Disclaimer: I alas do not own Harry Potter I wish I did but I don't. All I own is this computer I'm working on and a few other items in this room of mine.
A/N: I must say you people know how to work a poor man to death but here is the next chapter in The Rise of the Dragon Lords. Sorry about the wait and on with the show.
Chapter 6: Silver Friend
503 BC 1 year
Harry was down in a combat crouch his twin-blade angled so that one blade was resting along his upper arm and the other was inclined to his right hand side. Adinirahc launched an attack with his copper spear while Harry brought his sword up to block the attack and then initiated his own attack.
The training match went like this for over an hour, alternating between attack and defence and Harry managed to block most of Adinirahc attacks but the Dragon Lord managed to get through Harry's defences with his spear all too often. Following the training session both of them cleaned up and then they sat down to dinner and the Dragon Lord studied Harry with a critical eye.
Harry had grown over the year he had been with Adinirahc both physically and mentally. He now was standing a little less than six feet tall and his hair had grown out to fall past his shoulders in length. His eyes were still framed by his glasses but they had been magically changed so that the frames were silver and the lenses were now shatter proof.
He had also had time to think about his life in the future. Voldemort and the war being waged with against him being primary of the things that had gone through his mind. His diary was another thing that he thought of seeing that Tonks would more than likely read it now and discover the secret crush he had on her.
Adinirahc looked over at Harry to see him looking at the old Copper Dragon lying asleep over by the cave entrance. "Harry, you have learned all that I have to show you and I am confident now that you will not embarrass yourself or me in front of any young Lords out there and I think its time for you to leave."
Harry looked at Adinirahc in stunned amazement as the Dragon Lord pulled out an old backpack and some food. "But... but Adinirahc... am I ready to go out there and find some other younger Dragon Lord? I am to serve you for three years! And I thought that you would help me?"
"Yes, I know what was agreed but I know also that you are ready, otherwise I would not be suggesting it now. After sunrise I would like you to be gone and begin your search for the one friend in this war that you will need."
"But why is it that I have to go now? You said that it would take three years to train me and only one year has passed." Harry said watching the old man as he moved to take a seat next to the old Copper Dragon.
"Harry, I won't last another year. Lighting here is dieing and a Dragon Lord does not... can not... live long after his dragon dies. I have already taught you everything you need to know to start looking for another Dragon Lord and you will learn the rest with time." Adinirahc replied looking up at his dragon companion, a sad smile on his face. "I'm sure you have heard this before, Harry, but remember death is the next big adventure and I'll see you on that road in time, my friend."
Harry nodded and watched the old man and elderly dragon for a few minutes, absorbing the warmth of their bonding that was obvious in the closeness of the pair. Finally, finding himself almost choking on his sorrow that he was to lose this man who had been taskmaster, teacher and above all a friend over the last year, he retired to his bed.
The next morning saw Harry up with the sunrise sitting at the cave mouth, waiting. As the first brilliant rays of the sun rose above the trees he heard Adinirahc walk behind him and for a brief second he felt the old mans strong right hand rest on his shoulder. Without uttering a word the Dragon Lord placed the battered backpack stuffed with seven days worth of food beside him and re entered the cave.
As the sun rose steadily Harry sighed, thinking back over the last year. It had been hard work learning from Adinirahc. The first month of training had been mostly working his body to build up muscle and stamina and enable him to handle the large two-headed sword he was using. After the development of his physical strength the Dragon Lord had deemed him to be ready for the main training. Adinirachc had shown him how to control his mind, developing clarity of thought, the ability to better focus and even how to shield his thoughts against intrusion and attack from another person. It was a skill that would later prove useful against Voldemort he was certain.
With a quiet sigh Harry looked at the backpack at his side and then, as the sun rose above the forest line he gathered his things and left the cave and his teacher behind. He knew that he would never return to this place.
