Scars of Time

Scars of Time

Chapter Two - Faint Hope

* * * * *

The crystal clear water reflected the coral beneath the water. Seagulls flew over it, not noticing the faint glow in the middle of the sea. There, in the center, stood a female figure with very long hair. It was not the color of ordinary hair, for it was the color of pure silver. It was clear that she was a little girl. She was dressed in a long white frock; her eyes closed as if in a deep sleep, and her feet an inch above the water. The wind moaned, making the waves form and tumble. The water beneath her began to tremble, as though it was being shaken. The little girl opened her eyes--eyes of velvety black, and smiled tenderly. She held out her hand...

Draco woke up, yawning and stretching. It was the crack of dawn, and his stomach began to grumble loudly. To his relief, a tray of bacon, cheese, eggs, and two cups of coffee were lying on the dining table. He turned to Hermione to see that she, too, was fully awake. He began eating the bacon quickly, making Hermione snort. She shook her head and began to eat her eggs slowly, as though she was not hungry at all.

"This is good," said Draco, his mouth full. "It's almost better than the food my house-elves cooked,"

Hermione's face changed when she heard the words 'house-elves'. Draco subsided, now eating in silence. He knew how sensitive she was towards the house-elves who devoted their lives to slavering for Wizards. Draco drank from the chipped cup, and choked. "What is this, dirt?" he exclaimed incredulously.

"It's coffee," said Hermione, sipping from her cup calmly.

"I know that," he snapped. "But this one tastes like cow dung,"

"What an appropriate input," she said wearily. Hermione got up and put on her black robes, and he saw that she was no longer limping like she had been yesterday. "I managed to heal my knee," she said, beaming, noticing the look on his face. "Thank goodness Madam Pomfrey taught me some good healing spells during my Sixth Year."

Draco continued eating his breakfast, staring at Hermione's half-full plate in disbelief. "Granger--don't you eat?"

Hermione straightened her robes and sat down on the bed. For a moment, she was in silence, her face impassive and thoughtful. It was clear that she was trying to find the right words.

"Malfoy, what if the food's poisoned? You saw that man's face--it was practically gleaming when he saw the Galleons you gave him," she said finally.

Draco laughed. "Right. Granger, you're too smart sometimes, and you have a bad judgement over someone's character. Look at the man--he's fat, lazy, dull, stupid, careless--he won't give a damn about us. He would just tell everyone that we've got some gold coins with us."

"That's right--what if everyone makes a big deal out of it?" Hermione pressed.

"That's why we've got to find a way out of here," said Draco in a relaxed voice.

"You're not worrying at all, are you?" she fussed. She stared at Draco piercingly, expecting him to give her a sarcastic remark, but she received none. Instead, Draco got up and waved his hands dismissively, walking out of the room.

Draco made his way out of the inn, receiving a big, toothy smile from the innkeeper. He ignored him and walked faster, wanting to avoid any questions about the 'gold' he had. Maybe Hermione was right--maybe he should be careful after all. But there was something about the island that made him feel soothed. He went over to 'Outlookers Bar', hoping for a drink.

Draco had never tasted a beer before, only wine. He remembered back in his Fifth Year the party with the other Houses at the Three Broomsticks after the O.W.Ls examination. Ron and Harry had drunk themselves and acted very strangely. It was quite disturbing to see their red faces and hearing them hiccup. He remembered Pansy Parkinson, who almost tried to tear his clothes off in front of everyone. Draco shook his head at the memory. He found and empty seat and sat on it, and immediately a seedy looking waiter went to him and asked, "What can I get you?"

"Let's see, what do you have?" asked Draco, not really caring.

"I'd recommend Pinnacle Special, sir."

"Very well, I'll have that," he told him. The waiter nodded appreciatively and went off to collect his order. Sitting back on the hard, wooden seat, he sighed. Usually bars were the source of information, according to Professor Binns, the History of Magic professor. Draco tried to remember if he had mentioned anything about the Giant Squid. He could vaguely remember asking the professor about it, but as usual Binns had replied in that dull voice of his, "It lives underneath the lake of the school."

The waiter came back with his drink. Draco stared at the tankard, wondering whether he should drink it or not. Looking inside, he saw a frothy yellow substance. Here we go, he thought. Picking it up, he took a swig, but spat it out, for it tasted abominably sour. I can't seem to drink anything today, he thought, looking sulkily at the tankard.

