Disclaimer: I own nothing; it all belongs to J.K.Rowling. I'm just borrowing the characters to play with for a while. This is for pleasure only, no profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.
CHAPTER TEN – Discovery
Harry smiled a smile of contentment. Fawkes flew off his shoulder and sang a song while Harry bowed before the magnificent creature. "Hello. I hope I haven't kept you waiting for long."
The dragon chuckled. "I got plenty of beauty rest, and we can leave it at that. My name is Apollo and I think you know why I am here."
"Are you to join my family Apollo?"
"Yes Harry I am." Apollo said with an extremely pleased smile.
He ambled forward and so did Harry. Harry put his hands up on both sides of Apollo's massive dragon head, while Apollo wrapped his gigantic whitish-blue wings around Harry and pulled him closer like a cocoon. There was a tornado of magic swirling above them that flew down through them with a woosh and was absorbed into the ground. All of those present on the island felt the magic responding and revitalizing everyone there. The manor looked pristine, the homes werewolves and veela were building were instantly nearly finished, the colors of all the foliage and animals seemed to brighten.
Apollo released Harry, and Harry took a step back with tears in his eyes. "Father, why did you not accept my gift?"
Apollo smiled and said "There was no point to my son. I have stayed on this earth for too long as it is. But I couldn't leave until magic had a new paladin. I have longed for this day for centuries. May I see you?"
Harry understood immediately and the tears had yet to stop. He took a step back and look towards the sky. He face grew upward into a dragon's head and his body just kept growing and enlarging until he was a massive ice blue dragon much like his father.
"You are a looker, aren't you?" Apollo said with a chuckle. "I must go now, my strength is waning quickly. Be well, my son. Magic needs you whether she wants to admit it or not." And with that Apollo took off into the sky again, flying briskly and he was quickly out of sight. Harry whispered "Goodbye Apollo" and knew he was gone forever in this form. But that his father was there for him as long as he carried his gift within him and would until a new paladin would become his own child.
Harry turned around still crying but with a wide smile on his face. "Oh my brothers! Fawkes, this is Archimedes. Archimedes, that magnificent red flying turkey is Fawkes. And I would like both of you to meet, Marcellus. Marcellus, these are my brothers, Fawkes and Archimedes."
"Greetings Fawkes, Archimedes," the vampire said with a slight bow to each. "When I recognized you Harry, I knew you would need to meet Apollo."
"If you don't mind me asking, Marcellus, how did you recognize me?"
"I'm more familiar with the workings of magic than most. My wife, Artemis, was Apollo's mother a couple millennia ago." Harry nodded having suspected something like that.
Archimedes spoke up "Well it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance Marcellus. And welcome to Sanctuary."
"I'm sure we'll see each other more often Harry." Marcellus finished with a bow, and Archimedes offered to lead him towards the rest of his clan.
Fawkes looked over at Harry and said "Are you doing okay brother? You seem to be having some pretty extreme emotions at the moment."
Harry looked over at Fawkes with a smile. "Yeah. No thanks to you. Did you have to make my disposition so playful?" Fawkes trilled a laugh at Harry and said, "That wasn't all my doing. I think it is you who is playful, you've just been keeping it in for so long that you forgot who you were."
Harry shook his head, a bit ashamed to admit his brother was probably right. Fawkes sang him a song, and left in a flash. Harry went back into the manor and went to lie down. His body was exhausted, although it felt hyped up from the new gift from his father.
The next few days Harry was relaxing around his home, conversing with Godric, Helga, and William, and playing around with his new form. Flying as an ice dragon was incredibly exhilarating. In the ways his phoenix form had a fiery intensity and brilliance, the ice dragon was much smoother and more simplistically satisfying. He didn't favor one over the other. Both seemed an essential part of him. His griffin form he used mainly for exploring the land of the island. The jet black color made him unmistakable from any other griffin and almost all the islands inhabitants enjoyed playing with him when he came around.
Dobby had immense success with the house elves. Many of them thought some of the concepts were a bit outrageous. But actually less than half were bonded to Dobby. The rest remained unbonded and acted their part as house elf with just as much fervor. Their was plenty of cleaning and food for Harry, but mainly the house elves were working hard building their own house elf sized replica of the manor a few hundred yards away. Harry found it a bit humorous but encouraged them to the fullest to do what made them happy.
The goblins did their best to allay Harry's fears and said they willingly accepted the risk of inciting the Dark Lord's wrath when they allied themselves with Harry. Harry still worried for them, but knew it was their right to accept that risk.
One day Tonks came by, hoping to see Harry since he hadn't ventured out into the wizarding world in over a week. He was happy to see her though he may have lied to himself still and thought he was merely tolerating her presence. She caught him up on the Ministry's response to his house elf buying binge, and the order's response. She informed him Albus was hoping to have a discussion with him. She indicated he claimed it was purely for informational sharing purposes, and he did not wish to be a bother to Harry, nor impose anything upon him. Harry had to admit, Albus had been acting fairly and respectfully lately. Especially as it concerned him in Order meetings from the sound of it.