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502 BC (1 year)
The year that passed as Harry walked all over England was long and fraught with dangers. He ate by offering his powers and services as a mercenary amid the local people, careful to stay away from the offers involving assassinations as he feared possible effects that might lead to changes in his own time. Nor did he accept the amorous offers of the women of the local taverns, remaining loyal to his love that he now realised he had for Tonks far in the future. He knew that he would tell her the moment he got back to his own time, no matter what she said he knew that he would accept her decision. Through all of his travels he was careful to keep an eye open for any sign that a young Dragon Lord might be found, but he only ever found old men and their beasts who would not go with him.
Harry was in a forest where his home with the Dudley's would be build in the future, seeking some sign of the dragon the local villagers claimed lived within the forest. A sound, like distant muted thunder brought to mind the memories of the old Copper Dragon, a dragon sigh. Harry walked slowly forward to the clearing where the noise with coming from.
Walking into the clearing Harry paused on seeing a huge silver dragon lying in the patch of sunlight that filled the centre of the clearing. It was a massive beast and unlike the Copper Dragon this Silver had no spines running down its back, marking it as a female and its eyes were solid white. Harry paused, realising that the beast was blind and noted that the scales were more white than silver.
"You are a Ilhar. A very old Ilhar. Where is your friend and rider?" Harry asked, schooling his voice into formal politeness when speaking to a dragon and using the word for mother in the dragon tongue.
"Who's there? Answer me!" The dragon said trying to lift its head high and managing to lift it sufficiently to show an egg nestled next to her head on the far side from Harry.
"I'm sorry for disturbing your rest, venerable Ilhar. I heard your sigh and came to see if you were all right. My name is Harry Potter and I was trained by Adinirahc of the last of the Coppers to respect Dragon kind. May I be graced with your name, Ancient One?" Harry said bowing his head to the blind dragon before him.
"My name... I have no name." It sighed deeply, sorrowfully. "I have had no name since my rider and friend died over a winter ago. What of you, Harry? It is pleasing that one who sounds so young has learned good manners. Where is your dragon and friend?"
"Mother, I have no Dragon. I have been seeking a young Dragon Lord to help in a war for over four seasons now. If you are willing then I will be honoured to linger here and sit your death watch with you?" Harry said, walking over to the dragon and after bowing respectfully he placed a hand on its snout while looking into its blind eyes.
"That would be nice to have someone here for my final hour, but my egg...." The dragon tried to lift its head again and turned to gently nuzzle the egg. "My daughter needs another seven sunsets before the hatching. I have but hours left... I ask you, young human, who speaks with respect to one so old and close to death, to look after my last child. Become her friend and ride her for I foresee that your future will be hard and long in coming."
Harry looked at the egg in shock, his mind stumbling over the dragons offer. Could he take a Dragon himself? Would he dare to presume that he was good enough to have one of these great and noble creatures as a life companion?
He saw that it was indeed a silver egg nestling beside the dragon and he knew that some dragons could and would lay different coloured eggs to their own colour. "I... I am most honoured that you would consider me fit to be companion to your daughter. Noble Ilhar, I swear to you that I well look after your child and that she will know that her mother did not die alone. She will know that you died with someone here to watch over your passing and honour you."
The silver dragon nodded its head and once again that rumbling sigh sounded then she lowered her head to the forest floor and closed her eyes to wait for her last breath.
"Venerable One?"
"Yes, child who will be my daughters friend?" the dragons voice was a whisper, soft as a summer breeze.
"Would you know where I might find a young Dragon Lord who might agree to accompany me?"
A rumble, not a sigh this time, but tinged with dragon mirth sounded through the clearing. "Child, there is but one Dragon Lord who is not well within his dotage at this time."
"There is one who will help me? Where might I find him?"
The dragon inclined her head toward the far side of the clearing where a small pool of water from an underground spring had formed. "You have been trained by a Dragon Lord. Go thence to the pool and open your mind. My magic will show to you the face of the young Lord who will aid you in your quest."
Harry almost ran to the edge of the pool, his heart beating fast and hard at this chance to at last find some clue as to the location of the Dragon Lord who would offer to assist him. Kneeling down at the edge of the pool he stared eagerly into its depths, at the gravel base of the pool and waited, watching the slight disturbance of the water caused through the water seeping in from the spring that fed it. For long minutes he waited, expecting the water to darken with magic and for that face he expected to see to appear.
