Dragon Rider

SOUS ENTENDU*

Don't think

that I don't know

the hand of your mind,

is inconspicuously

taking of my stocking,

moving in resourceful blindness

up along my thigh.

Don't think

that I don't know

that you know

everything I say

is a garment.

Anne Stevenson

*: Hidden meaning

Chapter 2: A Different State of Mind

Donnamira headed for Ravenclaw Common Room. Her expression read relief and victory. But above all, she felt exhausted.

As the tension of the recent events faded, she felt emptiness.

Why? she thought, I don't even know why I always have Harry on my mind? Ufff, I don't have a tactic, a plan... What was I thinking of? Telling it to Draco... Was I out of my mind?

All of a sudden, she felt under a painful migraine stroke.

"Ouch!" she cried out, and tried hard to stand still.

She started to run to common room. She stopped in front of a picture of an old Oracle with a strange - rather funny - expression on his face. An eagle was on his shoulder. The two of them were standing in front of a Greek-Style temple. The scene looked ancient and peaceful.

"Periphas," she said in a very low, tired voice.

Oracle threw her a glance, then he began, "It was raining. Stop! I shouted at the rain. It's snowing now..."

The Ravenclaw Oracle used to tell little haikus before he lets students in. As for her spark, Donnamira loved and enjoyed his riddle-like haikus, but she was barely walking, because of the extremity of the pain. She thought that she could barely move a muscle but somehow she managed to walk in.

-o-

A sixth year Ravenclaw group, all seated in the dark blue velvet armchairs, forming a circle, were seriously debating about something. The room was shaped like a half circle and looked sophisticated in the house colours: blue and bronze.

They seem to have been debating for hours, Donnamira thought.

"I think, the philosophy of Magic still has some existence problems. I mean, what's the essence of it? What exactly is the core of a spell? Are there still things to explore? And why?" Mandy Brocklehurst asked in a rather anxious tone.

"Owww! Give it a break, Mandy," Terry Boot replied in a sharp, annoying voice and responded to Mandy's angry glare with one of his own. "Witches and wizards have been discussed this through the ages. This topic is meaningless, trite and cliché... You know what... I'm bored. This discussion is going nowhere." Terry stood up and headed for boy's dormitory.

"Typical," roared Mandy. She was so angry, she threw her Ancient Philosophy of Magic book across the room. " He always runs away, always. Why? Because he says he doesn't like to give concrete answers. What a philosopher! Huh! Crap, he does this because I went out with Justin Finch-Fletchley, but he... he... Ohhhh!" She burst into tears and ran out of the room.

Lisa Turpin shook her head, " Seriously, Cho, I'm sick of this. I mean, since the third year, can you imagine? Why can't they say that they love each other? The two little stubborn goats..."

Cho giggled, but it was just for a moment. Then, she sighed and looked sorrowful. She had been like this since Cedric's tragic death in the Triwizard Tournament. She could not get him out of her head. How generous, honest, kind and gentle he had been. How handsome he had looked. How they had used to laugh at things or even get excited before Quidditch games. Nothing seemed to excite her anymore. Time heals wounds, people say, but pain had penetrated her, from the core of her heart to deep down under her skin.

Donnamira's eyes caught the solemn expression on Cho's pale face. She was one of the few people Donnamira really cared for. When Cho pushed away the crowd of girls she had hanged with before, Donnamira was one of the people who stayed with her.

Cho raised her head up and saw Donnamira, "Hi 'Amira. Come on, join us. We were talking about one of your best subjects and you've just missed another tense moment with your favourite couple, Terry and Ma... Are you all right? You look sick," Cho said, giving her a panicked look. After the tragic events, she had become obsessed with health issues and faith. She saw ominous signs almost everywhere so that she became a great A student in Professor Trelawney's class.

"No, Cho. Thanks. It's no big deal, another migraine day. I'll be all right if I get some sleep," she tried hard to sound as cheerful as she could. She smiled, the last thing she ever wanted was to upset Cho.

-o-

The dormitory was empty.

Other people must be in the library, studying, she guessed.

Donnamira went immediately to the old wooden chest, near her bed. She opened it and started searching.

" Potion... Potion? Where's it?" she murmured to herself.

She knelt down just in time, because her vision started to get blurry. She was looking for the potion, Professor Snape had prepared for her migraine attacks.

She remembered Snape's words before handing her the potion, " No, Miss Fraudamen, I am not suffering from migraines, but let's say, I know this one will work with your situation because I have experienced similar kinds of things, from time to time." She remembered him, giving a dark look at his arm. Donnamira did not try to make something out of Snape's strange remark.

He's always spooky and dark, she thought, and if he says this will work, then there's no doubt.

A grey and white furry cat started to rub itself against Donnamira. It was Cho's Persian cat: Sasha.

"No, not now, no time for me to pet you, Sasha."

At last, she found the reward for her efforts. She held a little blue bottle, but she was trembling, it slipped out of her hands and fell to the floor. For a moment, Donnamira stared with meaningless, empty eyes, at the broken pieces of the bottle.

