect plan executed next week.
- General George S. Patton.

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, May 20th...

"Headmistress, a flight of dragons have just landed in our front court," Clarence, the sorting hat, suddenly announced.

Minerva looked up in surprise then she hurriedly left her office, wondering why dragons were here. It was bad enough that Albus Dumbledore had arrived two hours ago in the hospital, and now this? She already had a squad of aurors due to arrive any minute.

She arrived in the front court just in time to see two wings of dragons, forty in all, lift off and find places around the castle to settle down.

"Mr. Potter?" she called.

Harry held up a hand to Hermione, who had been speaking intently to him. When she stopped and stepped back one step, he smiled at Minerva. "I apologize, Headmistress, for our unexpected arrival. But when word came that Albus had been badly injured, I... that is, we wanted to be close by. I have asked that two additional wings of dragons protect the castle. I was told he was attacked, but not why, and until I know he's no longer in danger, we will protect our friend."

Minerva looked at him in surprise. She clearly heard the sound of the dragons in the background and she knew they were unhappy. Albus had been a friend to the Weyr and dragons since Harry's impression and it bothered them to know that someone had tried to hurt him.

She nodded and moved closer to him.

Harry motioned for Hermione to join them.

A quick look around by Minerva showed her that most of the riders present were magical, many of them former students of Albus' and hers. "I admit that I'm surprised to see you, but you're welcome of course. Albus will be very pleased to know you are here," Minerva said with a catch in her throat.

"We would do the same for you, Harper," Chekiath said. "You are not part of the Weyr, but Harry considers you family. You are as important as White Beard."

Minerva flushed and Sirius opened his mouth, then suddenly shut it when Remus elbowed him in the side. "Not now, Siri," he said, sotto voce.

"What can you tell us, Professor?" asked Hermione worriedly.

"Not much, I fear. Albus arrived here with Fawkes a few hours ago. He was unconscious and cut up, with a badly broken hip. At his age, such an injury is dangerous, but Madam Pomfrey is working on him. His injuries are bad, but not life threatening, according to Poppy. I can only assume that Fawkes brought him here out of habit. Albus preferred Poppy as his personal healer. Fawkes could have easily taken him to St. Mungo's."

Harry nodded, then he noticed a large group of men approaching. Several dragons started to step forward, but Harry held up a hand when he recognized them. "Relax. They're aurors, probably here for the same reason as we are, to find out what happened and to protect our friend."

Chekiath trumpeted loudly and the dragons pulled back, watching the approaching group carefully.

Harry followed Minerva as she strode forward to meet Alejandro Croaker, who was leading Kingsley Shacklebolt and ten of his uniformed aurors.

"Alejandro," Minerva said curtly. Harry looked at her in surprise, as her tone suggested some sort of prior relationship that he was unaware of.

"Minerva, I'm sorry to intrude. I know how hectic these last days before the end of term are. Kingsley and I thought it would be best if we supplied some security for Albus while he recovers," Alejandro replied, then he glanced to Harry and nodded in greeting. "I take it the Weyr is also providing a watch as well?"

"Albus is our friend, and a mentor to many of my riders, including myself. We heard he had been injured in an attack and thought it was a good idea to bring some dragons to help protect him. Albus Dumbledore is loved and respected by the dragons and the riders," Harry said loudly. The dragons thrummed with approval and Alejandro glanced around, noting all of the riders were wizards, and they were all armed with their wands and crossbows.

Croaker nodded slowly, surprised at the fervor in Harry's explanation. "Very well. I'm sure Director Shacklebolt will feel easier knowing that his people aren't alone in safeguarding Albus."

Kingsley nodded and Harry stepped forward.

"It's good to see you again, Director," Harry said, offering his hand. He'd met briefly with Kingsley following the attack on the Hogsmeade school back in February.

Kingsley flashed a brilliant smile and gripped Harry's hand. He was surprised by the firmness of the grip. Harry turned slightly and gestured towards the castle. Forty dragons shimmered into view to Kingsley's surprise.

"The dragons can sense someone who intends to cause harm if they approach the castle along the road or try sneaking up from the sides, Director, but I fear we'll have to leave the defense of the interior in your capable hands. The corridors are far too small to allow a dragon passage," Harry said.

Kingsley eyed the dragons for a moment. He knew of their reputation, but he had never seen them in action. "It's a good idea, Weyrleader. Is there one dragon in charge here?"

Harry nodded and silently called Timath down from his perch. He was an older Horntail and heavily scarred from his time in the reserve.

Timath calmly slipped from his perch atop the Astronomy tower and snapped his wings open. The dragon was large, nearly fifty five feet long, just a few feet short of the 'Imperial' class of Horntails.

The dragon landed lightly in front of Harry, who watched him impassively. He was a large dragon for a non-bonded Horntail, but many of the bonded Horntails and Ironbellies were larger still. Harry also knew that Timath was one of the less talkative dragons. Each Weyr had a small number of dragons, usually older ones, who spoke only when spoken too. Remus thought that because they had come into their intelligence so late in their lives that they would never be fully comfortable with it.

"Timath, let me introduce you to Director Kingsley Shacklebolt. He is in charge of all of the aurors. He will introduce you to the auror who will be protecting White Beard. While they're here, the aurors are in charge of protecting the castle. If any problems crop up you are to inform the aurors immediately. If that doesn't work, bespeak to Chekiath and we'll come help."

Timath turned his large head and eyed Kingsley for a moment then turned back to Harry. "Yes, Weyrleader, we will do what Metal Ear says."

The dragon had noted Kingsley's large earring and used it as a foundation for his dragon name.

Timath turned back to Kingsley. "Greetings, Metal Ear. May you find peace and shelter under our wings."

Harry smiled broadly at Kingsley, who was looking a bit shocked. "Don't be offended, Director. The dragons never use a person's name. The only exceptions to that rule are riders. A dragon will use the name of their rider and other riders. They mean no insult, it's just the way they are. Many of the dragons personally know Albus and have spent many hours talking to him, but they still call him White Beard. Your name stems from your earring."

"I will leave you two to coordinate things then," Harry said with a slight bow.

Kingsley watched him walk over to Alejandro, then he remembered the large dragon standing off to one side. He turned to Timath and looked up at the dragon. "Well then, why don't I summon the senior auror in charge of the detail and we can talk about how we'll handle things."

"Of course," replied Timath.

Harry walked over to where Croaker and Minerva were talking. He stayed off to one side until they noticed them.

"Mr. Croaker, do you know what happened to Albus?" he asked.

Croaker sighed. "Word coming from ICW Headquarters is that the security forces managed to capture one of the attackers alive. From what I've heard, it's a mixed bag of nationalities, but they supposedly attacked Albus in the hopes of finding the exact location of the Weyr. You know the Weyr is hidden behind wards and unplottable. Its location is not exactly known and these people seemed to think that Albus could provide that information."

Harry frowned. "Well, they were right about that. Danakov?"

Croaker nodded grimly. "Probably," he said darkly.

Harry's expression hardened and he leaned a little closer to Croaker. "Would it be safe to say that somewhere in the Ministry there exists a file on the man? One that lists things of a personal nature? Like where he lives?"

Croaker's eyes widened slightly. "Why would you..."

"Let's just say the Weyr is not going to sit idly by and let our friends be attacked by cowards who resort to hiring people to do their dirty work," Harry said fiercely.

Croaker hid a smile. Getting a copy of the file to Potter would be easy, but he wasn't sure if it was the right thing to do. He knew Sir William would not approve, but sometimes the best option wasn't necessarily a legal one. The Weyrleader was suggesting that the Weyr could do something about Danakov if they had the right information.

"I'll get you a copy of it," Croaker said finally. "But officially, you didn't get it from me."

"Thank you. It's time for us to take a stand," Harry replied, then he spun on his heel and walked away, heading for the entrance of the castle. A quick silent command had his riders filing in behind him. Most of them knew they wouldn't get to see Albus, but they all wanted him to know they were there for him.

Harry met up with Hermione again just outside the school infirmary. She'd been waiting for him.

"Madam Pomfrey will only allow Professor Dumbledore three visitors at a time for a short time. I'm going to conjure a large card for everyone to sign, then we can let people in for a short visit. Madam Pomfrey says he'll be better in a few days, but right now he's in a fair amount of pain. She also asks that no one speak to him about the attack. She doesn't want him getting upset," Hermione said.

Dumbledore's advanced age made this a dangerous injury. Potions could be used to help him, but they were not as effective as they were with a younger patient. Madam Pomfrey was allowing the visits because it would boost his spirits. A good, positive attitude was important to help speed the healing process. It was that fact that saw Madam Pomfrey allowing the riders to visit with the old man at all.

Harry nodded and the riders clustered around Hermione, signing the card. Lee suggested they wait in a nearby classroom for their chance to visit with Albus. Harry sent Hermione in first with Susan Bones and Millicent Bulstrode. When Hermione tried to protest, Harry pulled her into an embrace and told her he would go in with the last group. There were nearly magical thirty riders with them, so they would have quite a wait, even with Madam Pomfrey's imposed time limit.

He watched the three girls enter the infirmary then he started to turn back towards the classroom. He stopped when he saw Ron standing about twenty feet up the corridor. Not far behind him stood Ginny. Both were looking at him expectantly.

Harry sighed. He had managed to avoid a confrontation when he visited last back in September, but now it looked like there was no avoiding it.

He walked down the corridor towards Ron, who eyed him with surprise.

This was not the same skinny Harry he remembered. More than a year and a half of exercise and climbing up and down his dragon had resulted in Harry building considerable upper body mass. And this Harry didn't walk, he strode with an air of confidence that was daunting. Harry would never be considered tall by any means, but he walked with a confidence that made it seem like he would tower over Hagrid.

"Harry," Ron said curtly.

Harry smiled sadly. "Hello, Ron. I'm sorry we didn't meet up the last time the Weyr was here."

Ron looked down and scuffed his foot against the stone. "Yeah, well, that wasn't one of my better moments. The first thing I did was complain to Hermione about how I had no one to help with my homework. Flitwick overheard that and tore into me the next day," he replied, then he smiled slightly. "After that I started studying. I'm no Hermione, but I'm not failing anymore either."

Harry was surprised by that fact, but he didn't want to embarrass Ron. "I'm glad to hear that. I always knew you could do it."

Ron looked at Harry intently, then gave him a weak smile. He was surprised and gratified to discover that Harry did think he was capable.

"We heard about Percy. We were surprised to find out he was working for the DMLE, but I reckon he was a true Weasley, after all," Harry offered. "What he did was incredibly brave."

Ron nodded in agreement. He'd been astonished when he'd learned his brother had nearly been killed working undercover for the DMLE.

"He's better, well, awake anyway, which is an improvement. He still needs healers but he's much improved. The healers say that he recovered from the potioning. Now they're working on healing the torture he endured before they buried him," Ron replied.

Harry shook his head grimly. "He is a Weasley. He'll come out of this stronger than ever. If he's like his brothers, he's a lot stronger than anyone suspected."

Ron smiled at the compliment, then he noted Hermione approaching from the Infirmary.

Hermione stepped up to the pair and stood next to Harry. She was glad to be able to visit Albus, but thought she'd go in when Harry did. When she exited the infirmary she saw Harry talking to Ron and Ginny and decided to join them. Harry took her hand in his own without considering it, it was a habit that he was forming that both girls appreciated. It wasn't uncommon for Harry to be seen sandwiched between May and Hermione and holding both their hands as they walked around the Weyr.

