Chapter Text
“Eva!” Aunt Pomona called over the commotion of the Ministry’s Atrium. Shaka raised himself over the crowd and directed me in the correct direction. The Herbology Professor stood beside a woman resembling the elder Scamander couple.
“Aunt Pomona!” I twist out of some wizard's way and stumble to a stop before the two witches. “You must be Leta! Pleased to meet you.”
“And you must be the young upstart Ma and Pop can’t stop talking about,” Leta chuckled as she shook my hand. “Glad to finally put a face to the name.
“Now, we will be taking a Portkey to Wales to start our research with the Welsh Green,” Pomona eagerly stated as she started weaving through the crowds. I exchange glances with the Magizoologist and hurry to keep up with my mentor. Leta starts telling us about the dragon as we wait for our transportation.
“We have a general location where we believe these beasts live, but no one has been able to catch more than a glimpse of them in decades,” Leta said as our Portkey was called.
“I have something that can help with that,” I offer before we are whisked away. Landing with a solid thud, I drop my hold on the shoelace and scan our surroundings. A forest of conifer trees sat separated from us by a river.
“I know your plant is supposed to entice the dragons, but I don’t know if their prejudice against humans will help draw them out,” Leta shook her head as she cast a few navigation charms.
“Eva’s also looking to go into a mastery for Care of Magical Creatures with a specialty in dragons,” Pomona informed our guide as she adjusted the straps of her pack. “She’s uniquely qualified for this.”
“You could say I have a way with snake and snake-adjacent creatures,” I lightly tap my pocket. Yukina and Shaka emerge from the pocket and drape themselves over my shoulders.
“You’re a parslemouth,” Leta blinked in shock at the two reptiles appearance. “Where the bloody hell did you get a horned serpent?”
“The Magical Menagerie, believe it or not,” I laugh, scratching Shaka behind his horns.
“What makes you think you can . . . you fought a dragon during the Triwizard Tournament,” Leta nodded, the pieces finally clicking in place. “This will be helpful if we can find the dragons.”
“I can ask the local snakes and Yukina and Shaka can scout information as well,” I glance to my familiars. They nod and drop from my person to streak into the forest.
“We might be able to study every dragon with this new development,” Leta muttered. We follow the Magizoologist through the brush, our steps melding with the sounds of the birds. I keep an ear out for any snakes to ask for directions. After a few hours of hiking, I feel a gentle tug over my bond with Yukina.
“They found something,” I look to our left, gauging how far my dragon was from us.
Leta changed course without a sound. The sounds of the forest got softer as we got closer to our destination. Yukina sat on a rock with a green snake sitting opposite her.
“ Yukina? ” I gently questioned as I motioned for the other two to stay at the edge of the trees.
“ Eva, may I introduce you to Carys, ” Yukina introduced. I bow to the snake.
“ It is an honor to meet you, Carys. My name is Alhena Evangeline McGonagall Lestrange. Has Yukina told you of our purpose? ” I asked.
“ You want to experiment on us, ” Carys settled further into herself.
“ We do. A plant that was found in New Zealand unexpectedly affects dragons. . . my colleagues and I want to find the limit to the effects, ” more snakes appeared around the clearing to listen. “ No harm will come to you. ”
“ The Elders will decide, ” Carys said as a couple of snakes retreated to the trees. I dip my head in acknowledgment.
“They are debating where the best chance to find the dragons is,” I turn to my companions as I recall Shaka through our bond.
“Brilliant! I need to travel with a parselmouth more often, the information you can uncover makes this much easier,” Leta beamed.
“ She does not know we are the dragons? ” one of the other snakes approached to sit with Carys.
“ No, she doesn’t. Leta also doesn’t know Yukina’s true nature, ” I answer as Yukina takes her place around my shoulders.
“ What reason do you have to keep our secret? ” another dragon at the edge of the trees asked as Shaka finally rejoined our group.
