The path back to Oromis's dwelling wound through a thicket of towering trees, whose leafy branches stretched out like a giant gazebo, casting an emerald twilight over the forest floor.

Harry held Daphne's hand tightly, a matching symbol was evident on her left palm. Daphne eyed Harry with new emotions, still shaken from their meeting with Glaedr and the discovery of the baby dragon now trundling along beside them, nudging their legs playfully every so often. Its scales, a brilliant sheen of gold, glistened even in the soft light filtering through the leaves.

The dragonette kept darting ahead, weaving through the mossy stones and ferns, only to circle back to Harry and Daphne with what seemed like unrestrained glee. Harry smiled to himself. For such a small creature, she was full of energy—and of curiosity. Yet he couldn't help but notice a slight, incessant chirping sound emanating from her each time she glanced back up at him.

"She's hungry," came Glaedr's deep voice, echoing in their minds. His golden eyes gleamed down at his daughter with a paternal warmth. "A dragon this young will need sustenance frequently, or she'll exhaust herself from excitement alone."

Harry glanced at Daphne; brow furrowed. "Any idea what she'd eat?"

Oromis chuckled softly. "Her instincts will guide her. She has hatched on her own; she is strong and knows what she needs. We shall see to it that food is brought to her once we reach my dwelling."

The baby froze, then wiggled its bottom in a feline manner and pounced into a bush, a second later it emerged with a small reptile between its jaws.

"Brrrrrrr!" It hummed excitedly.

Glaedr snorted his approval, while the baby threw its head back and much like a bird, it swallowed the lizard whole in just a few gulps.

After some time, they arrived at Oromis's secluded home—a structure almost indistinguishable from the surrounding trees, with walls of smooth, intertwining branches and roots, as if the forest itself had crafted it. The interior was warm, the air filled with the earthy scents of herbs and leaves, and soft light spilled in from a multitude of skylights that opened up to the treetops. Around the structure, were neatly arranged garden beds with recognizable vegetable heads and flowers.

"Welcome to my abode. Please, wait here." Oromis said, as Harry and Daphne were taking in all the detail with curious eyes. Oromis entered his dwelling and began moving things around, though not too noisily.

"Harry," Daphne started, "I am worried about this bond."

"Me too," he responded softly, he raised his right hand, still grasping her left. Then detached their fingers, they both gazed at their marks and then each other's.

"Sourgify." Daphne cleaned the grime from their hands, the ascent up the Crags was extremely grueling and left them with a less than desirable scent. "You need to take a shower. You reek." She smirked playfully.

"And so do you," he retorted with a large smile.

Oromis poked his head out.

"She is right, if you venture a short way to that area, you will see a spring, kindly utilize it before we sit down to have supper."

Harry and Daphne both blushed in slight embarrassment.

"You go first," she instructed,

Harry nodded his head, obediently and still with burning cheeks.

-oo-

Inside, a small table had already been set with various bowls of fruit and other simple vegetarian dishes. At the sight of them, the baby dragon let out an excited squawk, trotting over to inspect the offerings. She sniffed tentatively at a bowl of berries, then nudged a hunk of melon disapprovingly. Suddenly, a few tennis ball sized hunks of meat fell next to her, Oromis had brought some for her. With a delighted rumble, she began to devour them, her small teeth tearing into the meat with surprising vigor like a velociraptor in that Jurassic Park movie.

Daphne let out a soft laugh, leaning close to Harry. "She's adorable."

Harry smiled, watching the dragon with warmth in his eyes. "She is, isn't she? She needs a name, though." He tilted his head, observing the way she tore through her meal with an innate fierceness. There was strength in her gaze—a fire that he felt drawn to, as though she were part of him, an extension of his own will.

As he considered her, a name came to mind. A name that felt ancient, resonant, fitting the shimmering gold of her scales and the quiet strength she already displayed. Aelindra. He mouthed it silently, savoring the way it felt. Yes, that was her name.

"Aelindra?" He asked. The baby dragon stopped eating and cocked its head towards him. His Gedwey ignasia itched and he felt a presence invade his mind, simple yet it lacked coherency.

"I can hear her in my mind!" Harry exclaimed openmouthed. Oromis nodded knowingly when Daphne said, "Harry! Me too!" She lifted her left palm up to her eyes, it glowed lightly.

