—————
Norberta was ready for her second mating flight when Charlie took a leave of absence to join the family for his brother Bill's wedding. He was horrified at how badly things at home in Britain had deteriorated and that Voltemort was again rising to power. When he returned to Romania it was a relief to get away from it while also a great worry over his family still being there. Months later an ancient white dragon landed near the lake, and through Norberta he was able to hear and feel what the blind old dragon had gone through as a prisoner in the vaults of Gringott's Bank. Horrified at hearing his brother Ron's voice in the dragon's memory, he also recognized Potter's and Granger's voices as all three of them aided the dragon in its escape to freedom. 'Three Hogwarts students got past goblin security and freed a dragon… ?!' he thought, amazed.
Norberta and Dame both touched Charlie's shoulders with their snouts when they sensed his thoughts and realized that it was Charlie's brother who had aided the dragon.
'This old one is one of my ancestors,' Dame explained; 'We are in your brother's debt, also to the nest mate your mother took under her wing,' and Charlie understood she meant Potter. 'The female also; we will find a way to repay them.'
—————
The sun was just rising high in the Romanian mountains as Charlie, Norberta, and Dame were all taking a morning swim. The other dragon researchers were up already as well as they had several early-morning activities planned.
Without a warning a loud 'pop' sounded and a mist appeared in front of Charlie, who had just surfaced near the shore. The mist formed into a lioness - Molly Weasley's patronus.
“Death Eaters attacking Hogwarts with You-Know-Who! All the family gathered there; even Percy! Please come and bring all you can!”
And with that the Patronius lost its shape and melted away.
'What is 'Hogwarts'?' Norberta asked quickly as she could tell this was a very serious message.
Charlie turned to face both dragons. “That was a message from my mother. Hogwarts is a school full of children; the school I attended - I've told you about it before. An evil wizard is attacking to kill Potter – the one my mother took under her wing and who helped free the Old One. My whole family is there, including my mother and my sister.” He paused. “I have to go!”
Charlie barely had time to grab his wand with one hand and his bathrobe with the other when Norberta grabbed him around the waist with a huge front paw and leaped into the air while Dame trumpeted loud enough to gather dragons for many miles in every direction.
'I will tell the humans to guard your clutch… ' Dame thought to Norberta as the younger dragon and Charlie Apperated…
… and suddenly it was just after midnight in Scotland and Norberta and Charlie were over the loch next to that grand old school, circling so they could see what was going on. It was obvious that a battle had been going on – there were holes in the massive old walls of the school and smoke and dust rising from several wings and towers of the complex. And, to Charlie's horror, there were giants!
Norberta swooped low over the Astronomy Tower, where one of the teachers recognized the mop of red hair in the dragon's grip as a Weasley. The teacher waved back at the boy who was waving his bathrobe and shouted: “Bring Hogsmeade! Bring reinforcements!”
Charlie pointed toward the village and Norberta responded immediately. In seconds her huge, fleshy wings were open wide, breaking for a landing in Hogmeade's town square. Madam Rosemerta, who had jumped behind a monument as the dragon landed, laughed with relief when she saw red Weasley hair in the dragon's grip and rushed forward to wrap her shawl around Charlie's waist while shouting at a wizard to get the boy some clothes.
Charlie could see that there were far more witches and wizards in the town square than actually lived in the town – he understood why as soon as he saw several more people appear, wizards and witches were Apperating from other places and gathering to Hogsmeade as soon as word of the battle reached them.
“No time for that!” shouted Charlie, but the wizard had already shouted "Accio trousers!" and a pair had come flying out of a house and was being presented to Charlie and was magically shrunk to size as soon as the boy had them on. “Death Eaters!” Charlie shouted while he donned his bathrobe and nodded 'thank you' to the wizard who'd brought him the pants; “Attacking Hogwarts. We've got to join them!”
“But Death Eaters!” one woman exclaimed; “We can't fight them!”
“Yes we can!” exclaimed Madam Rosemerta. “We must!”
