Our Corrupted Souls

Part XII: Fear & Protection

"I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain."

                                   ~ Frank Herbert, Dune.

Near the property of the Greengrass family, the dragon allowed for Daria and Harry to reach stable ground. As gratitude, the dragon gifted Harry one of its scales. Daria beamed internally upon the chance of using an Ukrainian Ironbelly scale.

| You will always be welcomed if you are in need of aid, Master of Death.|

| Thank you,| replied Harry before watching the dragon that was once pale and gashed with burns of swords, now look as healthy as ever, with a restored vision and shining grey scales resembling steel, fly off into the distance. Its wings created gushes of wind that moved the air like turbines in a storm.

As Daria struggled rearranging her robes, Harry turned his back on her out of respect while inspecting the Hufflepuff cup.

"No one alive knows the language of dragons; they are reserved creatures," said the woman as she composed herself. Harry knew this was coming and listened intently to every word with dread. At last, Daria spun around, meeting Harry's back. "How do you know? Potion and Alchemy is advancing, but nothing has been made to allow the drinker to understand and speak with these creatures. The last Draakbeck was Merlin himself and not even he could master the language enough for these things to submit."

That is because Merlin was alive.

A soft snicker made Daria wish she were speaking to an adult, that way she could at least know how to react. However, Harry's behavior always seemed to affect her the way no one else could. The discomfort of treating a child like an equal, if not a superior, only grew the closer she got to the boy. Daria knew Harry had warned her of this, and yet, her mind could not wrap around how tainted this child seemed to be.

"There are species easier to sway than others. During Merlin's time, dragons were still feared. They were free." Harry faced the witch at last, eyes meeting hers playfully, obscuring his deadly expression. "You see, my lady," he explained, using two of his fingers to run down Hufflepuff's cup as he allowed himself to feel Tom's beating heart, wishing the cup was it so he could incinerate it and see the man die once more like a mortal. "Fear is a powerful thing, like love. In both you surrender, and surrender becomes power. Here, during this time, dragons are forced out of their home, to hide in fear of being captured by us. I simply asked the Ironbelly for help, in return, I offered... him freedom. Merlin struggled because dragons yet did not fear men. Now they do, they have given us the power."

Harry removed the careful touch he had on the cup upon having felt something he should have not. His connection to Tom was growing and that was not allowed. If it kept expanding, he would face the same problems he did in his first reality, and he could not afford a stronger bond to the man. He needs to be disposable and Harry cannot exactly kill him if their fates are linked. Daria noticed the change in character. Her observations were always accurate, although they seemed to always bring more questions than answers.

"Draakbeck, or Dracospeakers, are rare, but only because Merlin's line is almost gone. Like parselmouths, this ability is inherited. No potion gifted me this, but rather my mother's line." Harry slightly tilted his head and offered the witch the smile reserved to melt a woman's heart. "Does that answer your question, my lady?" He asked, using a tone almost as sweet as the one he had for Daphne.