Harry Potter & the Coming of the Dragon
Chapter Ch13
Harry ran after his friend through the darkened corridors of the school. The Halloween feast had been over for hours and it was well past curfew, Mr. Filch and his cat Mrs. Norris would be roaming the halls, hunting students out for a late-night romp. None of that mattered, he had to find Draco.
They had all met earlier that evening in the room of requirement. Ron, Hermione, Draco and himself gathered with Alec's help in order to take the first steps towards becoming animagi. Undergoing a vision quest, they had each been visited by the spirit of their beast forms in their dreams.
Hermione had encountered her spirit in the form of an Eagle Owl. Ron, a huge mastiff and Harry found that he had not one, but two forms. The first had been a black cat, the second a panther. When Hermione found out she had been ecstatic. Her study of animagi had revealed that no wizard or witch in more that four hundred years had been capable of more than one animagus form. The friends had all been happy and excited about the experience but Draco.
The Blond boy had woken from his trance disoriented and visibly upset. When Harry asked him, he denied seeing anything and ran from the room. The raven-haired boy knew that something had happened with the boy equally as powerful with them, if not more so.
Harry had been able to see auras, energy created by living creatures and magic, since the last summer. It appeared to him as a nimbus of light surrounding the object that generated it and through trial and error he had become more adept at reading and interpreting them. All of his friends, Draco included had woken with a silvery lining to their auras. The blond haired Slytherin, however, whereas everyone else had else's had been just visible, his was powerful and nearly eclipsed the normal energies that he radiated and seemed to pulsate with his anxiety.
The boy went straight to the astronomy tower. In the weeks since the start of term this had been the place they would come when they were upset or needed to talk. It was here they had spent the day solidifying their friendship When Draco's father had been stricken by the demetors and countless times afterwards. He knew the boy would come here now, instinctively to find sanctuary.
Opening the door at the top of the tower he found his friend leaning against the parapet and staring off into the darkness. Harry slumped down by the other boy and waited, something was tearing at the blond but pressing him would only cause him to draw away. Draco would open up when he was ready and the dark haired boy waited patiently until his friend began to speak.
The stricken boy began so quietly that Harry missed the first few words. He turned to his brooding friend, "Sorry?"
Draco repeated himself. "I said it's not fair." The Gryffindor waited for him to continue, "If I tell you something, you have to swear not to tell anyone, not Granger, not Weasel, no-one unless I say.
Blinking at the seriousness of his friends request he answered, "Of course, that goes without saying, you know that."
The blond shook his head. "This is important Harry, you have to swear, on your mothers name."
Grasping, finally, how important this was to the boy, he took his wand in his hand and pressed it over his heart, his other he put against his friends chest, "I, Harry Potter swear on my mothers name, and by the magic that flows within me, all that passes between us this night will remain only between us except by your leave."
The boy's wand glowed softly and Draco gave him a relieved smile. "Thank you." The boys separated and Harry cast a silencing spell around the tower and waited patiently for the other boy to begin.
The Slytherin boy took a deep breath and spoke; "You remember I said I'd seen nothing earlier?" Harry nodded. "I lied... I saw a huge, silver-white dragon, I the dragon. I can't begin to describe the feeling, being the beast. I was so large I could have wound myself around the quiddich pitch with length to spare. The power was incredible and not only that, but he... I... had avatars on countless worlds. I was all of them. It was Horrible Harry, I wasn't Draco Malfoy anymore, that part of me was so insignificant it could barely be sensed." The boy shuddered in memory of the experience. "Harry, I'm Bahamut."
The raven-haired Gryffindor stared blankly at his friend, too shocked to answer as he continued. "I can't describe it, for me, the part that is Draco it was like being dead for just a moment... God... I didn't want any of this... I've got to find a way to keep this from happening again and I'm not giving myself up to Silverheart either. Harry you've got to help me, I'm sixteen-bloody-years old. I want to live my life, help me beat this..."
Harry took his friends hand, "Of course I'll help. It's bad enough my own life being directed by the prophesy but I'll be damned if I let my friends fall into the same trap. We'll find a way out of this for you Draco but think about telling Ron and Hermione, we could really use their help." The other boy paused for a moment, "Alright, I'll think about it but remember what happened to your firebolt when you got it that one Christmas, Granger has to swear on her life not to tell."
"She will, now lets get back to our houses before Filch catches us... we'll talk more tomorrow."
Sunlight woke Harry from a dreamless sleep. Being Sunday, he would normally be having a lay-in but with the events of the previous evening and his sessions that he had been having with Alec to develop his latent Psychic potential, the boy knew that the day would be long and delaying its beginning would do no good. He lay for a few moments studying the Gryffindor crest in the canopy above his bed. Whether it was a trick of the morning light or just his agitation making him more sensitive, but he swore he could almost see the individual stitches in the fabric several feet above him. Pushing aside the stray thought he sat up on the side of his bed and noticed an envelope sitting on his bedside table.
