Back at it again with blips and blurbs from other characters.

Damn i'm burning out my keyboard by writing this fast.

Anyways, on to the next chapter!

—0—

Thunder…

Lightning…

The dark sky rumbled as feet in ratty shoes spish splashed through the muddy dirt. Tattered rags adorned his frame, far too small for his grown body.

How long had he wandered? How long had he been lost?

Who was he?

Red hair and patchy scruff peered back at him from a rippling puddle. He didn't recognize the man in front of him. Who was he?

Whispers rose from the trees around the man, old memories… old likes and dislikes. It quickly overwhelmed him and caused the man to clutch his head. With a scream, he fell to his knees.

Lightning lit up the sky, carving jagged paths through the clouds as the sky roared. The rain slowed, and became snow.

The man lay on the ground, panting, the snowflakes melting quickly on his wet cheeks. His breath hung above him as a nimbus of tiny clouds, rising up and vanishing into the bitter darkness.

"Sorry Nib… guess I just… wasn't good enough…"

The man's eyes closed as something descended from the night. It was cold… terrifying… hollow…

Draco sat up with a scream and a crash, his magic lashing out and shattering every window in his bedroom.

He was home. He was safe. He was okay.

The door slammed open, revealing Narcissa Malfoy, Draco's mother, wand drawn and ready to fight. "Draco! What's going on? Who's in here swee-"

Draco squeezed his eyes shut as his head squeezed. His brain felt like it would implode.

Images flashed through his mind. A message on the walls of Hogwarts. Students being petrified. Wandering across Granger in Gryffindor robes, frozen in place with a mirror in hand.

"Draco!"

The boys eyes snapped open to find his mother, Shaking his shoulders. "M-mum…"

"Dragon my sweet, what happened here? The windows are all blown in!"

Draco looked down, feeling a pit form in his stomach. He had done that. "I'm sorry mother… night terrors…"

Narcissa crooned and stroked his blonde hair. "Oh my little dragon, it will be okay. Do you want me to have your elf fetch a potion for you?"

Draco bit back his tongue. He so wanted to, but Ron… He was worried about Ron.

"Could I just have some water?"

Narcissa smiled. "Of course dear. I can get that for you myself."

The woman stood and walked from the room, leaving the door open behind her. Draco shakily ran his hands over his head.

'What is happening to me?'

Slowly sliding out of his bed, Draco walked to his desk and procured parchment, before pausing. He couldn't let his mother see his letters to Ron.

"Draco! I have your water!"

He quickly leapt back into bed as Narcissa strolled through the door.

"Here you go lovely…"

Draco smiled and took the glass of water gently, sipping slowly so he wouldn't spill.

'Please Ron… please be okay…'

—0—

Ron shivered under the stairs of a two-floored muggle home. Rain poured down all around him, pooling in the small depression a few feet away.

The wind howled, blowing rain under his patch of dry space and peppering his shoulders with water.

"Damn…"

"Whisperer… why not find another shelter?"

Ron smiled sadly, his lips blue. "Last guy we saw chased us away. The rain should p-pass s-soon."

He realized that he had begun to shver and moved back towards the wall of the building. He didn't know what muggles used to guard their homes. His father had always said that their creations were on par with magic… and he didn't want to know what muggle wards did.

Still, he needed to stay warm. Ducking down, Ron pulled his knees to his chest and tucked his head down, using his breath to heat up his face and torso.

"Not enough heat, whisperer… I can feel your heartbeat slowing…"

Ron chuckled, shaking his head. "What should I do then, Nib? What can I do? I can't make a fire. It's too wet."

"Are you not a wizard?" The spider clicked. "I have heard stories of your kind, how they can bring storms and lift up mountains. Yet rain prevents you from keeping warm?"

Ron sighed. "Well… there is… there is a warming charm. I don't know how to use it though."

"You still have your books whisperer. Use your mind!"

Ron smiled, remembering that the spider was right. He had all of his supplies. All of his books from school. Quickly as could be he opened his transfigured bag and began looking through it. His charms book would most likely have what he needed…

Ron lit the tip of his wand as he opened the tome. Light washed across the pages, showing the spell index.

"Warming charm… warming charm… Page thirty. Pretty early on."

A few flicks had him on the page. Nib peeked out from his collar to look at the book with him.

"The warming charm emits a cone of pleasant heat from the tip of the caster's wand. Perfect for heating up a cold room, but worse for outdoor areas." Ron winced. "Well… that's not the best."

"Keep reading!"

"Okay! Okay! The warming charm is one of a special family of charms, as it can be combined into many incntations for new effects. Nearly all of these effects are useful, heating up clothing. Drying out waterlogged items. Melting ice or, raising the ice's melting temperature, and even producing low heat flames." Ron flipped the page. "Interesting… it has everything listed here fore the different spell varieties. Let's try. Swish and flick. Indumentum Focillo."

The robes on his body jumped up to a pleasant temperature, causing Ron to groan. He quickly slapped a hand over his mouth and looked around. Thankfully, it didn't seem like anyone had heard him.

