Chapter 28

The grounds of Meadow Crest had been the scene of some unusual events in the past but none could compare with what was taking place under the early summer stars on this particular night. The naked bodies of the two dead Eastern European wizards were laid out on the ground at the edge of the meadow, about fifty feet from one another. The great green dragon was crouched in the uncut grass, the large head moving back and forth between the two.

Harry had had a hard time believing that the two unfortunates had absorbed the kind of damage that Anthony had described to him as indeed there was not a mark of violence to be seen on either one. However, a closer look would show that regardless of how carefully they had been laid out, some of the limbs tended to be at odd angles, indicating that all was not well.

Finally, the dragon raised his head and looked at Harry. Despite his repeated assurances that the two could easily communicate without proximity, the dragon was picking up on Harry's habit of maintaining eye contact while they 'spoke'.

"These two have been sorely used, Wizard."

"Yes, we know. A lot of skeletal damage," Harry replied.

"It is more than that, Wizard. I can still smell the fear on them, and not only their own. This was not a thing done quickly or in private."

"So, you're thinking this was torture done with a purpose. To compel the silence of the others, maybe?" Harry surmised.

"Possibly, or to command continued obedience. And as you thought, to punish earlier shortcomings. Whatever the reason, it was done with power wielded cruelly."

"Is any of this something you can track?" Harry asked.

"The fear, I doubt, but the power was applied heavily and over time. Its traces are in their very bones, such as they are. Allow me some time."

The dragon placed his head on the ground exactly in between the two bodies. He closed his eyes and went still. Harry stepped back; he had no idea how long this was going to take. And he was waiting alone. After Anthony and several of his investigators had arrived with the bodies in tow and placed them at the edge of the meadow, they had retreated to the house. The dragon had been explicit that no one but Harry be present while the 'examination' took place.

As Harry watched the great beast do whatever it was he was doing, he thought about how the sound of back winging brought his attention to the sky as the dragon had arrived moments after full dark. Looking up he saw what appeared to be the dragon manifesting out of nowhere, the dark green being so effective a camouflage in the dark. He was startled out of this line of thought when those great eyes snapped open.

The head rose up and swiveled from side to side and then continued to rise until the neck was fully extended and the snout pointed to the night sky. Then Harry 'heard' the voice, layered with satisfaction.

"I have it. Soon, we will have them. I leave you now, Wizard. When I know, you will know."

"I'll be here."

Without further word, the dragon rose up and with a great push off and sweep of his wings, he was gone into the night sky. Feeling it would somehow be wrong to leave the dead bodies lying in the meadow alone, he took out his wand and fired a stream of sparkling fire into the night sky. In short order, the entire household, plus their official visitors were hurrying to meet him.

Ginny wisely kept the children back until the Aurors had the bodies in hand, so to speak and vanished with them. Anthony was the last to go.

"Did it work, Harry?"

"He seemed to think so. He sounded pretty sure. We'll just have to wait."

"It's something, at least. Thanks, Harry. As usual."

With that Anthony followed after his agents. Ginny herded the children and pets toward Harry. James was the first to express his dissatisfaction.

"Ah, Da, where did he go? I was hoping to talk to the dragon."

"I'm sorry, son, but he was in a hurry. He has a clue he needs to follow up on."

James made a rude noise and Albus laughed at him. Lily looked up at her father and asked,

"Will the dragon be coming back, Daddy?"

"I'm certain he will be, sweetie."

"See, James, no need to be upset," Lily told her brother, "you can talk to the dragon when he comes back."

James looked at his seemingly perpetually optimistic sister with a smirk, rolled his eyes and turned around to head back into the house. Albus shook his head and followed after. Ginny had remained silent through the entire exchange but now said,

"Lily, go with your brothers. We'll be right in."

"Alright, Mummy."

Alone with Harry, Ginny took hold of his arm and she could feel the tension in his body.

"Harry, sweetheart, are you alright?"

"No, Ginny, I'm not. I'm angry. And getting more so by the moment," Harry said as he looked in the direction that the dragon had taken. "The dragon and I could have destroyed those old ones, but I chose not to," he explained as he looked back at her. "Partly because I was worried about what might happen in the forest and partly because I didn't want to be responsible for the extinction of a race of intelligent creatures."

He began to walk towards the house, arm in arm with his wife.

"They could have just sat there and tried to wait us out or find some other way, but instead they chose to murder two wizards in a way that not even ol' snake face would have come up with. I'm starting to think I made a mistake. Perhaps their time is coming to an end."

"Harry, you wouldn't, you couldn't," Ginny said in horror.

"I'd like to think not, luv, but now I'm not so sure."

And those were the last words Harry spoke on the subject for a while. In the days that followed, as he waited for word of the dragon's search, he settled into a sullen brooding with the family doing it's best to tiptoe around him. While he sat in his favorite chair in the library, considering possible futures, the others endeavoured to go about their lives as best they could.

Ginny continued working on her journal, although at the moment it was more about putting previous notes in order as opposed to writing new material. Page after page of 'he sat in his chair in brooding silence' wasn't going to make for good reading. She was also hard at work on her book on Quidditch and broomstick flying. She and Harry would spend entire afternoons together in the library without a word passing between them.

During this period others were also spending much time in silent contemplation of the future, although occasionally someone would choose to speak.

"We will come to regret how the instruments were dealt with," remarked the one who spoke little.

"They mattered little and served as suitable examples to the others. They have dispersed and now cower in their burrows."

The first to speak made a sound a human would interpret as one of disdain.

"These are not the same creatures as once was. Most of the instruments may indeed go into hiding but should the one who leads become aware of what was done, he will not hide."

"Why should that one care? The ones disposed of were his enemies. They worked toward his demise on several instances. One would think there would be feelings of appreciation."

"I would believe that not to be the case. I have done what probing I could from this place. Enemies they may be but we are the true outsiders. I expect the one who leads to take this not well at all. His earlier reluctance to take action may not hold."

