A Hold Becomes A Weyr
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"Stop." Harry croaked. "The pain is gone. You'll kill yourself if you continue to try to heal my scar."
"But Harry..." Blaise started.
"No." Harry interrupted with more power in his voice. "It won't be my first scar and probably not my last. I won't lose a friend over it."
Blaise could only nod his head. Draco handed Harry a sobbing Teddy before he dragged Harry down with him to the floor. Everyone crowded around Harry hugging him tightly. Eventually sleep claimed them just like that. They would not forget that day any time soon. It would shape how they faced their new world and home.
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A wet tongue slobbered up the side of Harry's face startling him awake. He could do nothing but stare at the odd calf like creature directly in front of him. It reminded him eerily of a bison but more cow like. The calf then proceeded to lap at his face once more.
"Ew!" Harry proclaimed as he gently pushed the little calf away from his face.
A chuckle sounded off to his right. Harry turned to glare at a smiling George. The calf took Harry's distraction as a means to slobber on him once more. Harry couldn't help but grimace as George burst out laughing. Harry turned his glare on the calf and pushed it away once more. He stood and turned ready to tackle the still laughing George.
"Harry calm down." Draco said with a small smile as he meandered over from the shadows further in the entry way. "We all need a bit of humor after yesterday."
"I know," Harry sighed, "But did it really have to be at my expense." He pouted.
You were the last wake. Viktor commented mentally.
Harry pouted as he looked about. Where are you? Is Teddy with you or Blaise?
We're together. Teddy chimed mischievously. If your done pouting, George and Draco came to fetch you sleeping beauty.
Harry let out a gruff sigh. "Well lead on my knights!" Harry exclaimed with an amused chuckle.
Harry could hear them all chuckle (both mentally and aloud). Draco and George turned and began walking slowly into the darken entry. George inclined his head to Draco. Draco quickly getting the hint waved his hand and with a silent Lumos spell lit the darken corridor.
Are you okay George? Harry asked in concern.
I'm fine Harry. George responded. Yesterdays Aguamenti took a lot out of Viktor and mine's weaken cores. We'll be okay but no magic until we're at proper strength.
Is that why the Curare Ignis* spell took so much out of Blaise? Harry asked in concern.
George and Draco both nodded. Viktor theorized that since we were traveling through the vacuum of space to get here, wherever here is, that our magic was slowly being siphoned off. Draco stated morosely, Meaning our cores are very weak and depleted.
So its not just from the sleep like our bodies? Harry questioned with concern. I had hoped we would just need to build back up our strength like waking comma patients.
George shock his head sadly. The three were quiet as they proceeded further into the empty hall. Eventually they turn left and continued up a flight of shallow steps for a small while. Another turn, this time right, led them into another long hallway. Slowly light began to appear from the end. Once there was enough light to see by Draco ended his spell with a barely audible Nox.
As they made there way forward, Draco and George kept glancing conspiratorially at each other with match mischievous grins. Harry couldn't help but wonder what they were leading him to. His suspicion grew exponentially when the two men bolted forward without a backward glance. Harry sighed as he heard the cackling of his friends echo mentally. Why do I put up with this lot again? Harry questioned himself not for the first time.
Harry made quick time meandering forward. For a moment the light blinded him, but once his sight returned Harry was left breathless. Stretching out in front of him was a vast basin. The basin's floor was made of a warm fine golden sand that felt beyond heavenly on Harry's bare feet. Off to the left was a deep pond feed by a spring pouring out of the walls face. Even from the distance Harry could see small fish swimming about in the crystal clear water.
Harry'e eyes drifted to the vast walls around the valley. The wall seemed to curve out like a bowl with outcroppings jutting out almost symmetrically near the center of the wall. They almost appeared to be balconies to overlook the basin. Harry realized with a start they were exactly that! Why else would there be stairs leading to each balcony groupings. Above the balconies there was additional outcroppings that appeared to serve and entirely different purpose. They were far larger and had no edge to act as a railing.
Harry could not help but be curious over their purpose but he was more interested at the moment with finding his vanished comrades. His eyes scanned the balconies until he found his friends smiling down on him. Harry let out a mighty whoop of joyous abandonment and raced towards the stairs that would bring him to his company. He could hear their soft laughter drift down to him. It made Harry smile grandly.
Harry was almost to the stairs that would lead him to them when something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. Harry paused his strides and turned to his right. A flash of gold in the sand startled Harry. Harry stared for a few moments but the slight glint of gold did not vanish. He began to slowly make his way over to the glint.
"Harry?" Blaise called, "Where are you going?"
Harry turned his gaze upwards to his companions. "I think I saw something in the sands. I'll be up in a moment once I see what it is."