"Can't believe that lad didn't like his Pinnacle Special. It's the best drink on Schmaera. He must be some crazy fool who's lost his way," he heard from behind him. Draco wanted to turn around and tell the man off, but he resisted. He had found out something--both him and Hermione were in a place called Schmaera.

"Don't mind him. You often get odd outsiders coming here occasionally, and believe me we've had worse. So what were we talking about?" said another man.

"That bloody Summoner. Lying bitch, she is, telling us all that Sin will never revive itself. I never believed her from the start. She told everyone she killed her Aeons to destroy Sin, used the forbidden machines*..."

"Well there ought to be a way to stop that monster, Ern."

"How? There's no hope! That monster killed my wife!"

The man who lost his wife began to sob while his friend patted him on the back comfortingly. They continued talking, but this time in a low voice that Draco didn't understand. He shook his head. He got up and went out of the bar, meeting Hermione on the way back to the inn.

Hermione had her hands on her hips. "Where did you go?" she demanded. "I've been looking everywhere for you!"

"A bar," said Draco, ignoring Hermione's expression of terror. "It wasn't that bad. I found out some stuff--this island's called Schmaera."

"Schmaera?" Hermione echoed, blinking. "There is no such place called Schmaera!"

"Maybe we're on an island, or something," said Draco, shrugging.

"Maybe we are... but..." Hermione paused. "Follow me, Malfoy. I have to show you something," she continued, her voice now grim. They began to make their way towards the other side of the island, but they did not use the forest route. She led him to the beach, and pointed at something in the distance.

"There," she said. "It looks like a continent, because there was lots of land when I saw it this morning."

"It doesn't look like an ordinary city," he remarked, squinting his eyes.

"It doesn't look like any city," Hermione snapped.

"What are you saying?" Draco inquired her.

"I'm saying nothing. I just said that it doesn't look like an ordinary city, or an ordinary continent. In fact, I don't know what it is, I don't want to know, and I don't care," she said frantically. Draco looked up ahead. The city was most definitely not ordinary. Its roofs were dome-shaped and the walls looked as if they were made of marbles from afar. Many ships were making their way to the continent and it was obvious that the place, whatever it was called, was probably almost a bit like London, with people bustling about.

It was plain to see that Hermione was now frightened. Draco himself felt fear crawling up into his heart. Where are we, then? he wondered, taking a look around. Coconut and palm trees, the sand, the ocean, the sun, the village... It all seemed so ordinary, but deep in his heart he knew that it wasn't. Something was different.

"Something's different," said Hermione, voicing his thoughts. "And we won't know what unless we get off this island!"

"Bright idea, Granger. The only problem is--how?" Draco said in a puzzled voice.

"I don't know... I'm not really smart at coming up with cunning schemes--that's your department," she snapped.

Draco snorted and shook his head. "I'm stupid sometimes, you know, and being stupid means that I can't think of anything. And frankly, right now I feel like I have no brain, and that I can't think of what to do, so stop relying on me, and rely on yourself for once in your bloody life!" he yelled.

"Excuse me? Rely on you? I would never depend on you, Draco Malfoy. You can't do a single thing!" she screeched.

"Tune it down, Granger, someone might hear you and mistaken you for a wild beast," he said, in a cold voice.

"Why do we have to fight all the time ?" Hermione cried, waving her hands and sighing dejectedly.

"Because that's the way it goes," said Draco, shrugging.

"Ugh, why did I bother asking you? The Giant Squid must be crazy for bringing me here with you. It could've chosen anyone but it chose you."

"Wow, I was just thinking the same thing!" said Draco sarcastically.

"That's really nice to know, Malfoy," said Hermione, glaring at him furiously.

They stopped arguing after a moment of silence, and began to make their way back to the village. Hermione sulked, while Draco ignored her. They saw kids playing with a ball that looked like the one Hermione had summoned. "Want to watch?" asked Hermione.

"Why not?" he drawled. "It's better than listening to your babbling."

Both of them sat on the stone hedge, not really watching the kids. Draco himself was baffled and confused. He guessed that they were practicing 'blitzball'. He saw the boy who had 'adored' him yesterday. The boy met his eyes and ran up to him, grinning widely. "Hello!" he said, in a cheerful voice.

"Er, hello," said Draco.

"Thanks for all your help yesterday," said the boy, practically bouncing up and down.

