Disclaimer: Harry Potter and everything in the franchise is the property of J.K. Rowling, Dungeons & Dragons is a property of TSR. Rating is PG-13 for mild violence and swearing, may turn to R in later chapters.
Harry Potter & the Coming of the Dragon
Chapter 10
"Zephilteridon, queen of the northern reaches, bane of the red wyrm and loyal daughter of Lord Bahamut has heard thy call elf lord. By what right do you summon me?" It filled the sky above the clearing and blocked out most of the morning light and its voice the rumbled like thunder. The creature's very presence kept most of the Hogwarts students on their knees in awe.
Professor Silverheart, standing before the mighty beast, answered its call. "Greetings scion of the platinum dragon. I, Jayxomilithane Kenderin Silverheart, Griffon knight, steward of the hold, keeper of the Oracle of Oscarazine and blood heir of the Silverheart line summon the by right of debt."
The dragons head reared back like a viper preparing to strike, "what debt is owed that thou wouldst assume to command my presence?" Jayxom spoke quickly in elvish as the creature's head rose in apparent alarm.
The great head lifted into the sky and let forth a tremendous roar, the very air vibrated with the force of the cry. As they watched, golden fire leaked from the beast's mouth, travelling over its body and completely blocking it from sight. As the fire faded away the image of the dragon faded leaving behind instead a striking white haired woman in a silver gown.
Harry and his friends were dumbstruck. The woman was beautiful as the dragon had been fierce. She moved to the elf lord, touched a gentle hand to his cheek and spoke to him with tones too low to be heard by anyone else. The raven-haired Gryffindor got a very strong impression that the relationship between the two was much stronger than simple friendship. The two spoke for a few moments this way till they parted and he turned to address his class. This is Zephyl. She will be teaching you of dragon kind, their nature and ways. Knowing the strengths and weaknesses of such creatures can mean the difference of life and death in any encounter with them... Zephi?"
The woman smiled to the elf and held her arms out to the students in a grandmotherly way. "Come children, let me tell you of my people."
Ron, raising his hand asked, "excuse me but you're human, are you an animagus?"
"Oh shut it Weasel, can't you tell she's the opposite... she's a dragon that can turn into a human."
Zephi smiled at the blond Slytherin, her eyes holding his for more than a few seconds, "Quite right young man, Lord Bahamut has gifted his children with the power to assume the form of lesser creatures. I stand before you as I am now to keep you from cowering in fear of my rightful majesty."
"Dragon fear, the word explains itself. My kind, by their very nature strike terror into the hearts of lesser beings. As we age and become more powerful it becomes nearly impossible for anyone to stand in our presence. This is one of the reasons we have the power of change; but there is more to tell, so listen to my tales."
Zephil went on to teach them about her kind. Harry loved these creatures, diverse and seemingly immortal these creatures were split into nine different pure dragon species with dozens of offshoots. Of the nine, four species of dragon were said to be the progeny of Bahamut. The other five were children of Tiamat. These two demi-gods were said to be the progenitors of the dragons though even they bowed to their great father IO.
The Children of Bahamut, creatures who were considered forces of good, are also called 'metallic' dragons due to the colour of their hides. Coming in shades of copper, bronze, silver and gold, they generally looked on the lesser races as one would an untrained puppy, making lots of messes and needing constant watching. Their greatest enemies were the Chromatic dragons, with whom they had fought for ages beyond counting.
Tiamat's children, the Chromatic dragons came in the shades of black, white, blue, green and red. They were a greedy and vicious lot, seeing the lesser races as little more than fodder or a quick snack. They had been at war with the metallic dragons for countless ages over the fate of mankind and had at one time ruled the skies over all of Aowyn.
Each species of dragon had its own strengths and weaknesses. Some even seemed more powerful than others. Of these, Red and Gold Dragons were seen as the greatest of their kinds. Eternal opponents, they plotted and worked to keep the upper hand of their rival.
Each species carried its own special powers unique to its kind. Most assumed that all dragons breath fire, this is not so. Some could breath acid others poisonous gas or even lightning. Silver dragons could emit a special roar that could shatter bone and reduce metal to powder.
As they aged dragons also became more resistant to magical and physical attacks. To pierce Zephi's skin would require a blow from a god-forged weapon or the attack of a dragon of equal or greater power. Spells cast at them, even by the greatest mages, failed more often than not confounded by the magical aura surrounding the great beasts.