"Hello, Ron," Hermione said warily.

Ron couldn't believe the changes in her. While Harry's were immediately obvious, Hermione's changes were more subtle. The past year had seen the taming of her hair and the development of a curvier figure.

He blushed slightly. "Hello, Hermione," he said, then his blush deepened. "The last time you were here, I was rude to you. I'm sorry about that. I've treated you badly in the past and I was wrong about that."

Hermione smiled, feeling vindicated and just a bit smug. "Thank you, Ron," she replied. She was impressed that he had grown up enough to admit that.

"So, you're together now?" asked Ginny, stepping up to the three of them. It was impossible to miss the fury in her bearing.

Harry frowned and turned to her. "I don't understand your anger. We've tried to be your friend and as such you should be happy for us, not angry. As to Hermione and I being together, yes we are very much so."

Hermione squeezed his hand in support. Harry's comments were truthful without mentioning May. She knew he wasn't doing it to hurt May or exclude her, he was just following his own decision, when he was with her, he was totally with her.

"We're not looking to fight with you, Ginny," Hermione added softly. "Harry risked his life for you in second year because you were his friend and he didn't want you getting hurt. Being angry at us only hurts yourself, since we're not here for you to take your anger out on."

Ginny blanched and took a step back like she had been struck.

Harry stepped forward and placed a hand on Ginny's shoulder. "I'm not trying to hurt you, but you need to understand that the boy you grew up hearing about doesn't exist. He never did. I never tamed a dragon at age five, nor did I organize the first all troll quidditch team when I was eight. I never walked on the moon or helped rescue unicorns from the Atlantis zoo. I never did any of those things the books claimed I did."

Ginny sniffled a little and cast her gaze downwards.

"Harry and I are in a relationship the likes of which you never dreamed of Ginny," Hermione added. "Your mum would never approve and would do everything to keep you away from us if she knew about it."

Ginny looked up, her eyes widening, while Ron stared at them blankly, totally lost by the conversation.

"Charlie said that sometimes dragons have more than one mate," she said shrewdly. She watched their reactions, but neither of them gave anything away.

"Our relationship has nothing to do with this, Ginny," Harry replied firmly, glancing meaningfully at Hermione. He wasn't about to admit that, especially when it seems they were getting through to both red heads. "All we want is for you to accept our friendship and understand that there will never be more. You're a very beautiful girl and I'm sure there are any number of boys who are interested in you. Both Hermione and I would be happy for you if you were in a similar situation."

"There better not be," Ron growled.

Ginny frowned and shot him a look that had him cringing back.

"We won't be returning to Hogwarts as students, Ginny," Hermione said, driving the point home and distracting the two siblings. "We do learn some magic, but we're also taking normal classes like you are. And on top of that, we're trying to make the world safe for our dragon friends."

"They have us learning muggle things also. Dad's over the moon about it and constantly asking to look at our books," Ron admitted.

A pop signaled the arrival of an elf, who handed Harry a sealed folder. "Dis iz for you, Harry Potter sir," said the elf, then he popped away again.

Harry glanced down at the folder and noted the Ministry labeling describing the contents. "Excuse me, but we have some Weyr business to attend to. Ginny, think about what we've said. We are your friends and hope you'll be happy for us. If you want to continue being angry, the only one hurt by it is you."

Harry turned and tugged on Hermione's hand, letting her know he needed her to follow. She smiled at the astonished pair of red heads and said a quick farewell before following Harry up the corridor and into the room where the other riders were still waiting.

"What was all that about?" she exclaimed to Harry.

"Hermione, we need to focus here. Albus was injured because of that Russian idiot who wants to kill me. I think it's time the Weyr sends him a powerful message to back off once and for all," he said, then he handed her the file.

She bit her lip and looked down at the file. She quickly read through the information and saw that it contained some very personal details about Danakov, senior undersecretary of the Russian Ministry for Magic and a first cousin to the Russian Minister of Magic.

"What are you planning to do?" she asked, looking up from the file.

Harry pulled the file gently from her hands and flipped through it a few times, looking for something. "We're going to send a message to Danakov and everyone," he muttered, then he smiled and pulled out the sheet of paper with what he wanted. "Don't worry, no one is going to get hurt. First, we need to find some spells."

Harry turned to Draco, who had been sitting in a corner talking to Millicent. "Draco, you wouldn't happen to have your camera on you, would you?"

Draco reached for the little pouch at his belt and nodded. Harry grinned broadly. "Gather around, then. Here's what we're going to do."

The riders clustered closer to Harry and after a few tense minutes of explanations, they were all wearing a wicked grin that matched his own. The plan expanded and changed and eventually they realized they needed some help from people back in the Weyr. Harry's idea was sound, but it needed some refinement and Harry just happened to know two Marauders who could provide just that.

ICW Headquarters, Paris, France, May 25th...

It had taken several days, but Harry was now ready. He had enlisted the aid of the Irtysh River Weyr in finding the locations, and a solid day of explaining his intention to a pair of skeptical marauders before they decided to help. Harry needed Remus' help greatly. The man's expertise in charms was crucial to his plans.

Croaker led Harry down to the British booth in the chamber of deliberation and opened the half door. He and Harry slipped into the box and Harry walked over to the small table and placed his briefcase on it. He opened his briefcase and removed several rolled up posters.

Croaker was uncomfortable in the role as ICW representative. His old job allowed him to maintain a low profile. Stepping into Albus' shoes, even if temporarily, was not something he wanted to do.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" asked Croaker nervously. He had never represented the government before and as a senior member of the Ministry had been tapped to take Albus' place while he recovers from his injuries.

Harry met Croaker's gaze. "It has to be done. The issue is will you help or hinder?"

Croaker muttered and looked away. "I'll help, just don't get us involved in any wars," he replied uneasily. He didn't know what Potter had in mind, but he was here in that blasted uniform of his, which meant he was here to make a statement as Weyrleader of all the dragons and that made Croaker distinctly nervous. The dragons were a wild card in Croaker's world view and he didn't like wild cards.

The green gem started blinking on the panel in front of the box and Harry reached out to touch it. "Senor Weyrleader?"

Harry smiled slightly. "Delegate Delgado? How are you, sir?"

"I am very busy but I hope your offer to visit still stands? My Minister has spoken to the Presidente and they are interested in learning more," replied the voice.

Harry glanced over towards the Peruvian box and it's delegation and smiled broadly. "The Weyr is always eager to make new friends, sir. Might I suggest you make arrangements for your visit through the office of the Deputy Minister for Magic? They can help with the necessary arrangements."

"I will do so, Weyrleader. Thank you again for your offer," replied Delgado, then the gem darkened, indicating the connection was cut.

"What was that about?" asked Croaker.

"The last time I was here, Delegate Delgado and I exchanged some heated words. I apologized after the meeting and offered to personally show him around the Weyr. People need to see dragons as more than just a source of products. The Mugwump asked Delgado to chair a committee to oversee the efforts to find replacements for dragon potion ingredients."

Croaker looked thoughtful. "So that explains his contacting us about finding out what replacements we had come up with."

"Yes, he's trying to coordinate everyone so that replacements can be found easier and quicker. That will happen if there's a way of sharing information. That's what he's trying to do," Harry replied.

A side door opened and Mugwump Stebbins entered the room. Harry gestured towards the main Mugwump's box and took his seat behind Croaker's.

Croaker followed his gesture and took the seat normally occupied by Albus when he spotted the Mugwump taking his seat.

Slowly the hall settled in. A moment later, the British box door opened to admit Kingsley Shacklebolt, who Croaker had originally asked to attend this special session of the ICW. Kingsley arched an eyebrow at Harry's presence, not having known the Weyrleader would be attending, then nodded in greeting.

Stebbins pounded his heavy rock on his table and silence fell in the chamber. The doors closed and there was a squishing sound as they sealed in place.

Harry nodded to Kingsley

"Delegates," Stebbins said solemnly, "this special session has been called on behalf of the British delegation, who want to know what we have learned from the wizards captured when Delegate Dumbledore was injured in this very building just five days ago. It is fortunate that we were already in session when the attack happened, otherwise it might have taken weeks to gather all of the delegates.

"I have been told that Delegate Dumbledore will recover from the attack, but his recovery will be long and protracted. It will be quite some time before he once again walks these halls. He will be sorely missed."

A soft murmur of agreement echoed through the chamber. Harry glanced at the Russian box and noted Danakov looking decidedly uncomfortable at Stebbin's words.

"I have asked the head of our internal security force to speak and to answer what questions might arise. Send for Serge Flishman!"

A side door opened and a short, ugly man walked in. Harry was astounded. If Mad Eye Moody was beaten up, this man had been chewed up and spat back out. Had he been a muggle, Harry was certain he would have been consigned to a facility for the severely handicapped. Like Mad Eye, he was missing an eye and the replacement was the same, disturbing neon blue. One arm was missing entirely, as was an ear. Somewhere during his career, his lower jaw had been replaced with one that seemed to be silver. It was a truly disturbing image.

The man stumped down to the central court and placed his wand on a table as was customary for all people giving testimony before the ICW, then he sat and nodded to Stebbins.

"For the record, state your name, country and current occupation," Stebbins said.

"I am Serge Octavius Flishman. I am a German citizen and I am head of security for the ICW headquarters building here in Paris," Flishman stated in a rough voice that had been turned gravelly due to years of yelling.

"Tell us what your investigations have revealed so far," Stebbins commanded.

"Five days ago, six men stormed the main entrance of the building. Three of them stayed in the lobby, attacking everyone in sight, while three others were hidden under invisibility cloaks. Those three men made their way to the office of the British Delegate, Albus Dumbledore, and they attacked him. Delegate Dumbledore's prowess in magical combat is well known. Despite being badly injured, he managed to buy himself enough time to escape from the building.

"Fourteen people were injured in the attack and five, not including the attackers themselves, were killed. Of the six attackers, three were killed, two escaped and one was captured alive. We questioned him extensively under veritaserum. He was merely a hired wand, but he had been briefed on their purpose, even if he didn't know exactly who was behind the attack."

Stebbins leaned forward in his eye. "And the purpose of the attack on Delegate Dumbledore?" he pressed.

Flishman straightened. "He said they wanted the location of the British Weyr, which is known to exist somewhere along the Scottish coast. I know of no particular motive to use such force to find the Weyr, except that the black market for dragon products is getting desperate. I suspect that the man might have been hired by one of the black market privateer groups. I know that they have tried on numerous occasions to breach the old reserves and have been routed every time. Perhaps they felt that they might have more luck attacking that location."

Harry sat stoically, his gaze firmly fixed on the Russian booth.

Stebbins leaned back and considered what to do. He shot a look towards the British box and noted the presence of Croaker and the Weyrleader.

"I note that the Weyrleader has joined us today. Welcome to our chambers, sir. Was there a specific reason for your presence today?" Stebbins asked.

Harry stood and nodded. He was angry and it showed in the air roiling around him.

"Settle down, Potter. Say what you have to say, and don't blow up the building," Croaker hissed in a whisper.