“ Your secret has kept dragons alive for centuries. I will not jeopardize your species, ” my reassurance released some tension from the atmosphere. Pomona had moved to examine the plants around the clearing as we waited. Leta was on guard, watching for anything dangerous that could attack.
I was pulled from my discussion of Shaka’s findings when a snake reappeared from the direction the Elders had gone. They urge us to follow them. I translate their request to my companions who gather their packs and follow our guide. Circe stirred from her slumber and emerged to trot beside me. She took an interest in our surroundings and took off to scout ahead.
“ We request that your companions hand you their wands. We will not risk a reflex hurting our kin, ” the snake guiding us stopped a few feet from the edge of a clearing.
“They want me to hold our wands,” I hold a hand out for the requested items. Pomona promptly passed her possession over while Leta hesitated. She searched my eyes after scanning our surroundings. I project all the reassurance I can through my gaze. The magizoologist sighed and placed her wand beside Pomona’s. I pull my wand from my holster and put the three tools in my pack. The snake nodded in approval before motioning us into the clearing.
My breath left me in a stunned gasp as we left the shade of the trees. Three towering dragons sat before us, their heads held high as they took us in. Leta bowed to the regal creatures, and Pomona and I followed her lead.
“ We have heard your desires, ” the dragon in the middle rumbled.
“ We will examine the plant before agreeing to any test you perform, ” the right dragon spoke next.
“ Pray we do not find any deception, for your lives hang in the balance, ” the last dragon dropped their head as I softly translated their words. Pomona slowly took her pack off and searched for a few seconds before pulling out a small pot of Serpentis delectatio . She presented the plant to the elders and we await their judgement.
“ What do you need for your tests, Dragon Kin? ”
With the elders' permission, we could have two dragons volunteer to participate in our study. One of the dragons had lost a foot in a territorial dispute. Carys was our second volunteer. The elders observed the process and ensured their kin were treated with respect. On our third day, the tests had been completed. Our tents and supplies were packed for our departure to the nearest magical town.
<<War brews on the horizon. It may be in our best interest to either secure the dragons as our allies or convince them to remain out of the fight>> Circe suggested when we approached the five dragons to say our goodbyes.
“Thank you for allowing us to conduct our test,” Pomona said as we bowed before the towering creatures.
“ It has been an informative experience for us. May magic watch over you on your travels. You will need the favor with some of our cousins, ” Ferin, the eldest dragon, snorted a puff of warm air.
“ If I may request a minute more of your time? ” I cautiously asked, taking Circe’s suggestion to heart.
“ Speak, Dragon Kin, ” Ferin granted.
“ I wish to warn you. There is unrest in the wizarding community. A dark wizard seeks to take over our government and way of living. He seeks the destruction of the non-magical. He may try to stir your anger at humans to convince you to fight in his army, ” I stand firm under their heavy scrutiny.
“ You wish us to side with you, ” Arvahein bristled. He was the second-eldest, the next leader after Ferin.
“ I do not wish you to fight at all. This is a matter for wizardkind to resolve ourselves, ” I correct him.
“ We hear your warning, ” Ferin reassured me. I bow one last time before stepping back. Leta offered her arm for me to take. One apparition trip later, we were surrounded by other people. Leta wanted to get more supplies now that we’ve interacted with dragons. I followed the two adults as I scanned the shops lining the street.
“ I have something for you, ” Shaka entered his pocket before emerging with a small stone in his mouth.
“What is it?” I opened my palm as Yukina translated my English for him.
“ Gem from the river. They don’t look like much now, but crack it open and it is beautiful, ” Shaka informed me. I murmur a severing charm and slowly chip away at the outer shell. The stone snapped and revealed a light blue geode.
“ It’s beautiful, ” Yukina shifted to my other shoulder to give Shaka more room.
“ I thought you could give it to your mates, ” Shaka suggested.
“Thank you. It is appreciated,” I kiss his head and put the geode back inside my pocket for safekeeping.
