Well, well, well… We meet again, my master. Only a few thousand years ahead of schedule. I must say, I am most disappointed if not truly surprised.
I felt my head throb as I opened my eyes, again seeing the canopy of stars and the Insignia of House Peverell directly over my head.
"Death?" I asked as I managed to get to my feet. "Am I dead?"
"Nay, young Peverell, though you do stand on the border between… You are in a similar situation to when you allowed Tom Marvolo to slay you those years ago… But your journey is not yet complete."
"Wait wait wait, did you say 'few thousand years?' Like thousand with a T? Ten times a hundred?" I asked disbelievingly.
"Indeed. Though your journey will not finish here in Alagaesia. Remarkably, with one single action you have managed to send shockwaves through this world - and the multiverse itself - that will have repercussions for Millennia to come. Your life will stretch indefinitely, even I can not see your true end, because of this you will not be allowed to remain in Alagaesia forever."
I felt my eyebrow twitch as I thought about what Death just said. "So what does that mean?"
"It means, Son of Ignotus, that you shall march forth to the Realm of Elements, the lands of Ice and Fire, and sail the Stars. Your intervention will lead to a golden age for this world, but that prosperity will also be needed in those other worlds. You remember our last meeting?"
"I do, you offered me four portals and I chose this one. You told me that Galbatorix's strength lies in the hearts of the Dragons but you meant the Eldunari, I stole them and effectively crippled the Black King: Galbatorix. Westeros was the next world you told me about, then there was that elemental world, and, lastly, was an entire Galaxy ruled by an empire… How much did I leave out?" I asked sarcastically.
"Surprisingly little, young Peverell. Though the order you are to visit these realms is now shifted slightly, you will need to crush the insurrection on the world of elements before the situation in Westeros can be calmed. Entropy shall prevail in that world if you do not have benders to support your cause. You shall also need allies to end the tyranny of the Sith - though I warn you, the empire must not fall."
"Okay? Sure, whatever, take over a Galactic Empire… Why not?" I said exasperatedly but had one other thing I needed to address, "But what are benders?" I was utterly confused at the unfamiliar term and couldn't make heads or tails of it.
"Men or women who can bend the elements to their whims and wishes. The Fire Benders could be instrumental to your cause in Westeros, though the Fire Nation is currently embroiled in a hundred year war against the Earth Kingdom…"
"Wait, wait, wait, how do you know that?" I was a bit confused at this point. "Do you know what's happening now or what will happen when I get there?"
"Yes. Time is fluid, young Peverell. It can be manipulated and the stream branches like deltas of a river. The time I see is what can be considered the End Crescendo of an age hundreds of thousands of years in the making, you… You are my dissonance - the babe's cry in the audience, the unexpected emergency. The Great Interruption. But you are necessary. You will change the fate of worlds, of star systems. Do you understand?"
"Not a bit, but I'll take your word for it," I said tiredly.
"Excellent. To aid you on this quest I shall grant you three boons, no more - no less. Two of these have been decided for you - you shall have aides to help you on your path, a cohort of servants to keep the faith. What will you ask of me to finish the list?"
"I, uh… What can I not ask for?" I asked awkwardly and I could have sworn Death chuckled.
"Nothing that belongs to your sons, therefore the Potter and Black fortunes, vaults, and - to a certain extent - heritage are no longer yours to command. Nothing that was not yours by right, therefore your personal possessions, unclaimed by any other, are available to you."
I thought through the options rapidly before I finally settled on: "I want my trunk, the one from my time with the Corps." The sheer disappointment radiating off of Death was almost palpable before it transformed into something… I wasn't sure but it felt sort of like Fred and George before one of their pranks.
"You mustn't be afraid to dream bigger, Young Peverell," Death practically cackled before I felt the world twist and... tighten? "And before I forget, there is another who would speak to you before you return to the land of the living. We will meet again, Lord Peverell. 'Til then!"
I felt the voice, the feeling, of Death depart as another ostensibly primordial force overwhelmed my mind.
"Rider Potter," a voice like a river mixed with grinding boulders boomed in my head, "Come."
The stars disappeared only for images to flash before my eyes: a white, pulsing Eldunari, a rock splitting in half with a handful of words, and finally a flash of golden light and a mushroom cloud reaching for the sky over an island - strikingly similar to a nuclear detonation. I swallowed as the voice came back.
"The time has come. Search under the roots of the Menoa tree, for you shall need a weapon. Come to the Rock of Kuthian and speak your name, then shall the Vault of Souls open before you. The Riders shall rise again."
I felt myself flash over the land, flying over the Hadarac and toward a city housing a Cathedral that reeked of dark magic. I snarled at the tainted, oily feeling before I felt my presence flit away from the city and toward a new one. This city, unlike the ages deep taint of the first, pulsed with darkness and power - the strength of a dragon but warped, twisted. I try to close my eyes but things turn sideways as I watched the landscape blur until I was at the foot of a mountain range, wild and untamed. I watched as my feet left the ground and I took to the air again, landing in a grotto that I'm sure I couldn't reach except by dragon back or apparition.
