I looked at the slender, snakelike body, the red scales glittering in the sun. From the slender body protruded four scale-clad legs. The front legs were built for attack, as well as balancing, and four sharp looking white claws were necessary for that on each foot. The hind legs – although they did have claws, but only three – were built for standing on.
Above the front legs were large leathery wings, a cross between a birds and a bats.
At the end of a long neck – but not as long as a giraffe’s – was the head. It was shaped like a large version of a wolf’s head, but covered in scales, not fir.
Starting at the neck and going all the way down to the tail were triangle shaped spikes; them being bigger at the start.
But the thing that intrigued me most about this creature were its eyes. They were white with a black pupil that seemed to reflect everything around it. This fascinated me and I felt strangely peaceful as I stared into it.
This was, of course, a dragon.

Dragons were my obsession. I had always had a love of them as they fascinated me and my imagination. On my shelf were various books about dragons and books about how to draw dragons.
I was looking through the folder of pictures I had printed off the internet.
I turned to the next page. It was an Ice Dragon. It was built very similar to the dragon I had just looked at but it was coloured in pale blues and didn’t have scales down the spine.
These two dragons were my favourites at the moment. The first dragon was a Chinese Fireball, obviously a dragon of fire.
The Ice Dragon was the opposite. Coloured with pale blues, this dragon was of the ice and represented the dragons of the far north and far south.
But there was something that seemed to link the two together; something I couldn’t quite place, even though I had looked at the pictures so many times before.
“Lights out, Anilla!�
I turned out my light and slid under my covers, and closed my eyes.

I was flying. Flapping my leathery wings I soared over a sparkling blue lake. In the water I saw my reflection. I was a dragon; a Chinese Fireball. I reached the edge of the lake and looked out over the horizon. There was forest as far as I could see. There was no sign of civilization or humans anywhere. Not really knowing where I was going I went over to the top of a nearby cliff and landed.
I was here for a reason. That was all I knew. But I didn’t know the reason.
Off in the distance I saw another dragon coming towards me. Suddenly I understood.
I was meant to meet them here.

When I woke up in the morning I remembered my dream. I had had that same dream at least once a week for as long as I had lived here. But I had no idea what it meant.
Who was I meeting? Why was I meeting them there?
I got out of bed and went over to the line of dragon statues on my shelf. Each one was different, and I had given each one a name.
I picked up a green and silver dragon statue off my shelf and recalled its name; Draco, the Latin word for dragon. I know it’s not very original, but it was the first one I had. My other dragons have more original names, but my favourite has always been Draco, for more reasons than one.
I have a friend called Draco; Draco Malfoy. He lives in the manor house next door and goes to a boarding school heaps far away, but I see him every holiday when he comes home.
He’s strange, I’ll tell you that, but he’s also quite cute.
But there’s just something about him that makes me wonder. But I’m not about to insult him. He is probably the only one in the world who doesn’t tease me about my dragon obsession. He even talks about them as if he’s seen a dragon. I wish.

At the moment it is the beginning of the summer holidays, and mum and dad are taking me to meet Draco at King’s Cross later today. I can’t wait to see him again. I’ve got some cool new pictures to show him.
“Anilla, you ready to go?� mum called from down the hall.
“Yeah,� I called back, getting to my feet and going out to the front door.
“Your father and I won’t be able to take you today, but I’ve asked Narcissa and she’s agreed to take you to the station,� mum explained when I saw that she was clearly not ready to go.
“Okay,� I said
I went outside and followed the footpath to where the Malfoy’s car was parked on the side of the road. I waited by the car for about a minute and then saw Narcissa come out her house towards the car.
“Hello Anilla,� She greeted.
“Hi Mrs M,� I replied.
After Narcissa unlocked the door I got into the car and she drove us to King’s Cross Station.
On the way there I asked her why her husband Lucius wasn’t coming.
“He was detained at work,� Narcissa answered.
The rest of the trip was taken in silence and when we reached the station I quickly got out the car.
Draco’s train hadn’t arrived yet when I got there but soon enough children appeared on the platform and were being greeted by their families.

A couple meters away from where I was standing a big family was gathering. They all had red hair, except for a boy with black hair and glasses and a girl with very bushy brown hair. I just assumed that they were just friends of the red-headed kids.
Their parents didn’t look very well off because they were wearing pretty raggy, miss-matched clothes; but with all those kids, who’d blame them.
Then I saw Draco. When he looked over at the big family I saw him give them daggers, and get some in return, especially from the black haired boy, who was looking curiously over in my direction.

“Hi Draco, how was school?� I asked, giving him a hug.
“Fine,� he replied. “How was yours?�
“The usual,� I said. “Who’s that kid with the black hair and glasses, he doesn’t seem to like you very much?�
“Harry Potter. He thinks he’s so good, and that he’s so miss understood and better than the rest of us all because he’s an orphan. His parents died in a car crash when he was one,� Draco told me.
“Don’t you feel just a little bit sorry for him?� I asked, wondering why Draco really hated this boy when he had done nothing wrong.
“I did, until he started fighting me and bullying me at school.�
“When did that start?� I asked.
“First day, on the train there actually. Him and his little ‘gang’.�
With one last curious look over at the black haired boy, I turned around and followed Narcissa and Draco to their car.

Harry Potter looked curiously over at the girl standing with Malfoy’s mother. She was definitely not a witch. She looked over eleven, and if she was a witch she’d be at Hogwarts with her brother, right? But Malfoy didn’t have a sister.
Harry watched as the girl gave Malfoy a hug, and then glance curiously over in his direction before leaving the station.
Who was this girl? And if she was a Muggle, why was Malfoy hanging around her? Didn’t everything his dad did stand for go against wizards and Muggles being friends?

Stupid Potter and his friends Weasel and the Mudblood. Why do they always have to ruin everything? Now my dad’s in Azkaban. But not for long. The Dark Lord will break them out, and then seek revenge on Dumbledore’s precious Potter.
But what about Anilla? The Dark Lord is against Muggles, and Anilla is just that. But she knows something. She knows about dragons and everything about them. I can sense that there is something more to her … something magical even. I just don’t know.

During the summer holidays I spent alternate days at my house and then at Draco’s. It was easy to tell which house I liked better. Not only was the Malfoy’s house much bigger, there were always interesting objects lying around. Once I even found some frog’s brains (or something equally disgusting) in a jar on a cupboard in a back room while I was playing hide and seek with Draco. I even noticed that Draco had managed to train an eagle owl to take letters to people. When I asked him about it he said that it was a lot faster than sending it by snail mail. I had to agree with him there.
As the holidays progressed I noticed that Draco’s dad wasn’t around. I just assumed that he was at work, but when he didn’t come home for days on end I began to suspect that something wasn’t right, so I decided to confront Draco about it.