Harry nodded and tried to push his anger aside. Later, he would vent his anger, but now he needed to be calm and collected. Suddenly he felt Chekiath across the bond. His dragon was very close, perhaps even sitting on top of the ICW building. "I believe in you, Harry. We all do. Go calmly," Chekiath said. He could also hear the murmurs of hundreds of dragons echoing his dragon's feelings. Bolstered by the feelings from his dragons, he pushed down his anger and looked around the chamber for a moment longer.

"Mugwump Stebbins, honored delegates, the Weyr is grateful for this opportunity to clarify a few points before this august body. Albus Dumbledore is more than a friend to the Weyr. We consider him family and an honorary member of our group. To know he was attacked so callously because of our relationship angers the dragons and the riders. Make no mistake, we will protect ourselves and we will protect our friends as if they were part of our family.

"An attack on my Weyr, or on any of the former reserves, is not only going to fail, it will end in the death of the attackers. No dragon will kill for the sake of killing, but we will kill to defend ourselves. Someone foolish enough to attack Campbeltown will discover that it is protected by dragons, wizards and muggles. If they want to throw their lives away, then so be it."

Harry paused and took a deep breath, then he turned a hard glare in the direction of the Russian box. Danakov suddenly paled and swallowed nervously.

"I fear Mr. Flishman lacks some key information. I will not name names here, but I will simply make a point that will reach the individual we believe to be behind the attack on Albus Dumbledore," Harry said in a hard tone, then he raised his wand and the two large posters flew from the table down to the area directly in front of Stebbin's desk. The posters unrolled and expanded until they were large enough for all to see. In one image, there was a huge palatial mansion and it was literally covered in dragons. The second poster showed a small girl happily playing in a sandbox. In the background of the image, and only a few yards away, Chekiath posed, his rows of needle point teeth clearly visible. It was obvious that the child had no idea the dragon was there, just as it was obvious that the dragon, who stood mere steps away, could swallow her whole, if he so wished.

Harry looked directly at Danakov, who sat perspiring heavily and trembling in terror at the image of his cherished granddaughter only inches from death. The man may be a criminal and a corrupt politician, but he was also a doting grandparent. The Weyrleader was showing him personally that he could be as ruthless as he was, and the Weyr wasn't limited in his choice of targets.

"The Weyr will not sit idly by and allow ourselves or our friends to be attacked. For most of you, these images mean little, but I have no doubt that they convey our message and our warning to the appropriate party involved. It's really very simple. Leave us and our friends alone and we will leave you alone," Harry said.

He was glaring at Danakov and a number of delegates had followed his gaze. Danakov was nodding vigorously. His granddaughter was one of the great joys of his life and the Weyrleader had just proven that he could reach past his guards and her parents with impunity.

Stebbins climbed down from his elevated box and examined the photos, then he glanced up at Danakov with narrowed eyes. It didn't require much to see that the Weyrleader was sending a pointed message. He had once visited Danakov in his summer mansion and he recognized the building in the photograph. He climbed back into his box and banged his large rock against the desk.

The room slowly settled into an uneasy silence. "Weyrleader, if you have information about the cause of this attack, then you must hand it over to our security..."

Stebbins trailed off into silence when Harry shook his head. "Mugwump, I mean no disrespect, but the Weyr is not obligated to share any information. We are not a part of this body; we have no treaty with it and while I do hold a great many people here in the highest regard, an equal number of you represent Ministries that would eagerly rush to kill my people for the ingredients they can provide.

"The Weyr came here today to let the world know two things. Albus Dumbledore may be a wizard and a delegate member of this body, but he is also a friend to the Weyr and considered one of ours, as well. The Weyr will never initiate an attack on anyone, but we will defend ourselves and our friends. My second purpose was to prevent any further harm coming to anyone. Understand that dragons want to be friends with everyone but we are not without power of our own, nor are we afraid to use it.

"I believe I have managed to convey our messages sufficiently. Director Shacklebolt of the British Magical Law Enforcement is here to share what information he has and to learn what he can. I will leave the matters of law enforcement in the hands of the professionals," Harry replied, then he sat down.

"Treaty? With you? Unthinkable! You're not a country!" shouted a delegate.

Harry turned towards the man who stood angrily glaring at him. He noted absently the man was the representative from Saudi Arabia.

The man glowered then turned to Stebbins. "Point of order, Mugwump, but isn't this Weyr on British soil and therefore bound to Britain and her government?"

Stebbins blinked in surprise. "Actually, I am uncertain. Mr. Croaker, you stand in for your colleague. Will you clarify the Weyr's position within your government?"

Croaker stood and glanced sourly at Harry, who smiled tightly. "Mugwump, the Weyr is considered to be a first nation people. They are only bound by British law when on British soil, but the Weyr proper is not considered to be British soil. I know for a fact that the Weyr has negotiated independent treaties with the Americans, the Dutch, and are currently in negotiation with Japan and China. The Weyrleader was right when he said he was under no obligation to share information, nor can we compel him to do so.

"Finally, I will add that he is acting on secret intelligence generated by the British secret service that was shared with the Weyr. Her Majesty's government shared that information because it was felt that the Weyr could find a solution which would resolve the problem with a minimum of fuss."

Harry nodded from his seat behind Croaker and Stebbins sighed. He liked Dumbledore and hoped the Weyrleader would show the information that led him to all but accuse Danakov of conspiracy. Danakov is nasty business, Stebbins thought, but it's clear that Potter's message has him seriously scared. I wonder who the child is?

"Very well. Director Shacklebolt, is the British DMLE willing to consult with our security services?" asked Stebbins.

At Croaker's prodding Kingsley stood. "We are, sir," he said nervously.

"Mr. Flishman, would you meet with Director Shacklebolt as soon as the meeting ends please? I would like very much to put this unpleasant episode behind us."

Flishman bowed stiffly in Stebbin's direction, then he limped over to a spot reserved for officers of the ICW and took a seat.

"Considering this is as far as we can go at the moment, let us next turn our attention to the issue of the security zone separating Italy and Greece. Our Swedish delegate has a report..."

Croaker leaned forward and activated one of the stones on the panel, activating a privacy ward and silencing the Mugwump. He turned in his chair and cracked a huge smile. "I thought Danakov was going to shit his pants with that second photo!"

"As long as he takes the warning to heart, I'll be happy. I don't want to hurt anyone, especially not his granddaughter, even if her grandfather is a criminal," Harry said tensely.

"Oh, he got the message all right. I doubt he'll be a bother to you anymore," Croaker said. "I wish we could do more. Albus could have been killed in that attack, but the man holds diplomatic immunity."

Harry nodded unhappily. He, too, would have liked to see the man arrested, but he was untouchable.

Kitchen Hall, Campbeltown Weyr, May 26th...

Harry felt someone shaking him and he jerked awake and covered his head with his arms. His sudden movement caused Hermione to step back in shock. "Harry?" she said softly. She glanced over at May, who was watching the scene intently.

He lowered his arms and blinked a few times. Then he spotted Hermione nearby and relaxed. "I'm sorry, did you need something?"

"What time did you get home last night?" she asked.

He scratched at the back of his neck. "Close to four, I think."

"And why are you sleeping on the couch?" asked May.

He shrugged. "It was late and both of you were asleep. I knew my coming to bed would disturb you, so I laid down on the couch," he replied, then he stretched and winced. His back made several painful popping sounds. "Sleeping on the couch wasn't such a good idea. It's not very comfortable."

"I told you to curl up with me," Chekiath said.

Harry smiled. "I should have," he admitted ruefully, then he looked at the two girls, who were staring at him. "What? Don't tell me you've never slept with your dragon? They can curl their front paws together to make a very comfortable bed. But don't forget to wrap a sheet around yourself or you'll end up with sand in places you never imagined it could go."

Both girls exchanged shocked looks. They had slept with their dragons, in fact all of the riders had, but Harry was the only person they knew to admit to it. Everyone else seemed to think it was too weird to admit to. And both girls wondered why they hadn't thought of the sheet idea.

May shook from the shock first. "Why did you come home so late?"

"The ICW delegates are not allowed to leave the chamber while the body is in session. And the session lasted until nearly eight in the evening, then a number of delegates wanted to talk to me about Albus. I also received a hand written message from our Russian friend saying he was sorry that Albus got hurt and he'd personally punish anyone he knew of that was involved. Croaker thinks Danakov will probably kill whomever he hired and back off. He also reminded me that I can firmly count Russia and Danakov as enemies at this point."

"So, it was all for nothing?" asked Hermione in dismay.

Harry shook his head. "No, Danakov realizes that he stands to lose big time and has backed off. But he is influential in his country and Russia will undoubtedly be unfriendly to dragons and the Weyr. On the plus side, I may be able to send those DPG guys home soon. I sent off an email to Prime Minister Major letting him know that Danakov has backed off. I hope its good enough to get rid of the bodyguards."

He stretched again and winced.

"Go shower and get dressed," May ordered. "A good breakfast will help wake you, but don't plan on going anywhere today. You're still tired. I don't want you giving jump imagery when you're exhausted."

Harry nodded, knowing she was right. He was tired and his head felt like it was stuffed with cotton.

Twenty minutes later and feeling only a bit more awake, he walked into the Kitchen Hall and up to the front of the room where he waited until people settled down.

"Good morning," he said quietly. "I would like to report that the effort of the past few days to locate Danakov's home and grandchild paid off. The photos were displayed in front of the entire ICW session and our message was understood.

"You all worked hard coordinating with Irtysh River Weyr to locate what we needed, and we learned a few specialized spells that allowed us to take those pictures. I wish I could say that Danakov won't bother us again, but I can't. He represents the power in control of Russia and I think it would be wise if we were wary of any overtures made by Russian representatives for now.

"Finally, Doctor Sheppard informs me that Albus Dumbledore accepted our invitation. He will be coming to the Weyr today, to stay for a week or more. While he gets excellent care at Hogwarts, the infirmary at the school is rarely very quiet. Madam Pomfrey hopes he'll be able to rest here with Doctor Sheppard watching after him. I know many of you would like to spend some time with him, but please, consult with Issac about that. Let him set up a schedule that allows for visitors and for Albus to rest and recover."

Harry smiled and then turned and walked over to the buffet to select his breakfast, then he scanned the room before spotting May and Hermione beckoning him over to their table.

"Are you awake?" asked Hermione when he finally settled at their table.

"No, not really," he admitted. "I feel like I haven't slept enough."

"That's because you haven't," replied May dryly. "In the future, if you come home that late, just wake one of us so you can climb into bed." May paused and looked thoughtful, then she added, "unless you've been drinking, then you can sleep on the couch."

Hermione snickered and Harry looked shocked. "You do know I don't drink, don't you?"

"There's always a first time," May replied. "Remember when Chapman got drunk and threw up all over Cindy Taylor? I thought she was going to have her dragon fry him."

He sighed and shook his head. "May, I'm a mage. I've already had it explained to me from two other mages, as well as Remus and Minerva, that getting drunk is a bad idea for me. Someday I might have a drink or two, but I've been warned against more than that. Dumbledore himself told me he didn't get drunk until he was nearly seventy five years old. Mages will drink, but the loss of control isn't safe us. Losing control of our magic can be dangerous."

May looked surprised and she looked to Hermione, who nodded in confirmation.

"Mages are still people and some drink anyway, but it really isn't a good idea," Hermione said.

Harry leaned a little closer to May. "Your grandfather's problem won't be mine," he said intently.

Hermione looked between the pair with narrowing eyes. No one had told her about May's grandfather.