"The Grotto of Enurfala, a place for relaxation and meditation for the Riders. A refuge against the storms of the world… Until it was compromised by He Who Fell, the Black King." I looked around the grotto for a few seconds and nodded approvingly right up until I felt myself get dragged away once again - but this time south. For a few moments, I flew over the land until we arrived at the city with the Dark, tainted cathedral, "Dras-Leona… a monstrosity of a city raised in the Shadow of Helgrind, the lair of the Ra'zac. Beware them and their elders, the Lethrblaka. The Lethrblaka are dangerous foes to the dragons while the Ra'zac are a danger to all who walk the land. Their minds are perfectly shielded against attack in a way that no Man, Elf, Dwarf, Urgal, or Dragon has access to. Both are a plague on the world. Their worshipers are just as dangerous, defeat them."
With that ominous warning, I was dragged out once again but this time back to the desert I appeared in after escaping Galbatorix's castle, the Hadarac, but this time my perspective was from the sky.. Right over the mountain I landed under, "The Hadarac Desert, where dragons once roamed freely until the War…" the voice quieted at the last word, "the mountain in the center was once our home: The Fort of Dragons. You are charged to restore it and seal it away from those that would see it destroyed. Once this task is complete, find the Rock of Kuthian. When these charges are completed, the Riders will dawn again brighter than ever before."
With that final proclamation, I felt my body shoot away like an arrow to the north, flying over the Hadarac and toward Du Weldenvarden, I watched the tree tops blur underneath me and immediately knew I was vectored for Ellesmera. Before I caught sight of the great Elven city, the voice gave a simple valediction with:
"Awaken, Rider Potter. Together, we shall rise," Just as I saw the pure white cliffs rocket toward me like a missile.
XXX
I couldn't help but groan as I woke up, not that I wanted to but everything hurt. My eyes, my body, my magical core, everything. I sucked in a small breath as I inspected my core slowly, trying to figure out what the hell had happened. Best I could guess? My core was drained way too fast and filled even faster - strangely enough, it seemed that my core had grown a bit. Not too much, but I think I could cast another stunning spell before falling victim to magical exhaustion. I tried to open my eyes and found that I could rather easily. For a second there I thought I was blind, right up until I looked out a window and saw that the moon was out.
'Okay, good, I haven't been out that long,' I thought as I clambered to my feet and cast a quick Tempus in the air in front of me. I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow as, instead of the normal digital clock it would normally display, a solar/lunar chart cropped up to show the positions of the moon and where they were near me. But, if I was reading this right, the moon had apparently just risen which meant… "How long was I out this time!?" I asked incredulously, not meaning to say that outloud.
"Three days, Partner of my Heart," a blessedly familiar voice said into my head as a great, red, scaly head poked through the window. I grinned slightly as I walked over and scratched Astraeus' chin but frowned as I processed his words.
"Three days? Merciful Merlin… What'd I miss?" the dragon snorted a small plume of smoke in my face, his way of saying he was annoyed with me, and growled light.
"I have grown stronger, larger," he said proudly, and I could see that. Where before he was the size of a small pony, now he was easily the size of a full grown, prize destrier. "Soon, we will fly together. You have not yet missed that," he said quietly and I smiled lightly as I scratched his cheek and rubbed down his neck.
"I'm glad to hear it," I said with a wide grin. "How's Oromis?"
"Alive, if barely. It seems the spell was more taxing than he thought it to be but he is recovering. He gains strength by the day."
"What part of 'week recovery,' didn't he understand?" I muttered as I looked around the small room I was in, casting a lumos sphera to try and get a better view. Well, not that there was much to look at. There was a cot, night stand, a small tub on a desk, and a bookshelf. I stepped over to the bookshelf, mostly out of curiosity, and thumbed through some of the titles there until my hand landed on a leatherbound entry named:
"Domia abr Wyrda," a voice from the curtain-door said quietly. I looked over and saw Oromis there, he was rather pale but the old man moved silently, he didn't make a sound as he opened the curtain or walked in. "Loosely, this translates to 'The Dominance of Fate,' in the tongue of man. It is a full history of Alagaesia and her people. A book that has been outlawed by King Galbatorix as treason against the Broodring Empire," he said with a smirk. "A rather fitting book for you to choose, Rider Potter." I rolled my eyes slightly as I thought about the name.
"I knew about the Broddring Empire, it's labeled quite clearly on the map, but where does the name come from?" I asked the old elf with a lifted eyebrow. Oromis looked slightly amused but started explaining anyway.
"The Broddring Empire, once reigned over by House Palancar - the last members of whom were exterminated by Galbatorix - is a nation that stretches from the Bier sea to the border of the Hadarac Desert - though Galbatorix claims the Desert as his as well and has stated he is king of Hedarth though his armies cannot make the trip through the desert unaided," he said as he looked over at Astraeus with a small smile. "But he has no influence over these forests and glades, the Elves are free of his tyranny."
"But whose tyranny are they under now?" I shared with Astraeus who hummed lightly as he contemplated the question but aloud I said, "and the world is the better for it. I'll give the book a read later on. What happened to the Eldunari?"
