Authors Note: Sorry for the long wait but I needed some time to figure out myself which of the many options to get the happy ending I'd use and considered many things like letting Harry find a way to turn part of his family immortal but thought that a little difficult which is why I eventually chose this version instead. Also, this Epilogue is kind of an Epilogue and kind of a really rushed one shot that could be done as a few multi-chapter stories but I think some parts would be happening again and again but some parts could be turned into individual stories and maybe I'll write another story that would be about Harry's live between the end of the last chapter and this Epilogue but at the middle of this chapter there will be more dialogue and more the feeling of a one shot and then a bit of an Epilogue for that one shot….I hope you got that. But to make sure that you won't have to wait even longer I'll update this without getting it past a beta. If you find the mistakes too annoying, feel free to copy the chapter, fix the mistakes and let me know to add you to my docX system and send me the fixed chapter and I'll upload that once I've got some time! If you don't want to go through all that trouble, don't bother complaining about them! I have a new spell checking program and hope that it caught most of my mistakes. It definitely found more!
Anyway, thanks for all the support and reviews I got so far and I hope you'll enjoy this chapter. I worked really hard on it to get it the way it is and I know, as I said, that it could be turned into like 20 chapters at least possibly more but that would be like an extra story and I first wanted to finish this and do keep in mind that I might write more for this story! Especially if I continue to get as much support as I have so far.
Shadow Phoenix
Epilogue
Forever
Years have passed since Harry was first born and he's seen so much within the three lifecycles he's lived since. And although he loves most of his time on earth, he still loves the first life the most. The live spend with his dad Severus who had continued to work as Potions Professor until the very end. Sirius had tried to flirt with him for a few years with no success at all. Eventually, Sirius had given up, especially after Charly had returned from Romania to teach Care of Magical creatures after Hagrid had lost interest in all the paperwork he had to do like correcting and grading the students Homework and preparations for the OWL's and NEWT's testings as well as all the grading he had to do for all his students. Hagrid did, however, work with Charly during the classes to be involved in the practical parts of it and he was taking care of the creatures leaving Charly free to focus on the students.
Godric hadn't flirted with Severus though he had often replaced Fawkes to keep an eye on the man that reminded him of Salazar and had watched over him until he had died. But Godric always knew that he would just lose him again which had made him more than a little hesitant to even try and gain his love and spend time with the man. He also felt hesitant to just replace his dearest Salazar with someone else.
Harry had worried for some time that his dad would stay single and never have anyone and after finding out that Severus had truly been in love with his mother, Harry worried even more that he'd never accept anyone else and would never be with someone he loved since Lily clearly had chosen someone else.
But a few years after Harry finished school, that had changed. Harry still remembers how Madam Pomfrey had retired and someone else had taken over her post. A young man who had lost his memories a few years prior and was found wandering around America confused and seemingly depressed, probably about having his lost memories. Harry was the only one to know that his apparent sadness didn't come from a loss of memories but from the healing of his soul and the regret he felt for everything he had done before.
The man that had returned to Hogwarts was nothing like the man Harry had flashed to another continent at the end of his fourth year at Hogwarts. He had called himself Henry claiming that the name was the only thing he remembers though he doesn't know if it was his and later Harry found out it was to remind himself of the man who had not only become the saviour of the wizarding world but his personal one as well.
Hanry had worked together with the potions master of Hogwarts for some time. Severus providing him with potions that Henry needed to heal all the students who had gotten themselves hurt or gotten sick. Hanry had originally considered becoming a defence master and had fought against dark wizards in America for some time saving those he came across but at some point had been very tempted to use a dark spell that would kill his opponent again and while it was intended to help the innocent who were attacked, he worried that he would get weak eventually and change back to what he'd been. That day he had chosen to help people in a different manner and to heal those that had been harmed rather than prevent the harm in the first place and leave playing the hero to people like Harry.
Harry is still proud of the man that Tom had become and was glad to see him get closer to his dad and eventually even getting involved with him to the point of asking for his hand. Severus hadn't agreed right away insisting that having a son meant to ask him first if he could live with it which Harry had only laughed about considering that by then, Harry himself had been married to his Draco and thought it ridiculous that his opinion should still be considered.
The wedding had been nice. Smaller than Harry's but just the kind of wedding Harry would have preferred and never dared to even suggest considering that he was marrying Draco Malfoy. During that lifetime, Harry and Draco had gotten three kids together. And thanks to Henry being very diligent with the students in his care and finding out that some children that came to Hogwarts had old fractures that strongly hinted that they were abused, Harry and Draco had even adopted a set of twins to give them a home just like Severus had done for Harry. Severus also had gotten two more children with his husband and Harry was very happy to help him raise his little brother and sister whenever the two man were busy with their work. The kids could be in the hospital wing during class hours of course but whenever something contagious was going around Henry tended to bring the kids to their older brother to play with their nephews and their niece who strangely were older than their Aunt and Uncle. At least the older two of Harry's children were older than Severus' first child.
Harry had loved his family and rarely been as happy as he had during that time. He had become the godfather of one of Remus' children and the oldest of Sirius' ones and while Draco had given birth to their three kids, Harry had decided that he would the one to stay and home and raise them and experience the childhood he never had with them together giving Draco the time to do the work he lived for.
