Author's Note: Well, I would be writing this from my new laptop computer, but it doesn't have the internet yet, so I wouldn't be able to post anything. Here are a few answers to the multiple questions. I can't believe how many reviews I've gotten! I'm so loved.
To crazy ppl: Actually, Harry had just started his journey at the end of the chapter. I didn't forget about the cave. It will play a major roll in this chapter.
To HeWhoComesWithTheDawn: To tell the truth, I completely forgot about the veritiserum. As for Mira, at the beginning, that wouldn't have been enough. But I think her trust in Harry multiplied when the animals had the talk in Chapter 3. And yes, Harry could probably get some more info on the Gateway from Dumbledore, but is he really going to say anything? I think not for two reasons. One, if Dumbledore knew the vague location of the Gateway, he might be able to guess where Harry is hiding. Two, don't forget they were in the presence of other Order members like Moody and Tonks.
To frozenwands: I am purposely vague in my description of his new skills so that when Harry uses them in the story, it will take the reader by surprise. Kind of a twist, don't ya think?
To Cyrano2.0: Yeah, I did forget Care of Magical Creatures. Ironic, isn't it, with all of the animals Harry is traveling with?
To Sirius 009: Ordinarily, I give Ron more respect, and think of him as a cooler guy. But given his personality, I don't think he's going to respond well to Harry becoming even richer, or him being so much better. He's always been second best, but now it's by a long shot. As a tribute to Ron, Ron and Hermione will be a couple. That still leaves the question of who's going to be with Harry. Also, I know the wizard world is at war, but the point of Harry's running away was to isolate himself so he could improve his skills. I'm unsure on the pairings so far, except for Ron/Hermione. I know who's going to be with Harry, but I can't tell. It would wreak havoc on the plot line. There would be no surprise.
Well, I think that's everything. I strongly suggest any readers who have question to read the responses to reviews I write, as I often explain things in there. Who's going to be with Harry? And what of the prophecy in Chapter One? Only time will tell!
Flying above the clouds in the sleek body of a Peruvian Vipertooth was an extremely uplifting experience. Harry Potter and his animal friends were enjoying the time they had. The meeting with Dumbledore had gone well. Glancing around, Harry watched the others. You could usually tell what was bothering them (Or get close, anyway) just by observing them quietly.
Hohn the phoenix was soaring about, performing dives and loops. Mira the dragon was flying along at a continuous rate, and seemed to tune out distraction. Turning his attention to the griffin on his right, Harry watched him. He seemed to be taking Hohn's aerobatics as a challenge, and spiraled into a corkscrew. Looking down, Harry saw a whit blur. This blur was his tiger, Silver. Endowed with powers since birth, he was extremely fast.
Harry surveyed the sky. It was still dark, but he could see traces of light, which meant dawn was fast approaching. Harry looked back down, and saw a place where he wanted to stay. It was the cave he had stopped at on the way up. He signaled his friends, indicating the cave. He was sure they understood, but just to clarify, he dived downward. They followed, Godric doing another spiral. They landed, and looked at the cave's entrance. Silver was already there, waiting for them.
Changing back into his human form, Harry walked forward into the cave. His friends followed, chatting amiably of the meeting with Dumbledore. "Nice job with the ice, Silver." "Not as nice as that fire! Did you see that guy hobbling about after you burned his wooden leg?"
Harry removed himself from all the chatter. He needed a little peace and quiet. Moving further back in the cave, he followed the stream. He came to its source, and began to drink. It was just as refreshing as it had been before, and he was just leaning in top take another sip when a thunderous voice erupted from the back of the cave.
"WHO DARES DISTURB OUR CAVE! WHY HAVE YOU COME HERE, HUMAN?" Harry shot up, pulling out his wand in the process. He pointed it towards the back of the cave and called out. "Who are you? Where are you hiding?" The voice sounded again. "DO NOT TRY TO QUESTION ME, HUMAN! YOUR KIND BRING ONLY SUFFERING! NOW TELL ME WHO YOU ARE NOW, OR YOU WILL MEET OUR FURY!"