"Well done whisperer… this is much more comfortable…"

Ron smiled and ran a finger along Nib's abdomen, before standing up. "If that's in here, I'm sure I can find a spell for repelling water! Come on Nib, help me look."

"I cannot read two legger markworks. I will do my best to find the proper pictures."

Ron chuckled. "Whatever you say."

—0—

Merlot slowly kicked her feet back and forth as she sat upon a tree branch, looking out through a space in the summer leaves to see a wonderful view of the Dragonlodge.

She had begun to come to this place when she needed an escape. Whenever Charlie and Scortwit had to go and deal with one of the more dangerous dragons, and left her to her own devices. She would read books as she sat on the leafy ground beneath the tree. Other times, she would lay back and nap.

Then there were days like these…

They had become increasingly common since her first year at Hogwarts. Her brain would begin to move faster than she could handle, coming up with problems that weren't realistic. There were no more whispers, since the horcrux was gone. But now… everything was so… empty. So strange, with hidden eyes in every crack and crevice.

There was nothing to fear when she was at her tree.

The young witch sighed and leaned back against the trunk, letting her hair spill down and roll over the gnarled bark like a curtain of midnight.

She hoped that Ron was okay with everything. She had seen some of him in school, and they got along to the point where she thought they were friends. The boy was… nice. Seeing his brothers like they were, was painful. Like he wouldn't be back.

He had to be back.

Merlot couldn't imagine Fred and George without their laughter. But without Ron, their spirits seemed to have flown out the window. Their heart wasn't in it anymore.

Charlie had hugged her so tightly… so tightly that it almost hurt. He never hugged like that.

'He's trying to be strong. Trying to make sure that they're all okay.'

"Merlot!"

Scortwits voice snapped the girls eyes open.

"Merlot! I've got something for yeh!"

Merlot grunted as she swung over the branch and slid down the tree trunk. Making sure that she landed on her good leg, she hit the ground softly. Her cane was leaning up against the trunk of the large apple tree, right where she had left it. Quickly taking the length of wood, she began her walk towards Scortwits voice.

"Merlot! Merlot! Oh! There you are."

Scortwit grinned from his place at the side of a small stream which came off of the river on the side of the woods. The water was surprisingly high for the time of year, coming up to Scortwits ankles.

"You hve something for me to do?"

Scortwit chuckled and tossed a lump of cloth at the girl. "Put that on."

Merlot blinked and looked at the clothm which turned out to be a heavy cloak, just like Charlie and Scortwit wore. "Is this-"

"Dragonproof cloak! See, with Charlie takin' care of his family, I need another set of hands. So today starts your very first training day!"

Merlot pursed her lips. "I thought that I had done training before…"

"You have! But this is all field work that gets you ready to diagnose and treat any dragons under the weather. Todays an easy one, we're just scouting a few Shortsnout dens along the northern ridge." Scortwit grinned. "Also, I feel like both of us need a chance to be away from the lodge, don't you?"

Merlot shrugged, before pulling the cloak over her head. "Okay then, lead on!"

"That's the spirit!" Scortwit clapped. "Alright then. First off, crossing the river! Now we can't use our brooms over by the shortsnouts, they don't like anyone in their airspace, so-"

"Glacius." Merlot w1aved her wand, cutting the man off mid sentence. "Is that good enough for you?"

With a grin, Scortwit hopped across the frozen water. Merlot followed suit, sliding gracefully across the frozen surface.

"Perfect! Only two kilometers to the ridge!"

"I didn't realize it was that close." Merlot hummed, following the man through the brush.

"It isn't really, but there's a secret path that uses some old spatial manipulation charms to slingshot you into the best vantage point for the shortsnout nests."

Merlot blinked. "How does that work."

Scortwit smiled. "I'm glad you asked. I HAVE NO IDEA!"

With a laugh, Scortwit watched Merlot fall on her face. "You don't know?"

"It's goblin magic. Coppy designed it. I don't know how it works but who am I to ask, y'know?"

Getting back to her feet, Merlot rolledher eyes. "You are unbelievable."

"Lighten up my girl. Come on!" The man grinned. "The path is just up ahead!"

—0—

Ron looked both ways before crossin the highway. There was a sign up ahead, and a few cabins. He assumed it was one of the muggle campgrounds that his father often talked about.

Unfortunately for Ron, he didn't realize that camps typically have muggles in them during the summer. At least… those that are still run by counselors and receive funding.

As night fell, Ron found himself in a cabin. It was quite nice for how small it was, and the lights still worked.

How lucky.

Ron pulled out a bit of bread that he had succeeded in stealing from a house further back along the road. For a few days on the road, he had made good progress.

Nib seemed to be on edge for some reason, but she wouldn't say why, so Ron simply decided to eat and curl up for bed.

Never noticing the bundles of silk that were tied up in the corners of the other cabins, or the massive web that hung over the entire campground.

—0—

Shorter chapter this time. We get to see a bit from everyone, I guess. We'll have another jump in action soon. Between Merlot's training and Ron finding something, or something finding him…

Either way, the bigger part of Ron's adventure is coming up, and then we will have a timeskip. Only a few weeks, but still. Then we'll have the start of Hogwarts.

So, as always, leave a review, and until next time,

Adios.