A/N: Soooo...since July? Crabs I'm sorry readers! This story was, from the start, just something that came to mind, and I didn't think would garner this much attention...Don't worry though! My time has considerably opened up and will remain so until the summer! So it's my hope that I'll be updating more often, but you all certainly won't wait another 9 months!

Harry had been more than annoyed during the past week he has spent at in the Preserve than ever before. The day after he had been woken up in the comfortable area they had left him in, Harry had been poked, prodded, and tested in just about every way these people could possibly imagine.

At first, from what he understood, it was merely a "check up". The handlers prodded him with different instruments to see whether or not he was healthy, as well as a large amount of magic. Had it not been for a certain Weasley who was a constant at his side, he would have definitely snapped and possibly broken quite a few bones of those who were annoying him. He would love nothing more than to prod them with those stupid metal contraptions!

During the tests the people around him spoke animatedly on whatever the results were. Apparently, while he was young, underfed, malnourished, and had an assortment of other ailments, he was a "promising" dragon. They estimated that in the next few years, which was when a dragon hit a number of rather large growth spurts, he would rival a Hungarian Horntail in size and strength. From what he understood, Hungarian Horntail's were the largest and strongest of all the known dragon species. To him, it was rather strange, always having been the smallest and weakest out of his age group, and even to those younger than him. Though, it was not an unwelcome surprise to learn that he would be stronger than any other come the next few years. Idly, he wondered if his newfound strength and size would affect his human side as well, though he didn't have much need to transform back to little freak Harry and time soon.

After the initial tests to make sure that he was healthy, they moved on to a number of other things. Harry had been coaxed by his Weasley to perform a few things for them. At first, they wanted to test how strong and hot his emerald flame was. Apparently, from the sudden rapture caused by the people above him (where they had been moved for safety purposes) his fire was "scorching" hot. What scorching meant, Harry didn't know for certain, but he figured it had to be really hot since he melted a lot of the metals they put in front of him.

As the week passed, Harry was honestly surprised to see that all the handlers seemed to genuinely care for him and his well being. It had taken a few days, but Harry had managed to meet every person who worked on the reserve and memorized their distinct individual scents, though most of their names still eluded him. Instead of figuring out what they were really called, Harry opted to put his own nicknames on them. The two main handlers that Harry figured were the bosses of the reserve were dubbed "Scars" and "Calm-man", and the other regular handlers had very generic nicknames, though Charlie Weasley was just that, "His Weasley".

When the end of the week came, Harry wondered why it was that every handler held the distinct scent of fear and some even as far as horror. His Weasley came into his section of the Reserve, not even needing to call to him in order for Harry to plop down near him.

Charlie looked at the beautiful sleek black dragon and smiled tiredly, "Hey, Loki." he said, earning a soft growl/purr from said dragon. His kid brothers had immediately replied to his letter that had given them a quick update and asked them to name the little black dragon. He didn't find it surprising that Fred and George would name him Loki, knowing full well how the two pranksters revered the Norse God of Mischief, though they rationalized their choice with that Loki tricked them all into truly believing he was some sort of winter-based dragon only to become a pitch black, emerald flame breathing one.

'Loki' gave his Weasley a wide smile, that looked rather frightening on a dragon, but Charlie smiled regardless. He wasn't unhappy with his new name, rather Harry preferred it over his birth name and was honestly glad that he was leaving behind his old life and truly becoming a dragon. He wasn't Harry Potter anymore, he was Loki, the dragon.

Charlie smiled tiredly at Loki, "I'm sorry, Loki." he said, startling Loki, "I know you can probably smell how everyone has been feeling lately, but it's been a long week."

Finding his friend to be worried about something deeply, Harry placed his head into his chest, glad when Charlie began to stroke him softly in all the places that turned him all but into putty in his hands.

"Listen, Loki," Charlie started rather seriously, "Tomorrow, there are going to be two new people coming to the reserve to meet you. These people are from the Ministry from Romania, and Britain...and they have the power to take you away from here if they want to."

At that, Loki's head snapped up and stared deeply into Charlie's soft brown eyes. He didn't want to leave! He had finally found a place that accepted him...a place where he was cared for. A place where he FINALLY belonged! For a few moments, Loki panicked, knowing full well that his Weasley was trying to calm him down, but nothing he did would stop the two people from coming and "possibly" take him away. If they did decide to take him, where would he go? Would he be fed? Taken care of? Would he be treated like a slave again? Would they hurt him like Uncle Vernon?

He needed to escape...to leave before they found out he wasn't a real dragon...before they found out he was Harry Potter and send him back to the Dursley's to die at his Uncle's fat meaty hands.

