The Dragon's Treasure
Star Wars: I have several fics up, on going and finished, please consider reading and reviewing if you Star Wars?
AsphodelRose87: Catching Fire During An Unexpected Journey inspired this story which inspired Deadly Belladonna. If you are looking for your next Hobbit fix look to AsphodelRose87
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Thank you, Theo! Reminder:The Hobbit was my first book, I've read it dozens of times, however, I do end up quoting the movies, because they are fun.
Chapter 8 - The Dragon's Treasure
In the end, they dug up Dumbledore's grave, Headmistress Susan Bones saying it was stupid to keep such the Elder in an obvious spot anyway.
With a flick of Harry's wrist, he was tossed bodily out of the high tower, luckily there was no glass this time.
When he swooped back in on his kestrel wings, the Elder wand splintered in his loose grip.
Harry smiled slightly, finding he didn't at all care about the wand and he could tell that Hermione was clearly fighting not to laugh at him.
And Teddy, his beautiful and wonderful son, was outright laughing at him.
"Maybe it's time for you to retire," Susan said, straight-faced.
Susan, predictably, was scowling at him.
But she hadn’t murdered him so he was taking it as a win.
It was Harry's turn to glower at her, "My magic isn't gone it's-"
"Growing," Hermione said. “Which at the tender age of ninety shouldn't be possible."
Teddy began saying, "Really, Dad, how do plan to teach mere mortals–"
Harry pointed his finger at the boy whose hair turned an amused lilac, "You are not too old to ground."
Teddy guffawed.
Susan shook her head, "He's right, Harry, you can't teach your classes like this."
But Hermione had that look in her eyes, and Harry, like the teenager he had once been, looked to her for help.
"Perhaps," she ventured. "A staff might work."
"A staff?" Harry asked.
"Like Merlin?" Teddy asked excitedly like he wasn’t a soon-to-be grandpa himself.
"I thought Merlin had a wand," Harry mused.
"He had both a wand and a staff," Hermione elaborated. "It will take us a while to either acquire one or find someone who can make one, they are incredibly rare."
"And useless," Susan said, crossing her arms.
Hermione shook her head, "Only if you don't have the power to wield one."
"What do I do until then? Defence Against the Dark Arts is too important of a subject to cancel classes for," Harry said.
Susan smirked, "I'll teach it."
He frowned at her, "But you're busy and the Assistant Headmaster—"
"You can be Headmaster," Susan said, "I was thinking of retiring, but this? I would love to go back to truly teaching again."
Hermione and Teddy laughed at the sour expression Harry made as he glared at them, "I never wanted—"
"Do you want to leave Hogwarts?" Susan cut in.
"No," he said, a tad bit grumpy.
Hermione smiled at him, "And who said he would never get involved with politics or roles of major leadership and influence?"
Harry flipped her off.
Teddy burst out laughing again, near cackling, and even Susan laughed.
There was a hoot, and Harry spun as a snowy owl glided over to him.
Hermione blinked at the young owl and asked in shock, "Hedwig?"
Harry nodded as the owl purged on his shoulder, glared at the room with reproachful amber eyes, and stuck out her leg for him.
"Whose it from, Dad? Is it Aunt Luna?" Teddy asked.
Harry nodded as his eyes ran over the paper, and he smiled, "She's made some new friends."
Harry had just lost his position and gained more responsibilities than he had ever wanted in his life again, but this message made him feel better.
Luna was finding out who she was and where she belonged, and he could think of no one who deserved it more.
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Luna found the end of the river and despite the glamour, despite the unknown terrain, she knew time was running short. Thorin and his company would be reaching the mountain soon. Durin's Day would soon be upon them, they couldn't afford to delay.
When she got to the great lake, knowing that going in one direction, thanks to Bilbo's maps, she would reach Laketown, she decided to do something fit for Harry Potter.
The cold from the mountain hadn't bothered her so far, and even in the icy waters, she had every reason to believe it wouldn't bother her now either.
Tying her elven cloak around her waist, because really, the cloak, despite its simple fashion was beautiful, and tucked her shirt in around it, see securing her belt. She did this so the cloak, even waterlogged, wouldn't be dragging on her neck.
Then she dove into the lake, and began swimming.
