((So, commenters? I love you guys. Seriously, you make me so happy. You are all wonderful, wonderful people.
I'm also just really a little bit too happy because a huge weight was just lifted off of my shoulders, and now I'm kind of giddy.
But I really do love you all for your seriously amazing comments.

Alsoalsoalso, I should warn you - I'm moving to my college in a few weeks, so things might get a little crazy after that, update-wise. But I'll keep you posted.))

Somehow, Shay hadn't quite imagined what chaos transporting four dragons from the Reserve to Hogwarts would entail. Getting the dragons ready for transport turned out to be the easy part – the Handlers had simply slipped the creatures a Sleeping Draught in their food, and in no time at all the dragons were fast asleep and docile. It was getting the dragons into their crates and sending the handlers on their way that turned out to be the chaotic part. Of Shay's new-found group of friends, only Charlie and Henry were going to Hogwarts. Claire and Ana (who still hadn't spoken more than a few sentences to Shay) were both remaining behind, as was Clifford.

"Looks like everyone's here," Charlie said, appearing suddenly at Shay's shoulder. The dragons had all been put in their crates, and now the handlers were milling about with broomsticks.

"How…?"

"We transport the dragons by magic," Charlie explained. "And then we follow, after."

"What's in the smaller crates?"

Two knee-high wooden crates stood next to handlers Shay did not recognize.

"Those do come with us," Charlie said. "Martin and Nichols, there, will take care of them. They're dragon eggs – they wanted nesting mothers and eggs, for some purpose. I don't know specifics."

"They didn't tell you anything?"

"Not much. " Charlie glanced at Shay, noticing her empty hands. "You don't have a broom?"

Shay's cheeks turned faintly pink.

"I never liked them much," she said. "If I wanted to fly, I took a horse. And I use Apparition for anything else."

Charlie studied her for a moment.

"You can ride with me," he decided.

"I could just Apparate to Hogsmeade," Shay said. Charlie shook his head.

"We're going to need all the help we can get, when we arrive," he said. "And that'll take too much time." Suddenly, Charlie grinned. "Not scared, are you?"

"Scared?"

"Of flying."

"Of course not."

"Good. That's settled, then. " He turned away from Shay, toward the group at large. "Alright!" he said. "Let's send these dragons on their way."

A burst of magic from various wands caused the crates to vanish, magically sending their sleeping occupants to Hogwarts castle. Shay climbed onto the broom behind Charlie.

"Hold on," he said, just moments before he pushed off from the ground. Shay squeaked, wrapping her arms around Charlie's waist as she watched the ground fall away.

She had forgotten how much she hated not being able to see broad, secure shoulders and wings between herself and the ground. Shay looked around instead, watching the other handlers fly about them, watching the sky rather than the ground.

"It won't be terribly long," Charlie assured her.

"I know," she said, quietly. "It's still rather unnerving, though."

"Flying?"

"Not having wings."

"Well," said Charlie, "Here's something to cheer you up: Beauxbatons brought their horse-drawn carriage."

Shay did smile at this, though Charlie couldn't see.

"I know those horses," Shay said happily.

"I kind of figured."

Before too long, the handlers were touching down outside of Hogwarts' gates. Three familiar figures waited for them there. The tall, narrow shadow that was Dumbledore, a slightly shorter outline was Professor McGonagall, and the tallest of the three was, undeniably, Rubeus Hagrid.

"Ah," Dumbledore said, the evidence of a smile in his voice. "Our friend from Romania have arrived! You may send your brooms to Madam Hooch for the night – they'll be in very good keeping."

Shay managed to climb off of the broom without any major accidents. When Charlie had dismounted, he tapped his broom with his wand. It went zooming away with the rest of the handlers' brooms.

"Lumos," Charlie murmured. His wand lit up instantly – Shay and the handlers followed suit.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," Dumbledore said as he admitted the group through the gates. "To most of you, welcome back."

Shay smiled, looking up at the turrets and towers of Hogwarts Castle. Though it was late, lights flickered in some of the windows, one of which Shay instantly picked out as the Ravenclaw Common Room. Hogwarts had been her second home for so long that she missed it with an ache like the homesickness of first year.

"It's good to be back," Charlie said. "We've already got rooms sorted at The Three Broomsticks – we won't be intruding for too long, tonight."

Dumbledore nodded.

"As we do already have Beauxbatons and Durmstrang staying in the castle that is, perhaps, a wise arrangement. Although I am sure we could find room for you, somewhere."

"We appreciate that," Charlie said, "But it's really not necessary. Professor McGonagall, it's good to see you again."

"And you, Mr. Weasley. Although due to the fact that you are no longer a student, you are permitted to call me "Minerva"."

"Er…thank you, Professor McGonagall."

Shay laughed despite herself, causing the stern-looking older woman to face her.

"Ms. Morse?" She asked, seeming about as surprised as Shay had ever seen her. "We had no idea you would be joining us."

"The Ministry asked me to help the Reserve in dragon research," Shay explained. "They were…" she blushed and cleared her throat. "They were rather impressed with my work with the horses."

"As well they should be!" Hagrid said, clapping Shay on the shoulder. "You always were good with Magical Creatures…right up there with Charlie, here."

Hagrid clapped a hand on Charlie's shoulder. Charlie winced and stumbled forward a step or two, but recovered admirably quickly. "Thanks, Hagrid," he said with a slight grin, rubbing his shoulder. Those who knew Hagrid in the crowd chuckled. "I assume the dragons got here safely? And that there have been no…er…problems with the crates?"