Draco had worked in the Ministry and with Harry's supported worked hard to change the wizarding world and influence the purebloods to be more accepting of the Muggle-borns and at the same time ensuring that the Muggle-borns would be better educated about pureblood customs before going to Hogwarts. Working on both ends together with Hermione, who had Married Ron eventually, was doing wonders for the relation between Muggle-borns and purebloods and the changes Draco enforced are still in place even so many years later.
Everything had changed during that Era and luckily for the better. It still wasn't perfect and some that knew just how powerful Harry was had tried to talk him into taking a more active role but he refused to, stating that firstly, he just didn't want politics to be his life and secondly, that being Powerful, doesn't mean to be wise and that he just didn't know enough about Politics to maneuver around it anyway. All he could do with power was force his will on others and even if his opinion was the best, it wouldn't help to make everyone happy. There would be people that would resent him and his ideas. A true change can't be forced overnight no matter how powerful someone is and due to that, Harry had decided to stay with his original idea and let Draco, who could talk his way around any kind of situation, do the leg work and use Harry's name and support whenever he thought it would help in his quest for a better, more peaceful and accepting future.
The peace during that life had been what had kept Harry happy even when Albus, who by then was nearly like a grandfather to him, had died. Severus and Harry had inherited everything the man had owned making Harry even more wealthy. The death of Severus that eventually followed, albeit many years later, had been worse for the young man but the love of his husband and the by then grown children had helped him cope with the loss of his own father. Later it also had helped that by the time his own grandchildren were starting to get married, Harry sensed a soul he knew. During the wedding of his youngest grandchild to a muggle, he sensed the soul of Albus in a child at the reception. Harry was glad to know that if that man was reborn into another human life, the rest of the people he will eventually lose will probably be reborn as well. It might not be the same but he would kind of see them again.
And over the past years, time had been proven him right. While watching over his and Draco's descendant he had met a muggle boy who had Draco's soul. Harry had watched over him from the shadows easily since by then his feathers had been black again due to his loneliness after Draco had died. He had once again become a shadow Phoenix the day his beloved Draco had left him.
One day when that boy who had Draco's soul had turned 20 Harry had turned into his human form again and talked to the muggle who was born with Draco's soul because the by then young man was getting depressed and seeing a muggle Psychologist. During a session with said Psychologist, the boy mentioned some of his dreams. He was dreaming about sad green eyes, a boy with sad green eyes to be more precise and the wish to help the sad boy from his dreams was part of his dreams but since he had no idea who that boy was, there was nothing he could do. He also was also drawing pictures that told Harry that he clearly remembers some of his former life even if not all.
The by then young man that was named Damion was drawing pictures of a necklace. A green one with a snake on it that seemed to protect a small black feather. The exact necklace Harry had given his Draco. Because of that, Harry had shown himself on Damion's 20th birthday. First as a human in a park pretending not to have seen him before and Damion had immediately talked to him and started to flirt and been different from the way he had been the days before that. He seemed happier and after seeing him three more times Harry had told him a story about a Shadow Phoenix, a detailed story that included wizards and magic and a green necklace with a snake. Damion had listened closely without interrupting once and at the end just said, "Magic is real huh? I guess I was Draco wasn't I?"
Harry had nodded and looked at him. Since Harry had no papers that could be used in Damion's muggle world Harry hadn't been able to Marry him again. But he had found a way to help out by flashing into Gringotts. He might have officially died in the wizarding world when he had burned the first time, or rather the second if Voldemort really had killed him when he had killed his parents. But Harry had left one Vault to be held for him and explained things to the Goblins who tend to stay out of wizarding affairs enough that he felt safe to tell a few of them about his situation. Due to that Harry still had access to some money and it was plenty to help Damion pay the rent for a bigger house and live there with him. No one had to know that he had no papers whatsoever and didn't really need a plane to go on holidays anyway. They lived happily together even though in that lifetime they didn't have any children since Draco was reborn as a muggle.
During his time with Damion Harry had once again been a normal coloured Phoenix but after Damion had died eventually, Harry had once more turned into a Shadow Pheonix that travelled the world over and over to find him again.
Harry has also seen Severus' soul again at some point and Severus once again was dating the reborn soul of the former Dark Lord. Tom's soul was even more healed than Harry had managed but it was still most certainly his soul.
Harry had watched over them for some time just like he occasionally was still checking in on his and Draco's descendants. It hadn't taken long for Harry to find Draco's soul again but to his shock, he was no longer a he. This time Draco was named Daria and was a young girl that lived in the north of Germany.
Harry had been too surprised to do much at first apart from watching the young girl growing up. Over the years he watched the girl grow into a woman and came to the conclusion that it actually suited him. Daria loved to dress up and style her light brown hair that looked nearly blond with the right light. And while being a bit of a tomboy at times during her childhood she was still very much like Harry remembers his Draco to have been. Pushy, snobby and proud.
While watching him, or rather her now, Harry quickly noticed that again, there she had dreams about green eyes in the face of a young boy and the urge to help children making Daria pursue a career in social services. In the end, Harry chose to act like he had with Damion and once again lived together with her eventually, even though it was strange to suddenly be with a woman rather than a man but in the end decided that the body looking differently hadn't mattered with Damion so why should it now? He loved this soul no matter the body.
This time he even had children again with Daria and was once again a very happy Phoenix though it was rather complicated when the children were born and the father had no papers. In the end Harry acted similarly as Tom must have when his name was changed to Henry and pretend to have lost any and all memories a few years back and that Daria had helped him and such they had fallen in love and that way Harry had gotten new papers and a new life in the muggle world this time. His children, however, were not muggles. He had four this time and all four of them were magical and got to a magical school in Germany.