“We will stay in the local pub tonight,” Leta informed us as we exited the shop with new supplies piled in our arms. “We will have to camp for the rest of our trip though. There won’t be time to go into town if we want to get to all your dragons before Hogwarts starts.”
“I don’t mind camping,” I smile as memories of camping with one of my good foster families surface.
The next morning we were up early to catch a Portkey to the Hebrides Islands in Scotland. My necklace warmed a bit once we landed. Fleur must have yet to leave the manor. A yearning for my soulmates rose within me. I brush the feeling to the side and focus on finding the dragon thunder.
We started on Lewis, the Outer Hebrides. Leta wasn’t sure which island the dragons made their home on, so we had to search for them. Lewis was the largest island, giving the dragons more room to avoid people. After five hours of hiking through the unpopulated areas of the island, Leta called me over from where I had stopped to look at a flower. She discreetly pointed out the snake that followed us for the last half hour. She left me to talk to the snake and joined Pomona further along the trail.
“ Hello, ” I knelt to retie my shoe, not looking directly at the snake.
“ A speaker, ” the snake came further onto the trail. She had rough black scales and her chest slightly flared a faint orange. “ Leave. ”
“ Is this your territory? ” I asked.
“ Yes. I do not kill you now because you are a hatchling, but my mercy has its limits. I will not tell you again, ” she hissed at me.
“ Mother? ” a young voice sounded from behind me. I tensed. This had just gotten infinitely more dangerous.
“ What are you doing away from the nest? ” the mother dragon scolded her hatchling as she quickly moved to place herself between me and her child.
“ I wanted to see the humans, ” the child said, and Circe fluffed up in preparation to protect me if needed.
“ Humans are dangerous! You shouldn’t want to see humans! ”
“ We mean you no harm. We will put our wands away if that makes you more comfortable. We came here looking to test the properties of a plant, ” I quickly explained as I rolled my wand away from me.
<<Eva>> Circe growled. I calm the curse to the best of my ability. She restlessly paced as I waited for the mother to attack.
“ I will get him back to the nest and return to hear you out. Do not wander, ” she growled and I felt the heat of her inner fire against my back.
“ You have my word, ” I promised. I wait for Circe to tell me the dragons have left before recalling my familiars. I spring to my feet and let a sharp whistle pierce the air. Leta and Pomona turn to me with confusion wafting off them. I beckon them over, not daring to move an inch from where the dragon had left me.
“What happened?” Leta asked, her eyes taking in our surroundings as she palmed her wand.
“We’re in a female Hebridean Black’s territory and she has a clutch of hatchlings. I was advised not to move while we wait for her to find us,” I quickly informed the rest of the group. Pomona noticed my wand on the ground and carefully set her wand next to it. Leta frowned but reluctantly set her wand with the others. She knew more about the dragons than us, but instincts were hard to go against.
“ Did you find them? ” Shaka asked as he came to a stop by my feet.
“ They found us, ” I bent down to pick him up, staying crouched when I saw Yukina streaking closer.
“ How much danger are we in? ” Yukina wrapped her body protectively around my torso and Shaka.
“How likely are we to be killed, Leta?” I lock eyes with the magizoologist.
“If your story about the Hungarian Horntail is to be believed, your plant should allow you to explain our intent. If she decides to kill us afterward, that is the problem,” Leta huffed in frustration.
“I should get it out,” Pomona pulled her bag from her shoulders and sorted through it before triumphantly pulling a pot of Serpentis delectatio from the depths. She cradles the pot to her chest as we wait for the dragon to arrive.
The sound of large wing beats reached our ears, and we tensed in preparation to meet our fate. The mother dragon landed before us with a snarl.
“Tell me why you are here, and I will decide if you deserve your lives,” she growled. I translated for Pomona as she entered the discussion with the Hebridean Black. There was a moment of silence after we finished explaining our purpose.
<<I don’t like this>> Circe clacked her beak nervously.