"They are safe, hidden within a cathedral of granite the likes of which I have never seen," he said with a broad grin. I nodded in a bit of relief - the spell worked.
"And what have they told you?"
"Nothing, I'm afraid," the elf said pensively. "It would seem Galbatorix managed to seal their memories of what he had them do away, and it seems they are restrained by magic, oath, or another bond to the Black King - which of these I cannot say for true. Other than that, they are free," he said with a broad grin that lit up the room brighter than the light sphere hovering over our heads.
"Excellent," I said in relief. No matter how I felt about the elves, the dragons were innocent in their ways. "Shall we go see them?" I asked with a grin that faltered slightly as I remembered something from my time under… "But before we go, may I ask you a few questions?"
The elf looked at me strangely but replied in the affirmative, I sucked in a breath and asked: "First of all, what's the Rock of Kuthian?" The old elf's eyes widened but he answered all the same.
"It's on Vroengard, the old home of the Riders. Where did you hear of it?" he asked as he entered the room fully. I heard a dull thud outside the cabin and knew Glaedr was headed toward it.
"In a dream… Bear with me, I have more questions. If you could save yours until I finish?" I asked politely. He nodded sharply and I took in a sharp breath. "The Menoa tree, what is that?"
"She is the Heart of Du Weldenvarden. She was once an elf though she was a vengeful, spiteful creature who became one with the heart tree of Ellesmera when my people were still young and our bond with the Dragons still anew. Her consciousness melded with the tree and the two became known as the Menoa Tree. My people see the tree as sacred; to do harm to her is to do harm to the forest itself, in their eyes."
"And your people don't tolerate that, do they?" I asked with a small sneer.
"No, Rider Potter," Oromis made his best Dumbledore impression as he tried to force as much disapproval as he could into those three simple words.
"Last question," I said with a frown. "What the bloody hell are the Ra'zac and Lethrblaka?" Oromis eyes widened as he searched my eyes for something.
"Where did you hear those terms?" he asked sharply.
"I can't tell you that," I said easily, knowing it to be utterly true. But it looked like I had a trip to make to this Rock of Kuthian rather soon if only to find that white Eldunari.
"Can not or will not?" Oromis shot back tartly.
"Cannot," I countered just as acerbically. Oromis's eyes widened as I kept on, "I would tell you if I could but I physically can't tell you. I don't know why since I'm not sworn to anything."
"This is a strange set of circumstances, Rider Potter… But to answer your question, the Ra'zac… I do not know where you were told the name of those wretched beasts with a taste for the flesh of man or who could have revealed to you their cursed name. They are the bane of magicians and riders alike, mortal men cannot face them without great strength and the element of surprise. Only the most senior of riders would dare face a Ra'zac face to face and none are foolish enough to face one on Lethrblaka back without their Dragon at their side. The Lethr'blaka and Ra'zac are one and the same species, you see," Oromis said and I could feel my curiosity rise. "The Ra'zac species is divided into three known cycles of life: Infant, Juvenile, and Adult with three distinct names for each. Infants are simply referred to as hatchlings while the Ra'zac and Lethrblaka refer to the last phases of life. Only Lethrblaka, the leather flappers, are able to lay eggs but they are a danger to dragon and rider alike. They stretch to nearly forty feet in length with spear-like beaks composing seven of those on their lonesome. The Ra'zac are unthinkably fast, powerful, and prideful - not unlike a fallen dragon," Oromis said as he scratched his chin. "But an elf can defeat them if well prepared and armored. As you are, I am not sure if you would be a match for them, Rider Potter," the elf said dismissively. I growled lightly at the curt tone the elf used.
"I've fought better than some overgrown bugs," I grunted at him as I looked over at Astraeus who was obviously unimpressed.
"Forty-Feet?" the crimson dragon asked in a rather blase tone.
"Aye," Oromis said simply.
"A beak is no match for dragon fire, nor leather to match fangs, no armor is enough to deflect Harry's spells. We will crush any Ra'zac we find to dust and burn them to ash," He dismissed Oromis' concern with ease just as he pulled his head from the window and walked away. Oromis stared after him but I cleared my throat. He looked at me with a slightly raised eyebrow.
"I think it's time we go check on the Eldunari," I said quietly. Oromis nodded sharply as I replaced the book on the shelf and followed him out of the small cabin. We stepped out of the hut and I saw Glaedr towering over us like a Titan of old, for a beat I thought I was going to have to worry about casting a flame freezing charm in record speed but thankfully he just let out twin jets of air from his nostrils and limped away toward the Vault. It took seconds for Oromis and I to reach the Vault but Glaedr made it in a few steps. I looked at the old elf as I knelt down in front of the hatch and pulled it open to reveal a spiral stairway. I felt my eyebrows shoot up as I tried to think of the original floor plan worked into the runic structure.
"This is different," Oromis whispered as he looked at the stairway. "I brought the Eldunari down the day after you fell, then it was but a simple - yet practical - granite chamber," Oromis said worriedly, confirming what I thought.