The dozen around the table fell back into silence, one more troubled than before.

The silence that pervaded the library at Meadow Crest did not extend much beyond the book lined walls. Children being children they quickly adjusted to the situation with their father and they just made sure whatever activities they chose to engage in were not done within his earshot. James spent a fair amount of time outside polishing his flying in preparation for the start of the summer youth league. In typical fashion, while he wasn't sure what he would do afterward in regard to Quidditch, he was determined to make a good showing as far as the league was concerned.

Ginny would take breaks from her dual task of working on her writing and keeping an eye on her husband to give her son pointers and encouragement. Albus spent his time, well, being Albus. He would drift in and out of the library to fetch or return a book or he would spend time in the basement using his own work table to delve into ever more complicated examples of mundane and magical artifacts, many of which were supplied by his grandfather.

Lily was demonstrating an ever increasing interest in the animals that inhabited the grounds and she would usually be found during good weather combing the various areas of the garden and meadow, as well as the pond and tree lines, looking for whatever was out there. Invariably, Mr. Monty would be trailing along behind, showing a modicum of interest. Only the discovery of a garden gnome would turn the strolling mass of fur into a streaking blur as he chased one of the giggling potato shaped creatures across the grass until it dove into the hedges. Although Monty never caught one of the creatures, he always seemed to enjoy the chase.

Escorting Lily wasn't Mr. Monty's only task, however. By some unknown facility, he would know when Harry was particularly deep in his somber musings. At these times Harry would feel something bump up against his leg. It would be Mr. Monty's head and when he looked down he would see the squashed face regarding him from close to the floor. Then the big 'cat' would leap up into his lap, giving the impression that just enough energy was expended to reach that height and not a fraction of an inch more. Mr. Monty would then curl up in Harry's lap and begin a low continuous purr as he was petted. More often than not, Harry would drift off to sleep.

The early days of summer crawled by as every one at Meadow Crest waited for the storm to break. Someone who wasn't willing to wait when she heard what was going on was Molly Weasley and Harry received a visit from his mum early one evening. Dingle announced her arrival from the relative safety of the library doorway. Harry turned to look as she walked in to the room.

"Well, don't you look like a month of wet weather. What's all this about then, young feller me lad?" she asked as she sat down across from him.

Harry gave her a smile, if only a small, sardonic one,

"It's nice to see you, Mum. I guess I should have expected a visit. As to what's going on?" he said then paused a bit before going on. "I suppose you could say I'm caught up in something of an ethical conundrum."

"A conundrum, eh? That sounds serious," Molly replied.

"If you don't like conundrum, how about stuck on the horns of a dilemma, or maybe even caught between a rock and hard place."

Molly nodded.

"I think I get the idea, son. What are we actually talking about here?"

Any trace of a smile dropped from Harry's face as he regarded Molly and he said,

"It looks like I'm going to have to make a decision in regard to those old ones. Taken to the extreme, it could mean pushing them into extinction."

"A very great responsibility, to say the least," Molly said, watching him with a slight tilt of her head. "Let me ask you a question, Harry, and I'm sure you've already considered it, but I'll ask anyway. What happens if you don't do anything, if you leave these ancient creatures or whatever they are alone?"

"You're right, Mum, I have thought of that, a great deal in fact. In the very best of circumstances, they leave us alone, remain tucked away in their little time bubble and no problems. In the worst, they find a way to project their powers and come after us in full force. Of course, I have no idea what their powers really are. For all I know, they are only very good at bending others to their will, but I have to believe it's more than that. Another scenario is they do what I told them they shouldn't count on and that's wait me out and then reemerge after I'm gone. I led them to believe I could teach others how to use the flows, but in fact, I haven't the slightest idea how to do that. If it weren't for the dragon I couldn't do it either."

"So, anything from a sword hanging over our heads to that sword being used to take our heads off. Not very encouraging."

"That's one way to put it," Harry replied. "And that's something else I've been thinking about. All this work I've been doing with others over the years and likely well into the future to build relations with other wizarding communities and to make things better here at home and for what, to have it all pulled down the moment I'm gone. What would be the point of all that work?" he finished, lapsing into that sullen brood again.

Molly watched him and then nodded.

"Harry, dear, I may not have any experience in these weighty matters. In fact, I think you outgrew my ability to offer wise advice years ago. But it seems to me, you already know what it is you have to do, you're just having trouble accepting it. And the consequences."

Harry wasn't sure how he was going to answer that but he didn't get the chance. He was nearly jolted out of his chair by a roaring exclamation that echoed through his mind. Molly started in alarm and was about to say something when she was brought up short by Harry's raised hand. He tried to concentrate and project his thoughts to break through the raging that was being projected by the dragon, with an intensity he hadn't experienced since that day in the dissection chamber under the Ministry all those years ago.

"Dragon, will you calm down, please," he pleaded, "what have you found?"

"Infamy, villainy, the work of demons and scoundrels," the dragon roared. "Were I able I would lay waste to the very last one. This must end, Wizard. There can be no more quarter, no more accommodation. We must join and bring them down."

"What must end, Dragon, what is it?" Harry demanded.

"No, not this way. I return. Look for me after the sun sets two days hence."

And he was gone. The sudden silence hit Harry almost as hard as the initial roars. He slumped back in his chair, exhausted.

"Harry, dear, whatever is the matter? Should I get Ginny?"

"Yes, Mum, you should. I'm alright, a little tired, but she should hear this, too."

It didn't take long for Molly and Ginny to take seats across from Harry. It was the first time in days that he had a look on his face that wasn't some form of scowl. It frightened his wife somewhat because it meant that something was likely to happen soon. He explained what the dragon was doing and what he had told Harry once the roarings had become somewhat coherent.

"What do you think could have made him that upset, Harry?" Ginny asked.

