Hidden Gray

A/N: Wow! I got a much better responce than I thought I would. This was, admittedly a bit of a half assed attempt. I'm not much of a writer, even though I get some pretty good ideas I can rarely seem to put them into words. I'm extremely glad that this attempt is sucsessful! Also, please understand that I don't have a beta, and I apologise for any mistakes. I also live in Florida and these hurricanes are being a huge problem! ^^ So keep your patience about you please! Happy reading!!
Oh, and what do you think of Diegara? Is he ok? I'd really like everybody's opinion of my baby if you could!


CH.2
~GraY

The night carried on as it always did when Harry met with Diegara. They discussed everything from the school gossip to battle tactics. Diegara would stand and pace whenever he became especially engrossed in one thought or another; the movement helping him think clearer and faster, or so he claimed. When he did this Harry sat quietly and waited for him to come out of his trance and explain his deductions. By three in the morning they had determined that Ron didn’t have a crush on Hermione and that it was in fact Ginny crushing on the muggle born, which both boyreedreed was hilariously kinky. While Calypso Collons was indeed cheating somehow to get such good grades in charms, the inter workings of her schems tos to be figured out during their next meeting. Harry had also concluded that Voldemort had some one hundred and fifty or so Dark Dragoons at his disposal and at least four times as many Death Eaters of varied race from what Diegara had reported; there may be more. It was also obvious that despite these intimidating numbers he was still no match for Diegara and the the Boy-Who-Lived.

“So, Little Brother, are we done for the night? The sun isn’t really to far off, and I’d like to get a in in before sunrise. I’m practically starving, wasting away even!” Diegara pouted. Harry chuckled and shook his head at the Changeling.

“Sure. Go on, and good hunting. I’ll see you tomorrow night right?” The older boy nodded as he walked over to the window and climbed onto it’s ledge.

“Keep an eye out for me in your Magical Creatures class, a’ight? I plan to do some day running, maybe mess with a few magical heads, huh?!” Diegara smirked and winked at Harry, who in turn grinned and laughed, nodding his head at his friend. With a last barking laugh the boy jumped and changed again in mid-dive; barely missing the ground as he swooped up and out into the sky.

Harry stayed for a few more minutes watching and the sky near the horizon as it went from black to a dark raven blue. Finally with a sigh he went back to his dorm. He slid into auto pilot as he entered the room he shared with Ron and Dean; they were three to a room that year instead of just two like in the past sixth years, because of the oddly high number of first years and a few additions to second year. He slipped into his pajamas and under the covers silently. Closing his eyes Harry dri int into a light sleep only to be woken up a few hours later by Ron shaking him and telling him they would be late for breakfast. Harry easily slipped into his more carefree mask as he cracked open one emerald green eye to look tiredly up at his ‘best friend.’

“I’ll be there in a minute Ron, you and ‘Mione go on.” He waved toward the general direction of the door and rolled over. Ron just sighed and left with a shrug.

After hearing the door click shut Harry sat up slowly. He looked around dazedly as he waited for his eyes to focus. Concentrating on the window between Ron and Dean’s beds the blurry clouds obstructing his vision dissipated leaving a perfectly clear view of the window and sky outside. Harrfirsfirst priority after his battle with the Basilisk in his second year had been to find a way to fix his eyes. The Boy-Who-Lived couldn’t just coun dun dumb luck to win out if his glasses got knocked off or broken again. So now he wore a pair of fake glasses enchanted so that they behaved like his old ones if they were worn by anyone else[1]. He remembered telling Diegara about them and the many hours of library research that would have made Hermione proud. The Changeling had burst into a fit of giggles and nearly fallen out of the window he’d been sitting on.

“I wonder what he’s up to?” Harry mused as he got dressed for the day, “He hinted at having a bit of fun with my Care of Magical Creatures class today. I hope it’s nothing dangerous. I have no desire to be holed up in detention on one of our meeting nights.” He mumbled to himself as he left the room and headed for the Great Hall.

Breakfast was uneventful at best. Draco had sneered and ground out his usual round of insults met naturally by the Gryffindor’s own retorts, in equally predictable form. Harry had to admit that considering his luck in life he had a rather boring day to day when it all came down to it. All of the usual teen drama put aside and you were left with one Harry James Potter, savior of the wizarding world and otherwise very normal person. If it wasn’t for Voldemort Harry was sure to have died of utter boredom by now, he was positive of it. His life was surprisingly routine: get woken up rudely by Ron, exchange insults with Draco Malfoy, eat, got to classes, more insults courtesy of Draco and Goons, eat again, more classes(including insults from both Draco, Goons and Snape), ‘study’ with ‘friends’, more insults, eat(again), more ‘studying’, go to bed, have nightmares, talk with Diegara, actually go to sleep for a few ours, then wake up and do it all over again! What fun...