Harry agreed and decided to drop in on the old man. His assistance would be an immense help in avoiding butting heads with the Ministry. He dropped Tonks off at Grimmauld Place and accepted a more lingering than usual hug, before flashing to just outside the Headmaster's office. After confirming with Hogwarts that he was in and alone, he walked up and knocked on the door.
A quite pleased and jovial, "Come in, please come in" was heard. Harry found himself with a semi-pleased smile on his face as he sat himself down across from the Headmaster. "I hear you were wishing to speak with me Albus."
"Yes Harry, yes. I was curious to inquire how your Sanctuary is going."
"Quite well. I think the word has been spread sufficiently that beings are aware there is an option and a safe haven away from the wizarding world's war."
"Excellent Harry. I haven't had the opportunity, but I wanted you to know I think this is one of the more magnificent ideas I've heard of in a long time."
"Thank you, although I cannot take too much of the credit. Most of it is merely the will of magic herself."
"Really? How is that?"
Harry pondered how to answer that and just how much he was willing to share. After a little bit of wavering he realized he didn't want to have any secrets if it could be helped. "Tell me, Albus, have you ever heard of the elf named Gabriel?"
"Mage Gabriel. Yes. Supposedly one of the survivors after Atlantis fell. I believe it depends on the author, but some claim he was evil and caused the destruction of Atlantis. Others claim he was a hero and tried everything he could to save Atlantis."
"Actually, neither of those is correct. He wasn't evil nor did he save Atlantis. It was actually his decision to stand back and let Atlantis fall."
"Really?" Albus said with a look of shock on his face.
"Yeah, he was a sort of protector of magic. A paladin they call it. When there is a significant threat, magic herself will connect to an individual who then protects her interests. Sometimes it is preventing a race from annihilation, sometimes it could be the apocalypse. There are not really any hard and fast rules with paladins. I know a vampire, an elf, and a dragon have all been paladins in the past."
"Does this mean you can now add wizard to that list?"
Harry slowly nodded. "Yes it does."
"Is Voldemort so bad that he warrants the intervention of the will of magic herself?"
"No not Voldemort. In the past it has been nundus or basilisks. I'm not sure what it was on Atlantis, but I do know this time, it is not Voldemort. It is all wizards and their attitudes of intolerance that presents the threat."
Albus looked surprised and then disappointed as he processed this. "And in case we completely destroy everything you've turned an island into your own ark of sorts?"
Harry smiled. "I hadn't thought of it that way, but I suppose that could be true. No, I just wanted to get the beings that shouldn't be fighting out of the way. And give them a safe place to exist without suffering for wizardkind's prejudice."
"An admirable goal to be sure," Albus paused and seemed to be biting his tongue.
"I can see you're having trouble restraining yourself Albus. Go ahead and ask whatever it is."
"I am sorry Harry. It just feels like you are such a caring and compassionate individual, is there really nothing we can do to get your assistance in the war?"
Harry paused thinking how he should address this question. "You know Albus, I had a pretty rotten childhood based on some poor decisions you made. I know you did have the best of intentions, but it still boiled down to a case of the needs of the many versus the needs of the few. My needs were put behind the needs of the wizarding world which needed a weapon against the dark. But now I can see that point of view, and I understand it. I'm not convinced it is completely justifiable, but there is some logic to it. Now I have my own case of a similar situation. Only in my case the few are all the intolerant light or dark wizards fighting a war that shouldn't need to be fought. And the many are all the other magical creatures and species that truly have no place in this war other than as collateral damage. And as it stands now, as long as I can protect them, I have no right to involve myself in a fight that would attract others to attack the many that I represent."
"I do understand Harry, just as I am sure you understand why I felt compelled to ask for assistance. It is a shame it has come to this, but I do appreciate what you are doing, and I have been doing everything in my power to make sure the Ministry and the newspapers respect you for what you are doing. I just hope you are less like Mage Gabriel than you fear."
"I certainly am not hoping for destruction, but there is a problem that does need fixing. It's just about figuring out how to fix it with the littlest amount of bloodshed I suppose. Because even if I went out there right now, hunted down Voldemort and killed him and every death eater, the problem would remain every bit as bad as it does today. As one of my friends told me, 'Sometimes the simplest solution to a problem is to completely eradicate it.' I do not think it will come to that, but there is a possibility."
"Tell me Harry, are you so skilled in magic that you could destroy Voldemort so easily?"
"I wouldn't know without trying, but at least let's agree that I have the confidence to do it." Harry said with a smile.
"Ah, before I forget Harry, I wanted to inform you of a discovery I made. I was researching how it was you and Hogwarts got along so well and found out you are the last remaining descendent to both Godric Gryffindor and Helga Hufflepuff."
Harry smiled. "Figured as much. I knew I was the most direct descendent, but I wasn't sure I was the only one. Don't worry, I will protect her. Hogwarts knows that. I know Hogwarts would let me anyway, but can I have your blessing to move around as I wish in the castle?"
"Absolutely Harry. I couldn't stop you, and I wouldn't stop you. I just ask that you respect the usual common courtesies like private Order meetings and such."
"Thank you." Harry said before looking intently at Albus. "And I may regret this, but would like to visit Sanctuary?"
Albus eyes lit up with excitement. He did not expect this. "I would be honored Harry."