Harry spotted her look and he shrugged apologetically, "Its not my tale to tell."

Hermione glanced to May, who looked embarrassed.

"My grandda drinks too much. We ignored it because we knew he was dealing with chronic pain, but now that his arthritis is cured, he's still drinking. He doesn't make a pleasant drunk."

Harry nodded in agreement. His one encounter with the man while he was drunk had not been a pleasant experience.

Hermione reached out and gripped May's hand. "I'm sorry," she said.

May shrugged. "It's not your fault. But I don't like people who get drunk. That boy who attacked me... he had been drinking too."

Harry scooted closer and wrapped an arm around her shoulders giving her a sideways hug. "I promise, May, it's not going to be a problem for us."

"Of course, it won't," asserted Hermione with a bit of a huff. "Do you honestly think our dragons would allow us to get caught up in that kind of problem?"

May looked at Hermione incredulously and then bit her lip. She could easily envision Trath scolding her if she came home drunk. There was nothing remotely pleasant about that thought.

"Well, we'll just have to find another way to be stupid teens," Hermione said, then she grimaced. In her opinion, her behavior around Christmas time was a perfect example of teen stupidity.

"Hermione," Harry said instantly on the heels of her comment. He knew exactly what she was thinking. After all, he was an expert at blaming himself, so he could see it in others. "That's in the past. Like the dragons say, what matters is what we do from here on. If I can put it behind us, then so can you."

Hermione blushed and nodded. She wasn't sure if this was his dragon's influence or just a case of Harry growing up, but he was becoming very quick to pick up on subtle cues and correctly deduce the reason for them.

"Well, she does have a point," May said with a smile. "If we can't do the typical teenage things, then what can we do? It's not like you can take your date out for a drive and make out in the back seat. Dragon's don't have back seats."

Harry sipped at his tea. "Do we really want to resort to that kind of stupidity? Or do we even need to? Our dragons would probably stop us from doing something really dumb and I like to think that our bonds have matured us enough to avoid the worst parts of being a teen. Besides, bonding with our dragons might have saved us from the usual teen stupidity, but I'm certain it hasn't prevented adult stupidity.

"On the other hand, your typical teen can't decide to take his best girls on a picnic lunch to the Caribbean. Once we go public, we could take the entire Weyr to Brighton beach for a day in the sun. Imagine the stir that would create. Your typical teen can't travel around the world in seconds. I'm not naïve enough to think that we'd can go anywhere and be welcome, but our options will be wide open. I'm sure we'll find plenty of things to do that we'll enjoy and make fools of ourselves while we're at it."

May chuckled and Hermione looked at Harry in astonishment. She had assumed that going public wouldn't really change things, but now she wasn't so sure. Suddenly she had an image of herself visiting her old neighborhood and seeing the girls that used to torment her so. Only this time she would be on the back of her dragon. Hermione looked between the two others then shook her head and sighed. Harry was right, she thought. As much fun as it is to fantasize about getting revenge on my tormentors, I'm was beyond that now and don't need to do it.

Harry stifled a yawn and both girls exchanged a look.

"Harry," Hermione said softly, "why don't you go back to bed? I'll come get you in two hours. This way you'll be more awake and won't flip your schedule upside down."

He nodded. "Good idea. Right now I'm too tired to get much work done. Tell James and Sirius where I am, will you, love?"

Hermione nodded and both girls watched him leave the room. Once he was gone, May turned to Hermione. "Brighton? I would have thought he would choose a nude beach like Nice?"

Hermione smiled and shook her head. "Gordon Chapman would, but not Harry. He likes looking at us when we're topless, but I guess he doesn't want anyone else having a peek. Besides, you know that seeing us both topless nearly causes his head to explode."

"Or something else to explode," May muttered with a dirty little snicker.

Hermione blinked then laughed wickedly.

Kitchen Hall, Campbeltown Weyr, May 31st...

"May I?"

Harry glanced up and smiled at Albus Dumbledore. "Please, Albus," he replied. The old man stood there, a cane in one hand and a cup in the other. His injuries had been healed, but due to his advanced age, he would always deal with lingering pain and need the assistance of a cane for support while walking.

Albus sat down and tried to suppress the sigh of relief, but he couldn't hide how he was feeling from the dragons.

"You might not feel it, but it looks like you're moving better, Albus," Harry said.

The old man smiled. "I am getting there. It aches a bit less each day. Poppy tells me that I might need the cane from now on, however. I fear at my age healing bone injuries is not as easy as it might be for a young buck like yourself."

Harry had heard that same information from Issac along with a warning to not allow Albus to do to much walking. The Weyr was a sprawling settlement and walking was a necessity.

"Harry, Alejandro stopped by this morning and filled me in on the details of your trip to the ICW." Albus said slowly.

Harry winced inwardly, but he held Dumbledore in a steady gaze. "I'm sorry if it bothers you, but I had to make a statement that would convince Danakov that the expense of continuing his plans would cost him dearly."

Albus eyed him for a moment, then he reached across the table and touched Harry's hand. "Do not think I am unhappy with what you did, my boy. While I might have chosen a different approach, you took one that was uniquely suited to the abilities of your riders and your dragons. It was innovative and dramatic in the extreme. And yet no one was harmed.

"Alejandro tells me that you really shook up a number of the delegates who had been hostile to the idea of dragons being as smart as humans. I might have wished that you didn't have to do what you did, but I cannot fault your method. And I am deeply touched by the sentiment behind it. I had not realized that the dragons thought so highly of me."

"You worry too much about the past, White Beard. I have not known you as long as Harry, but I knew right away that you always meant well," Chekiath announced suddenly. "Since Harry and I impressed, you have done nothing but try to help us. The magical riders hold you in high regard, but so do the dragons. The Weyr has prospered because of your help."

"Dear Merlin," exclaimed Albus and Harry grinned at him.

"Our friends and allies are precious to us, Albus. I will admit my first inclination was to find the Russian ministry building and lay waste to it. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized I could accomplish the same thing without risking a single dragon, and I could send a clear message. Mess with our friends at your own peril," Harry gestured around him. The room was slowly filling up with riders and off duty security personnel taking their mid-afternoon break.

"Every one of these people has a role to play. Including you, Albus. Your help was invaluable in dealing with the Ministry and the Prime Minister. Since I impressed, you've done nothing but help and we've benefited because of that," Harry said seriously. "Danakov posed a clear and present danger to the Weyr, to you, and what we're trying to do. While I probably would not have ordered any harm to his granddaughter, the threat is valid and I would have no compunction against burning his home to the ground if he harms another person connected to the Weyr."

"And the fact that eliminating the threat meant releasing the Prime Minister's security people you had following you around didn't influence your decision in any way?" asked Albus with a twinkle in his eye.

Harry blushed and looked down for a moment, then he looked up at Albus. "Do you know how hard it is to take your girlfriends on a date when you have three men following you everywhere? The only way we could avoid that was if we went somewhere via dragon and I can't exactly take the girls to the cinema on Chekiath yet."

Albus blinked in surprise. "Well, now that you mention it, I don't know what it's like," he admitted. "But I think I can see what you mean. Sirius has been bragging about you and your girls since I arrived."

Harry shrugged. "Somehow we are making it work. It wasn't easy in the beginning and it still isn't. The dragons want this and we can't help but be influenced by that. On the other hand, the dragons are influenced by our desires as well, so it balances itself out, I suppose."

Harry paused and took a deep breath. "It's a strange feeling," he said softly. "When I impressed Chekiath, I instantly knew I had someone who loved me. Now I have four other people if you count in the dragons. I can feel what the dragons feel, both for me and Chekiath. Some days I'm sure I'll wake up in the cupboard and find this was all a very strange dream."

"That is not going to happen, Harry," Chekiath said emphatically. "This is no dream, my consorts are not a dream, nor are your wives."

Harry smiled and looked towards the roof of the building where his dragon was enjoying an early warm day in the sun. "I know, Cheki," he said. "I know it's no dream and I'm very glad for it."

Harry's smile broadened. He could feel Cheki thrumming contentedly on the roof.

"Harry, Sirius has told me about your particular problem. If you like, I happen to know a druid high priestess that I could bring to the Weyr. But if I do, you'll have to promise me you won't tell Minerva."

Harry looked intrigued. There was a story here that he hadn't heard before. "What does Professor McGonagall have to do with it?"

Albus looked a bit pained. "In my younger days I helped a young witch who was interested in the druid beliefs learn more about the subject. Eddie McGonagall moved to Dublin on the basis of a letter of introduction to the St. Patrick Hospital of Magical Illnesses that I provided her. There she met a rather nice fellow who was also studying to be a healer and who happened to be a practicing druid."

Dumbledore frowned. "I'm afraid Minerva didn't take it very well when her sister converted and ultimately married Seamus Took. Minerva's family has always been rather anti-Irish and to find she was converting on top of that didn't sit well. While Minerva's views aren't as fixed as some of her family, she felt Eddie was throwing away her family in favor of a boy. Eddie is a dear woman with a heart of gold, but like all the McGonagalls she has a fiery temper. Neither sister have spoken to the other in more than thirty years."

Harry leaned back and thought about what Albus was telling him. The dragons were asking questions about religion that neither he, nor the other riders, could answer.

"I suppose it couldn't hurt. We were thinking of looking into the Druids and their handfasting ceremony several years from now, but the dragons are asking questions that are getting very hard to answer," Harry replied.

Dumbledore arched a bushy eyebrow in curiosity. "Oh?"

"They're curious, and faith is something that interests them. I don't have answers for myself, let alone my dragon. I talked about it with May and Hermione and we thought it would be best if we just let the dragons find their own way," Harry said.

"That is probably for the best, Harry. If the dragons want to adopt a human faith, or find their own path, it should be of their choosing. I know from personal experience that one shouldn't be making these kinds of decisions for others," Albus replied a touch ruefully.

Harry smiled weakly at the man. He knew he was referring to his interference in Harry's life, and in the lives of others. He was glad he had stopped trying to interfere. Albus was much more personable these days instead of hiding in his high tower at Hogwarts. Leaving the school had done him a lot of good.

"How long will you stay with us?" Harry asked.

Albus sighed and looked at the cane leaning against the table. "My healers are insisting that I rest for another week. Fortunately, Lord Mills has allowed me the use of his office computer so I can look over some matters at the office and offer some advice. I will use the time to contact my friend Eddie and see if she can visit for a day."

Harry nodded. "Just remember that you're one of us, Albus. You'll always have a place here."

Albus smiled broadly. "Thank you, my boy."

Dragon Infirmary, Campbeltown Weyr, June 1st...

May pushed a stray lock of hair away from her face and positioned the light again, then she reached up and carefully trimmed the bulging scale using heavy duty tin snips. By trimming the excess, she was able to get the scale to lay flat against the hide. The soft hide underneath the scale was an angry red and she swore she could feel the heat radiating off it.

Carefully she peeled back the scale and smeared a soothing paste over the infection, which would cool it and help ease the discomfort. Above her, Sarth whuffled and sighed in relief. "I know, Sarth, but now that I'm done with this, I'll be able to give you a potion for the pain and an antibiotic," she said, then she grabbed her lamp and slid out from under the large dragon.

It was something her own father had suggested, this small wheeled rack that she could lay on and scoot along the ground. The Weyr had purchased several from an automotive repair catalog. It made it easier for the healer to reach awkward places on the dragon.