Harry rolled his eyes at himself as he walked with Ron and Hermione to Care of Magical Creatures. They talked with each other about nothing in particular as they approached Hagrid’s hut. The giant seemed especially excited about today’s lesson, which sparked Harry’s interest almost immediately. The large man was fidgeting a bit and grinning widely. The trio had barely gotten to the group before he started speaking.

“Got a real treat fer you all taday! Got it approved by Professor Dumbledor jus’ a lil’ bit ago, even! Now c’mon an’ stay close an’ quiet. Don’ wanna spook the poor fella!” With that Hagrid led them into the Forbidden Forest. Harry happily followed an overly curious and impatient Hermione as she dragged Ron to the front of the group.

“What are we going to see Hagrid?!” She asked anxious
“
“You’ll see Hermione, s’not far n He He said trying to speak softly even in his excitement.

Soon they came to an oddly bright clearing. There was a pool of crystal clear water and a water fall on the opposite side of it that made the sixth year Gryffindors and even the Slytherins gasp at it’s beauty, however, that wasn’t all they gaped at. On the edge of the pool lie a sleeping dragon. Harry recognized it as Diegara with hardly a thought. The creature was a bit smaller than most adult dragons and had a lean but powerful build. It was obviously a fast and agile creature, relying on more than just brute strength or an intimidating size. Any muggle who had seen Jurassic Park might relate it to a large rapter with wings sprouting from it’s shoulders and rather than connecting to it’s arms they were a completely separate limb. It’s scales were a pearly, diamond like white that was tinted blue where it reflected the water of the pool. It lay with it’s head in it’s arms, legs sprawled to one side like an over grown cat; wings lax against it’s backside and the ground.

“It’s a dragon! But what’s a dragon doing here?” Ron looked at Hagrid with a startled expression, “And what kind is it? I don’t recognize it.”

“It’s a European Pearl Diamond but I thought they were extinct?!” Hermione said in shock.

“Not quite! There are a few left but no one’s seen ‘em in some fifteen years! You all ‘re real privileged Dombledor let me show ‘im to ya.” Hagrid said still grinning from ear to ear.

“He must be very old to be so calm with this many le sle so close to him.” Hermione said curiously.

“What do ya mean?” Ron asked the confusion evident in his face. Hermione rolled her eyes and sighed but explained indulgently.

“Pearl Diamonds were hunted for their scales, bones, teeth, flesh and even just for their blood for a very long time because of the large amount of magic potential in them, especially blood and bones. They were still being poached for a long time after being declared endangered because of val valuable they were until they all but disappeared. Really they shouldn’t have been hunted in the first place because most of the things they’re used for are considered dark magic anyway.” She rattled off, Harry only half listening because he had already read and been told about all of it, after all that same dragon she was talking about had been visiting him for about three years now.

“Very good Hermione! Shouldn’ta expected any less from ya!” Hagrid said in a pleased tone. The girl just beamed up at him and went on about another species related to them that was more prevalent. Meanwhile Harry took it upon himself to get closer, a small smirk playing his lips when Diegara cracked open an eye just a fraction and scented the air with his forked tongue.

When with a grumble he stretched out and let the end of his tail, adorned in two sharp spikes, drop into the water all eyes were suddenly on Harry and many of their owners were whispering at him et aet away from the dragon. These few were promptly ignored as Harry came to stand barely a foot from Diegara’s jaws. The dragon’s head was a little bit longer than Harry’s upper body and probably weighed about as much. So, when it fully opened it’s eyes and just lay there staring at the dark haired Griffendor an eery silence fell upon the clearing. Then when the dragon merely looked him up and down then snorted, turning away and settling back into another nap at least two of the girls fainted. Harry gave him a little pat on the head and returned to stand with the group. Hagrid was in to much of a shock to comment other than to herd the students away and inform Harry that he had to send him to Dumbledor. Harry just shrugged and went quietly.

As he was walking back to the castle Harry heard a shout and a roar from behind. When he turned around he saw Diegara flying toward him from the forest. He grinned at the albino dragon as it flew over head and let out another low roar. It flew toward the castle coming to rest on the roof top for a few minutes before taking off again and disappearing into the clouds. Hagrid and the other sixth year Slytherins and Griffindors came running over to Harry. Hermione and Ron werringring question after question at him about why it migave ave flown over him or roared at him and looked back at him when it landed before taking off for the sky. Harry met their questions with a shrug and an honest ‘I don’t know.’ After all he didn’t, not really anyway. How was he suppose to know why Diegara flew over him or looked at him, it wasn’t like he could read the others mind.


TBC....

[1] Everyone uses this I know but it's true. Not needing glasses would be a huge advantage to being left bat blind. so yeah...