The day the deputy of that school and shown to inform the Muggle parents that their offspring was magical Harry nearly fainted. The deputy and potions teacher of that school was not only a descendant of Harry's with Draco, no he was also the reborn soul of Severus and married to the headmistress who is the reborn soul of the former Dark Lord who now clearly was as female as Draco.
Harry had to leave the room after the man had been lead into their home by his wife. Apparently, the deputy had the strong magic many in Harry's family had. Not strong enough to be anywhere close to Harry or even to become a magical animagus of any kind but strong enough to be able to sense magic like Albus had and after Harry had left he noticed how a lot of magical power had left the room with him and had asked, when Harry had returned after calming down somewhat, how no one knew that he was a wizard. Harry had laughed and said "Because I'm not."
The following talk with a clearly angered man who hates to be lied to just as much as Severus had wasn't easy and in the end Harry had changed into a Phoenix in front of them and explained some things. He left out that they were related at first but since Harry had kept his given name the sour man had asked directly if Harry, being an immortal Phoenix, had ever met his ancestor who had been in touch with rather a lot of them and Harry had conceded and explained that his ancestor hadn't just been in touch with Phoenixes but was one and that he himself is said ancestor of his. But even though Harry had explained to have recognised Draco's soul in Daria, he didn't mention that the other man was the reborn soul of Harry's dad Severus Snape. A name that probably was forgotten in the wizarding world by that time. A lot of things have changed after all including the technology in the muggle world that Harry was still overwhelmed with at times.
Right now, however, Harry's wings are once again black and it had never taken this long for Draco to be reborn as now after Daria's death. Since Harry had lived in his human form in every of his lifetimes he hadn't aged as slowly as a Phoenix normally would and usually it only took about 40 to 50 years before he found his Draco's soul again in some child especially since he had made a habit of flying around and searching as big an area as possible with his magic to make sure he'd find him but this time, it's been much more than 100 years and he still hasn't found him and Harry starts to fear that Draco either won't be reborn anymore for some reason or that he is about to miss out on one of his lifetimes. And if that is the case, will Draco forget him to the point of not remembering his eyes in his dreams? Their love was strong enough to survive death itself. Will it survive this too? Or is it over for good now?
Harry is currently over the forbidden forest on his way to see if he'll find him in Hogwarts. It's been nearly seven years since he's last been at the school and he's got to be there before he'll miss one year of students in which Draco might be. His wings are as black as the night sky. At some point, a few years back he had noticed that the blue markings were getting less and less and he wonders if he'll be able to die permanently if the blue markings are gone when the time of burning comes. He had tried to die a few times. Especially when close to the annual burning and hoping to finally find some peace since he always feared that he might not see Draco again at some point. Draco hadn't been exactly the same in his lifetimes as Damion or Daria but so close. So very close that sometimes Harry wonders if Severus really had been Salazar Slytherin and since he hadn't been able to reunite with Godric's soul, he had taken one a new one as partner. Harry had noticed a few years ago that Ron and Hermione had been with another partner during their lifetime that was around the same time Harry had been with Daria and when he found them again about 50 years ago they were with the same souls from that last lifetime. Maybe it is possible that Draco will forget him and that Harry will lose him forever now.
Harry is halfway at Hogwarts when he senses Draco's soul not at the castle but in the forest and he quickly flies towards it worried that he might be in danger since the forest is still full of dangerous creatures. The descendants of Aragog just being some of those but they are currently a little too close for comfort. Harry silently settles in a tree and watches the person who has the soul of his Draco. He's only seeing his back right now but his hair is as blond as it was in his first lifetime again but currently much longer and reaches all the way down his back and is resting on the ground where he is sitting, making it impossible for Harry to accurately estimate how long it is.
The young man is with someone else and Harry sees a magical light between them giving Harry the hint that they clearly are magical but his magical core feels different. And not only compared to the one he had as Draco but also by comparison to the magical core witches and wizards usually have. The other man with him has raven hair just like Harry had but blue eyes which is something Harry is still grateful for. Harry had always been afraid that some other bloke with green eyes might swipe in and get his Draco just because they have the same eye colour.
They are silent for a long time but at some point during the night, the one that has Draco's soul sighs and the other asks, "I still think we should return. Father and Mother must be very worried and our elder brother will have my head."
Harry could dance that's how giddy he feels just because from what the dark haired man says, they are probably brothers and not lovers.
"I can't go back until I found him." The other grumbles. "I've got to find him I dream about him every bloody night and I have to find him."
"You don't even know that person and from what you told us he's mortal and possibly already dead." The brother says making Harry even more curious. "And even if he is alive and we find him, Dragon, you can't seriously consider taking a mortal as your life partner."
"I'm not sure if I want him as a life partner but I have to find him and make him happy one way or another," Dragon says and Harry just prays that it's still him he's looking for. No one else of his friends or family who had been reborn had actual dreams of the person he's been with and sometimes Harry wonders if Draco had done some magic to make himself remember some aspects of that life in a future one. Harry had told him about sensing Albus' soul while Draco has still been alive and he must have assumed to be reborn himself. Maybe he had found some way to ensure he'd remember Harry knowing that he'd always be somewhere in this world unable to die.
"And if taking him as a life partner is what would make him happy?" The brother asks. "Don't try to lie to me we all know that you love that mortal you dream about."