“ What do you say to this, cousin? ” the dragon’s gaze focused on Yukina.
“ There is no harm in helping them with this information when we can easily hide from wizards, ” Yukina offered.
“ If I help . . . my hatchlings are to remain far away from this. I will not expose them to witches this early in life. However, they will not remain in the nest with the prospect of seeing humans for the first time. If my cousin trusts you, Dragon Kin, you can remain with my hatchlings to ensure they remain where they are told, ” she finally decided.
“I don’t think you’ll like this,” I wince as I turn to my companions. “She wants me to watch her kids so they remain at the nest. They want to see a human.”
“You can bring Yukina and Shaka?” Pomona asked, a slight frown marring her face. I turned to look at the mother dragon and she nodded her consent.
“I don’t like it,” Leta frowned. “Do you think you can do this safely?”
“I do,” I stand straight at her appraisal.
“We accept your terms,” Leta informed the mother dragon.
“ Very well. I shall return tomorrow for the Dragon Kin. ”
“She said you guys can start tomorrow,” I sigh. Leta nodded as we watched her form get smaller the further she flew. We set up our tent not far from the path. I cooked dinner that night before Leta washed the dishes and we went to sleep.
“Did she say what time she's arriving today?” Leta asked when I left the tent the next morning to watch the sunrise with her.
“Nope,” I answered, stroking a sleepy Yukina’s head. The sun lightened as we sat against rocks. Shaka was sleeping in my pocket, having returned late from his excursions around the area.
“There she is,” Pomona noted when she stepped outside. We stood for her approach, but she didn't seem to slow down as she got closer.
“She's not stopping,” Leta gripped her wand.
“Duck!” Pomona shouted when the dragon swooped down on our camp. I dive toward the ground, but yelp as claws wrap around my torso. Circe lashed out at her wing in retaliation, making her stumble in her flight.
“ Stop struggling! I'm just taking you to my nest, ” she huffed in frustration.
“What the bloody hell! You can't just snatch people like that!” I shout to be heard.
“ Humans typically panic when their feet leave the ground unexpectedly, ” Yukina was wide awake now.
“ Really? Do they not pick up their young to carry them when they misbehave? ”
“ No! We don't! ” I wrap my arms around her toe, ignoring the uncomfortable pressure around my ribs in favor of not falling to my death.
<<We are getting slow>> Circe grumbled as she soared beside us.
We were not expecting to get plucked from the ground like a naughty kitten. I shoot her a glare at the insult to my skills. I was not getting slow. The curse let an amused chirp out of her throat at my predicament.
I was roughly set on the ground when we finally reached the nest. I stumble a few steps before a hatchling steadied me with their snout. There were seven baby dragons, all the size of a small horse. I made a mistake.
“ Keep them in the proximity of the nest. If any of them are hurt your life is forfeit, ” she stated before leaving with one last warning for her children to behave. As soon as Mama Dragon was out of sight, I was bombarded with seven snouts pressing closer to get a good look at me.
“ You’re the one who was talking to Mother yesterday! ” one of them happily exclaimed.
“ I am, ” I try to push them away with gentle requests for more space. They ignored my requests, knocking me over. I curled into a ball as a protego shot out to push them away similar to my first accidental magic. Circe growled as she stalked around the border, swiping at the curious noses trying to get in.
I noticed an x on my wrist and silently cursed at the worry my mates probably experienced. The pressure on my ribs didn’t hurt, but I wasn’t sure if they interpreted it as such.
“ There are going to be some rules, ” I stand, checking Shaka and his place in my pocket. “ First, no crowding the human. ”
The hatchlings whined in protest until Yukina growled at them. She tightened her hold on my shoulders, her chest flaring with a hint of fire.
“ Second, you are to do what I tell you. This won’t work if you’re going to sneak off anyway, ” I call Circe back to my side and let the protego drop.
“ Can you show us magic? ” one of the females crouched close to the ground as she shuffled closer.
