Chapter 34
/It's been too long! We should really go flying more, Mags,/ Nightshade thought as he hovered eagerly just outside the window.
Mag navigated her broom out after him, then slipped out herself before commenting. /If you weren't with Severus most of the time, maybe we could. I don't like going without you these days what with everything happening in the world currently./ Voldemort was making things dangerous enough. She'd already had one run in too many with a Death Eater in the area, after all.
It made Nightshade feel awesome that Mag considered him back up if shit went down. Of course he was, but it was nice that others were aware. /Hey! You're the one that told me to hang with Prof,/ he protested as they glided off into the night side by side.
/And besides! He needs me. I protect him from the world. I basically protect him from himself,/ Nightshade boasted.
Mag snickered. That was a new one. "Sure. Right." She spoke aloud, because there was no one about in the dark starstrune night sky to hear
/It's true,/ Nightshade insisted. /Hey what's that,/ he interrupted himself. / Wait!/ Diving down, he snatched something up from the forest floor that appeared to be glowing. /Here, Magi! See what this is,/ he said, thrusting the claw that held the softly glowing object at Mag's face.
"How am I going to hold that and stay on my broom at the same time," she grumbled, but even as she spoke, she let go of the broom's handle with her left hand, still clinging tightly with her right. Nightshade dropped a heavy, cold stone into her open palm. Holding it close to her face she peered at it. It had the weight and silvery gray color of hematite. She could make out the color due to the warm glow of light that surrounded the stone. As a rule, hematites didn't glow. They were fantastic stones for healing, grounding, mental clarity and focus. They even helped with persuasion, but one thing they did not do was glow. Ever. "This stone has obviously been enchanted, but to do what," she wondered.
When the unexpected answer came she nearly dropped the stone back onto the forest floor. /Not exactly enchanted./
The thought came into her mind much in the way thoughts did from Nightshade, but Mag could tell the thought hadn't come from her owl. It was difficult to explain just how, but it seemed to come from a different...direction and the energy behind the mental voice felt different. Bigger somehow and more foreign?
/Who are you,/ she asked, peering hard at the stone. /What are you?/
There was a long hesitation before the answer came. /I won't give my name at this point, but I am a dragon./ Mag scowled. This was obviously some sort of bloody joke. Dragons were her obsession. As such she knew that they couldn't talk. Though many fantasy books, such as Lord of the Rings, written by a Muggle-friendly wizard in the nineteen fifties or something, indicated otherwise, it just wasn't so. /I'm talking to you now, aren't I?/
/Yes but who's to say you're a dragon?/
/I am,/ the voice insisted. To Mag's mind it seemed to be taking on a peevish note. /All of the dragons who are, as dragons once were, have hidden themselves away from wizards. They hunt us for our scales and our blood and so we have removed ourselves. Those who are left to you are dragons who, due to weakened blood, no longer remember. They have gone wild and lost their magic...Except it is still in the blood./
Mag recalled the work Dumbledore had done with dragon's blood. At that thought, a soft warning growl seemed to reverberate in her mind. That hadn't pleased whatever she was talking to in the least. If it was indeed a dragon, she couldn't blame it. /I'm sorry. I have always been fascinated by dragons...not dragon's blood./
The dragon, if that's what it was, seemed to understand, for after several seconds of feeling as if her mind was being examined, Mag felt a wave of what she could only describe as satisfaction mixed with reluctant approval. /Hm. A human I don't particularly wish to eat. Interesting./
/Um...Thank you? Is this your stone? Should I get it back to you,/ she asked, definitely eager to meet a dragon, especially one who probably did not wish to eat her. /It was my stone, but no longer. It has been tainted by the insane one who calls himself Voldemort,/ the dragon replied.
/No way,/ Nightshade thought.
This was his first open indication that he was also hearing the dragon. Mag couldn't help flicking a look in his direction. /Probably through your mind,/ Nightshade clarified, answering her silent question.
