T-BAY: DRIBBLEing Ashore (was Harry's Eyes & Dragon's Blood)

[grannybat84112]

No: HPFGUIDX 83354

It was a lovely autumn day at Theory Bay: Crisp blue skies, warm 
sunlight sparkling off a calm sea, and no wind to speak of. This was 
a very good thing, indeed, because the lone figure struggling through 
the waters between the SHIPS was having a hard enough time as it was. 
Life preservers were not designed for speedy locomotion; the foam 
doughnut merely kept its occupant safely above water until other 
persons should haul said occupant to safety. 

Unfortunately, the Bay was deserted.

Again and again a voice cried out--to no avail. Not a soul stirred on 
the many decks.  The Bay might as well have been a graveyard.

Trying very hard not to dwell on that thought, the waterlogged woman 
kicked her way around the prow of a schooner and caught a glimpse of 
the shore. Something was moving on the sand...something just large 
enough to be human. 

"Ahoy! Witch overboard! S.O.S!"  

The shape on the shore froze, seemed to peer out at the water, then 
performed some complicated arm movement. After a moment a loud 'pop' 
sounded, and a young woman with an expression of affable curiosity  
materialized next to the figure in the water. The lifeguard was 
seated in a inflatable plastic pool chair shaped like a green dragon. 
She smiled.

"Hi. I'm Jen Rees. Did you want rescuing?"

"Yes, please," said the bedraggled woman, extending a wet 
hand. "Grannybat84112. You may call me Grannybat."

Jen took the proffered handshake and squinted at the silver letters 
on the black life preserver. "That's interesting. I don't remember a 
ship named the DRIBBLE anchoring in the Bay."

"Ah, the DRIBBLE isn't the name of the ship. Take me to dry land and 
I'll explain."

Jen conjured a tow rope--the inflatable chair wasn't big enough to 
carry two--then engaged a propulsion charm. The google-eyed dragon 
chugged them back to shore at a leisurely pace.

"So how did you fall overboard?" Jen asked.

"Unintentionally. I only meant to test  the waters, really, to dip my 
toe in. That magazine article referring to `Little Snoring' annoyed 
me so much–and then Amanda's notes about the 12 uses of dragon's 
blood caught my eye, and, well, having lately had more experience 
with oven cleaner than I ever desired, suddenly I made the 
connection, and I must have overreached myself...I slipped right out 
of the airlock. I didn't realize my dragon's blood post was so long–

"The DRIBBLE has an airlock?"

"No, dear." Grannybat shifted the lifesaver so the acronym rested in 
front of her. "DRIBBLE stands for Dragon's Resistance In Blood 
Bestows Life-saving Effects: 
 
>> Given that knocking out a single dragon requires stunning spells  
>> cast by half a dozen full-grown wizards...perhaps dragon's blood  
>> is an ingredient in the most powerful protective spells.

>>...Flitwick describes the Fidelius Charm as "immensely complex." ...
(major snip)
>> Dragon's Blood as Protective Ingredient would neatly tie together
>> Snape's and Hagrid's post-Hogwarts involvement with the Potters....
(snip)
>> DBPI (hmm, gotta work on a real acronym) may even fit the recent
>> theory that Harry's scar originally signified a protection rune 
>> drawn on his skin. Certainly that bit of info would fit with JKR's 
>> secrecy.

Fortunately, I was able to transfigure the pathetic DBPI into a full-
fledged acronym before going down for the third time. I chose DRIBBLE 
in reference to that ever-so-important sentence from Flesh, Blood, 
and Bone: 'Wormtail, still panting with pain, fumbled in his pocket 
for a glass vial and held it to Harry's cut so that a dribble of 
blood fell into it.'

The theory isn't big enough to float an entire ship, but it covers 
enough details to keep a single individual from sinking. Hence the 
life preserver."

Both Jen's head and the plastic dragon's swivelled around to stare at 
Grannybat, eyes alight with inspiration. "Wow,"  Jen said, " I think 
you're on to something. Here's a little canon:

> "Dragons are extremely difficult to slay, owing to the *ancient 
> magic* that imbues their thick hides, which none but the most 
> powerful spells can penetrate." (emphasis mine). (GOF, US, chap.  
> 20, p. 338)

The older woman, who had conjured a lace-edged hankie, beamed as she 
dabbed at her face. "Exactly.  The supply list for First-years at 
Hogwarts specifically requires `one pair of protective gloves (dragon 
hide or similiar).' Why wouldn't a dragon's blood contain at least as 
much protective quality as its hide?

