"I don't think there's such a thing as a gulping plimpie." Hermione insisted.

"Okay." Luna replied matter of factly before turning her attention back to Harry's head. The three of them had ended up in an abandoned corner of the library. It was hidden by the muggle studies section, so they weren't worried about getting in trouble with Madame Pince for talking too loudly. Luna was currently in the process of attempting to braid part of a broken quill into Harry's hair, with very little success. It would likely have been much easier in her hair, due to its significantly longer length, but the gold color just contrasted so much more nicely with Harry's hair. And Harry didn't mind—he had never had someone just play with his hair before, and he found it to be quite nice.

"I mean, it just doesn't make- what?"

"Okay." Luna repeated.

"You're not going to argue that they exist?"

"No. They do exist, but why would I argue? I presented my reasoning to you, you evaluated it and asked questions, which I answered, and we had a lovely discussion. That doesn't mean that we have to come to the same conclusion, or even agree about anything really."

"That- that's actually a rather refreshing perspective Luna." Hermione had to think about Luna's words for a moment, but she was pleasantly surprised. "I don't recall the last time I was able to just have a, well, a civil disagreement with someone."

"Yes, it's rather rare. Not as rare as a gulping plimpie, of course, but still uncommon." Harry sniggered quietly when Hermione immediately started to argue.

"But gulping plimpies don't- are you two messing with me?" Ahh, she had noticed him laughing.

Luna just smiled serenely.

The next day at lunch, Hermione spotted Luna sitting alone at the Ravenclaw table and walked over to say hi. She ended up staying there for the rest of lunch discussing the ethics of house elves.

By dinner, Harry had learned his lesson and went to the Ravenclaw table with Hermione, knowing that once a discussion was started, neither of the girls would be moving. All three of them ended up in a lively debate on whether snidgets were truly extinct and what role quidditch had had in their downfall.

The following morning when they went to breakfast, Luna was already waiting for them at the Gryffindor table and getting strange looks from the rest of the hall. At Harry and Hermione's curious looks, she just smiled serenely and explained that she thought it would be easier if she just came over to them.

And just like that it became routine for the three to spend meals together. Sometimes they were at the Gryffindor table, sometimes the Ravenclaw table, and on the third day they had one very bizarre meal with the first year Hufflepuffs, which left Hermione very frustrated, the Hufflepuffs very afraid, and Harry very amused. Luna… well, Luna just smiled as she always did.

It was on the day of the frightened Hufflepuffs that Harry went back to visit Ignis. It was a Saturday, so after lunch he made his way to her enclosure, stopping briefly along the way to chat with Fnord and Charlie. They gave him the contact information for one of the directors of the Romanian reserve, with instructions to send an owl any time he wanted to visit. Harry thanked them both and promised that he would do so soon before bidding them goodbye.

When he arrived at the enclosure, Ignis appeared to be sleeping. He hesitated, not knowing whether he should wake her (or if he would even survive waking her), or if he should just come back later, but she solved that problem by greeting him without even opening her eyes. And no, he didn't flinch or yelp when she did that. Not even a little. Nope.

He did notice, however, that there was one fewer eggs than there had been last time. And that the whole camp was much calmer. "Hello Ignis. I see you ended up giving an egg to Gang Bai?"

Ignis did her strange version of a smile. "Yes, all of us did. Three eggs is not much for a nest, but it is infinitely more than nothing."

Harry smiled. "Children are the most precious gift. One child is worth all the gold in the world, so I'm sure that three eggs is perfect."

And suddenly Ignis's face was approximately 1 inch from his own. He stifled a gasp- he hadn't even seen her move. And his initial plan was to try and outfly her? Good lord, he had never been more glad to be a parseltongue.

She studied him for a moment, staring into his eyes. He didn't dare even blink. "You truly mean that."

"Yes."

"Tell me, Parva Corvum, what is the one thing you cannot live without?"

"I- what?" Harry didn't know what he had been expecting, but it wasn't that. "Is this a riddle or are you asking me personally?"

"You."

Harry paused for a moment. Ignis' entire countenance had shifted so quickly, and he while he didn't know why she was asking him this, he knew that it was extremely important. What was the one thing he couldn't live without? Food and water, shelter, all that was important, but that wasn't what Ignis meant. Then his mind flashed back to lonely nights in his cupboard and he knew. "There are many answers to that question. Light, friends, even food. For me, though it would be love." He spoke softly. "I know what it's like to live without love, to grow up with no one caring about you. But I have love in abundance now." He smiled, thinking of Hermione, and of Sirius, and of Luna and of the Weasleys (even of Ron). He thought of his dormmates, of the quidditch team, of learning the Patronus charm with Remus, of celebrating his birthday for the first time ever with Hagrid. "I give love in abundance now. I could never go back to the emptiness that was before."

