Sirius's son

Back to Hogsmeade

There was no means of steering; the dragon could not see where it was going, and Rigel knew that if it turned sharply or rolled in midair they would find it impossible to cling onto its broad back. Nevertheless, as they climbed higher and higher, London unfurling below them like a grey-and-green map, Harry's overwhelming feeling was of gratitude for an escape that had seemed impossible. Crouching low over the beast's neck, he clung tight to the metallic scales, and the cool breeze was soothing on his burned and blistered skin, the dragon's wings beating the air like the sails of a windmill. Behind him, whether from delight or fear he could not tell, Ron kept swearing at the top of his voice, and Eliza seemed to be clutching onto Rigel's waist.

"JUMP!" Harry shouted when they were just inches below the lake

They all slithered over the side of the dragon and plummeted feet firsttoward the surface of the lake; the drop was greater than Rigel hadestimated and he hit the water hard, plunging like a stone into afreezing, green, reed-filled world. He kicked toward the surface andemerged, panting, to see enormous ripples emanating in circles fromthe places where Harry and Eliza had fallen. The dragon did notseem to have noticed anything; it was already fifty feet away, swoopinglow over the lake to scoop up water in its scarred snout.

He saw all of them drenched and exhausted. When Harry finished setting up protective charms, Rigel joined the others. It was the first time that he had seen them properly since escaping from the vault. All of them had angry red burns all over their faces and arms. But Rigel had taken most of them going up to his feet. Moments later, after they have been dried and healed, Hermione pulled out fve bottles of pumpkin juice she had brought from Shell Cottage and clean robes for all of them. They changed and then gulped down the juice.

"Well, on the upside," said Ron finally, who was sitting watching the skin on his hands regrow, "we got the Horcrux. On the downside —"

"— no sword," said Harry through gritted teeth, as he dripped dittany through the singed hole in his jeans onto the angry burn beneath.

"No sword," repeated Ron. "That double-crossing little scab . . ."

Harry pulled the Horcrux from the pocket of the wet jacket he had just taken off and set itdown on the grass in front of them. Glinting in the sun, it drew their eyes as they swigged their bottles of juice.

"At least we can't wear it this time, that'd look a bit weird hanging around our necks," said Ron,.

"What'll happen to the dragon?" she asked. "Will it be all right?"

"You sound like Hagrid," said Ron. "It's a dragon, Hermione, it can look after itself. It's us we need to worry about."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I don't know how to break this to you," said Ron, "but I think they might have noticed we broke into Gringotts."

All of them started to laugh and once started, it was difficult to stop. Rigel laid back on the grass beneath the reddening sky and laughed until his throat was raw.

"I'm going to miss my sword," Rigel said wistfully. 

"Cant you make another one?" Eliza asked.

Rigel shrugged.

"What are we going to do, though?" said Hermione finally, hiccuping herself back to seriousness. "He'll know, won't he? You-Know-Who will know we know about his Horcruxes!"

"Maybe they'll be too scared to tell him?" said Ron hopefully. "Maybe they'll cover-up —"

"I don't think so," said Rigel. "He has large networks. He'll figure it out."