“You’retePotter,”DraomutteredasHarrygotloseenoughtohearhimwithoutraisinghisvoie.
“Let’sjustgetthisoverwith,”Harrymuttered.
“Finebyme,”Draoshotbak,turningtoleadthewayintotheForestthathewasquiteusedtobynow.ThankyouFather,hethoughtsilentlyasHarryfollowedlosebehindhim,obviouslynothavingalueaboutwherehewasgoing.
Gatheringtwooftheingredientswentfairlyeasily.Draoled,Harryfollowedwslightlywhyhewasn’tdisturbedthatDraoknewwherehewasgoingandthenresolvedtothinkaboutthatter.ButwhentheyapproahedthespotwhereDraoknewtherewasaGantree,Harrysuddenlystoppedshort.DraoontinuedwalkingforafewstepsandthenrealizedthatHarrywasn’twithhim.Heturnedtoseetheboystaringaheadatthedownwardslopeofthegroundthatwasoveredinarootanopy.
“I’vebeenherebefore.Wedon’twanttobegoinginthere.”
“Yes,Potter,wedowanttobegoinginhereasitisthefastestandmostdiretroutetothestingredientthatweneedandIforonewanttogettobed.”
“Drao,youdon’tuand.Therearethousands,millionseven,ofgiant—”
“Spiders?YesIknow.”
“Theyenjoyeatingflesh—didyouknowthat?”
“Ihadassumedso.Theydon’tbotherwithaVeriae,soInevertestedmytheory.”
HarrylookedpointedlyatDrao,andDraorealizedthathehadoverlookedtheslightproblemofHarrynotbeingaVeriae.Herolledhiseyes,onlyslightlyvisibleinthedarknessofthewood.
“Fine.Youstayhere.I’llgogettheGan’sHair.”Draospokeasifhewasveryannoyedbytheinjustieofallthis.“Butyouhavetoarryeverythingbak.”
Harrydidn’tpointoutthefatthathealreadywasarryingtheothertwoingredients,andnodded,wathingthearistoratdisappearintotheave-likestrutureaheadofhim.
Harrywaitedandwaited…andfinallyfiguredthattimewasrelevant.Hewassurethathewasountingtheseondswhenhefirstheardthesounds,likewheezingonlyinaveryregurbreathingpattern.Andthenheheardthesomewhatsilentsoundofslitheringomingtowardshim.AndsomethingthathehadforedhimselftomemorizeforSnape’sseondtestlikedinhishead.
Wyvern!Hismindsreamed.Winged,leglessdragonsthatbreathedayellowfogwhihgavehumansanastyoughthatwouldn’tgoawayforyears,andmadetheireyesburnandblur.Damn.Andwhat’smoreisthattheirhiderepelledmagiofallsorts.Doubledamn.
Hehalftwistedtoseethreepairsofeyeswathinghim.Bloody.Hell.
Thereaturesslowlyemergedfromthebrush,speakingtoeahotherinthenguageofdragons.ItwaswhatParseltonguehadinatedfromandHarryouldathafewwords…wordsthatbythemselvesformedaverydispiture.Uionally,Harrybegantobaktowardstheavewhihwouldleadtothespiders’.
DraoemergedfromtheavetojustavoidrunningintoHarry,whohadleaptbaktoavoidthefogofthreewyverns.Whatweretheydoinghere?Thewindoftheforestrustledthroughthetreesandtoldhim.Draosawred.
They.
Wanted.