“Who stands for freedom?!” Charlie shouted as he raised his wand and shot angry red sparks into the air while Norberta reared up and bellowed a dragon's challenge, her wings spread wide over Hogsmeade's rooftops.
“Behind you!” someone shouted.
Charlie turned to see two Death Eaters, left behind to keep order in Hogsmeade, charging towards them, wands raised and ready to attack.
“Death Eaters!” Charlie shouted at the dragon.
Norberta didn't know what Death Eaters were, but she knew they were threatening the great nest of children the humans called a 'school'. In seconds her flame was alive and the two Death Eaters were dead and falling to earth as ash.
"Look!" someone shouted; "Slughorn!"
The crowd pushed a portly-looking man still in his silk pajamas to the front where he was facing Charlie and Norberta.
'Death Eater?' Norbert asked.
"No!" Madame Rosemerta shouted quickly, jumping in between the dragon and Slughorn, and Charlie made a note to ask her sometime how she could hear Norberta's thoughts. "He's Sythern's Head of House!"
"A Head of House who's snuck away during a fight?" Charlie asked, unbelieving, as many in the crowd shouted what they thought of the man; little of which could be recorded in a children's story.
Smoke shot out of Norberta's nostrils at the thought of an adult who wouldn't protect children.
Charlie grabbed the plump, protesting man by the collar of his pajama shirt and turned towards the school, an army of thousands of determined witches and wizards following them as they marched on Hogwarts, those still Apperating into the vicinity running to catch up and swell the ranks – and every one of them understood very clearly that, for good or for ill, this would be their final stand against Voltemort. Many gasped as a dozen more dragons, including a huge silhouette Charlie knew to be Dame, popped into the night sky over them and swooped down to hover just over their heads. Dame landed and hopped along to keep up with Charlie and his army while the two of them wordlessly planned their attack. Conference completed, all the dragons, including Norberta, trumpeted and flew for the school as Charlie's army came within sight of the great castle.
As soon as the mass of humanity following Charlie entered the school gates, Arthur Weasley, followed by his own small band of fighters, ran out from under the trees and grabbed his son, embracing him. Arthur begged his son to spare a few good shooters to help mop up the grounds, and many split off without a word to follow the elder Weasley back into the trees while the rest continued their determined march on the castle itself.
Charlie watched as two dragons took down the first of the giants attacking the castle. It was not a pretty sight and several in his ranks lost their supper as one dragon ripped at the giant's throat while another disemboweled it. But then the sight was lost to view as the human wave flowed through the great doors of the castle and joined the Battle for Hogwarts.
Having been forced to fight, Slughorn took to the side of Freedom and fought with all his considerable powers. Charlie was up and down many different staircases as members of the Order of the Phoenix called for his help, but he managed to enter the Great Hall just in time to hear “NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH,” and watched, stunned, as the mother he only thought he knew stepped in front of Jenny and two of her classmates with all the look and demeanor of an angry, powerful Lioness protecting her cubs and dispatched a female Death Eater into the next world. He had only ever seen his domestic-goddess mother use magic to
cook and clean and knit - and to strip contraband from Fred and George, of course. This wasn't the woman he thought he knew!
'That's your mother?' Charlie felt Dame and Norberta both ask at the same time, having watched the duel through Charlie's eyes. The pride Charlie felt was a roaringly loud, positive emotion as he watched his mother turn and take Jenny, Hermonie, and Luna in her once-again gentle arms, tearing his eyes away from this more-familiar scene only at the sight of Harry and Voltemort's duel and the final death of Tom Riddle.
——————
While the victors enjoyed a rest and a hearty meal, the morning sun streaming through the windows of the Great Hall, Charlie was able to lead his family and the Granger girl out of the castle and to the edge of the Forbidden Forest, where a dozen dragons, well-fed on the rare treat of giant meat, waited for him. Potter, unfortunately, was nowhere to be found, and they suspected he'd simply found a quiet corner in the castle and gone to sleep.