Standing up, she shoved the rack towards one wall where a house elf was waiting to hang it up, then she turned to look at the Hebridean Black. "Go get settled into stall four. I'll be there in a moment. I have to get the potion for your pain and prepare your shot," she ordered.

Sarth bobbed his head and moved to the appointed stall. He spent several minutes settling into place then he turned to look eagerly for May's arrival.

"How are you, Sarth?" asked Harry.

The large dragon turned his head towards Harry, who had just entered the building. "I'm sorry, Weyrleader, Jerry and I didn't notice the bad scale until it was too late."

Harry held up a hand, staying the dragon. He glanced over to Jerald Wissman, who stood nearby looking unhappy about his sick dragon. "Neither of you has any reason to apologize," he said quietly. "These things happen. The important thing is to concentrate on getting better and I know Jerry will do everything in his power to help you."

Sarth turned to look at Jerry, who was nodding fervently. Harry scratched the dragon's eye ridges for a moment, then he straightened and turned when May approached pushing a cart.

May gave him a bright smile, then turned to Sarth. "Let's do something about that pain first. Open wide for the potion, then I have some water to rinse the taste away," she said.

Sarth stretched his long neck towards May and she fearlessly stepped up to a mouth that could snap her in two in a single chomp. She lifted a large bucket off the cart and slowly poured the potion in.

"This is really nasty," complained Sarth.

May stepped back and placed the bucket on the floor, then she lifted another bucket off the cart. "I know, but in a few minutes the pain will be all gone. Now, here's some water to wash it down," May replied soothingly.

The dragon opened his mouth and let her pour the water directly in instead of lapping it up like normal. With both buckets empty and on the floor next to the cart, she turned to the cart again and prepared the largest needle Harry had ever seen.

"Now, one shot of antibiotics to help you fight that infection," she murmured. "We'll be repeating this shot twice a day until you're better."

Harry's eyes grew huge and he turned away. May glanced up and smirked at his back. He can be such a wimp sometimes, she thought. She cleared the syringe of air bubbles and Sarth obediently opened his mouth. "This will feel like a slight pinch, so hold still," she said softly, then she plunged the needle into the gum line between two teeth and pushed hard on the plunger.

Dragon hide was too tough to allow any needle to easily penetrate. Only the gum area in the mouth provided a place where a needle could be used without risking it bending or breaking. It was a fact discovered by Dan Granger when he started working on dragon teeth. Before that point, the anti-biotic drugs were usually mixed in pill form with a meat paste and fed to the dragons. And they hated the meat paste.

A moment later she was putting the needle on the cart. She glanced over to see Harry had turned back around and looking very sheepish. "Oh, don't let it bother you, Harry. My father is terrified of needles too and my grandda is even worse," she said impishly.

She turned to Jerry Wissman, "You'll see to getting him settled in, Jerry?"

"Yes, May, and thank you for your help," replied the worried rider gratefully.

May pushed a lock of hair out of her eyes. "It's what I'm here for," she replied, then she picked up the buckets and placed them on the cart. She started to push the cart towards her work area when she stopped and looked at Harry. "Did you need to see me about something? I don't see Chekiath about and he didn't look ill this morning."

Harry suddenly looked uncomfortable. "Can we talk in your office?" he asked, sounding a bit nervous.

A cold knot formed in her belly and she was suddenly wondering if he was about to tell her that the relationship just wasn't working out. Numbly she led him into her office and he shut the door behind them. Despite the progress made in their relationship it was still so new and fragile that she was unsure of its stability.

"You're being silly. That can't happen," Trath chided privately.

Harry said nothing about Trath's comments. He could hear private comments made by the dragons to their riders, but he didn't want any of them to know about it. Private comments were meant to be private and he would respect that. "May, I know the last few months have been difficult on the three of us and I know what today is," he said looking at her. His nervousness seemed to increase.

"And?" she said warily. It was her birthday and they had made plans for later this evening to celebrate with a small dinner and cake at Harry's house. There would be a larger celebration come the weekend when her parents came to stay the weekend at the Weyr.

"I found myself presented with a dilemma. When I learned two weeks ago that your birthday was today I wanted to get you something, but I had also promised myself I would never treat either you or Hermione differently. I wanted to give you something that signified how I felt about you and it was driving me crazy until I came upon this solution," he said. As he spoke he paced her office and she watched him. She had seen him tired, and happy, sometimes down and sometimes elated, but this was a new face she hadn't seen before.

He stopped and faced her. "I have two things for you. I gave one of these to Hermione this morning just after breakfast and I really hope you'll accept this from me?"

He reached into his belt bag and withdrew a small ring box.

May gasped. "Is that?"

He smiled gently. Hermione had made the same initial assumption as well. "No, it's not an engagement ring. According to Remus, my dad gave my mum a promise ring first. I didn't want to use that ring, but I had the goblins make two copies of it. I would really like you to wear it as my promise to you that someday, perhaps before we're twenty, we'll all go find that druid priestess and get married in our own way."

Harry opened the ring box and she gasped. It was a simple platinum band that was topped with two overlapping hearts. The workmanship was exquisite and it took away her breath just looking at it.

"Hermione accepted hers this morning. I explained that I wanted to give you something special for your birthday, but I didn't want her to feel left out."

May looked up from examining the exquisite ring and smirked at him. "So, that's why she dragged you back to our quarters after breakfast?"

Harry blushed, but nodded. May was a bit of a tease and sex was one of those things that she found she could tease the others about. Harry was more susceptible than Hermione, however.

"Harry," she said gently, "Sirius himself called us wives and that's probably the best term for it. I only tease you because both you and Hermione seem to think it's some deep secret. I know you make love to her, just like she knows you make love to me. It's a natural thing and I'm going to continue teasing you two until you get used to it."

She sighed and shook her head. It had taken a discussion with Luna before she realized that while neither Harry or Hermione had grown up in the wizarding world, they were more conservative than May was when it came to discussing sex. It was like they'd accidentally adopted Wizarding society's taboos when it came to sex.

She had taken to teasing them both and had finally hit the point with Hermione where they could share some details like two very close friends. They didn't share everything of course, but she and Hermione had grown closer than she thought was possible.

She removed the ring from the box and deftly slipped it onto her finger, then she stepped closer to Harry and pushed his chin up with a finger. "She had you this morning, but tonight you're mine, Mr. Potter," she said huskily. "I'll wear your ring and when the time is right all three of us will seek out your druid."

Harry smiled at her, looking vastly relieved. He held out a small gift wrapped package and with a whispered word canceled the reducing charm on it. It expanded into another jewel case, although this was obviously not a ring. "Sirius and Remus told me my dad bought my mum a charm bracelet that he intended to use to mark special occasions in her life. Her first two charms were a wand and a small teddy bear. I guess because of her having me and her being a witch. I thought it would be a good idea to do the same," he said, then he handed her the box.

She opened the box to find a elegant but sturdy bracelet with a tiny dragon on it. The workmanship surprised her and she guess it was probably made with magic. She didn't know any other way he could have found such a perfect little dragon. Next to the dragon was another charm, this time a small syringe representing her role as a Weyrhealer.

"The charms and chain are made by goblins," he offered. "They're the very best when you want something made in metal. Other than the chain being enchanted so only you can remove it, there's no other magic in it."

She stared down at the little dragon who seemed to stare up at her in amusement. She noted that the goblins had used emerald chips for the eyes and wondered if Harry had specified that, or if it was mere chance. "It's wonderful," she said. She started to fumble with the tiny clasp and he stopped her. He took the chain in his hand then quickly gave her wrist a quick kiss before putting it on her.

She stepped forward and pulled him into a tight embrace. "Hermione knows she will get her charm bracelet on her birthday," he whispered. She laughed and pulled him tighter and kissing him fiercely. Tonight, she thought, definitely tonight. I want him fully recharged, otherwise I'd be pulling his clothes off now.

Harry's Office, Campbeltown Weyr, June 5th...

Harry looked at the aerial photo, then he turned to Lobsang. "So, if you alternate the patrols, with one sweeping north by west and a second sweeping in an opposite south by east, they should cross paths over the center of the Weyr. Unless you're careful with your altitudes, you could run into difficulties, but more importantly this pattern means that these approaches are missed by your pattern," Harry explained, while pointing out two particular slopes on the photo.

While Maziang was generally inaccessible, there was a small foot path on one slope and a badly maintained ox cart trail on the other slope. It could be reached easily enough from the air, however.

Lobsang stared at the large photo again. It was a four foot by four foot satellite image of the Maziang plateau. The village was clearly visible, as was the new housing for the riders. Lobsang nodded, then he glanced down at a smaller photo in his lap and used the grease pencil Harry had supplied him to outline a new pattern.

"Instead of an X shaped pattern then, we should have two patrols which should follow the top of the plateau edges like this," he murmured, drawing lines indicating the direction and path of the patrol sweeps. "And... one patrol over the main Weyr and village itself?"

Lobsang looked up at Harry, unsure about the addition of a third patrol group, but Harry nodded.

"Yes, that could work. It would give you a clear view of the approaches to the plateau, as well as coverage over the main Weyr."

Lobsang leaned back in chair and smiled to himself. He had arrived at Campbeltown earlier today to tell Harry in person that they had detected some people testing the edges of the wards. The Shangri La ward masters would not be able to bolster the wards on Maziang for another two weeks.

They didn't know who was sniffing around the wards, but they suspected it might be some of the Chinese wizards. Since the Chinese takeover of Tibet, the Chinese wizards had tried to breach Maziang's wards on several occasions. Usually every couple years someone would make an attempt, as if they were testing to see if the wards were still at full strength.

When Harry heard a description of the problem he called for a Weyrleader meeting. Kat and Skip sat looking over images from Maziang, as well as Condron and Campbeltown, while they discussed what to do.

"Harry," Kat said in that soft voice of hers, "I think I would like to go with one additional idea. You recall my email about the ready wing?"

Harry nodded. Kat had suggested that one wing always be on standby. At Condron they had set up a tent for the riders of the ready wing so that everyone could be alerted at the same time. Campbeltown hadn't gotten around to setting up a tent, but they had worked out a method to alert the ready wing in their homes.

"Yes, I remember it. It's a good idea, we've adopted a similar idea here," Harry replied.

Kat blushed at Harry's praise. "Well, I would like to say that if Lobsang discovers someone attempting to break their wards, Condron's ready wing will be available to respond within three minutes of the alert. The full Weyr can turn out within ten minutes."

Harry glanced over to Ronan, who he had asked to attend the meeting.

"It's a good idea. We can do the same," Ronan said.

"Very well, but I want to be clear about this. The Weyrs can and must support each other. But let's not call out the troops because someone gets lost and stumbles into the wards. Calling for support should be limited to Weyrleaders, or their designated officers, and only for real emergencies." Harry replied. "Lobsang knows that we have spoken with the Chinese, and while they weren't really pleased, the lure of cheap energy is enough to make them cooperative for now."

Harry waited until all the Weyrleaders nodded in agreement.

The door to the office opened and Albus stood in the doorway. Behind him stood a small woman with auburn hair streaked with gray. She was dressed in all white and wore a simple silver circlet around her head. It was obvious that she was the Druid Priestess that Albus spoke of.