Harry gulped and motioned to his friends to stay back incase it attacked. He gave a nervous cough, and spoke. "My name is Harry Potter. I mean no harm. I only wanted to rest and drink some water. These are my friends. Please, do not be angry with us. We have come in peace, and will leave in peace." He began to back away.
"DO NOT MOVE, HARRY POTTER! WE HAVE BEEN HIDING FROM YOUR KIND FOR CENTURIES, AND YOU WILL NOT REVEAL US NOW! BEFORE YOU LEAVE THIS CAVE, YOU MUST PROVE YOURSELF TRUSTWORTHY."
Harry stopped moving backwards, and spoke up again. "What must I do?" Again the voice sounded, this time softer. "Come to the back of the cave. We will await you there."
Harry looked at his friends, and nodded. In a whisper, he told them, "Come only if I whistle." Turning back toward the rear of the cave, he began to walk forward. He was shaky at first, but controlled it. This is no time for fear. Be strong, Potter. He walked even further, and saw an archway. At the top of it was the Earth, and to the sides, different elements. The pillars on either side had dragons of different colors wrapped around them. Harry would have liked to examine this archway more carefully, but he thought it best to not keep his hosts waiting.
Walking through the archway, Harry found himself in a pentagonal room. On each of the corners was a statue of a different dragon. Harry stepped into the ring in the middle, and waited.
After a brief moment, the voice sounded again. "Welcome, Harry Potter, to the Dragons' Keep." As it spoke, the eyes on the statues all glowed a different color. One was white, one was black, one was red, one was blue, and one was green. The voice spoke again, taking Harry's attention.
"You have violated this place, but have not attempted to flee. You are brave. But bravery is often confused with stupidity. You will face our tests. You will be required to pass the physical test, and answer one question for each room. Begin."
With that, the dragon statue with the white eyes opened its mouth, and its tongue unfurled on the ground. Upon closer examination, Harry noticed that the tongue was really a set of stairs, and he could see a door in the back of the mouth.
He walked forward, climbing the set of stairs and going through the door. At once, he was hit with a blast of icy wind, chilling his blood. The voice spoke again. "In this room, you must reach the scroll and solve its riddle. It lies atop the glacier." Harry looked up. It would be a long, icy climb.
He waved his wand, and a pair of climbing hammers and boots appeared. He quickly put them on, and put his wand away. Picking up the hammers, he began his ascent.
It wasn't easy. The side of the glacier was extremely slippery, and incredibly hard. This was bothersome, because it made it tough to get a good hold on anything. He reached a small bump midway up, and rested on the top part. He still had to support some of his weight, but the bump made it easier.
He had just started back up when he heard a rumbling. Looking up, he saw bunches of icicles falling toward him, their points glinting dangerously. His wand was deep inside his cloak. There was no time. Holding on to the hammer with one hand, he lifted his other and shouted, "Reducto!"
The spell shot upward, reducing the missiles above him into powder snow. However, one still grazed his arm. The cut started to bleed, and he quickly grabbed it. Again, he felt that odd warming feeling. Looking down, he saw that he had healed the cut, just like last time. Harry made a mental note to practice that power.
He grabbed his other hammer and began to climb again. At long last, he reached the ledge. Climbing over, he saw a scroll incased in a column of ice. Taking great care to not slip, he walked toward the column. Ordinarily, he would just melt the ice, but that might burn the scroll. He started to chisel it out, and after thirty minutes, was done. He retrieved the scroll and began to read.
Ye who climbed the glacier's face Who conquered fear and iceYe succeeded in thy task
And will not pay the price
Move ye onward
To yonder room
There ye may
Yet find thy doom The door will not open Unless you prove you knowAnswer then, if ye can
How did ye say hello?
Harry read and reread the scroll, taking in its contents. How did I say hello? Hmm. Harry reviewed. Surely, it would have something to do with ice. Hello, ice, hmmm…C'mon Potter, you can't stop here! You can't fail! Wait a moment, fail…fail… Of course! Turning to the door, Harry spoke what he thought was the right word. "Hail." The door rumbled, then opened slowly. Relieved, Harry walked through.
