A/N: And here's the next chapter! Time for Harry to tell the Guardians of his past, and for him to begin learning.
Disclaimer: I don't Harry Potter, Spyro the Dragon, or any other works referenced in this story. I only own my original ideas.
Chapter 4: Training Begins
Harry and the Guardians continued deeper into the temple, soon coming to a meeting room. The Guardians took up positions beneath sigils matching the color of their scales, before turning to face Harry once more.
"Well, it seems that this place is still in fairly good shape, thank the Ancestors," said Glacia, "So young one, what is your story? What led you to seek out the gate to our realm?"
Harry looked around at the Guardians, and realized that something about this place made him feel safe. Harry began to recount his life before coming to the Dragon Realms. He told them of how his family was slain by the Dark Lord Voldemort, and he was left with his loathing relatives, the Dursleys. He told of how the treated them, and saw the sorrow of the faces of the Guardians. He told them of his time at Hogwarts, learning to use magic and facing down deadly threats on an unusually frequent basis. The Troll, the trials guarding the Sorcerer's Stone, the Basilisk, the presence that rat Pettigrew, the attack by the dementors, the entirety of the Triwizard Tournament, and finally the events of his summer so far. By then end, Harry could see how shocked the Guardians were.
"Young dragon," said Inferus, "thank you for sharing your tale. You've clearly had quite the long day. You should rest for now. We can begin your training in the morning".
Olivine guided Harry to a bedroom, and then returned to the other Guardians. They soon began discussing how to deal with their new charge.
"It seems that young one has been through more than any his age should have to," said Olivine, "yet he perseveres".
"Indeed," said Infernus, "In all honesty, I'd like to meet those humans who dare call themselves his kin, just so they may meet my flames".
"Only if I may show them power of Ice as well," said Glacia, "what kind of monsters would abuse a hatchling!?"
"Only the most despicable, atrocious, horrendous type of creatures," said Ampeer.
"In many ways, we're lucky that young one is still of pure and noble heart," said Infernus, "If the situation had been different…"
He didn't need to say more. They all grew up knowing the stories of what happens if a Purple Dragon's heart is consumed by darkness and sorrow. They knew they had to be the ones to guide him towards a better future for all, not just for the sake of their land, but for all worlds.
In Harry's dreams, he found himself at the mouth of a cave overlooking a wide valley. In the distance, he could see a great city, and beyond that, a massive volcano. After a moment, Harry noticed another coming to stand beside him. It, like him was a Purple Dragon, this one much larger than him. This other Purple Dragon looked at him with kind eyes.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" said the other Purple Dragon.
"Yeah, it is," Harry agreed, "who are you?"
"You can call me Spyro," said the other Purple Dragon, "This is the world as I knew it, many ages ago".
"It's nice to meet you?" Harry said uncertainly.
"You need not fear," said Spyro, "I only seek to aid you along the way. In my lifetime, I came to love this place, the Valley of Avalar. It was my home for most of my life".
"Why now, though? I've only just arrived in this world," asked Harry.
"Because, I must give you a warning," said Spyro, "Our power, that of the Purple Dragon, is far greater than even the legends claim. However, there is a dangerous flaw in our nature".
"What kind of flaw?" asked Harry.
"We possess a connection to a powerful Element known as Aether," said Spyro, "In some ways it is the ultimate element, capable of creating and destroying in equal measure. However, it we allow our hearts to be consumed negative emotions… we become overwhelmed by our own inner darkness, and are transformed into creatures of boundless cruelty and devastation. To make things worse, if you fall into this state, you can't pull yourself out on your own. You need to have someone else present, a friend, someone you care about and can rely on that will be there to pull you back from the brink".
Harry could see it clearly: Spyro knew this from personal experience.
"You've had it happen to you, haven't you?" asked Harry.
"I have, more than once," said Spyro, "but each time I slipped into this state, my beloved Cynder was there to restore me to the right frame of mind. But, just remember, you are still young, and have a long life ahead of you. Don't push yourself too hard, listen to the Guardian, and remember that in time of crisis, sometimes it takes naught but the smallest amount of courage to turn the tides of war".
Harry awoke, blinking for a moment before remembering where was and all the events of the previous day. A glance at his clawed, violet-scaled foreleg confirmed it wasn't all just a strange dream. He moved from the rather comfortable room he'd been provided, the cool morning air helping wake him up. His nose soon caught the scent of cooking meat, which he followed to a dining hall. He found the Guardians already present. As he entered, Infernus took notice of him.
"Ah, Harry was it?" said Infernus, "Did you rest well?"
"I suppose so, sir," said Harry, "What is the plan for today?"
"We should get started on teaching you to use your abilities," said Infernus with a smile, "but first, breakfast".
After a hearty meal, Harry and Infernus moved on to the training room, whle the rest of the Guardians headed off to make sure other sections of the temple were in as good shape as the section they'd been using. The room Infernus led Harry into was dominated by a massive statue. Harry recognized the dragon depicted in stone: It was Spyro, the same dragon he'd seen in his dreams last night! Infernus concentrated for a moment, and then the statue descended into the floor, with a stone slab covering the hole.
"Now then," said Infernus, "It is time for you to begin learning to wield the power of the Elements. We shall being by awakening the power of the primal flame within you. Close your eyes, and just breathe".
Harry did just that, ready for the next instructions.
"Clear you mind, young dragon," said Infernus, "feel the fire that flows through you veins. Allow its heat to consume you, and breathe with it. Allow it to build in intensity. Now, rise up, and unleash the firestorm within you!"
Harry reached inwards, and saw the purple crystal once more, he head Infernus' words as if from a great distance. He tried to clear his mind of all thoughts other than the concept of fire. He felt it. He knew it. He could direct it, shape its power to his will. He felt it blaze brighter, and felt his body being lifted into the air, his eyes snapped open, and he could see the flames surrounding him. Harry inhaled, feeling the raging flames draw closer but not harm him, and then released the flames, causing them to expand to fill most of the room.
"Excellent, young dragon!" said Infernus, "now that you've learned to draw upon your fire, now you can learn to direct it".
The next few hours was consumed by the lessons, Infernus summoning training dummies which Harry soon destroyed with various techniques. After a seeing what he could do with only a small portion of his potential abilities, Harry began to feel better about this situation. Maybe, just maybe, he could do this.
"It seems you have taken to my Element well, Harry," said Infernus with a smile, "Now then, we should head to the archives. Learning what it means to be the Purple Dragon isn't going to be all fun and incinerating practice targets. There is much knowledge to be gained by looking to the past".
"Lead the way," said Harry.
The pair of dragons headed off so Harry could begin their studies. Little did they know, Harry's disappearance had been noticed, and certain truths would soon be revealed.
A/N: And there we go! Harry has successfully learned to harness to Element of Fire. As you can see, the Dragon Realms in this story are drawing more from Legend of Spyro, as that's the version of the world I'm most familiar with. Next time: We see what's going on in the back in the Wizarding World, and see how a certain Headmaster is reacting to recent events. See you then!