Harry Potter and His Questionable Creature Friends

02: "Why Is Slithering So Hard With Feet?!"

AN: Happy Early Halloween I mean "Something Bad Must Happen to Harry James Potter" Day!

Thoughts - 'Italicized With Single Quotes / Apostrophes'

Texts (Papers and Whatnot) - Bold

Parseltongue / All Speak - "Underlined Italics"

Memories - Bold Italics

Oxinos led Harry away from the Dursley family and Privet Drive in general. Along the way, Harry was mesmerized by the city around him. Whenever he usually went out, it him shopping or running from Dudley's gang of "Harry Hunters". But now, he could look at the blue sky and the feel the dewy grass and breathe the fresh air (sure he's been outside doing yard work for Petunia, but he just feels like the air is fresher now) and hear the birds chirp happily above and so much more than before!

Eventually, Oxinos stopped Harry outside of a forest. "I didn't even know there was a forest here..." Harry muttered allowed.

Oxinos simply bobbed his middle head and began to slither into the forest. At first, Harry tried to follow by walking, but came across low hanging branches that were too low to walk past and too crowded to climb over.

Harry sighed, gave himself a 'nobody's gonna see...', and tried to imitate Oxinos. Harry got down on his hands and knees and began to flop about like a fish on land. Oxinos had to eventually poke his heads back out from the forestation to look at Harry fail to be a snake.

To this day, Harry will always admit how embarrassing it is to try slithering with legs. (Even if he has grown quite talented at it.)

"What's the problem, Little Speaker?" Oxinos asked after reemerging from the green leaves surrounding him, "Are you having trouble getting through? You are bigger than I. I wonder if you could go around? Towards the loud two leg things on wheels, back at that grey path, there is a larger opening. Try there, maybe?"

Harry was worried. He didn't want to be separated from his new friend. He didn't like being alone. But, he had to be a big boy. He was 5 years old—nearly 6 soon—so he could do this task.

"O-okay. Is it safe though?"

"Of course it is! I've crossed through there many times when these branches were sagging too much due to rain. You should be perfectly safe, Little Speaker."

"Alright...I'll see you soon, Oxinos!"

Harry waved goodbye to Oxinos as he made his way back towards the street they had passed earlier. It wasn't too busy, but it was the only street where he could here the cars moving along. He followed the tree line until he came across the hole he thinks Oxinos was talking about.

Harry carefully approached the hole in the wall of trees, not wanted a hidden animal or something to attack him for his sudden movements. He didn't know how, but he felt eyes on him.

'The woods look darker inside than I thought...' mused Harry. 'It doesn't matter though! I can do this.'

Harry crossed the tree line with cautious steps before taking in a big breathe. The forest was now huge.

The forest also seemed almost brighter from the inside. The trees looked taller. The pathway was more spacious than he thought it'd be. The rumble of cars seemed to disappear.

Harry relaxed minutely at the scenery. It was so beautiful. He then got a serious face on and began to walk back towards where he thinks Oxinos was. After a few paces east? West? After a few paces towards Oxinos' alleged whereabouts, he heard a new voice.

"What is a human drake doing in here I wonder. He smells no older than 5 summers but looks as old as 3 or 4?"

Harry stopped in his tracks and turned around.

Only to come face to face with two yellow slit eyes of a dragon.

Harry froze. 'Is that a DRAGON?! And it's looking at me!' Harry took a deep breath in and looked at the dragon right in the eyes, the subtle quiver of his clenched hands the only hint to him being scared.

"He-hello."

"The human drakes can speak? You can speak, human drake?"

"Yes? I can speak..."

"Interesting! I haven't come across a human speaker in a couple hundred—maybe even thousand—years! How did you get into this forest, young one? Non-magic ones shouldn't be allowed in, but I don't feel any magic off of you."

"Magic?" at this Harry turned his head in confusion, then fear, "You can't say the "m" word! Uncle Vermon says so! It's a curse and not real! It's not! It's not! It's not!"

The dragon took a step back in mild shock at Harry's sudden outburst before lowering its head to bump its nose into Harry's chest gently. "No, young one, magic is real and not a curse. It is a gift given to a special few by Lady Magic. How else can you prove your ability to talk to me? How can you explain me being here if not for magic?"

Harry pondered this for a bit before responding. "Because of my freaky freakishness?" Harry asked. He didn't know.

The dragon looked rightfully offended. "No, us magic folk aren't cursed or freaky or anything those horrible things those non-magic folk like to spew these days." The dragon nuzzled Harry's stomach, its warm breaths fanning Harry.

Harry grew quiet for a minute before slowly patting the head of the dragon. The dragon gave a soft, satisfied hum before raising its head once more.

"Now, young one, will you tell me how you got here?"

Harry blushed. Right, he should probably explain himself.

"Okay. So I came here with my new friend-"

"Little Speaker!"

Harry was interrupted by a familiar hiss. Harry turned around and beamed at the approaching snake. "Oxinos!"

While Harry was walking towards Oxinos, the dragon behind him narrowed its eyes.

"Oxinos, why did you bring a human drake here? You know the rules in order to keep this forest safe." the dragon reprimanded.

Oxinos ducked his heads in submission before replying, "I know, Great Thyella, but I had to! His two leg family was simply awful to the Little Speaker. I found him doing all the work that the dam and sire should be doing! It wasn't right!" There was a protective glint in his six eyes and Harry felt his heart warm.

The dragon—Thyella as Oxinos called it—closed its eyes in contemplation. Finally, after what felt like ages, Thyella spoke, "I suppose that is an acceptable reason for bringing a human here. But, he must swear this forest to secrecy. I must protect the land I was blessed with by Lady Magic."

Harry's eyes sparkled. "Oh thank you for letting me stay!" He ran up to Thyella and hugged one big foreleg.

Oxinos watching this occur, gave a small, pleased hiss.

"Welcome to your new home, Little Speaker."

Oxinos - Acidic

Aima - Blood

Thalassa - Sea

Thyella - Storm

AN: Should I be annoying and repost the definitions for certain names and what certain texts mean? I know it's helpful to some and bothersome to other.

A baby dragon is referred to as so many things: wyrmling, drake, dragonling, dragonlet, and more. I just chose drake. No hate.

Words: 1207