Dear Mr. Potter

Chapter Six

The rest of the day and the following weekend was Malfoy free and Harry began to think that he had blown the incident completely out of proportion. Hermione was still looking for the curse but he and Ron had given up and were just accompanying her to the library so they could do research on the new creature that Hagrid had assigned a paper on. It was the first time the Care of Magical Creatures teacher had ever assigned anything in the way of writing or research. Harry and Ron had decided to make this paper a priority and set an example for their fellow housemates.

"Ugh, I hope that we're not expected to feed these things," Ron said, pulling his nose out of a book. "Have you any idea what they eat?"

"Yeah, don't remind me." Harry looked at his friend over his own book. "Of course, these things are barely up the food chain. Listen to this:

Natro lizards are known to be the food of choice for many birds and other large predators. For example, it has been reported that the Dagodine would decapitate the Natro lizard with its unsheathed claws, de-bone it and feed it to its breeding mate four or five at a time. Since the extinction of the Dagodine, the Natro lizard's number has made a strong come back." Harry stopped and stared at the next words on the page. Ron was making a face, unaware of his friend's growing distress.

"Yuck. I'm glad that Dago-thing is gone. Hate to be around when it was looking for its lunch, eh?" Ron looked to Harry for confirmation. Harry was still staring into the book. "What? Are there pictures?"

"Harry? What's wrong?" Hermione set her own book down. Harry looked up at his friends and then began to read again.

"For further information on the fascinating Dagodine please refer to Eldwin Toast's book 'Dagodines: A look at the Supero and Subicio Attachment."

Hermione was around the table in a flash and was busily copying information onto her notes.

"Harry, you found it. Now all we have to do is find this book or another on this Dagodine creature."

"But what has that got to do with a curse?" Ron appeared confused.

"Hmm, I don't know. But at least now we have a lead. Perhaps the spell requires a specimen from this species."

"But it's extinct."

"I know that Ron, but I am sure that if it were rare Malfoy could afford it." Hermione looked up from her notes. "At least we have a direction to go. And if I am correct, all we have to do is get a hold of what ever he has from this creature to corrupt the spell."

"Guess the ol' invisibility cloak has to come out of retirement, eh, Harry?"

'~*~'

The Hogwarts rumor mill generated different versions of the same story. Draco Malfoy was ill and receiving private tutoring by the teachers in his private quarantined room. The different descriptions made him either dying a slow and brave death or faking it for all he was worth. Either way, Draco Malfoy had not been seen since the first night three weeks ago.

Harry had forgotten all about the incident once Quidditch practices started. He was now sure that what he thought had happened hadn't really happened and was probably just a distorted dream. If anyone brought it up, Harry would smile and ask, "Then why do you think he has disappeared if I'm so weak?" which would generally earn him a chuckle and a slap on the back.

Hermione on the other hand was like a hound on the scent. She had been unable to locate any information on the Dagodine except for the small blurb in the Magical Creatures book Harry had been reading. This mystery was apparently whipping her into a blood frenzy. Ron and Harry had both told her that she should let it go and get another hobby, but Hermione Granger was determined.

So determined, in fact, that she abused her status as a top student and conned a pass to the Restricted Section from Professor McGonagal. Not long after that she came across a book with a section on Dagodines. The next afternoon she cornered the boys in a back table in the library and filled them in.

"Ok, the Dagodine was this humanoid creature who last lived about eight hundred years ago. It was all gray and could be quite vicious. Well, some of them anyway. This creature did not have two different sexes. It was genderless."

"No wonder they died out," Ron said. "If they didn't have boys and girls, who was having the babies?"

"I was getting to that Ronald." Hermione controlled her irritation in being interrupted and continued. "They didn't have different sexes. But there were two different kinds of Dagodine. One was quite vicious and big. It was called a Supero. The other was smaller and not as violent. It was called a Subicio. It was the Subicio who would bear the young."

"So, then Malfoy was using some archaic word to try to insult me?"

"It's not that archaic. The terms are still in use today."

"Even though the Dago-thing is extinct?" Ron asked.

"It's extinct but not its hybrid." Hermione held up her hand to forestall the questions from the boys. "I'm getting there. About a thousand years ago, a Dagodine and a wizard interbred. The Dagodine gave birth to five offspring who then interbred with other witches and wizards. Through the generations the Dagodine became a recessive trait in the bloodlines of only a few wizarding families. An Indago is the name for a witch or wizard who presents the Dagodine as a dominant trait." Hermione paused and gave both boys a hard look. "I think that is what Malfoy is. I think they're hiding him away and covering it up."

"You think Malfoy is an Indago?" Harry raised his eyebrows skeptically. Hermione nodded.

"Think about it. His sudden aggressiveness and strength. The fact that he used that word Subicio. It makes sense."

"But then how did he make Harry so, um..." Ron gave Harry a sheepish sideways look. "Er, how did he get one over on Harry?" Hermione bit her lip and shook her head.

"I don't know. The book only had a page and a half on this subject. If I were to guess, I would say that the Indago may be able to hypnotize its prey."

"Well, how does its prey break the spell?" Harry asked.

"I don't know. But, I do know where to get more books on the subject. The problem is that they are age restricted and very expensive."

"I can pay for them." Harry offered. "Anything to find out how to not be held enthralled by stupid Malfoy."

"I can get Fred and George to write the request for the books. As long as none of us touch the letter, it'll pass age restriction detection spells."

"Good, then it's settled. Harry gets the money and you will get the letter." Hermione gave Ron a folded piece of paper. "That is the list of books and the name and address of the only book seller who has them. If they are able to send it off by tomorrow then we should have the books by Wednesday."