As Harry was in one of his Dragon Handling classes, he wondered if Charlie Weasley had ever experienced anything like this.
Probably not.
Seeing as there was the issue of Harry studying dragons not from Earth…
While there were of course, more ferocious looking dragons in Magix than the ones he was currently observing… These dragons might have looked tame for dragons, but they certainly didn't act like it as Cordatorta was currently demonstrating with the assistance of some senior students.
"Remember- these dragons might seem tame compared to others you've seen or heard about, but they can be just as ferocious, so you must be careful around them at all times whether you are using weaponry, magic or otherwise. They will work well with you in battle if they trust you or if you bond with them, but get on their bad side and I might have to send a few roasted or amputee students over to Magix Central Hospital. Any questions?"
Harry merely listened and took notes as questions and answers were given. He noticed that Lucas was also doing the same- something he tended to do quite a lot in all his classes.
"Lucas would probably be a good fit for Ravenclaw…" he thought.
"Now, I will let you meet and mingle with the dragons in the stable, so heed my advice…" Cordatorta motioned for them to follow him into the dragon stables.
The dragons currently in this stable (as they were multiple stables on this level of the school) looked up at the group of freshman Specialists interestedly as they entered.
Harry thought of Hagrid as he observed his classmates interacting with the dragons and thought that his half-giant friend would have been in nirvana if he could ever see that there were more dragons in existence than he currently knew about.
Though judging by rumblings he heard in Magix and things he picked up from Ron and Hermione (still delivered by Hedwig, though with a few spells in place to help/disguise her as well as the contents), that might not be too far off…
He shook himself out of his thoughts and focused on the situation at hand as he approached a dragon in a stable near the back. This particular dragon had a slight golden tone to its cream-coloured scales, scarlet under its wings and scarlet tipped ears and tail. Even its eyes, Harry noticed as it looked up at him curiously, were a cross between brown and scarlet.
"Hello there, girl…" He spoke firmly, yet gently as he approached, taking heed of Cordatorta's advice and remembering certain classes with Hagrid.
The dragon simply continued to look at him curiously, not changing its expression or position in even in the slightest way.
"You're a beauty, aren't you? And pretty calm compared to a certain Hungarian Horntail…" Harry felt more confident around this dragon since it was within a highly controlled environment and he'd actually been given good advice on interacting with dragons beforehand this time…
The dragon made a noise and raised its head, looking at him with a (was Harry imagining it?) pleased sort of expression on its face, apparently understanding the compliment he paid it.
Harry chuckled in amusement and moved forward.
The dragon stood up and flexed its wings slightly, showing no signs of hostility towards him unlike some of his other classmates who were currently dodging bursts of flame and snapping jaws…
Harry tensed slightly as he reached out to touch the dragon's head.
The dragon rumbled contentedly as he scratched behind his giant areas.
Hm. If he had known that dragons could be like this, he might have grown as batty about them as Hagrid was…
"Well, it looks like she actually likes you…" Cordatorta commented, walking over. "She never seems to like any students really…"
Harry turned to face his instructor.
"What do you mean by that, sir?" Harry asked, petting the dragon's snout idly.
"This particular dragon has never taken favourably to any student before. Normally she only lets me or other experienced dragon handlers near her but you… you are an exception Harry…"
"Oh joy. Two outcasts bonding together, huh?" Harry asked sarcastically.
"Who knows what it is? The point is that she's finally found a student she wants to work with and that student is you…" Cordatorta walked away to check on more students.
Harry and the dragon looked at one another.
"Well, we're quite the odd couple, aren't we…?" Harry asked and the dragon seemed to snort in agreement.
Somewhere else in the Magical Dimension, three infamous witches sat in separate magically reinforced cells on the same level of a maximum security prison. They watched idly as the guards with their magically charged weapons paced up and down the corridor, stopping every once in a while to glance at the prisoners.