Harry laughed a bit on the inside, thinking to describe the dragon as upset, but he said,

"The only other time I've experienced anything like that was when your brothers and I found that chamber full of the dragon parts and eggs. I thought the pressure of his rage was going to crack my skull like an egg. Considering that he's two days travel time distant and he still nearly took me out of my seat," Harry shook his head, "it must be something equally appalling."

Harry ran his hand through his unruly hair and stared off into space for a moment.

"Let's see if I can put my investigator's hat back on. The big fellow has always been at his worst when he's felt something or someone has committed a serious crime against the 'kin' as he puts it. I wonder if he came across some evidence that the old ones did something against dragons. I recall something from one of those conversations with their image, you know, around the pillar? The one that would do the talking said that they and the dragons contested for spaces in the mountains, but I didn't think it was anything combative. I wonder if something happened and he found out about it. I'm just going to have to wait to find out. But I think it might be time to talk to a few people, just in case," Harry finished.

He went to find Anthony Goldstein and quizzed him extensively about where they found the abused bodies of the two dead wizards. There wasn't much there. One was found in a farmer's field in Slovakia by an elderly squib who still had close ties in the magical community. The other was left behind a magical potions store in the Austrian equivalent of Hogsmeade. There was no other sign, evidence or notice of activity. They weren't there the night before, the next morning, lying as they were dumped.

His next conversation was with Ron. This was more about forward planning than information seeking.

"Look, mate," Harry began, "I have no idea what we're looking at here, but at some point I think I'm going to need some help. Either someone to watch my back or perhaps to get me out of there, wherever there is, when it's over. I'm going to need you and yours there."

"No worries, Harry. I know it's not strictly law enforcement but I can't imagine the Chief or the Minister objecting. Once you know more, give a yell and we'll figure it out. In the meantime I'll drop a few hints around and start pulling together volunteers."

Harry made a quick trip to Hogwarts to let the Headmistress know that things were afoot, and while he couldn't be sure of what was to happen, those that were spending the summer at the school should be prepared for any eventuality. When asked if there was anything she or the staff could do to help, Harry said,

"Please make sure you have any of those new healing potions handy."

Since it wasn't meant as a joke, neither laughed. He intentionally put off talking to the Centaurs until he had more to tell them. So on the evening of the second day after his 'conversation' with the dragon, Harry was sitting in the library waiting. As promised, very shortly after the sun dropped below the horizon, there was the sound of a great wind and a heavy thump from out by the meadow.

"Wizard," came a cold, controlled thought.

"Dragon, welcome back. I'm on my way."

Harry hurried toward the front door. He had already giving explicit instructions that no one was to come out unless specifically called for. He knew the dragon would be in a foul mood but he couldn't know how bad it would be and he didn't want to risk any further annoyance. As he stepped out onto the portico he could see the dark bulk, hunkered down in the taller grass, two glowing green eyes regarding him from not much above ground level. The term 'brooding pile' crossed Harry's mind and he immediately regretted it. It was a testament to the dragon's preoccupation that he didn't comment on it. Harry also knew that it wasn't time for pleasantries.

"What have you to tell me, Dragon?"

"Villainy, treachery, and callous murder of the worst sort," the dragon began. "I have seen things the likes of which no kin should ever be subjected, Wizard. It must not stand, it cannot," he went on, his tones becoming louder and more strident."

"I accept the seriousness of what you've seen, Dragon. But what exactly have you seen?" Harry asked mildly.

"Serious? You wish to see serious? Behold, Wizard, see what I have seen, as I have seen it."

Images exploded in Harry's mind with the force of a physical blow. He had heard the expression 'charnel pit' used before but the stark reality as witnessed by the dragon nearly overwhelmed him. Bones and the shattered remnant of eggs, too large to be anything but dragon's eggs were strewn about the ground. The bones were too small to be that of anything more than hatchlings or even unborn dragons. Some looked to have been there for centuries, others perhaps weeks. Dozens, tens of dozens, perhaps more, were laying there in disarray. As the view changed, perhaps the dragon sweeping his great head, Harry thought he saw skeletal remains that had a distinctly human, perhaps humanoid, look. What had gone on here? And for how long, and why?

Mercifully, the dragon ceased his sendings, but it had been enough. What Harry had 'seen' would stay with him for the rest of his days.

"Where did you find this?"

"I found the place that the small witch had seen, the small valley with the cave entrance. This was in the rocks above the entrance, perhaps several dragon lengths beyond."

"And where was this?" Harry asked again.

"I am not one of your geographers, Wizard. It was in a range of mountains far to the east. When we join I will take you there. I will not forget that place."

"I'm sure you won't, Dragon, nor will I. But I would like to let other's know so that assistance will be available," Harry explained.

Harry could feel the dragon consider this. Finally it 'spoke',

"When we have joined, I will be able to show you more clearly my journey. You can use your representations of the land to inform the others."

Harry thought for a moment and then said,

"Yes, maps. Hmm, I don't have much of a collection but I know where they can be found."

"There must be haste, Wizard. You have concerns for your kind in the future. The kin appear to be in more imminent peril."

"I understand, old friend. We'll begin in the morning."

The only response was a satisfied grunt. Harry turned and walked back to the house. Before opening the door he looked back and saw those green eyes watching him intently. He had a feeling he was in for a busy few days. He was also in for a fairly hectic evening. As soon as he was through the door he was hit with a barrage of questions. Ginny wanted to know what he was going to do. The boys wanted to go out and see the dragon, which he forbade. His daughter was concerned about the dragon being hungry. Harry finally had to bring them all up short with a sharp snap of his fingers which produced a sound like a gunshot.

"Alright everyone, listen to me. A lot has to happen in a very short period of time. In the next few days the dragon and I will be taking a fairly long trip. It's going to require a lot of preparation. If everything works out it will make life much better. If it doesn't, well, we've been down this road before. Luv," he directed at Ginny, "as soon as we've worked out the details, I'll fill you in on everything. And you three," he directed at his children, "you will do your best to help your mother while I'm away, and not give her any problems, yes?"