“Hey Draco,� I greeted one afternoon while lying on the front lawn reading one of my dragon books.
“Hey Anilla,� he said.
“Umm, where’s your dad been lately? And don’t tell me at work, cos I know that no one would spend that much time at work unless they were being paid a million dollars overtime.
He looked at me and hesitated, arguing inwardly about whether or not to tell me something.
Sitting down beside me on the grass, Draco dropped his gaze and told me about his dad.
“He’s in prison.�
I certainly wasn’t expecting that. I was thinking a fight between his parents, maybe; but jail?
“What? Why?� I asked.
“He was in with the wrong crowd, followed the wrong people,� Draco replied, with no emotion in his voice.
I really couldn’t see Lucius Malfoy as a follower, but if that’s what Draco was saying.
“Where is he being held, if you don’t mind me asking?�
Suddenly, Draco got really defensive, and he snapped at me. “It’s none of your business! I didn’t even have to tell you that he was in jail in the first place! Stop being so nosey and just drop it and leave me alone!�

With that, Draco got to his feet and stalked back to his house.
As I watched Draco walk back to his house I heard the pages of my book move as a non-existent breeze flipped them.
I looked down and saw a picture of a Hungarian Horntail. It was a vicious, lizard-like black dragon with long bronze coloured spikes protruding out the tail every few inches.
I had seen this picture a thousand times, but I saw something new; something I hadn’t noticed before. The dragon’s body was not pitch black; but a very dark green.
Why hadn’t I noticed this before? And what did it mean?
As I stared after Draco’s retreating body, I saw him reach into his pocket and pull out a thin wooden stick and spin it in his fingers. Then Narcissa shouted at him and pointed over in my direction. I dropped my gaze as Draco glanced over at me, but then looked back up as he put the stick away in his pocket.
Why wasn’t I supposed to see that stick? Was it really that important?
I decided I would confront Draco about it, and everything else that was bothering me about him. He just had way too many secrets from me, and I wanted to know what they were.

Draco watched Anilla from his bedroom window. She was becoming too inquisitive and suspicious. She was asking questions that Draco had never dreamed she would ask.
She had asked him what the ‘thin wooden stick’ was. Of course he didn’t tell her the truth. How could a Muggle understand a wizard?
It didn’t really matter now; he was going back to Hogwarts tomorrow, and she couldn’t go there. Back to Hogwarts; back to the ridicule of his fellow students; back to the torments of Potter and his gang. Back to the place where his name was truly disgraced; back to the one place he knew he had no true friends.
Draco realised something then, as he stared out his window to the girl lying on her front lawn.
He and Anilla were alone. All they had were each other; and their secrets.
There was no point in keeping it from her any longer…

I was lying on the front lawn reading about the Hungarian Horntail when a shadow was cast across the page. I looked up into the face of Draco Malfoy. But he looked strangely serious, and kind of nervous about talking to me. But I have to admit, I did ask some pretty weird questions the other day. I mean, I all but accused him of being a wizard and practicing dark magic.
Man did I feel stupid that night. Like magic is real.

“Hey, what’s up, you look like someone’s died?� I asked Draco.
“I need to tell you something, and I don’t know how to say it, so I decided to show you,� he replied, putting out his hand.
I took his hand and he helped me to my feet. He led me back to his house and to the door of his bedroom.
He took a deep breath. “Okay, before you go in you have to have a very open mind and be able to accept anything that I might say,� he told me.
“Okay,� I said, confused.
What could he say that would totally shock me? Unless he was some mass murderer or something equally unlikely then I don’t think I could be too surprised.
When he opened his door I don’t know what I was expecting, but it was definitely more than what I got. His room looked normal.
He had a bed on one side and a bookshelf with books on it, and his trunk was nearly packed for when he went back to school tomorrow.
“What am I meant to be looking at?� I asked, looking around the room.
“Here,� he said, giving me a thick envelope made of yellowish parchment.
The address was written in emerald green ink. On the back was a purple wax seal bearing a coat of arms; a lion, an eagle, a badger and a snake surrounding a large letter ‘H’.
I opened the envelope where Draco had already ripped it and read the letter inside.
The letterhead alone was enough to surprise me, let alone the rest of the letter.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,
Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. Of Wizards)

Dear Mr Malfoy,
This is just a letter reminding you that the Hogwarts Express will leave Platform 9 ¾ on September 25th at precisely eleven o’clock.
Enclosed in the envelope is the book list for your next year.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress

“What are you trying to tell me?� Anilla asked, completely confused by all that was going on. “Is this a joke, or are you being serious?�
“I’m trying to tell you that I … I’m a wizard. And I assure you, it’s no joke.�
“Harry Potter’s parents were killed by the Dark Lord, and my dad is one of his followers. He was caught by the Ministry of Magic last June and sent to Azkaban, the wizard prison. That’s why I couldn’t tell you. I only just decided now to tell you the truth.�
“Why now? Why not earlier?� I asked, trying to absorb the amount of new information I was being given.
“I only just realised that we are alike in so many different ways,� Draco replied.
I paused, trying to think of any. “How?�
“You have no true friends; I have no true friends. You are teased and rejected at school; I am teased and rejected at school. You have a connection with dragons; my name means dragon,� he replied.
I fell silent. It was all true.

“Listen, I want to show you something, but I can’t do that unless you come with me tomorrow,� Draco said.
“You mean to the station?� I asked, but I knew what he meant, I just didn’t want to believe it.
“No. I mean to my school. I know you’re only a Muggle, but there’s something about you that I don’t quite understand; something that I know will allow you to get onto the platform and see Hogwarts,� Draco answered.
“Muggle?�
“Non-magic person. To a Muggle, Hogwarts looks like a ruined castle, and a Muggle can’t get onto the platform; Platform 9 ¾.�
“So I can’t actually get to your school or see it?� I questioned skeptically.
�Normally, no. But there is something about you that is magical. I’ve felt it all the time while I’ve been around you, and it’s become stronger lately. You will be able to get there, and you will be able to see the castle,� Draco answered.
“And how am I going to get permission to go to your school? You know how my parents are, and how do you think they’ll react if I tell them about you?� I asked.
“Don’t tell them about me, just tell them that you’ve been invited by me for an open day or something. I don’t want to go to school because I’ve been disgraced and am not able to face anyone. I don’t have any true friends, and the friends I did have will have left me. I am just going to show you the thing that I want to and then I am going to run away.�
I was silent. There was nothing that I could say to what he had told me.
“Are you going to try? If not, maybe I can put a spell on them so that they will let you,� said Draco.

The way he said it scared me. I wanted to think he was joking, but he was being too serious. He was telling the truth, and would put a spell on my parents if they didn’t let me go. What would he do to me if I refused to go with him?
“Well? Are you going to ask whether you can go?� Draco persisted.
I nodded. “Yeah, I’ll ask them. But you have to promise me that if they say no you won’t put a spell on them.�
“I promise,� he said.
I had to trust him. There was no way else to do it.

“Okay, I’ll be right back,� I said, and left him in his room and ran all the way from his house back to mine.
Mum was in the kitchen making tea. “Ah, good timing Anilla, can you set the table for me,� Mum asked.
“Yeah, okay,� I said, trying my best to be polite and nice so I had a better chance of her saying that I could go with Draco.
While I was setting the table I decided to ask her.
“Mum, Draco’s school is having an open day tomorrow and he asked if I wanted to go and have a look,� I said.
Mum turned and looked at me. “Why has he only asked you now? He’s had all summer to.�
“Slipped his mind I expect,� I said. “Would I be allowed to go?�
“What would it involve?� Mum asked.
“I would catch the train with Draco tomorrow, stay the night at his school, be given a tour around the school and see how it works and all that, stay that night and then come home the next morning,� I said. “And I’d still have two days before my school started.�
Mum turned away and checked how the food was cooking before turning back.
Fearing the worst, I braced myself for her reply.
“Okay, you can go, but on one condition,� she said, but I didn’t hear what that condition was. I was so excited that I just agreed to what she said and ran out the house and back to Draco’s.
He was waiting in the entrance foyer for me.