Of course, Icy, Darcy and Stormy were not the slightest bit happy about their current situation and the youngest of the trio was currently making her feelings known loudly, clearly and violently.
"ARUGH! I HATE THIS PLACE! I HATE THIS PLACE! I HATE THIS PLACE! I HATE IT, I HATE IT, I HATE IT!" she screamed, banging at the energy barrier in the front of her cell.
"STORMY, CALM THE HELL DOWN! YOU'RE GIVING ME A HEADACHE!" Darcy screamed back.
Icy sighed, reading the newspapers stacked in a corner of her cell. She and her coven sisters had been imprisoned for two straight years and the monotony had grown even more boring by the day for the ice witch.
Ever since they had that alliance with Valtor, they had been contained at that maximum security prison on one of the most tightly guarded floors and all in separate cells at considerable distances from each other, so being able to hear Darcy and Stormy from where she sat was an incredible feat.
She flicked aside the last paper, which had a picture of the Winx Club alongside Roxy on the cover and sighed angrily.
These pesky Winx always had to go off and save the day. Always getting in the way of her plans. And she had to suffer humiliating defeats at their hands every single time.
She didn't regret anything she had done in the slightest. They all deserved the pain and suffering she had caused.
She had fallen from being a powerful witch to being imprisoned in a high security prison for two straight years with a power nullifying bracelet on her arm at all times that she could not get off no matter how hard she tried.
"I have to get out of here and take my sisters with me. I simply can't take this place much longer…" She thought, picking up another newspaper and taking in the headline with renewed interest.
So… Aside from these goody-goody Winx freeing these Earth Fairies, there was another kind of magic hidden on Earth all this time?
Interesting…
Now if only she, Darcy and Stormy were free to take advantage of that…
Harry sat up in his bed, reading one of the Potions books he had purchased in Diagon Alley on the day he had run away from Privet Drive, something he never thought he would find himself doing. However, it turned out that some of the Hogwarts books had been relevant to some of his courses at Red Fountain so far. Plus Potions classes turned out to actually be rather interesting when Snape wasn't teaching them…
He was currently studying a recipe for Felix Felicis when Aki came bursting in, dressed in full uniform.
"Aki, what are you doing in uniform? It's Saturday, we don't have classes…" Harry asked puzzled, glancing up from his book.
Aki gave him a look reminiscent of McGonagall if he had told her he forgot to do his Transfiguration homework.
"Man, you are hopeless. You know you're hopeless, right Harry?" Aki shook his head.
"Quit telling me I'm hopeless and answer the bloody question I asked…" Harry narrowed his eyes.
"I guess you're not going over to Cloud Tower for that inter-school dance with them and Alfea…"
Harry bolted out of bed suddenly. "Wait, that was today?"
Darian walked into the room chuckling and with his cape in hand, getting ready to fasten it.
"Yes, Harry. It is today, so if you want to go, I'd suggest getting ready to suit up…"
Harry dropped the book he had been reading and bolted off into the direction of the bathroom.
In less than twenty minutes, Harry was suited up and ready to join his roommates and others, who were currently boarding flying ships destined for Cloud Tower School for Witches.
Roxy, who was currently dressed in a simple spaghetti strap, knee-length light green dress, matching heels, elbow-length white gloves and her hair pulled into a high ponytail with a white bow, looked around at Cloud Tower's courtyard as her roommates and others from her school did the same.
With many horror tales about here floating around, she had been more than a little apprehensive about attending. Then again, most of those tales came from Stella and tales from Stella tended to be a little… embellished.
"So this is the infamous Cloud Tower School. Not that bad, the way you hear the tales told by the seniors…" Krystal remarked, wearing a high-necked, thigh-length pink dress with a dark green bow around her waist tied at the back, dark green heels and her hair tightly curled and held back by a ring of white flowers.
"My older sister Nephele is a senior witch here and she says it's not too bad…" Rainer added, wearing a dark purple long-sleeved thigh-length dress with black lace around the hem and edges of the sleeves and black stilettos.