Harry trills feeling some of the Acrumantulas getting closer to the two brothers. The two look at him for a moment both grabbing the sword that is next to each of them and Harry nearly faints seeing Dragon's face. It's so much like Draco's had been. Nearly an exact replica. Just a bit more pointy if at all possible and while moving Harry sees that his ear is more pointy than humans are making it obvious that they aren't wizards. They aren't even human and he wonders what they are and if they truly are immortal.
"I still think we should go home." The brother grumbles, "This place isn't safe and I rather not return telling them that you got killed. Who knows how long it takes for your body to be recreated by the gods. Mother and father will be furious and I don't even want to think about what Herold will do. He'd probably kill me to take care of you until you'd be back."
"Don't be ridiculous." Dragon sighs, "Not many creatures are dangerous to us and even if we get killed I would come back, brother. I still have to find that boy after all. And Harold would never harm either of us."
"But his tongue alone would force me into suicide." The probably older of the brother's grumbles.
Harry sees Dragon take something from under his tunic and flies closer to see what it is and notices a necklace with a green snake like the one he had made but without the feather. After looking at it Dragon looks at the tree where Harry had been before and sighs, "Too bad, the feathers of that bird would have been perfect to finish this. I could have made it look like the one I dreamed about."
Once again Harry trills and this time flies onto Dragon's shoulder. The spiders have already circled the two brothers. "Good bird," Dragon says and moves his hand towards him clearly intending to take a feather. "Hold still."
"Dragon don't." his brother orders. "We don't know what kind of bird it is and who knows if it's dangerous. Taking a feather and hurting him certainly could make him dangerous."
Harry trills again and takes flight but stays in front of Dragon and flashes the real necklace that Dragon clearly remembers towards himself as he had done with Draco wearing it in the past and holds it in both of his talons before moving it gently over the man's, or whatever he is, head. Dragon looks at him and after a short moment of surprise asks, "You know him? You know the boy from my dreams with the green eyes?"
He nods his head and trills again right before Dragon's brother mumbles. "Fuck." And turns his back to them drawing his sword. "Acromantulas. And many."
Dragon draws his sword too and moves to stand with his back towards his brother, "How many?"
"Too many!" The brother sighs. "I could take on ten and you maybe five but that are at least 50."
"Five?" Dragon grumbles, "If you can get 25, so can I."
"Yeah right." His brother says. "At least Herold won't kill me when I return. Because neither of us will return from this for some time. The only question is who will get eaten first. A memory I might point out I'll only have to live with thanks to you!"
The brothers stand back to back to fight and Harry moves back onto Dragon's shoulder and moves one talon to grab his brother's shoulder and flashes into the chamber of secrets since it's the first safe place that comes to mind after just being reminded of his second year in school. It's a bit dusty after the years but the bones of the Basilisk are still in the same place he had left the snake in. "What was that?" Dragon asks.
"How would I know but that over there, was a Basilisk and I don't know about you but I rather don't want to find out what managed to kill one of that size. Even together we would have been in grave danger considering that we'd have to fight blindly." The older brother says.
Harry flashes into the open mouth of the statue where the snake had once come from and changes before saying, "No worries. I have no intention of harming either of you." He says the last word right when he gets into view of them and smiles "You are perfectly safe here."
The older brother of the two still hold his sword in his hand and is clearly ready to defend himself and his brother but Dragon stares at him and then drops his sword.
"Dragon." His brother says worriedly. "What's wrong?" Since the younger doesn't say anything, clearly too shocked to finally find Harry, his brother turns to face Harry again growling, "What did you do to my brother?"
"Surprised him I assume." Harry grins. "I'm glad though you got the necklace again. If you touch it and wish me to hear you, I'll hear every word you say. But I'd thank you not to say distracting things when I'm doing something like you did in your last three lives." Harry grins remembering that in every one of his past lives Draco had loved to tell Harry all kind of dirty things he'd like to do whenever he (or she) had time and Harry didn't.
"Past life's?" Dragon asks confused. "A non-magical woman in your last, a non-magical man the one before that and a wizard the first time I met your soul. I was still a child at the time."
"You're lying." The brother says "No wizard can live that long."
"No, a normal wizard can't." Harry sighs sadly. Even his great grandchildren are dead by now. At least those from Draco. Some of Daria's are still alive.
"Then what are you?" The brother asks.
"I don't care." Dragon says, "It's him. I would recognise those eyes anywhere."
"Then he used some magic to draw you out with those dreams." His brother insisted. "He can't be that old unless he used some very dark magic."
Harry smiles a little and says. "The Philosophers stone would have been an option."
"But that wouldn't keep you that young." The brother insists.
"Point taken," Harry replies grinning. "But I'm not always this young. I will age and I will die but only to be reborn right away again. I will remember everything and look the same. At least in this form." Harry looks at them. "But since you know so much, what do you know about Phoenixes?"
"That they are birds." The man or whatever he is replies. "And not as black as the one that brought us here, though I'll admit the way it travelled was similar."
Harry changes and flies closer but keeps a safe distance from the sword of the dark haired brother even though he could defend against it easily with his magic, he'd rather not fight the brother of his beloved. He did, however, notice during his flight down that he has once again blue markings. "That bird was me and yes I know I changed since I didn't have the blue markings but that is due to the depression I fell into when Daria had died. It had never gotten that bad when Damion or Draco had died but I had found the soul again faster than this time. Usually after about 40 to 50 years but this time it's over 100 years since I found that soul.