"I didn't really do anything," said Draco, shrugging.

"Sure you did! You gave me my ball back! I thought it was eaten by an animal and my coach ain't mad at me, thanks to you!" the boy continued.

"Uh-huh--that's good to hear. What are you playing--blitzball?"

"Yep!"

"What is blitzball?" Draco queried him.

"You don't know what blitzball is?" the boy exclaimed, his eyes widening. "It's the best game in the world! It can't be played here, so we practice diving and try to knock the blitzball off each other underwater. Each team has six players and the team that scores the most goals wins! The most popular stadium is in Bavelle... I'm going to play there one day, and be just like my coach!"

Hmm... blitzball sounds like a combination of those Muggle games Terrence Higgs and Marcus Flint loved to watch during the summer--what were they called?--Oh yes, polo, football and rugby, he thought.

"Is your coach a great blitzball player, then?" asked Hermione, smiling at the boy.

"Oh, yes! He's the greatest, but he isn't playing for any teams..."

Someone started to laugh behind them. They turned around to see a young man--probably in his early 20s--grinning and chuckling. He had messy, sandy blond hair and a cheeky face. "I think that's enough of praising, Marcus," he said, winking at him. "Go join your teammates, they're waiting for you."

"Right, coach!" Marcus said, waving good bye to Draco and Hermione before setting off.

"I'm sorry if he was annoying you--the boy is just a little too excited over blitzball," he said, scratching his head. "Are you two new here?"

"Er, yeah," Hermione mumbled.

"Well, it's nice to see new faces once in a while, I guess. My name's Tidus--and you are?"

"Hermione Granger," she answered, smiling faintly at him.

"Draco Malfoy," said Draco, slightly suspicious over their new 'friend'.

"Ah... strange names, you have! I think I know someone with the name of Hermione... probably someone from Besaid, but whatever." Tidus said, extending his hand at Draco and he reluctantly shook it.

"So, what brings you to Schmaera?" asked Tidus, sitting on the hedge next to him.

"Ah... we're just... travelers," Hermione blathered.

"Oh! That's good. I've traveled once--a really good journey it was. Long and hard--but it was good," he said longingly. His eyes traveled over their outfits, a puzzled expression on his face. "You wear strange garments--where are you from?" he asked.

"These are not strange," said Draco in an abused voice. "My robes are of good quality!"

Tidus laughed loudly and before Hermione could open her mouth to lie, two men walked passed them. Draco recognized them as the men from the bar. Both of them looked drunk and angry. "Damn Summoner... lying, stupid, foolish girl... I wish she was eaten by Sin!" said the man whose name was Ern, in a bitter voice.

In a flash, Tidus was up, and he was grabbing Ern by his shirt. "What did you just say?" he asked menacingly.

"That stupid Summoner lied to us! The damnable freak..." Tidus' face went red and he shoved Ern back furiously.

"Don't you ever let me hear what you said again!" he shouted.

"Whatever... whatever... ow, help me up..." Ern murmured, as if in a dream. His friend helped him up and they stalked off.

Hermione was staring at him, frightened. Tidus sighed wearily and sat down again. "Some people are just too ungrateful. She did everything for them, and they actually have the nerve to complain and grumble, just because a new terror has awaken."

"Terror?" Hermione asked, blinking. "What new terror?"

"I suppose you don't know but a new monster has recently caused havoc in some parts of Spira. I am not sure what it is since I haven't seen it yet, but they told me that it was a dragon of some kind. They all insisted that this monster is the next Sin."

"What's Sin, and what is a Summoner?" Draco inquired, blinking.

"Sin was an evil creature that roamed the lands of Spira, and a Summoner..." Tidus trailed off, and looked at them dubiously, and started to smile. "Why didn't you tell me before?" Tidus trailed off, looking at them dubiously and started to smile.

"Tell you what?" asked Hermione innocently.

"That you're not from Spira,"

"And what the heck is Spira?!" Draco shouted.

* * * * *

Tidus came back from the kitchen with cups of hot chocolate. Hermione took the cup from him and sipped hers carefully. Draco seized the cup but left it on the table, unwilling to drink it. "So," said Tidus slowly. "Where are you two from, anyway?"

"Why should we tell you?" Draco asked, rolling his eyes. "It doesn't have anything to do with you."