"I'm sorry, Harry. I assumed your meeting was over," Albus said. "I'd like you to meet Eddie Took. If you recall, I spoke of her a few days ago?"

"I remember," Harry replied with a smile. "I think we're through here?" He glanced at the other three Weyrleaders and they nodded, then started packing up their things.

The others stood and started to leave. Kat paused in front of Eddie and to Harry's surprise, bowed to the woman.

Eddie smiled gently at the girl and placed her hand on Kat's head. "Goddess' blessing, my dear," she said.

Kat straightened and smiled brightly, then she stepped from the room.

"I wasn't aware that Kat was a druid." Harry commented.

Eddie smiled again. "She may not be one, young man, but she respects the old beliefs or she would have not offered respect like she did. One does not need to be a member of the faithful to seek a blessing."

Eddie turned to Albus. "Who was that young woman?"

"That was Kat Mathews, a young American witch," Albus replied. "I wasn't aware of her beliefs, so I share Harry's surprise."

"Please, come in and sit, especially you, Albus," Harry said firmly, gesturing to some chairs. "You know you should be resting."

Albus' smile slipped a little, but he did as Harry instructed.

"Cheki, would you ask May and Hermione to come to my office, please?" Harry called.

"Of course, Harry," replied the dragon, who was sitting on the roof sunning himself.

The woman paused and looked perplexed. "That was strange, I could have sworn I heard a voice," she whispered mostly to herself.

"Hasn't Albus told you where you are?" asked Harry in surprise.

Eddie shook her head. "No, he just asked me to come with him today. He said he had some very special people that he'd like me to meet."

Harry chuckled and looked over at the old man, who was smiling and his eyes were twinkling at full blast. He shook his head and turned back to Eddie. "Albus said he knew someone that might be able to help with some unique problems we have here. But before I go into that, allow me to welcome you to Campbeltown Weyr. I'm Harry Potter."

Eddie gasped and looked at him in astonishment. "Then that voice I heard?"

"Was me!" Chekiath said happily. "I'm on the roof, but I'll be down in a moment."

"That was Chekiath, Harry's dragon and if I may be so bold, the largest dragon in the world," Albus said, still smiling.

"Of course I'm the biggest. I have to be. My rider is the best Weyrleader," Chekiath replied.

"Cheki," Harry said with a sigh. "A year ago I was the only Weyrleader."

"That doesn't matter," Cheki replied. "A year, or a hundred from now and you'll still be the best Weyrleader."

Harry glanced sourly at Albus, who was chuckling softly at his discomfort.

Eddie turned to Albus and scowled, "I see you haven't lost your love of surprising people. Really, Albus, how Minnie puts up with you only the Gods know."

The door opened at that moment and May and Hermione entered. Harry stood and walked around his desk, reaching out with a hand for both of them. He turned to Eddie. "To be honest. I don't know what I should call you," he said falteringly.

"Eddie will do just fine for now, Mister Potter," she replied. She watched Harry lovingly wrap an arm around both girls and she raised an eyebrow. Not even the slightest hint of such behavior in the Weyr had made the wizarding papers.

"Eddie, I would like to introduce you to Hermione Granger and May McNulty. They are probably the most important people in the Weyr to me, except for my dragon," he said quietly. "Ladies, this is Eddie Took. She's a druid high priestess. I asked Albus to bring her here because the dragons are asking questions that none of us have any answers to."

Harry ushered the girls around to his side of the desk after they shook Eddie's hand. They took seats that Harry normally kept on that side for them.

Harry smiled and took his own seat, then he heard the grinding noise of the dragon door activating. Eddie gasped when Chekiath walked in and curled up in his spot. Unlike the house, the dragon stall in Harry's office was only big enough for Chekiath.

"Eddie, this is Chekiath, my dragon."

"Hello. May you find peace and shelter under our wings," Chekiath replied.

"May the Goddess bless you and your kin," Eddie responded automatically, then she blinked in surprise. She looked towards Harry, who was grinning at her.

"I find it helpful if you just think of my friend there as a funny shaped person," he offered.

"I tried to think of you as a funny shaped dragon once, Harry," Chekiath added. "But you don't have wings."

Harry chuckled and shook his head, then he turned back to Eddie. "I asked Albus to invite you here because our dragons are asking questions about religion that I cannot answer. Nor can Hermione or May. The dragons are wondering if God cares for them and, considering their origins, I would say it's a tough question. Someday soon the Weyr will become public knowledge and we'll let the dragons explore the various religions, but as a witch, you already knew about the dragons, so we could bring you here early."

"You make it sound like there is something unusual in their origin?" asked Eddie.

Harry glanced toward Albus and he nodded. "I think you can trust Eddie with this secret, Harry. I have known her for many years now and I found her most trustworthy."

"I agree with White Beard, Harry," Chekiath offered.

He leaned back in his chair for a moment then he started to speak. "What I am about to tell you is a secret so great that the mug... normals will never know about it, Eddie. Chekiath says you are trustworthy and Albus agrees. It is only because of them that I will share this information with you."

"Like all clergy, we keep the confidence of many who come to us with their dilemmas, Weyrleader," she said with a quiet dignity.

"And yet few will present you with this kind of secret," Hermione countered.

Eddie bowed her head. "I will keep your secret. On my oath as a servant of Ernmass, the Earth mother."

Harry nodded and leaned forward in his chair. "As near as we can determine from the racial memories handed down, dragons came to our world somewhere between thirty thousand and seventy five thousand years ago. We know this because a dragon passes memories to its offspring. Examination of the memories to identify the animals that were seen allowed us to narrow the time frame a little."

Harry smiled slightly, then he continued. "What we also know is that thousands of years in the future, a population of humans will colonize a planet they will call Pern. Wishing for a simpler lifestyle, they rejected much of their advanced technology and brought with them just enough to build an agricultural society.

"Unfortunately for these colonists, they encountered a form of life with a voracious appetite for all organic matter, including people and livestock. The colonists were unprepared for this danger and had not brought any of their advanced weapons or the industry to make such weapons. In an act of desperation, they took a local life form and modified it, creating dragons with intelligence and the need to bond with humans."

"Created? Another planet?" she exclaimed.

Hermione reached out and touched Harry's arm. He glanced at her and understood what she was asking. He nodded his assent.

"Eddie, how much do you know about the muggle world?" asked Hermione.

The older woman frowned a little. "Not as much as I'd like, but as a healer I have tried to keep up with some of the advances in their medicine. I find myself constantly amazed by their drive and ingenuity."

Hermione nodded. "Sometime in the future, man will leave this planet and colonize other worlds. He will master technologies we can only dream about, including the ability to alter existing life forms to create something new. Our dragons were originally created by man and given intelligence, again by man. They designed many intended features into them, and some unintended, such as the ability to travel through time. Our dragons are every bit as intelligent as you or I and they are clearly not human. Some concepts elude them, and others that are so complex we need computers to figure them out, they know intuitively."

"Humans have God, and they created us. Does that mean that God doesn't love us because he didn't make us? Humans have souls. Do we have souls?" asked Chekiath, thrusting to the heart of the issue.

"Oh, sweet Merlin," breathed Eddie, then she turned to face Chekiath. "Chekiath, you ask tough questions, but I will try to answer them. What I want to make clear from the start is that there are beliefs and there are facts. Do you understand the difference?"

Chekiath extended his long neck, bringing his large head fully into the office space. "A fact is something that is. Harry loves his consorts. That is a fact. He is Weyrleader, that is a fact. I believe that adding more consorts would make Harry unhappy and uncomfortable. I could have more but for him I limit myself. That is a belief, I think."

"Uncomfortable? More like dead," May muttered.

Hermione shook her head ruefully, but she admitted to herself that she was unwilling to share Harry with any other girl. Both girls glared at Harry who blanched.

"Hey, I'm not even looking!" he protested. "Besides, there's no one in the Weyr that could top either of you."

"Don't blame the Weyrleader," Trath announced suddenly.

"Chekiath could have more consorts. We are honored to be his consorts. I don't understand why this is such a problem," commented Comaloth.

Both girls blushed at the comments from their dragons and Harry relaxed a bit. At least for now he was off the hook. He didn't know it but both girls were secretly pleased by his comment that no other girl could top them.

Eddie watched the byplay with amusement, then she turned back to Chekiath. "What I think, Chekiath, is that all life is precious and that if the Gods didn't approve, then dragons would not have been created in the first place. Being human myself, I cannot say for certain if you have a soul or not, but I will tell you that I prefer a belief that the goblins promote. Souls are tied to consciousness. All intelligent life, be it human, goblin or dragon have souls."

"That is comforting," Chekiath admitted. "I knew there was an important reason why Harry wouldn't let us eat goblins."

Eddie blinked and Albus roared with laughter, while Harry tried to explain about dragon humor.

Eventually things settled down and Eddie turned her attention back to Harry. "I think I can see why Albus asked me to visit here today. I can also see that some of my more conservative colleagues from the other faiths might have difficulties with a dragon based congregation. The freedom to decide for themselves by itself would only lead to confusion if you didn't have someone to help guide the dragons. Ideally, you should have someone from each major denomination available to answer questions. I would be happy to help teach anyone about my faith because faith shared is faith strengthened but I would strongly suggest bringing more than just myself."

Harry nodded. "It was our intention, but being a witch you already knew about dragons. Right now no one else knows about them."

"Plus the other thing, Harry," May said suddenly.

Harry looked at her and smiled. "Yes, that other thing." He turned back to Eddie. "The bond between dragon and rider is incredibly strong. I can speak to Cheki with just my mind alone and he can speak to me in the same manner. The bond affects everything we do. So when Chekiath decided that he was willing to limit himself to just two consorts..."

May blushed and Hermione crossed her arms and glared at Harry. "Honestly, you can't leave it hanging there like that!"

Harry looked at her. "Well? How would you say it? It's not like you can run around saying you share a husband with another girl."

Eddie's eyes lit up. "Ah, I see. And this is a result of the dragon bond?"

May nodded. "There are now three known triples in the Weyr, and I'm sure they won't be the last. Some are forming true couples, but we all had to acknowledge that dragons mate for life. The bond between rider and dragon is self reinforcing, so in this case, Harry was attracted to both Hermione and myself. And we were attracted to him. Without the dragons, it's probable that only one of us would have ended up with Harry, but because of the dragons, sharing, within strict rules, is acceptable even if it's not conventional."

Harry reached over and took the hand of both girls. "They wear my promise ring for now. It's too soon, I think, for anything else. But someday, perhaps in a couple of years, we'll want to acknowledge what we have with something more permanent. I'm certain the others in the Weyr that are in similar circumstances will feel the same. I also realize that this does give you a bit of an advantage over any other denomination we bring to the Weyr."

Eddie nodded thoughtfully. "When does the Weyr become public knowledge?"

"Her Majesty thought it would be fitting to announce the Weyr to the world on the same day as Harry's birthday, July 31st," May said, then she smiled seeing Harry frown. Both girls gave his hand a squeeze, trying to convey their support.

"With your permission, I would like to visit sometime after that date. My faith might offer some advantages, but I wouldn't want anyone accusing me of taking advantage of them. In the meantime, Albus can tell you how I can be contacted and I will be available to answer any questions you might have," Eddie said.

"If you like, I can have one of our riders show you around today. As much as you'd probably prefer Albus to do so, he is still recovering from his injury," Harry said.

Eddie turned to Albus and arched an eyebrow.