"I'm 89 years old." Dragon replies and Harry raises an eyebrow. He looks more like 17. "Which means I'm a fully grown high elf."
"A high elf?" Harry questions. "How interesting, I haven't heard anything about them. Where do you live?"
"In another dimension." Dragon replies, "We can open portals from that word to this one."
"Be quiet brother." The other man says and Harry frowns not happy with anyone giving his Draco orders. "We don't know if we can trust him and you are still a child."
"I'm not." Dragon grumbles with a pout that Harry finds rather adorable. "I'm fully grown for 39 years."
"You are still considered a child for another 11 years and under our parent's protection and as such also under my protection and Herold's and he'd be even more aggressive than I'm now." His brother grumbles.
"A Phoenix that is depressed turns into a so-called Shadow Phoenix but that doesn't change the fact that we are immortal. We don't really die, not ever." Harry continues to explain to distract them from arguing with each other. "I can summon another one of us, you seem to know what a normal Phoenix looks like and maybe you'll believe me if one of those changes."
"And you mean to tell me that Dragon here used to be a mortal?" The high elf asks clearly not believing it.
"The last three lives." Harry agrees. "He looked different every time but this time, he looks nearly exactly as he did during his first life that I knew him. He probably had others before that. Possibly even meeting me before I became a Phoenix considering that I've seen many mortals see each other over and over again during different lives they lived. But it is not a must that it stays that way."
"You claim to sense someone's soul?" The high elf laughs, "How stupid do you think I look."
"You shouldn't ask that." Dragon grins cheekily getting an angry look from his brother who after that look turns back to glower towards Harry like nothing happened.
Sensing his soul some more he tries to read it like he had the one of Tom to find out something about him that might prove it, at least as much as he can without removing it. "I sense another person you love. A sister I presume. You are closer to her than to Harold but not as close as you are to Dragon. Your brother and sister are both older and such Dragon is the only one of them you felt protective about. You also already have a life partner as you called it. You love her very much but so far you don't have a child. I'm not sure if you are married or if you even have something like that since I don't know about your race but I sense the love in your soul. I don't think there is anyone you really hate but you aren't particularly fond of your father's father I presume. He seems rather strict and you believe him to be unfair at times. You also have a pet. I can't tell more unless I let my soul touch yours but I rather not. It is rather exhausting and so far I only did it once to heal a scarred soul and it might hurt you since I would have to temporarily remove yours."
The elves both stare at him for some time before Dragon asks, "And what about me? Can you read mine too?"
"I can." Harry smiles. "Those aspects that never change I know by heart anyway. Like that you are possessive about everything you own and you like to look good and spend a lot of time on it. You like to appear strong and powerful too and work hard for that including not only fighting but also studying since you are aware that knowledge is power as well. Still, you are kind, love animals and while slightly pompous you like to take care of others. In this life," Hary focuses on him a little longer and then says, "You like this one of your brothers best, the other is gone a lot and you don't see him often. He is still a single and you think it's because he is snarky and grumpy. You like your sister a lot and like to do things with her, I presume everything beauty related considering how most females are raised to be a little more aware of that. Not that you needed that in your last lifetime as Daria. Either way, you also like your mother better than your father but try not to show it and want him to be proud of you but as always, you are stubborn beyond belief."
"I'm not pompous." Dragon grumbles. "Nore am I possessive. It's not proper to be possessive."
"Give it up Dragon." The older of the two grins, "I believe that he knows us all right. If he's got that from our souls or if he was watching us for some time remains to be seen."
"I trust him," Dragon says. "He made this necklace and it is the original not a fake like the one I made."
"That doesn't mean he is to be trusted." The other brother sighs.
"I trust him anyway," Dragon says.
Harry sighs. "How about I really do call for the rest of my race?"
"Won't matter." Dragon sighs. "You'd waste your time and his too since he's not the one you need to convince."
"And who do I have to convince?" Harry questions.
"That depends on how patient you are." Dragon grins.
"I'm very impatient by nature I guess but have learned to be rather patient through the centuries," Harry replies.
"You mostly need to convince me since I'm the one to choose whom I'll love and I have chosen you," Dragon says glad to see a smile on the others face. "But until I'm 100 years old my parents can veto and stop me from being with you. After that, I can leave whenever I please and find you."
"I will wait if I must then." Harry says, "But if there is any way to talk to your parents I'd rather do that than have you just leave them. You've always loved your family in every lifetime and I'd rather not take you from them."
Dragon smiles at him and says, "I could go home with Selvin and tell them about you and hope that they'd come to this world with me to meet you."
"I'd like that," Harry replies.
"And how will we get there?" The elf that must be Selvin asks. "We don't know where he took us without asking us."
"I'm sorry." Harry replies, "But from what you said about not wanting to remember being eaten and how there were too many Acrumantula when you thought it was only 50 while I knew that to be only the first few since in the forest are over 100 and they were all close by and closing in further I thought it prudent to take you to safety before you'd get bitten. Especially since I had no idea if you'd survive the poison."
"We can't be poisoned. Not even by that." He says pointing towards the Basilisk.
"Then we have something in common." Harry smiles. "And you are in the chamber of secrets below Hogwarts which is close to that forest but I can flash you anyplace you'd like to go."
