Chapter summary: Harry reads another letter, and discovers that hotsprings are beautiful things.

A/N: I had all the sympathetic melting and shivery sensations writing this, just, mmm. Hotsprings are awesome. All warm and comfy and when you're part dragon...

As with Lilith's letter the words take a few moments to appear, seeping up through the parchment like blood from a scrape.

To my descendant,

I write this letter, to accompany the book I and my family, alongside Lilith and her's have put together in the hopes there will be future generations to pass it down to. This book contains many things, histories of our respective races and dominions, personal tales from our many relatives. There are a great many things within these pages, and I have high hopes that more will be added after my passing.

The inside cover of this book, as you may have already seen is a list of names. Everyone who was either present during the creation of this book, and those who have opened and added to it since. I hope that you, too, will add your own memories to this creation.

But that is for later. You will have found Lilith's letter first, and that will have hopefully prepared you somewhat for the new body you have found yourself in. The first chapter of this book will go deeper into that. I know that Marius, a dear friend of mine, has included a rather detailed account of Draconian anatomy and biology. I believe Lilith's sister Sayba did the same for your Daemon heritage.

I won't detail the various accounts and who they come from, not only would it be unnecessarily tiresome, but it would spoil the joy of reading. I will give a small clue though: the things you will likely need immediately are at the front and the back respectively. The things that can wait a little longer fill out the middle.

Don't feel the need to read all of it in one go, or in any kind of order. If you want to find something you've already read, place your hand under the spine and recall some pertinent detail, the book will open to the correct section.

My greatest affections,

Draconical Larena,

King of the Draconic Races

"Well that's handy, I muttered. Guess magical books don't need indexes." I mutter. I place the letter down on the books cover. And watch, blinking slowly, as it seemingly sinks into the leather. "Automatic storage. Also handy." 'I think I've been inured to the shock.' I place my hand tentatively on the spine, still clawed fingers needling tiny depressions into the leather. The sun's rays are starting to peek over the horizon. Aunt Petunia will be up soon. The book's cover lifts over my hand, pages flipping in a controlled arc displacing most of the pages until it lies open at a page near to the end.

Paradoxically, the heading proudly proclaims This is the beginning. Beneath that is a small crest; a dagger crossed over a budding rose. "The beginning, huh?" I murmur. 'Well the letter did say that what I would likely need would be at the start and end of the book, so…' I run the tips of my claws carefully over the crest, starting as the tip sinks into the page. "Damnit, I don't want to damage a thousand year old book." I frown, trying to tug my claw out without tearing the paper anymore. It only sinks further in, heat tingling up from through my fingertip the parchment page comes to rest against my flesh.

Beneath my finger the crest pulses, light flaring once… twice… And then there a slight tugging below my navel and a sucking sensation before I'm free falling through the air to land with a mighty splash. In, I look around, an underground spring. 'Heated.' I think, as I melt into the rocks, wings flaring out rest gently on the heated stones. I let out a low moan, I can feel all my muscles relaxing, my bones turning to jelly. 'Harry goo, that's what I am.' A low purr rumbles through the air, and I close my eyes, I've never felt anything so- so-

"Enjoying yourself?"

Even my startle is languid, eyes blinking slowly. "Hmm." My brows start to furrow, 'Wait.' I think, 'Hotsprings don't appear out of books. In books.' I shake my head.

"Now, dear cousin, don't frown. Your face will get stuck like that." The voice is gentle, the teasing light and fond, rather than harsh and mocking.

"Hunh." My tongue isn't co-operating with my brain. And my talons have come out, too, I realise as my toes curl into the stone at the bottom of the shallow pool.

"Oh, I know. I had exactly the same reaction the first time I got to have a proper soak after my inheritance. Hot water and heated stones. Mmmm, nothing quite like it. It's the draconic in us, loves a little fire."

"Warm." I'm not cooing, I'm not. I'm fourteen, I'm a boy. I do not coo.

"Yeah, hun. It's nice isn't it? My name's Marick. Why don't you surface a little more and tell me yours, huh cousin?"

"Marick, tha's nice." The words gurgle slightly and I realise that I had indeed sunk down, the water now lapping just under my nose. I give myself a shake and rise up to sit properly. "Harry." I say. "I'm Harry, my name that is. It's Harry Potter."

"Well then Harry, it's nice to meet you. It's been awhile since we got a new one."

"We?" I ask, tilting my head slightly.

"Oh, just the memories and soul casts contained in this book. I think it's been… Some four hundred years since we got a new one."

"Four hundred!" That startles me out of my heat stupor.

"Mm, it takes quite a bit of power for the inheritance to manifest. And I'd say you're the first with equal draconic to demonic tendencies. The others have tended more solidly to one side."

"So…?"

"Take me for example. I took much more after the draconic side of things. That's why my soul cast pulls you to this pool."

"Soul cast?"

I must be pulling a face because he chuckles and says, "Oh hun, don't worry about any of that, just soak, take a nap, and let your body recover okay. I'll explain it all after you've had a chance to heal up a bit, okay?" Against my will, my eyes are drooping again, and I slide further into the water. A warm hand catches my shoulder and tugs me over to an underwater shelf.

"Don't want you sinking too far in." I hear faintly, then there's a clawed hand carding through my hair and a rumble purr reverberating through the cave. Lulled, I shift and turn slightly, before settling on my stomach with my wings spread over the water's surface and my head pillowed on folded arms. The stone here is smooth and slopes gently into the water, with small grooves for my talons to catch in.

"Comfy." I manage to mumble, before I go completely limp in sleep.