Thoughts of waking his friend in the next bed left him as he noted the address on the note.
Harry Potter
Second bed by the window
Sixth year Gryffindor dormitory
Hogwarts School, Witchcraft and Wizardry
Picking up the package he studied it and wondered how it had arrived there. It had not arrived by owl, he would have been awakened by the bird, likewise someone bringing the note would have most likely have roused him from his sleep. The letter had a thick wax seal with the image of a dragon in flight stamped into it. Breaking it the boy opened it and read:
Harry,
Professor Silverheart doesn't know as much about the dragons as he would believe. His world was visited by these creatures thousands of years before his birth. The tales and legends of their coming are just that. Look to your own history, legends and prophecies. Bahamut and Tiamat are not Io's only children and all must be awake for Aasterinian to carry their call to the great dragon.
You must beware... Voldemort has discovered the elf-lords mission. The apocalypse that would be brought about by the sleeper and his siblings would be his ultimate prize. He has gathered allies from Jayxom's world, fell creatures that make the darkness their home. These Drow are even now in your world and assisting the dark lord for their own purposes and that of their spider-queen.
Be vigilant; seek help from those you know that can be trusted.
A friend.
Rising and shrugging on his clothes he pulled the canopy of his friends bed aside and shook him roughly, "Ron... Ron, get up!"
"Ten more minutes Mum..." came the muffled reply.
Harry's wand came out... "Perfrigidus-Aquula!" Near freezing water shot from the end of Harry's wand and splashed on the boys back. The redhead screamed and his voice hit an octave that he hadn't reached since he'd started school five and one-half years before.
Leaping from his bed he yelled, "Harry! I said I'd get up."
Barely acknowledging his friends complaints he quickly explained, "Something's happened. Get Hermione and Alec and go to the room of requirement, I'll meet you there with Draco. Harry left and Ron wasn't far behind, pulling on his clothes as he went, neither noticing that their passing had been noted with more than passing interest by one student in particular as the ran through the Gryffindor common room.
Harry was in a panic. He had checked the Slytherin dorms, the astronomy tower and the great hall; Draco was nowhere to be found. Giving up and starting back to the Gryffindor tower to get the marauders map he inexplicably found his footsteps turning back towards the dungeons and to a door he had never seen before. Unsure why he had come he hesitantly knocked on the door and was greeted by the dour expression of the Hogwarts potions master.
The professor stared stonily at the boy for several moments, "Mr. Potter... It seems that you've saved me the trouble of having you sent for, do come in." The man twirled in a flurry of robes and re-entered the dark room. Following him into the dark room, Harry gaped in surprise. When he had thought about it he had believed that the potions masters private quarters would be dark and spare, echoing the severe mien of their owner. The room that greeted him was done in forest green and earthy browns, tasteful artworks decorated the walls and a cheerful fire burned in the hearth. Standing beside it, his face tense was Draco Malfoy.
The boy's expression brightened considerably with Harry's entrance and a genuine smile appeared on his face. "Harry, sorry, I know I was supposed to meet you all in the Gryffindor common room this morning but Professor Snape wanted to talk to me."
"That's correct," interjected the Slytherin head of house. "Young Mr. Malfoy was quite out of sorts this morning and as you two have been thick as thieves this term I was going to send for you and find out exactly what has been happening to have him so upset. Is there anything you wish to tell me Mr. Potter?"
Professor Snape had always intimidated and infuriated Harry, but this morning the potion master's antics seemed almost childish to him. Ignoring the request he turned to Draco and pulled out the note. "I found this by my bed this morning, it was..." He finally noticed that the other boy was staring at him with a startled expression on his face. "What? What's wrong?"
The Blond Slytherin gestured towards the boys face, "Harry... Your eyes..." Turning to an ornate mirror on the wall he reached up to adjust his glasses only to find them not there.
His glasses, he realized that he'd never put them on that morning. Looking into his reflection he could see what had so captivated his friends gaze. His eyes, the same colour as his mothers were now slit as a cats and reflecting the firelight back like two lanterns. Before he could organize his thoughts he felt a hand on his jaw, turning his face towards the potions master. Looking into the boy's eyes, Professor Snape said, "It seems we have more to speak of this morning than the well being of my godson. If you please Mr. Potter, Draco, sit down and start from the beginning."
The two boys began relating the events of the last twenty-four hours to Professor Snape. Their teacher was quite angry when he found out about their attempts to discover their animagus forms, explaining that for a wizard the vision quest was a dangerous thing, risking that the animal spirit would overcome a weak minded person and change them into something akin to a were-beast. When the time came to explain Draco's anxiety the two boys looked to each other, with a slight nod from Draco they began in turn to explain about the boy's discovery as to his true nature, his fears about his fate and his reluctance to allow anyone to find out about him.