"There is a place in Ireland where we can open a portal but from what I know wizards can't apparate across the water," Selvin grumbles. "We are capable swimmer however it'll be fine if you bring us close to the Irish Sea."
Harry smiles and holds out his hands. "You'll have to hold on to me for that."
Once they both took one of his hands, Dragon without the reluctance his brother shows, Harry grins at the brothers and says, "And by the way, a wizard might not get across the water, a Phoenix can go wherever." The next moment Harry wants to flash right to Dragon's parents or at least as close as possible and after a bright orange light that makes Harry smile knowing that as usual a confession of love from his Draco, or Dragon now, was enough to make him deliriously happy.
When the light is gone he sees two tall people. A woman and a man and both of them with ears like Dragon's and Harry smiles charmingly, "I presume you are Dragon's parents?"
"We are." The man replies, "And who are you and what do you have to do with my sons?"
"He saved us from over 100 Acromantulas by flashing us away." Dragon grins.
"About 50." Slevin grumbles, "I never heard or saw more than those."
"I still believe him." Dragon grumbles.
Harry still smiles and holds out the hand that Selvin had dropped right after arriving and still holds Dragon's with his other. "I'm Harry. I'm a Phoenix and it's a pleasure to meet you."
"A Phoenix?" The man frowns, "You don't look like one unless it is true and a Phoenix is born from the ashes of a Phoenix animagus."
"We still can change into our human form indefinitely," Harry explains. "All of those that I know can but the others hardly ever do and I'm kind of the exception to the rule since I do whenever I recognised the soul of my husband from that first life with the wizards."
"And he claims that Dragon now has that soul," Selvin grumbles.
"Which explains why I dreamed of his eyes and the necklace he made for this Draco," Dragon says and holds out the one Harry has already given him again and smiles. "Look it has a feather that must be from him while he's been a Shadow Phoenix he said that's a Phoenix when he's depressed and that he was when he had lost me."
"And why does that necklace have one of the black feathers if he turned depressed after the person he made it for and gave it to died?" Dragon's mother questions with a raised eyebrow.
Harry sighs. "I was depressed as a child before I ever meet him too, I stayed depressed for some time even after I meet him. I don't like to remember that time but I felt very much alone in this world and it took years for my adopted dad who found me as a shadow Phoenix to even get me to trust him enough to return to my human shape and only after getting together with Draco years later did I turn into a proper Phoenix and I made that necklace when we were too young to be together and to be honest, I hadn't been ready at the time to even consider seeing anyone in such a way and he was only my friend at the time. But a close friend that I treasured above any other. I always had a very strong conection to him."
"How old were you?" Dragon asks curiously.
"I was five when I turned into a Shadow Phoenix and left my previous home and flashed to the wizard that later adopted me," Harry explains. "I did it on instinct not even thinking about it. I had planned something else."
"And what did you have planned?" Selvin asks.
Harry sighs since he clearly doesn't get around talking about his past. He closes his eyes before he tells them about the day he had left the Dursley's. Even after so many years he still remembers their faces and the pain he had felt that day. He even still knows where the tea cups had been even though the house itself doesn't stand anymore as he found out when flying around the area to look for his Draco's soul last. It is silent after that and Dragon just moves his arms around him and says, "That's why your eyes in my dreams are so sad. They are the eyes of a child in my dreams and I dream about it since I'm six. A little before that even and you always look so sad in that dream."
Harry looks at him and smiles, "It's in the past. It doesn't matter. My life changed and I found a loving home and even the love of my life and now I have you. And to know that you won't die on me in less than a decade makes it even better. Dragon, I don't care what body you have, I never had, I loved your soul long before I understood my own feelings and I'll always love it. And nothing would make me happier than having you love me in return."
"I do wonder though why Dragon seems to remember something from that life in particular and not the ones in between." Selvin points out with a frown. "Did you do something to make him remember?"
"I didn't." Harry replies, "But I did mention to him that I recognised the soul of someone who had been like a grandfather to me when I saw his soul after being reborn again close to where we were at the time. It must have been a coincidence since usually they can be reborn anywhere, proven by the fact Dragon was born in another dimension. But I fear Draco assumed to be reborn too after that and knowing that I'd probably suffer from losing him, especially after getting close to falling into a depression when my dad had died. He must have done something himself to ensure that he'd look for me in a future life. I don't know what though but I bet it was some Potion since he was very good with those but as I said, I'm not sure about it. He did make me promise him that I'd look for his soul and watch over him once when he was getting older and by now I presume he had at least something planned by then and wanted to me sure that he'd have a chance to find me."
"I have no doubt he would do that." The woman says with a fond smile towards Dragon.
"He is rather stubborn when he wants something," Harry agrees with a fond smile.
"I don't know what you know about our race." The father says, "But we do take our time with finding a partner even if you know him from a previous life, he isn't Draco."
"I'm aware of that." Harry smiles. "And I've never rushed him in any of his lifetimes and I don't mind taking our time to get to know each other especially since he'll have to get to know me again. And to be honest, I wouldn't even force him to anything. I'm happy when he is happy and no matter how depressed I got seeing him die, I'd be fine if he'll choose not to stay with me or doesn't love me. All I wish for is for him to be happy."
He isn't completely honest with that since he is sure that he would get depressed about it eventually but he doesn't want Dragon to know. If that happens he'll make sure he won't see him in his Phoenix form until he can claim that something else is making him that sad. But he'd rather be depressed than giving Dragon the feeling that he'll have to stay with him.