They talked through the morning. Zephil walked among the groups of students answering questions and charming them all more effectively than any magic could. Finally when the grumble of empty stomachs could no longer be ignored, Jayxom called a halt to the lesson.
Taking her hand he walked her away from his students and further into the clearing. They stood close together, hands joined and speaking quietly for several minutes as all watched raptly.
Ron, feeling a bit put out by it all, nudged his friend and Whispered, "Why don't they just get a room?" Hermione stared daggers at the redhead for his crudity, Harry and Draco both looked to their friend and just shook their heads smiling, Alec on the other hand slapped his arm. Ron looked at him sharply, "What did you do that for?"
Leaning into the other boy though not trying half so hard to keep quiet he said, "Jayxom's an elf you know, those pointy ears on his head aren't for hanging laundry." A smile crept across Alec's face as sick comprehension dawned upon the other boy, "He can hear you." There was a moment of shocked silence as the boy imagined the horrible fates that could be waiting him. He was broken from his reverie as strangled giggles started to force themselves from his friends lips.
"God Weasel, if you want to die so badly why don't you just go kick Voldemort in the bag, it'd probably hurt less."
Ron, his face redder than his hair, didn't even look up, said, "I just might."
The two figures in the clearing parted and the elf stepped back as the woman was wrapped again in golden fire. In moments the meadow was once more eclipsed by the great bulk of the silver dragon. With an explosive leap that caused the ground to shudder and more than one of the students to fall from their feet, the beast leapt into the sky, circled the clearing once and with a parting roar, flew off towards the horizon.
They all stood watching until she could no longer be seen in the distance. Swiftly Jayxom turned back to his students. "Everyone up and back to the classroom. For our next class I want a parchment describing your experiences in the clearing today. Do not just repeat the facts of what you learned, I want your feelings about it as well. Magic is as much an art of passion as it is a science; do not neglect one in pursuit of the other or you only cheat yourself." Pausing and beckoning in Harry's direction he said, "You five will stay behind and assist professor Snape in the gathering of his components... Class dismissed."
The elf lord waited as the other students re-entered the stone dais that was the defence classroom. When all had passed into the room he waved his hands before him and chanted in elvish, moments later the room vanished leaving them alone in the clearing.
The group, now consisting of Jayxom, Professor Snape, Harry, Draco, Ron, Hermione and Alec all stood together in the centre of the meadow. Ron, thinking their being held back was his entire fault, quickly started trying to apologize to the elf. "Professor Silverheart... please... I didn't mean to insult... when you and she were talking..."
Looking to the boy with blank innocence on his face he interrupted the boy, "I'm sorry Mr. Weasley, I was so wrapped up in my conversation that I must have missed it. How did you insult me?"
Ron, his brain going into overload, just stood with his mouth agape trying to think of anything he could say that wouldn't make his predicament any worse. Jayxom stared hard at the boy for several seconds, the tension in the small clearing thickening by the moment. Turning away from the stricken redhead he flashed a quick wink at the others and spoke. "Professor Snape, sorry to keep you waiting, some of my kin will be here shortly with the components from your list. Alec, why don't you go change and do some scouting, it's good practice here. Mr. Weasley, let me know if you remember what I wasn't supposed to hear... honestly she distracts me so when we get together I think sometimes we should just get a room..."
The rest of the morning was spent pleasantly other than Ron's attempts to climb under a rock any time the elf even glanced in his direction. Alec had 'changed' as his professor had asked. This had involved him going off into the woods and returning a short time later in the form of a cheetah, his discarded clothes stashed inside a pack that he carried in his mouth. Harry grinned at the boy remembering their demonstrations of shape changing in their other classes.
It had been their first day together in Transfigurations. Professor McGonnagal had made her normal entrance as a cat and had changed into herself standing behind the desk. Not to be outdone,
Alec had immediately changed into a feline identical to the professor's animagus form. Unlike her, however, when he changed his clothing remained piled around him unchanged. When he finished transforming into different animals had been forced to drag his clothing behind the teacher's desk and dress out of his friend's sight. Alec had admitted that it was one aspect of the wizardly transformation that he was jealous of.
Alec had left to scout the woods a few minutes later. The rest of the party, Jayxom included sat in the clearing and the professor asked the students if any of them had considered training as an animagus. "After all, an animal form can be very handy, especially with the advantages it brings you even in your human form." Harry stopped him there, "advantages? I don't understand professor."