"Sure, Da."

"Of course, Dad."

"Yes, Daddy."

"Thank you," Harry said. "Now, I need to go figure some things out so I'll see you before you go off to bed."

Harry retreated to the library and his chair. He settled himself into the cushions and tried to relax. He knew it was a long shot but worth trying. He closed his eyes and steadied his breathing. What wasn't settling was his mind. Any number of stray thoughts bounced around and kept him from relaxing. He was about ready to give it up when he felt a gentle, almost not there, caress of his hair. He opened his eyes and saw his mother, Lily, standing next to the chair, a gentle smile on her face.

"Close those eyes, Harry, dear," she said, her voice oddly gentle. "Just relax and clear your mind. What's to come will come but right now, in this place, all you hold dear are well and safe."

Harry did as he was told and his eyes closed and as she spoke he could feel the tension ebb from his body. The soft, gentle stroking of his hair set the timing for his breathing and it slowed more, as did his pulse. Slowly, he began his descent towards that gray place he so rarely visited these days, but felt he needed to, possibly more than ever before. It wasn't long before the gray mist swirled around him. He 'looked' around and then called out.

"Professor Dumbledore, sir, are you there?"

"Harry? Is that you, dear boy? Well of course, who else would it be? One moment, please."

Out of the swirling mist, strode the tall figure of his old mentor. Walking alongside was the older appearing, yet spry wizard, Merlin.

"Harry, young fellow, I hope you don't mind if I invite myself into the discussion. I have the feeling momentous events are afoot."

"I'm afraid you're most likely right, sir. And apparently some pretty terrible events had taken place in the past as well. So I find I need some advice," Harry replied.

The look he got from Dumbledore took him back to his first year at Hogwarts and he couldn't help but shrug and laugh a bit.

"Alright, the fact is I'm fairly certain I know what I have to do, and I'm looking for someone to tell me I'm doing the right thing. I'm not sure even dragon shoulders are strong enough for this."

"For the sake of two old men, why don't you tell us what it is you are fairly certain you'll have to do," Dumbledore prompted him.

Harry had forgotten that the two wizards had a fairly narrow window on the world and he hadn't been to see them in quite some time. So he laid out the situation with the old ones as it currently stood, to include the newly discovered atrocities of the dead wizards and slaughtered dragonettes. Dumbledore was clearly disturbed but Merlin could best be described as volcanic. Harry wasn't sure what languages were being used but he was pretty sure any number of curses were being invoked.

"Who do these fools think they are, Saint George?" the ancient wizard railed. "Dragons are more important to this world than almost anyone could know. Whatever you have to do to end this, do it you must, young Harry."

"Well, that's one vote in favor," Harry said. "Might I ask your thoughts, Professor?"

"My boy, you know that I have always told you that to find the answers you seek you need only look inside yourself. However, in this case I can fully understand your reticence to accept that which you seem to have already concluded. It has been famously written that there is a time for everything. And one can conclude that that implies a time for endings. Perhaps this is such a time."

"To bloody right," Merlin agreed, in a manner that Harry found most amusing. "And young Harry, when you return, I suggest you take another look at my legacy to you. There is an essay there, near the beginning of the old English section. It will provide you with some insight into the nature of dragons. I suggest you read it, thoroughly."

"Yes, sir."

"Harry," Dumbledore began, "I'd like to think I know you better than most. Your struggle with this decision speaks to your noble nature. Trust in that judgment that this is a matter of extreme importance, but that you also possess the instincts that allow you to reach the right conclusions. Have faith in those conclusions and proceed accordingly. And, Harry, come back to us after this is all over. There will much to discuss, if I am not mistaken."

"Yes, sir. I believe you're right."

The former Headmaster gave a brief smile and then looked over his shoulder before addressing Harry one last time.

"I suggest you remain a moment, dear boy."

Harry thought he knew what that meant.

"Yes, sir, and thank you, both of you for all your support."

A few moments after the two wizards disappeared back into the mist, a familiar face, a very familiar face, appeared.

"Hello, son. It's been a while," James Potter said by way of greeting.

"Yes, Dad, it has. I'm afraid I haven't been very attentive."

"Nonsense, son. You have a full life to live, more than full. Your mother and I feel most fortunate that we've been able to remain a part of it. Your mother in particular has been enjoying her role as a grandmother."

"I know, Dad, it's been great having her around the place," Harry replied.

"Harry, I may not be aware of the details, but I know you have some very serious issues to deal with and it's causing you some anxiety. Something about the consequences. I heard what Professor Dumbledore told you. He's right you know. You know what the right thing to do is. Even when the consequences can be difficult to live with. Your mother and I have some experience in that regard, in a manner of speaking."

"Yes, sir, I know that. I suppose I've know this for a while now. I guess I just needed some moral support."

"There's no shame in that. It's very common to do that when situations are difficult. You're fortunate you have so many that you can turn to when the need is there," James said.

"I have a feeling you're trying to tell me something, Dad."

"Oh, good, I was afraid I was being too subtle. Your mother told me about how you've been hunkered down in your chair in the library brooding over this mess for days now. Not exactly a shining example of your 'we're all in this together' philosophy, now is it?" James asked.

"I suppose not. But the idea of condemning these creatures to oblivion? And if things get noisy others could get hurt as well. Some of my decisions haven't always worked out so well that way."

"I'm well aware of that, Harry. But that's always the case when you have big problems to solve. You have to balance the potential benefits against the likely harm. And if you can't deal with that, you're in the wrong business. An awful lot of people have come to depend on you, whether they know it or not. Whether you like it or not. It may not be fair, but there you are."

Harry merely nodded. There wasn't much more he could say.

"I'll leave you to your work, son. I look forward to hearing about how things turn out. Just make sure I don't find out in person, if you get my meaning."

Harry chuckled a bit.

"I can certainly agree with that. So long, Dad," Harry said as he watched his father disappear into the mists.

