Author's Note:

I originally had this next chapter sort of planned out with everything I wanted to include in it, and then I had a guest review on Chapter 16 saying "Hmm… Dragon courtship display?" To that guest reviewer, if you are still reading this story, thank you very much for giving me an idea with those 4 words! To everyone else, what I had planned for this chapter originally will probably be in the next chapter.

I'm sorry this chapter is so late; I've been extremely busy lately. This was a difficult chapter to write, as well, for multiple reasons. In a way, it limits myself and the possible opportunities for later in this story. I feel like that happens any time you define something, and hopefully you'll understand what I mean by that as you read this chapter.

This chapter adds a lot of information to the story, and I'd really appreciate it if you all would let me know what you think about it.

On the bright side, this is the longest chapter in this story so far, and I hope you enjoy it, even though it's taken me much too long to write!

Chapter 19

*January 3, 1996*

Severus walked out of his potions lab that evening with two large boxes left on a table. He had just finished filling the last box with vials of Calming Draught, and now the Infirmary would be properly stocked with all of the potions it needed. Severus would deliver them in the morning during the first class of the day to avoid running into students in the halls of the castle. Now he was finally free to do research to help his godson with his problem, and Harry as well. He had written a letter to Charlie Weasley last night, and he hoped to get a response in the morning, as the school's owl had a long trip to fly.

Severus had put some thought into the problem since Draco had come to him back in November, and he'd decided that Draco and Harry were most likely going through a sort of 'courting' phase with Pansy and Ginny. Draco was holding Pansy's hand knowing he would have to marry her eventually, and Harry liked Ginny in a way that would most likely lead to them dating one another. Charlie would probably be a more reliable source for information on the rituals of Dragon courtship than any books that were written, as he spent his days and nights with the Dragons and observed their behavior firsthand. Severus had let him know of Harry's symptoms, preferring to keep Draco's predicament a secret, and hopefully Charlie would have an idea as to what was going on if it wasn't a courtship ritual.

Severus left his rooms and walked through the hallways of the dungeons. Dinner had ended half an hour ago, and most of the students were either in their common rooms, in the library, or gallivanting around the school, as was typical for a weeknight in the castle. Of course, he himself was heading to the library to finally get his hands on some books for his research. He couldn't deny that the Hogwarts library was one of the best in the country, with the exception of the libraries in some of the pureblooded families. The students who spent the most time in the library were undoubtedly the Ravenclaws, and they were usually too absorbed in reading their own books to wonder why a professor was wandering into the library. His trademark sneer worked to keep everyone else away. He wouldn't spend too much time there; he would take the books he wanted to his own rooms to keep away any potential prying eyes.

Most of the books regarding magical creatures were kept together, the most important books, as well as the books on the most dangerous creatures, being found in the restricted section. Thankfully, there was a lot known about Dragons due to their close proximity to Dragon keepers in Dragon Sanctuaries around the world. Severus pulled Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them from a shelf in the main part of the library. Whether or not his assumption was correct, he would need some knowledge on the lives of Dragons so he could help both of the boys. He had a duty to Draco, as he was his godfather; he also had a duty to Harry, partly because Dumbledore would want to know what was going on, but mainly because he owed it to Lily's memory to help her son. Striding into the restricted section, Severus grabbed Dragon Breeding for Pleasure and Profit, Dragon Species of Great Britain and Ireland, From Egg to Inferno: a Dragon-Keeper's Guide, and The Habites and Lives of Dragons from a few of the shelves. He shrunk them and slid the miniature books into his pocket. It wouldn't do for him to be seen carrying so many books from the library, especially when they all concerned Dragons. No, this would fit his needs far better than letting the students speculate about what he was doing. He returned to his rooms for the rest of the evening, reading the books for any explanation for the predicaments Draco and Harry were in.

The next morning, an owl flew to Severus' seat at breakfast. Chewing the offered piece of bacon, the owl allowed the potions master to untie the letter from his leg before taking off again as the man carefully put the letter into his robes with a slight smile on his face.

Severus finished a slice of toast and rose from the staff table, returning to his quarters. Once there was no more chattering in the hallways and the students were in their classes, he gathered the two boxes of potions and left the dungeons for the Infirmary. Severus was easily reminded of the reason he waited until the first class of the day to bring potions to Madam Pomfrey. The hallways were pleasant without students making noise from footsteps, gossip, and bags that liked to rub against robes as students walked.