He looked down and his cheeks colored slightly. "My healer doesn't want me moving around too much," he admitted.

She eyed him for a moment then she turned back to Harry. "Far be it for me to go against another healer's orders. I would appreciate being shown around."

Harry nodded and he looked at Hermione.

"I'll be happy to show her around Harry," she said.

"Good, because I think my next problem has arrived," Harry said, just as the door opened and Sirius and Katherine stood in the doorway.

North Fambridge, Essex, England, June 5th...

"So you're saying we can't get to him?" Carlos said with a touch of anger.

Alberto shook his head. "No, senor, I am saying that he is too heavily protected at the Ministry building and at home. If we want to hit him, we must wait until he exposes himself."

"Makes sense," Anna said from her chair. She ignored the glare Carlos sent her way. "Carlos, you know that you don't attack someone where they are the most protected. He's a politician, ultimately he has to come out to be seen by the public."

Anna reached for a piece of parchment and she offered it to Carlos.

"What's this?"

"It's a list of the times and places for the next two weeks where he'll be exposed," she said, shaking the parchment. "Courtesy of the press office at the Ministry. It's amazing what one can get when one pretends to be a member of the press."

Carlos took it from Anna and started to read it. "There are several times when he is out of his office," he said carefully.

"Yes, I noted that as well. Each location needs to be scouted, but one of them should be suitable," Anna replied.

He looked down, then grinned. He turned the sheet around, pointing at one particular location. "This one would have the best effect," he announced.

Anna smiled. "I thought so, as well. But it's your call, Carlos. Alberto takes orders from you, not me. I would suggest that if he wants to ensure a clean hit and get away, he should organize some sort of diversion at the same time."

Carlos looked at her for a moment, then he stood and walked over to Alberto. "Alberto, come. We have plans to make. We shall discuss this is the parlor."

Anna watched the two men step into the adjoining room and seal the door behind them. She smiled slightly and tapped the decanter on the table with her wand. From the mouth of the open bottle she could hear the voices of Carlos and Alberto speaking in Spanish. Carlo never learned that she could speak Spanish, and six other European languages. There was a reason she was one of the best prostitutes in Knockturn Alley. Her ability to get along with any customer was legendary.

Alberto entered the room and turned to look at Carlos, his expression clearly unhappy. "What troubles you, old friend?" asked Carlos.

"This location, senor. Last time we attacked there, we encountered dragons," Alberto replied.

Carlos grunted in acknowledgment. "I will contact our Department of Mysteries. I know they have been working on something that they think will work against dragons. It was originally designed to kill a Nundu. If it can do that, then a dragon should be easy. Perhaps they can send it to us so it can be tested, no?"

Alberto grinned at him and Carlos reached for a map. "Now let us determine how to best approach this location."

Anna corked the bottle and tapped it with her wand. The tiny voices stopped and wouldn't restart unless they talked about her directly. She didn't need to listen to everything. One of the portraits in the room was doing that for her.

The Weyr Clinic, Campbeltown Weyr, June 8th..

Chekiath flared out and landed as gently as possible in front of the Weyr clinic. Doctor Sheppard and Lisa Turpin were already outside, waiting for him. Chekiath had called ahead via Zinth, Lisa's dragon, letting them know that Harry was injured and he was coming straight there. Harry groaned in pain and carefully swung his leg over Cheki's neck, then he turned and started to slide down to where Cheki's massive front leg was positioned. He landed on the Cheki's leg and his leg folded under him causing him to fall the remaining six feet to the ground.

Both Chekiath and Harry screamed as he hit the ground. His pants leg was still smoldering with glowing red embers and it had pressed against his flesh again. Harry struggled for a moment more then Issac and Lisa were by his side, cutting away the burning fabric.

Corporal Stone exited the clinic carrying a stretcher, which he placed next to Harry. Issac finished cutting the pant leg and then he pulled it off his patient's leg as gently as he could. He tossed the burning remnant aside, then used his wand to put out the rest of the still burning material still attached.

Issac nodded to Stone to help them move him onto the stretcher. Once he was on it, Issac took the time to examine the damage to Harry's leg.

"What happened, Harry?" he asked. His leg had second degree burns extending from mid thigh to mid calf and was already blistering. The burn was undoubtedly painful, but it could have been so much worse.

He looked at Harry and was surprised. Anyone else would be screaming bloody murder, but Harry was silently gritting his teeth.

"Smoke rocket. Got caught," Harry said tightly.

"He got hit by one of those smokey rocket things," Chekiath said worriedly. "We were observing the practice when one of them hit Harry and caught in his harness, setting his pant leg on fire."

Issac nodded, then he moved to the back of the stretcher and grabbed the handles, Corporal Stone grabbed the front and they both lifted. "Lisa, bring in what's left of that material. I want to take a look at it," Issac said with a grunt.

The two men carried Harry into the clinic building, while Lisa packed up the emergency kit and collected the burnt leftover of Harry's flight suit.

"Will he be all right?"

Lisa looked up to see Ronan and dozens of other riders nearby, all of them looking anxiously on.

"Doctor Sheppard didn't appear too alarmed. If it had been really bad, I'm certain he would have called for an ambulance," Lisa said firmly. "What happened to him?"

Ronan frowned. "We were working on missile spotting and he got hit by one of the bloody things."

Comaloth and Trath landed nearby. Hermione and May scrambled down from their dragons and looked around worriedly. "He's inside with Doctor Sheppard," Lisa said to the anxious pair.

Both women turned and dashed up the stairs into the building. Lisa chuckled and shook her head.

Inside the building, Harry lay on an exam table. Issac was busy dealing with the blistering, then he would apply a burn cream he had. It wasn't a magical remedy - even in the magical world burns were difficult to treat. He would obtain some help from Poppy later, but for now, Sheppard had to use what he had on hand. As for Harry, he lay back, his eyes closed and seemed to be lightly dozing thanks to a dose of pain relief potion. Unlike in the muggle world, here in the Weyr, he could combine treatment methods for best effect.

He turned to the two women and smiled reassuringly. "He's fine. He's got a large patch of second degree burns that we have to treat normally, but he's already on a pain relief potion."

"Normally? Why can't you call Madam Pomfrey?" asked Hermione.

May placed a hand on Hermione's shoulder. It was impossible to miss the tremor in her voice. Issac glanced up at the girls, then looked at Harry, who was still dozing. "Hermione, I'm a doctor, not a healer. We don't stock any magical remedies for burns. So right now I have to treat his leg or he risks infection. Magic can do a lot. I know there's a burn cream for very bad burns and there's a treatment for a light burn like a sunburn, but a second degree burn falls between the two and neither treatment works very well for that. I do intend to ask Madam Pomfrey if that's changed, but first I have to help Harry.

"Even if Poppy has something that can help him, right now I need to finish dressing his burn," Issac added.

"Ladies," Sirius said into the room and placing an arm around each of them. "Why don't you have a seat in the outer waiting room and let Issac do his job. I'm sure he'll be able to answer any questions you might have once he's done."

Sirius ushered the two women into another room and Issac shot him a grateful nod. He was used to dealing with distraught families, but he preferred doing so after he had treated his patient.

"Issac, once I get them settled, I'll go get Poppy," Sirius offered.

"Thanks, Sirius," Issac muttered, then he turned back to Harry. "Tilt the lamp a little more to the left, Lisa."

A hour later, he stepped out of the room and spotted an outer office full of people. Poppy Pomfrey stood by his side. Sirius had taken Norendrath to Hogwarts to bring the healer to the Weyr after he had managed to get the girls settled.

"He's fine," Issac said. "Madam Pomfrey does have something for second degree burns, but until he's awake we don't want to use that treatment."

"Why not?" asked Remus, looking concerned.

"The treatment is experimental, Remus," Poppy offered. "Right now we know it will heal him, but it'll leave a nasty scar. If we leave it alone to heal naturally, he'll be uncomfortable for a few days, but the scaring would be a lot less. When he wakes, we'll ask what he wants to do."

Everyone fell silent. Most knew Harry was rather self conscious about his scars and would probably decide not to try the magical treatment if it mean gaining another.

"How did this happen? Harry and the wings have been practicing for two weeks with the smoke rockets and this is the first time that anyone got hurt," Issac demanded.

"That would be my fault," Katherine said quietly. Everyone turned to look at her.

"Sergeant Nichols pointed out to me that Harry quickly picked up on spotting the rocket trails and became proficient at avoiding them. But in the past week he had been observing and calling out warnings to others, rather than participating in the drill himself. I forgot to inform Nichols that Harry had excused himself from the drill. Nichols didn't know that, so he probably sent a rocket in Harry's direction as a reminder to pay attention," Katherine admitted unhappily. "The rocket took a weird turn and it hit him in the leg. Somehow it got tangled up in his riding harness."

Sirius stepped forward and sent a hard glare at Hermione and May, who looked angry enough to explode. "All right, everyone simmer down. Mistakes were made, that's all. Communications got messed up. That's something we can fix. It also would have helped if Harry had sent a general staff routed message saying that he'd be observing and calling out warnings. I know Nichols gets the staff routed messages as the Range Master.

"The issue here is simple. No more firing rockets at unsuspecting people, and I'll talk to Harry about what he did wrong. May, is Chekiath all right?" Sirius said.

May nodded. "He's fine. Dragons don't seem to be affected by fire, except from another dragon. I checked him over, but there's not even a mark on him."

"There's one other issue I have to bring up," Issac said ominously. The whole room tensed at his words.

"What issue, Doctor Sheppard?" Hermione asked fearfully.

"The smoke rockets burn out very quickly. Harry had perhaps maybe five to ten seconds of exposure before the thing burned out. What worries me is his insulated flight suit continued to burn even after the rocket went out. I don't know what the insulator is, but I suspect its very flammable. At a minimum, it's a substance that ignites easily and continues to burn even when doused with water. And if that's the case, it's wholly unsuitable for people who fly fire breathing dragons for a living."

The room relaxed in relief. Flammable suits they could deal with. "I'll send a notice to Karen to look into it. She arranged for the new insulated suits. Maybe we can change out the material for something less flammable," May offered.

"I'll want to see some tests run on the material, both in the suits now in use and any replacement material," Issac said firmly. "Let's get this squared away before someone gets badly hurt. Right now I am strongly against any riders using the insulated suits until the matter is investigated and resolved."

May nodded and said, "I'll let Karen know."

"Garanoth?" called Ronan.

"Yes, Ronan?" replied the dragon.

"Would you please inform the Wing Leaders that everyone should go back to using the old flight suits until we work this out?" Ronan said.

There was a moment of pause, then everyone clearly heard Spath tell Garanoth to pass the message along. Ronan looked surprised by Spath's order, but then he understood. There was no clear leader without Harry. It was an issue that would have to be addressed sooner or later.

Sirius chuckled sourly. "What is it Harry says? Fix one problem, find ten new ones hiding behind it. So, the suits are covered for now. How long will he be here in hospital?"

Issac shrugged. "An hour or so. I doped him up pretty heavily so I could work on his leg. That's wearing off. In a little bit I'll give him something not quite as strong and send him on his way. But he's down checked for any flights Between until I say so. At least a week, possibly longer, depending on what treatment option he picks."