It took a long time, and she had to pause to rest on ice blocks or rock croppings every so often. She discovered that though the water and temperature didn't affect her much, even if she could still tell it was cold and uncomfortably so, it was hunger that made her belly ache.
She didn't have any money, but hopefully she could beg something off the townspeople.
Luna arrived at Laketown when the sun was setting, and chilled to the bone, she dragged herself onto one of the docks like an addled seal. Her heart was racing as she stared up at the cloudy sky painted in pink and orange from the dying sunlight.
She laid there and just breathed, having some regrets as again her stomach twisted with hunger pangs. Swimming was more work than she should have gambled with.
Staggering to her feet and feeling not unlike a drowned cat, she made her way into the ramshackled town that was held up on stilts above –or not so above– the water in some places.
The people here seemed rather depressed and self-centred, and she realized how long it had been since she had seen men, how different they were from elves, dwarves, and hobbits. She was so distracted by her own observations and the soden fabric chilling against her skin, colder than being submerged in the water, that she didn't notice the man lurking in an alley.
A man with a flap-eared hat, greedy eyes, and rotten teeth who grabbed her arm, pulling her into the shadows and began to reach for her pants.
She was too cold to summon fire, too tired to truly fight back even as she reached to claw at his face, to push back from him.
Luna screamed.
She hated men.
Her mind spun light headed and outraged that it would be this, this, twist of misfortune that would do her in.
Men were a curse upon the world, humanity the doom of all that lived and grew.
But as fate would have it, it was a man who came to her rescue. The dark haired stranger pulled the leech off her by the back of his neck and threw him bodily into the water.
She spat at the man whose head came out of the water-gasping, lips already blue from the cold. She stomped on his fingers and kicked him in the face as he tried to get back on the docks. He plunged back into the water.
The next time he came up for air, he was more frantic, less sure of how to get out.
"Come, this way," her rescuer beckoned, laying a gentle hand on her shoulder.
Luna followed, eager to get away from this conflict.
"My name is Bard," the man said, his long hair framed handsome brown eyes that looked at her with care and without greed or pity.
The kindness in those eyes reminded her heart of Harry who had been human too.
"Thank you, Bard," she managed, before saying, "My name's Luna Lovegood."
He smiled at her, "You're a bit too fair to be from these parts, and I don't believe I recognize your accent." He directed her up some stairs, "This is my home, you are welcome to stay the night with me and my family."
Somewhat reluctantly, she obeyed, but she relaxed when she entered the well loved home and the man behind her was greeted by three loving children.
The three children—who introduced themselves as Bain, Tilda, and Sigrid—looked at her curiously.
Luna smiled at them, "My name is Luna, I'm from the West, and I cannot thank you enough for your kindness."
Tilda laughed, "We played host to a company of dwarves, you are more than welcome."
Luna paused, "Thorin has been through here? Was Bilbo with them? Were they all alright?"
"You've been travelling with dwarves?" Bard asked warily.
"And a hobbit, though many call them halflings," she agreed.
Bard shook his head, "Strange times indeed."
"They were fine when the departed for the mountain. I think I have some clothes that should fit you," Tilda said. "My sister and brother will have dinner set by the time you change."
Luna nodded her thanks and not half an hour later, she found herself dry and eating a cooked meal.
"How did you get to Laketown?" Bard asked.
She smiled at him warmly and didn't give him a straight answer, "I have my ways."
She was exhausted and found no difficulties in falling asleep in a strange bed tucked in beside the two girls who shared a mattress only somewhat bigger than a single person bed.
Exhausted enough that she didn't realize that the day of her arrival was Durin's Day, but was reminded of this fact when they were all woken late into the night by the mad ringing of the alarm bell.
Cries went up around them, "Dragon!"
Smaug had been awoken.
oOo
Bilbo looked out into the night, watching Smaug soar toward Laketown.
He knew they should have waited for Luna.
And as the horror of what was about to befall the people of Dale, his one spot of positivity was knowing that Luna, even lost in Mirkwood, possibly recaptured by the elves, would be safe from the dragon.
oOo
Luna watched Bard take down the arrow from his ceiling, and she stopped him, "I'll distract him. I'll give you time for the shot."
