InsaneJournal

Believe that Magic Works (7/10) - R/Hr - R
Title: Believe that Magic Works (7/10)
Author: shocfix
Pairing: Ron/Hermione
Words: 5000
Rating: R

Written for sugarandginger’s Definitive Ron/Hermione Year Seven Novella Challenge

As the Trio set off on their search for the Horcruxes, Ron finally accepts that he wants to look after his two best friends in completely different ways

Many thanks for the betas by the awesome rosina_alcona, magicofisis and ella_bane, and for running the whole thing to tarie.

And for Glockgal, Hibiscus, Hill, Karasu Hime, Littlun, Lou, Luckilyotto, Moonytoes, Neb and Really Corking for the amazing art – I have no words to tell you how sexy it is when people draw for my stories.


Chapter 7 : Hidden In Plain Sight
****
"No," said Hermione.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"I've seen the tapestry; Professor Flitwick showed it to me. There is no necklace in it, either," she said.

"Yes, there is," Luna insisted. "It's a sapphire necklace. Sapphires as blue as Ronald's eyes." They all looked at me. "Only there are three of them," Luna added.

I could feel Hermione twitching beside me and tried to make the peace. "Maybe it'd be worth taking another look at this tapestry, Hermione?"

She glared at me. "There is no necklace," she snapped.

"Maybe you have to already know it's there, to see it?" Neville offered eagerly.

"Did you know it was there, Luna?" Ginny asked her.

"How do you know anything is there before you see it?" Luna replied. "Or even afterwards?"

"Can anyone else see it?" Harry asked.

"I've never discussed it with anybody. Why would I? They think I'm strange enough already, it wouldn't do me any good to stop people and ask, 'can you see that necklace?'"

There was an uncomfortable silence.

"Please, Hermione, let's go and have a look?" I said.

"But…"

"But wouldn't you like to be wrong in this case?" I asked gently.

"What difference could it possibly make that Luna can see some extra stitches in an ancient tapestry?"

"Stop being so stubborn, Hermione," Harry said, looking at his watch. "It'll be dinner time soon. Let's go up to the castle and have a look at this tapestry while the Ravenclaw Common Room is empty."

Hermione huffed but picked up her cloak and we all wrapped up warmly before dragging Tonks out of the bar and stepping out into the cold evening.

I took Hermione's gloved hand in mine as we climbed the lawns up to the castle; she was still prickly and I squeezed it and whispered, "Be nice, Hermione."


She glared at me and pulled her hand away. I rolled my eyes and followed Harry up the steps.

Luna led the way to Ravenclaw tower, humming tunelessly and seeming not to mind that Hermione didn't believe her.

She whispered her password to a moth-eaten tapestry that pulled itself aside like curtains and she ushered us inside.

The Ravenclaw Common Room was as big as Gryffindor's, but the blue furnishings were nowhere near as warm and inviting as the reds and golds I was used to. I felt a pang of homesickness, which was silly, as I was there in the castle, wasn't I? But it wasn't home anymore.

We looked around. There, above the huge fireplace, was a tapestry, showing Rowena Ravenclaw sitting in the window seat of a castle room, embroidery hoop in hand, slim and bare neck rising from her low-cut gown.

Hermione tutted beside me and looked at Luna.

"There," they both said.

Harry and I looked back and forth between them.

"Luna?" Harry asked. "Can you really see a necklace?"

"Of course," Luna replied serenely. "Why would I change my mind about something silly like that?"

Hermione made a strangled noise. "Because it's not there! I couldn't see it before, and I can't see it now and it isn't mentioned in the catalogue of the castle's paintings!"

"Well, maybe if you hadn't already assumed it wasn’t there, you would see it?" Neville said.

Hermione tutted again.

"Maybe you have to be in Ravenclaw?" I suggested and everyone perked up slightly.

Unfortunately, the tapestry in the doorway twitched aside and Michael Corner and Terry Boot came in. They stopped abruptly when they saw us.

"What's going on?" Michael asked.

"Michael," Ginny said sweetly and I had to bite my lip. "Could I ask you a favour?"

Michael looked sceptical.

"This tapestry of Rowena Ravenclaw – could you tell us what she's wearing?"

"What sort of question is that?" Terry asked.

"Well, Ron thought that maybe we're seeing her differently, because we're Gryffindors."

Terry looked me up and down.

"Oh," Michael grunted. "Well, she's wearing a long blue dress and some doily thing on her head."

"No jewellery?" I asked casually.

