This story is from the point of view of Norberta, the baby dragon that Harry picked for the first round of the Tri-wizard Tournament. This is for round 4 of the Quidditch League, our main prompt being to write about one of eight animals. Mine was, of course, a dragon. I am Beater 1 for the Ballycastle Bats.

Additional Prompts:

(setting) Lake

(Dialogue) "Why am I crying? I'm so sick of crying!"

The Game is On: The Noble Bachelor

The Quidditch Pitch: (dialogue) Do you think I care?

…

Norberta was having a perfectly pleasant snooze when her so-called 'owner' Harry came storming into the dormitory pacing around, a lone tear slipping down his cheek.

Norberta, no matter how much she tried to convince herself that she hated the boy, always felt a small twinge in her heart whenever he was sad. He was a kind boy. He fed her, and let her do what she wanted, and sometimes took her out on his broomstick, higher than she could fly on her own. He looked after her and, to be honest, if she really wanted to, it wouldn't be that hard to leave and find someone else to look after her. So she must like him somewhat, if only because he often came bearing food.

Norberta took off from her cozy cosy shelf and glided across the room, aiming for his shoulder. He, however, turned just before she reached her destination, and plonked himself down on his bed. She huffed out a small flame and awkwardly caught herself in a U-turn. Maybe she couldn't be as sympathetic as she might have been.

She landed, slightly clumsily, on his knee and poked his leg to get his attention. He lifted his head off his hands and gave her a small smile.

"Hey, Nora," he said gently.

Norberta cocked her head in question. 'Why are you crying?'

Harry scratched her gently on the head. "Have you had a good morning? Bet you did nothing but sleep, you lazy dragon!" He chuckled, but his eyes were still watery.

Norberta, after scratching him quickly for the insult, tried once again to communicate with her head. 'Why are you crying?'

This time, Harry sighed heavily and fell back heavily onto his bed (knocking the dragon off his knee). "Do you know how lucky you are, to be a dragon? Do you know what a day I've had? Merlin, I wish I could sleep all day!"

Norberta, getting less and less sympathetic, flew up to his hand and nudged it, letting out a small flame to make him sit up. When he just gave her a small, hurt look, and ignored her, Norberta knew something was wrong. She leapt onto his chest and stalked up to his chin, giving him a glare worthy of a Vipertooth Emperor. 'Why are you crying?'

This time, Harry seemed to finally get the question; his reaction, however, was slightly more extreme than Norberta was expecting. His eyes, before just holding a layer of water, now exploded like a fountain.

"Oh Nora, oh Nora, oh Nora. It's Draco!" Harry kept talking and started a massive rant, but Norberta had stopped listening. Oh, for Morgana's sake. She should have known. Harry went on, and on, and on about 'Draco Malfoy', the Slytherin, the Deatheater, his supposed enemy. If all wizards went around ranting about how beautiful their enemy's eyes were, well, no wonder they were so inferior to dragons!

Harry talked about Malfoy almost every day: how annoying he was, how fit he was, how much of a bastard he was, how witty he was. Norberta's owner had a crush. And, oh boy, was he doomed.

And then, after ignoring the small rant, Norberta caught a small phrase.

"Why did I think it was a good idea to tell him?"

The dragon rolled off the bed in shock. At least, this finally got the wizard's attention.

"Nora? You alright? Merlin, you scared me half to death! But, what should I do, Nora? He's going to tell everyone! Actually, that might damage his reputation. Maybe he'd keep quiet! No, that's stupid, he would love telling everyone." Harry started pacing again and brought out his regular Malfoy imitation. Norberta had never met Draco, but could understand what Harry said about his annoying voice from the impression.

"Did you know that Potter's gay? Yeah, he has a crush on me! Like anyone would go out with him. I guess I'm just that amazing. No wonder Potter loves me, I'm just irresistible! Shame he's the opposite!" And then the teenager broke down sobbing again on the bed. "Why am I crying? I'm so sick of crying! Over that bloody jerk!"

And Norberta watched Harry roll over and shut his eyes, gentle teardrops sliding down his face.

Norberta watched the boy for a minute, her heart slowly breaking. When his breathing finally evened out, she decided that she was going to have do something. She was going to take matters into her own hands.

Norberta left Harry and soared out of the open window. She felt the wind whipping past her wings and had to stop herself from doing a somersault. She had a job to do, and a heart to mend.

She stopped outside a window on the bottom floor and tucked her wings around herself to fit through the small gap. Once she was inside, she heard the voices of hundreds of students inside the Great Hall. Now all she needed was a Slytherin.

Luckily for her, a group of second years left the Hall after about a minute, and she hid in the corner of the hallway. She watched them debate for a minute whether to go to the library or straight to the Common Room. Once more, luck was on her side, and they headed off, unknowingly as guides for the determined dragon.

After reaching the Common Room, accidentally flying into several dorm rooms to find people naked, and spending almost five minutes trying to decipher signs on doors, Norberta finally decided that she had found the sixth year Slytherin dormitory. She slipped unnoticed through the crack in the door.

And she found a blond, slim boy, about her owner's age, pacing the room in earnest. He was whispering to himself, but it was inaudible. He looked conflicted.