Dragons father looks questioningly towards him clearly assuming Harry to lie but he just nods and accepts it. "In that case, I see no reason for you two to get to know one another."
"You're just believing him?" Selvin questions.
"I don't." Their father says. "But time will tell us if he's honest or not Selvin, you'll learn that lesson in time and he does have great knowledge about Phoenixes that I had believed to be forgotten. I had heard that a depressed Phoenix animagus had once turned into a proper Phoenix. It happened when I was a child in Egypt, he also was reborn from his ashes. There had been no contact with the wizard or the Phoenix that was born from his ashes but I know that it happened."
"You could meet him." Harry grins, "The Phoenix's name is Fawkes and I'm acquainted with him and can call him anytime."
"That was the name." The elf says surprised that the boy could know that. "Either you are older than any of the wizarding race can be, since even with dark magic no one lived that long, or you have truly talked to him or another Phoenix."
Harry still smiles and starts to explain how exactly he knows about that and a little later introduces all the other Phoenixes to the high elves. And even though it still takes years, he does eventually gain Dragon's families' trust, once the older elves are assured that he told the truth and that they won't lose their family member to the Phoenix even if said Phoenix has a tendency to flash to the human world to see how his descendants are doing, they start to get along rather well. It saddens Harry however that there is one exception especially since that family member does remind Harry of his dad at times even though it's not his soul they are very similar. It's Harold, Dragons oldest brother, who still, even more than forty years later, seems to hate Harry and glowers at him every chance he gets.
He even glowers the day Harry finally marries Dragon even though the elf had claimed that it was hardly necessary since Elves never marry more than once and clearly in his past life he had married Harry meaning they were married. Harry still had insisted on marrying again since he wanted Dragon to have memories of that day and be able to celebrate it with his family.
The day had been beautiful apart from one moment that had given him reason to doubt that all is well. Harold had pulled Harry aside during the celebrations after Harry was bound to his high elf for eternity. Harold had given him a present. A powerful and rare stone filled with a certain kind of magic that would allow them to travel through time even if only to observe from the sideline. Harry wouldn't be able to change anything, not that he truly wanted, but he could observe things again and take one person with him to see his past or whatever moment in time he chose to see for a few hours. How long would depend on a multitude of factors and couldn't be estimated correctly but Harold had asked Harry after explaining how to use it, to take Dragon and prove him that he truly loves him and not just replaces this Draco he had loved first and who's soul is in him because according to Harold, that was what Dragon believed. Harold also warned that should Dragon be right, Harry should never let him find out or Harold would find a way to do the impossible and kill a certain Phoenix.
Now after the celebration ended Harry frowns and holds up the stone in a way that Dragon can see it and says, "Harold gave this to me. Do you know what it is?"
"Yeah." Dragon says, "It's very rare and must have taken him a lot to get his hands on. I wonder why he gave it to you since I thought he doesn't like you."
"That doesn't matter." Harry sighs, "But I'd like to use it to show you something, and to find out something else."
"And what would you like to find out?" Dragon wonders.
"How many lifetimes we've really been together. I doubt that I was a Phoenix the first time my soul came here, I want to know, how often I've been able to find you, my love." Harry explains. "We had been so attached to each other even when you were Draco right after meeting when we were children. And even now you dreamed of me and searched for me and loved me the first time you saw me just like I changed into a properly coloured Phoenix just hearing you say that you cared for me. And no matter how much you changed in either of your lives, be it from magical to non-magical, from male to female or from a female non-magical person to the elf you are now. Nothing mattered to me, it was your soul I loved no matter what and nothing in either world could ever compare to the love I have for you and the only reason I love m first lifecycle with Draco the most is because I had my dad in that one, not because Damion or Daria or now you aren't exactly as you were as Draco. The changes never mattered at all. I'm sure this can't be just from that one moment I meet Draco as a child. Especially since I wouldn't trade you back for Daria, Damion or Draco. Because right now, I love you at least as much as I ever did in any life of yours."
Dragon blushes but nods and Harry moves the stone under the pillow in their bed and puts his head on it after taking Dragon's hand. Once he closes his eyes he is with Dragon at his wedding with Daria and dances with Dragon's ghostly form there smiling only at him and whispers, "I want you to remember everything I remember." They don't stay for long though since there is so much Harry wants to show him and he doesn't know how much time they have left. He shows him how he met and told Dragon's previous selfs about himself and some parts of their life before he shows him how he had meet Draco while he had still been a Phoenix and even explains that he'd never changed then and that he had truly lived like a bird.
He shows how he saved Draco in his bird form and how close they already seemed to be even though Draco hadn't known that he was a human being that was only hiding in his feathers. He shows him the moment he saw Draco in that shop again and how he was dragged around and hears Dragon mumble those eyes when he sees Draco look at him in that dark alley where they had hidden from Narcissa still on the way to the Quidditch store and right before flashing back to the toy store.
He shows some more including how he had saved Draco from the Basilisk and gotten over protective about him, how he showed his power to others and how Draco had reacted and Harry had shown him more of it and hears Dragon gasp since so far, Harry had never mentioned to the elves just how much more powerful than anyone else he is. He also shows how they got together and how he later married the blond wizard. Only after that do they watch Draco brew a potion that could make him remember two short memories in his dreams in every future life. Once that is done, Harry spend a moment to learn his mother's and father's souls since he noticed that he could sense souls even in this ghostly observer position he was in. And since he gets curious to find out if Voldemort had really killed him as a baby he does use his attack to find out. Dragon watches Harry while he sees his parents be killed. One after the other.