"Loki!" Charlie screamed, trying to grab the not-so-little dragon's attention. He knew, as well as the other handlers, that Loki understood the English language to a rather frighteningly intelligent level. Ramos put it to par with a small child, since it seemed there were quite a few things that he simply didn't understand, or know of like a child. "Loki stop! Calm down!" he tried desperately, only to fall flat on his back and watch helplessly as the obsidian dragon spread it's wings and soar through the air, trying to escape. Loki tried to break through the magical barrier that was blocking his path to freedom, but as not even the Hungarian Horntail could break through, he had no chance.

It was a few painstaking minutes later that the young Dragon landed down again, his head bowed and looked as frightened as a dragon possibly could.

Charlie walked up slowly to Loki, his body and posture as non-threatening as possible as to not rile up him any further. "Shh...it'll be alright, Loki." Charlie consoled, "Just be on your best behavior, okay? They won't take you if you're behaved. They know a little about you, and Mr. Beklea from the Romanian Ministry is actually a fan of Dragons, so I'm sure he'll really like you." Charlie could feel the little guy relax underneath his strokes, "And I don't think the woman from the Britain Ministry can do much. She's only coming because you were technically found on "Britain" soil, but since you're registered here in Romania and Britain doesn't have any proper places for you to stay, you'll at least remain here in Romania."

"Well, that's comforting..." Loki thought, nudging his Weasley's chest with his snout, suddenly very embarrassed with his outburst.

"Don't worry, everything will be fine. Promise.

For once, Charlie wished he had chosen a profession like his brother Bill. Working for the grubby goblins right now didn't seem at all unappealing as it once did. He certainly didn't have much knowledge in runes or cursebreaking, but he'd manage. Merlin, he'd scrub the ruddy floors if it meant to escape this torture.

Four horrendously long hours ago, the official's from the Ministries had arrived and since then, one had been making his life, and his boss', a complete hell. The woman? Madam Dolores Jane Umbridge, Undersecretary to the Minister of Magic.

Charlie didn't know how this woman ever got to be so high up in the Ministry. She was outrageously obvious in her bigotry and pure-blood superiority it was rather sickening. Sure, many in the Ministry shared the same beliefs, but at least they had the tact to be subtle about it. This woman was about as subtle as a bull in a muggle glass store.

Looking to his left where both his boss' stood, Charlie could see that they thought the same thing. Ramos himself was rather firm in his beliefs that Pure-blooded wizards and witches shouldn't lower themselves to those of "tainted" blood, but he never said a word about it to others, especially those who didn't share his beliefs. And to the few half-blooded and muggle-born handlers working on the Reserve, he was completely professional with, treating everyone with the same firm hand he treated the Pure-blooded handlers. Sebastian, however, didn't even try to hide his sneer directed at the woman. Though, he figured that was because she was so lacking in knowledge about dragons in general.

"The Unspeakables would like to have him, and the Minister fully agrees, so I-"

"This dragon is on Romanian soil," interuppted the Romanian Ministry official, looking none too pleased with the toad like woman, "Registered and as such, Romanian property. Unless Minister Milosovici gives his explicit permission, this dragon shall remain here."

The woman bristled, "Now listen here, I am-"

"Madam Umbridge," interuppted Sebastian as politely as he could manage at the moment, "Loki-"

"You've named the little beast?" she shilled before smiling cruelly, "Certainly becoming so attached is unprofessional."

Bristling, Ramos interrupted his vice before he could explode, "The Darwindrake shall remain her, Madam Umbridge. Even if you had Minister Milosovici's expressed permission, Loki is unfit for transport. As I told you earlier, he is extremely malnourished, underfed, and highly resistant to magic. Transporting him all the way to Britain would be detrimental to his health and could very well lead to a number of illness' Britain would be hard-pressed to deal with as you have no proper healers, nor facilities large enough to hold him."

The woman looked ready to pop a vein, but Charlie released a small bit of air in relief. Loki would stay, but he was certain that the woman wasn't about to give up, and if he was right, the woman had Minister Fudge wrapped around her toad-like finger and would convince the man to try harder at getting Loki to their Unspeakables.

He'd sooner set Loki free; no one knew what happened in the Department of Mystery, except Unspeakables.

"I believe, that you have all the information you are required, Madam Umbridge." said Mr. Beklea, "I'm sure you have more pressing matters to attend."

Huffing, the woman left, the last glint in her eye the only thing that left the remaining people in the room know she would be back one way or another.

When the flash of green ended, the woman gone from the fireplace, Mr. Beklea heaved out a heavy sigh whilst rubbing his face.

"I hate that woman." he said in Romanian, "Honestly, how incompetent are the British for sending a woman who knows nothing about dragons to inspect a NEW specie?" None of the men answered, and though Charlie wanted to defend his Mother Country, he couldn't without defending that vile woman in turn. So instead, he remained silent and agreed with the man inwardly.

