Shadow of Night

The firedrake is Diana’s familiar and a symbol for her magical power.

When they learn that Diana is a weaver, Goody Alsop and her gathering host a ceremony to witness Diana’s unfiltered power, and thus get a sense of her abilities and free her “familiar.” Familiars are non-human, supernatural attendants to witches. In the All Souls Trilogy, only weavers have familiars. The ceremony sets loose Diana’s firedrake familiar. Goody Alsop tells Diana that she must “tame her” (331), which symbolizes Diana’s attempts to gain control over her own magical ability. Diana manages to tame the firedrake, containing her inside her chest, though she doesn’t yet fully accept or trust the firedrake when she materializes.

After discovering her familiar, Diana struggles with keeping the firedrake contained within her, especially when she becomes emotional. Sometimes it bursts out into her surroundings, much like Diana’s weaving power escapes her control when she is curious about a subject. It is Diana’s father, Stephen, who teaches her to not be afraid to let her firedrake out of her chest, and thus to not be afraid of her own power. When Diana finally lets the firedrake out willingly, she introduces herself as Corra. Corra says to Diana that she is “[y]ou, but not you” (529).