Both of them see baby Harry burn and be reborn only to change into a human child seconds before Severus enters the room to find the woman he loved dead. After that Dragon ask, "Did you kill him? That wizard?"
"No." Harry sighs. "He had used Dark magic and such wasn't killed on this day."
"And later?" Dragon asks. "With the power you have, it must have been easy."
"Would have been, yes." Harry agrees smiling. "But I never killed him. He had a hard life as a child and I understood him more than most did and forgave him and healed his soul. He married my dad years later when I was already married but Dad never knew it was him."
"You didn't even warn him?" Dragon asks shocked.
"There was no reason." Harry smiles. "By then he was a completely changed man and wouldn't have done something like this. He was a good man and deserved the second chance I had granted him and exposing him to the one he loved and possibly destroying any chance he might have had that way would only do harm and the two were very happy together in that life and their future ones."
"Do souls heal when being reborn?" Dragon questions, "Or would he have been evil when being reborn had you just killed him?"
"It healed more than I could." Harry explains, "But some things stay with it. A tendency to depression, or a longing for power for example. Often also the longing for a certain soul seems to stay."
After that Harry does as he had said and watches his own soul in a previous life marry his Draco and smiles saying that is us. They are both non-magical in that life and Harry starts to go back in time again and again and sees himself marry his beloved soul over and over, finding it even more strange to see himself in a female body a few times than he had with Daria. After a while, he stares at one lifetime where he had been a wizard and saw a familiar face on his wedding to Dragon's soul. After watching the wedding longer than the others it turns out that Godric had failed in all his teachings of the past to even mention that he had a little brother. Not that it would have helped Harry since he couldn't feel anything in those memories that they hadn't been able to feel and such wouldn't have known that he was, in fact, Godric's little brother from that time. He wonders if there is a connection to the others and goes even more quickly through his lifes and ends up seeing Li who also never mentioned much about her family and had two brothers. Harry's soul being the younger of them and Godric's soul was the middle child.
They continue going through them while Dragon watched Harry's intense face not understanding what he senses and only occasionally asking if they still had been together in every of his lifes and sees him nod with a fond smile saying "In every single one. And guess was, I was Godric's brother in two of my lifetimes and Li's in one so far and have a feeling that Fawkes forgot to mention that he had three siblings. A sister and two brothers."
Once they reach that time Harry smiles especially since he also sees who Godric had been with in every one of those three lifes that they shared together and wonders if they had all been caveman and woman at some point. Harry just catches a glimpse of the firsts true form in her first life and her family but it's enough to smile when he wakes up from his vision journey through time. He grins and says "They were all my siblings in their individual times. I just wonder if I should tell or if they assume anyway. Fawkes should notice that he fought with the older of his younger brothers just like he does with Godric and that his sister had been just as calm and collected as well as shy as Li is. They are a lot like they were in their previous lives even though they did change a little bit every time like we did too."
"Were we together in every one of those lives I saw?" Dragon questions.
"Mostly." Harry grins. "As you might have noticed there were a few I saw myself at a young age because I died before we found each other, or where I was single probably not having found you for some reason. But apparently I've never been with any other soul so I guess, we just belong together. And that I always have and always will love you no matter what happens to either of us, now and forever. Just now, we won't have to search each other again."
Dragon smiles a little hearing that and seeing that Harry looks at him with the same fond smile he had for Draco, Damion and Daria as well as all the other versions of himself before that. "Forever." He sighs and cuddles into his husband's embrace. Not knowing that Harry decides to tell Godric that the soul of his Salazar, whom he's been with for more than that one lifetime, is an elf as well and one who is still single for a long time and occasionally mentioning that he just hasn't found the right person yet. Harry won't say that it's Harold though, just in case it doesn't work out between them this time around. He is still undecided if he should mention to Fawkes that Albus Dumbledore really had been the reborn soul of his father and he is a little sad that it's too late to tell Severus that he might have flashed to him on instinct because in on of Harry's former lives he had been his real father, but then again, since he also was Godric's father in that lifetime he might not have liked that knowledge. He is, however, glad that he'll never have to tell anyone that his own son had been the reborn version of James and once again married the soul of Harry's mother who had also been reborn. He does wonder, however, what happens between lives with a soul. And if the soul of Fawkes and Li will ever find the reborn soul of their partner or if he can ensure that the first get's a chance to die and be reborn only to become a Phoenix again at some point. Because being a cave woman would make it hard to ever be with someone and find the eternal happiness he has now.
After being awake for some time and wondering about all those questions he sighs and decides that it doesn't matter. He'll have all of forever to find a way to help his older siblings find the happiness they deserve. And with that much time, how could he possibly fail?
Authors Note: I guess writing how Godric will end up as Harry's brother in law will be a little over the top in an already rather long Epilogue but of course he'll get that and with the rest of forever at his disposal and his own happiness assured with Dragon by his side he will eventually either find an elf that is reborn with the soul of a partner from the older of his siblings and also finds a way to make the first happy and be it only by letting her fly around half wild as her nature demands and visiting him and the others on occasion. I'm also seeing Severus and Tom being born as a full high elf or to some of the half-Phoenix half-elf children that will eventually be born and that they'll also live forever like their parents do and give them all a never ending happiness and such a very happy end.