"Now," the man continued, "You said he was very intelligent, understanding English to the same level as a young child?"

"Yes," Charlie spoke up, "From the evidence provided, we believe he was illegally handled, possibly raised by some witch or wizard that thought they could tame a dragon. I assume Loki escaped, or the Witch or Wizard abandoned him after getting to his size and they realized they couldn't take care of him, or feared they wouldn't be able to control him."

Mr. Beklea nodded before giving a rather excited grin, "Might it be possible to meet Loki up close? I've always wanted to touch a Dragon without fear of dying."

The three dragon handlers laughed, knowing that they too had wished the same thing before Loki came barreling into their lives, and consequently their hearts. The dragon was simply too sweet not to love.

The three men led him to Loki's pen, where said Darwindrake was soaking up the warm sun on a large boulder.

"Charlie will take you in," Sebastian said, "he's the only one that Loki allows to come close to him without a steak as a bribe."

Chuckling a bit, Mr. Beklea nodded and followed Charlie down into the pen.

Hearing the familiar sound of someone coming into his pen, Loki raised his head lazily off the boulder he was laying on and saw that his Weasley and a stranger walked in. Yawning, Loki stood and stretched; he had been, as promised, on his best behavior, trying his best to remain as uninteresting as possible so that the two "Ministry Officials" wouldn't want to take him away. Once he felt refreshed and his muscles not as stiff, he walked over to his Weasley and began smelling the stranger.

Strangely enough, he smelled of peppermint and some sort of flower...jasmine?

"Don't worry, he's just trying to familiarize your scent." Charlie informed the man whose hands were raised above his head and trying to seem as nonthreatening as possible.

Once Loki familiarized himself with the scent, finding nothing but peppermint, jasmine, and honest curiosity as well as excitement, he moved to nudge Charlie.

Laughing lightly, Charlie rubbed Loki's head, feeling the bumps for his incoming horns become more and more prominent. Soon enough he would have fully grown horns and dwarf his body ten fold.

"This is Mr. Beklea, from the Romanian Ministry, Loki. Mr. Beklea, officially meet Loki, the first Darwindrake ever known." Charlie introduced.

Loki turned to the man, his excited grin raising his hopes that he would be staying in the Reserve and with his Weasley. "Nice to meet you." Loki said, though it came out as soft growls and screeches.

Mr. Beklea raised his hand and hesitantly touched the top of Loki's head, encouraged and joyful when Loki rubbed against it. "It's very nice to meet you, Loki. Can't tell you how much I've always wanted to touch a dragon like this." the man laughed heartedly and Loki couldn't help but smile. He was certainly always happy to meet more people who liked him rather than scorned him.

"I've been wondering, why is his specie "Darwindrake"? I would have thought as you discovered him you would name him some sort of variation off of Weasley, or even Britain." Mr. Beklea asked Charlie curiously.

Charlie merely rubbed the back of his neck, "My father is rather...eccentric, when it comes to Muggles. He has a few muggle books and one of them I read was by Charles Darwin, who was a Naturalist and Geologist. One of his main beliefs was survival of the fittest, and only those, creature or otherwise, who were strong, smart, and capable of adapting would survive and continue evolution. Loki here was suited for artic like temperatures, his body pure white and his breath froze anything it came into contact. The moment he arrived in this climate, his body adapted and turned into what you see now."

The man nodded, finding everything he had said fascinating. "Simply amazing. I never thought a dragon such as him could even exist." he commented, "Unfortunately, paperwork calls and I must leave." Shaking Charlie's hand and giving Loki one last pet, the man bid his goodbye's and left the two alone in the pen.

Charlie fell down to his bottom, a concerned Darwindrake coiling himself around his body. Rubbing the head that came to rest on his lap, Charlie heaved out a sigh. "We got through the visit. All four ridiculous hours of it." Loki nudged his chin, "You did great, Loki, and you are definitely here to stay."

Loki let out a victorious roar before dropping his head down onto the lap happier than he had been since he discovered he could be a dragon.

"Yes, you're here to stay, and maybe, maybe you'll help prove that Dragon's aren't creatures, but living conscious beings that feel. That socialize and interact like humans in your own language. We here at the Reserve have been trying to get better treatment for dragons since we all started, but the general public still views you all with fear, finding you no better than monsters."

Loki wondered about that, and found if he could help his fellow brothers and sisters, he would.

Charlie didn't notice the look of absolute determination rising in his emerald eyes, and instead continued to stroke his ever growing head, "Maybe, Loki. For now, we'll take it one day at a time."

A/N: Hint for the future: what better way to change public view of dragons than prove it to the next generation?

Till next time!