“ I would be happy to show you magic, ” I smile, beckoning her closer so she can inspect to her heart's content. Yukina dropped from my shoulders to transform into her original form. The hatchlings stepped back at the sight of her twenty-foot-tall form. Some attention was diverted to the new dragon as the others approached the human.
“ What do you usually do while your mother is away? ” I asked when everyone calmed down.
“ We practice our hunting! ” one of the slightly smaller dragons jumped on their surprised sibling.
“ Eva does the same thing with her friends, ” Yukina amusedly rumbled.
That was how I was roped into three hours of hunting practice. I used my magic to help me hide from the hatchlings and they had to track me down and catch me. Yukina went to catch lunch while we were playing. When the food was gone, the hatchlings settled for a nap that lasted two hours.
I must have fallen asleep in the peaceful silence because I was woken up by a quivering dragon excitedly asking if I wanted to join their wrestling. I ignore Yukina’s warning look and agree. The young dragons were unable to get a hold of me. Using my combat training, I pinned most of the hatchlings. They were laughing and the fighting was getting more intentional instead of play. I lunge toward one of them and they hop and turn out of the way. Their tail whipped toward my face, the tip reminding me of a knife. I managed to lean back to avoid my head getting impaled, but not far enough to escape with no damage.
“ What did you do?! ”
All movement stopped as they watched in dawning horror as my blood dripped down my face. I reached up to feel how big the cut was. A hiss escaped from behind my clenched teeth. At least it missed my eye.
“ The human is leaking! Why is the human leaking?! ”
“ Eva! How bad is it? ” Shaka darted over from sunbathing and climbed up my torso to check the wound.
My horned serpent fussed as I pulled my collar up to wipe the red from my vision. Hatchlings crowded around, one licking my face to stem the blood flow.
“ Your familiar is leaking! Why are you just sitting there? ” one accused Yukina.
“ It's the other way around, ” I correct, letting them arrange me into the middle of a cuddle pile.
“ You're doing as much as I could do . . . licking the wound to stop the bleeding, ” Yukina reassured them.
“ It's a head wound, that's why it's bleeding so much, ” I informed them as I tried to comfort them by petting their heads.
“ But my tail has never hurt anyone before! ” the guilty hatchling mourned.
“ Humans don't have scales to protect their skin, ” I offered, pressing my nails to my skin to show them the imprints. I picked up a random paw and did the same, showing the difference.
“ Then why would you agree to play with us? ”
“ I wanted to. I knew there was a risk of getting hurt, but I had fun, ” I reassured them. The cuddle pile remained in effect until the mother dragon lightly landed before us.
“ Mother! ” seven heads perked up from their resting places as the adult dragon sniffed the air.
“ Who was hurt? ” she stepped closer and zeroed in on my face. “ Ah, they get a little rough with you, Dragon Kin? ”
“ Nothing I can’t handle. They were worried about me, ” I gestured to their unrelenting hold on me.
“ She was leaking! You didn’t tell us humans would leak if we hit them! ”
“ How was I supposed to know you were going to hurt her? I expected her to show you feats of magic the whole time. ”
“ Eva isn’t afraid to participate in wrestling. She does something similar with her kin back home, ” Yukina stood and approached to help the mother shoo the hatchlings off of me. I dust my pants off and hold out an arm for Yukina to wrap around as she shifts into a snake. I was returned to the campsite and forced into a seat as the two witches cleaned and healed my face.
“There’s a scar,” Pomona sighed once Leta finished her healing spell.
“What's one more?” I shrug as Pomona clicks her tongue.
“Are you okay to go back tomorrow?” Leta checked.
“Definitely! The hatchlings are adorable!” I giggle at my familiars’ hisses of exasperation. “They won't be able to hit me again.”
“If you're sure,” Pomona didn't look convinced.