“She said yes!� I called when I saw him.
“Great!� he replied.
“Is there anything that I need to bring with?� I asked.
“Clothes, and the dragon book that you were reading this afternoon,� he said.
“Cool. I can’t believe mum agreed to this! I can’t wait to go to your school, especially as it’s a magic school. I never, in a million years, would have thought there was such a thing! I’ve got to go home and pack! I can’t believe this is happening!� I rambled on.
“Great Anilla,� Draco said. “But don’t think that this is the weirdest thing that’s going to happen to you. Weirder things will happen to you, especially with what I’m going to show you.�
The rest of the night passed in a blur when I went home. Somewhere between leaving Draco’s and going to bed I had tea, had a shower and packed my bag.

When I lay down in my bed I was so excited I didn’t know if I would be able to go to sleep. I really couldn’t believe that Draco was a wizard, and I was going to his school tomorrow.
But what had he said about Muggles not being able to get onto the station, or being able to see the school? But I was a Muggle; a non-magic person. It didn’t make sense, but then again, Draco being a wizard didn’t make sense. Everything was happening so fast.
It was almost midnight when I drifted to sleep.

I was flying. Flapping my leathery wings I soared over a sparkling blue lake. In the water I saw my reflection. I was a dragon; a Chinese Fireball. I reached the edge of the lake and looked out over the horizon. There was forest as far as I could see. There was no sign of civilization or humans anywhere. Not really knowing where I was going I went over to the top of a nearby cliff and landed.
I was here for a reason. That was all I knew. But I didn’t know the reason.
Off in the distance I saw another dragon coming towards me. Suddenly I understood.
I was meant to meet them here.
As the dragon got closer I saw that it was a Hungarian Horntail with scales of a dark forest green. The dragon landed beside me, and I felt as though I knew them.
In my head I heard the words “Hello Anilla� echo around, as if someone else had placed them there. I knew that voice. I understood what they were saying.
“Hello Draco.�

When I woke up in the morning, nothing made much sense. Why did I meet Draco as a dragon in my dreams? What did it mean?
I got dressed and packed my pajamas into my suitcase. I went out into the kitchen and had breakfast and waited for Mum to get up.
Mum walked into the kitchen just before I was about to leave.
“See you Friday,� she said. “Good luck, and stay safe.�
“See you Friday,� I replied, and carried my suitcase over to Draco’s house.
He was waiting outside with Narcissa by the car. I put my suitcase in the boot and got into the back seat next to Draco.
On the way to the station I told Draco about my dream.
“Weird. I may be right in taking you to Hogwarts then, you’d fit right in; probably better than me,� he replied.
“What, you mean that everyone has weird dreams like this?� I asked.
“Well, stupid Potter does, and that’s what got my dad put in Azkaban,� he replied bitterly. “Perhaps Dumbledore knows something about it, not that I’m going to ask him, but you can if you want to.�
“What’s wrong with Dumbledore, and who is he?� I asked.
“The headmaster. “Let’s just say that he and Potter connect, which means whoever isn’t with Potter is second best or not worth his time.�
For the rest of the drive to the station Draco explained to me about all of his teachers, especially his favourite teacher, Severus Snape. He did sound a bit biast towards his house, but that was to be expected. What house teacher wouldn’t favour their own students to a degree?
We reached King’s Cross at quarter to eleven and I put my suitcase on Draco’s trolley.
“How do we get to Platform 9 ¾?� I asked, looking curiously around the station.
“Just follow me. In fact, hold onto the trolley with me,� he answered.
Draco wheeled the trolley towards the barrier between platform 9 and 10.
I closed my eyes, waiting for the impact, as we reached the barrier, but it never came. When I opened my eyes again I was on a busy platform with a scarlet engine just about ready to go.
I kept looking around me as Draco led me to the train and to an empty compartment near the back.
“Doesn’t anyone check your tickets?� I asked nervously as I got onto the train after him.
“No, don’t worry about it, you’ll be fine,� Draco assured me.
I put my suitcase in the rack overhead with Draco’s and sat down on the seat opposite him.
I got more and more nervous while I sat in silence, waiting for the train to leave, listening to the people laughing and chatting as they walked past out door.
Suddenly the compartment door slid open and the black haired boy called Harry Potter walked in with the red headed boy from the big family.
Draco stood up immediately, a sneer coming across his face.
Harry looked different up close. He had a lightning bolt scar across his face and the most stunning green eyes I had ever seen. He was just so different to Draco, and not how Draco had described him.
“What are you doing here, Potter?� sneered Draco.
“Hmm, I wonder,� said Harry sarcastically. “I wouldn’t be going to school would I?�
Then Harry and the red headed boy noticed me, even though I was just sitting silently trying not to attract any attention.
“Who’re you?� Harry asked me. “I haven’t seen you around. You’re not in Slytherin are you?�
“That’s none of your business,� snapped Draco.
“It’s okay,� I said to Draco, standing up. “I’m Anilla Nation, and no, I’m not in Slytherin.�
“I’m Harry Potter, and this is Ron Weasley,� he said, introducing his friend. “So, what are you doing with Malfoy if you’re not in Slytherin?�
“What is it with all this inter-house rivalry? If you ask me, all houses should divide is the dorms and the sports teams, not your friends,� I said.
“Let me just say that Malfoy isn’t the nicest person to be with, so I was just wondering,� said Harry.
“Well, from what I’ve heard, you’re not a very nice person yourself,� I said coolly, not at all perturbed by the fact that he was a wizard and could probably curse me to death. But that little detail seemed to slip my mind as I talked to him.
But Harry didn’t seem to react to the comment, which I found quite strange, considering what Draco had told me.
“So what school are you from transferring from?� the red headed boy Ron asked. “You sound as though you’re from around here.�

I glanced nervously over at Draco. What was I meant to say? I didn’t belong here. I wasn’t magical, yet, I was allowed onto the platform. None of this made sense. I shouldn’t have come. I shouldn’t have agreed to this.
“It’s none of your business where she’s from,� snapped Draco, covering for me.
I shot Draco a thank-you look and then turned back to Harry and Ron.
“Well, if that’s all you want to know, I guess you can go now,� I said.
The two boys turned, but they hesitated at the door. Harry turned and looked at me again.
“Malfoy, if she’s a witch she’ll know this. Who killed my parents?�

Crap! How was I meant to get out of this? Wait … what had Draco told me? I racked my brain for the information he had said, but he never mentioned the murderer’s name. When I looked up at Harry and Ron I could see a slight arrogant smirk on Harry’s face. It was over, I had waited too long to answer. Even Draco couldn’t get me out of this one now. Suddenly, a voice in my head piped up and I heard an unfamiliar name being said. Seeing as I had nothing to lose, I decided it was worth a try.

“Voldemort,� I said, trying to cover my unsureness.

Both Draco and Ron flinched at the sound of the name. All Harry did was look at me strangely.
“You said his name?� Harry said.
“Yeah, so?� I retorted, wondering why that was such a big deal.