"Two rings," Terry said.

"But no necklace?" Hermione pressed.

"No," said Michael. "Why? Do you see a necklace?"

"No," she replied.

"Then what's the problem?" Terry asked, giving me a funny look. "What can you see that I can't?"

"I dunno," I said, feeling a bit stupid as he frowned at me.

"Barmy," he decided and they both went through a door that I assumed went up to the boys' dorms.

"So," Hermione said. "This long lost necklace, that no one who has seen this tapestry has ever mentioned, are you still sure it's in the tapestry?"

"Yes," said Luna calmly.

Hermione snorted.

Harry shrugged. "This isn't the first time Luna has seen something that we haven't," he pointed out and Hermione glared at him. Not the most tolerant person, sometimes, my Hermione.

"Maybe," said Neville. "Maybe it isn't in the tapestry, maybe it's in the tapestry."

"What?" Hermione snapped.

"Maybe it isn't depicted in the tapestry," he explained. "Maybe it's hidden in the tapestry."

"What?" Harry asked.

"The actual necklace," Neville finished quietly.

We all looked at him.

"Like, hidden with a glamour?" Ginny asked.

Neville shrugged.

"Then why can Luna see through it?" I asked.

"'Cos Luna sees through all sorts of stuff," Neville said. "She looks at things at a different angle, so she sees things we don't."

I felt Hermione stiffen and braced myself for another scornful outburst, but her face had lit up.

"You’re saying that the glamour shifts the wavelength of the light that hits the necklace, and that only Luna looks at the world in the right way to see things at that wavelength?" she asked.

Neville burst out laughing. "Does that sound like something I'd say?" he demanded.

Hermione tutted and pointed her wand at the tapestry. "Accio necklace," she shouted, holding out her hand, but nothing happened.

"You can't picture what you’re Summoning," I said. "Luna, you try."

Luna took out her wand. "Accio necklace," she said calmly, and a necklace with three large blue stones burst out of nowhere and landed in her outstretched hand.



"Oh my God," Harry breathed.

"Luna!" Hermione gasped. "I… I'm sorry, really… I didn't…"

"Everyone doubts me," Luna said, handing her the necklace.

"And you," Hermione shouted, whirling on Neville, who flinched. "You're a genius." And she flung herself into his arms. He patted her very awkwardly on the back.

He gladly let her go and stepped back and Hermione pointed her wand at the necklace and muttered Bill's charm again. The blue stones turned black. Possessed.

"Is that good?" Neville asked.

"That's bloody brilliant, Nev," I crowed.

"And we would never have found it without the three of you," Harry said solemnly.

"Now what?" Ginny asked.

"Now we have to find out how to destroy it," Hermione replied, putting it in her pocket.

oOoOo

Saying our goodbyes to a reluctant Ginny, a jubilant Neville and a serene Luna, we returned to the Three Broomsticks to pack our bags.

Madam Rosmerta seemed sorry to see us go when Harry settled our horrendous bill and we Apparated back to Grimmauld Place.

Hermione had had such a fright last time we'd destroyed a Horcrux that she was determined to go about things more methodically this time.

This meant that my more wild suggestions and Harry's urgent impulses were being ignored.

She read several books on gemstones and the like and grew more bad tempered each time she finished one.

Harry was growing very impatient by Easter and he Apparated to Hogsmeade under his invisibility cloak several times to see Ginny, who hadn't been allowed to leave school for the holidays.

I didn't have the heart to remind him to be careful, not to be seen with her.

One evening we were sitting in the library at Grimmauld Place. Harry was in a bad mood because he'd had to leave Ginny again; I was in a bad mood because I'd been trapped here with a foul tempered Hermione all day, who had flatly refused to be distracted from her project, no matter how cute I was being; Hermione was in a bad mood because her books had failed her.

She was irritably flicking through yet another huge volume, muttering under her breath.

"You need a book on how to destroy jewellery, not make it," I pointed out and she glared at me.

"Lord of the Rings," Harry said, tapping out an annoying rhythm with his wand on the coffee table.

"What's that?" I asked.

"Famous Muggle book," he said.

"Yeah, because Muggles need to destroy Horcruxes all the time," I scoffed.

"Actually," said Harry, "it's about a Quest to destroy an evil ring!"

I raised my eyebrows. "How do they destroy it?" I asked, interested despite myself. It was always so funny, the ways Muggles got magic wrong.

"They chuck it in a volcano," Harry said.