Blaise frown and shuffled Teddy more securely in his arms. "I don't see anything." He called back.
Draco laughed lightly. "Of course not!" He proclaimed. "Like you could out spot the youngest seeker in a century!"
Harry rolled his eyes at Draco's amusement but continued his slow pursuit onward. He could hear the others chuckle and even Teddy left off a sweet giggle. Harry once more shook his head but his attention on his friends was quickly lost when he gazed upon what had glinted in the sand. With eyes wide, Harry shot forward with great speed. Enough speed to startle his friends into calling after him.
Harry ignored their calls to focused on what could not possibly have manifested before him. Harry distantly registered the sound of feet on stone and then sand as he friends raced to see what had captured his attention so. Harry halted abruptly before his find. Eyes still wide in disbelief Harry stared at the small creature curled so protectively around his nest-mate and clutch.
Draco was the first to reach him and halt in shock. Quickly followed by Viktor and George, then finally a panting Blaise clutching tightly to Teddy. All could do nothing but stare in awed silence. The little bronze creature let out a scratchy hiss but did not uncurl. His multi-faceted eyes daring them to step closer and face his razor sharp claws.
Harry? Teddy inquired with childish curiosity. Is that a firedrake?*
"Yes." Harry answered aloud his voice colored with such awe. A gasp echo amongst his group.
Harry slowly lowered himself onto the ground and began to painstakingly crawl towards the little creature. Harry help up his hand to silence his friends and keep them from following his action. The little firedrake hissed angrily the closer Harry got, but he didn't halt his progress. Once Harry arrived just out of the little firedrakes reach he stopped.
Harry began to croon sweetly. If anyone had ever heard Fawkes croon; they would mistake the noise Harry produced with it. Slowly the little bronze calmed and quieted. Harry once more crawled forward, never stopping his crooning. When he could reach the nest, Harry gently caressed the bronze creature with one hand. He made sure to scratch gently at its eye ridges. Slowly the multi-faceted eyes lidded and the creature let out a soft crooning of its own.
With the little thing distracted, Harry reached his other had to the still golden firedrake. He could feel its barely there breathing. With the awkward angle of its wings he could tell they were most likely broken if not terribly wrenched out of socket. Its pulse fluttered weakly against his hand. Harry knew instantly the little gold did not have long to live unless he did something quickly.
"Malerevelare*." Harry whispered.
Harry mind was flooded instantly with all that ailed the little gold. Its worse concern currently was the fluid in its lungs and airways. A silent anapneo cleared that problem quickly. A silent episkey quickly made right the left wing which was fortunately only wrenched. Harry panted from the exertion of casting so much magic with his weaken core.
He was so transfixed on helping the little gold, he hadn't realized the bronze was no longer crooning or lidded. It watched Harry closely as he ran his hand gently along the broken wing. Harry was trying to set the bone without a spell so he would only have to mend the broken bone. Harry's friends on the other hand were fully aware of the little bronze's attention and were ready at any point to pull Harry out of its reach if it became violent. There was an audible click as the bone was slipped back into place.
"Osrecta*." Harry whispered weakly.
He felt the bone repair under his fingers. With a heavy sigh of relief Harry pulled back his hands and crumpled besides the nest. He finally let the darkness creeping up his vision take him into unconsciousness. With a startled cry, Viktor shot forward to grab Harry. The little bronze firedrake screeched and slashed his claws towards Victor catching, luckily, only the edge of his sleeve.
Victor jerked back startled. The little firedrake then settled at the edge of his nest. It carefully nudged Harry with its muzzle then repeated the action with its golden companion. The golden firedrake opened its eyes wearily and crooned at the bronze and Harry. The little gold uncurled its tail and draped it across Harry's neck. Curling slightly as if to keep him there. The bronze let out a slight huff but crawled onto Harry's crumpled form and laid down. Its multi-faceted eyes watching the others like a bird of pray.
"Well fuck." Draco stated in agitation. "Only you Potter. Only you."
The other couldn't help but let out a few weak laughs at that.
What a day... Teddy announced with a shake off his head.
TBC...
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* Curare Ignis, A made up spell (may have a few occasional pop up). Latin translation is roughly "heal burn".
*Firedrakes (depending on the mythology) are small cousins to dragons and usually appear much more silken or soft scaled like snakes. If you are familiar with dragons from Harry Potter, imagine a much smaller Peruvian Vipertooth (1:15 to 2:15 scale). For this story, firedrakes are extinct in HP canon time. Harry and his crew do not know they're not firedrakes!
* Malerevelare, Another made up spell. Latin translation is roughly "reveal ill".
*Osrecta, final made up spell for this chapter (can't promise there won't be more in the story sorry! LOL). Latin translation is roughly "bone correct"