they are reasonable, then there should be no issues, Mr. Black," the headmaster complied.
"Firstly, I know you have rules on what pets can be kept here but I would like you to make an exception for my familiar," he began. "I can assure you she is harmless unless she is provoked," he added in warning.
"And what is your familiar?" Dumbledore questioned warily.
Harry straightened out his arm as a long; mostly black snake slithered out of his sleeve and curled around his arm, flicking his tongue at him in what appeared to be an affectionate manner. She certainly looked docile, even harmless, but the reaction from the resident potions master had the rest of the staff on alert. He immediately stepped back, out of striking range of the creature.
"Thesse humansss ssmell like food," she hissed hungrily.
Harry chuckled as he stroked her gently.
"You know that you will never be big enough to eat them," Harry pointed out unnecessarily.
The snake simply laid her head flat on his arm, apparently sulking.
"You're a Parselmouth?" McGonagall questioned a little fearfully. The rest of the staff had also become rather subdued
"I am," Harry confirmed unashamedly ignoring the reactions of the other professors. "And this is Mira".
"A Black Mamba?" Snape questioned, seemingly the first to recover.
Harry nodded and smiled as the snake raised its head and began looking at each of the people in the room as though acknowledging their presence, something she apparently became bored of rather quickly as she returned to her masters arm after only a moment.
"Well she is certainly an unusual familiar, but as long as she does not attack any students, then there should be no issues," Dumbledore conceded.
"Thank you," Harry responded happily.
"Anything else, Mr. Black?" Dumbledore probed further.
"Only that I am not disturbed between six and eight am, those are the times I train physically and between three and six when I train magically".
Dumbledore nodded his consent.
"Will you need a room for this?"
"No, I am sure I will be able to find something suitable, but I will ask if I need anything else".
"Very well Mr. Black, then let me be the first to welcome you to Hogwarts".
He offered his hand which Harry took and gripped a little tighter than necessary.
"Make no mistake Dumbledore, there will be a day when we will have a conversation about many things, but today is not that day," he said icily.
Dumbledore swallowed deeply and nodded his understanding. He truly did not expect anything less.
After a moment Harry released his hand and made to leave the room, the Blacks and Dumbledore falling in behind him.
"That goes to you too Mrs. Potter," he added as he reached the door to exit the office. "The day will come for our talk, but that day is not today. I ask that you respect my wishes to leave me be and trust in the fact that I will seek you out on my time".
Lily nodded nervously at the tone he had used when addressing her. She couldn't pretend it didn't hurt to be spoken to in such a way, but she had fully expected to be screamed at or cursed. As she pondered the interaction she realised his coldness was much worse than the former reactions ever could be. He had simply dismissed her as unimportant, irrelevant and that hurt her more than any spell could have.
Harry sighed internally as Dumbledore led himself and his family to their quarters for the duration of their time here. From the moment he had laid eyes on Dumbledore, he wanted to curse the old bastard for what he had done but their were expectations he had to abide by and he had no doubt that Arcturus's presence was more to ensure that he did indeed conduct himself accordingly, as any true Black should.
He had met the gaze of his birth mother only once and that had been enough for him to get a brief reminder of the pain and betrayal he had felt growing up. Yes, he still felt anger towards the woman and he felt a sense of hurt that would never truly fade, but it was one of the demons he had confronted many years ago and had dealt with. The Potters were nothing to him now. He had his family; they loved him and cherished him the way that the Potters should have and now they were insignificant, they no longer held any place in his heart.
It was a thought that did sadden him slightly, but again, something he had already faced and overcome during his own journey through life.
"Here we are," Dumbledore informed them as they reached a portrait of a knight riding a small pony. "Sir Cadogan is the guardian to your room. I do apologise he can become a little involved in his role".
"Involved?" the Knight questioned angrily. "I, Sir Cadogan, take the protection of my charges seriously you whiskered fiend. Draw you wand if you dare you mangy cur," he challenged as he waved his sword exaggeratedly.
Dumbledore chuckled in amusement.
"As you can see, he can be a little overzealous, but will carry out his duty to the bitter end, apparently," he added with a frown. "Anyway, I shall leave you to settle in. Please do ask if there is anything you need," he concluded with a bow before presumably heading back to his office.
"Well Sir Cadogan, will you let us pass?" Sirius questioned.
"Sirius Black is it?"