"Distract him how?" Bard asked him, "You're just a girl-"
"I have ridden dragons before. I know dragons, but this one is ill. You only have one shot, you are just going to have to trust me."
"You're insane," he told her.
"And I'm also a friend of wizards. If you want to end Smaug and save your people, you're going to have to trust me."
Bard hesitated then nodded, "When legends come alive, I suppose."
"Where is your station?" she asked.
He pointed to a scaffolding tower with a bell.
She nodded and instructed, "Don't draw attention to yourself."
Then she scaled the buildings and dilapidated houses as easily as tree trunks. Taking in a deep breath, she bellowed out into the night sky atop the tallest building she could spot in front yet to the side of Bard's bell tower.
"Smaug the Mighty! I have words for you!"
She raised her hand and with all the power she had left in her from the Lands of Exile, she shot a thin flare of fire into the sky. She felt that almost all of that power was spent, soon she would not even be able to call a flicker of heat to her hands.
The drake spun in the air, no more plums of fire came as the dragon settled on the houses across from her.
If Smaug faced her completely and rose on his hind legs then he would be in position. But if he turned to far to the right, he would see the bowman.
But he didn't, his full attention centred on her.
"Who dares demand words from me!?" the dragon roared, though Luna could tell he was amused, a very old creature that had been bored too long.
"I am the little moon who addressed the dragon carved from the jewels of the night sky," she called back to him.
The dragon chuckled, breathing in deeply, taking in her scent, he said in turn, "Little elfling, too young to be wondering from your wood, are you not?"
"I am a Daughter of Exile as was the wind that brought me back East beyond the western sea, from beyond the far western shores of the Valar."
Smaug hasiatated, wings extending and contracting almost like butterfly wings before he asked, "What wind could travel so far?"
"A fair drake, starlight to your midnight, she brought me home as she sought out her own, so long ago lost to her."
He climbed closer to her, crushing houses beneath his claws and weight, his tail lashing out was accompanied by the sundering of wooden homes.
Only a few houses burned in the distance, the dragon likely wanting to play with its food like an overfed kitten still driven to hunt.
"You taunt me, little elfling!"
"My name is Luna Lovegood," she countered, not backing down in fear, though she was close enough that one breath of fire would, as Bilbo's contract warned, melt her bones.
"Luna," Smaug repeated, then drawled, "Luna."
"Dragon friend am I," she said in riddle. "Who raised dragons from hatchling to elder, who rode on white wings as bright as moonlight, who released a drake, who released a friend. I am healer and moon, I offer peace, oh Great Smaug."
Smaug whipped his head back and forth, "Lost, lost a hatchling once. My mate, she was also starlight but faded, faded when man traveled too far north took what he should have not. Ran, ran beyond reach."
Luna's heart broke for him, "That's why darkness came?"
Why he had grown sick.
Dragons mated for life.
Smaug bowed his head, "Gold, the mountain, mine, it is all mine, I who lost what cannot be bought."
A hatchling.
"My friend, she took the name Ithilwen, like mine, it means moon."
The madness from those amber-serpentine gaze faded briefly, the sickness receding as he turned, arching his body up, wings thrown wide to look up at the silver moon above.
In that suspended moment Bard's arrow struck true, a shadow cutting through the night.
Swallowing a sob, Luna leapt over rooftops as Smaug collapsed into the riverways.
Smaug did not fight his fate and when Luna dropped to the boarded walkways on light feet near the dragon's head, he did not even attempt to harm her.
She did not hesitate to reach out to give comfort, running hands over the tightly grooved scales of his snout, tears in her eyes, "Oh Smaug, forgive me for my dissipation, I knew no other way to cure Dragon Sickness."
Smaug huffed out a warm breath, his great eye focusing on her, "No apologies, moonling, no cure exists. Cursed is the treasure of Erebor, cursed am I. Tell my hatchling, my Ithilwen, that we never willingly abandoned her."
Luna nodded, tears spilling down her cheeks, "I will."
Smaug sighed, gaze fleeting toward the starry sky, "It is enough to know. To have lived to know she returned home."
Luna watched the fire fade from his eye as she bowed her head and continued to cry for the great creature that came to such a ruinous end.
Around her, men cheered, their own loved ones spared from a fiery doom.