Harry pushed himself towards awakening and when his eyes opened he found his mother still standing next to his chair.

"Thanks for the help, Mum. I don't think I was going to get there on my own this time."

"I can imagine, my dear. You've been quite tense for days now," she said, giving him a smile. "Did you find what you were looking for?"

"I guess so. It doesn't make it easier, but it more or less confirms what I need to do. Now I just need to do it."

With those words in mind, Harry set about his task with vigor. He knew he was still too wound up to get to sleep so he went to Ginny's desk, borrowed some paper and a pen and spent an hour making notes. It was close to midnight when he finally went off to bed, making use of some of Molly Weasley's favorite potion to allow him to drop off quickly. When he awoke the next morning, his ravenous hunger was all he needed to feel to know the dragon had returned.

"Welcome back, Dragon," was Harry's only thought.

"Thank you, Wizard. Would that it were under more auspicious circumstances. Let us be about our task."

"Agreed."

As he walked into the kitchen he couldn't help but notice the amount of food placed on the table. He wondered if he could get one of the sixth year project teams to begin a study of House Elf magic. He had to admit he didn't even know where to start. As he sat down to begin the destruction of his first servings, Ginny and the children trooped in. Little Lily hurried up to her father's side and said,

"Good morning, Daddy. Did you know the dragon is gone? Where did he go?"

Harry tapped his forehead.

"He and I had to join forces again, sweetheart."

"Oh," she said, then looking at Harry's forehead she said, "Good morning, Mr. Dragon."

Harry smiled, partly because he 'heard' a snort of amusement from that familiar corner of his mind. After breakfast and a round of good byes, he hurried to that same library in London where he had done all his research on law enforcement during what seemed a lifetime ago. He went to the room were maps were stored and he pulled out one that was a fairly detailed representation of Europe all the way to the Ural mountains of Russia.

Harry sat, staring intently at the map, making notes as the dragon replayed his search in Harry's mind. It wasn't exactly a meandering path but it wasn't a straight line by any means and explained the amount of time it took. The path did cross where the two bodies had been found and then worked steadily eastward until it finally came to an end deep in the Urals south-southeast of the city of Ukhta.

"That was quite a search," Harry thought.

"Certain precautions were necessary, Wizard. I had to be cautious about the many large concentrations of you humans."

Harry nodded at the sense of this and then a thought occurred to him.

"Considering the distance, wouldn't it make more sense to use the pillar in the chamber in the Dark Forest to reach the old ones?" Harry asked.

"No, Wizard. It is imperative that you go there. First, you must bear witness to what they have done to the kin. Also, after I had time to consider, this villainy must have been committed by agents of these old ones. They must be hunted down. And lastly, this place must be destroyed so that no others may use it. This place has no guardians such as the cavern in the forest. We must go there."

This was the most the dragon had ever said at one time and each word rang with a frightening determination. Harry realized there was no arguing so he made sure he pinpointed the location as best he could and then headed for home. He was going to need to talk to Anthony and Ron right away.

"Bloody hell, Harry," Ron exclaimed when his best friend put his finger on the map. "How do you expect us to get all the way there?"

"You're the brilliant strategist, Ron. I was going to leave it up to you."

Ron looked at Anthony in disgust and said,

"Typical fighter. Thinks all you have to do is show up for a battle with a handful of weapons and it's all taken care of. Not a thought to logistics."

Anthony couldn't help by smile but he managed to swallow the laugh.

"Well, speaking from the intelligence side of things, our network that far east is pretty thin. Just a couple of contacts, but I may be able to help a little. I hope you're not looking at anything in a hurry, Harry. This is likely to take some time to set up."

Ron and Anthony stared at their friend, watching his face contort as if he was in pain. What they couldn't 'hear' was the raging of the dragon at the idea of any delay. Harry was able to rein the big fellow in but the grumbling went on for some time. He just shrugged and said,

"I don't think we'll be able to put it off for any length of time. There is some urgency here, you know. If need be, I'll just have to go on my own."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Harry," Ron said in a hurry. "There's no way we can let you do that. I'm not sure who would get to us first, Mum or the Minister. Either way we'd wind up as pumpkin fertilizer. We'll figure something out. When were you planning on leaving?"

"Sundown, day after tomorrow," Harry replied.

"There goes sleeping for the next few days," Ron said to Anthony. "Alright, Harry, we'll have to get back to the Ministry right away if we have any hope of making this work. We'll talk to you later."

His two friends left the house, talking quietly until they disapparated. Harry smiled slightly, thinking that if anyone could pull it off those two would. But if necessary he was prepared to go it alone. But it compelled him to ask the question.

"Is such haste really necessary?"

"If those were the bones of the unborn and infants of wizardry, would you not hasten?" the dragon rumbled.

"Point taken," was Harry's answer and no further mention was made.

Harry did make use of the time to send out warnings, which while not specific, alerted various parties that events were coming to a head and that precautions should be taken. One group got their alert in person when Harry made a trip to the Forest and met with the Elder and several other Centaurs. They met in the usual place, the small clearing just off the trail that led from, or to, Hagrid's hut.

"Hail and well met, Serpent King. We received your message and are glad to meet with you here today."

"Thank you, Elder. I, also, am glad to be here, although I wish it were a happier occasion. I wish to bring you word that I will be entering the flows once more and that things may get noisy."

Harry thought he heard a snort and he assumed it was Ronin.

"Will you be entering the paths of the earth in the usual fashion, Friend Harry Potter?" Zentese asked.

"No, Elder. A second such portal has been discovered. It is the one we believed that provided those that have plagued us the past few years access to the old ones. There was also a discovery that makes a trip to this place necessary."

When Harry explained what the dragon had found, the Centaurs were nearly as outraged as had the dragon been himself. Morgotta was the first to give voice to what they were all feeling.

"Heinous, barbaric. A diabolical assault on the very foundations of the magical world," she said with considerable heat.