"Dammit Death," I muttered as I took the first step down, glancing back at Oromis whose eyes were wider than I thought possible. Shit! Did he hear me!? I thought to myself as I felt Astraeus laugh in my head. I turned back to see that the dragon had decided to come with us. I shook my head and kept going down the stairs. We reached the bottom and I found myself in front of a pair of large, oaken doors framed by two bright torches. The door itself was decorated with a beautifully profiled, snarling dragon's head carved and seared into the wood - one that would be bisected when the door opened. I glanced back at Oromis who had his golden sword, of all things, in his hand at a ready position. I gestured for him to put it away as I pushed the door open with ease. The doors swung open soundlessly and I felt my breath catch in my throat at what the doors hid.
Instead of a simple, easily defended granite dome, I found myself in a white marble and onyx cathedral-like structure that was pulsing with magic so pure it was almost humming in the very air. I closed my eyes for a beat as I heard the elf behind me gasp and my dragon snort at him. I couldn't help my own grin as I opened my eyes to look around the cathedral ringed with Eldunari of every size glittering in the torchlight. For a brief second there was silence, a stillness that I thought would last forever, right until it was shattered like glass by all the Eldunari trying to thank me all at once. I fell to my knees, clutching at my forehead as the overwhelming amount of 'Thank you, thank you, thank you!'s or the 'you freed us! You freed us!' and then there was one who was particularly eloquent with: 'My thanks, young one. You have done our kin a great service this day, May good fortune rule over you, may the stars watch over you, and may peace live in your heart, from this day until your last day, young rider.' Though the strangest, and most primal, were the ones that sent images and feelings rather than words. In a second, the tide of thoughts, thank yous, and other acclamations settled into a quiet murmur instead of a roar finally allowing me to think clearly.
"Harry?" I heard Trae's voice and focused on it, "are you alright?"
"Perfectly fine," I said in a slightly raspy tone. "I'll be okay, don't worry about me."
"You are my partner, I will always worry," he said simply and I felt my heart lurch at the admission and grinned up at him as he came around my front. I scratched his chin like he liked and got up with his help.
"Rider Potter," Oromis said quietly, grabbing my attention as I glanced over at the old elf curiously to find that he wasn't looking at me, "do you recognize that?" he asked, indicating something on the far wall with his sword. And here I thought I told him he could put it up. I scowled slightly but followed his line of sight, my eyes landing on the simple maple manor trunk sitting underneath the three largest Eldunari…
I felt a grin spread across my face as I walked over to it and pulled the lid open,"Oromis, it's probably best you don't follow," I said as I looked back at the old with a grin and a short "ta!" before I dropped into the trunk with Astraeus close behind. I felt the wards engage to catch me as I fell through the level but felt my stomach tighten as I fell into a room strikingly similar to the circular chamber in Galbatorix's palace, just with more doors. Instead of seven, there were seventeen. Twelve of wood, five of metal.
The first metal door was blank, blue steel while the others actually had emblems on the faces. there was a black iron door with a somewhat familiar crest on the face, a trio of silver dragons facing left, outward, and right with the words Toujours Pur, Toujours Fidèle [1] underneath the dragons. Next was a silver door embossed with a rearing, crowned, crimson dragon with the phrase Nos Levate Draco [2] written in the same blood red. The third was an immediately recognizable coat of arms traced in black on a platinum door, the symbol of House Peverell. I raised my eyebrow at the sight while my eyes drifted to the final door, a door of Red Bronze with a rampant, golden griffin rearing with a sword in its right paw, a familiar sword at that. I had to blink as I finally recognized the blade as the sword of Gryffindor.
'Huh… Didn't realize Godric had a personal sigil… But if that's the case, then whose doors are those?' I thought to myself as I looked at the unidentifiable doors, and then at the final two doors: one made of maple and one that looked like solid hickory banded with iron. I moved to that particular door first and placed my hand on it, letting it swing open to a room with what looked like computers, black windows, and a pedestal holding a book labeled: Control Room - Manual.
"What is this?" Astraeus asked as he nosed one of the monitors while I picked up the book.
"Convenient," I muttered, he wasn't impressed choosing to just snort gruffly as I opened the book to the first page.
Welcome, Lord Peverell! The first line said, I raised an eyebrow and kept reading. You may be wondering what has happened to your trunk, never fear! It has not been tampered with… Badly. The apartment that was contained within this trunk has been repurposed to become the template for modern commodities in this new world and shall be the start of Pevetter Retreat, you may use this name if you wish in your personal life. You are the Lord Peverell but you have been known as Mister Potter your entire life. Pevetter is, as you well know, a combination of your legacy as the title Lord Peverell-Potter is a bit clunky. Where you stand now is known as the control room, the room you entered from was the Station - otherwise known as the foyer - from which every other trunk I granted you is interlinked. I told you that you mustn't be afraid to dream bigger and so I did for you. You are now in possession of your trunk, as requested, though I have added some… Additions, if you would. There are now eleven other trunks that you can either entrust to a comrade or hide around Alagaesia. In these trunks there is a specific biome and another station connecting it to the rest of the trunks, though each is only accessible to people that you approve of for certain trunks. In other words? If they aren't on the list, they aren't getting into that trunk. I have also granted you the vaults that you did not claim in your lifetime, as such you now have access to them here. You must personally ward the doors to your liking, I recommend you use Bonds of Blood and Fidelius wards on the vaults of Peverell, Noir, Gryffindor, and Pendragon.