The next few days went much like the first. I was picked up and brought to the nest to dragon-sit while our tests were conducted. I found a feather that reminded me of Fleur and two flowers that reminded me of Hermione and Pansy. I collected the objects and put them with the geode that Shaka had found at our first stop. During our last interaction with the mother dragon, I repeated my warning from the Common Green dragons.
As soon as we landed in Norway, Circe retreated into my magical core with a defiant growl. I blink against the sudden pain in my heart. I tried to rub the slight discomfort away, but nothing I did helped. I ignored the pain and followed Leta to find the Norwegian Ridgebacks.
The pain slowly got worse over the next few days of our stay in Norway. I found myself automatically reaching for Leta and Pomona more often and had to restrain my urges more than once. Circe was spending more time in my magical core than she had since the Tournament, and I was starting to feel alone without her or my family's presence.
“What’s wrong, little puff?” Leta took the spot next to me by our fire. I reach out to grab her hand before clenching my jaw and sticking my hand under my leg instead.
“I’m fine,” I reassure her as I stare into the flames.
“Don’t lie to us, Eva,” Pomona spoke from where she was cleaning the dinner dishes. “We’ve noticed you getting distant and quiet.”
“I promise there’s nothing wrong,” I try to refute their worries.
A hand lands on my back and all my restraints are thrown out the window. I sag into the person next to me and close my eyes as their comfort soothes some pain in my chest. I was brought into a side hug as Shaka and Yukina moved to curl on my lap.
“All you needed was a hug,” Leta softly chuckled, rubbing her hand over my arm.
“I’m surprised you lasted this long,” Pomona laughed.
“What are you talking about?” I run my fingers over my familiars’ heads.
“Eva, you are constantly in contact with your friends and Minerva when possible. You can initiate touches with us,” my mentor promised as she sat on my other side.
“I don’t want to be an inconvenience to you,” I whispered.
“Never,” Pomona shook her head.
After that night, Pomona would have me walk next to her so she could ‘stabilize’ herself as we hiked through forests and mountains. Even with the reassurance I could hold hands or arms, the pain I was feeling became greater every day. It felt as if claws were digging into my heart to tear the organ apart. I wasn’t sleeping much at night, the pain too great to get more than an hour of sleep at a time.
No matter how tired I was or how much pain I was in, I always managed to find something that reminded me of my soulmates. Yukina and Shaka were getting worried about the pain I was feeling. I didn’t know if the pain was transferring over my bond to my soulmates since Pansy has had an x on our wrists every day.
We stopped for a week in Romania at the dragon reserve Charlie worked at. With my adoptive brother hanging around us, the pain I was feeling lessened. The highlight of our stay in Romania was seeing how big Norbert had grown. The dragon had perked up when we reached the Norwegian Ridgeback enclosure.
“Did you want to test on any more Ridgebacks? We have a younger dragon and a few older dragons,” Charlie explained as I watched Norbert sniff the air before locking onto me. Her head tilted in confusion. I hum the lullaby that Hagrid would sing to the dragon when she was living in his hut.
“I think we can get more information from them. Would they be willing to let us te-”
“Incoming!” another handler shouted as Norbert excitedly rushed over.
“ Eva! ” Norbert lifted me off the ground with her snout. I wrap my arms around her nose as a laugh pushes past the pain in my body.
“Norbert!” I happily exclaimed as I was set back on my feet. She pranced around me as I tried to keep up with the young dragon. I ignored the handler’s anxious expressions while trying to keep up with her words.
“ You’ve gotten bigger! How’s Hagrid? What about the others? Is the spotted one still hanging around? What about Fang? You have new friends! Hi, I’m Norberta! Eva was there when I hatched. How did you meet Eva? I haven’t been taught how to shift into a snake yet, but I’ve met some of the Opaleyes who were briefly here. Gasp! Have you been in the castle? I’ve been through the castle but I didn’t get to see much with ho- ”
“Norberta, slow down. Let us answer your questions before you ask more,” I giggle, catching her head in a hug.