The potions master was shocked, but heard them out to the end. After Harry explained the note and allowed them both to read it the professor poured himself a brandy and sat silently for several moments. "First things... it was wise of you to want to keep this secret. While I respect our headmaster and Professor Silverheart, I won't see my godson trapped in a glass coffin until they feel it safe." He looked to the two boys, "And you haven't told anyone else? Granger, Weasley or the Williams boy?"
At the shake of their heads he continued. "I will leave that decision up to you but try not to spread this little bit of information too far. The dark lord would be as interested, if not more so, to get his hands on you than Silverheart. Your death could bring the coming of the Dragons and his goal of the end of muggle civilization as we know it will come to pass." Scanning the parchment again he continued. "I believe we need to be doing some research, so at least Ms. Granger should become involved... It does seem to be her specialty." He turned his gaze to Harry, "As for you, 'Accio Glasses.'
They waited several moments until the door opened of its own accord and Harry's glasses landed in the professor's hand. "Try them on Mr. Potter."
Taking the glasses from Snape, the boy put them on and squinted, "Everything's blurry."
"Of course they are Mr. Potter, your little stunt the previous evening seems to have more than corrected your eyesight. We cannot, however have you traipsing about looking like that. Give me your glasses." Two spells were cast on them making the lenses into ordinary glass and casting an illusion to make the boys eyes appear to be normal. Donning the glasses he looked back into the mirror to see his reflection as he always remembered it. He turned to the Professor and Draco and told them of their other friends waiting them in the room of requirement. They agreed to go and meet with their other friends and try to organize some plan of action.
Exiting Professor Snape's quarters they began their trek through the dungeons to the upper levels when Harry stopped. Down a dark side-corridor he had sworn he'd seen something move. Motioning for his friends to wait he took a few hesitant steps into the shadows. As soon as he was out of the direct light he noticed a marked change in his perceptions. The darkness was no longer completely total. While not well lit, he could see everything in the hallway clearly. A vague form approximately ten meters away suddenly turned to face him. The features were elven with the aristocratic features and pointed ears but something wasn't right. He backed away as the newcomer began to advance on him. The elf's eyes glowed red in the darkness, likely some kind of night vision. As they came into the light from the main corridor he got a good look at the intruder.
While the features were definitely elf-like there were even more differences. The mans skin was pitch black, almost as if of polished obsidian, his long flowing white hair tied back in a ponytail and he was armoured in some shimmering metallic cloth. From behind him he heard professor Snape Cast a spell. "Stupefy!" the red beam shot out and as it was about to strike the dark elf, he raised a hand and casually batted it aside. In return he spoke in a tongue much like Silverhearts and passed his hand before him. Silky strands of webbing enveloped and bound them in place.
Visibly relaxing and closing with Harry, the dark elf looked them all over as if they were sides of beef. "So this is what that posturing fool is so concerned about. A school full of weak, near-novices and children learning parlour tricks." He smiled and grabbed Harry by the face, "There are a few of you, however, that show a slight bit of potential." A knife appeared in his hand and traced along the Gryffindor's throat. "A quick clean cut, and there's one less wizard to interfere in my queens plans."
Unseen by the elf who had put all of his attention on Harry, the bonds around Professor Snape were slowly sliding away from his open skin. Out of a fold in the arm of his robes a vial fell into his open palm and as the dark elf pulled the knife away from the boys throat to show him the blade the potions master threw the vial at the elf's feet with spectacular results. The bottle exploded in a sheet of flames that exploded around the webbing and dark elf. Harry was thrown back, barely singed by the conflagration; the elf however was engulfed in flame.
Finding himself suddenly free, Draco leapt forward, jumped, and landed a flying kick in the centre of the burning elf's chest, all the while singing praises in his head to Silverheart's physical defence classes. The man staggered back as the flames fluttered out and grasped a medallion around his neck. In a pulse of black light, the elf vanished as if he'd never been. They all leaned against the walls catching their breaths and Snape directed them. "You both go to the room of requirement, I'll meet you there, I have to inform Dumbledore about this intrusion."
As Snape turned to leave he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to find Harry regarding him with admiration. "Sir, that was brilliant, how did you get free of the webs, how did you know what to do?"
Smirking at the son of his old nemesis he explained, "You all call me a greasy git, do you ever wonder why? I'm surrounded by inept students brewing any number of volatile concoctions on a daily basis, every exposed part of my body is covered in a special oils that will keep me from immediate harm, and in this case helped us escape the webs... Now off with you we don't really have the time for idle chat." He turned and swept down the corridor.
"Professor?" He stopped without turning, listened and continued on feeling more confused than he had in years with Harry's last words ringing in his ears.. "You'd best be careful, we'll make a Marauder of you yet."