Hermione looked up. "What?" she said.

"A volcano…"

"I know that," she snapped and Harry looked warily at her. "Heat," she muttered.

"What?" I asked carefully.

"The sapphires can't be stabbed like the diary, or filled with poison like the locket. But extreme heat would shatter them." She was looking more research-excited Hermione than research-thwarted Hermione and Harry and I sat up straighter and looked eagerly at her.

"Yeah?" asked Harry. "You think that'd work? Heat?"

"Where are we supposed to get a volcano?" I asked.

Hermione started to deflate.

"How about a dragon?" Harry suggested.

Hermione's face lit up. "A dragon?" she breathed.

Harry winced, remembering the First task. "I can't think of anything hotter," he said.

"We'll take the necklace to Charlie," I said.

Hermione was practically bouncing now, her eyes sparkling. "Oh, yes," she said. "We'll need an International Portkey, but I really think that this'll work!"

"An International Portkey?" I said. "No one at the Ministry is going to just give us an International Portkey."

"And I don't want to draw attention to myself like that," Harry pointed out. "I don't want anyone at the Ministry knowing I'm wandering around Eastern Europe."

"Yeah, that'd be an open invitation to You Know Who," I said.

"Well," said Hermione. "We don't know anyone at this end with the pull to organise an International Portkey."

"Charlie certainly doesn't have those sort of connections," I protested.

"Don't shout at me, Ron," she said slowly and I frowned at her, "but Viktor does."

They both looked at me nervously and I rolled my eyes. "You really think I'd mind you asking Vicky for a favour?" I demanded.

"Yes," they said in unison and I huffed.

"Well, yes, OK," I admitted. "I don't like it. But you're right. Famous International Quidditch players can probably get a Portkey any time they want a friend to visit them."

Hermione leapt up and flung herself into my lap. "Since when have you been so grown up?" she asked, kissing me.

"Well, you'll have to promise to sit on my lap the whole time we're there," I explained. "And refer to me as 'my boyfriend'," she tutted, "and hold my hand, and be ridiculously affectionate in public," she tried to get up, "and let me do this in front of him." I squeezed her breast. She squeaked and Harry gagged.

"You're not allowed to do that in front of me," he complained.

Hermione pushed herself to her feet. "You are pathetic, Ron Weasley, and I am going to send Viktor an owl."

It took a couple of weeks for Hedwig to return with an empty bottle with 'Кока Кола' on it.

We packed a backpack each and activated the Portkey. I've always hated travelling by Portkey, and the only thing worse that being sucked through an International Portkey was being sucked through an International Portkey and landing on your arse in front of your girlfriend's International Quidditch player ex-boyfriend in his huge mansion.

But maybe that's just me.

"Herm-own-ninny!" a voice cried and Hermione was hauled to her feet and embraced enthusiastically.

"And Harry, is good to see you again," they shook hands.

"Ron! I am so pleased vith your news!" he grabbed my hand and pumped it.

"News?" I echoed.

"You and Herm-own-ninny! At last! She is vaiting a long time."

Hermione glared at me and I vaguely thanked him.

He was excessively friendly, drawing Harry with him as he turned to take us up to our rooms.

Hermione and I fell into step behind them. "How did he know we were together?" I asked.

"Because I told him?" she replied. "Honestly. I didn't realise it was top secret. I half expected you to stamp 'Property of Ron Weasley' on my forehead."

"He seems a bit too pleased about it," I complained.

"Stop it, Ron," she snapped.

I subsided, sulking. No, I have no idea what I was sulking about. It was galling to come to him for help, but he seemed genuinely pleased to see us, and what we were doing was more important than my stupid jealousies. And Hermione didn't fantasise about being with Krum in the library.

God. Because she didn't have to. Because that was where he'd asked her out. What if that was where they'd snogged?

She probably only snogged me in there as cover, so she could have an official Library Fantasy without my being suspicious, and I'd think she was thinking of me, leaving her free to be dreaming of Vicky.

By the time he left us in three adjoining rooms to freshen up for dinner, I was miserable.

When we met up again, ten minutes later, she narrowed her eyes and looked at me. She put her hand on my cheek. "God knows why," she murmured, "but I love you, you idiot."

She kissed me on tiptoe and led the way downstairs. I smiled goofily after her and Harry hit me on the back of the head. "Grow up, Ron," he said cheerfully.

Dinner was exotic and strange, the dining room was too ornate and I watched how Vicky treated Hermione closely.