Still not looking totally sure Harry and Ron left, and I relaxed.
“That went well,� said Draco, sitting down. “But you nearly got busted. How did you know the name of the person who killed his parents; I never told you.�
I shrugged. “I just knew. The name just appeared in my mind. I had no idea it was right, but I had nothing to lose, so I said it,� I answered. “What’s the big deal about saying Voldemort’s name anyway? I noticed that you and that Ron kid flinched, and Harry seemed to think it was something.�

“People, I guess, are just scared of the name. Potter is one of the few who say his name. Everyone else just calls him You-Know-Who. But he was the most powerful and evilest wizard in a century,� Draco explained.

We sat the rest of the trip in silence and I looked out of the window as it got darker. Then I saw the most magical and beautiful sight of my life. A huge castle loomed up ahead, and it was brilliantly lit with lights, and above the castle, the near full moon added to the atmosphere.

“That’s it,� said Draco. “That’s Hogwarts.�
It was as if I was in a dream. But the real question of my coming had been answered. I could see the castle; I could see Hogwarts.

“I can see it; I can see the castle,� Anilla said excitedly.
Draco was amazed. How could all this be happening? Anilla was a Muggle, yet she could get onto the platform, she knew the name of the Dark Lord, and she could see Hogwarts. Why wasn’t she given a letter when she was eleven? Why wasn’t she recognised as a witch? There was something about this girl that threw Draco off. He didn’t normally make friends with Muggles, and she was the only friend he had outside of Hogwarts. Yet she was different. There was something magical about her; he could feel the presence of magic around her. Why hadn’t anyone else picked up on it? And what was the connection that she had with the magical world?

When the train stopped at, as Draco told me, Hogsmeade Station I waited with Draco so we were the last ones off. When I saw the mass of students that attended the school, and what they were wearing, I felt very out of place, even though I was wearing some black robes that Draco had given me. He had changed into his robes on the train as well, and it was weird not seeing him in – as he calls them – Muggle clothes. His robes were different to mine as well. While mine were plain black, his had a crest of a silver serpent wrapped around the green letter ‘S’ on them. I had a cloak fastened around my neck and had the hood pulled up as I carried my suitcase off the train.

“Not what?� I asked Draco as I stepped onto the station platform.
“I’ll take you up to Hogwarts,� he started, and then saw that I had my bag. “Oh damn, your bag. “Okay, um, wait here.�

Draco disappeared from my side and went back onto the train. He returned a minute later with his bag in his hand. “Listen, follow me, and don’t make eye contact with anyone,� said Draco, and I followed him across the platform towards the exit.

From where he was standing, Harry Potter watched Malfoy and the girl Anilla hurry across the platform towards the exit, not where they were meant to go. They had their bags in their hands and Anilla had her hood pulled up. There was something about Anilla that Harry couldn’t quite place. He hadn’t seen her around the school in any of his five years there, and she and Malfoy seemed edgy and nervous when he started asking her question. But why would someone from another house be good friend with a Slytherin? And why weren’t they heading up to the school with the rest of the students? There was also something else that lingered on his mind: her answer to his question; Voldemort. She said his name. Who was this girl that had suddenly appeared into his life? With one last glance over at the strange pair Harry climbed into a Thestral drawn carriage and headed up to the castle.

Draco led Anilla away from the masses of students that were heading up to the school. He knew that it wouldn’t be safe to take her there. But someone would notice if he were missing, wouldn’t they? Doubtful, he thought, why would anyone miss me? But Potter knew he was here, and he knew Anilla was here. Damn him! Draco glanced around as he headed away from the train and saw Potter get into a carriage. Hopefully Potter wouldn’t go to see Dumbledore until tomorrow at the earliest. At least they would have a head start, and Draco knew where they were going. Potter and Dumbledore would have to rely on guesses, and they would not be able to guess where he was taking Anilla. Why did he have to come into their compartment? It would’ve all been easier without that. The scarlet engine of the Hogwarts Express was soon out of sight as Draco led Anilla into the village of Hogsmeade.

My first impression of Hogsmeade was a movie set. I thought I had walked into the middle of a movie set, and we were the actors. The buildings looked as though they were at least a few hundred years old, but they were so well kept that they appeared new. Shops lined each side of the street and the first one we passed had a big sign out the front with “Honeydukes� on it. I had a quick glance in the window and I saw that it was a lolly shop. Unfortunately, it was closed, but I doubt Draco would’ve noticed if I went inside or not. He seemed too preoccupied with finding where to go.

“Where are we going?� I asked Draco, craning my neck to look at all of the shops that we passed.
“The Three Broomsticks,� he answered. “It’s a pub further up, I’ve heard that you can stay there the night.�
I looked at him with raised eyebrows. He didn’t even have a place worked out where we could stay? This was not good.
“It’s a good place,� he assured me. “The bar tender, Madam Rosmerta, will be especially nice to you if you tell her that you were kicked out of home or something. She’s that kind of person.�

I was beginning to have second thoughts about being with Draco. We had no definite place to stay the night, and if we wanted to stay at the pub I’d have to lie and say I was kicked out of home? I was liking this less and less.

The pub was nicer than I expected, although I guessed we came during a busy time. It was extremely crowded, noisy, warm and smoky. A curvy woman with a pretty face was at the bar serving what looked like a group of warlocks.

“That’s Madam Rosmerta,� said Draco, pointing at the lady behind the bar. “Just follow my lead.�
Draco walked with me up to the bar and waited for Madam Rosmerta to be free.

“How can I help you two?� she asked, her voice sounding flustered.
“We need a place to stay the night,� Draco said in his most polite voice.
Madam Rosmerta took a closer look at us. I was nervous and showed it, but Draco looked as calm as ever.
“You’re Lucius Malfoy’s kid, aren’t you?� Rosmerta asked Draco.
“Unfortunately,� said Draco.

I had never heard Draco talk about his dad like that before.

“And who’s this with you?�
“Anilla Nation, ma’am,� I said. “Please let us stay here. If we can’t, them we’ll have to sleep on the street.�
Rosmerta thought about it for all of four or five seconds before saying yes. “I’ll show you to a room after the rush; for now just sit down at a table. Would you like anything to drink?�

Draco ordered two Butterbeers and we went over to the only empty table left in the entire pub. The reason Madam Rosmerta had agreed so quickly was because of the line that was beginning to form behind the bar.

“So, is Butterbeer any good?� I asked, looked nervously at the tankard in front of me.
“It’s the best,� said Draco, taking a sip.
I drank deeply. It was the most delicious thing I’d ever tasted and seemed to heat every bit of me from the inside, and calmed my nerves. If this was some form of magic potion, or whatever, it was good; maybe magic wasn’t so bad after all!
“Good, isn’t it?� smiled Draco.
“The best,� I said, finally smiling myself.

For the first time all day I wasn’t at all nervous. I guess I had to trust Draco that he knew what he was doing. At least we had a place to stay tonight.

A/N: sorry about the delay getting this posted. Christmas can't be helped! :)

It was about midnight before the pub was empty enough for Madam Rosmerta to leave the bar unattended while she led us to a room where we would stay. She led us to room behind the bar with two beds and a small adjoining bathroom.

“I hope this will be adequate,� she said.
“It’s perfect,� said Draco, looking around at the room. “Do we own you anything?�
Madam Rosmerta smiled warmly at us. “No, just don’t leave the place in a mess, that’s all I ask. Are you leaving in the morning, or staying another night?�
“We’ll be leaving in the morning,� I said, hoping that was right.