Jayxom grimaced, "They still hide it from your generation." Snapes face became pensive and he looked as if he was almost going to say something but held his tongue. The elf continued, "Do you know, children, why they don't teach you to become animagi at Hogwarts? Why you must register with your ministry?"
Draco spoke up after a short silence. "Father told me once that the ministry fears them because some turn wild and reckless."
The elf rose and prowled the camp. "Exactly. Ten points to Slytherin Mr. Malfoy. It is true to a point of course, animagi do take on the traits of their other halves but for the most part it only makes them better mages. When my students choose an animal to transform into, they must actually come in contact with it to learn its nature. Mages, on the other hand, already have a form, one that was pre-determined from the moment of their birth."
"Do you ever wonder how the animagus form is chosen for a mage? The mage doesn't do it, nor the animal spirit. Magic itself binds the spirits of man and beast that most compliment each other. Neither recognizing the other until the wizard trains to call their other half out.
"When a mage recognizes his other half and learns to call it he can call upon the traits of the beast even in human form. Harry, your father was one from what I have been told, he took the form of a stag. Very likely he gained extra strength and fleetness of foot from it. Sirius took the form of a dog and it made him fiercely loyal and aggressive." Seeing the boys eyes mist over slightly he quickly moved on.
"The beast strengthens the mages natural and magical abilities, this is what truly scares the ministry, the thought of someone such as Voldemort gaining an animagi form and increasing his power in doing so." Harry thought about it for a few moments and asked, "How do we know that Voldemort hasn't got an animagus form yet? If it increased his power you'd think he'd have done it right away."
Jayxom shook his head. "The man hasn't and likely never will have an animagus form. Transforming from man to beast is to release control of your human self and let the beast take over. It is more an act of will than the casting of a spell. That is why no wand or spell is needed to change; it is also why Voldemort will never be animagi. He could never give up control of himself even for the greater power."
They sat several minutes pondering Jayxom's words when Alec in his cheetah form burst into the clearing and stopped before the elf. They looked into each other's eyes for a few moments in silent communication before the cat/boy grabbed his pack in his maw and darted back into the tree line. "They're coming," said Jayxom. "They'll be here in a few minutes. These are Forest elves; the locals call them wild elves. They are very suspicious of outsiders so just remember, don't speak unless spoken to and if one stare at you don't drop your eyes, it's an insult. Stare back until he or she looks away."
Alec came running back into the clearing shortly after, still tying his fastenings on his clothing. Moments later a small herd of dear burst through the trees with elven warriors riding them. All were nearly naked and had tattoos covering their bodies. Wearing grim expressions the riders circled the clearing once, scouting for traps and then posted themselves along the tree line with bows in hand and arrows notched.
Through the trees now came another group of deer lead by an enormous buck, easily larger than a draft horse. Riding atop it was a dark skinned warrior, his hair pulled back and tied behind him. He wore buckskin breeches and soft leather boots with knives sticking out of each. He rode straight to the elven lord. Ignoring the others as completely as if they hadn't been there at all. They spoke for a few minutes in the singsong language of the elves. As he listened Harry likened it almost to the sound of leaves rustling in the wind or the sound of a stream flowing.
Finally the haggling was done between the elves and Professor Snape walked away with several bags from the back of the buck while the elf had a new brace of throwing knives given to him by Jayxom. Wheeling the great stag around they leapt into the surrounding forest without disturbing a leaf. Looking around they saw the guards had similarly vanished leaving them alone again. Standing himself near the centre Jayxom again cast the spell returning the classroom to their sight. On the stone platform they saw Professor Dumbledore standing in wait for their return, his face grim.
Their previous conversations forgotten they all came through to see what had brought the headmaster in search of them. "Children, please return to your common room, the evening meal won't be for another hour." Ushered abruptly from the room they quickly found themselves staring at the closed classroom door. Harry was just about to walk away in disgust when Ron and Draco, both digging in their pockets pulled out several sets of extensible ears. Happily he took one and offered another to Alec who refused as he had his own methods of listening.
Five heads pressed close to the door as they listened in. "What is so important that you had to hunt me down this way Albus?" Silverhearts voice came clearly to their ears. "Jayxom, I'm sorry, something like this shouldn't have happened here, there are wards that should have prevented it." The headmasters voice seemed weary and Jayxom's now seemed more demanding, "Tell me Albus, what's wrong?" "One of your students from the Slytherin Class, she's been taken."