“Mum; Dad – this is Norberta.” The smaller of the two dragons that had stepped forward at their approach lowered her head to gaze the two humans in the eye. “And this is Dame,” and the largest of the dragons also lowered her head, but only to look Charlie's mother in the eye.
"They must be hungry after fighting," suggested Molly Weasley the domestic goddess as Dame allowed the woman to touch her.
"Actually, no," Charlie began slowly. "The giants… " His mother as well as everyone else paled as comprehension came over them.
Charlie jumped as if pinched and smiled. “Dame says to tell you that you did a honorable job raising me.” He paused. “And I say so too, and thank you, Mum; Dad.”
There were, of course, hugs. Motherly hugs, fatherly hugs, and grateful son hugs; all delivered with tenderness, dignity, and love. But this was a private family moment; I'll leave them their privacy.
“Norberta says to tell you, Mum, that she thinks you are a very great warrior.”
Molly Weasley looked from her son to the two dragons and smiled. “Well, I have to be, don't I?" she replied in a quiet, dignified tone. "I'm a mother.”
The dragons all trumpeted their laugher into the bright morning sky while the Weasely men all nodded a very discreet agreement.
"You know," Molly whispered to Charlie, "I've always had a single secret dream; never even told anyone about it; not even your father - it's so silly." She paused, stroking Dame's neck. "Do you think… Is there any way… ?" and her whisper became far too soft for anyone but Charlie to hear.
And then it was Charlie's turn to laugh.
The great dragon Dame was honored to fulfill Molly Weasley's secret childhood fantasy of flying on a dragon's back.
__________
My friends tell me it would be horrid of me to end this story before telling you whether or not Hagrid got to meet Norberta or ever got to fly on one of the larger dragons, and I agree – that would be absolutely horrid of me.
Harry Potter and the Morning After: My Ending to the Final Book
Ms. Rowling didn't even give us a memorial service for the death of our friends! And by the end of the last book they are our friends! So here you go …
—————
Harry Potter was dreaming. Although Voldemort and the Death Eaters had just been beaten and he thought this would be the first night for a very long time that he might dream happy dreams, he wasn't. He felt his body being constricted; absolutely no room to move and barely enough to breath. He couldn't feel Nagini the boa constrictor moving but it was the same feeling. He felt panic rising and was ready to scream…
… when suddenly he was awake.
“Morning, Harry, dear.” Molly Weasley was laying beside him on top of the covers of his bed, high atop Hogwarts in the Gryffindor dormitory tower. A snore made him turn his head and he saw Arthur Weasley fast asleep on his other side. So it wasn't a snake; just a very crowded bed. A quick look around told him that all five beds in the room were full of Weasleys – Charley, Bill and Fleur, Percy, George, Ron, and Ginny, and also fast asleep with the family was Hermione. He immediately felt Fred's absence.
“Mrs. Wesley,” Harry said out loud, “What… ?”
“Professor McGonagall let us in last night. You disappeared from the great hall and no one knew where you'd gone. The whole school was searching the castle until that lovely Lovegood girl suggested you'd be in bed. 'After all, Harry's the sensible sort,' she said. Don't blame you; after all you've been though.” She smiled. "You've been asleep since yesterday Noon. You missed Charlie's dragons; they had to return… "
"Where's Neville and… "
"Neville's in a guest room with his grandmother; didn't want to leave her alone. Seamus and Dean are with their families as well."
Harry tried to pull the sheet and blankets over his chest as he sat up. “Not to be rude, but I haven't anything on. I didn't have any pajamas… ”
“Then you just stay under the blankets and we'll serve breakfast.”
At that there was a cracking sound and a dozen house elves appeared, lead by Kreacher, all carrying various heavily-laden trays of breakfast foods. Everyone in the room woke for the smell of breakfast.
“It's nearly Noon, but none of us have eaten anything sensible since before the battle,” explained Mrs. Weasley.