"I would hope not, sister dear…" A taller, slightly older girl that bore a slight resemblance to Rainer walked up to her, flicking her navy blue braided hair that covered her hazel eyes slightly.
Athena, who was wearing a bustier mermaid style strapless dark blue dress and Anahita, who was wearing the same dress except in cream glanced at one another, then at the buffet table and walked briskly towards it.
This left Roxy by herself, standing near the entranceway and feeling rather awkward just standing there.
"Do you plan to stay there all night, Roxy?"
Roxy turned around to see Harry there, looking rather handsome in his full Red Fountain uniform.
"Not anymore if you're willing to hang around with me…" Roxy smiled.
The two of them strolled around, taking in their surroundings and talking.
"How's Alfea going for you then?" Harry asked.
"Pretty great. I actually love it there despite the fact that because I am Morgana's daughter, people think that I must be some sort of prodigy. Apparently while studying at a fairy school back on Earth, she did an exchange at Alfea…"
Harry nodded in sympathy. "I know the feeling. Since Magix knows about Wizarding communities on Earth now, I suppose I can talk about my past there a bit more freely, at least with you. I went to a Wizarding school in Britain called Hogwarts and my parents were prodigies in their own ways by all accounts. I was expected to follow on and continue the Potter legacy- at least at first…"
Roxy frowned slightly, Harry's choice of wording having set off certain bells in her head.
"By all accounts? Didn't your parents tell you anything about their school days? Mine do any chance they get!"
"My parents are dead. Have been for fifteen years since I was only a year old. Evil megalomaniac wizard killed them before turning his wand on me. That's how I got this… Harry swept aside his bangs, displaying his scar.
Roxy blinked, stunned. "Wow. I'm sorry. I really don't know what to say to that…"
"Then don't say anything more about that. Let's try to enjoy ourselves tonight…" Harry suggested.
"Agreed. So… do you have any pets?" Roxy asked.
"I have a beautiful snowy owl named Hedwig. I go her as a birthday present when I turned eleven. She's quite the character. You'd have to meet her to understand, but here's a photograph…" Harry pulled out the cell phone he had bought recently in Magix and pressed a button.
Roxy cooed in admiration of the snowy owl as Harry went through the pictures projected above the device.
"She is really beautiful." Roxy smiled. "I have a dog and his name is Artu. He's been with me for so long…" She showed off her own pictures of her faithful friend.
"I don't have that many positive experiences with dogs really…" Harry told her an edited tale of Aunt Marge and Ripper.
"I would never encourage Artu to do something like that- not that he'd want to!" Roxy exclaimed. "You'll have to meet him sometime and have a chat!"
"How exactly does one have a chat with an animal who can't talk?" Harry raised an eyebrow.
"I'm the Fairy of Animals, remember? Giving animals the gift of human speech is within my capabilities!"
Harry paused, thinking of what Hedwig might sound like and what she'd say if she could.
"Wait… you're imagining Hedwig being able to talk, aren't you?" Roxy asked amusedly.
"Yes. With her personality, I can imagine quite a lot she'd have to say…" Harry chuckled.
Roxy laughed as well. "Maybe then we should meet each other's pets!"
"Whenever on a weekend, I'll be available for that!" Harry laughed.
Music started playing and Harry could see people getting ready to dance.
"I… don't suppose you want to dance, do you?" Harry asked nervously.
"Sorry, Harry. I don't really dance…"
"Thank goodness! Neither do I!" Harry exclaimed.
They both laughed as they went to the buffet area and began to serve themselves.
Once seated, they looked around to see Nephele and Rainer sitting together at another table, Aki dancing with Athena, Darian dancing with Krystal and Lucas talking to a few other Specialists.
"So… What do we talk about now?" Harry asked.
"I don't know… I suppose I could tell you about Tir Nan Og a bit if you like…" Roxy trailed off as she saw some of the students who had been outside running in, screaming.