There's also a fashion corollary: Bill Weasley wears dragon hide 
boots during his first meeting with Harry, at The Burrow in GOF. The 
twins show up to meet the Hogwarts Express wearing jackets of "finest 
dragon skin" at the end of OOP. Couldn;t these later prove to 
function as a form of body armor?"

Jen, however, was not occupied by thoughts of fashion statements.  
Her eyes were flashing.

> You got me thinking about JKR, upset by a picture of Harry without 
> his glasses, saying "don't they know that's his most vulnerable 
> area?" (paraphrased).  

Grannybat sat up straighter (as straight as it is possible to sit up 
in a life preserver ring). "Did she say this at a fan meeting of some 
sort? Can you point me toward a primary source? I don't recall seeing 
this bit of information before...."

> So he's vulnerable in the eyes like a dragon--
> what if he actually has some dragon blood in him now or is 
> protected by "essence of dragon blood"? 

"Meaning...Harry's poor vision came about as a side effect of the 
DRIBBLE protection placed on him? Intriguing thought." 

Grannybat pulled three hardback books from a beaded reticule dangling 
from one wrist. She flicked through several pages, frowned, and began 
stuffing the books back into the tiny purse. 

"I looked up all the instances of Harry's father appearing (in human 
form) in PS, GOF, and OOP. No mention is made of James wearing 
glasses during Snape's pensieve memory or when he emerges as a shade 
from Voldemort's wand. He IS wearing glasses when he appears in the 
Mirror of Erised...but that could just be Harry's wish for a father 
with whom he can instantly identify.

Although Lily's eyes are mentioned frequently, she's never described 
as wearing glasses. 

So maybe Harry's nearsightedness IS NOT a congenital defect inherited 
through James. The DRIBBLE connection is looking stronger and 
stronger...."

Suddenly the smile congealed on her lips. "I just had a horrible 
thought: The dragon hit by Krum's Conjunctivitis curse trampled half 
her eggs `in agony.' Oh, my, this could be foreshadowing for 
unintentional but fatal damage Harry may inflict on the people in his 
protection when (if! If!) his vulnerability is exploited!"
 
The inflatable dragon looked even more alarmed than the passenger it 
was towing. Jen stroked the pool chair's plastic head. "There, 
there," she said, 

> Perhaps it also explains the "gleam of triumph" in DD's 
> eyes, because now DD knows where LV will be vulnerable as well.

The dragon relaxed. So did Grannybat. "And JKR never fails to note 
Voldemort's slit pupils whenever he makes an appearance. Oh, I like 
that!"

They had reached the shallows. Jen kept talking as they splashed 
their way up to dry, white sand. 
 
> Then there's the whole deal about Lily and Harry's "green almond-
> shaped" eyes and the Common Welsh Green Dragon, when Lily is 
> supposedly from Wales (or Godric's Hollow is in Wales, I forget 
> which). 

"It's been speculated that Godric's Hollow is located in Wales," 
Grannybat pontificated, "thru the connection with Godric Gryffindor. 
I don't believe canon has ever given us the origins of Lily's family--
although I do seem to recall, in the misty recesses of my memory, 
being told that Evans is a name of Welsh origin.

But, yes, the color is suggestive. (Fred and George's jackets have a 
greenish tinge.)"

Now that her feet were on terra firma, the newcomer dropped  the 
lifesaver. She pulled what Jen had mistaken for a long, ornate silver 
hatpin from her drooping chapeau, pointed the lethal-looking tip at 
herself and intoned a drying spell.  The antique lace and soggy black 
velvet of her dress didn't exactly snap to crisp attention, but it 
did perk up a bit.

"Well," the woman said, picking up and examining the lifesaver–-which 
looked much stronger and more buoyant than it had at first sight-–
"it's a start."

Grannybat
whose respect for the T-BAY regulars
has reached new heights now that
she's experienced how LONG it takes
to pen a decent post