[Special] Red the Human - Part 5
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N/A: The POV changes constantly. Hope you don't get dizzy.
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Fleur stared at the young man who had just appeared before them with a completely bewildered expression.
Crimson hair, golden eyes with vertical pupils, sharp teeth, and armor that seemed to be made from surprisingly familiar red scales.
But nothing about this person screamed that he was Red.
And yet...
Luna seemed completely certain of what she'd just said.
On top of that, this young man's mere presence made the nearby Muggles instinctively back away without understanding why. Many of them had already started running.
Even Fleur couldn't help feeling a chill run down her spine, unconsciously swallowing as she grew a little nervous.
Luna, meanwhile, kept smiling with absolute calm as she looked at him.
Astoria still wore a look of complete confusion.
"Red...?" she asked, looking the young man up and down. "That's... Red?" she asked again.
Even she couldn't help looking confused as she turned toward Luna, waiting for an answer.
Luna simply nodded.
Then she even bent down slightly and patted her legs a couple of times.
"Come here, Red," she called him, just like always.
But the young man simply stood there.
...
Hmph. Do they still think I'm a helpless little dragon? How naive. I now possess a body worthy of a future general of the Supreme Kingdom. Never again shall I fall victim to an ambush involving dresses, bows, or those cursed crowns. Those dark techniques of torture shall never work on me again.
...
Red didn't answer her call.
He simply stared at them.
First Luna.
Then Astoria.
His golden eyes slowly narrowed.
At last...
After a search worthy of legend...
He had found them.
He slowly raised one hand and pointed at them with all the solemnity the moment deserved.
"I've finally found you..." His voice sounded much deeper. "Infamous maids of the future Supreme Kingdom!"
Luna and Astoria tilted their heads at exactly the same time.
"Maids?" they both asked in confusion.
Fleur was still trying to understand what was happening.
"Red... is that really you?"
Red barely turned his head toward her for a brief moment.
...
The future queen.
As her loyal knight protector, I should greet her properly.
Do not worry, my queen. Once my supreme vengeance is complete, this faithful servant shall once again give his life to protect you, just as the Dark King commanded.
But first...
The trial.
...
Then Red slowly turned back toward Luna and Astoria.
"For countless moons, you conspired against the dignity of the great dragon general!"
Astoria seemed to understand what was happening the least and couldn't help swallowing nervously.
Only Luna remained calm and even asked innocently,
"We conspired?"
Red slowly raised one finger.
"The cursed robes! The crowns of submission! The bows of humiliation!"
His voice began to rise.
"And that abominable pink ceremonial armor!"
The air around Red trembled violently.
Astoria tried to remember those things and when they could possibly have been used.
But hearing those names, only one very specific memory came to mind.
"I think he's talking... about the dresses," she said.
Luna, on the other hand, seemed to remember those days quite fondly and nodded with a smile, reaching the same conclusion.
"Yeah. You looked really cute," Luna replied confidently.
...
Red froze, convinced he'd misheard her.
Surely he still didn't understand human language properly.
But his anger only grew stronger.
A great dragon could never be...
"Cute?"
Red slowly lifted his head as his golden eyes trembled with pure indignation.
"I WASN'T CUTE!!!" he shouted.
But Luna didn't stop.
"You were adorable," she added, nodding without losing her smile.
"I WASN'T ADORABLE EITHER!!! I WAS TERRIFYING! MAJESTIC! A FUTURE GENERAL OF THE SUPREME KINGDOM CAN NEVER BE ADORABLE!" Red roared as Chaos Magic poured out of his body, beginning to affect the surroundings.
The people who had already backed away now fled in complete panic, leaving only Fleur, Astoria, and Luna standing before Red.
"That was a sophisticated psychological torture technique created to break the will of a noble dragon! And even so, you failed, you evil maids!" he added.
But Luna still seemed to be thinking.
"You also matched the dress. I think pink suits you," she said.
At this point, Astoria, who normally had no trouble following Luna's train of thought, found herself completely unable to do so.
Meanwhile, Fleur wore what was probably the most confused expression anyone in the world could possibly have.
"I think... he's really angry about the costumes," Astoria said.
At this point, she couldn't even maintain a serious face anymore and had to cover the smile that was threatening to escape, because Red's fury simply seemed...
"Red, are you throwing a tantrum?" Luna asked him directly.