I actually had to stop reading when I read the last name.
Pendragon.
Uther and Arthur, the mythical kings of Camelot. The head of the Round Table's house itself, the King of the Prince of Enchanters, the wielder of Excalibur…
Without a second thought, I turned on my heel and sprinted for the door and out into the foyer, directly to the vault of Pendragon. I tried to push it open, tried to summon it open, banish it open, but nothing I tried worked. With a smack on the back of the head from Astraeus wing, I walked back to the control room while muttering under my breath as Trae chuckled the entire time. Picking the book back up, I read:
So you either stayed or came crawling back in shame, Pevetter. Knowing you, you probably did the latter, so, welcome back. Now, if you had bothered to stay, you would already know that in order to access any door you must activate the foyer and connect the trunks, doors, and vaults to gain access to any of them either through the doors or the trunks themselves. Each trunk will connect to this one, remember that, young Pevetter.
'Wish they would stop with the Pevetter crap,' I thought wryly, 'I mean, it works for the foyer but I'm a Potter.'
"Indeed, though perhaps a bit of annoyance is in order as you leapt like a startled hare without a second thought, Harry," Astraeus said, still chuckling. I rolled my eyes and turned back to the book.
To activate the trunks, see the monitor behind you and to the left. To activate, place your hand on the screen.
I did just that, watching as the screen flashed between gold and ruby as it pulsed out of the room and into the black windows. The screens in front of me cycled between plains, mountains, glens, rainforests, deserts, the sea, and arctic tundra environments before the four Coat of Arms of the families Peverell, Gryffindor, Noir, and Pendragon appeared on screen. I tried to move my hand but it was stuck to the glass. I almost panicked but the bare glen appeared on screen and immediately started growing. Seasons turned in seconds and ancient trees rose in the span of moments before my eyes, but before I could see anything else the screens flashed white and powered down.
"What in Merlin's name?" I muttered as I tried to turn on the screens again but failed miserably. I just sighed and turned back to the door and shoved it open, immediately going to the oaken door that - unlike before - was conveniently labeled Temperate Deciduous Forest - 50,000 square miles, 250,000 cubic miles (five-mile high ceiling).
I felt my jaw drop as I took that information in and looked at the rest of the signs that were all similar in landmass but were each a different biome. Besides the Temperate Deciduous Forest, there were: Grasslands, Savannah, Alpine Tundra, Tropical Rainforest, Boreal Forest, a pair of Mediterraneans, Aquatic/Island Region, Arctic Tundra (which was made from the blank, blued steel), and Desert biomes. I felt my jaw hit the floor as I took in the sheer amount of area within these trunks was bigger than Her Majesty's United Kingdom by a large factor.
"This is insane," I muttered to the red dragon standing beside me..
"Indeed, mayhaps we should try this Temperate Forest first?" I looked at him with a raised eyebrow but stepped to the door that was obviously the largest, which was the oak door. Astraeus growled in satisfaction as the door actually swung open.
Together, Astraeus and I entered the door to the sight of a forest, obviously, but what wasn't so obvious was the fact that we had just come out of a stone cliff looming behind us with an indentation big enough to hold the now non-existent door settled behind us. More impressively, though I didn't know it yet, was that the stone wall ringed the entire perimeter of the trunk. What was even more surprising, though, was the bouncing, green house-elf staring up at me with socks running off his feet, a little woolen hat, and an immaculate impersonation costume of an eighteenth-century American woodsman.
"The great master Harry Potter sirs is here!" the little elf's familiar voice said as he form-tackled my legs.
"Dobby!?" I was completely shocked to see the little elf once again, "how are you here!?"
The elf shuddered for a moment as his wide eyes dilated, "Dobby remembers bad missy Bella's knife… Dobby was the dead, Harry Potter sir. I… I's don't know hows I am here Master Harry Potters sir…" he whispered. I knelt down beside him and put my hand on his shoulder with a small squeeze.
"And that's perfectly fine, Dobby. Why don't you show me around the place?" Immediately, the elf's troubled expression changed to excitement. He took me by the sleeve and started dragging me down a cleared path that I just noticed as Astraeus walked lazily beside me with what I could have sworn was a draconic grin.
"This place is to be the home of the Riders, Master Harry Potter sir! Dobby knows allllll about Master Harry Sirs new title and his news friends!" he said excitedly, just as he glanced at the monstrous form of the young dragon.
"You do?" I blinked at the elf's revelation as he practically vibrated.
"Yes!" he nodded like a bobblehead but continued on, "Or-misy is speaking tos the smart rocks while the biggsy gold dragon is nosing the door to the cave of the smart rocks trying to figure out a way around the stairs!"
I was shell shocked by his statement but the only thing I could do was follow Dobby through the path. For a few minutes we walked and Dobby babbled on and on about how happy he was that he was Harry Potter's elf again, that he would be my personal elf, how he would be 'the bestest elf out of any elf that evers was or wills be,' and that we needed to visit 'allllllll the vaultsees!'