While Madam Rosmerta made sure everything was alright, she asked Draco, “Is there a reason that you two aren’t up at the school? I don’t mean to be rude, but didn’t the Hogwarts Express come in today?�

“I don’t go to Hogwarts,� I said, helping Draco out of the situation. “Draco’s just showing me around because I’m trying to get to…� I faltered, I had no idea what I was saying.
“Get to where, dear?� Rosmerta asked.
I looked down at my feet, there was no way I could get out of the hole I’d dug myself into.
“That’s none of your business,� said Draco.
Rosmerta gave Draco a stern look before bidding us goodnight and leaving the room.

I sat down on one of the beds and dropped my suitcase next to it. How could I be so stupid? I had no idea what I was doing, and no idea where we were going. Why did I open my mouth?

“What did you think you were doing?� Draco asked angrily. “We almost lost our cover. She’s bound to go to Dumbledore now, and I’ll never get to show you what I want to.�
“What is that?� I asked, my temper rising. “You haven’t told me anything. I don’t know what you’re going to show me. I don’t know where you’re taking me. For all I know you could have me under a spell.�

Draco pulled out a thin stick from the pocket of his robes and pointed it at me. “My wand,� he said. “You’ll have to trust me. You will like what I’m showing you, and you’d know if you were under a spell.�
I stood up and backed away from Draco. He looked menacing with his wand pointed at me an angry expression on his face.

Draco looked at what he was doing, and it hit him suddenly. Why was he doing that? Why had he lost his temper so easily? Anilla was close enough to a Muggle, and she didn’t understand the real concept of magic. She didn’t know what it was like to be under a spell, to be attacked by a spell, to be hit by a spell, to be wounded by a spell. He dropped his wand and it fell to the floor, rising dust from the old floorboards. Anilla quickly bent down and picked it up, examining the thin stick with a mixture of wonder and curiosity on her face.

As he stared at her he began to have second thoughts about bringing her here. She didn’t belong in the magical world. But he couldn’t shake that feeling about her; the magical force that she had around her. He watched Anilla as she waved the wand and recited the magic words that the Muggles knew: “Abracadabra.� Nothing happened. She knew very little about the magical world, but she didn’t seem too out of place.

Sitting down on his bed, Draco waited for the right moment to ask Anilla a question that he had wanted to ask her ever since he told her about being a wizard. After a few more failed attempts at trying do cast a spell, Anilla handed the wand back, feeling pessimistic about her friends claims at wizardry. Draco knew it was time to show her it was all real. “Do you want to see some real magic?�

When I picked up the wand I had expected it to feel different. But it just felt like an ordinary stick. Even when I tried saying Abracadabra it didn’t work. I tried a few other spells that I had heard of, but when they didn’t work I gave the wand back to Draco. I had lost hope in my friend. As if magic was real. I had been conned and felt stupid for letting myself get drawn into coming. There wasn’t any way of getting home.

Just then, Draco asked if I wanted to see some “real magic�. Of course I agreed. I wanted to see if what he had told me was real; if what I had come along for really existed.

“Turn out the lights,� said Draco, and I obeyed. When the lights were out, the room was pitch black, and I could see only by the small ray of moonlight that crept in through the dusty window. “Lumos,� said Draco, and the end of his wand lit up. Little did I know, this was the beginning to a life changing night.

I stared open mouthed as Draco performed spell after spell. From making objects hover around the room to creating fireworks and lights that flashed around me. At first I wasn’t convinced it was real magic, but when Draco started using spells that destroyed things, or made them change form, I was amazed. Then he asked me if I would mind having a spell placed on me.

I was unsure at first, but Draco assured me that it would be fine, and he would remove it almost instantly. Nervously, I nodded my head, agreeing to the idea.

Draco had watched his dad perform this spell countless times, although he had never tried it properly himself. But there was something that he wanted to know about Anilla, and if this worked then he would find it out. She would be too weak and inexperienced to block the spell or stop it by herself. It would mean betraying her privacy, but there was something he had to do to find out what he wanted.

“Legilimens.�

I wasn’t ready for the spell that Draco put on me. The room swam in front of my eyes and vanished; image after was racing through my mind like a flickering film so vivid it blinded me to my surroundings.

It was my first day of high school; the day I found that I didn’t fit in at all. I sat by myself at break times, and during class … I was hiding behind the gym from the bullies that taunted me during school … the day I first met Draco Malfoy … I was lying on the front lawn reading and the pages flipped open to the Hungarian Horntail … I was suddenly flying over a crystal clear lake, the reflection of a Chinese Fireball in the water … I was waiting on the cliff top and I saw the dark scales of the Hungarian Horntail as he landed next to me…“Hello Draco…�

I fell to my knees as the images disappeared and I could see the room again. “What did you do?� I asked Draco, feeling vunerable and scared. He had hacked into my thoughts, and my dream. But Draco didn’t answer me, he was sitting on his bed.

It worked, Draco thought, sitting down on his bed. The memories that he had seen from Anilla’s mind still playing over in his. The first few that he had seen didn’t interest him at all, but the last few did. They were about dragons. But the thing that had interested and confused him the most was the word that she had spoken at the end; his name. Why did she say his name? What was that all about?

Without saying more than goodnight to each other, Draco lay down on his bed, not answering the question that Anilla had asked him. He had a lot more on his mind, and the thing that he wanted to show her was becoming more and important.

A/N: Don't condem what i've done just yet; there is a reason with what i've done. i am going somewhere with all this.

I felt weak when Draco lifted the spell, and confused. I had no idea what he had done to me; and he didn’t answer my question when I asked him. He just lay down on his bed, turned away from me. My memories had just appeared in the middle of the room for him to see, and I felt my privacy being invaded. He had also seen my dream that I had dreamed so often, and I could see the thoughts as they appeared in his mind: he wanted to know why I had said his name.

I wanted answers, and Draco wasn’t giving them to me, so I went over to him and took the wand that lay in his hand. He didn’t stir as I took the wand, and his eyes were closed, but he wasn’t sleeping, something told me he wasn’t.

I decided to try the spell that Draco had cast on me. It brought back memories, and maybe I would find out what he was thinking by looking into his past. He had invaded my privacy so I was going to invade his. Nervously, I raised the wand and pointed it at Draco. With slight hesitation and obvious doubt in my voice I recited the word that Draco had used, “Legilimens.�

Draco was caught unaware by Anilla’s spell. He certainly wasn’t expecting it to work, which is why he hadn’t stirred when she had taken his wand. Anilla had never done magic before, so he was surprised when he saw the room swim in front of his eyes and then vanish and memories appear in front of him.

When memories from Draco’s past began to fill the room I felt energy being drawn out of my body, and I could feel myself weakening, but I kept up the connection, not knowing how to break it. When the initial shock of the spell working wore off I began to concentrate more on the memories and images that filled the space between Draco and me.

Draco was a young child, maybe seven or eight, and his dad, Lucius Malfoy, had a man, a woman and a small girl chained up in a dark room … Draco’s first day of Hogwarts … the Sorting Ceremony … Draco being tormented by Harry Potter and two others; a red-headed boy and a busy haired girl … Draco being teased by fellow classmates because he dad was taken to Azkaban, the prison … Draco being threatened at wand-point as his dad forced him to attack the small girl chained up in the dark room … A tall creature wearing black robes and a hood pulled up so you couldn’t see its face towered above a Draco, a decayed, scabbed hand protruding from one of the sleeves draining all happiness from him, bringing back memories of abuse, torture and death…

Suddenly the connection was broken. Draco stood up, his temper flaring. “Don’t do that again,� he said aggressively. Wondering how Draco had broken the connection I threw the wand back to him and collapsed onto my bed, unable to speak because of the energy that had been drained out of my body. But there was something similar to all of the memories that I had just seen; they were all bad.