Finally, in a similar move to that of a certain black haired teen on the other side of the school, he plonked himself heavily onto a bed.

"I love you too, Potter."

Norberta didn't stick around.

She, in double the speed of entering, sailed through the door, up the stairs, hesitated in front of a painting, awkwardly attempted to tickle a pear with a claw and entered the kitchen. To her chagrin, none of the house-elves took any notice of her, let alone jumped up enthusiastically as she had seen them do with her owner. She wished she was a full-size dragon. Because she wasn't, however, she was able to land carefully on the head of one unsuspecting cook.

The elf jumped in fright and looked up, knocking Norberta off. She hovered in front of him and waited for the creature to notice her.

"Oh!" cried the elf when he finally did, and a couple of elves turned to see what was happening. "I am so sorry, sir, I didn't see you." Norberta huffed indignantly, and the elf winced. "Miss?"

When the dragon nodded haughtily, the elf hastened to apologise. "I am very sorry, miss. How may I be of assistance?"

Norberta flew over to the window, checking to make sure the elf was following. He was, and Norberta pointed a claw towards the direction of the Slytherin Common Room.

The elf looked at the dragon blanky. "Err, the dungeons? The Muggle Studies classroom? The Slytherin Common Room?"

The dragon nodded excitedly and then blinked slowly six times.

"Six?" confirmed the elf. "Six. Slytherin. Oh, the Slytherin sixth-years!"

Noberta was grateful that she has obviously picked herself a smart one.

The elf continued. "Master Zabini? Master Malfoy? Master Goyle? Master— oh, Master Goyle!" Norberta mentally reconsidered the statement as she shook her head.

"Master Zabini?" Norberta shook her head. "Master Malfoy?" This time, the dragon nodded her head excitedly.

She then pointed carefully to the lake above the Common Room. "The lake? You want me to take Master Malfoy to the lake?"

Norberta nodded enthusiastically. That had been stressful, but a lot quicker than she had feared.

Hoping she could rely on the elf to do his job, she soared off, back to her owner's own dormitory. When she entered, he was in the same position she had left him in, snoring quietly, dry tear tracks on his face.

She tugged on his sleeve. More snoring.

She blew in his face. More snoring.

She poked his cheek. A small snort.

She sighed, and blew a small flame into his ear. He sat up straight, with a curse, clutching his ear. Norberta picked herself up from where she had fallen on the bed, smirking smugly.

Harry looked around in confusion before his eyes landed on Noberta.

"Nora! What was that for?" Norberta gave him no time to protest as she grabbed his sleeve and pulled him to the door and down the stairs. They passed Weasley and Granger in the doorway.

"Harry! We were wondering where you'd got off to!" the girl exclaimed.

"Sorry!" called Harry apologetically as he was tugged away. "I'll be back later!"

"Nora, where are we going?" He hissed. The dragon yanked on his sleeve again, but he hadn't stopped following her. He had a lot of faith, Norberta realised with a small smile. She really liked her human. This was why she had to finish this job.

When they reached the lake, Malfoy was not there, and Norberta started to think that maybe she should have gone up to his dormitory and dragged him down herself.

Nevertheless, after one minute, the elf showed up, Slytherin in tow. Malfoy was cursing at the elf but did not resist and seemed to be following reasonably quietly.

When Draco saw Harry he paled. Then he stuck his nose up in the air.

"Oh. So it was you who got the elf to drag me down here then?"

Harry whirled around in surprise. "Draco? I mean, Malfoy? What are you doing here?"

Draco sneered, and Norberta realised she recognised it from Harry's numerous, seemingly accurate impressions. "Don't pretend you don't know. You've dragged me down here so you can, what? Profess your undying love to me? To try and get a kiss? Well, listen here, Potter—"

"You listen, Malfoy!" Harry interrupted angrily. "I did not bring you down here! I'd be happy to never see your ugly mug again! I cannot help the way I feel." Then Harry seemed to deflate. "Please, don't tell anyone. I'm begging you. I bet you already have, boasting to all your friends about the stupid Potter who fancies you."

At this, Malfoy got right in his face and grabbed the front of his shirt. "Is that who you think I am then? Is that all I am? Someone who is just going to tell everybody and spread it around the school?"

Something undecipherable flickered in Harry's eyes. "You wouldn't tell anyone? You… Nobody knows?"

There was a long silence. The two boys were right in each other's faces. Norberta watched carefully from a tree branch. If what she had seen in the Slytherin dormitory was correct, then her plan was sure to work.

She very carefully slipped down from the tree, onto Harry's shoulder. Then, with a gentle touch, she pushed Harry's head forward the tiniest bit, his lips hitting bullseye.

Draco blinked in surprise and then sank into the boy's kiss.

Norberta patted herself on the back and pushed off in flight. It was a job well done. And hopefully now, she could actually get some sleep if her owner shut up about Draco Malfoy.

(Two weeks later, she was realising just how wrong she had been. If anything, Harry talked about the Slytherin more, and she barely got any sleep what with the rather interesting noises frequently coming from Harry's bed…)