I couldn't claim he was anything but polite, but even that got on my nerves.

Hermione enthusiastically tried each dish and my heart fell a little further at each compliment she lavished on them. Why did she bother with a provincial lump like me?

"Because I love you," she whispered and I jumped. "It's not Legilimency," she smiled. "It's called I know you."

I flushed and turned to listen to Harry and Krum discussing Quidditch. It was going to be the World Cup that summer and Bulgaria, as losing finalists last time, hadn't had to qualify.

England, as usual, had tried their very best to make a mess of it, and only a scrappy victory against Poland had taken them through.

"England very much need a new Seeker," Krum said significantly and Harry laughed.

"Not this year," he said.

"Do you think of playing ven this is over?" Krum asked and I could see Harry wince.

"I don't think that far ahead," he said finally.

We had an early start in the morning, so we went up to bed early. I was smiling as I kissed Hermione goodnight.

"What are you actually smiling about?" Hermione asked. "You've been miserable all day."

"He's imagining me stealing the Snitch from under Viktor's nose and winning the World Cup," Harry explained, far too accurately.

oOoOo

My room was huge and dark and cavernous and ornate and cold.

My bed was huge and carved and dark and cavernous and empty.

Until I was awoken on the stroke of midnight, by the curtains twitching open and scaring me half to death.

I was fumbling for my wand in the dark when the figure in the darkness shushed me.

"Hermione?" I whispered.

"Let me in," she whispered back.

"What's wrong?" I asked, sitting up.

"Nothing," she said. "Let me in."

"Lumos," I said, having located my wand, and her face was lit unflatteringly from below.

"What d'you want?" I asked.

"Oh, for heavens' sakes," she muttered. "I know I'm not very good at flirting and stuff, but how much clearer can I make it, than climbing into your bed in the middle of the night?"

She looked cranky, rather than romantic.

"Blimey," I said. "Are you sure?"

"Oh, not that," she said, waving a hand airily and my heart, among other things, sank slightly. "Well, not necessarily. I just wanted to be with you. I wanted to hold you," she pouted slightly and I lay down and opened my arms. She slid under the covers and snuggled up close to me. "And my feet are cold."

She slid one of her feet between mine, and I yelped, both from the cold and the fact that our legs were now tangled together.

I tried to ask why she was here again, but her hand slipped inside my pyjama top and ran idly back and forth across my body. I swallowed, hard. "Hermione?" I managed. "If you want us to fall asleep, can you stop doing that?"

"What if I don't want us to fall asleep yet?" she asked shyly, and I groaned.

"Hermione, you are driving me crazy here," I said and ran my fingers up her back, counting each bone in her spine, as she squirmed under my fingers.

When I reached her neck, I realised that I hadn't encountered any bra straps and I swiftly brought my free hand up to cup her breast. She 'hmmmm'd and snuggled against me and my breath caught as I nibbled my way down her neck and between the open buttons of her nightdress.

She didn't object, so I pushed her breast up towards me and kissed my way down towards it, marvelling at how soft her skin was, at how sweet she tasted. I was worried that my stubble was scratching her, but she muttered encouragingly and, at last, I slipped my hand inside her neckline and bared her breast for my lips.

My breathing was shallow and it puffed against her wet skin and she shivered and her nipple puckered when I lapped at it.

Just as my mouth closed around it and I'd decided I knew what heaven felt like, her stroking hand slipped lower.

"Hermione?" I murmured against her skin. "What are you doing?"

Then I closed my eyes and silently cursed myself. Why would I try and stop her?

"I thought I could help you be able to sleep, so I can stay here tonight," she said in a very small voice.

I gasped. "Hermione, you don't have to do that!" But please, please do.

"I want to, Ron," she whispered. "Show me?"

"Sh-show you?" I stuttered, like a complete idiot.

"Show me what you like?"

Oh, God. I tugged at the cord of my pyjama bottoms and her hand slipped inside. My much larger hand followed, and wrapped around hers. Heaven. This was heaven. Hermione's slim fingers stroking me as I moved her hand, first slowly, then faster and harder as my mouth returned to her nipple.

She held my head against her breast, her fingers tangled in my hair, as her other hand picked up the rhythm I had set and took me crashing over the edge of a cliff.

I buried my face in her cleavage as I shook and my breath caught in my throat. Hermione stroked my hair and rested her cheek on the top of my head. "Was that OK?" she whispered.

"That was amazing," I said hoarsely, raising my head to look her in the eye and she flushed. "You're amazing. I love you so much." I kissed her firmly and she smiled into my mouth.