Draco watched the memories appear before his eyes. He was confused about how Anilla had been able to cast the spell, as it was quite advanced and she had never done magic before. As the memories got steadily worse he began to feel ashamed of his past, and the pain that his father had put him through. He stood up, trying to block the memories and force Anilla out of his mind. She was inexperienced and didn’t know how to stop him. As his anger increased he felt the connection waver, and suddenly break. Anilla threw my wand back and it fell to the floor before she collapsed onto her bed.

She wasn’t meant to do magic, and it had drained the energy from her. Carefully, Draco pulled Anilla up to a comfortable position on her bed and placed a blanket over her. Then he went over to his own bed and lay down so that he faced her, his wand lying on the floor where it had fallen. He watched her face and wondered about everything this girl was and had done. She had the feel of magic, and she had just performed the Legilimency Charm, which was highly advanced, as her first spell.

He had always thought there was something different about this girl, but his dad had never approved of her, as she was a Muggle; but all that changed when his dad began working all the time. She approached him one day during the summer holidays and, although he resented her at first, she persisted and he got to know Anilla better. In the two years that his dad wasn’t around to stop him, Draco became good friends with her, and realized that maybe she wasn’t all that she appeared to be. With Anilla’s face the last thing he saw, Draco drifted to sleep.

When I woke up in the morning I had a throbbing headache and still felt a little weak. When I glanced over at the bed next to mine I saw that Draco was still sleeping, his pale face looking calm and there was a slight smile; something I hadn’t seen on him in a long time. I sat up and rubbed my eyes as the images from last night flooded my mind.

There was Draco, performing lots of different spells, and then he cast one on me. My temper rose as I thought of what Draco had seen using the spell. He had invaded my privacy, and delved into my thoughts and memories.

And then I had cast a spell on him.

The spell had worked, and I saw thoughts and memories that I doubt he wanted anyone to see. But there were things there from Draco’s past that I never would’ve figured out by myself. The thing that I fond most disturbing was the way his dad acted. I had never really talked to Lucius Malfoy, but from the things that I had seen from Draco’s mind were particularly alarming. I had never really thought of Lucius as a violent or abusive man, but the images from Draco’s’ mind said otherwise.

My train of thought wandered from Lucius Malfoy to his son; Draco, and then what had happened when the spell was removed. I didn’t remember what had happened, and no matter how hard I tried, I didn’t remember removing the spell, or going to bed. I looked back over at Draco, who was beginning to stir out of sleep into consciousness. When he opened his eyes he gave me a weak smile and said “Good morning.�

I decided to get straight to the point, and straight out asked him, “What happened last night?�

Bloody Anilla, thought Draco. He’d been awake for all of three seconds when she had asked him about last night. What was he supposed to say? ‘Oh, you just cast a complicated spell on me – and you haven’t done magic before – and you saw some of the most private and humiliating things from my past. You fainted from the energy that was drained from you while performing the spell and then I tucked you into bed.’ That really didn’t seem like an appropriate answer, and the more he thought about it, the more he realized that there was no answer. Nothing could explain what had happened last night. After a long silence, he replied lamely with, “I don’t know.�

I couldn’t believe Draco’s answer. What kind of a reply was ‘I don’t know’! After all we’d been through; after all I’d been through! He was obliged to give me a proper answer. My temper flared at the non committal reply and I went off at Draco.

“What kind of an answer is that?! I deserve a proper answer after what I’ve been through! I have trusted you and followed you where you led me, not knowing if this was just some kind of elaborate hoax or not!� Draco just stared at me, not knowing what to say. “Answer me, dammit! Answer me before I just get the hell out of here!�

Draco just sat, stunned by Anilla’s rave. But he tried to not show how burned he felt by her words. They were all true. She did deserve the answers that she asked for, but he didn’t know how to tell her them. There was no easy way to put what he wanted to tell her. But first he needed her to calm down. “Don’t leave,� he said carefully. “Just hear me out.�

Hear him out?! That was the last thing that I wanted to do. I didn’t need to hear any of his pathetic excuses for having brought me here. I didn’t want to listen unless he was giving me the answers I had asked for. “What if I don’t want to hear you out?� I asked mockingly. “I just want to know what happened last night, and why you brought me here; nothing else.�

Draco considered what Anilla had just said. He wanted to give her the answers that she longed for, but she needed to calm down. He thought about putting a calming spell on her, but that was quickly pushed away by the fact that he couldn’t reach his wand. It was still lying on the floor where Anilla had dropped it last night. He could’ve picked it up last night, but he didn’t. Feeling stupid because of the little mistake he had made, Draco had to think of another way to calm Anilla. “Ok,� he said, taking a deep breath. “I’ll tell you what you want to know, but first you have to calm down.�

When Draco said that he was going to give me the answer that I wanted, I suddenly calmed down. I very much doubt it was because he had told me to, but because I was finally going to find out why he had brought me here, and the truth about last night.

“Ok, there is no easy way to say what I am going to tell you, so I’ll get straight to the point. What you did last night was very unusual. Magic takes years of practice, and the spell that you cast was above and beyond the level of ninety nine per cent of the wizarding world, and you’ve never done magic before; that’s why I was so unprepared when it worked.�

Draco paused, letting his words sink into my mind, before continuing. “Do not repeat what you saw to anyone. They are things that I do not want people to know. Last night, while you were using the spell, it drained the energy form your body, and because you’d never done magic before, you fainted when I broke the connection.�

Draco paused again. Now it was time for him to tell her why he had brought her here. This was something that was easier to show than explain, and he was greatly relieved when there was a knock on the door to their room.

Madam Rosmerta came in to see how they were going, and ask if they were going to be staying another night.

“No, we’ll be leaving straight after we’ve had breakfast,� said Draco.
“Thanks for letting us stay here,� I said, genuinely grateful for her hospitality.
“You were no trouble, m’dears,� said Rosmerta. “If that’s all then I’ll be out at the bar if you want anything.�

Rosmerta left the room and I turned to Draco for the answer that he was going to tell me, but he had already stood up and had turned his Hogwarts uniform into jeans and a brown t-shirt. “C’mon, we’d better have something to eat if we’re gonna go,� he said.

No way. We weren’t leaving until I had gotten my answer. “No,� I said defiantly. “I’m not going until I get the answer I deserve.�

Draco knew that he had to say something, so he gave her the answer. “Romania.�

A/N: All the dragons mentioned are in the HP GoF. I did not make them up.


Romania? Why were we going to Romania? That wasn’t the type of answer I was expecting at all. Maybe he was lying; just telling me somewhere so we could go. There was no way we could get to Romania in a day. I had to be back home tomorrow. “How are we meant to get there?� I asked, trying to get him to admit that he was lying and tell me the real answer.

