Harry Potter and the Children of the Clan

Chapter 17

Chapter 17

"So, Harry, any idea what to expect from your big friend tonight," Bill asked as they sat at the small round table on the faculty dais.

"Not really, Bill. I know he's around so we shouldn't be disappointed but I don't know what he'll do. From what he told me, I was pretty much in charge in the past."

"So, it's a question of who's the biggest show off, sweetheart?" Ginny asked from her seat next to him.

Fleur had the good manners to put her hand over her mouth as she tried not to laugh. It didn't help much. Harry scowled briefly at his wife and then looked out over the dance floor, thinking back to the day before last. He had been sitting at the end of the Gryffindor table sifting through some paper work when he 'heard' the familiar voice.

"Wizard."

"Dragon, welcome back."

"As I said I would be. After our last discussion I have revisited some of those parts of the world that I found to be the most perplexing. I have additional observations and questions. You will supply answers?"

"As I can, of course. But I should move to my office," Harry suggested, as he began to gather his things.

"This should not make any difference," the dragon replied.

"To us, true. However, my sitting here and not responding to my surroundings might be viewed with some concern by those around me."

"Ah, again, the consequences of so social a species," the dragon mused.

By the time Harry got to his office, the dragon was already laying out some of his continuing observations of the follies of humanity and its impact on the world. After a time the dragon requested Harry bring him up to date on the happenings of he and his family and associates. He was particularly interested in any information concerning the events that led to their separation. Harry had provided some during their first face to face encounter and the dragon was curious.  

When Harry got to the fight in the forest between Ronin, James and the five magic users, the dragon became very quiet. For minutes, it seemed, Harry could feel no sense of his presence. Then it hit him and he physically swayed under the psychic impact.

"THEY DARED INTRUDE UPON MY TERRITORY!" the 'voice' roared.

"Easy, please. It's a little difficult to talk to you like this with your words bouncing around inside my head."

"HOW WAS THIS ALLOWED TO HAPPEN?" the Dragon demanded, in only slightly muted tones.

"The forest is large and not all of it's territory is guarded. The Centaurs occupy and control only a portion. The intruders used brooms, we suppose, to get to the top of a tree and used the mundane expedient of climbing down."

"Retell the tale of the fight," the dragon insisted in a low growl.

Harry repeated the story as it had been told to him by both Ronin and James. When he was done the dragon said,

"They did well enough, so outnumbered, but it is to be regretted that there were survivors. I must look into this matter. We will speak again, Wizard."

"Be well, Dragon."

Harry couldn't be sure as he slept in the castle that night, but he was fairly certain that the sky above the forest was full of a seriously annoyed dragon. He had to smile a bit as he sat on the dais gazing out over the students who sat at tables, mingled around the edges of the dance floor, or for the more adventurous, actually were dancing. He could see Victoire in conversation with Ted while the rest of Vee's gang of roommates looked on. He wondered what they were up to. Had he been able to hear he would have been amused that it sounded alot like his conversation with Bill.