Harry Potter: Dragon Whisperer

A Lesson In Politics

8:45am

Wednesday, 10 August 1995

Australasian Dragon Preserve, Australia

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The walk from the Lodge to the main section of the Preserve where the dragons lived wasn't as far as Harry'd expected. Perhaps the fact that it was a fairly flat walk along a cobblestone path instead of navigating a steep hill under a forest of trees that made it seem that way. Either way, all that it meant was that Harry was able to get to the dragons much faster than anticipated.

"This is as far as I go," Andy stated, pulling up short.

Harry glanced at him before raising an eyebrow at the path that continued for at least another hundred metres.

"Any closer and the dragons will put up a fuss," Andy elaborated. "Our role as Keepers here is to ensure that the dragons live lives as stress free and as full as we can give them while ensuring that the muggles don't see them."

Harry nodded, impressed. He'd not heard it put like that and he thought that the idea had much merit to it. Mentally, he added it to the list of questions about the Preserve and its history that he was building. Really, he knew that he was going to need to write that list down before he forgot something, but that could wait for later.

"Then I'll go on on my own," Harry stated.

"You've got your wand?" Andy asked. "If you get into trouble, send up some red sparks and we'll do our best to get you out."

Sirius' snort was cut off by Charlie's laugh.

"Did I say something amusing?" Andy laughed looking between the two.

"Harry doesn't need a wand; he's quite proficient at wandless magic," Remus explained.

Andy's confused expression was the last thing that Harry saw. He had no interest in being forced to wait and give a demonstration or explanation. Not when there were dragons so close. Instead, he quickstepped away from the men down the path.

Some innate presence or magic or pressure in his mind had Harry slowing. His eyes darted about, searching. He was sure that he wasn't alone, that he was being watched. And if he was right, then it was a dragon, probably more than one, doing the watching.

His fingers flexed at his sides and Harry was forced to control both his breathing and his magic – he didn't want to inadvertently cause his wand to jump from his wrist holster to his hand, nor did he want any magic crackling from his fingers and scaring the dragons.

The sense that he was being watched increased and Harry glanced back.

Charlie, Sirius, Remus and Andy were less than fifty metres away, all precisely where he'd left them and all wearing identical concerned expressions on their faces. What did they need to worry about? There was nothing dangerous here. Well, except for the dragons that could as easily eat him as swipe a talon that would cut him in half or simply roast him with their flames or sit on him.

Harry gulped. Yes, all of those things were equally true of happening. To an ordinary person. And if there was one thing that Harry knew beyond all shadow of doubt, it was that he was not ordinary. Uncle Vernon had assured him of that so comprehensively that it was ingrained into his very being. The lightning bolt on his forehead emphasised that when he entered the magical world.

But that wasn't all there was to his extraordinariness. No, he was Harry Potter, Speaker of Dragons, bearer of the Mark of Dragons. A Mark that all dragons everywhere would instantly recognise.

He had no need to be scared of these dragons. All he needed to do was talk to them.

Deciding that he'd ventured far enough in already, Harry stopped and straightened his back.