"Good," she said smugly.

"Is there anything… can I… what…" I stuttered.

"No, not tonight," she whispered. "I'm fine, let's just go to sleep."

"You're going to stay with me?" I asked, frowning.

"Isn't that OK?"

"Of course it's OK, but what if the house-elves tell Viktor you slept here?"

She shrugged. "Fine by me," she said. "I hope they do. Then maybe you'll accept that I want to be with you, and don't care what he thinks."

I was speechless, so I kissed her deeply, grabbed my wand for a quick Tergeo and a Nox and snuggled under the blankets with my amazing girlfriend in my arms.

oOoOo

I was awoken very early by Harry shaking me and hissing my name.

Hermione had turned in my arms and was spooned up against me and Harry was smirking at us in the weak light. I very nearly threw back the covers, but realised that the arm that I had thrown over Hermione wasn't just holding her close, it was holding a naked breast.

"OK, Harry, I'm awake," I muttered, and he left, sniggering.

I pulled Hermione closer and kissed her neck. "Hermione," I whispered. "Time to get up."

She made an adorable noise and snuggled back against me, which didn't help.

"Hermione, please, no snuggling," I groaned. "We have to get up. Harry will be back in a minute."

She rolled over and kissed me. "Morning," she said sleepily.

"Morning," I echoed, pushing her hair out of her face. "I love you."

She smiled up at me. "I love you, too."

"I love waking up with you," I said, kissing her on the nose.

"I love you both," came Harry's voice from outside the bed curtains. "But you are making me vomit. Please, get up!"

Hermione buttoned her nightdress and we climbed out of bed, blushing. Hermione didn't look Harry in the eye as she ran from the room, and I dug some clothes out of my bag. Harry sat on the edge of the bed and watched me dress.

"What?" I asked, finally.

"What was she doing here?" he asked innocently.

"She wanted to be with me," I said.

"How did you get her to stay the night?"

"I didn't do anything," I protested. "She turned up and ravished me."

Harry laughed aloud. "Why on earth would she do that?" he scoffed.

"Truthfully?" I asked and he nodded, looking nervous. "I think it was so I'm more confident in front of Vicky, actually."

His eyes bugged out of his head. "No. She… she let… did you?" he looked a bit queasy.

"No," I assured him. "Just, um, stuff."

"Still," he said, clearly impressed. "Only Hermione would let your hands wander just to boost your ego about her ex."

"I never said it was my hands that wandered," I said and swung my bag on my shoulder as I left the room.

A seriously distracted Harry trailed downstairs after me, where we found Hermione and Krum having a quiet conversation over breakfast. And, you know what? Didn't bother me. She's brilliant.

And what was even better? It bothered Harry like anything. He couldn't stop staring at her. Brilliant. Although I was sure that I'd be in trouble if Hermione realised why he couldn't take his eyes off her.

We had a quick breakfast and put on our cloaks. Krum Apparated with us as far as the Romanian border, where he flashed a surly smile and we crossed without a problem. The four of us Apparated to the fence around the dragon compound, where a cheerful looking wizard with a purple salve all down his forearm opened the gate and looked blankly at us.

We hadn't warned anyone we were coming, and Harry said, 'um,' rather vaguely as our host's eyes moved from face to face.

But then his eyes hit me and his face split into a huge smile. "Vich Veasley are you?" he asked happily.

I laughed. "Ron," I said, holding out my hand, which disappeared into the strongest grip I'd ever felt.

"Come in, come in," he said. "Ve tell Charlie you are here!"

This was the best day of my life. Hermione in my bed the night before, well, brilliant; freaking Harry out and feeling this calm around Krum, priceless; getting us in somewhere where the Famous Harry Potter and the Famous Viktor Krum couldn't?

I laughed aloud.

Hermione took my hand as we walked and I felt even better. Yes, there were terrifying dragons being fed and watered and tended, but she was safe with me.

Hah! Being Charlie Weasley's Baby Brother was what counted.

Our host led us to the canteen on the far side of the compound, where we found Charlie and his colleagues tucking into a large breakfast. I could definitely see the appeal of working with dragons. Fresh air, flying, large appetites, leather gear. Dragon burns. But who was I to talk? Running off to fight Death Eaters the whole time.

Charlie stood and embraced me. "What are you doing here, Ron?" he said. "Does Mum know?"

I laughed. "Well, she knows we're OK, we send a message each evening, but she doesn't know where we are!"