"Ilhar? Are you not able to perform your magic? I am sorry. I should not have tired you with this."
"Hush child. Do you not see the face mirrored within the water? I assure you that he is there. Open you eyes and open your mind, Dragon Lord."
"...Open you eyes and open your mind, Dragon Lord."
Harry stared into the pool, eyes slowly widening. There was a face within the pool, the face of a young man with an un kept face, badly needing a shave and unruly dark hair and eyes as big as saucers.
"...Open you eyes and open your mind, Dragon Lord."
"Ilhar... Ilhar... I am not... not a Drag... Dragon Lo... Lord. I am not!"
A deep rumbling chuckle filled the clearing. "Thinkest thou I would give my unborn daughter to anyone less than a Dragon Lord?"
Harry turned slowly from the pool, walking back to the great beast and settled himself at her side to touch the dragon's snout. "Ilhar. I am... unworthy of the title."
"Then become worthy of it. My daughter, even unborn, deserves the best and you will become the best." The voice of the dragon was filled with power as she gently nocked her nose against the young mans chest. "You will accept what you are and you will accept it with grace."
"Yes, Ilhar." A whisper, being chastised by a dragon was not the most pleasant experience Harry had endured. "I will become worthy of your daughter and of the title."
"Good. Now scratch my chin, there's a dear. I have the most frightful itch."
For a time Harry sat with the dragon, gently rubbing at her chin and listening to her purr at the attention. She sounded remarkably like an overgrown cat, he reflected, rubbing just below one nostril. After a time the dragon stirred, moving to nuzzle the egg closer to Harry and the deepest sigh he had heard from her yet sounded.
"It is time. You must remember you promise, Dragon Lord. Remember always who you are and be worthy of the title. Guard my daughter well and there will come a time when she will in turn guard you." The great head lowered and touched him lightly on the head, a benediction. "You are the last of the Dragon Lords as she will be the last of the Great Dragons. Make us all proud."
A whispered sigh, deep and long and Harry knew it to be the last breath leaving the ancient body. For a long time he sat there, between the dead dragon and the living egg before he heaved himself to his feet and recited the words that only a Great Dragon or a Dragon Lord would understand. The ancient lament that marked the passing of a Great Dragon resounded through the clearing in a strong and clear voice, the Death March of dragonkin uttered with all the respect and reverence only a true Dragon Lord could give.
After the last words faded on the wind Harry drew a deep breath and looked at the egg then at the large body of the silver dragon. "Well, we will have to move you from here, Little One, and then I had better get to hunting. You will eat far more than I have with me. The magic binding your mother's body to this place will take her away soon and her spirit is already with her friend and companion. "
Harry searched the surrounding forest for over an hour before he found a cave suitable for the raising of a dragonet. The cave would be sited next to where the park would be back in his time and had good water while still being within the shelter of the forest.
After moving the egg, using a levitation charm to make life much easier, into the cave and then catching some rabbits and other small animals around the area Harry sat back to watch the egg. He set a fire and roasted a rabbit for his supper and then sat back, absent mindedly running a finger over the chain to Tonks birthday present.
'I wonder what is Tonks doing right now?' Harry thought.
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08 August 1996 8:00 AM A.D (2 hours after Harry departs)
Tonks was at that moment standing in front of Dumbledore in her standard robes and wearing the face she normally wore in public.
Dumbledore was, to say the least, upset about Harry's disappearance over two hours ago, not to mention the recent attack "Well, Tonks. Where is he... or should I say, when is he?"
Tonks kept her eyes on her feet and did not answer his question. She even shored up her mind shields in an effort to slow down Dumbledore reading her mind.
"Tonks. I want you to go back there and wait for him to come back or for you to work out when it is that he is. Understand?" Dumbledore said after a brief attempt at breaking her mind shield and feeling the strength she had put into the shield. 'Good. She must have gotten stronger from Harry's training.' Dumbledore thought.