They began eating and Harry was amazed that vegetarian food could be prepared in such a manner. He glanced over at Daphne and felt a feeling of intense hunger emanating from her.

He could feel her hunger.

His eyes widened in shock. He could feel her hunger.
He looked at her.

'Daphne?' He thought. Daphne's eyes flew wide open in disbelief. She faced him and placed her right hand over his eyes as if to blindfold him with her palms.

'Harry? Can you hear my thoughts?' she asked him in a panic causing him to shift from heel to heel uncomfortably.

'Errrr, yeah, I – um – errr –'

'This is unusual.' She allowed him his sight.

'Is this what your Legilimency and Occlumency feels like?' He asked.

'Not like this. This is something totally different. But I do have some theories…' She answered.

'I'm all brain.' He smirked. Daphne rolled her eyes and refocused them on him.

'I think this magic senses that our bond was made by our magic. When our parents signed the Marriage Contract, the magic bound us together, creating a connection. I think this bond is amplifying our connection.' She thought seriously.

'So, I'm stuck with you in this world too.' He joked.

'Be serious, Potter.' She mock-scolded him.

"I believe we have a visitor." Oromis said suddenly, all this while watching the silent back and forth interaction between the two.

Just then, a rustle by the door drew their attention. A figure stepped gracefully through the entrance—a tall, statuesque woman with flowing raven hair and piercing, silver-blue eyes that seemed to hold the wisdom of centuries. Harry was reminded of Fleur for a second.

She wore a robe of emerald green and gold, the colors of the forest itself, and carried herself with an air of majestic stubbornness, which left Harry momentarily speechless.

Oromis inclined his head respectfully. "Harry, Daphne, may I present Queen Islanzadí of Ellesméra."

Harry felt Daphne's grip on his arm tighten as she bowed, with Harry quickly following suit, though quite unsure if they were showing the proper manner for royalty.

'Oh shit.' Harry thought to Daphne.

"Welcome to Du Weldenvarden," Islanzadí greeted, her voice sweet yet thick with power. Her gaze lingered on Aelindra, who had lifted her head, a piece of meat still dangling from her small, sharp teeth. The regal elf lady's eyes opened wife in shock for a second before quickly returning back to normal.

"Your Majesty," Harry replied, doing his best to maintain a confident posture. "Thank you for welcoming us."

'Your Majesty? Really?' Daphne teased him.

'Shut up. Like you know their customs better…' He retorted.

Islanzadí's eyes narrowed as she looked from Harry to Daphne and a smile settled on her lips. "I sensed a great power enter our lands, something beyond even the knowledge of my- advisors. Now that I see the both of you, and your young dragon here, I understand why." She regarded them thoughtfully. "You are bound to this world in ways you may not yet comprehend." Her eyes appeared slightly disappointed.

Daphne's expression softened, her usual skepticism giving way to a cautious curiosity. "Thank you, your Majesty."

Islanzadí turned to Glaedr and Oromis, exchanging a few words in the Ancient Language. Then, with a gentle nod, she looked back at the pair. "You will remain here, as our guests. Oromis will see to your training—both of you," she added, her gaze lingering on Daphne. "Your bond to the Rider is strong. It would be unwise to ignore the connection you both share."

Harry glanced at Daphne, a question forming on his lips, but she only shrugged, a hint of a blush coloring her cheeks. Whatever lay ahead, they would face it together. He had his theories, and she had hers. Queen Islanzadí made to leave and with a nod, Oromis beckoned to them.

-oIo-

Oromis guided them through a dimly lit corridor, with white peppery moths buzzing around, that opened into a room that seemed to flow out of the forest itself. Wooden vines formed two natural beds, draped with silky woven blankets, and a small fire crackled in a quaint fireplace, casting breakdancing shadows against the walls. The beds were on either side of the room.

"You may rest here tonight, I sang another bed for you, Daphne." Oromis said. "I have no doubt that your journey has been… extraordinary. Rest now, we can discuss what needs to be discussed tomorrow."

He left them then, the door closing softly behind him. The room was silent except for the faint sounds of the forest outside and Aelindra's soft chirps as she curled up at the foot of one of the beds.
'Sang a bed?' She though to Harry.
He looked at her and shrugged.