I just shook my head at the audacity of the little guy, "d' you have any idea what could be in those vaults, Dobby?"
His ears drooped slightly as he said, "no, master Harry Potters sir. But Dobby knows the Noirs were Snuffies' greater family!"
"Snuffies?" I asked before it clicked, "Sirius? That's Sirius' family?!"
"Greater family," Dobby confirmed as he rapidly nodded his head.
"Greater family? You mean that's the Black's parent branch?" I asked as Astraeus snorted at my outburst.
"Humans," he sniffed disdainfully, "parent branch, lesser branch, tree branch, what does it matter? A clutch is a clutch." I turned to look him in the eye and he bumped me with his head. I rolled my eyes at the dragon's antics, I was about to answer him but was cut off by Dobby.
"Yes! Oh! We's be here, Great Master Harry Potters Sir!" he said excitedly, I looked up to see a clearing packed with bustling house elves. Some were already clambering over a wooden structure, some were standing over stone slabs placed over fires or cooking over the fire itself, others were butchering deer, pigs, and cattle, while others were clearing the forest and breaking down the trees into planks for the ones building the new wooden structure.
"Woah," I gasped as Astraeus' ears pricked up at the smell of roasting meat, "Dobby, what is this? Who are they?"
"These bes the House Elveses Death promised you! One Cohort of Housey Elves for the great master Harry Potter Sirs!" Dobby squealed in delight. Astraeus actually hissed at the House elf, making him gulp slightly, as I went to try and clear my ear with a finger but thought about what Death told me. It never promised me House Elves in particular but it said I was promised servants, what better servants are there than House Elves?
"What are their jobs, Dobs?" I asked when I was finally able to hear through the ringing, and apparently, Astraeus couldn't take it anymore as he trotted over to the elves cooking the stags curiously. I couldn't help but chuckle at the look of panic in the elves' eyes before it turned into absolute glee when the monstrous dragon sat down like a dog begging for scraps - or maybe a horse… More importantly, if he didn't stop wagging that whip he calls a tail, he was going to hurt something or someone. Apparently it worked though as the elves immediately threw a leg (and what a leg it was) of venison to the ruby dragon that he snatched out of the air with ease before he started chowing down on it without a moment's hesitation.
"House elveses can be home elveses, builder, tailor, seamstress, crafting, field, or hunting elveses," Dobby said slowly as we watched the monster I called my partner devour the leg he was given by the chefs.
"Break that down for me, would ya?"
"Yes, Master Harry Sir!" he said happily as he finally tore his eyes from the Dragon, "home elveses bes in cookings, baking, and cleanings. Builder elveses be constructing and restorings, stonemasons and carpenters. Tailor elves are more skilled than the seamstress elves, but only the bestest best tailor elves be the armorers - theys work bestest with the smithy elves! Field Elveses can bes herdings, keepings, gardenings, or ranching. The crafting elves are the woodworkers, the smithy elves, glassmakingers, and Master Harry Potters Potter elves!" Dobby is obviously proud of himself for the pun, "then there are the huntings elves!"
"What do they hunt?" I asked, finally looking at the elf.
"There are twos types of hunting elves, Master Harry," Dobby said seriously as he looked over at a group of elves in black sitting around a campfire sharpening knives that they seemingly pulled out of nowhere on their bodies next to Elves dressed in ghillie suits and covered in face paint, bows sitting next to them as they made arrows.
"Let me guess? Men and animals?"
"Yes, great Master Harry Potters sir. That's indeeds what they be. Dobby has only heards stories of what shadow elveses do, Master Harry sir," Dobby whimpered, I put my hand on the elf's shoulder again and squeezed it gently.
"They're on our side now, Dobby. Do I need to bond them or are they living off the magic here?"
"We's be living on the magic of the land, Master Harry's sir. Strong, strong magics are here, Master Harry sir…" Dobby said quietly, "I be's master Harry's personal elf so I use master Harry's magic as his bonded elf."
"We're bonded?" I asked, completely bewildered.
"Since Master Harry Potter was in his second year at Hoggywarts," Dobby said nervously and I could only gape at him.
"You bonded to me when you left Lucius but still took Dumbles money?" I asked in shock.
"Y-yes, Master Harry Potter sir," Dobby said nervously.
"That's bloody brilliant!" I crowed, much to Dobby's confusion, "I can't believe you took the whiskered wanker's money while being my house elf, you brilliant, bloody, genius you!"
Astraeus actually turned to look at me from his place eating at the proclamation, he wiggled his way into my head and watched all of the moments he could find of Dumbledore and snorted when he put it together too. That old man meant for me to die but I had the audacity to live anyway.