Ignis smiled at him again, and he knew that she had found whatever it was that she was looking for. "You remind me so much of my Ignotus."

"Was his answer the same?"

"Not even remotely." She laughed. Huh? "But you have the same heart. The same goodness." She sounded wistful. "When I was younger, I used to resent him you know. That he would make me love him so dearly, then have the nerve to die so soon. He was barely two centuries old." Sweet Merlin. Only two centuries? He knew that that was short to a dragon, but to a fourteen-year-old, that was practically forever. "I resented that he had to leave me. But, as I grew, I realized that he gave me so much. Missing him is a small price to pay for the privilege of loving him. My child will feel the same one day."

"Your child?"

"Harry." This was the first time she had every addressed him by name. "I accept you as a Draconus Amicus. May you protect and be protected, may you teach and be taught, and may you love and be loved." She reached forward with her claw and swiped his upper arm gently, leaving a large gash. She then cut one of her… toes? Fingers? Knuckles? Whatever it was called, she slashed it and pressed it against his arm. It burned for a moment, but Harry was too stunned to react. He couldn't even process what was happening. "Close your eyes."

Harry barely had the presence of mind to obey that command. Even with his eyes shut tight, his world still lit up emerald green. He felt simultaneously the best and worst he had ever been in his life. He was burning, but he was freezing. He was sitting next to a warm fireplace, but he was flying in the forest. He could feel nothing and everything all at once, and there was a kind presence next to him, and then it was over. He gasped and fell to his knees. Where had his balance gone?

"You are changed." Ignis said approvingly.

Harry slowly stood up. He was about an inch and a half taller than he had been a few minutes ago, and it was throwing off his entire center of gravity. "What just happened?" He asked shakily. He reached up to wipe the sweat off his brow, but his hand came away bloody. He gingerly touched his forehead, and realized that it was coming from his scar. "Why is my scar bleeding?"

"I have completed the first step to make you a Draconus Amicus. The dragon blood running through your veins protected you from the burn of my fire. Instead, you were reborn."

"Like a phoenix." Harry muttered.

"Indeed. Your scars are no more, or at least they should be. The one on your face must have had a darkness to it that the ritual forced out, but it too will heal in time. You are much improved in health now, as well. You must eat more, child." She chided gently. "Was there a famine when you were growing?"

Harry gritted his teeth. "No, no famine. Just terrible caretakers who took away food as a punishment."

Ignis snarled. "FOOLS. They made you small."

"It's in the past now." Ignis just snarled. Harry then realized what an honor had been bestowed on him. She had made him a Dragon Friend. Granted, he wished that she would have asked first, but he had also done his fair share of the asking forgiveness instead of permission thing. "Ignis, I- Thank you. I don't know what to say."

"You need not say anything." She looked at him closely, and seemed pleased. "Close your eyes, Harry. This is the crucial moment." Harry did as she said. "Can you feel anything calling to you? A pull, a voice, a song?"

Harry was very still, and for a moment there was nothing. Then he felt it, a sort of pulsing warmth. He could feel and see the heat, like a thermal image, in his mind's eye. It was radiating warmth and light.

"There." He whispered shakily.

"Excellent. Go to the one who chose you."

With his eyes still closed, Harry walked forward into her nest toward the light. He reached his hand out to it, and-

When Harry came to, there was shouting and snarling all around him. It took him a moment to realize that the shouting was coming from the dragon keepers. He sat up with a groan, before calling out. "I'm all right!" He stood up and waved frantically at the keepers with his right hand. He would have used his left as well, but there was a dragon egg glued to it. He did a double take. Nope, that was definitely a dragon egg. Only, this egg didn't look like the other eggs anymore. Instead of being off white like the rest of them, it was a dark silver, with swirling black designs seemingly etched into it. But, somehow Harry knew that the designs were runes, and they were there because of him.

"It is beautiful." Ignis said approvingly. "My egg chose well."

"The egg chose me?" Harry asked in wonder.

"Yes." Ignis spoke matter of factly. "I started the process, but if you were not compatible with any of my eggs, the ritual would not have completed. No one can force a hatchling to accept a bond. I am pleased."

Their moment was then interrupted by the concerned dragon keepers. "HARRY!" Charlie and Fnord were there along with a dozen other keepers.

"I'm fine!" He called back, trying to hide the egg behind him. He didn't want to even attempt to explain everything that had just happened to them.