"Or perhaps not…" Harry thumbed his wand, which was in his waist band.
"There's a giant monster out in the courtyard!" A random female screamed.
"Why do I get the feeling that I know who was responsible for that?" Two older witches, seated at a table next to them, groaned in unison. "Come on, Rajani, let's go find Nephele…" One of them, with long, mid-back length light brown hair with black streaks in a low ponytail, grey eyes and pale skin with freckles spoke, looking at the other witch with her hair in a thick, waist-length dark purple braid with a side fringe at the front, hazel eyes and olive skin.
Athena, Anahita, Rainer and Krystal ran over to their table a few minutes later.
"Some sophomores were experimenting with Creature Summoning outside! Nephele's roommates told us!" Rainer exclaimed.
"Is there any way we can help?" Harry asked, clutching his wand tightly.
"The teachers are already on it as well as some of the more powerful older students! Nephele and her roommates were already called out!" Rainer exclaimed.
There was a loud boom and several person shaped holes appeared in the walls as several figures trying to bring the creature under control were thrown through.
"We tried to get rid of the thing, but it ended up multiplying instead!" Rajani groaned from the ground.
Rajani's complaint was proven true to them all when several of the creatures entered, reminding Harry of what black, muscular, Blast-Ended Skrewts who were six feet tall would look like.
"Bloody hell…" Harry's eyes widened in shock.
"Come on girls! We've got to help get rid of these party crashers!" Roxy exclaimed.
"Right!"
Harry shielded his eyes from the five bright lights in front of him that joined several others.
When they cleared, Roxy and her roommates were all in their fairy forms.
Krystal wore a maroon sweetheart neckline mini-dress with an alternating white and green layered hem, white, strappy heels and her hair was up in a high ponytail with two curls left loose, framing her face. Her wings were a transparent light green and shaped like leaves.
Rainer wore a lilac strapless, knee-length pleated dress with a silver scarf around her neck, silver wrist-length gloves and silver ballet flats. A silver headband held back her usual hairstyle and transparent, tear-shaped wings sprouted from her back.
Athena wore a high-waisted, form-fitting black overalls, a dark purple wrist-length shirt, black knee-high combat boots on her feet and her hair was in two high ponytails.
Anahita wore a white, short-sleeved ruffled blouse with black around the edges of the sleeves, a black pleated knee-length skirt, black open-toed ankle boots and her hair was pulled into a chignon. Both twins had transparent, equilateral-triangle shaped wings.
Harry had never actually seen a fairy transform right in front of him before, but the sight was an amazing one in his opinion. His gaze lingered on Roxy's fairy from for a little longer than natural, but he shook it off.
More important things to deal with right now.
As Roxy flew forward, he hit a monster to his right with a Reducto and kept repeating the process with about four others that approached him.
"WOLF'S CLAW!" Roxy swept a hand and destroyed a few of the monsters in her path.
"Nice shot, Roxy!"
"Thanks, Harry!"
Despite not knowing each other particularly well, the two Earthlings worked well together, the monsters never even getting a chance to touch either one of them, unlike several others who were fighting back or merely trying to defend themselves.
All the teachers present gathered together, deciding that enough was enough and converged their powers, sending a blinding light all across the grounds, which knocked several people to their feet.
When the light cleared however, all the monsters were gone.
Harry groaned from his spot on the ground. "Couldn't they have done that from before?" He asked exasperatedly.
"I know, right?" Roxy face-palmed.
"I don't know about you all, but I'm ready to go back to school…" Rainer called out and several others around her called out in agreement.
"Oh don't worry, sis. Something like this always happens at our dances…" Nephele walked over to help her fairy sister up.
"Glad to know. I'll be sure to avoid them in the future…" Krystal muttered.
"I'm with you on that…" Harry agreed.
Next Chapter: Visiting Earth again and catching up with what happening in Britain's Wizarding World.