Sirius nodded as the knight wiped the sweat from his brow with a filthy cloth.
"I suppose I do owe you for hooking me up with the wench and the ale on the first floor," he conceded with a wistful gaze. "In you go then," he allowed somewhat reluctantly.
The four Blacks entered and Arcturus pulled the door closed behind him.
"Very well done Harry," he praised with a smile. "You handled that excellently, under the circumstances".
Cassiopeia smiled encouragingly and Sirius pulled him into a hug.
Harry sighed.
"It is only the first day," he reminded them.
"And you headed them off and warned them sufficiently," Arcturus pointed out.
Harry nodded and yawned tiredly.
"I think I'm going to go to bed, it's been a long day".
"I will head home," Arcturus announced. "Send for me if I am needed," he called as he exited the portrait.
Harry bid his father and aunt goodnight before settling into one of the rooms. The day had been trying and he could do little more than remove his clothes and sink into the bed provided. He was pleased overall with how he had handled everything, though he was equally frustrated at not being able to do what he wanted.
"One day," he mused aloud. "Tournament first," he reminded himself before slipping into a restful night of sleep.
(BREAK)
After completing his morning ablutions and exercises, Harry found himself facing his first dilemma since arriving at Hogwarts. He stood in the doorway facing into the Great Hall, deciding which table it was he would sit at for breakfast. He could simply conjure himself a table as he had done for the Blacks the previous night but it was not necessary. Both Aunt Cassie and Sirius were not early risers and would be unlikely to eat their meals with the rest of the students and staff. Cassie, because she despised almost everyone she met and Sirius, because of the presence of Lily Potter in the school. The man had no doubt that she would attempt to coerce him into a conversation and he had no desire to share one with her. The betrayal he felt after all these years was as raw the day his great aunt had found him.
Shrugging to himself, he took a seat at the only table devoid of any other students and served himself some fruit and porridge. It was strange being in such a large school with so many others and it left him feeling much more alert than he was accustomed to whilst eating breakfast. He had of course spent time in schools, but none of this size or with such a large population. He usually attended schools to study a specific field of magic further and he would only be there for a few months at most.
Once his hunger had been satisfied, he decided that it would be prudent to take a shower before deciding what he would do for the rest of the day. As he was exiting the Great Hall he was stopped in his tracks by the voice of the deputy headmistress.
"Mr. Black," She called from just behind him.
"Good morning Professor," he greeted her cordially. "What can I do for you?"
"I took the liberty of listing the classes you are eligible to take whilst you are here, with times and where to find the rooms included".
Harry offered her a grateful nod.
"Thank you," he replied as he took the proffered parchment.
"My office is on the fourth floor should you need anything and my classroom is just along the hall from there".
"Your efforts are much appreciated," Harry returned genuinely.
"It's good to see you here Mr. Black, despite the circumstances," the Transfiguration mistress concluded with a gentle smile before returning to the hall.
Harry shook his head in amusement. From what his father had told him, McGonagall was among the most strict instructors here, but then again, Sirius had spent the majority of his school career in some form of trouble with his head of house so he was bound to be a little bias.
After greeting his father and aunt he took his needed shower and decided that he would attend the sixth year Transfiguration class with the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw houses first. He was certainly interested to see how Professor McGonagall conducted her teachings. According to both Arcturus and Sirius, the lady was amongst the best in the subject throughout the world. It was one of the more difficult branches of magic and she had apparently mastered it beyond what many would deem possible.
He decided to dress more casual than he had for his arrival opting for some dark jeans, white trainers and a forest green Henley. Though he had no love for muggles, he couldn't fault the comfort in their clothing. Both Sirius and Leo would dress in a similar fashion much to the annoyance of Arcturus. He insisted their appearances looked foolish and uncouth, lacking the grace of real clothing. His views were not helped when Leo had transfigured the mans' robes into a pair of jeans, t-shirt and leather jacket, leaving both Harry and Sirius roaring with laughter. Arcturus had been furious, refusing to speak to any of them for almost a month. It was only when Leo had visited and gave a magical vow he would never attempt such a thing again were they forgiven for their mockery and even then their next dueling practice with man had been the most fearful any of the two boys had felt as the man took his revenge.
He grinned slightly at the memory.
"That look is never good news for anybody," Sirius spoke as Harry entered the living area of their quarters.