"Perhaps not," Tidus started, but paused. He tilted his head to the left and Hermione found herself looking at a sharp sword leaning against the wall and gulped. He smiled and asked, "Now would you mind telling me what's going on?"

Draco plunged a hand into his pocket for his wand, but before he managed to perform a curse on Tidus, Hermione said, "We're from Hogwarts, and it's in England. It's a school for wizards."

"Wizards?" Tidus blinked rapidly, looking mildly confused. "England?"

"People who can use magic, like this," said Draco irritably, whipping out his wand and waved it around. "Lumos!" Light blossomed from the tip of his wand, and Tidus simply gawked at it, amazed. He got up and began to pace around the room, looking apprehensive and worried at the same time. People, who can use magic, like this.

"There are some people who can use magic here, such as Summoners..." he said, nodding fervently at them.

"For the last time, what is a Summoner?" Draco asked, frustrated.

"A Summoner... well... they are the ones who pray in the temples, to receive the blessings from the Fayths, and they can summon Aeons."

"What are Aeons?" asked Draco curiously.

"Aeons were magical beasts, created by the power of the Fayths. There are no Aeons left, for the Summoner that defeated Sin, Yuna, has sealed them so that Sin will never revive itself again. Sin was a monster that caused havoc in the lands of Spira, and it killed lots of people. Now it is gone forever," his face changed slightly.

"But how can you be so sure that it'll never come back?" asked Hermione reproachfully.

"It's been five years, Hermione," he replied, looking wistful at the same time. "It won't come back. It's dead."

"So... so the world you're living in... where we are right now... it is called Spira," Draco murmured softly.

"Yes," said Tidus, nodding.

"What are Fayths, though?" asked Hermione.

"Fayths were spirits of the dead people who had the power and determination to defeat Sin. They--they--" Tidus paused. "Well, they're gone now. Yuna has already performed the Farplace Sent-Off ritual. They're resting in peace now--finally."

For a moment, Draco and Hermione looked at the floor in silence. They did not quite understand everything, but at least they had found out some things. "How did you get here?" Tidus asked them carefully.

"We were by the lake at Hogwarts and the Giant Squid attacked us, and sucked us in... I can't really remember much," Hermione mumbled reluctantly, toying with her wand absent-mindedly. His eyes widened, as if he were shocked. He gave them a strange look, making Draco feel uncomfortable.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Well... I'm making a theory that's simply impossible and yet possible at the same time. Both of you are from another world," said Tidus finally. Hermione and Draco stared at him, speechless. But it was Hermione who broke the silence.

"No, that can't be true, but if it is... How do we get back?"

"Perhaps there is a way... Maybe Yuna can help you," he said thoughtfully.

"The Summoner?" Draco echoed in a confused voice. "I doubt she could help us..."

"And how can we be so sure that you're not lying?" Hermione said, looking at Tidus suspiciously.

"When you meet her, tell her that I sent you to her. Then you will know that I am not lying," he told her.

"Why don't you come with us?" asked Draco.

"I... I can't," said Tidus, looking away. "I'm not allowed to,"

"You're not allowed to...?" Hermione blinked.

Tidus merely smiled at her. "There will be a ship departing for Bavelle tomorrow morning. I can escort you there, if you want me to."

"Hmm... sounds good," Draco murmured thoughtfully, but he still didn't trust the man. He looked up stared at Tidus, frowning. "Why are you helping us?"

Tidus' face suddenly changed, as if he had just figured out a riddle. "Of course! This is why..." his voice faltered, and he cleared his throat. "Because I like helping people," he answered lamely.

Hermione stared at him dubiously and he chortled. "I have to give you a hint of advice, though. Don't look so suspicious in front of the people of Bavelle. Most of them are distrustful. Your clothes are strange enough to make them call the enforcements, Hermione...."

"I'm wearing a skirt underneath my robes!" said Hermione in disbelief. "Isn't that feminine enough?"

"Come on, Granger. You don't want to be caught, do you?" said Draco in an irritable voice.

"No... but..."

"Then it's settled, then," he snapped.

Hermione gave a discontented sniff and made her way out. "Fine, then. I'm going shopping--and you are not going with me, Malfoy," she said in a sharp voice.

"It's not like I even want to," said Draco, snorting.

"Are you sure you want to wear those robes to Bavelle, Draco?" asked Tidus, furrowing his eyebrows. "I didn't really tell you that it was all right."