XXX
It took Astraeus a few minutes to go through, uh… well… Three entire stags (and in that time and I could have sworn that he gained another hundred pounds, but I couldn't really be sure) but, that just gave me time to offer any elves who wanted a more permanent bonding to me just by giving a quick all call (after getting their names, that was the part that took forever). Now I have four hundred and fifty elves permanently bonded to me, thankfully that includes every single one the Hunter-Killer elves - as I call the assassins. Since there are two kinds of hunters I chose to call them either Hunter-Killers or Hunter-Trackers. Right now, I have the Hunter-Trackers stalking whatever they can around the Continent for things like pigs, rabbits, dogs, and other prey animals of they could find them, of course I pretty much gave them care blanche to retrieve what they wanted…
POV Shift
XXX
"Here fishy, fishy, fishy… I's has a new homes for you fishy," the strange creature on the even smaller boat said. I blinked twice, it was still there. I scratched my eyes but when I looked up again the thing and its dinghy was gone.
"I should have listened to Pa and farmed. These sea visions are the gods' punishment…" the man muttered as he turned sail back to shore.
"That was close," the elf, Lumpy, whispered to his companion, Rishy, "any closers and we's would have beens caught!"
"We's!? You's be the ones calling for the fishies!" Rishy said even as he started reeling his line in, "I thinks I has a fishies! I do has a fishy!" the little elf cried as he pulled a sea dragon to the surface.
"Bad fishy! Bad!" The little elf berated the sea dragon trying to eat them and their dinghy as he pulled a bag out and tossed the sea dragon into it like it was a trout, though how the huge Sea Dragon fit in their tiny bag was a question they never stopped to ask.
XXX
"Gornad! Where are the Feldunost!? We're to be in Tronjheim in three days! We need to be moving!"
"Eaik, the Feldunost are gone!"
"Gone!? What do you mean gone, you fool! You tied them to the tree yourself!"
"Aye! The rope is still there, unharmed, but the Feldunost are gone!"
"Then find 'em!"
"What d' ya think I've been doing!?"
"Well, they couldn't have gon-"
We were interrupted by the sound of a roaring Urzhad. I felt my face turn white as I turned to Eaik who was one step ahead of me, literally and figuratively, as he was already sprinting away as fast as he could. We weren't fast enough. The lumbering, crashing sound of the enraged bear came upon us faster than we could comprehend. I turned to face my death as it came on us only to be shocked when the white death barreled past us in utter terror.
'What can terrify an Urzhad?' I asked myself as I stood there like a stone, watching the bear run for its life.
"Hereeeeeee teddy!" a shrill voice called as a small, green thing on the back of a Shrrg cried as it charged by us with a silent, green companion on Shrrg-back hot on their heels.
I could only watch in stunned silence with an equally frozen Eaik before we fell over together in a dead faint.
XXX
"Floppsy, that's a biiiig piggy…"
"Yes, its is, Balky… How muchs bacon do yous think Meeny and Mynee could make from it?"
"Bacon…" Floppsy muttered in a daze as his feet moved him forward on their own accord toward the unsuspecting Nagra. Neither of the two elves, though, noticed the five dwarves who were hunting the boar themselves retreat into the trees as the strange gnomes stuffed the live, terrified, angry Nagra into a tiny bag even as it struggled terribly.
XXX
With Harry…
…So maybe they'll have success for me in a few weeks but for now it looks like the elves are almost finished with what looked like a barn. Good, I like that they're already preparing for the future!
I couldn't help but grin as Astraeus, the lazy dragon, decided he wanted to curl up in a warm place. The best place to him, apparently, was on the (utterly enormous) slab of slate the elves were using as a stove - and since it hadn't been used to cook anything the lazy dragon had sprawled out on the slab, happy as a lark.
"Harry Potter sir," Dobby's squeaky voice pulled me from admiring the little dragon, "we seems to have a problems…" I could hear a small amount of panic in the elf's tone and immediately looked down at him.
"What's happening?" I asked, already in full Auror mode.
"Or-misy has entered the Trunk and entered the Noirs vault, Master Harry Potters sir. Hes bes having a panic attack…"
"Take me to him, Dobby. " I said, ready to face whatever has the usually unflappable elf in a panic. He nodded quickly and locked eyes with an elf across the way that I think is with the Field elves, but before I could think on it any further Dobby popped us away.
"-ON FIRE IS HE DOING HUNG LIKE THAT!?" was the first thing I heard as we returned to the foyer, I whirled around to see the Noir vault door open wide. I barreled in to see Oromis standing there, gaping up at a familiar arch. I felt my breath hitch as I followed his line of sight to see someone I never expected to see again hanging there.
"Sirius?!"
I called out when I saw the man hovering there with his arms splayed out like he was being crucified. Without a second thought, I raised my hand and thought Accio! Watching as his body zipped toward me. I caught him with magic before he could slam into me or slam into the floor. I laid him down on the floor and knelt next to his head, automatically checking his pulse and vitals even knowing that he's already dead.
But, imagine my surprise when it turns out he wasn't! His pulse was strong and vitals were steady, I thought he would have surely been at least injured from the Cruciatus Bellatrix hit him with but he seemed right as rain, better even. He actually looked healthier than I had ever seen him, the only problem was that he was unconscious.
"Rider Potter," Oromis said quietly from over my shoulder, "I have two questions I would like answered immediately, and many more for later. Firstly, who is this man? Secondly, what magic is this?"
"This is my Godfather, Sirius Black, I thought I watched him die twenty-six years ago when he fell through that," I said while nodding to the recreated veil, "but here he is… stand back, this could get ugly really fast."
