THC, Year 11, Round 2

Slytherin

DADA: Stand-In

Drabble

Quote: Fall seven times and stand up eight. Japanese Proverb

Prompt: (character) Charlie Weasley

WC: 754

Betas: Charlotte, Bea, Aya

Warning: Injuries, blood

"Been wrestling with the dragons again, huh?"

Charlie glanced up from the scorch marks on his form-hugging trousers to the bearded man grinning down at him. "Oi, sod off, mate! I wasn't wrestling with them!"

"All that blood pouring out of your wounds says otherwise," Siddharth Desai, Charlie's partner, teased as he sat down across from Charlie on the infirmary bed.

Sid was a seasoned dragon tamer with a rugged appearance that spoke of years spent in the wild. His dark eyes held a depth of experience, and his weather-beaten face bore the scars of countless battles with dragons. A groan escaped his lips when he hoisted himself up onto the bedside stool.

"Ha! You're in pain too, Sid," Charlie taunted. "Did the Horntail get you too? I thought I was the only one caught in the line of fire—pun intended."

Sid rolled his eyes and retorted, "It's an old wound, kid. And not by a dragon either. I don't rush into danger like you do. Didn't I tell you to stay put and wait for me?"

"She was in pain. Her wing was broken," Charlie argued, lifting his head to scowl at Sid. "What was I supposed to do? Just wait there for backup?"

"Yes. Because that's what we're all trained for, Scorch. You're still a rookie."

"Hmph. You don't have to keep reminding me."

Charlie had only been at the Romanian Dragon Reserve for a month, and the other dragon keepers had already given him a nickname after seeing him get scorched, burned, and even trampled by the dragons.

Each time the dragons mauled him, Charlie just got more and more frustrated with his lack of success at handling the majestic creatures.

He carefully unwrapped the torn fabric around his leg, revealing the angry red gash etched into his skin. Blood oozed sluggishly from the wound, mixing with the grime of battle. With grim determination, he poured a measure of potent dragonbane tonic onto a clean cloth, wincing as the pungent scent filled the air. Pressing the soaked cloth against the wound, he gritted his teeth against the fiery sting.

"Hey, it's okay," Sid said, his tone no longer teasing. "We all go through these phases—"

"You didn't. You were a pro," Charlie snapped.

He was disappointed in himself. He'd been so eager to come to the reserve and learn more about the dragons, but he hadn't amounted to anything yet. He was getting injured on the job daily, which wasn't ideal, but he could deal with the burns and mauling. What he couldn't deal with was that he was failing at something he had been looking forward to doing his entire life.

"There's a saying in Hindi… No one learns by being in their mother's womb. That means nobody comes into this world knowing everything. You gotta learn things as you go, just like everyone else. It's all about gaining experience and wisdom over time," Sid said patiently. His brown eyes twinkled as he asked, "Fall seven times and stand up eight, right?"

Charlie looked up, surprised by the unexpected wisdom in Sid's words. He hadn't expected such sage advice from the dragon tamer. "Yeah, I guess so."

Sid nodded, a knowing smile playing on his lips. "Listen, Scorch. I know it's tough, but you've got guts. You care about these dragons more than anyone I've seen around here in a long time. And that's something. You'll get there eventually."

Charlie felt a surge of determination coursing through his veins. Maybe he was failing now, but he refused to let that define him. He would learn from his mistakes, pick himself up, and try again. After all, he had always been told that success was just a series of failures that you didn't let stop you.

Even the most experienced dragon tamers had once been rookies like Charlie.

"Thanks, Sid," Charlie said, a newfound sense of resolve shining in his eyes. "I won't give up."

Sid clapped him on the shoulder. "That's the spirit, Scorch. Now, let's get you patched up. We've got a lot more dragons to tame."

As Charlie bandaged his wounds, he couldn't help but feel a sense of gratitude towards Sid. Maybe he wasn't such a failure after all. And with Sid's guidance and encouragement, he knew he could become the dragon tamer he had always dreamed of being.

With a renewed sense of purpose, Charlie stood up from the infirmary bed, ready to face whatever challenges the dragons threw his way. After all, he might fall seven times, but he would always stand back up eight.