But Draco didn’t seem surprised by my question at all. He just picked up his wand off the floor and said, “The Portal Charm.�

I didn’t say anything. I couldn’t. The Portal Charm? So he was telling the truth; we were going to Romania. Millions of questions and thoughts ran through my mind and I could feel my headache coming back as I tried to concentrate on all of them. “Why are we going to Romania?�

“You’ll see,� was all he said as he waved his wand in a complicated form and said the magic word; the incantation: “Portalius.�

There was a flash of bright white light and an oval shaped portal appeared in front of me. Inside the portal was a fluttering image of an entrance to what looked like some kind of zoo. While I was trying to work out what was going on, Draco grabbed my hand and pushed me through the portal. For a split second I felt as though I was no where; as though everything didn’t exist.

Draco was glad when the portal worked. It was a spell that he had found one day while searching through an advanced charms book at home. It had taken him the good part of the term before Christmas last year to get it right. He knew there could be severe consequences if the spell wasn’t performed in exactly the right way, and he was glad Anilla didn’t know this, or else she never would’ve gone through. But he was still slightly annoyed with Anilla’s hesitation. She thought too much about what was going on instead of just trusting and following him. But he had to admit, she did have the right to doubt him after what he had done to her last night. He had to grab her hand and drag her through the portal to make her come. He knew the portal would only stay open for thirty seconds so he had to make her hurry. By the time he had pushed her through he knew there wasn’t enough time to get their bags so he just left them there. They could easily go back and get them at the end of the day.

Once on the other side of the portal I instinctively turned to see if the portal was there so I could go back; but it wasn’t. I looked around, wondering what the other people thought of two teenage children appearing out of thin air. But no one seemed to have noticed us.

I looked up at the entrance I had seen in the portal, and was surprised by the big bold letters on the arc above the walkway. Romania Dragon Enclosure, founded 1710.

A dragon enclosure? But dragons weren’t real, were they? In my dreams I had always thought of being with dragons, flying with them, petting them. I never ever thought that I would have a chance to do that.

Then more questions began to fill my mind again. Why did Draco bring me here? Why did he come here instead of going to school? Why didn’t he tell me we were going to a dragon enclosure?

I followed Draco through to the entrance and a kind lady with numerous burns on her hands greeted us. She warned us of the dragons’ temperamental state and that we entered at our own risk. When Draco handed her a handful of silver coins she gave us a map and said with a smile, “Have a good day.�

We went inside the enclosure and I was surprised at how big this place was. It seemed to stretch for miles and miles in all directions. In the distance, directly in front of me, I saw a spurt of fire and the unmistakable roar of a dragon.

Draco had been looking at the map that the lady had given us. “C’mon, this way,� he said, and I followed him along the stone paths.
“Where are we going?� I asked, but I wasn’t too hopeful about getting an answer. And I was right not to be too expecting; he didn’t answer me.

We walked past a dragon that was pale blue that I recognised instantly from the book I had at home: it was an Ice Dragon. But I didn’t have much time to have a proper look at it because Draco didn’t stop, and he wouldn’t listen when I asked him to.

I stared in wonder at the various dragons that we passed and the size of their enclosure, but Draco seemed to be on a mission to show me one particular dragon, as he didn’t slow down to let me have a look at any of the dragons that we passed. But I did recognise a few of them from my books at home; the Common Welsh Green, a Hebridean Black and a Swedish Short Snout.

One thing I noticed was that none of the enclosures had a fence to keep the dragons in, so they could just fly off whenever they liked. I hoped that whatever Draco was going to show me was there.

I was getting slightly puffed as I tried to keep up with Draco’s swift pace, and I didn’t ask him any more questions about where we were going. It was too hard to breathe and talk at the same time. After what seemed like a marathon walk, Draco slowed down and we finally came to a stop in front of an enormous enclosure of hills and cliffs and a crystal clear lake. On top of the cliff was a large dragon coloured the darkest green.

I didn’t need to large sign proclaiming the dragon’s name to know what this was. It was a Hungarian Horntail.


A/N: I'm getting very close to the end, i hope you guys like it!

I stared, transfixed, at the scaly body of the Hungarian Horntail. It looked exactly as it had in my dream. It was as if it was the same dragon. While I stared up at the dragon it turned its head and made eye contact with me. I was unable to move because of the power that the dragon had over me.

Draco watched Anilla with anticipation. This was what he wanted to show her. This is what he had taken her to see. This was why he had told her about being a wizard. This was why he had introduced her to the magical world. This was why he had kept it a secret for so long. The expression of awe, wonder and happiness on her face was worth all the trouble that he had gone through. He watched her as she stared at the dragon – the Hungarian Horntail – and then the dragon turned to her and gazed directly into her eyes. Anilla returned the dragon’s gaze, unblinking, unaware of what was going on around her.

Suddenly, she walked over to the barrier that separated the people from the dragons and began to climb over. “Anilla! What do you think you’re doing?!� Draco called out to her.

I was in some kind of trance. I was unable to look away from the Hungarian Horntail’s eye. It captivated me, and in my mind images from my dream overtook my thinking.

I was on top of the cliff, the dragon had just landed next to me. “Hello Draco,� I said in my mind. The dragon greeted me back using my name, “Hello Anilla.�

I walked forward and began to climb the barrier between the walkway and the dragon enclosure. In the back of my mind, I heard a distant voice calling for me to stop. I ignored the voice. It just didn’t seem right not to climb the barrier. I had to see the dragon up close.

“Anilla! Get back down! Someone stop her!� Draco called, watching his friend reach the top of the seven-foot fence. Draco didn’t know what to do apart from yell for help. If she didn’t listen to him, though, how were other people going to get her down?

Once at the top of the fence I climbed down a little way and then jumped down onto the soft green grass. I was so close to the Hungarian Horntail now. I was drawn closer by the gaze of the dragon’s eye and pretty soon I was close enough to pet the hard scales on the legs.

Just then the ground shook slightly as another dragon landed right next to me, blocking my way back to the barrier. This dragon was a fiery red; the Chinese Fireball – the dragon I had been in my dream.

As I looked away from the Horntail I felt the connection break, and I could suddenly think clearly again. I took my position and realised how impossible it would be to get back to Draco. Draco! He was calling out, but I couldn’t hear what he was saying. His cries sounded frantic but they were quickly put, once again, to the back of my mind as the Chinese Fireball bent down, offering for me to climb on.

Not worrying about anything, I climbed onto the back of the dragon and held on tightly to one of the spikes down it’s back. As the big leathery wings either side of me were flapped a few times I was suddenly in the air.

Draco watched Anilla approach the Hungarian Horntail. “Anilla!� he called out, but she seemed not to hear him. Just then, the Chinese Fireball that had been hovering overhead landed between Anilla and the barrier. He watched, full of worry, as the Fireball bent down and Anilla climbed on its back. “NO!� he called out. This was all his fault. He had brought her here, he was the one who had shown her all of this. If she fell off while in the air … he didn’t want to think about it. He would never be able to explain it to her parents, or his, really.