"What the HELL, mate?" Charlie bellowed.

"Ignis was just, uh, showing off and she got a little carried away!"

"Carried away? She sent a pillar of flames 100 meters high!" Harry started. Was that what happened when the egg chose him?

"It's okay- she won't do it again. She's actually feeling a little grumpy right now, so I would recommend giving her a little space." Harry felt a little bad for the white lie, but he really did not need the keepers asking questions right now. After a few more minutes of insisting he was fine, and that Ignis was being territorial so he was going to hang out in her nest for a little while longer, the keepers finally dispersed. Harry sighed in relief, and then he noticed how absolutely exhausted he was.

"Go back to your castle. Eat and rest, I will explain more tomorrow." Ignis gently nudged him forward with her head. "And remember, you must keep the egg with you as much as possible."

Harry nodded. He somehow managed to stumble back to Gryffindor tower, and when he saw his bed he fell forward onto it and groaned. Thank Merlin it was Saturday. He had the presence of mind to shut his curtains before rolling over. He would take his shoes off in a minute. He just needed to rest a moment first…

Harry never did take his shoes off. When he woke up, it was early evening, and while he was still tired, he could at least think straight again. In the meantime, a strange feeling of contentment had settled over him, and he had the feeling that it was not coming entirely from his own psyche. He had never felt quite so… whole before. And thankfully the egg wasn't glued to his skin anymore. He remembered what Ignis said, and didn't like the thought of leaving it in the dorm, but he figured he didn't exactly have a choice if he didn't want the entire school to know about his new status.

It was when he went to wash his face that he realized he wasn't wearing his glasses. In spite of that, he could see perfectly. Harry actually couldn't remember the last time his vision had been this clear. He felt a small pang of regret; ever since he had reentered the wizarding world and found out about his parents, his glasses had made him feel a little closer to his father. Well, it wasn't like he couldn't still wear them, he mused. He would just have to replace the lenses with clear glass. He went back to the fourth year boys' room and found his glasses on the floor next to his bed. With a quick charm, the lenses were replaced and he put them on. That was much better; now he felt a little more like himself.

He made his way down to the common room, where he was greeted by Hermione. "Are you feeling better?" She asked. Then she did a double take. "You look different. And are you wearing inserts in your shoes?"

He furrowed his brow and snorted. "No, I'm not wearing bloody inserts. And what do you mean, am I feeling better? I took a nap, if that's what you're asking."

Hermione looked at him incredulously. "Harry, it's Sunday. You didn't show up to dinner last night and Seamus said he saw your curtains were closed, so he figured you weren't feeling well. If you didn't come out by dinner tonight, I was going to drag you to Madame Pomfrey."

Harry was shocked. How much had that ritual taken out of him, that he had slept for an entire day? Then his eyes went wide. "That means I only have tonight to do the Potions essay!"

"I thought you finished that?"

"I, er, finished an outline?"

"Harry!"

"Help please?"

She rolled her eyes. "Of course I'll proofread, but you really have to stop leaving things to the last minute.

"I didn't mean to- it's not like I expected to use that much magic?"

"That much magic?"

Harry shook his head. "I'll explain to you and Luna later tonight. First, though, essay!" He knew that Hermione would not be happy that he didn't tell her about the bond right away, but his potions grade was a much more immediate threat. He ran up to the dorm and grabbed his book bag and stash of chocolate frogs. They would have to do until dinner. He hesitated before also grabbing the egg, placing a warming charm on it, and putting it in his bag. It felt incredibly wrong to leave it alone. He didn't know why, but he knew Ignis was right that it needed to stay as close to him as possible.

Later that evening

Luna hummed happily in the seat next to Harry as he wrote the conclusion to his essay and Hermione worked on her Ancient Runes assignment. "May I see the egg, Harry?"

"The golden egg? I left it in the dorm. It was too heavy to carry around all the time."

"No, the egg in your bookbag. Its aura is just lovely."

He froze, not caring that ink blots were getting on his parchment. "You can sense it?"

"Of course."

"Other egg?" Oh shite. Hermione was going to kill him for not telling them right away.

A/N: Hey guys, sorry this is later in the evening than usual- my computer decided to update for several hours so I had to figure it out in my phone. Friday is going to be the new update day. I'll post every Friday (hopefully), though the one the week after Thanksgiving might be iffy because of finals. That's all for housekeeping, so please remember to leave a review let me know what you think!

6 Hours Later: Hello again; it is currently 12:40 am Friday night/Saturday morning, and apparently this just went through and posted with several spacing errors. My thanks to the people who notified me, and sorry about that. Hopefully the site will actually let it do its thing now.