The room looked like a swamp. The bog was bubbling, and was a sickly greenish yellow color. Harry didn't think he wanted to touch that. He glanced at the climbing hammers in hands, and dipped the handle of one in the liquid. He pulled it back out and backed away. It had dissolved. The bog was acid. I'm going to put that on my must avoid list. Harry surveyed the area, looking for something that would help him. There were several platforms that seemed to be made of an acid resistant material. The ceiling was covered with stalactites. (Or is it stalagmites? I always get those confused)
This gave Harry an idea. He quickly conjured a rope and threw it around one of the columns. When it was secure, he backed up, and jumped. He soared over to the first platform, and landed. He quickly flicked the rope loose and prepared to throw again. He repeated the process another three times.
On the fourth, he was in mid-swing, when, without warning, the rope snapped! The acid's fumes must have done something to it. Harry plummeted towards the acid, desperately looking for something to grab on to. He looked up at the stalactites. They were his only chance. He raised both of his hands, firing a different spell from each. From his right, he fired a reductor curse at the base, causing it to break off. With the left hand, he performed a summoning charm, multiplying the speed at which the stalactite was traveling downward. It passed him when he was about five feet above the acid, and he clung to the top.
He tried apparting, but it didn't work. He considered his options carefully. Time was fast dissipating, and it would be a matter of seconds before the makeshift raft was dissolved. He conjured at grappling hook, and threw it as hard as he could toward the platform. It clunked in place on the far side, secure and able to hold his weight. He performed another reductor curse, bringing down another stalactite. He jumped onto this one, and began pulling himself toward the platform.
When he reached the platform, he saw the scroll. It was in some sort of anti-acid bottle. It was completely submerged in the acid, and Harry wasn't keen of just pulling it out. He thought, and did the summoning charm again. The bottle floated towards him, leaving its protective bubble of acid. Harry took out the scroll and read.
The acid bogHas been the doom
Of countless others
In this room
And as ye climbed
The glacier's face
Ye are the acid's
Opposite Great. Another riddle. At least this one was fill in the blank. Okay, so it's the opposite of an acid, and rhymes with face. Hmmm. Think, Potter, think! Potions! Remember potions. Let's see. What did the book say was an acid's opposite was? And it rhymes with face. What rhymes with face? Well, there's race, mace, lace, base. That's it!Harry turned again to the door, and said, "Base" Apparently, it was the right word, because this door also ground forward. Harry marveled at the fact that he hadn't thought of that sooner, and was extremely glad he had relearned potions. He walked into the next room, and was faced with an onslaught of heat.
The entire room was ablaze. It resembled the interior of a volcano. There were volcanic rocks here and there. Surrounding these rock platforms was a pool of bubbling lava. He looked to the far side of the room, and saw the platform with the door and scroll.
Jumping onto the first platform, Harry looked around for his next move. There was a platform to his left, and another to his right. He didn't have long to decide though. The door behind him sealed, and what looked like a giant centipede crawled out of the lava. It was black, and Harry could see the lava smoldering in between the plates that protected it. It opened its pincers and gave a shrill screech.
As it began to crawl forward, Harry began to panic. Making up his mind, he jumped to another rock. He waved a hand at the creature, and performed a reductor curse. It glance off the shell, striking a near by rock. The beast breathed a jet of flame, and Harry ducked. Looking behind him, he saw the fire vaporize a rock.
Harry studied the centipede more closely. In between its pincers, he could see a bright blue eye. This gave him an idea. Pointing his hand at a nearby rock, he blew it apart. Summoning a shard, he aimed carefully. He used a banishing spell to launch the shard at the creature's eye. It contacted with a thud, and the beast curled up defensively. As he watched, Harry saw the gaps in between the shell fill up as it protected itself.
The creature wasn't dead, but it wouldn't bother him again. Jumping from rock to rock, Harry reached the final platform and summoned the scroll. This one was inside a waterfall of lava. He took out the scroll, and began to read.
You've come this far
You're truly good
But if you fall
You'll burn like
Harry sighed. This one was a little easier, and he thought he knew it already. Turning to the door, he said, "Wood" The door unsealed itself, and he proceeded into the next room.
It was a bare landscape. He thought this must be an easy room, and the challenge would be in the next. As he walked forward, the hairs on the back of his neck rose, and he instinctively threw himself down. He heard a crack and saw a blue streak make a crater about a foot away.