I was flying. I watched the leathery wings either side of me as I soared over a sparkling blue lake. I looked down at the reflection in the water. It looked as though I was a dragon; a Chinese Fireball, not just riding one. I reached the edge of the lake and looked out over the horizon. I didn’t look back to where I had left Draco. There was forest as far as I could see. There was no sign of civilization or humans anywhere. I knew where I was going now. The Chinese Fireball went over to the cliff and landed.
I was here for a reason. That was all I knew. But I still didn’t know the reason.
Off in the distance I saw another dragon coming towards me. I watched as the Hungarian Horntail flew after us. I was meant to meet him here.
The dragon landed beside me, and I felt as though I knew them, even though I had just met the dragon. But we had this connection that I couldn’t explain.
In my head I heard the words “Hello Anilla� echo around, as if someone else had placed them there. I knew that voice. I understood what they were saying.
“Hello Draco,� I replied, knowing that it was the dragon’s name. “Why am I here?�

The Chinese Fireball bent down and let me slide off before flying away. I stood next to the towering Hungarian Horntail, not looking it in the eye; just standing beside it looking out across the lake at the shrinking form of the Chinese Fireball. I didn’t feel frightened, or afraid, being alone with the dragon. I felt calm, and peaceful, and safe. When I could no longer see the Fireball, I asked the Horntail again why I was here.

“You are one of us,� the dragon replied, his words echoing in my mind.
“How?� I asked, not having any idea at all what was meant by his answer. How could I be one of them? They were dragons; I was human, perhaps even – as Draco called them – a Muggle.

“Don’t you wonder why you can talk to us, why you are not afraid of us, why you are fascinated by us so much?�

This made me think. I didn’t know how I could talk to this dragon. I didn’t know why I wasn’t afraid. I didn’t know why dragons fascinated me so much. “Why?�

“You are our Eternal Soul. You are our link to the human world. You are the only one who can protect us, and save us from harm.�
“Why me?� I asked. “Why am I so special?�
“You are one of us,� was the reply.
Again, my question was the same as before. “How?�

“You were one of us once, but you were killed seventeen years ago. Now you have come in human form to protect us and be our link to the human world.�

I was one of them? I was a dragon? What did all of this mean? Was I a dragon in a past life? But I didn’t even believe in reincarnation, how was this all possible? And why was this dragon named the same as my friend?

As if he had read my thoughts, the dragon answered. “You gave me my name. I was born to your sister, but she was killed before I had hatched, so you named me.�

I named him? Draco … the name had always meant something to me. Maybe that was why I had persisted with Draco so much; it was a special name from my past, although I didn’t know it. I had begun to accept what this dragon was telling me. I had accepted that I was a dragon, and that I had a special connection to them. But why?

I sat down where I stood and looked out over the lake at the sunset. It was beautiful, and I had a sudden urge to just jump of the cliff and fly towards it.

“Come on, your friend will be waiting for you,� said the dragon, and he bent down so I could climb onto his back, and we flew towards the sunset.

“So who am I?� I asked Draco while we were flying. “And what am I meant to do?�
“You are our Eternal Soul, sent to protect us and help us.� Draco answered.
“But what about my family, and my friends?� I asked, not wanting to leave Draco behind, but not wanting to leave the dragons either, now that I had met them.
“Get your friend Draco to teach you the Portal Charm that you used to get here, and then you can come whenever you like.�
“But I’m not a witch, I only just found out about magic two days ago, how can I be who you said I am?�
“You are our Eternal Soul, Anilla, you do not need to be a witch to perform magic. A wand is just a tool. If you focus enough then you can do magic without it.�

I didn’t have enough time to say anything more as Draco the dragon landed by the barrier that I had climbed to get in, but I knew what I was going to do. He spread out his wing and I crawled along it to the top of the fence and then down the other side. Keeping eye contact with the dragon I said to him, “Thank you,� before he flew away.

I was going to fulfill my “destiny� and stay with the dragons, but I would still live at home. I would use the Portal Charm to get here all the time, and I would make sure Draco knew everything that was going on.

As soon as I turned away from the dragon Draco, who had been waiting anxiously for me, fearing the worst, suddenly pulled me into a tight hug. “Anilla,� he said. “Don’t you ever do that again. It’s a miracle the dragon didn’t eat you, let alone let you ride on his back.� But then he stopped, seeing that an expression of knowing on my face. “What happened? Did I ruin everything by bringing you here?�

“No,� I said. “Everything’s perfect.�

A/N: I really hope that the ending is alright, and it’s not too corny and answers all of your questions. But if you do have any questions feel free to ask them in your review and I promise to respond. Thank you so much for reading my story!

Before anyone could ask any more questions I got Draco to take me back to the Three Broomsticks where I told him everything that had happened over a mug of warm Butterbeer. I’m not exactly what he was thinking when I told him but he seemed to quite pleased with himself to have helped me find out who I really was.

It was around teatime when I saw an elderly man with rich flowing robes come in. He had long silver hair and his beard was long enough to tuck into his belt. Draco seemed to recognise him, and tried to hide, but after a quick glance around the room through his half-moon glasses, the man came over to our table.

“Hello there,� he said. He had a very kind and old sounding voice I smiled and said hello back, but Draco seemed sour, and did not say anything. “Draco, why aren’t you at school? And why is Miss Nation here and not at home?�

Draco didn’t answer, so I did for him. “Draco was just showing me a few things before I go back to school on Monday. I don’t mean to be rude, but who are you?�

“Professor Albus Dumbledore,� he answered. “Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where Draco is meant to be.�

“I’m not going back,� said Draco suddenly.

I can’t remember exactly what was said between Draco and Dumbledore because I was trying to decide what I was going to do with my life, which I’ll get to in a moment. Eventually, Draco and Dumbledore came to a compromise. Draco would attend classes but did not have to live there with the other students. Then he turned to me.

“What are you going to do, Anilla?� he asked. “Are you going to go home and ignore what you are, or are you going to fulfill your duty as an Eternal Soul?�

I was really freaked out. How did he know about me being an Eternal Soul? When I asked him he just smiled at me and Draco said, “He just knows.�

“I don’t know,� I answered honestly. “I want to stay with the dragons, but I can’t just disappear.�

“But you can,� said Dumbledore. “I would take you in as a student and teach you the things that you will need to learn as an Eternal Soul. You could quite simply disappear, or we could fake your death to give your parents some closure.�

And so I made my choice, and my funeral was held on the 27th of September.

Since then I have lived in Hogsmeade, and gone up with Draco to the school for lessons. While he took his normal subjects I learned the ancient art of magic without a wand. I quickly mastered a Portal Charm and was able to visit the dragons nearly every day.

Now, nearly two years after my first encounter with Draco the Hungarian Horntail, I am quite happy with my life, although it is no easy task.

My beloved Hungarian Horntail Draco, unfortunately died during a battle where Harry Potter (yes, the same Harry Potter that Draco doesn’t like) defeated the Dark Lord Voldemort. I really didn’t understand the entire significance of all of this because I have tried to avoid all the drama in the wizarding world. I’m really going to miss him, but at least I have my human friend Draco to fill the void.

He has just finished at Hogwarts (About a month after the battle, if you were wondering about the order of events.) and we are going to move to Romania sometime this summer, where I am going to spend more time with the dragons and Draco is going to train to become a dragon trainer to help me. I can’t wait!

Every now and then I have the urge to run home to my parents and tell them everything, and show them that I’m alive, but I stop myself. Sometimes I do go and watch them (from a distance, of course) and they seem to be getting along OK. I just tell myself that they would never understand my life, and it would be best if I just let them be.

I hope that my story doesn’t end here, and I continue to have many adventures with my dragon friends and Draco. I just wish that my life would be fun, and that I live to see my Hungarian Horntail come back again, as a fellow Eternal Soul.