“That’s right, you know Norberta,” Charlie sighed in relief, lowering his wand.
“How do you know her?” Leta was radiating fond exasperation.
“Uh. . . .” I grin sheepishly as Norberta continues to interrogate Yukina. “Hagrid won her egg in a card game. She was at Hogwarts for, what? Two months? We eventually had to have Charlie pick her up because she was getting too big and bit Ron.”
“Hagrid had a dragon in his hut?!” Pomona gasped, hand flying to her chest.
“Yes?” my scratching moved to her chest as she wrapped her long neck around me, her tail completing the circle.
“Bloody hell, Hagrid is going to have his home destroyed one of these days with his creatures,” Pomona sighed.
After a while, we had to move on and I promised to see Norberta again before we left at the end of the week. We managed to get many more tests done now that we weren’t searching for the dragons. These dragons were used to people at this point and were more willing to work with us than their kin who lived in the wild.
“ Are you leaving? ” Norberta pranced to the entrance of the enclosure.
“ We are, ” I rub my hand over her nose. “ I’m sorry I wasn’t able to spend more time with you. ”
“ I’m happy I was able to see you again, ” Norberta huffed.
“ Do you remember Hermione? ” I questioned.
“ The fluffy girl? She was nice to me, ” the dragon lowly purred.
“ She’s one of my mates, ” I smile, “ I was wondering if I could have a scale from you to give her as a gift. ”
Norberta hopped around in circles as she gushed.
“ You found your mate?! That’s great! Wait, you have more than one mate? How many mates do you have? Have you met them all? ”
“ I have three mates. Pansy came to Hogwarts the same year as Hermione and Fleur went to school in France. The French school came to Hogwarts two years ago to participate in the Triwizard Tournament, I met her then, ” I chuckle. Norberta twisted her head to itch the joint where her wing met her body. A few scales fell to the ground and the dragon proudly stepped back to let me pick what I wanted.
“ Thank you, Norberta, ” I hand the scales to Shaka to put away.
“ I hope to see you again one day . . . maybe next time you can bring Hagrid? ” Norberta asked, lying down as her tail slowly wagged behind her.
“ Next time, I’ll try to bring all of them. Except for the spotted boy, ” I smirk, scratching her head in farewell.
Our next stop was China. I begged Leta to stop at a magical marketplace so I could pick up the last gifts I wanted to get for my friends. Magical dragon figurines were procured for my male friends. I managed to find a Niffler’s Fancy plant for Neville. I was surprised to see the plant mixed in with the others in the stall. The stall owner didn’t know what they had. Niffler’s Fancy has dark green stems and leaves that shine like copper.
“What’s so special about this plant?” Leta asked as Pomona and I fawned over it.
“This plant was one of the earliest forms of wizarding currency ever! It has strong magical properties and is one of the ingredients for the potion of all potential,” I very carefully placed the plant inside my bag with a few protection spells around it.
“What else do you need?” Pomona linked her arm through mine as we browsed a few more stalls.
“I’ve been collecting things,” I sheepishly admit. “Things that reminded me of my soulmate . . . I thought I could shrink them into charms for a bracelet.”
“You are so sweet,” Leta cooed, slinging her arm over my shoulders.
“You need a bracelet, right?” Pomona pointed to a stall further ahead. “Leta, why don’t we find lunch while Eva gets the perfect band for her girlfriend.”
The pain intensified as they walked away.
<<Soulmates. Plural. Do not disrespect our bond to them>> Circe rattled for the first time in weeks.
I clenched my jaw and decided to deal with this later. Shaka shifted in his place around my shoulders to get a better look at the items at the stall as I stepped up.
“Hello, do you speak English?” I asked.
“Bàoqiàn, wǒ bù huì shuō yīngyǔ,” the stall owner replied with a small shake of her head.
“ Eva! Eva look at the braided bands! ” Shaka bumped his head against mine, distracting me from figuring out a way to communicate without Leta here to translate.