He led us to and empty table and we all accepted a coffee. "What d'you need?" he asked openly.

"Come straight to the point, Charlie!" Harry said.

"OK," said Charlie. "You just happened to be passing, and you thought you'd drop in for breakfast. I was home a few weeks ago – you've driven Mum insane with this Quest, you know?"

"We know," I said.

"So? What d'you need?"

"A dragon," Harry said.

Charlie laughed. "Well, I guessed."

Harry put the necklace on the table between us. "I need your dragon with the hottest flame to destroy this necklace, but, um, from a bit of a distance, because it's sort of possessed, and it'll probably explode. A bit."

Charlie blinked at him. "Excellent," he said, nodding. "All in a day's work. I know just the dragon for you; hottest flame, but pretty well behaved, shouldn't spook him too badly if there's an explosion. And he's an old friend of yours!"

"Not the Horntail?" Harry asked, and I wondered if dragons bore grudges.

"No," laughed Charlie. "Norbert!"

I flinched. "Norbert?" I asked. "Dragons don't bear grudges, do they, Charlie? Norbert bit me the last time I saw him."

"Don't worry, Ron," Hermione said, taking my hand and running her thumb over the scar from my dragon bite. "I'll look after you."

I smirked and she smacked my poor, scarred hand. "Not like that, you depraved boy," she whispered. "Against the dragons!" Then she caught Harry staring at our hands like he hadn't even done when we first got together and she frowned.

I had to distract her. "And do you have a good place for Norbert to breathe on the necklace?" I asked Charlie.

"There's the possessed necklace destruction arena, I suppose," he shrugged. I sniggered and Hermione shook her head.

Charlie led the way out of the canteen and went and spoke with some of the other handlers.

After much gesticulating and eyebrow raising and chin rubbing, the wranglers went off to wrangle Norbert into position in an empty paddock. This was just brilliant. I loved how happy they were to help, no matter how weird a request we had made.

Hermione tugged on my hand. "Why is Harry looking at me like that?" she whispered. "Is it because he caught us in bed together?"

"I thought you wanted me and didn't care who knows it?" I stalled.

She waved that away. "But the last thing I want is to make Harry feel awkward."

"He didn't mind catching us in bed," I said comfortingly.

"Then why is he staring at me?" she asked.

"'Cos he knows you molested me?" I said and she raised startled eyebrows. Uh-oh. I was in trouble now.

Luckily, just then, Charlie beckoned us over and came and leant on the fence with us. "So, Harry, who has the best Banishing Charm, here?"

"Hermione, easily," Harry laughed, handing the necklace to her, but not looking her in the eye.

"What am I supposed to do?" she asked, holding it at arm's length.

Charlie shrugged. "Banish the necklace to about half way between the fence and Norbert, and let's hope he sees it!"

Hermione frowned. This was obviously far too disorganised for her, but what did she expect? He was unlikely to have a better way of doing the bloody thing.

Hermione weighed it in her hand and held it up.

She gently Banished it and it soared into the air in a perfect arc, landing silently exactly half way between the fence and the dragon.

Who didn't notice.

Harry snorted. "I think that was too good," he said.

Hermione glared at him. "You try," she said.

Harry grinned at her and my heart sank. He denied playing the hero, but this was the sort of danger he rather enjoyed. Yup, before Charlie could stop him, he vaulted over the fence and ran, low to the ground, towards the necklace.



When he was in line of sight for Norbert, with the necklace between them, he took out his wand and shouted Wingardium Leviosa!

The dragon looked round as the necklace soared into the air and with a huge bellow, he shot a plume of flame towards it. Harry whooped and kept the necklace suspended before him, the flames boiling into superheated air just a couple of feet from his excited face.

Suddenly, from the depths of the fire, there was a deafening explosion and the ground for yards around was splattered with black slime.

The necklace fell to the ground and Harry jerked his wand away, wincing.

Norbert had reared up in fright at the explosion and Charlie's friends rushed into the enclosure and were trying to restrain him; Harry turned towards the fence and ran back to us, his face splattered and his shirt covered in slime.

Hermione started to scold him when she realised that the slime was steaming gently, and she gasped.

Charlie took out his wand and quickly cleaned the slime away, revealing a singed shirt and a burnt face.

"Oh, Harry," Hermione wailed as Charlie calmly cast a Healing Charm on the burns, shaking his head wryly.

"You still have a way with dragons, Harry," he mused.

oOoOo