"A distinct possibility. We'll look into motives afterward," Harry explained. "Right now, I want you to make sure there is no one anywhere near the cavern. I don't know what will happen, but there's no sense taking any chances."

"Fear not, Serpent King. The herd will be prepared."

It was around noon on the day of his intended departure when Harry got a visit from Ron and Anthony.

"Well, mate, it wasn't easy, but we managed to get something pulled together," Ron said with some chagrin. "There's certainly nothing elegant about it but at least my sister will be happy to know you have some cover."

"Thanks, guys, I appreciate it. For that reason if nothing else. And speaking of cover, I strongly suggest that you and yours find some and make use of it until everything quiets down. And you might want to find it at some distance."

"Don't worry, Harry. We're all familiar with the kind of fireworks you can throw around when you get started. We've got your back, you just watch your bum," Ron said deadpan.

It was the last laugh Harry would have for a while. He was treated to an extensive dinner and not much was said. Afterward there were hugs and kisses and admonishments to be careful and not to lose his temper, not too much, anyway. As his family stood with him on the portico he was surprised to hear his younger son offer the parting words,

"Hit 'em for six, Dad."

Harry resolved that when he got home he was going to go through Albus' collection of mugglebilia to look for cricket gear. As he walked towards the meadow he thought it looked like a fine night for flying. He checked the straps on his backpack one last time. Kreacher had insisted he take enough food to help him recover from the long flight as well as the after effects of what was likely to be a nasty confrontation. As to the flying, Harry had considered a series of diapparations but having been subject to the near continuous state of agitation of the dragon since its return he thought a good stretch of the wings would make the big fellow more manageable when they reached their destination.

When he reached the center of the meadow, he turned, gave a final wave to his family and within two heartbeats he was looking at the roof of the house at eye level. He dropped to all fours and then with a leap and deep down sweep of his wings, he began to climb and was quickly lost to sight. As Ginny turned to herd the children into the house her daughter looked up at her.

"Is Daddy off to deal with those things that broke all the dragon eggs, Mummy?"

"Yes, dear, he is."

"Good, Mr. Monty is very upset about it."

It didn't take long for Harry to get to altitude and the dragon was soon winging its way east. Of course, winging wasn't quite accurate. While the dragon supplied direction based on his previous trips, Harry supplied the magical thrust and soon the dragon was streaking across the night sky in excess of three hundred knots. A direct flight wasn't possible due to population centers and commercial flight paths, but the dragon was in a hurry and his navigation cut things as close as he dared. The nearly three thousand mile flight put the avenging duo in the Ural mountains the following morning. The weather may have been cool but it didn't register on either of them.

"Wizard, we are near," the dragon said as he began to circle down. "How do you wish to proceed?"

"We'll need to set down so we can make the changeover. Then we need to do some scouting. We don't even know if we have a pillar that we can make use of."

"I will set us down in a valley near to the charnel pit. In your form movement will be possible but care will be required," the dragon suggested.

"Sounds good," Harry replied.

He found the pronounced sense of duality a little strange. Always in the past the dragon was subdued, if not exactly subservient when the dragon form was used. But now he was much more present. Harry wondered if this was just because of what was going on at the moment or a development of their evolving relationship. Time to explore that later, he thought, now was the time to stay focused.

It took about fifteen minutes of careful flying to put 'them' down where the dragon had suggested. Harry quickly made the change. It was fairly rocky terrain with some trees further down slope. He was glad he wore his hiking boots. Although it was still mid summer, at this latitude and altitude, it was chilly. Moving would be better than standing around. The dragon provided the direction but Harry had to work his way up and over the ridge. What he saw staggered him. On the uneven terrain of the small vale below was scattered countless bones and shards of shells. And nearly all the bones were heartbreakingly small. Here and there were what appeared to be the parts of skeletons that Harry had seen through the dragon's eyes that he figured were of humans or something human like.

But his eyes kept coming back to the shell fragments and tiny bones. His emotions were a roiling mass of revulsion, incredulity and anger, lots and lots of anger. He finally tore his eyes away and looked to his right to see the vale end in an abrupt drop which the dragon's memory provided a view showing another smallish level area and opening that married up well with what Abagail had drawn from the memories of some of the wizards Anthony had guided her to. Casting one last glance at the bone field he began to work his way around so he could get a look at the opening from higher ground. The dragon was silent but Harry could feel the tension.

The one who spoke little broke the silence around the table.

"Something is amiss."

This observation was greeted with a snort of derision.

"Everything has been amiss for an unacceptable interval. What makes this any different?" asked a second.

"It is close and familiar. There may be peril."

"Speak again when you have a more informative comment."

The silence resumed.

It took Harry an hour of careful maneuvering to attain a position where he could look directly at the opening that he assumed was the entrance to a place of power similar to the cavern in the Dark Forest. He removed some food from the backpack but he ate mechanically. He didn't have much of an appetite despite the long flight.

"It doesn't seem all that forbidding," he suggested to the dragon.

"Neither does the freshly fallen snow until it begins to move down slope. I watched for nearly a full day and nothing changed. We must investigate."

"Shouldn't we wait for the others to arrive?"

"They are at least half a day's travel distant. In that time much may be discovered and without the need for initiating a confrontation," the dragon prompted.

"I suppose you're right," Harry said and began to move slowly toward the more level ground. "Dragon," he began, "did you see any other manner of creatures in the area when you were here last?"

"I did not see anything, Wizard, but I sensed that the area is not lifeless. Perhaps they could sense me also and remained in hiding."

"Let's hope it stays that way. I don't think we want anything creeping up on us."

"Indeed."

Harry reached the flat ground which was a mix of exposed rock, lichen and a sharp edged gravel. He stayed along the perimeter of level ground and made no use of any magic to avoid alerting the old ones or their agents, if any. It didn't do any good. Just as the dragon barked a warning something roared from the rocks above. Harry had his wand out and turned in one motion, dropping to one knee to present less of a target to what ever it was. He saw it silhouetted against the sky. It was neither giant nor troll but it was big, and hairy. And even from this distance Harry could smell a stink that made a wet Snuffles a bouquet of roses by comparison.