/Yes. Who are you,/ the dragon thought, seeming to just sense Nightshade only then. The dragon's mind thought was suddenly full of mild suspicion. Only mild for the moment, because Mag seemed to know the other voice. At least that was her speculation.
/Just a very smart owl,/ Nightshade replied.
/Interesting,/ the dragon said after a moment. /Contrary to the popular myth concerning wise owls, that is rather rare./
/For real,/ Nightshade agreed fervently.
/You are a very interesting witch with a unique familiar,/ the dragon told Mag after another moment of consideration. /I have decided to answer your earlier question concerning my name. It is Areecen. This Voldemort creature discovered my cave and bespelled me with dreadful dark magic that is slowly draining my life force. He is using it to strengthen his own power and if I can not break the spell, it will eventually kill me./
Mag's eyes widened in horror as her stomach twisted. Just when they thought perhaps they knew how sick Voldemort was, they discovered something new.
/But how did he know that there were smart dragons. I have a ton of dragon books, and didn't even know that,/ Mag said.
/He accidentally discovered my cave. I believe he was seeking something else at the time though I know not what./ She felt a mental sigh from the dragon. /I didn't want to eat him because he was spoiled. I told him to leave, and that was my mistake. Unlike others he was not at all afraid./
/That can be a side effect of insanity,/ Mag explained.
/Interesting,/ the dragon replied.
/So would I be able to help you break the spell,/ Mag asked.
The dragon felt thoughtful. /Perhaps so. The fastest way would be for him to die, but as I may not last that long, we can try destroying the stone instead. I think it would work best if I did that myself, though. You can bring me the stone if I can figure out how to direct you here./
Mag shivered. It was cold and with she and Nightshade not moving it was really getting to her. Her broom hovered motionless and the owl sat nearby on a low oak branch. /I am cold. I need to get inside, but once I'm back at Hogwarts, we'll talk again and figure this out,/ she promised the dragon. /It won't be long. Perhaps five minutes./
/Very well,/ Areecen replied and she pocketed the stone as Nightshade lifted off the branch. Turning her broom in the air, Mag headed back to school. Once they were back inside Mag's dorm room with the window shut against the cold, she hurriedly and quietly changed into her night clothes. Once in bed with the bed curtain drawn, she held the softly glowing hematite up to her face once again.
/I'm back,/ she commented, probably unnecessarily. One had to restart a conversation somehow, though, at times even with an obvious statement, she supposed. /Does this stone glow because of his linking spell that drains your life force?/
/I presume so. I can't see the stone, but it seems logical,/ the dragon replied. /Do you know where Llangatwg in Wales is located?/
/Not precisely but I can look on a map tomorrow,/ Mag said.
/Very well. Do not use the stone in a location charm, because due to the link it could take you to him as easily as to me. I will give you directions to my cave once you've reached Llangatwg. Did you say you can come tomorrow?/ The dragon's mind voice held a decidedly eager note that Mag understood well. With his life force being drained, of course he wanted it stopped as soon as possible if not sooner!
/Yes, I can definitely come tomorrow afternoon. Will you be alright until then? If not I can try to come now, though it will be a bit more difficult to do so without gaining perhaps the wrong sort of attention. Voldemort probably has followers here as well./ Mag figured better be safe and perhaps paranoid than careless, stupid and sorry.
/Yes. I will be fine until then. It will probably take a few weeks to actually kill me, but I'd rather not get any weaker than I am now, which is weaker than I like./
/Yes and we certainly don't want that monster more powerful than he already is,/ Mag thought darkly. /When I am in Llangatwg, will you be able to sense me better in order to direct me to you?/
/That's it exactly,/ the dragon agreed.
Mag smiled, pleased to have understood how the location process worked somewhat. /In case there is any trouble with Voldemort discovering we're breaking his spell, I'd like to bring a friend along to help out,/ she said.
/The owl?/
/Two friends then,/ Mag corrected herself. /The other is a human wizard./
/Your mate,/ the dragon asked knowingly.
Mag flushed, wondering if Areecen could sense how she felt about Severus. /Not yet, but I am hoping./