"I was just thinking about when Leo transfigured Grandfather's clothes," Harry explained, his grin widening a little more.
Sirius snorted.
"I still can't believe he did that and lived," he sighed. "Speaking of which, have you heard from him?"
Harry shook his head.
"No but I imagine he will be here soon," he shrugged. "It'll be nice to spend some time with him properly".
Sirius ruffled his hair affectionately.
Leo attended school in Russia when the two boys were younger and Japan once he reached the age of 12 meaning they only saw each other during holidays. Harry would attend the Japanese school with him for a few months out of the year. Despite the fact they didn't spend as much time together as either would have liked, they were as close as two people could possibly be having met when they were nine years old and had bonded very quickly, the only person other than family that Harry had let close to him.
"Well he's graduated now so you can spend as much time together as you like," Sirius reminded him.
"Do you think Aunt Cassie will let him stay?" Harry questioned.
Sirius chuckled.
"He may annoy her at times but she loves that boy just as much as she does you. She would miss him too much if he didn't," he returned confidently.
"You wouldn't be discussing the degenerate would you?" Cassiopeia asked as she entered the room from her own.
"Yep," Sirius confirmed. "Your favourite person will be back with us soon".
"Oh joy," the woman muttered though she was smiling despite herself.
"You missed him too, admit it," Sirius demanded jovially. "You wouldn't have accepted him as your apprentice if you didn't".
Cassiopeia huffed indignantly.
"I accepted him as my apprentice because he has potential and I am the best equipped to help him".
"She definitely missed him," Harry mumbled.
Cassiopeia narrowed her eyes at the two younger Blacks before slowly drawing her wand, causing them to leave the room quickly to avoid inevitable outburst.
"Cowards," she muttered grumpily as she replaced her wand up her sleeve.
Both Harry and Sirius slowed their pace as they came out of range from any attack send their way by Cassiopeia.
"So what are your plans for the day?" Sirius asked a little breathlessly.
"I though I'd go to a Transfiguration class," Harry shrugged.
Sirius smiled proudly and placed a hand on the shoulder of his son.
"You won't regret it, McGonagall is and excellent teacher," he assured the boy.
"What are you going to do while we are here?" Harry responded with a frown. "Won't you get bored?"
Sirius smirked mischievously.
"One can never be bored in this castle," he replied cryptically. "I think I'll visit some of my old haunts".
Harry shook his head indifferently but froze, suddenly becoming aware of something himself and his family members had overlooked.
"Do you think we should have told Dumbledore about Rasputin?" he asked a little worriedly.
Sirius's eyes widened comically before he burst into laughter.
"No, let it be a surprise for the old git," he advised. "It will be hilarious," he added with mirth evident in his eyes.
Harry again shook his head.
"I imagine Leo will send him into the forest anyway," he mused aloud.
"Probably," Sirius agreed. "Won't you be late for your first class?" he added with a knowing smirk.
"I'm only here until this tournament is over," Harry bit back irritably. "The moment it finishes I'm going home".
"I know you don't want to be here," Sirius replied placating the teen as much as possible. "But since you are, you might as well make the most of it".
Harry sighed deeply.
"I know, I just didn't want any of this," he mumbled. "I'll see you later".
He made his way to one of the moving staircases and ascended to the fourth floor to attend his first lesson at Hogwarts. He quickly found the correct classroom and entered, took a seat and waited for the class to commence.
The room was full of students either clad in black robes trimmed with red or a dark blue as he had expected. Many shot him questioning stares as he arrived but he chose to sit at the back of the room where he could keep an eye on them all, his instincts telling him to be cautious.
Before any had the opportunity to talk to him, Professor McGonagall entered bringing everyone to fall respectably silent. She noted Harry sat at the back of her class and greeted him with an encouraging smile, something that appeared to be a rarity if the looks of shock some of the students expressed was anything to go by.
"Today we will continue our foray into the field of inanimate object to animal transfiguration," the woman announced causing a few groans to ensue around the room. "And there will be no mores skunks in my classroom Misters Weasley and Weasley," she added firmly to two identical grinning redheads.
"A complete accident Professor," one of them replied.
"Won't happen again ma'am," the other chipped in.
She shook her head and continued with the lesson.
"On my desk is a selection of objects. I want you all to take one and see what you can do with it," she instructed. "Think carefully before you cast. Consider which animal would suit the transformation best and remember, nothing too dangerous or pungent," she finished warningly.