Madam Pomfrey greeted the Potions Professor as he entered the Infirmary. "Thank you. I used my last Calming Draught this morning." Severus placed the boxes on a table. "A first-year forgot to pay attention to the moving stairs and walked right off the end of a hallway. Thankfully the stairs on the floor below were in place to catch him, but he came out of it with a broken leg. He was so shaken up I had to give him my last Calming Draught to keep him still so the bones would mend in the right places. Say, did Minerva tell you about what happened to Potter the other night?"

"Excuse me?"

"She claimed he was breathing fire. I told her to ask you about it. Mind you, I'm only asking because he's my patient so often. I wouldn't want to have him catching me on fire the next time he's in pain."

"Ah, yes, I haven't figured out what the problem is yet, but I'll let you know as soon as I find out in case it will interfere with your ability to heal him in the future. Do tell me when you're running low on any of your potions. I need to get back to my quarters and do some research on Potter's problem."

"I won't keep you." Madam Pomfrey opened the first box and began filling the shelves in her storage room with the potions.

Severus returned to his quarters, retrieved the letter he had received that morning from inside his robes, and sat down in his armchair, calling for a house elf to bring him some tea. He opened the letter as his cup of tea was handed to him.

Severus,

I hope our tânăr balaurul hasn't caused harm to anyone else in the time it
has taken me to receive and respond to your letter. As for your question on
Dragon courting rituals, Dragons do have a very particular way of winning
over a mate. The rituals are different for every breed of Dragon, which cause
quite a bit of distress here at the Sanctuary, as you can imagine. From what
you have told me, I am fairly certain our tânăr balaurul is not performing
these rituals with my sister, as one of the recognized signs of a Dragon
attempting to court another is a refusal to perform acts of violence against the
Dragon they are courting, no matter the breed of the Dragons. That does mean
that they don't breathe fire directly upon one another, even though Dragon
scales are resistant to fire, and the same basic principle applies to the use of
their talons. I will give you some information on the courting rituals of
Hungarian Horntails since I'm sure you will find it helpful if they ever manifest
themselves in our tânăr balaurul.

Hungarian Horntails are extremely large Dragons, as I'm sure you know.
Therefore, at some point in the courting, the male looks for the largest cave
he can find for them both to live in. This is one of the most important rituals,
as the female judges it as a sign of commitment to their relationship, as well
as a future with a family. If she doesn't believe it to be a large enough cave,
she leaves him. You see, Dragons are highly endangered, and they're at risk
of becoming extinct. Because of this, the need to survive and reproduce has
become rather prominent in Dragons in the past few centuries.

Hungarian Horntails are also a more violent breed of Dragons than the others,
and as such, the males will usually defend their female partner against another
Dragon at least once during the courting phase. It is vital that they win any
fights they may have with other Dragons since their female partner wants to
know that he will be able to protect her and their future children should she
be unable to protect them herself.

Most breeds of Dragons present the Dragon they are courting with presents
throughout the period of time when they are courting. Both genders see it as
a sign of the couple's developing love for one another. It lets them know that
they are important to their partner.

For the most part, Dragon courting rituals aren't very different to the dating
that goes on in our world, whether it is between magical people or Muggles.
There is never any violence between the two partners, though, and their need
to survive and reproduce is much stronger than ours. They'll take any breed
of Dragon as their partner as a result, which is why there are so few purebred
Dragons nowadays. A good parallel of this between their world and ours is
the pureblood hierarchy. We've been marrying Muggles for decades, if not
centuries, and as a result there are very few families that are entirely
pureblooded.

I hope this information is of some help to you either now or in the future.
Let me know about what is going on as new developments come about.

-Charlie

Severus took a long sip of his tea and slouched back in his armchair. Charlie didn't think the growing of the talons and the breathing of fire were Dragon courting rituals, but what else could be going on with the boys? Knowing what could occur when Harry began seriously 'courting' someone might help later, but he needed to figure out what was wrong with both of the boys now. They were both prominent enough figures that if something happened and word leaked out that they had inhuman blood in their veins, the results would be disastrous for anyone involved. People could certainly be sent to Azkaban in Draco's case, as his life hadn't immediately been in danger.

Glancing at the clock on the mantle of the fireplace, Severus realized his first class of the day would be starting soon. The problem would have to wait until later in the day seeing as first-years required more of his rapt attention than the other years, with the exception of Longbottom perhaps.