Chapter 9
Living with Regulus meant Harry got to leave the house a lot more. This time Harry was going to Uncle Moony and Aunt Mary’s house. They were taking him to a magical zoo.
“Does Draco like zoos?” Harry asked. He hadn’t gone back to see the boy or his fancy mother again, but he’d like to. Draco had cool toys and even let Harry have a book on that sport Aunt Mary had told him about, the one where the player flew on brooms.
“I’m not sure, you should ask him next time,” Regulus said from the driver’s seat. Harry liked being in the car with Regulus, he let Harry ask all the questions he wanted.
“How long am I gonna be with Aunt Mary and Uncle Moony?”
“It should only be a few days,” Regulus responded.
“Why can’t I go with you?”
“I’m going somewhere not safe for children,” he explained. Harry frowned.
“Will you be safe?”
Regulus glanced at the mirror to smile at Harry. “I’ll be just fine, don’t you worry. When I get back, we’re going to visit a friend of mine.”
“You have a lot of friends,” Harry noted, which made Regulus laugh for some reason.
Uncle Moony answered the door.
“Hello you two, you ready for the zoo, Harry?” He asked, kneeling down and spreading his arms wide open for Harry to barrel into. He did just that, squealing as Remus tossed him into the air.
“I can’t wait!”
“Good,” Aunt Mary said, coming up behind Moony and ruffled Harry’s hair. “Because they just got a new dragon exhibit that I’m dying to check out.”
“Doin alright, Black?” She asked, crossing her arms. Harry thought she looked like one of the moms at school every time their kid got pushed or bullied.
“I’m just fine, Mary. If everything goes well, I’ll be back in a few days,” Regulus assured.
“And it it doesn’t?”
Harry turned in Moony’s arms to look over at Regulus, who was smiling softly back at him.
“Everything will be fine,” he said, more to Harry than Mary. “I’ll see you all soon.
Regulus turned to leave, and Harry squirmed until Uncle Moony dropped him. Harry ran as fast as he could, wrapping his arms around Regulus. Well, Regulus’s legs.
“Come back soon,” Harry whispered. Regulus bent down and squeezed Harry so tight he thought he’d pop. He pulled back, fixing Harry’s crooked glasses.
“You won’t even have time to miss me,” He promised. “Now go on, the zoo awaits.”
Harry giggled, running back to his Aunt and Uncle and waving frantically until Regulus disappeared.
“Alright!” Mary grabbed Harry and tossed him over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes. “Let’s go!”
The zoo was better than Harry could have ever imagined. The first part of it was inside a large dome with several hallways leading to different exhibits. In the middle of the entryway stood a statue of several animals Harry didn’t believe could be real. One looked like a snake covered in feathers, with a beak in two wings in the middle of its long body. It twisted around two almost horse-looking animals. One looked like it was just skin and bones, with big leathery bat wings. The other was undoubtedly a unicorn, with a long pointy horn, a thin tail that ended with a tuft, and a small beard just under its chin. The feathery serpent flapped its wings.
Wait.
It flapped its wings.
“Uncle Moony! That statue moved!” Harry yelled as he pointed to it. The horse with the bat wings turned its head, looking straight at him.
“Yeah, they tend to do that,” Uncle Moony said. “Where do you want to go first?”
Aunt Mary mouthed ‘Dra-gons’ behind Moony’s back.
Harry didn’t mind. He wanted to see the dragons first anyway, so that’s what he shouted when Moony scooped him up and placed Harry on his shoulders.
The dragon exhibit was huge. Harry wasn’t sure how they fit several mountains, forests, and a small ocean in a zoo, but he guessed that’s just something they could do with magic.
“I hope you don’t expect us to go through the entire place,” Moony said to Mary. She just shrugged and grinned.
“Oh, I guess not. It’s alright, I can always come back. What do you think Harry? You and I trek the entire Dragon habitat when you’re older?”
“Yeah!”
“You’re both crazy,” Moony muttered as they walked through a field with other wizards and their families. Harry ran ahead, crouching down to catch odd-looking bugs and pick flowers, earnestly handing them to his Aunt and Uncle, who took each one with extreme gratitude.
After a few moments, they reached an invisible barrier where two dragons frolicked together. One was sleek, shiny, and all-white and it was playfully nipping at the other, which was a bit smaller and orange. The orange one turned and hit the white one on the head with its tail. The white dragon let out a growling moan and fell on its back dramatically. Harry giggled as the orange dragon nudged the other with its head until it was back on its feet.
“Well isn’t that curious,” Moony muttered.
“What is? What’s curious?” Harry asked, not taking his eyes off the dragons.
“Well, you see the white dragon? That’s an Antipodean Opaleye. And the other one’s a Peruvian Vipertooth. Usually, dragons must be separated, they’re very territorial and hate other dragons,” Moony explained. “Especially if it's a different breed.”
“But these two are friends, right?”
“Looks like it,” Mary said.
“Good. Dragons deserve friends,” Harry decided.
The trio continued through the zoo, and Harry ran up as close as possible to every enclosure. He might have run a bit too much because he lost Aunt Mary and Uncle Moony somewhere around the griffin pen. He wandered around, hoping he could find someone to help.
He found his way to a closed-off hallway.
“Is someone there?” a woman’s voice called from the hallway. It was too dark to see her.
“No!” Harry called back. The woman chuckled.
“Are you lost?” she asked.
“Yes! But I’m okay!” Harry assured. He didn’t want to make her worry, whoever she was.
“If you let me out, I can help you,” she offered. The hair on the back of Harry’s neck prickled. He wasn’t scared of this woman, not really. But he was unsure why she’d be trapped in the first place. So, he asked.
“You have a lot to learn about the world, young one. Not everyone gets to roam free.” Harry heard the clacking of heels on the stone tile as she walked forward into the light. Her eyes were pure black, kike her long wavy hair. She was in a dress that clung tightly to her body, was deep blue, and looked almost like it was made of scales. “What is your name, little one?”
“Harry. What’s yours?”
“Nagini.”
“You’re very pretty, Ms. Nagini. Can you help me find my aunt and uncle?” Harry asked. The woman chuckled again and held her hand out for Harry to take.
“Of course,” She said. “All you have to do is let me out.”
“How do I do that?”
“Just take my hand,” she instructed. So, Harry did. She stepped over the threshold of the hallway and led Harry away.
“How did you get stuck in there?” Harry asked as they walked. He thought she must have been stuck, even if it didn’t look like it.
“Sometimes, people get stuck in the wrong places, with the wrong people.” She lifted Harry’s chin to look at her. “You must never get stuck with the wrong people, do you understand?”
Harry nodded vigorously.
“Good. Now, I believe your aunt and uncle are over there. Go on, little one.” Harry looked to where Ms. Nagini was pointing and started to walk towards Moony and Mary before turning back.
“Are you going to be alright?”
“I’ll be just fine, thanks to you. I won’t forget this.”
Harry blinked, and she was gone.
“Harry!” Mary yelled and ran over to him. “There you are! Where did you go?”
“I’m not really sure,” Harry said with a shrug, still staring at the spot Ms. Nagini had been in just a second ago.
“Are you alright?” Moony asked, crouching down to look at Harry closely.
“I’m okay. A nice woman helped me.”
“Well thank Merlin for that. C’mon, I think it might be time to head home,” Mary said, tossing Harry over her shoulder once again.
“Can we get pizza?” Harry asked.
“Abso-fucking-lutely,” Mary said.
“Mary! Watch your fucking language around Harry!” Moony scolded.
Harry decided the zoo was his new favorite place.