Harry wondered how to proceed. He would need something to draw the blue beams. He thought, and a thought struck him. The beams couldn't hurt him underground! He quickly transformed into a mole, and began to dig. He dug furiously, and only stopped when he hit his nose on the stone wall. He dug up, and blinked at the change of light. Crawling out of his hole, he transformed back into a human.
Looking up, Harry saw a scroll in a dark cloud. He reached up for it, but quickly put his hand down when he felt an odd tingling sensation. He summoned it and began to read.
Ye survived the plain
Ye have done well
What travels through metal?
I pray thee tell
Harry thought about this one. He didn't have any obvious clues except what was written on the scrolls. He thought its contents over carefully. What travels through metal? Harry reviewed the facts. It was bluish, traveled in streaks, and traveled well through metal. Harry hit his forehead with his hand. It was so obvious why hadn't thought of it before? He turned to the door and spoke. "Lightning" The door opened, revealing another room. Harry walked through, and surveyed it.
It was a jungle. There was also an ominous green gas hovering around. Harry took a sniff and felt a burning in his lungs. Poison! He quickly performed a bubblehead charm, summoning a bubble around his head, supplying him with clean air. He took a deep breath, calming his mind.
He looked around. The jungle was dense, and Harry could see several carnivorous plants lurking. He walked forward, and began to make his way through. He found a tree and began to climb, so as to get a good idea of where he was and where he needed to be.
At the top, he was still surrounded by branches on all sides. He saw a nearby branch and jumped. He caught it, and pulled himself up. This tree was taller. Looking around, he saw that he was in the middle of the jungle. He looked further back and saw a platform resting in the branches of trees.
Jumping from branch to branch, he made his way back down to the floor. Walking forward, he continued his path through the jungle. This was relatively easy, and Harry suspected that the major challenge was the poisoned air. Continuing along his route, he finally reached the trees that held the platform. Leaping up to it, he looked around. The scroll was in the middle of the mouth of a venomous tentacula. Its sharp teeth glinted slightly in the light, and it swayed ominously.
He looked around. The sap inside venomous tentacula was acidic, and Harry wasn't keen on getting it on his hands. Harry tried to summon it, but the plant held on tightly. He thought about other possible ways to retrieve the info. He would need to lure its attention away from himself. Seeing a nearby stick, he levitated it close to the plant.
It didn't work, and the plant just swatted it aside. Apparently, the plant would only be swayed with food. Looking around, Harry saw a rabbit lying by the base of a tree. It was already dead, so Harry summoned it. Levitating it close to the venomous tantacula, he baited it.
After a minute, the plant turned its attention to the floating meal. It snapped down on the rabbit and began to eat. Harry seized his chance. "Accio!" The scroll flew out of the plant's mouth, which, realizing its mistake, began to thrash about. It was too late, and Harry grabbed the scroll triumphantly and began to read.
Ye survived
Where other fell
Ye lived through
Ice and hell
Lightning missed
Poison failed
Acid was basic
Ye prevailed
Yet ere you leave
Answer me this
What did you use
That made the lightning miss?
This riddle was easier. He just had to think about the lightning challenge, and how he had done it. He supposed this riddle was to ensure he had done the challenge correctly. He had transformed into a mole and had tunneled through the Earth. The answer was staring him in the face, too obvious to ignore. "Earth"
The door slid open again, and Harry found himself inside the pentagonal room once more. The statues had vanished. In their stead, real dragons, each a different color, had appeared. Harry looked around. He was in the room's center, and the dragons were all staring at him. The white dragon began to speak.
"You have survived our challenges, Harry Potter. You are indeed strong, or very lucky. Those who can survive obviously know what to say and when, so you will be allowed to leave. But before you go, we have something to discuss. We have heard of you and your exploits, and know of your enemy. Long has he persecuted the dragons, killing them for their blood. Apparently, you are the world's only hope, and we want you to succeed. We have thought it over, and have come to a decision. Having watched you during the challenges, and having noticed your concern for things like the venomous tentacula plant, we have decided to help you. Hold still."
All at once, brilliant lines appeared on the floor, in an intricate design. They were different colors, and seemed to be part of a ritual of some sort. Suddenly, the dragons all shot a beam of different things at the air above Harry. The white was breathing ice, the red fire, the black acid, the blue lightning, and the green poison. They continued to do this until a golden light appeared above him.
