Yami no Ryuu
By Ael L. Bolt
Rating: PG-13 for torture scenes
Genre: Angst/Fantasy
Characters: Harry, Ron, Hermione, Draco, Ecurai, Charlie, Remus
Languages: This fic's primary language is, obviously, English. The title (and the titles of the sequels) is Japanese. The dragon species names are Chinese (don't ask me which dialect, because I've forgotten). Hogwarts spells are mostly in Latin, with the big AK being Arabic. Ecurai's name and her name for Harry are in Rihanha (which extreme Star Trek nuts will know is the Rihannsu name for their own language – such Trekkies will also know that the Rihannsu are what the Romulans call themselves).
Summary: Voldemort's got Harry in his clutches at last, and a new spell causes great concern as Harry begins to undergo a major transformation. Even once he is rescued, the changes escalate until he can't hide it anymore. Someone has to know...but Voldemort wants to possess him, and telling the wrong person could mean death.
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all associated paraphernalia belong to JK Rowling and some other people. The Sai Lung and Daai Lung are my creation, which includes my little Ecurai. Morph clay is also mine, though I wouldn't be surprised if someone else had the same idea. Katriana Andrews belongs to my good friend DJP, and Fornax Serpens belongs to my younger brother Nick.
Author's Notes: There is no romance in Yami no Ryuu. I'm not any good at writing it, and it has nothing to do with the main plot, so it is not there. Nor will there be any romance in the sequel Hikari no Ryuu. However, if it's romance you want, the second sequel Rekidaishi no Ryuu will probably address this issue (though I will say now that it will not be slash, nor will Ecurai be involved). As of this first story, however, Harry is not capable of finding a suitable girlfriend, nor is he inclined to. You'll see why.
"Normal Speech"
Thoughts
(Telepathic speech)
-Parseltongue-
- - - - - - - - - -
Prologue – So It Begins
Number Four Privet Drive was unusually quiet that summer morning. The Dursley family was normally kicking up a fuss at this time, but threats from the Order of the Phoenix kept them relatively silent. Harry Potter, who was now nearly sixteen, spent most of his time in his room – of his own free will this time – grieving over the loss of Sirius Black.
"It's my fault," he whispered to the wall. "If I hadn't been so stupid...if I hadn't...if..." Shameful tears burned his cheeks, and he hid his face in his hands as he wept bitterly.
Every night, the dreams would come. Every night, he relived Sirius' death. Though the nightmares were slowly chipping away at his sanity, he would not ask for help.
If not for his foolishness, Sirius would be alive.
----
"Is this it?"
"Yes."
"Are you sure? If you're wrong, the Master will–"
"I know what the Master will do! Now be silent, or he'll have warning."
Three dark-robed figures quietly entered the house, bypassing the lower floor and going straight to the second bedroom. The door held a variety of holes, as if there had once been numerous locks in place on it, and the leading figure pushed it open.
"There he is..."
On the bed inside lay a young man, deep in silent, troubled slumber. He did not stir at the nearly inaudible sound of the figures approaching, nor did his owl's hooting awaken him. A soft whisper of "Stupefy" nearly woke him, but a flash of red light sent him into oblivion.
"We have him," the third figure said, looking down eagerly at the comatose boy. "The Master will be very pleased."
The second figure lifted the boy into his arms, one of which gleamed bright silver. "Sorry Harry, but the Master requests your presence," he said, and all four people vanished with a crack.
- - - - - - -
Chapter One – Suspicion
"Something's wrong," Remus Lupin announced. "It's been almost four days since Harry's last note, and we all know he's made regular contact every three days as asked...until now."
"Perhaps he forgot," Molly Weasley suggested, but didn't appear to think so either.
"Not likely," Moody growled. "Young Potter's in trouble; I can sense it."
Lupin walked over to the Grimmauld Place fire and tossed in a handful of Floo powder. "Albus Dumbledore," he called.
Moments later, Dumbledore's head appeared in the flames. "Remus, what is the problem?"
"We think Harry's in trouble," Remus explained. "He missed last night's contact point, and no one else has heard from him in two days."
Dumbledore looked alarmed. "Remus, take Molly and the youngest Mr. Weasley and go to Privet Drive. See if the Dursleys know anything about it, and try to find out how Harry is doing."
"Right."
----
Knock knock knock.
The three wizards waited for one of the Dursleys to yank open the door and scream obscenities at them...but there was barely a sound. Remus glances back at the two Weasleys, who nodded. The werewolf drew his wand and cautiously opened the door. "Hello?" he called. "Mr. and Mrs. Dursley?"
"Maybe they're not home," Ron suggested nervously, looking around the freakishly clean room.
"See if you can find Harry," Molly told her son. Ron nodded and headed up the stairs.
"Something doesn't smell right," Lupin said, frowning. "Some scent that wasn't here before...I think something has happened to Harry."
"We didn't do it," a new voice put in, and they whirled around to see Petunia Dursley, peering anxiously out of the kitchen archway.
"Didn't do what?" Molly asked dangerously.
"Whatever you thought we did," Petunia whimpered. "The boy ran away two nights ago."
"He...ran away?" Molly repeated, as if she wasn't sure she'd heard correctly.
Petunia seemed to gather more courage and cautiously stepped into the same room as the wizards. "Yes," she said boldly.. "I went up to check on him because he hadn't come down for breakfast, and he was just gone. Didn't even take his...school things."
"She's right," Ron said from the top of the stairs, sounding panicked. "Even Hedwig's still here, and Harry would never leave her locked up."
Remus bounded up the stairs to see for himself. The room was very spartan, with hardly any sheets on the bed and a very thin carpet. A school trunk, stamped with the Hogwarts crest and still packed from the previous year, was the only evidence besides Hedwig's cage that a wizard lived there...or so he thought.
"I also found these," Ron added, pressing cool metal into Remus' hands.
It was Harry's glasses.
Remus carefully slipped them into his pocket. "You're right, Ron," he said suspiciously. "Harry wouldn't leave Hedwig, and I doubt he would go wandering without his glasses...or his wand," he added, spotting the wand in the shadows under the bed.
As he reached down to pick it up, the strong scent of wrongness increased, and the werewolf's sensitive nose finally identified it.
"Wormtail!"