"Oh, d'you want me to do a shopping spree too?" he snapped.

"Yep!" said Tidus, laughing.

* * * * *

Draco's eyes furrowed as he stood by the beach, feeling a prickling sensation as the water hit his bare feet. He felt rather flustered actually, because of what he was wearing. He had followed Tidus to a garment store and had bought new clothes for himself. The sun was setting and the water was shimmering in an intense orange color. He looked down at himself. . He was wearing a navy shirt with a brown vest over it and knee-length blue shorts.

Hermione still hadn't come back from her own shopping and he was beginning to think that perhaps something had happened to her. He picked up his shoes and turned around, deciding to check up on her, but to his surprise, a familiar little girl was standing in front of him. She was smiling at him and was holding out her hand. He hesitated, wondering what to do.

Before he could decide, the girl faded, and Hermione appeared, frowning at him. "Malfoy--why are you staring at me like that?" she asked. "Do I look strange?" He gawked at Hermione. She was wearing a white blouse underneath her short and unbuttoned red cardigan, and she was wearing a short red skirt. He exploded into peals of laughter.

Hermione glared at him. "Well, speak for yourself! I can't believe that you would actually wear shorts."

"They're not shorts," Draco drawled. "They're not very short now, are they?" He looked at her meaningfully and she blushed. "I actually can't believe that a Gryffindor like you would wear something so drastic."

"It's not drastic," she yelled. "And why do you care, anyway?"

He paused, startled at her outburst. He didn't--but he was amazed at how different she looked. He turned away from her, sighing. "Why did you tell that idiot everything anyway?" he asked, looking at her irately.

"I don't know--I just think we can trust him, for now, that is."

"What if we can't? He was practically threatening us!"

"He wasn't--he just wanted to know..."

"How can you be so sure?" Draco asked reproachfully.

"I just know, Malfoy!" she snapped.

For a moment, they stood there in silence. Hermione went to sit down on the stone hedge, staring out at the sea. "I miss Hogwarts... and Ron... not to mention Harry, too," she said suddenly. "I want to be there before the summer holidays start, so that I can say a proper good bye to everyone." Draco raised his eyebrows.

She started to swing her legs and continued, "When I leave Hogwarts, I'll miss everyone a lot... even the Slytherins, the portraits, and Snape," she laughed sadly. "But I wonder if we'll ever get back... what if we're stranded here forever? I can't deal with that... who am I going to lean on? I'll lose Harry, Ron, and my parents, too... I wonder if we'll make it home."

"Maybe the Summoner will help us," Draco murmured.

"I hope so," said Hermione wistfully.

Suddenly, voices came from the sea. It was most peculiar, but the sounds of people singing could be heard. It was a soulful hymn, and it made him feel strange inside. "What's that?" asked Hermione, puzzled.

"A hymn," Draco muttered.

Hermione closed her eyes for a moment, breathing in and out. "It sounds nice."

Draco had a strong feeling in his heart that a strange revelation was about to unveil itself soon.

* * * * *

Draco tossed and turned that night. He found himself not being able to sleep, and he knew the reason why. He did not want to admit it, but he was actually afraid. Afraid that the dreams he had been having was about to haunt him again, afraid that he might never go back. But really now, what's the point of going back? There's no one for you, Malfoy... No one, he thought.

Feeling rather gloomy, he got out of bed and crept out of the inn silently, so that no one would hear him. Sitting down on one of the benches by the beach, he took a deep breath and inhaled. Memories flashed through his mind. Painful memories, painful moments... He could still remember that very day. The day his father was sent to Azkaban.

It was three days since Christmas, and the Malfoy Manor was filled with several people. Ministry workers, reporters and journalists, and even some wizards, including Harry Potter, who came because he had to tell the Aurors about Lucius Malfoy. The atmosphere was almost like a courtroom, and anger was building up inside of him as he watched Harry telling the Ministry officials about Lucius' 'dastardly' acts. However, Draco was very angry with his father too, for being exceedingly foolish. As the Aurors took Lucius by the hands and prepared to send him to Azkaban, Lucius threw a smile at him. It was the first smile Draco had ever gotten from his father, and he felt awkwardly strange inside.