It shot down at him instantly, hitting him squarely in the face. He glowed gold for about a minute, then returned to his usual state. The dragons resumed their dignified poses and waited for the ice dragon to speak.
"Harry Potter, we have given you extreme power. That golden light has given you every power we possess. You can no control ice, fire, acid, lightning, and earth. Since the ice and fire are in one being, you can also control water. We gave you an additional power as well. All dragons are born with it, though they may not know it. It is the elemental control of air. This is what helps us fly. Because you do not have wings, you might not be able to fly as fast as us. It varies though, depending on the strength of the flier. We trust you enough to use these powers wisely, and will come to your aid when it is required. Hold out your hand."
Harry did so, waiting nervously. A block of ice appeared, and Harry surveyed it. It was only a block of ice. The red dragon sent a burst of flame, melting the ice into a curious shape. The green dragon breathed a jet of what looked like thin silvery material. It wrapped around the ice shape, molding to fit it. Looking more closely, Harry saw that the thin silvery material was really metal. The black dragon breathed a cloud of acid, from which a few drops fell, creating holes. Harry felt the creation, and realized it was now hollow. The blue dragon sent a jolt of lightning, and it pulsed through the thing.
"This is the Ocarina of Dragons. Play this tune." He sent a jet of ice up to the ceiling, and a melody filled the room. It bounced of the walls, leaving a slight echo. It was a beautiful song, and sounded familiar to Harry. (For those Legend of Zelda players, imagine the Saria's Song) The sound faded, and Harry felt it buzzing in his ears. He lifted the Ocarina to his lips, and began to play. He appeared to be a natural, and had no trouble at all finding the right notes. When he had finished, the Ocarina flashed gold, and then faded. This time, it had five dragons decorating it, all intertwined.
"This melody will summon us. Use it when you are faced with a powerful foe. Now, we will teach you some other songs." And so it went. By the time the dragons were done, he had learned the Song of Healing, which healed any wound, the Song of Passing, which turned day to night and vise-versa, the Song of Time. This was probably the most useful tune, as it would transport the player back in time.
"And now, Harry Potter, it is time for us to part. Your world awaits you. We wish you well, and hope you triumph against the Dark Lord. Farewell, and feel free to come to use if you need advice or a place to hide. Farewell, Harry Potter!"
With that, Harry was swept up into a whirlwind, and was launched back to the cave's entrance. His friends were all startled, and instantly crowded around, peppering him with questions. Are you all right? Where were you? Who did the voice belong to? What took you so long?
Harry shook his head in exasperation. "I'll tell you on the way back home. C'mon, it's about time we left. Get a last drink of water, and then we leave." The animals all drank some water, and prepared to leave.
"Well, let's go home." He decided to try out one of his new powers. Concentrating on the air, he began to rise. The animals all let out exclamations. (Godric's was very, er, unique.) Harry decided to answer before the question was asked. "The dragons in the cave taught me a few things. Well, are you going to sit there and stare all day, or are we going home?"
He began to rise again, letting the wind carry him. Essentially, he was just sitting there, riding the wind like it was a broomstick. He pulled out the Ocarina, and began to play around with it, trying to find a tune he liked. The animals were all watching him out of the corner of their eyes.
They journey home was relatively uneventful, but Harry saw the glint again. He marked the location, and made a mental note to investigate that. When he got tired of riding the wind, he started to run through the clouds. It was extremely cold, but felt refreshing.
After a couple of hours, he saw the familiar outline of the Marauder's Manor. He flew toward it, deciding to try something out. Creating a huge slope o ice, he began to slide downward, staying on his feet. He began to go faster and faster, wind whipping his face as gravity pulled him down. Silver tried to slide beside him, but fell and slid around in circles. Harry helped him up, and they helped each other keep balance all the way down. Landing on the lush green grass, Harry sighed. He was home.
Author's Note: Well, what do you think? Please review. And before you put it in your review, I knew it was a little unrealistic, but this is fanfiction, so I can do what ever I want. You don't like it, bite me! Lol. Ferretfriend.