Harry waited for the rest of the class to retrieve their chosen item before approaching the desk.
"Are you familiar with this branch of transfiguration Mr. Black?" McGonagall enquired.
Harry nodded confidently. It was something he had been doing for quite some time now.
"Very well, would you mind giving a demonstration?"
Harry shrugged and reached into the box of items He pulled out a yellow ball of wool and considered his options.
"What do you think would be the most simple transformation you could achieve with this?" the professor questioned.
"The material would be suitable in this state to transform into a sheep," he began.
McGonagall nodded her agreement.
"It is a product of the animal after all so it already has a solid base to do so".
"Excellently explained," the woman praised.
"But," Harry continued.
McGonagall frowned slightly but waited for him to explain.
"Mammals are much more taxing. You have to think of bone structure, muscle structure and so on. It would be a waste of magic and a sheep is of little use".
He casually drew his wand and flicked it at the wool causing it to come undone from the confines of its tied state. He then concentrated as he waved his wand over it, focusing on what it was he wanted to achieve. Only a moment later an anaconda sat where the length of wool had been causing many of the students to shuffle back warily in their seats and a few to scream fearfully.
Professor McGonagall drew her own wand but was stopped from countering the spell by Harry who placed a hand on her wrist.
"It's okay," he assured her. "He is docile".
"You created the behavior you wished for it to exhibit?" she asked, clearly surprised.
Harry nodded.
"It's disastrous to create something you have no control over. It's one of the first things I learnt to do when I started the subject," he explained.
"That is very advanced Mr. Black," the woman praised. "Perhaps my Seventh year classes would be more beneficial to yourself," she suggested.
Harry nodded gratefully and dispelled the snake before exiting the room as the Transfiguration mistress began explaining what it was he did to her class.
Although he was not particularly impressed by the abilities of the Hogwarts students themselves, from what he had heard about the level they had reached, he was admittedly impressed with the Professor. She was clearly a wealth of knowledge in the subject and he knew he was more than likely to take her up on the offer to join her older years in class.
Until then he decided he would attend a defense and charms class also and perhaps potions. Those were not until later in the week however so he would continue with his own studies for the time being.
(BREAK)
Lily Potter had left the meeting the previous night feeling extremely downtrodden. Dumbledore had attempted to speak to her but she had dismissed him immediately; he no longer had anything to say that she would want to hear. She made her way to her office and sunk into her chair behind her own desk before frowning.
"You can remove the cloak James, I know you're there," she sighed.
Her husband appeared from under the cloak, looking more severe than she had ever seen him.
"They must have blood adopted him, you saw his eyes", he muttered unhappily.
"We expected that James," she pointed out. "He doesn't look like either of us".
James shook his head.
"You know as well as I do that it is not that simple," he replied irritably. "They may have adopted him but he is still our son," he said firmly. "He will still have our magic and he is still physically a mixture of us".
Lily nodded, a sad smile adorning her lips.
"I'm just pleased he is safe and okay".
James returned her smile.
"They've looked after him Lils. More than we ever did," he added bitterly.
It was a bitterness that was aimed at himself. Himself and his wife were shouldering the responsibility of what they had allowed to happen all those years ago, though none of it felt any easier to them.
"At least he acknowledged you in some way," he offered, attempting to comfort his wife.
"But only to warn me to leave him alone," she reminded him. "I don't expect that conversation is going to be what I want it to," she whispered.
James sighed slightly but moved to pull the woman into a hug.
"Again, we expected worse. He will at least hear us out," he tried.
Lily nodded.
"Let us hope so".
(BREAK)
After filling Sirius and Aunt Cassie in on how the class had gone, Harry had spent the better part of the day reading his texts that weren't taught at the school, not willing to allow himself to lose practice in the subjects. He had managed to find a room close to the family quarters where he could practice his magic, though he had to be a bit selective with types of spells he used. He would eventually have to find a more suitable room in which he would not be so confined, but it would suffice for now.
He had learnt quickly that the majority of the castle did not become active until around eight in the morning, leaving him to enjoy his breakfast in peace, a peace he was happy to accept, especially because his morning exercises were physically demanding and it gave him a chance to recuperate.
He had opted to have both lunch and dinner with his family in their quarters the previous day having missed the morning meal with them. It was something he had always enjoyed and simply preferred the more intimate atmosphere.
