An Ancient looking man, a stern featured old woman and a tiny man all appeared in a forest somewhere, in a flash of fire. It was night time here compared to the morning it had been from where they left from. That fact alone told them that they had travelled some distance. Looking around at the clearing they had arrived at, in some amazement as even in the darkness they couuld see just how beautiful this place could be. A large waterfall with crystal waters falling into a deep pool below. The gental glow of the stars and moon above shinning off the surface of the water and illuminating the surrounding forest, where they where able to hear the sounds of countless creatures and insects chirping, growling and calling to one another. It was the most amazing and peaceful place they had ever seen.

Considering the places they had been to, and the sights they had seen in there combined years of over 350, that was really quite the statement. There also appeared to be some sort of flaming chicken with them, that had a look of tiredness, as if it had done something so strenuous that it hadn't needed to in a long time. This however was a Phoenix and not a flaming chicken. And transporting three people half way round the world took a lot of energy even for the pseudo-immortal.

The four of them appeared to be looking for something, the humans with a look of excitement and yet resignation and the bird; curiosity. In the hands of the Ancient man there was a letter written on parchment clutched as though his life depended on it. This was his last chance to right to wrong he had made so many years ago. He had lost some of the reverence the public had for him due to this, however that mattered not to him, no, he just wanted to boy he had looked at like a grandchild once upon a time to be safe and sound.

The stern faced woman was anxious as well, she wanted to know how the son of one of her best students and later good friend was. She had warned her boss and friend, the Ancient man, not to place the boy there with those people but he had thought that it would be fine. Obviously not. She still remembered the day that he had told her about what had happened. She had, some very choice words reduced the Ancient man to something akin to a naughty school boy, nervously shuffling about.

The tiny man was indeed excited, this would hopefully be the second time he met the child of his greatest student and apprentice to date. He still remembered when she placed the baby in his arms and he looked up at the man with his unique eyes burning with curiosity and intelligence. He had declared then he would be in his house when he grew up. Of course when the stern faced woman heard about this she made a bet with him that he would be in her house taking after his mother and father. He hoped the sparkle of his eyes still remained even after what happened to him at such a young age.

Because it was dark they didn't know exactly where they where looking but they knew it was a cave somewhere near here. Thinking about it, they realised that the cave must be near the waterfall. They walked towards the clearing surrounding the pool at the base of the waterfall the get a good look around. When they reached the pool they saw the surrounding land was quite flat, only leading up to the top of the waterfall. This meant that there was no visible entrance to a cave anywhere in the vicinity. Hoping that there was a simple solution that they where just missing, they began to do a magical scan for any wards or lingering magic in the air. Finding nothing they where stumped until after some thinking, the tiny man, picked up a stone of the bank of the water and threw it into the waterfall. He appeared to listen carefully for a few seconds and then his face lit up.

"I think I have found where he might be" The man squeaked in excitement.

The woman who hadn't seen what he had done, looked at him in fond exasperation and sighed "And where would that be?"

In response the small man simply pointed at the waterfall.

"I don't know if you are aware Filius but that is a waterfall not an 11 year old boy."

"I'm not talking about the waterfall, I'm saying he's behind it" He replied with an annoyed look on his face, after the slight at his intelligence.

"Ahh I think that Filius could be right my dear Minerva, after all its the only plausible explanation." The Aged Man responded

The woman looked dubiously at the tonnes of water flowing over the fall every second which could crush a body like a tin can. "Well how did he get through that then"

"I suppose we will find out, won't we?" The older man replied with a cheerful look on his face.

With that he whipped out his wand and with a simple water a block of stone appeared parting the waterfall, like Moses and the Red Sea. Then he waved his wand again and a path formed out of the water, leading to the gap in the fall. While many people would have been awed by such a display of magic, the two companions where used to it, and sighed at his blatant showing off. The man hearing the sighs turned around and asked

"What? Can't a man my age have some fun now and again?"

The two blank stares he received reminded him so much of his parents that he needed to collect himself before finally with a long suffering sigh agreed that this really wasn't the place and they moved on. While they had much confidence in the skill of the Ancient Wizard it was still a bid disconcerting to walk on top of water. When they reached the gap in the waterfall they peered inside, and it was so dark in there that it was impossible to see their own noses.

They flicked their wands and small globes of light appeared, which by all rights should have been able to light up a medium sized room each, and yet here with three of them it did little more than let them see each other, and the faintest of outlines of the surroundings. It was if the shadows themselves where fighting against them. Slightly intimidated already, they continued forward. Looking around in awe at the magnificence of the place they where in, they where astounded at the cave. I had appeared to have been both melted and roughly carved out at the same time, giving it an otherworldly beauty. In the walls along the sides of what appeared to be a corridor they where in, there where several small alcoves a couple of feet above the ground, for what purpose, none had a clue. Carrying forward they went through an archway big enough for a Giant to fit trough stood tall, they appeared in a room of darkness. The shadows where so thick here that even the light from their wands made no headway into piercing the darkness.

Minerva turned to the men and asked have they ever seen anything like this before, a slight shake of the head was enough to tell her that no, none had seen anything like this before and for them to not verbally respond they must be on edge.

Minerva only now, due to her enhanced hearing from her animagus form was able to hear to sound of wind blowing around an empty space.

The three of them still moving slowly forward through the space that made the Great Hall of Hogwarts like a broom cupboard. The sound of wind was loud enough that all three could hear it now and it was only getting louder.

Through the darkness they couldn't see much at all, and yet they had the feeling they where being watched, assessed and being found lacking.