It raised its arms again and roared its challenge, or annoyance, or maybe even a gracious good morning, but Harry didn't think so. So he raised his wand and hoped this thing wasn't immune to stupefying like a giant. Thankfully it wasn't and when the red beam struck it full in the chest it staggered backward and then fell out of sight. Harry let out a sigh of relief which was quickly followed by a muttered curse when three more of the beasts rose up from various positions and started to throw rocks down at him. He could have gone dragon but those two heart beats delay could have been enough to take a blow from disturbingly well aimed rocks. He could have done a number of things but what extinct chose was to dash for cover and the best available was the mouth of the cave.

When he reached the relative safety of the cave mouth he could see the three creatures working their way down and what looked like several more appearing along the top of the ridge.

"Your hidden friends?" he asked the dragon.

"Not friends, but yes, most likely the presences I sensed during my search. Your plan?"

"Well, I pretty sure I could take them all down, but doing so will most likely alert our friends inside. And if they recover quickly from the stupefy spell, that would have them at our backs while we're in here. What we need is to scare them off, and scare them good. This cave is too small for you to come to the fore, isn't it?"

"By at least half. But perhaps if you allow some portion of me to come forward, they will sense it. Like the giant spiders in the forest."

"Worth a try," was Harry's reply just as he flinched as a large rock shattered on the edge of the cave opening.

He let some of the dragon rise and by the altering of his field of vision he knew his eyes had changed. And indeed, the creatures drew to a halt and the sound of their bellows now held a hint of uncertainty. He thought about what else the dragon could bring to this party and figuring they had already tipped their hand he brought his wand up and fired a carefully aimed jet of 'incendio draco' into the ground right in front of the lead creature. The explosion of vaporized rock drowned out the roars and sprayed the first two creatures with hot droplets of molten stone.

The results were moderately satisfying. The two that had been burned by the hot rock swatted at smoldering patches of fur and then bolted back up into the rocks, their long legs eating up ground. Two others simply turned and ran back up the rocky slope and disappeared over the top of the ridge. The last two refused to give ground and sprang back up from the crouches they had assumed after the blast and for want of a better word, went ape. They hammered the ground with their huge fists, their bellows echoing off the rock walls. Then they grabbed anything nearby and hurled it at the cave.

Harry had to duck several projectiles that went his way by sheer chance. Letting out a deep sigh after agreeing with the dragon that something more substantial was required, he aimed the wand and unleashed a heavy blast of dragon fire that hit the lead creature and with a deafening report turned him into a cloud of greasy smoke. The other beast picked himself up and cleared the ridge top in record time.

"Well done, Wizard."

"I suppose. Always one or two that don't get the message. Pretty human of them, actually."

Harry let the dragon recede, although he was pretty sure his presence must have been felt. And he was right.

"Tell me now that you didn't sense that," the first said.

"Yes, of course we did. What of it? We know the one who leads can reach us at will. We have sought but have yet to find a way to block him. You will recall we sought to cease activities in the hope that that one would leave us be. Our agents suggested he was reluctant to involve himself unless necessary."

"Indeed. So why was it felt prudent to so brutally eliminate the two leaders of our agents?"

"Why should this one care?"

"The why matters not, the fact is that he does."

"Enough. He is coming and that is all that matters."

But Harry was taking his time. From where he crouched just inside the cave mouth, he could see little but inky darkness. Even with the use of the dragon's vision there was nothing to be seen. But there was something there, Harry could feel it. It was like the hair standing up on the back on your neck, but it covered every inch of his skin. One big, full body itch.

"Can you feel that, Dragon?"

"Only because you can, Wizard."

Harry felt he needed to think this through. He still had to wait for Ron and his squad to arrive, so he squatted down, leaning his back against the rock wall of the cave. He was fairly certain that this place had to have some facility for tapping into the flows. But why this particular spot? And how did they make the connection? Something about it was nibbling at the edge of his awareness. As best he could under the circumstances, he tried to relax. What was it about the flows that he was missing? The pillar had put him on his back that first time and he had needed the dragon's bulk to help him control it. Outside the old fort in the Carpathians he had tapped what was there with his wand but it wasn't all that strong. Releasing the dragon and escaping from the magical trap had destroyed his wand and put him on his back again. Then it hit him. In both those instances, he hadn't used the pillar to tap the flows, he had used his wand.

Not wanting to take any chances he reached out and rested his hand palm down on the floor of the cave. He opened his mind as best he could and the jolt he got ran up his arm and caused him to jerk his hand away. There was power here. A lot of it. He was wishing for his old heavy wand back. Or maybe one made of wrought iron and dragon bone.

"Why wish for a wand of dragon bone when you have the whole dragon?"

"Can we make that work here?"

"If you have not noticed, Wizard, we have achieved a much greater unity of thought and action of late. Perhaps we need not rely on my bulk to handle the flows," the dragon suggested.

"I suppose it would be worth a try. I can try what I did in that trap. Pushing out to hold me in place. Perhaps you can concentrate on us not getting squeezed flat in the process."

"I will do my best."

Harry took hold of his wand, which was looking far too delicate at the moment. He took the wand and touched it to the floor. The full body itch intensified and Harry tried to get a feel for what lay beneath. What he found shocked him. Lines of force flowed in from all sides to form one giant nexus. It reminded him of the maps he had been looking at in the library and this was the North Pole. It all made sense as to why the old ones were here in some manner. The mountains, the remoteness and the vast reservoir of power. But how in the name of Merlin was he going to be able to tap this without blowing himself out of existence? Then a word popped into his head unbidden, 'throttle'. In the dim light of the cave mouth Harry blinked.

"Was that you?" he asked the dragon.

"Nay, it came from somewhere else."