Daphne sat down, stretching her legs with a tired sigh. "Did you decide on a name yet?" she asked, looking over at Harry with a glint of amusement.

Harry knelt beside Aelindra, reaching out to scratch her scales gently. "Yes," he said softly, feeling the name resonate within him. "Aelindra. It feels… right."

The dragonet lifted her head at the sound of her new name, blinking her green eyes up at Harry, and then gave a soft purr, almost as if in agreement. She settled down again, nestling closer to Harry's side as if she'd always belonged there.

Daphne smiled, watching Harry interact with Aelindra, a softness in her gaze that was rare. "Aelindra," she murmured, testing the name. "It suits her."

Harry settled back, lying on the bed, his mind racing with all that had happened. Islanzadí, Oromis, Glaedr, and now this ancient bond to Aelindra—it felt almost unreal. But as he glanced at Daphne, who sat beside him in the firelight, he knew that whatever this world held for them, they would face it side by side even though he knew that they were both scared.

Outside, the trees swayed gently, the forest murmuring in its secretive tongue. But Harry felt a sense of foreboding, this was not his world.

After a while, they both decided to turn in for the night. Harry made his way to his bed and took out a folded piece of parchment from his mokeskin pouch. He figured it wouldn't work. He opened it up and said, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

The ink spread all over the Marauders Map and to his surprise, he could see names on it!
Hermione was in Arithmancy while Ron was outside the classroom.
'Weird.' He thought while wondering if they were okay.

'What's weird, Harry?' Daphne asked.

'Nothing! I was just thinking out aloud!' He said embarrassingly.

'Better not be anything about me.' She replied, he could hear the smirk in her thoughts. Thoughts have tone?

'Just thinking about everyone back home, wanted to check on them.' He told her.

'How?' She looked at him curiously.

'Come here, leme show you.' He instructed.

She got up and plopped herself tummy down on his bed, next to him and stared at the map.

"Whoa! This is bloody brilliant! But how does it even work here?" She looked at him, making eye contact.

Harry froze, her face was no more than five centimeters away from him. His body tingled. A hippogriff was excitedly fighting a Gryffin inside his chest and IT. WAS. GLORIOUS.

'Come on, Potter, stop staring at my lips.' She raised her eyebrow and giggled slightly.

'I was not staring at your lips!' He defended hotly, looking down at the map again.

"Anyway… This map was created by my father, and his friends, one of them is Professor Lupin, whom you have met before of course." He forced himself to keep his focus on the map. Daphne also focused on the map, intrigued by the moving names.

"Can it show anyone anywhere?" she asked.

"Yeah, pretty much."

"Can you open it to the Slytherin common rooms?" She seemed excited at this.

"Er, sure." He flipped to the dungeons and easily located her common rooms.

"Ugh, where is she, ah, got her!" she exclaimed happily. "Wait, no, not in her room?"

"Who?" He asked searching the map.

"My younger sister, Astoria, she is a year below us." She explained.

He nodded and said, "she seems to be okay. But why is Malfoy there?"

'Marriage Contract.' She forced her thoughts on him.

'Aah.' Was his response.

'I'm scared Harry.' She thought as they turned to look at each other.

'Me too. But I'll protect you.' His eyes caught hers, her big sparkling blue eyes. She tucked her hair behind her left ear. His lips parted as he took in a deep breath -

"Honk!" Came the noise from Aelindra. They quickly turned their heads in the direction of the noise. She stood fixed to the spot and stared at them with an unsatisfied look on her face.

"Are you a goose or a dragon?" Harry asked comically as she huffed in response.

Harry felt her press against his mind, and he allowed it, only to receive a picture of the meat it had just eaten a while before.

'She is hungry again.' Daphne told him.

Harry nodded and went outside to grab a few more hunks of meat that Oromis had left covered on the table. Aelindra followed him greedily.

"Hmphf!" she huffed again impatiently.

"Okay, okay," he sat on his haunches and carefully held a piece out to her. She waddled to him slowly, nuzzled herself against his chest, sniffed and then carefully took the meat out of his hand before snapping her back, much like a pelican, and swallowing it whole.

Harry felt a sense of gratitude emanating from Aelindra.