Tonks nodded, not daring to speak and walked out of the room and directly to the fireplace in the living room of Number Twelve, Grimmauld place and with a wave and quick smile good-bye to Mrs Weasley left for Harry's room to wait for him to get back.
"Another five hours to go." Tonks said softly to herself after arriving back in Harry's living room. She glanced down and saw the two diary's on the low table. One was Harry's and the other had belonged to the Copper Dragon rider. "Only five hours. If his notes are right." Looking at the note of how long this spell would last pencilled on a piece of paper she had found in the diary.
Tonks settled in a chair and looked through the diary some more before turning to the last entry and gave a soft sigh and smile. "Do you mean it, Harry or is it just a crush?" she asked looking at Harry's neat handwriting and the four letters at the bottom of the page that warmed her heart.
'Love'
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503 BC (7 days)
Harry was sitting next to the almost ready to hatch egg, watching the silver egg with anxious eyes. He had never had to feed a wyrmling before and he was nervous. He hoped that he had build up enough meat for the fledgling when it hatched for at least three days but he was rather worried that he might have underestimated the beasts appetite. Just then the egg gave a heave to the left before started to wobble from left to right.
With a nervous squeak Harry quickly garbed some of the rabbits he had killed over the fast few days and placed them next to the rocking egg. He waited tense, hands out and ready to steady the egg if it looked to be ready to topple over completely.
All at once the top of the egg cracked and opened to show a small silver head capped with two tiny horns. It wavered around for a few seconds and then bright blue eyes looked directly at Harry and with a high pitched cry of hunger the Wyrmling dragon lunged to the left, directly at the rabbits. Dragonet and egg toppled to the ground where the rest of the eggshell shattered to free the small silver body covered in the membrane. Small wings were folded close to the body and trapped by the membrane and the tail that broke free of its confinement was as long as the body it's self. In an instant Harry found himself in the cave with a creature that was eight feet long from snout to tail tip and it creeled as it descended on the rabbits ravenously.
The wyrmling was tearing at the rabbits and Harry took the opportunity to use his knife to cut away the membrane trapping the creature and freeing it entirely from its birthing shell. Hastily he moved the shattered egg and refuse from the birth away from the wyrmling and by the time he was done it had eaten two of the rabbits and was starting on the third.
"Well, I would say with an appetite like that you have to be in good health and in good shape but I guess the next thing is to decide what to call you, my friend."
At the sound of his voice the small silver dragon looked up from its first meal, blood and bits of fur hanging from its snout and locked eyes with Harry for a moment before it burped then returned to its meal.
Harry sniggered, wondering how long it was going to take to teach the creature some table manners and watched the Wyrmling with indulgent delight as it devoured five of the rabbits before it reared up to its hind legs, rocked the cave with a thunderous burp and collapsed. Harry blinked in astonishment and hurried over to the dragon, poking it gently, worried until a weazy, quivering snore echoed in the cave.
"Right. Table manners have to be high on the priority list. I should call you glutton, but somehow I think
Silvenestri is more suited to you. I don't know why that name sounds so right for you or why I thought of it, but I have a felling I need to call you that." Harry said still looking at his new friend.
Through the long night Harry sat vigil over the dragon, watching her sleep, wondering what he should do. If her appetite continued as it had at her hatching he was going to run out of food very quickly. With the first hint of dawns light on the horizon, he started awake from a doze at the sound of movement near him and he found himself looking at a very awake and aware pair of blue eyes. The dragon was staring at him.
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I would like to thank the following reviewers:
Kessanch Yes I did borrow Death from Mort, athenakitty Harry might have another talk with Death you never know, Hatchetryda I'm only human but I am trying to make the chapters longer I swear, Danny boy I'm glade you liked it, Cycla yes I had to leave you on a cliff hanger because I'm evil, Sky glade you liked it, uten you'll have to read and find out won't you, mjk306 was this soon enough?, David M. Potter I hope you keep liking it, Lonely Magician I'm glad your enjoying it and elvengoddess696 thank you and I'm glad you liked it.
To everyone who has read this do review and let me know what you think after all I would like to know what you like and dislike.