Was it happiness? Regret? Sadness? Draco could not interpret his feelings. He watched his father and the Aurors Disapparate, and hot tears were burning behind his eyes. He tried not to let them fall. He saw Harry walking towards him with a smirk on his face. Perhaps it was of satisfaction from getting his revenge on Draco. "Lost your father now, eh?" he whispered in a malicious voice.

Never in a hundred years would Draco believe that Harry said that, but he did, and Draco knew that he did not mean it, because the triumphant expression on his face immediately turned into guilt. He opened his mouth to say something, but Draco did not want to hear it. He fled from the Manor, and finally returned after a week. A couple of months later, he received a letter from the Ministry that his father was going to be executed on the 15^th of June.

It was tomorrow. Draco bit his lip and clenched his fists. He needed to go back. He needed to see his father one last time. He needed to tell his father that...

That he loved him?

Draco shook his head. No, that would not be right. It would be too awkward. There is absolutely no reason for me to think about this, since I am probably not going to be able to go back before tomorrow, he thought bitterly. He suddenly heard footsteps coming from behind him, and thought it was Hermione. He turned around, expecting her menacing glare, but only to see Tidus.

Draco glared at him. "What are you doing here?"

"I was just taking a walk," Tidus answered in a nonchalant voice, but Draco suspected that Tidus probably knew that he was going to be there. "Where's Hermione?"

"She's asleep," said Draco.

"Why are you still up, then? You should sleep early--you've got an early day tomorrow," he said, grinning at him.

"I don't see why I should bother telling you since it's really none of your business," Draco snapped.

"You were looking very intense just now, like you were thinking of something really deeply," said Tidus. "Want to talk about it?"

"You're not my brother. Shove off," Draco looked beseechingly at him. "I bet you're lying to us--I bet there's no such thing as Bavelle!"

"I am not a liar, Draco," said Tidus carefully. "I am not good at lying, and I've got a witness for that."

"I'm still not trusting you," he said stoutly. He got up from the bench and made his way back to the inn. He could hear Tidus shouting 'good night' cheerfully and rolled his eyes.

* * * *

"Take care of yourselves, all right?" Tidus told them both. They were at the Schmaeran Harbor, and were about to board the ship. There were only a few people there; most of them looked like travelers and traders. Hermione began to wonder what was going to happen to them when they reach Bavelle. Were they finally going to go home? Draco marveled at this question too; but a voice in his head kept saying it was just too good to be true.

"Thank you for all your help," said Hermione. She saw that Tidus was fidgeting and wondered what was going on.

"What's wrong?"

"Tell her.... Tell her that I miss her," he blurted out.

"All right," said Hermione nodding. "I'll tell her."

He turned to Draco. "You... well... be careful out there," he said, apparently finding it hard to search for the right words. Draco nodded quietly.

"See you both later," he said, winking at them.

"Hopefully not," Draco muttered.

Once they were on board the ship, Hermione began to smile. "I can't wait! We'll meet the Summoner, and she'll send us home--presto! We'll be back at Hogwarts in no time. I hope the others aren't worrying too much about us," she paused and turned to Draco. "Is this your first time on a ship? You might get sea sick."

But Draco found himself enjoying the ride, and he didn't felt the urge to vomit at all. He and Hermione didn't talk very much on the ship, partly because he didn't know what else to talk about, and partly because she was intent on exploring the ship most of the time. The seawater looked clean and clear, and it was obvious that it wasn't polluted. He remembered seeing pictures of the polluted oceans that his friend, Gregory Goyle, had showed him.

"What is this, Goyle?" he had asked.

"An ocean." Goyle answered.

"What do you do there?"

"Swim," he answered dully.

"Is it fun?" Draco looked closely at the pictures.

"Sort of," Goyle mumbled.

"Why is it all sickly green?"

"Because it's polluted,"

"Is that a good thing?"

"I suppose so," Goyle answered, shrugging. "I mean, Muggles go there all the time."

"Huh," Draco had muttered, feeling like an idiot because he didn't know what else to say. It had given him the sudden urge to hex Goyle - both for being a blockhead, and for making him feel like one. "So, have you done your Potions assignment yet?"

Goyle gave a yelp. "No! I haven't!"

Suddenly, the ship began to shake violently, as if something was underneath it. Draco started to back away from the ship's rail. He almost fell down, but he managed to regain his balance by holding on to the bar. He could hear something swimming to the surface--something powerful and strong. Several bubbles were forming and a shadow crossed in the water.

Something leapt out of the sea, and his eyes widened.