“An owl has brought Master Potter a package,” began Kreacher, holding a long, thin package up for Harry to take. Kreacher smiled wickedly. "An owl from Malfoy Manor."
“It looks like a wand,” Harry said as he took the offering.
Mister Weasley smiled. “Before the Malfoys left I cornered Lucius and informed him that since you had beaten Voldemort, then Voldemort's wand now belonged to you. It'll go nice with Draco's wand. It's no secret Voldemort had been headquartered at the Malfoy estate, so I told him that if it didn't arrive today a number of us would come looking for it.” At this everyone in the room but Mrs. Weasley snickered - it was obvious who the 'number of us' would have been. "So, there's your own wand's twin… "
“You used his name, Mister Weasley," Harry whispered. "You said 'Voldemort'. Three times!"
Arthur smiled. “I could get used to it.”
“Mrs. Weasley,” Harry began, “I… I'm sorry. It's all my fault. Fred… ”
Mrs. Weasley faced the boy head-on, bringing up the handle end of her wand and touching it to the boy's chin. “Get one thing straight Harry, dear: if you try to take blame for anything that's happened to this family then you'll wish the Death Eaters got hold of you instead of me! None of this is your fault, and if you try to make it so then the stories the boys have told you about my temper will pale in comparison to what I'll do to you!” She took a breath and smiled, her familiar, motherly face returning. “Are we clear on that subject, Dear?”
“Yes, Ma'am,” Harry said slowly, remembering how the woman had taken on Belletrix the day before. “But Fred… I mean… ”
Mrs. Weasley's faced softened to what Harry always imagined a 'mommy' face to look like. “Yes, boy; I'm hurting inside more than you can imagine, and I suspect you are, too.” The two of them were sitting up by now, and Mrs. Weasley pulled Harry close; he'd never been held like this before. “I've spent most of yesterday and last night crying, and when it's time for you to cry I will be here for you.”
“Thanks,” Harry said quietly. “But I don't feel… ”
“When you do, Harry; when you do.”
“Please, Harry Potter, Sir,” one of the house elves in the back of the group spoke up – it was Winky, recognizable by the pink skirt she wore in her disgrace of having been set free. “Dobby has not come home for weeks and weeks. Are you knowing where he is?”
Ron and Hermione gasped – no one had told the house elves!
Harry tried to move his covers, which he was able to do as soon as Mrs. Weasley stood up and handed him his trousers and all the women in the room looked away so he could slip them on. He knelt as Winky approached, Hermione taking the tray from Winky and setting it on the bed.
“Please H
arry Potter, does you know where our Dobby has gone?”
“Winky, I am so sorry,” Harry began, but his voice chocked.
Winky's ears dropped sadly. “Is our Dobby not coming home, then?”
“No, Winky. He died saving seven of us from Voldemort. I'm so sorry.”
Winky tried very hard to be brave, and Harry saw in her face the pretended courage he himself was trying to show. He knelt all the way to the floor and took her in his arms as she began to wail, and he held her tight as she cried loudly.
“Told you my Master is a great Wizard,” Kreacher whispered to the other house elves. “He even cares for one who is shamed.”
—————
That afternoon, family members of those who gave their lives in defense of the school assembled in the Great Hall. The house elves were there to mourn for Dobby, many of them having earlier Apparated in turns to visit the quiet grave that a wizard had dug by hand to honor the brave house elf, ooh'ing and awe'ing that he even made the headstone exactly as Dobby would like to have been remembered. Some of the parents present were the first Muggles to have entered Hogwarts, and Acting Headmistress McGonagall went out of her way to make them feel welcome and secure.
“Mister Potter,” McGonagall called out as the doors to the hall closed and locked themselves so the meeting could be held in private, “Please come forward.” Harry stood and started towards her, and Ron and Hermione stood and walked with him.
“I'm sorry, I only called for Mister Potter.”
All three stopped, the looks on their faces and the way they took each other's elbows speaking far louder than words.
Harry Potter - Three Short Stories Page 4