After he had finished he breakfast this morning he had decided that he would explore some of the castle he was currently residing in. His father had recommended doing so as it was very rich in history and tradition.
He had to agree.
After exploring the first couple of floors, meeting a few of the ghosts and learning a little more about the building from them and some of the portraits, he could understand why many would choose to attend the school. There truly was a rich history here and he was certainly intrigued by their legacy the founders had left behind, particularly that of Salazar Slytherin, he did share a rare talent with the man after all.
After sharing lunch with the other two Blacks in the castle once more he felt the need to get some fresh air. He had never been one to stay cooped up' his months isolated in a cupboard had left him with the need to venture outside regularly. At home he would usually fly, a talent he grudgingly had inherited from James Potter according to his father. Here though, he was content to wander the grounds. They were vast and there was of course the forest to consider, something he would certainly explore during his time here.
Once his walk was complete he made his way back towards the castle, ready to complete his magical practice before dinner. It appeared that many of the students had had the same idea as himself and had taken the opportunity spend some time in the outdoors. He couldn't blame them. It was a fairly mild day for November in Scotland and not many more would come before the spring.
Just as he reached the steps to enter the castle a voice called out to him, gaining the attention of the other students also.
"Oi, Potter. I heard that your parents threw you out because you are a useless squib".
Harry froze for a moment and shook his head before starting to move on his way once more. The boy was surrounded by several of his housemates, all draped in green-trimmed robes. He hadn't had any interaction with the snakes as yet. Seemingly, they spent most of their time in the dungeons when they weren't at meals.
The moment the boy had finished speaking most of the students shook their head in exasperation. Trust Malfoy to make a fool of himself.
"Oi, I am talking to you," the blonde continued angrily as Harry started his ascent up the stairs. "Were you not taught how to socialize with your betters?"
Harry stopped dead in his tracks this time and turned to face the younger Slytherin. Slowly, he approached him and narrowed his eyes in irritation.
"My betters?" he questioned amusedly. "It is you who has clearly received a poor education," he added, the amusement now having left his tone. "Firstly, you did not have the decorum nor decency to introduce yourself before attempting to converse with me," he pointed out. "Secondly, you did not even get my name correct, tut tut," he mocked. "And finally, I can assure you that I have no betters. Remember who it is you are talking to before your propensity for social faux pass gets you into trouble".
By this point the boy was purple with rage and even his friends were chuckling at the dressing down he received.
"My name is Draco Malfoy, scion to the most noble house of Malfoy…"
"And my name is Harry Black, Heir to the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black," Harry interrupted.
Malfoy somehow turned a deeper shade of purple.
"I am the heir to the House of Black," he gritted out.
Harry chuckled darkly.
"Where did you get such delusions Mr. Malfoy?" he questioned with no humour. "Because claiming such false information can be viewed as attempted line theft".
"My Father…."
"Is married to a daughter of House Black, nothing more," Harry pointed out irritably. "Now, I will let this one interaction pass without having blood spilled. We can put it down to your own lack of knowledge and ignorance, how does that sound?" he offered mockingly.
Malfoy continued to grit his teeth but said nothing.
Harry nodded and turned to enter the castle once more only to have his attention brought back to the boy as sounds of shock escaped some of the onlookers.
His eyes narrowed dangerously as he tilted his head to avoid the spell that had been fired his way and his own wand was in his hand less than a second later. It proved to be an unnecessary move however.
The moment he turned the Malfoy boy fell to the ground clutching his groin as he squealed girlishly in pain.
"You sneaky little bastard," a voice familiar only to Harry rung out.
Out of the crowd stepped the one person he called friend, wand clutched in hand as his light green eyes were narrowed on the blonde in disgust.
"Don't even think about it," he ground out, noticing the large cohorts of Malfoy trying to draw their wands discreetly.
He approached the downed figure, his presence causing the other Slytherins to move away quickly, he wasn't exactly at his friendliest in this moment.
He was around the same height as Harry only slightly more thickly built, his white t-shirt accentuating his defined physique. His right arm was completely covered down to the tips of his fingers in muggle tattoos and his skin was more tanned, though his hair was much lighter; a brownish blonde with a sun kissed tint about it.
"Where I come from cowards like you are dealt with in a much more violent manner," he growled as he pulled the boy to his feet. "Take this as your warning my friend," he advised gravely.