“ They do look beautiful, ” I mutter. The stall owner beamed with a happy clap of her hands.
“ You are a parselmouth! Excellent, we can communicate this way, ” I was stunned.
“ I haven’t met many other speakers, ” I rub the back of my neck with a small grin.
“ The ability is more common here, from what I hear. Now, were you hoping to look at the braided bands? ”
“ Yes please, ” I smile. I bought light blue, scarlet, and emerald green braided bracelets and necklace chains for my female friends.
I met Leta and Pomona for lunch and we returned to our search. It was a grueling two weeks as we trekked through rough terrains to find the dragon thunders. With how long it took for us to find the dragons, there wasn’t much time for us to conduct our tests.
We barely managed to catch our Portkey back to the British Ministry of Magic. After spending two months in the middle of nowhere searching for dragon thunders, it was slightly overwhelming to be back in the crowded heart of the wizarding government.
“ Bloody hell, it’s loud here, ” Shaka hissed a low warning when someone bumped into me, sending a shock through my aching body. The musical note startled the man and I was quick to duck into the crowd to avoid his curious gaze.
“You can’t hiss at people like that,” I scolded through a laugh.
“I still can’t believe you’d gotten a horned serpent from the Magical Menagerie,” Leta shook her head fondly, though in disbelief.
“Once I had researched what a horned serpent was, I was just as surprised as you. Throughout the seven years I’ve known Shaka, he’s grown five feet,” I lovingly run a finger over his head. He bumped against my cheek in return.
“And he’s only going to keep growing,” Leta reminded me as we got in line for foreign returns. “You’re not going to be able to keep him with you once he gets much bigger.”
“We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it,” I shrug.
“Wand,” the ministry worker held their hand out for the indicated possession. I hand the wand over and the worker examines the tool.
“Applewood, dragon heartstring, ten and a half inches, slightly yielding,” as the worker described my wand, the book in front of them flipped through its pages until it landed on one. The worker looked through the page, pointed to a line, and followed it across.
“Evangeline Circe McGonagall?”
“Yes sir,” I respond.
“How was Peru? Bring back any native Peruvian flora or fauna?”
“No sir,” I deny.
“You’re good to go then. Welcome back to Britain.”
I collect my wand and step past the checkpoint, waiting for Pomona and Leta to get through. We walk together to the Floo points, where we pause to say our goodbyes before parting ways.
“These past months have been fun,” Leta grinned as we had one last hug.
“They have! And some of us have gained a souvenir from our travels,” Pomona chuckled, brushing her thumb over my scarred eyebrow.
“Who would’ve thought a Hebridean Black would be the one to get me,” I smirk at the hilarity of it.
“I’m sure your soulmate and mother will find it just as amusing as you,” Pomona laughed. Circe growled and sunk her claws deeper into my heart at the singular use of soulmate.
“Are you on your way back to China?” I turn to Leta.
“I’m going to spend some time with Ma and Pop. Rolf will be okay for a few more days without me,” Leta smiled.
“I’m going back to Hogwarts to check on the plants before the semester begins in a few days,” Pomona said as our turn came for the fireplace.
“I’ll see you on the first, and it was a pleasure to get to know you, Leta,” I wave my goodbyes and step into the fireplace.
“McGonagall Manor,” I state. Green flames sprang up to engulf me and it wasn’t long until I stepped into the sitting room.
I trudged up the stairs in the quiet Manor to my room as my reptilian companions went to hunt. My bag was deposited on my chair as I walked into the bathroom. The hot water pounded against my back in hopes of soothing the aches in my joints and muscles. My necklace was a warm presence against my skin, soothing a bit of the pain in my chest.
I was determined to visit my friends as soon as I finished, but I hadn’t gotten dressed in more than a pair of shorts and a sports bra before exhaustion tempted me to take a nap. I didn’t fight very hard before flopping onto the mattress and surrendering to Morpheus.