"No," she whispered.

She sat down on the floor, trembling, hugging herself. She could only see Sasha's green eyes. The rest of her vision was all blurry and dotted like a broken muggle -

What was that thing's name? she wondered. Oh, yeah, TV.-

She couldn't believe herself. Here she was, about to faint, and her brain was probably in the limp phase of matter, and what was she thinking about?

Oh yeah, that stupid box of mugglecraft. I guess what they say is true, strange things really do pop into people's minds in almost every condition. She smiled weakly and stared at Sasha's furry face. Exact expression of a Sphinx, she thought, you never know what she's thinking.

Another mind-destroying throb in her head. This last one was fiercer, it was as sharp as a flash of lightning. Then, the darkness fell. The last thing she saw was Sasha's olive green eyes.

No, she thought. This can't be migraine...

Darkness...

A dead silence...

No time, no place, just space. The space of existence... the primeval fear...

Nothing dared to move.

She was breathing heavily.

Am I in a different state of mind? she wondered.

I am blind! she panicked.

Then slowly, somewhere in the pitch dark, a mist-like colour formed. It became distinctive as it got nearer. The mist-like cloud was shaping a pair of olive... no, emerald green eyes. It took her shorter then a second to sort out, to whom these eyes belonged. But no, this couldn't be him. Once more, the mist like figure was reshaping itself. The figure was twisting. It was blurry and it shined rays of gold, like fairy lights. The figure slithered in the air, harmonically, getting closer with fierce green eyes and a golden glory.

Donnamira felt that fluffy feeling she had when she dove ninety feet from sky toward the ground, speeding up, on her broomstick.

Suddenly, the golden colour of the figure painted the darkness with its glory. Donnamira was standing face-to face with it and, finally, she saw clearly, finally she understood. It was a dragon.

-o-

They stared at each other. Donnamira quickly thought, Antipodean Opaleye? Or Peruvian Vipertooth? Nah, It can't be, it's not that small, perhaps Chinese Fireball... God, am I crazy? I will be eaten by it whatever it is.

"Neither true, but good guesses."

Yes, I will be eaten by it in a gifty.

"What? Who spoke?" She looked around, hoping to find someone who can save her, but she couldn't see anybody. Once again, Donnamira looked right into the dragon's eyes. Why am I here? she wondered hopelessly.

" Because you are called," the same voice replied. It sounded brutal and abundant but still, Donnamira sensed the compassion in the voice.

Slowly, she began to understand. The dragon was not speaking, but Donnamira seemed to understand him, as long as she kept the eye contact. She heard the echoes of its strange voice inside her mind. She shivered.

Some kind of telepathy, she thought.

"Wise," replied the voice.

Donnamira understood that there was no use of talking out loud around this silent, enchanted communication, so she freed her mind.

"Who are you?"

"They call me many names: Spirit of the Sun, Beast of the Darkness... Call me, NEMERA, for night and day are two lovers who never see each other. Fire and Ice, Order and Chaos. All, embroidered in me.

She was stunned; she was almost possessed by the beauty of this magnificent creature.

"Where am I, Nemera?"

"Too complicated for you..."

"Why did you bring me here? What do you want?"

"Why don't we start with the first feeling that emerged in your mind after you had seen me?"

Nemera bent down, so that Donnamira could just see its emerald green eyes. She gulped.

"HARRY..."

"You'll only see the things you want to see in my eyes. Your desire will lead me."

"I don't know why I want Harry Potter... It seems that the idea of getting him, trapping him, was implanted in me. This started from the first time I saw him. I need him for something, which I don't know and it doesn't make any sense and it's driving me...

"Calm down..."

She hesitated. She did not want to stop talking.

"Tell me, why do I need him? This is killing me..."

Donnamira was bewildered, she wanted a lot of things but she couldn't decide what she wanted most. Her unknown past, she sighed with pain, Harry?

"Look directly in my eyes. Don't lose eye contact."

She pulled her head up and stared.

"Only in depths, you will find the answer..."

-o-

Slowly in the depths of the green eyes, a scene started to appear. A group of weird looking people sat in a circle; half of them were wearing black caftans and the other half were dressed in gold. It was a bright, silent night. Suddenly, a man with a gilded black caftan stood up and began talking after an irritating cough.

A sacred meeting, Donnamira thought.

"Crossroads meeting may start now."

Donnamira watched his determined, old face. He seemed solemn but his eyes sparkled with anger.

" You all know why we are here," the old man gave a fierce look to the man near him. The man looked sleepless. He seemed to be about forty years old. He had dark brown hair and dark blue eyes. His face seemed extremely white. The man captured Donnamira's attention.

So sorrowful, Donnamira thought. His looks touched Donnamira somehow.

Old man continued, "Our only heritage is in trouble, because of one man's irresponsibility and lust."

Murmurs broke out, tearing up the dead silence of the night.

"Silence!" old man roared, "We trusted you, Alexis, after all your successful years in Durmstrang and the sacrifices you made for your long training, your family and..." he stopped, he couldn't find a word that suits.