"What on earth is going on here?" the stern tone of the deputy headmistress interrupted.
"Just ensuring the safety of my friend milady," Leo answered with a winning smile. "Your student here attacked him from behind with a rather unpleasant spell," he explained.
McGonagall's lips thinned dangerously.
"Be that as it may, you young man are not a Professor here".
Leo held his hands up.
"I will ensure that shall I come across such an act I will bring it to your attention," he assured the woman with another grin.
She shook her head in frustration.
"Come along Mr. Malfoy, perhaps a pain relief potion is in order for you".
"My father will hear about this," the boy promised.
"Oh I hope he does," Leo fired back. "Maybe his balls will be worth twisting but then again, if he produced a shitbag like you, I doubt it".
"Come along Mr. Malfoy," McGonagall instructed firmly as she took the boy under arm to help him on his way and shot Leo a scathing glare.
Once Malfoy had left the newly arrived boy turn and beamed at Harry who gave the first genuine smile any at Hogwarts had seen.
"So what have you got yourself into Black? I come back to find a note telling me to come here and that's it?" he questioned with a raised eyebrow.
Harry chuckled as he pulled the other boy into a hug.
"That will take some explaining," he sighed, happy that his friend had finally arrived. "Come on. I'll show you where we are staying".
Leo nodded and began following Harry into the castle.
They reached the Black family quarters where a smiling Cassiopeia pulled Leo into a tight hug the moment she became aware of his arrival. She would never admit such a thing vocally but it was clear she had a soft spot for the teen.
"I was very pleased with your results," she praised as she released him and looked him up and down speculatively. "I do wish you would stop with the foolish ink," she sighed.
"I missed you too," the boy replied with a fond grin.
He had spent a lot of time with the woman over the years and was very protective of her, not that she needed it.
She swatted his arm affectionately but frowned.
"You are officially my apprentice now, you will address me correctly," she chided.
The teen offered her a bow.
"My apologies mistress".
He stayed down in the bowed position as Cassiopeia shook her head in amusement.
"Get up Leo for Merlin's sake," she huffed. "Do not make me punish you already".
The boys' expression sobered quickly and the woman nodded in approval.
"Is someone going to explain to me why we are here?" he asked.
It took a while to fill him in on everything that had happened. This included Harry having to explain his ties to the Potters, the night of Halloween 1981 and everything that had led to him living with his family.
When he had been made privy to all of the relevant information Leo exhaled a deep exhausted breath.
"And I thought my start had been bad," he mumbled. "Well then, what's next?"
Harry frowned slightly at the reaction his friend had at hearing everything.
"You're not angry with me?" he questioned uncertainly.
Leo shrugged indifferently.
"It's not like you ever lied to me," he pointed out. "Believe me, I understand not wanting to talk about your past, it took me a long time to tell you about mine."
Harry smiled slightly and nodded.
"I've always known you as Harry Black, it makes no difference to me where you came from".
Harry smiled a little wider this time, pleased that his friend was not upset with him.
"And besides, if that Dark Lord comes back and he's after you you'll need someone to watch your back, Merlin knows you can't be trusted on your own," he joked.
"As soon as this tournament is done, I'm going home," Harry declared. "There's nothing I want to be here for".
Leo nodded his agreement.
"Well, what is next then?" he asked again.
"The weighing of the wands," Sirius spoke. "Then the first task on the 24th".
"Any idea what it is?"
Harry shook his head.
"Well, perhaps it may have something to do with the four dragons I saw in the forest out there," Leo replied gravely, though his eyes carried a hint of amusement.
Harry paled slightly but a look of grim determination came over him. It was not something he was keen on facing, but he had a few tricks up his sleeve if they became necessary.
"Dragons?" Sirius squeaked uncharacteristically.
"Yep, big ones," Leo confirmed as Sirius's face became ashen.
"What were you doing in the forest?" Cassiopeia asked with a frown.
Leo smirked.
"Well you didn't think I would leave Rasputin home alone did you?" he returned with a grin.
Cassiopeia shook her head exasperatedly.
"How are you going to deal with a dragon?" Sirius broke in worriedly, disrupting the conversation from going any further off topic.
Harry shrugged.
"It depends on what the actual task is," he sighed. "But if it comes down to me or the dragon, then I'll kill it".