Watch out! Dragon!

[Perseas Stratis]

It have been three months since last time that Perseas had visited the vast grounds of Hogwarts. Holidays proved to be a period of reconsideration for the Gryffindor, who had decided to put some effort and improve his grades but also to stop his monkey business and apply his energy in something productive. Instead of making his twin brother's life miserable, Perseas had found a new hobby that winter that kept him away from pranks and mischiefs. The product of the days spent quietly in his room was now resting in his hands as he was walking across the green grounds. It looked like a bundle of silver-green paper and wooden pieces but when he unfolded down on the short grass, a kite-dragon was revealed with a long tail made of lightweight cloth pieces tied together.

This six foot tall paper dragon was Perseas' pride and it was the first proof that he was crafty, not only wit wise but also in handicrfts. He took a moment to adore the result of his effort as he outstretched the two pairs of paper wings. His silver-grey eyes turned up to the skies where patches of clouds hovering on the bright, blue canvas. The rough caress of the cool breeze, now feeling it against his blushed cheeks, was drifting the clouds away to the south. "Time to conquer the skies, Drake." he picked up the dragon-kite that he had already given a name and held it with his back against the north. He had to wait a bit until a strong draft of wind provided the appropriate push for the paper construction to soar above him. Perseas didn't lose time. He grabbed the bundle of string and started running in order for his kite to gain more height. The steady thump of his footsteps against the grass was muffled by the wind's roar and details blurred below him as he felt a surge of adrenaline running through his veins. He looked over his shoulders a couple of time to check the silvery-green dragon flying above him. From another person's point of view, watching from the distance, it would look like he was being chased by the paper dragon.

But the skies must have been intimidated by the paper beast for they casted an unexpected gust of wind to blow it away and bring it down. Perseas was caught off guard by this sudden change of the wind and the bundle of string left his grip. "Shoot!" he cursed under his breath and pounced to grab the rolling bundle before it was carried away by the out of control kite. Perseas fell face down but the bundle slipped away his finger and the silver-green dragon glided away towards the lake. "Watch out for the dragon!" he yelled still lying on the grass as he watched the kite slowly losing altitude and zooming downwards on someone sitting by the lake's shore.

 

[Rafael Fedorowicz]

Rafael had never before taken the time to notice the unbridled flow of the waters' gentle ripples, slowly weaving back and forth against the steadfast shore line of Hogwarts' wide lake. Only now he could see how mysterious the darkness of its depths seemed as the shadows of the leaves playfully danced upon its blue skin. The Hufflepuff was sitting on an almost flat stone by the shore as though time has stood still just so that this moment of beauty could last forever. It feel as if the wind itself had placed him under a trance forcing him to watch the power it had over the lake. Rafael thought it could be nice if he could join the waters, become one with the lake's motion. If the lake had a voice, and asked him to join it on its' journey, he wouldn't hesitate despite the cool weather. He would gladly leap in with his eyes closed and cherish the feeling of its essence as it would hungrily engulf his soul. allowing it to cleanse the earths dirt from my body, while floating aimlessly in it's unbridled wake.

The wind was moaning in his ears but Rafael wasn't finding it an irritating moan. Behind him, the force of the skies was stampeding the grounds' grass but Rafael was solely attracted by the massive body of water. He wouldn't have heard the voice shouting somewhere in the distance behind him if the wind hadn't ceased for a moment.
"Dragon?" He thought confused and horrified at the same time as the voice was warning him about a dragon. Hogwarts was not the house of dragons but a look at the skies above him was enough to spot the shadow with the wide open wings. He had no time to figure out if it was a real one or not. The winged figure was free falling downwards to his way. He stepped back mystified, almost stumbling on a pointy rock and watched the silvery-green dragon crashing on the ground and come apart in pieces of wood, cloth and paper. Rafael went closer to the dismembered dragon, which upon closer investigation, it turned to be just an elaborate kite. He picked up what looked like the snapped, wooden spine of the creature as well as the broken paper tail and felt quite sad for the ending of this great kite. His eyes searched for the person who had warned him, wearing an apologetic expression although it wasn't his fault.

 

[Perseas Stratis]

Sprawled face down on the ground, Perseas watched the demise of his kite. The green-silver dragon crashed on the ground, shattering and scattering around pieces of wood, cloth and paper. His heart sank as he watched all his effort going to waste. He stood up, not bothering to brush off his clothes the dirt and rushed towards the point of the crush. Perseas was so disappointed that only when he kneeled above the remains of his kite, he realized that Rafael was the guy who had avoided the kite's uncontrollable downfall. "Hey Raf." he greeted but not with his usual enthusiasm. Silently, he started picking up random, snapped pieces of wood and ripped pieces of cloth and examined them. He tossed in defeat a broken wing after his short damage assessment. "Reparo!" he flourished his wand and casted a repairing charm at the kite's remains. The different materials zoomed to reconstruct the form of the paper dragon. Paper, wood, fabric, everything seemed to be put together again but as he lowered his wand at the conclusion of his charm, the pieces fall apart again and rolled on the ground. "Can't be fixed." he mumbled frowned. "Pathetic piece of junk!" he cursed at the wind and kicked the decapitated dragon head a few meters away. It was disheartening to see the product of his month's of efforts ending up in such a fiasco.

 

[Saffron Ironsong]

Saffron had been in a tree near the lake when she heard the cry of 'Dragon!' from the distance. She had found that rather then finding a place to herself a better plan was to hide from public view, So with her hood up to hide the tenrels of forest green hair she hid among the branches of an evergreen. It was working too the Hufflepuff that was mesmerized by the lake didn't even notice her. Saffron had let him be and had taken out a book she had been itching to read sense she had gotten it through the owl post that morning. It was on banshee and it related 'bringers of death'. With one leg dangling from the side of the branch she had taken residence in she allowed herself to be absorbed in the pages before her. That was until of course the cry came.

Saffron looked to where she heard the call come from. A dragon at Hogwarts? Perhaps if the staff got a hold of it she could break into the holding cell somehow and study it. She had always wanted to see a dragon close up even if it wasn't really her area of interest. That was more for Erica who still had the silly notion that she could train a dragon. No one could train a dragon but they could be chain it up. One could imagine her disappointment when she looked at the creature coming and saw that it was nothing but sticks and paper. A kite. The only reaction that could be seen on Saffon's face however as a twist of her lips

"Perhaps if you tried that with more feeling it would work." She called down the to boy that had tried to repair the dragon kite. She couldn't cast the spell herself because she hadn't had the charms class yet but that had not stopped her from reading up on what they would be learning in the library. She placed her book on her lap seeing if either boy was going to speak next or just ignore her.