The Dragons of Raveana

Embrace the Dragon

Harry fell toward the water, his arms waving as he frantically grabbed at the face of the cliff. With a screech of fear, he slammed into the breaking water, the strong pull tugging him beneath the rolling waves. Kicking and paddling with his arms, he fought for the surface, his lungs burning.

The weight of his clothes dragged him deeper, his movements slowing as his vision spotted and blurred. Cheeks puffed out and internally screaming for air, he blinked against the saltwater. A shimmer of metallic blue and brilliant purple exploded from under him, a swirling lavender eye meeting his wide emeralds. Darkness fell upon him as he sank, that shimmering eyes the last thing he saw.

XxXxX

Harry sat up with a gasp, finding himself in knee deep water on a beach. Shaking water from his eyes, he rose unsteadily and stumbled away from the liquid. A flash of colour resting upon the golden sand drew his eye, bringing him a halt with the ocean licking at his heels. Mouth falling open, he walked toward the witch.

Tilting her head, Raveana arched a dark eyebrow and smiled. "Lost your balance, did you?" She queried, rising liquidly and sinking her fingers into the emerald skirts she wore. With a flick of her wrists she sent sand flying into the air. "I told Reggie that was a bad idea, but he insisted."

"He killed you," Harry muttered in confusion. "How can you speak of him like that when he was the one who killed you?"

A sad smile played across the witch's lips. "You haven't figured that out yet?" Shaking her head in amusement, she turned away from Harry and glided down the beach, indicating he should follow with a wiggle of her fingers. "Dragons are the most loyal of creatures. As long as I had lived, they would have remained here. They would have been slaughtered merely because I called them to me."

"I don't understand, you were trying to protect them." Harry stated, trotting after the raven-haired witch.

"And I was doing a lousy job of it. All the magic in the world wouldn't have stopped the dragon hunters. They were merciless men, Harry. Murderers without feelings." Raveana halted suddenly; turning to face the crashing waves. "Reggie knew as well as I did that I would have to die for the Mage Dragons to live. It was a sacrifice I was willing to make."

"It was all a ploy?" Brows drawn down, the raven-haired wizard peered into glowing eyes that mirrored his. "You let yourself die?"

Lifting a delicate hand to restrain the curls whipping about in the wind, Raveana nodded slowly. "I died and Reggie took care of the rest. He took the Dragon's Maw and locked up my library. It was Reggie who wiped the blood from my skin and dressed me in my favourite gown." Letting go of her hair, the witch pointed at the shape emerging from the water. A dragon broke the surface with a snort, drops of water running over its nose and neck. "Now tell me, Harry, who had it worse? Me, who died. Or Reggie, who had to live?"

Narrowing his eyes on the beast slowly hauling itself from the water, Harry thought over the question and everything he'd seen in the pensieve. "So, Reginald Malfoy really loved you?" He called as the witch began to fade.

Laughter filled the air as the witch glanced over her shoulder, emerald eyes dancing brightly. "Embrace the dragon, young Harry, and you'll have what I once had but was forced to release."

"Physically or metaphysically?" Harry murmured as the dream slipped away.

XxXxX

Draco screamed as Harry vanished beneath the crashing waves. His hands snatched at the grass as he leaned forward, pale eyes wide as he searched vainly for the raven-haired wizard. When the Gryffindor failed to appear, his mind leapt into motion, thoughts conveying that he should at least attempt to rescue the other wizard. Without rethinking that thought, he leapt into action.