"None at all!" Hagrid replied cheerily. "All still sound asleep, in fact."

"Good," Charlie said. "Good. Now, the crates are charmed so that only a handler could open them. We'll be back tomorrow, around the time they'll be waking up. Alright?"

Hagrid had the sense to look sheepish. Shay was certain that Charlie had hit the nail on the head concerning Hagrid's curiosity (and obsession) where dragons were concerned.

"We'd better be heading back to Hogsmeade," Charlie said. "Madam Rosemerta'll be waiting for us."

Dumbledore nodded.

"Once again, Mr. Weasley, thank you for your assistance," Dumbledore said with a trademark smile, the light from the wands glinting off of his half-moon glasses. "The First Task will indeed be remarkable."

"I hope so," Charlie said, and grinned. "Good night, Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, Hagrid."

"Good night," the three replied in nearly the same breath.

"See you tomorrow," Shay said over her shoulder as the group made their way down to Hogsmeade Village, where butterbeer and cozy rooms in The Three Broomsticks waited for them.

"Shay! Shay Morse! Get up, lazy, we've got loads to do before we get to Hogwarts!"

Shay groaned, rolled over, and pressed her face into her pillow.

"Go away, Charlie," she said, her voice slurred with remaining sleep.

"No chance, Morse. Don't make me open this door."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Wouldn't I?"

Shay sat up, rubbing the back of her hand across her eyes.

"Do you remember what I did to Henry when he scared me last week? That could be you."

"Is that a threat, Miss. Morse?"

Shay smiled and blinked in the sunlight coming through the window of her cozy room.

"It might be. Go away, Charlie, I'll be down in a minute."

"You'd better be."

His footsteps moved away from the door.

"Charlie!"

"Yeah?"

"What time is it?"

"Nearly four."

"In the afternoon?"

"Sure isn't the morning, if that's what you're asking."

Shay huffed, blowing hair from her face.

"Please tell me I'm not the last one up."

"Far from it. You and I are headed out early. Get yourself moving, Shay."

"Yeah, yeah, I heard you."

This time, the footsteps clomped down the stairs. Shay could hear Madame Rosemerta greeting Charlie and the low, indistinguishable rumble that was Charlie's voice in reply. She didn't realize she was smiling until the mirror above her dresser said,

"You, dearie, have it bad."

Shay blinked, arranging her face in an unconcerned expression.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she informed it as she slipped into comfortable Muggle clothing – jeans and a rather over-sized knit sweater in Ravenclaw blue. Holding a black elastic in her teeth, she ran a brush through her hair and scraped it back experimentally, turning her head to the side in order to examine the effect.

"Quite nice, if you're trying to look like a puppy," the mirror said, sounding bored. Shay let her hair fall.

"Well, what would you suggest?" She snapped. "I can't necessarily leave it down while I'm around fire breathing dragons, can I?"

"No, indeed not," the mirror replied. Shay hated to think it, but the mirror definitely sounded amused. "But have you ever heard of a braid, my dear? A French braid, in particular, might look quite becoming on you. Not too tight, mind."

Shay rolled her eyes but did as the mirror suggested.

"And push those sleeves up!" the mirror said. "You don't want to look like a puffy blue cloud, do you?"

If looks could kill, Shay thought, surely that mirror would be in shards by now.

"You know I'm right," the mirror said smugly. The worst part was, Shay did. She pushed the loose sleeves up toward her elbows.

"There, now." The mirror said. "Not bad for an afternoon of dragon chasing. Your boy there should be quite impressed."

"He is not," Shay said, pulling a boot on and ducking down to look for its mate under the bed, "my boy. Whatever that means."

"Mm, well. I wouldn't be so sure."

Shay shoved the other boot on her foot and headed for the door. "You'd have to be blind not to see it!" The mirror called after her. Shay wrinkled her nose, closing the door with a firm snap.

"Blind not to see what?"

Shay nearly jumped out of the boots she had just put on. Charlie was standing in the middle of the staircase.

"What? Oh! That. Er…nothing, it just…it…I mean –" Shay cleared her throat, closed her eyes, and took a breath. "It's just spouting nonsense again, I think the thing's broken…"

"I MOST CERTAINLY AM NOT!" the mirror called very clearly through the closed door. Shay winced.

"Um…exactly how much of that did you hear?"

"Just the last bit, why?"

"Good. I mean…no reason." Shay moved past Charlie down the stairs, where Madam Rosemerta had set out a glass of pumpkin juice and a plate of toast. Shay spread butter and jam on a slice of it, drank the pumpkin juice, and then happily accepted a bottle of butterbeer.

"It's getting colder by the minute," Madame Rosemerta said, passing Charlie a bottle as they left The Three Broomsticks. They thanked her as they set off for Hogwarts.

"We're the only ones with siblings at Hogwarts," Charlie explained, biting into an apple as they walked. "I thought we could take some time to see them before the rest of the team shows up to take care of the dragons."

Cat. Shay grinned at the thought of seeing her sister again, and noticed Charlie smiling as well.

"I thought that'd be a good idea," he said. "We can show them the dragons, too, just as long as they don't tell anyone."

"Isn't your brother's best friend Harry Potter?"

"Yeah, but Ron's good – he can keep a secret under enough…pressure."

Shay laughed, they turned a corner, and Hogwarts rose into the sky, Hagrid standing at the gate to let them in.