It was only after another minute of slowly walking forward through the darkness that they began to realise that the wind wasn't quite wind. It was in fact the breathing of an animal, a very very large animal.

It was then that they looked up to see 4 glowing green eyes the colour of emeralds that seemed to shimmer like they where made of fire. It also appeared that they where from one creature which made it all the worse as they didn't want to know what creature needed to have four eyes like that.

There was a deep rumbling noise which lasted for a few seconds before Albus realised that the creature was actually making a noise of contemplation. The fact that this creature was intelligent was all the more frightening and they couldn't even see anything of it yet except it eyes. All thoughts of finding the you boy where now in the furthest parts of their minds and each of the trio was preparing to either fight or flight.

"What brings you to disturb my rest?" Oh crap. It can talk. That means it is very intelligent.

"We where looking for a young boy and we have reason to believe he is around here" A surprisingly confident sounding Filius stated.

"Indeed hmmm? And for what reason are you looking for this boy?"

"We are here to offer him a place at a school to learn magic, we are all teachers there and he has had a place since birth"

"That is interesting indeed, so now you have told me your jobs and why you are here, but what about your names hmm?" It was only now that they had begun to realise how hot it was getting and they didn't quite know the reason for it.

"My name is Albus Dumbledore and I am the headmaster of the school" the Ancient Wizard said " This is my deputy head and transfiguration teacher Minerva McGonagall and the resident charms master and teacher Filius Flitwick. May I perchance know your name?"

"Quite so, the name that I chose is Umbrignis"

"Shadow Fire" McGonagall whispered.

"Very good, someone knows Latin"

"If you could, can you light this place up a bit please, as we are unable to see quite as well as you in the dark, and it would be nice if we could see who we are talking to" Albus requested. Minerva looked at him like he was mad, and he had the decency to look the slightest bit sheepish.

Another rumble shook the cave and they thought that the creature was mad and the began to prepare to run. It was only when it got louder and more distinctive that they realised that it was actually laughing. Letting out a nervous laugh themselves they quickly made sure that their undergarments were indeed still dry.

"Hahahaha I like this one, he has stones between his legs though he could do with more tact" At this comment Minerva blushed at the crudeness and Albus didn't know whether to feel complimented or scolded like a little child. That seemed to happen a lot these days, Albus internally mused.

"Yes I suppose that I could light this place up now, especially since all the residents are now awake" At this comment the trio looked around to see if they could see any other creatures nearby. They couldn't.

With the ending of his comment a brilliant green flame the colour of his eyes spilled forwards out the creatures mouth and into alcoves all around and created little green lights all over. The flames where warm enough to heat the place a bit, but not enough to burn. So when they reacted and prepared to defend themselves against the flames they where startled to feel only warmth and not burning from them.

Looking up they saw the creature they where talking to before and it was huge. Much larger than they thought it was previously. It was also a dragon of some kind although which was not known as it was able to fit the largest known dragon breed, the Ukrainian Ironbelly quite comfortably in its mouth alone. Its scales where a black so dark it appeared to be made of the shadows itself. It had a tail resembling that of a Manticore, only about 100 times bigger. Its head was a cross between that of an alligator and a Hungarian Horntail, with spikes of varying sizes outlining its head, and when it shifted its immense body about slightly they could see a glow coming from underneath the scales, as though lava ran through its veins rather than blood.

All in all, it was the scariest thing they had ever seen, and it was just laying there with an amused look on its face.

"I knew I was good looking, but I'm afraid I'm not into men" All three blushed at his words as truth be told they had been checking the dragon out.

However while Minerva and Albus had returned to a relaxed stance but ready to spring into action if need be, Filius Flitwick had remained tense and seemed to be shaking and sweating.

The dragon noticed this and a grin formed on it face, although it didn't look much like a gin. "What has the dwarf got to say?"

Filius had remained tense yet got visibly angry from being called a dwarf.

"No wait not dwarf, part goblin, yes that is better"

A shocked Flitwick looked at the dragon, "How did you know?"

"Ha I didn't!"

Three very confused looked between each other and the dragon "Then how..."

"There is only one race that would get so offended by being called a dwarf and because he doesn't have green skin it is safe to assume that he is part goblin."

"Oh"

"Are you what I think you are?" Asked Filius after finally finding his voice again.

"And what do you think I am Master Goblin?" An intrigued dragon responded.

"A greater dragon?"

"Close but not quite, there are no written accounts of my kind as, where around before man existed, before the High elves came down for the first time, and before dwarves and goblins split away from each other, however my kind are the Greater Elemental Dragons. Able to control some of the elements depending on the individual strength of the dragon. I, myself, can fully control two elements. Which is that highest our kind had been able to achieve, some where able to partially control one element and others fully able to control one. Some could partially control two elements and others like myself, the strongest of our kind are able to fully control two of the elements. Although there hasn't been one of my kind in countless millennia. It was our descendants that first bestowed the power of the Elements to man and creature alike. Even those like that pseudo-immortal bird of fire you left outside."

"Umbrignis" Minerva whispered to herself, how it was caught up by the dragons excellent hearing.

"Indeed it seems that someone has figured out the sometimes names, are more than mere titles by which we call ourselves. Why is it that you are so interested in this boy, and it is something more than personal is it not? Perhaps now that I have told you my story you could tell me this one hmm?"

Albus looked at his companions and sighed before conjuring himself a seat and a glass of water before starting

"Well I suppose the story started many decades ago with a young boy named Tom Marvolo Riddle..."