Harry nodded and smiled. He closed his eyes and he visualized driving a tap down into the vast reservoir but with a valve of sorts, similar to what he had first experimented with in the cavern but many times stronger. Slowly, ever so slowly, he opened the valve and let the power take him. He wasn't ready to ride the flows to the chamber of the old ones so he resisted the pull while at the same time trying to draw power to himself. It was a balancing act worthy of a tight rope walker.

He eased the valve open steadily, feeling the power swelling inside him. To counter he eased some out in all directions, keeping him pressed in place on the floor. As the strain increased he could 'hear' the dragon grunt. The impact wasn't just physical. He could 'hear' and 'see' beyond the limits of his ears and eyes. He knew that Ron and his gang were slowly making their way through the mountains and should arrive within the hour. Looking back into the depths of the cave he could clearly see that it ended in a rock face more than a mile distant. He could also see that faint flickers of the chamber and its table of twelve as if it occupied the same space but in a different dimension.

He knew that he needed only to think of it and his mind would soar to the limits of time and space. And in that realization he knew at this moment he was the master of any wizard or witch there ever was. That Voldemort was a mere trickster and even the venerable Merlin, his friend and benefactor was little more than a journeyman magician. That he need not wait for his brother and the others. The time to strike was now and he did.

Shrugging off all restraints, Harry allowed himself, and the dragon, to race into the vast reservoir of power, drawing more and more to himself. And there was no searching this time. His path was straight and swift. He/they burst out into the chamber in a blaze of energy that broke the table loose from the floor and shoved it across the room, knocking those directly opposite Harry out of the way.

He filled the chamber from floor to ceiling at one end yet any and all of the twelve occupants felt he was right there in front of them. When he spoke his voice was low, yet it seemed to roar.

"You were told to leave us alone," he said, punctuating the simple words with detonations. "Instead you committed atrocities against wizards. And above us is the evidence of centuries of atrocities against dragonkind. I showed mercy before. BUT NO MORE."

The last three words shook the chamber and everyone in it. However, one of the old ones had the presence of mind to act and a ball of kaleidoscopic energy appeared and raced towards Harry. With a thought a ball of intense plasma met it half way and the detonation shattered the table and knocked the old ones to the floor. Now, had Harry been an evil wizard he would likely have taken this opportunity to gloat over his opponents, but he wasn't evil. He was here to do a job and then go home. So he thought to the dragon,

"Now is the time."

"Indeed."

He opened the 'valve' and immediately allowed the immense tide of energy to sweep through him. To hold it would have destroyed him but he became its conduit and he shaped it into a wedge aimed at the wall directly opposite. It hit with a titanic blast that turned into a ripping sound although the material being torn must have been a mountain range. It most likely happened in an instant but for Harry it appeared as if in slow motion. A hole formed in the wall, quickly turning into a tunnel, the edges of which swirled like a whirlpool. The very fabric of the room began to flow towards the aperture. One by one, the stunned old ones were pulled towards the opening.

Like an interstellar cruiser making the transition to warp speed, or light speed, or whatever, the fabric of the ancient beings stretched and flared and with despairing cries they disappeared down the tunnel. Somewhere near the edge of infinity small flares appeared and Harry could tell that this is where they hit the flows and time caught them up. As the last one started to slide toward the widening aperture, Harry wasn't sure but he thought he saw what might have been a salute and then it was gone. At the very edge of his 'hearing' he thought he heard,

"And so entropy prevails in the end, after all."

The rate at which the room itself began to flow into the opening increased and Harry knew it was time to leave. He wasn't afraid of ending up in the flows as such, he had done it several times already, but he wasn't sure if being in the chamber when it winked out would be a good idea.

"Time to go," he told the dragon.

"Indeed it is."

Harry directed them back through the flows and shut the valve. He hadn't completely released the contact and it was unfortunate. When the last of the chamber swirled away through the tunnel, the virtual space it had occupied collapsed, sending a shockwave out through the reservoir of energy. With his wand still acting as a conduit, he was neatly swatted out of the cave mouth and sent rolling across the rocky terrain. The fact that he was still holding a substantial amount of energy probably kept him from being ripped to shred. When he came to a stop he opened his eyes but had trouble focusing. His glasses were gone. He did his best to feel around for them but with no luck. Finally, a wonderfully familiar voice said,

"I believe these belong to you, Professor, sir."

He took the proffered glasses and once he had them on he was able to focus on the concerned face of Parvati Patil. He smiled a bit blankly as he noticed others of the Special Tactical Squad running up. Looking up at this former classmate he said,

"Well done, you, then."

And promptly passed out. On one level Harry was aware that he was being tended to by friends and in some manner being taken home. On another level he was aware of so much more. He knew he was no longer in contact with the flows yet he was aware of each and every one of them. Where they were, where they crossed to form junctions or had been wrenched apart to create useless dead ends. He was also aware that he was no longer possessed of the nearly limitless power that he had experienced, but he knew it would be the work of a moment to go to that place again, to feel that power. The idea made him shiver to his core. He thought he heard someone say something about covering him up and keeping him warm.

"Hello, Harry," he heard Dumbledore say.

There was no mist, no sign of his mentor, just the voice. He began to worry, he didn't feel in terribly bad shape, but perhaps that was a bad sign.

"Professor? Did I do it again?"

"If you are referring to your state of health, no, dear boy, you are not so badly off. I suspect a period of rest will see you right. But you do seem to have once again dabbled in aspects of magic that no one else would have thought to exist. I look forward to your recovery so we may explore it more fully."

"So this isn't our usual place, sir?"

"No, it isn't, Harry. Our friend Merlin will likely be quite upset that I've spoken to you," Dumbledore said with what Harry was sure was a hint of mischief. "Rest well, my boy, we will talk soon."

"Yes, sir. Although I'm likely to have more questions than answers."

"That will make it that much more enjoyable, my boy, more enjoyable, indeed."