Fleur couldn't help lightly smacking her own forehead, because as always, Luna's words had struck directly at the pride of the now revenge-driven dragon.
Fortunately, before Red could say or do anything, another cloud of red mist appeared and dropped right between the two groups.
Out of it stepped Harry, wearing an expression that wasn't exactly pleasant.
In fact, it was the expression of someone who had crossed half of London convinced his dragon had completely lost control...
Only to discover that the one responsible for the chaos now brewing throughout the Ministry of Magic—and for this entire disaster—was seeking revenge over a few dresses.
For several seconds, Harry stared at Red with a splitting headache before letting out an exhausted sigh.
"You've got to be kidding me..." Harry couldn't help saying.
Harry had crossed half of London convinced that Red had completely lost control because of his wand.
And now he discovered that this entire disaster had started over a few dresses.
"Young Master Harry!" Red exclaimed with a joyful smile.
He even looked like, if he still had his tail right now, he'd be wagging it like always.
Which only further proved that Red hadn't lost his mind at all and was still the same as ever.
...
Excellent!
Young Master had decided to personally attend the Trial.
Without a doubt, he wished to determine whether I was worthy of becoming the First General of the future Supreme Kingdom.
...
Harry closed his eyes.
Fortunately, he wasn't hearing Red's thoughts right now, or his headache would have become much, much worse.
Harry pinched the bridge of his nose before taking another deep breath.
"Red. Give me back my wand."
Red's hand slowly moved down to the wand at his waist, gripping it firmly as he frowned in confusion.
...
What a difficult test.
Did Young Master intend to see whether I would abandon a sacred mission simply because my king ordered me to?
No.
A true general must complete the mission first.
Then accept whatever punishment followed.
...
Red slowly shook his head.
"No."
Harry opened his eyes in surprise.
"No?" he asked.
"The Trial has not yet concluded! As the Supreme General of the Dark Empire, it is my duty to punish these unworthy servants!" Red declared proudly, puffing out his chest.
Harry looked even more confused and even turned toward Luna and Astoria, trying to make sense of something.
But both of them simply shook their heads.
"I have no idea what the hell you're talking about. Just give me back my wand," Harry said, raising his hand toward Red and giving him a direct order.
But Red looked completely certain in his refusal.
"No," he repeated firmly.
"Red..."
Harry finally seemed to lose his patience. Knowing he didn't have much time before the Aurors arrived, his body transformed into red mist and lunged toward Red at incredible speed.
But before he could even touch him, Red also turned into mist, and both of them shot into the sky.
As Red's voice echoed through the air.
"No! A dragon knight never abandons an honorable crusade!"
"I told you I have no idea what the hell you're talking about!" Harry's voice shouted back as the two of them began chasing each other through the buildings as clouds of red mist, colliding high above the streets.
Magical pressure swept across the road like an invisible wave.
The windows of several shops cracked.
Fleur quickly grabbed Astoria and Luna by the arm and pulled them back.
The two clouds separated once more.
Red appeared atop the roof of a nearby shop.
Harry appeared in front of him an instant later.
"Stand still!" Harry shouted, already thoroughly annoyed.
...
The trial had begun!
...
Red thought with an excited grin.
"Do not worry, Young Master! I shall not disappoint you!" Red shouted as he leaped onto the neighboring building.
Harry felt that, even now that Red had a human form, he still didn't understand human language in the slightest.
Harry shot after him, trying to catch him, but Red spun with absurd agility before turning back into mist and reappearing on the other side of the street.
At that exact moment, several Apparition pops echoed through the area.
Gris appeared beside Billy.
Pipi appeared with Hermione.
Dobby landed on top of a mailbox.
Liz appeared inside a clothing store, quickly apologized to a mannequin, and disappeared again.
Laki appeared beside Daphne.
Meanwhile, Draco descended from the sky on his broom.
Tommy arrived a second later, braking so abruptly that he left a long black skid mark across the pavement, now completely exhausted from running so much.
Everyone looked at Red.
Then at Harry.
"Finally... uff... I caught up," Tommy said, taking a couple of deep breaths to catch his breath again.
But after seeing everyone gathered there...
"Yeah... you guys handle it. I'll... take a break," he said, giving up before whatever was about to happen had even begun.
Billy simply rolled his eyes when he saw his brother.