Dragonology 101

Chapter 6

Summary:

"That's actually a really good idea."

"My ideas generally are."

"No," she says, now regarding him thoughtfully. "I mean, Dragonology. As a profession. For you."

"REDUCIO"

Felix's ears ring with the sudden absence of sound. He blinks rapidly. The world around him seems somehow darker than it did a minute before, as if the emerald dragon had been giving off its own light.

Felix is hyper aware of his heartbeat, twice as fast as usual, and his breath coming in shallow gasps. Something drips from his hairline down his forehead and, reaching up, he feels sweat beading his brow; like he's been battling with sword and shield instead of a wand.

"Did it work?" Juniper asks from beside him. Her wand arm is still raised to chest height, feet planted firmly as if expecting the dragon to attack again at any second. But Sparky is now nowhere to be seen.

Felix stares hard into the darkness where the dragon had crouched just a moment before.

"I think so..." he answers slowly. He squints, trying to pick out an outline or any sign of movement. "Either that or-"

A rustling in the grass near their feet causes them both to jump back. Something small and fast hurtles itself across the ground toward them. An emerald green something...

"Sparky?" Juniper says in a choked voice, somewhere between a laugh and a sob.

A Common Welsh Green dragon, wings spread wide and eyes murderous, stops just in front of Juniper. It bares its fangs at her, dropping its head in between its forelegs and clawing at the ground in a clear challenge. All of which would have been terrifying if the dragon were not now the size of a large mouse. It lets out what it clearly intends to be a threatening roar, but sounds more like a whistling tea kettle.

Juniper giggles reflexively.

Felix stares in slack-jawed disbelief at the shrunken Sparky. They did it. They really did it. It's so implausible, so incredible that he cannot stop himself from laughing as well; less from amusement than from sheer grateful relief. His laughter only encourages Juniper, now almost crying with mirth. She clutches her injured side, inflamed by her hysterics, and lets herself sink carefully to the ground.

The dragon, perhaps incensed at being the butt of ridicule, makes a lunge for her outstretched trainer, pouncing onto the side of the shoe and sinking its teeth into the sole.

"Oi!" Juniper protests amid laughs. She tries to grab the pocket-sized dragon around the middle like one might grab a niffler. But Sparky, though tiny, is no less fierce. The dragon swipes at her hand with a miniature claw. Juniper gives a little yip of pain and surprise and jumps up, shaking her foot to dislodge the dragon from her shoe.

Felix's laughter dies at once, his focus reasserting itself. The dragon is still dangerous and the shrinking charm won't last forever. He bends forward to snatch Sparky off Juniper's foot, hands protected by his dragon-hide gloves. But the mini-dragon dodges him nimbly, leaps into the grass, and scampers toward the forest, fast as lightning.

"We can't let him get away!" Juniper cries, limping off after him, but Felix has a better idea.

"Accio, dragon!" Felix calls, pointing his wand toward Sparky. A little green blur comes streaking toward his outstretched glove. Sparky erupts into tinny screeches as he struggles for freedom, and Felix has to drop his wand and use both hands to wrestle Sparky into a tighter hold.