"Cheki? Did you hear that? Harry is not allowed Between until Doctor Sheppard says he's healed," May said firmly. She knew the large dragon was on the roof listening to every word said. May, as the Weyrhealer, and Doctor Sheppard were the only two people present who were allowed to prohibit flights Between due to illness or injury. In May's case, she actually shared the position with Hagrid, as one of the two senior Weyrhealers for the dragons. Hagrid had more general experience in dealing with magical animals, while May was busy applying modern veterinary techniques in combination with magical healing. There were other riders training under May and Hagrid, but none were as advanced as she was. Her experience growing up around animals and helping care for them made her uniquely suited for the job, and in some ways, she was more advanced in healing than even Hagrid.

"I understand, Weyrhealer," Chekiath said worriedly. "But Harry will be all right?"

May and Hermione shared a small smile. "He'll be fine, Cheki," Hermione reassured. "We're just waiting for him to wake up."

"He's starting to wake up now," Cheki replied, "but he seems very confused. His thoughts are all jumbled up and inverted. I know he's never covered you both in front of a fire place and why is the skin of an animal involved? I don't understand. Oh, wait, the animal skin just caught fire now. Is that part of the human mating? I've never seen you burn any animal skins except when Hermione tries cooking."

Poppy and Issac turned and entered the room where Harry had been sleeping. Hermione turned beet red and May smirked at her reaction. She knew in her heart that Harry loved them both and that when they were alone, he could be a real horny devil and this snippet from his confused mind only proved that point.

Outside, they could hear the large dragon bellow in alarm. The confusion Harry's dragon was receiving was causing Chekiath to panic.

"Chekiath!" snapped May. "Your rider is confused because of the pain potion, give him a few minutes to orient himself. There's nothing wrong."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, Cheki, we're sure," May replied patiently.

May was more accustomed to dealing with Riders who tended to become very emotionally upset when their dragons where ill, so it came to no surprise to her that Chekiath was just reflecting the same behavior from the other end of the bond. They had similar experiences when Lee had been badly injured. Soranth had been nearly incoherent.

Thirty minutes later, Issac and Poppy escorted a very pale looking Harry from the treatment room. His pants were in shreds and one leg was heavily bandaged.

Issac looked at Hermione and May. "He is not to get the bandage wet and I want to see him right after breakfast tomorrow so we can change it. I've explained his treatment options and he's going to go with a natural healing."

Issac turned to Hermione. "He can bathe, but make sure one of you casts a bubble head charm over the bandage. That will keep it dry. If he bathes tonight or tomorrow, make sure someone is with him. Baths only, not showers. I expect he'll be unsteady on is feet for a day or two."

Hermione nodded with a look of surprise. She hadn't known that the bubble head charm could be cast on other parts of the body.

"We'll need to send someone to the Diagon Alley apothecary to pick up some pain potions. Most likely he'll be using them for the next three or four days," Issac said.

"I'll take care of that as soon as I leave here," Remus offered.

May stepped up to Harry and scowled at him. "As Weyrhealer, I am officially informing you that you are officially grounded until such time as Doctor Sheppard informs me your leg is healed," she said firmly.

Harry winced and nodded. He knew he had messed up. He had been so busy trying to help some of the riders who seemed to have trouble spotting the rockets that he never saw the one shot at him until it was too late.

"Harry," Katherine said softly. "I'm sorry. I should have informed Nichols you were only observing. He thought you weren't paying attention to the drill."

Harry smiled weakly. "I should have paid more attention. We avoided any rockets that missed the others. But I didn't see this one. It hit my thigh and got caught in the harness."

"Harry? Are you better?" asked Chekiath worriedly. The large dragon had calmed now that Harry's mind wasn't muddled by the pain relief potion Issac had given him.

Harry glanced at May, who was looking at him sternly. "I'm better, mate. But it looks like we'll be relaxing for the next few days."

Sirius snorted back a laugh and both of his girls glared at him for downplaying his injury. "Come on, Harry. Katherine has a car out front. Let's get you home," Sirius said, gently placing a hand on his shoulder.

Harry nodded and walked slowly towards the door. He paused in front of May and Hermione and gave them each a smile. "All right there?"

Both girls lunged for him, and he found himself in a two way hug that felt rather nice, considering how crappy and weird he felt at the moment.

Two hours later, Hermione exited the bedroom and quietly closed the door behind her. She turned and smiled at May. "He's sleeping. That potion really knocked him back," she said, then she walked over to the table where Dobby had left a tea service and poured herself a cup.

May held up a burned harness. "His harness is shot. It's partially melted. I think we might want to look at that, too, when we look at the flight suit problem," she said, then she shivered slightly. "I about died when Trath said Harry was injured and heading straight to the clinic."

Hermione chuckled softly as she sat down on the opposite end of the couch and turned to face May. "I'm not laughing at you, but this is so typical of him. At least once a year he'd end up in the infirmary at school, sometimes more than once," she replied, then she shrugged. "I guess I'm used to it."

May nodded and fingered her ring thoughtfully. "I suppose. I'm just not used to someone I love being hurt."

"May, this was an accident. A couple of simple mistakes resulted in an accident. It could have been a lot worse. He's been working very hard. We all have in all the rush to get ready for opening the Weyr, and the rush to prepare for a possible attack, some mistakes were made. We both know he hasn't been missing any sleep, and we make sure he isn't over working himself. What happened today was just an accident that could have happened to anyone. We should count ourselves lucky that we haven't had a really serious accident yet. And we discovered the problem with our suits without someone being killed."

May nodded. "Maybe this will do some good. This is going to force us to step back and look at what we're doing. I'm certain we'd have more injuries by now if it weren't for those elves. I'm glad they're here. I don't know what we'd do without their help," she admitted. "They repainted the interior of the hospital in a single day. I had visions of the place being crowded with scaffolding and riders trying to paint, while standing on a rickety platform."

Hermione nodded. She knew the elves were bound to the Weyr and, by proxy, the magical riders and wizards living here. She also knew they drew a wage for their efforts. "Painting a big empty building with forty foot ceilings would have been difficult," she admitted. "I could just see Harry out there hanging onto his broom and painting, all the while listening to Cheki complain about how he doesn't need a broom anymore."

"Well, he doesn't fly it anymore does he? Other than Cheki, or the occasional trip to the Prime Minister via helicopter, the only other thing he flies is his model plane."

Both girls smiled at that thought. It was one of the few things Harry did that reminded anyone he was still a teenager, albeit a teen with a lot of resources behind him. He had Dobby and his team of elves construct a small one room building just off of one runway for himself and a few others that had caught the model plane bug. Inside, they had a workshop and several of them were working together to build a larger scale model that would require two people to control.

With the exception of Ronan, everyone else was still new to the hobby. So while Ronan worked on the design and made parts for his design, he had everyone else making small pieces of wing so they could learn how to properly shape them and glue on the lightweight fabric used for the skin.

Neither girl wanted to complain about it, despite the fact that sometimes he'd return home late, covered in wood shavings and smelling like glue. The smile on his face said it all for them. And like May pointed out, it was a safer hobby than car racing, or skydiving.

"Hermione, do you really think this guy is going to attack the Weyr?" asked May suddenly.

Hermione paused and played with her cup of tea for a bit. "I don't know. The British government sees it as a legitimate threat. Harry sees it as a possible threat, but he's looking at a bigger picture."

"How so?"

She put her cup on the table. "I've been thinking a lot about the changes in Harry. Take the hot rocks we make. That can be used in place of oil and that will impact certain countries and their economy. Harry understood before most of us that some people might not like our coming along with a cheaper alternative than their oil. When he first announced that he believed not everyone would like dragons, none of us wanted to believe that. How could anyone not like a dragon?

She glanced towards the door where Harry lay sleeping, then she looked back at May. "His childhood ended the night his parents were murdered. Since that night, he's been fighting for survival. When he impressed Cheki, he simply accepted his new role and continued on, only now he's fighting for us.

"We can provide transportation and cargo carrying services that could harm the airline companies. Sir Robert was talking about using hot rocks to replace the nuclear reactor in submarines, and in everyday items like buses and trains. Just about every other day Sir Robert is talking about something we can do and I can't help but worry that we're racking up an awful lot of potential enemies. Harry saw it before I did. He saw it before anyone did. He can't help it. His upbringing trained him for this kind of thing."

May frowned. "How? I know his family wasn't nice to him, but how does that figure into this?"

Hermione's voice dropped lower and she repressed a shiver. "He explained it to me one day. How his cousin had a game called Harry Hunting, where his gang would chase Harry down and beat him. Harry learned to look for attacks, to expect them and to anticipate them and work to avoid them. When he went to Hogwarts, he tried to lose that attitude, but the attacks still came, so he started trying to anticipate them again. In Hogwarts, there was little he could do to avoid them, but that's changed.

"Now he leads a nation of nearly ten thousand dragons. And he's still looking around cautiously. Why do you think he was so quick to call for the Weyr to evacuate that time? He trusts the British only so far. It's amusing, but his lessons in diplomacy are showing him that today's ally can be tomorrow's enemy. I won't say he doesn't trust James or the Prime Minister, but he's trying to be cautious.

"It doesn't matter if this rogue Chinese agent leads an attack against us. Harry knows sooner or later someone will attack us because of what we are and what we can do," Hermione added softly. "He wants us to live peacefully and I think if an attack never comes, no one will be happier than Harry. But his nature says it's coming and that's why we drill like we do. No one wants to throw away our crossbows and uniforms more than he does, but he believes we need them."

May shivered. "I hadn't considered that," she said, then she looked over to the three dragons watching the two girls. "I should be worried, but strangely I'm not."

Hermione nodded in response. They were dragon riders and they would get through this because no one but the riders themselves understood the real power the dragons had. It wasn't a case of being over confident as it was one of being confident in their dragons and their Weyrleader.

---

Author's notes and Mockeries:

* There's been a few comments about hints we've dropped. Sometimes a hint isn't a hint, its a red herring, and other times it's a foreshadowing of something that won't happen until Book III. How do you know which is which? You don't, and that is the joke. I know you don't think it's funny, but Alyx and I are rolling here. It's really funny. No really.

* Speaking of funny, in the last chapter Albus Dumbledore got attacked. We had no end of guesses from people about who attacked him. One weird person claimed it was a Jay Leno impersonator on drugs. Hunh? Well no it wasn't. Point in fact most of you that actually read this chapter will learn more about who attacked Albie. On the other hand, those of you demanding to know who did it, we've censored that information out of this chapter just for you. Patience is a virtue.

* A couple people suggested that a dragon should be sent to talk to Percy. Honestly I don't know where that idea came from, but Harry isn't about to order a dragon to talk to someone they don't know. While Harry might admire what Percy did, and it might increase his respect for the git, this is a Weasley bonding moment, not a Weasley dragon bonding moment.

* Dadscooking asks "If someone has a bottomless bag, wouldn't anything they put into it fall forever?" Dadscooking has spent too much time cooking spam and broccoli souffles with butterscotch topping and forgot to read the instructions on the bottomless bags that explained the built in summoning charms. God I hope Mom's cooking tonight!

* Spaz86, the dragons originated from a Queen just prior to fourth pass.

And this chapter's recommendation is:

The Janus Order by Chubby Redburn
StoryID: 2320267

This is an old story and I think the author has left fan fiction but it's well worth giving it a read. This is a tale in less than 20K about a Harry Potter that grew up with a loving Paternal aunt in a different environment. Published in 05 before the last two books.