The tired looking man - Alexis- blushed, his expression was pitiful. It seemed as if he lost the control of his expressions.

The old man faced the crowd and said, "Our heritage, eye of the dragon, our holy gem was stolen because of our so-called hero; Alexis acted insane. Alexis, you should be the one who knows by heart that the treasure of the Dragon are not sickles, galleons, or any of that kind of rubbish. It was symbolic. This was the first lesson, can't you remember? It was a test and your lust for retribution paralysed your senses. Now, just because of your betrayal to the dragon, the gem is in Voldemort's hands."

Once again, murmurs ripped through the silence of the peacefully sleeping night.

"But," a young, confident voice interrupted, "the one, - who shall not be named - told that we can get it back, if we..."

The old man howled, " Name him! That evil soul has a name: VOLDEMORT! What's wrong with you? Now that the gem is gone and all of your mighty courage too? We have a five thousand year old history. Our ancestors were far more wise and far older then Voldemort and his death eaters. We were the history and we should be the future. You owe that to your noble ancestors!" he stopped to take a breath and continued with a lower voice, "and yes, we have another chance for survival. Actually, it's our only chance."

Everyone nodded their heads silently,

"Rotten-souled wants a deal, he says we can get the gem back, if we give him Harry Potter. He knows our powers so he wants to benefit."

"Fair deal," someone said.

"Fair deal? Yeah, a fair one," he said in a thoughtful voice, " Such a disgrace in our history, but we have no other choice.

We tried to keep out from this war, but the time has come. We must take a side, and although it's not noble and right, our reputation is in danger. We must work with Voldemort." he paused for a moment to gain some strength then he continued, "I know all your consultant dragons turned into stones, during the absence of the gem, but stick with the inner light they gave to you, for it's time to make some serious plans." He gave an encouraging smile then turned to Alexis and said, "I'm very disappointed, Alexis. Actually, you must be the one who shall not be named, not Voldemort; I want you to leave your caftan before you go. You cannot be one of us anymore."

Alexis looked like someone had stabbed him. He opened his mouth to say something but there was no voice. Everyone stared at him anxiously. Alexis slowly turned around and took his black, silk caftan out. He touched slightly around the orange coloured dragon on it, then, he put it on the ground and staggered into the darkness. The old man watched him restlessly and roared so that he could hear him,

"No era of the DRAGON RIDERS witnessed such shame. Riders, you are dismissed."

Donnamira watched Alexis. She could not understand anything. A bunch of weird people desiring Harry Potter like she did... A misty mountainous area, a sacred meeting, and above all, a heartbroken man. Donnamira's thoughts were rushing. It was complicated. Suddenly the view blurred, she winked to get a better view, but no use... After a little time, she found herself staring at Nemera's eyes again, but they were not green anymore. They were dark blue. Donnamira shook her head. She was exhausted; she felt emptiness in her mind. She did not want to think anymore.

"May it be then..."

It was the last thing Donnamira heard in this strange atmosphere. She felt a sticky wetness on her face. For a moment,

she thought that It can be the saliva of Nemera. The thought of it, gave her nausea. Slowly, she opened her eyes.

Whiteness and a fresh odour were the first things she noticed.

"Am I eaten?" she asked involuntarily. The response was giggles. "Where am I?"

"Hospital wing, dear, and I promise you, you're not eaten by any of us," said William with a huge, encouraging smile on his face. "You fainted but there's nothing to worry about. Isn't that right, Cho?"

Cho gave her a faint smile. She seemed like her blood was sucked out of her body.

"Sasha warned me, I' am so sorry, Donnamira. I should have checked you before. I was late. I' am always late." She burst into tears.

William petted her shoulders and ordered, "Terry, take Cho out. he needs some fresh air."

After Cho and Terry has gone, Donnamira opened her mouth to explain what she had just witnessed but then, she stopped. There was no use of panicking William, by telling him a hallucination she saw under the influence of a terrible headache. She was sure, the school have already learned about her situation and she simply did not want others to see him as a lunatic having delusions.

At least, that weird group know why they need Harry. What about me? I'm still stuck, trying to find answers. She yawned and stretched her arms. Oh no, I totally forgot about Hermione and the charms lesson.

Even though, she did not seemed interested in spending time with Hermione, she would like to know her better. Above all, her feelings about Harry were still a mystery and Hermione can be the only key.

"Will, please tell Hermione that I'm very sorry but I would like to study with her, later."

"They already knew, 'Amira, don't worry, plus, I thought that you're not interested with her as a friend. You told us that you found her boring and so," he said curiously.

Donnamira protested his statement with a grumble. William laughed. "When you grumble, you look like Cho's cat: Sasha.

Whatever, I made a deal with Dean Thomas. I will give him five sickles if he can prove me that he has a pocket muggle TV. See you later." Donnamira smiled while she watched William go.

She thought about all the things that had happened. Her eyes were closing. She stared at the colour of the clock on the wall. It was platinum. Her eyes opened wide.

"How could I forget? Malfoy!"