I looked over my shoulder and watched him back away slowly but his eyes never left Sirius or me. I placed my palm on Sirius' forehead but stopped when something registered.
"Wait a second," I turned around to face the elf with confusion written all over my face, "Oromis, how are you even in here? Those wards should have kept out anyone or anything not me or Astraeus for the time being."
The old elf raised his eyebrow at me and shook his head, "I waited an hour, Rider Potter. I came in to see if you were in need of assistance, this was the door that was open. I had believed this was the route you had taken."
"No, it wasn't," I said slowly, my mind racing with possibilities but chalked up to one that made the most sense, "someone - or something, wanted you to find this room. And I think I know who," I muttered.
"Would you care to enlighten me, Rider Potter?" Oromis said with a raised brow.
"Death," I said simply. Oromis scrunched his brow before he nodded in acceptance. I just shook my head and turned back to Sirius, placing my hand back on his forehead and whispered "Ennerverate."
Instantly, the man's eyes snapped open as he shoved me aside with a wand - that I have no idea where he pulled from - at my throat as he pinned me to the floor. It took him a second before his eyes cleared and he finally recognized me.
"Harry?" he asked in a stronger voice than I had ever heard from him, "how… What happened, pup?"
"Why don't you get off me and I'll tell you, you tosser," I said with a grin. Sirius looked down at his wand and gave a bark of laughter.
"Sure thing pup, but you'll have to help me sit up. I don't know why but I can't really feel my legs right now," he said exasperatedly. "Any idea why that is?" He groaned as he laid on his back and I helped him to his bum. I felt him stiffen and I immediately found out why.
"Good day, Mister Black," Oromis said in his usual Dumbledorian calm that immediately had Sirius relax slightly, "I am Oromis of Ellesmera, I welcome you to our land," he said with a weird bow with his hand twisted over his chest. I only blinked in time with Sirius who said.
"Uh, hi?" He said with a raised eyebrow, "Harry, where the bloody hell are we?"
"It's a long story, Siri," I said quietly, "Dobby!"
"Yes, Harry Potter sir?" The excitable elf said as he popped into existence beside me, I didn't see Oromis' look of shock but Sirius didn't even flinch.
"Bring me a table and a set of three chairs, if you would. Oh! And make that a comfortable one for Sirius," I said to the little elf who nodded and popped away. Seconds later, he came back with a beautiful, round wooden table with two simple wooden chairs and a leather recliner that I have no idea where it could have come from.
I could only blink before Sirius was levitated into the recliner and pushed up to the table at a snap of Dobby's fingers before Oromis and I could sit down in the other chairs.
"Thank you, Dobby," Sirius said to the smiling elf who instantly popped away. There were a few minutes of silence while Sirius and I looked at each other. Eventually, Sirius slowly started with, "so, where does this story start? I mean, how by Godric and Merlin did you find a high elf?" Sirius asked as he put his arms on the table's face and leaned forward.
"Well," I started slowly, "I didn't find the High Elves, they found me. Secondly, Oromis isn't a high elf, you and I both know those don't exist, he's an Elf of..." I glanced over at him with a raised eyebrow.
"Forests and Skies of Alalea and Alagaesia," he said calmly. Sirius looked at him blankly.
"I'm sorry, you said Alalea?" Sirius said quietly.
"Indeed, you have heard of it?" Oromis asked curiously.
"No. No, I haven't," he said blankly, "and Alagaesia?"
"The lands in which we stand now, Mister Black," Oromis said calmly, "Rider Potter has already explained that he comes from a land far away."
"Harry," Sirius said calmly, which was concerning because the man was never calm. His ice grey eyes starred holes into me as he said, "what aren't you telling me?"
I sighed and looked at him, "what do you last remember?"
"That damned stunner ickle Bella hit me with," Sirius snarked with a grimace, "thankfully she couldn't hit me with anything more lethal."
"Family magic," I whispered in realization, "I thought she hammered you with a Cruciatus?"
"Oh no," Sirius scoffed, "if she had done that then her magic would have been forfeit."
"Holy… she didn't mean to kill you?" I asked before the full meaning of that hit me.
"Kill me!? Bloody Merlin what do you mean kill me?!" Sirius barked.
"What do you know about the veil?" I asked and Sirius turned ghost white as he turned to look at the ancient arch behind him.
"I fell through the execution arch." He said shakily but it wasn't a question.
"Yes," I said quietly.
"Bloody hell… How am I alive?" his ghostly complexion gained a little color as he said the last word but his eyes never left mine.
"Because that's a different arch," I clarified, only for him to whirl back around to look at the arch.
"Bloody hell… Bloody hell! A different arch! I thought there was only one!"
"So did I, Siri," I said unsurely, "I don't know why that's in here."
"Where is this place anywhere?" Sirius asked, steering the conversation back to the safer ground.
"The Noir vault," I said with a smirk, Sirius did an actual double-take as he stared at the room around him and said:
"I thought this was lost… The Noirs died out around the same time as Merlin, some say that they were cousins to the Le Fays but nothing was confirmed. All that is conformed to be known is that they're the direct predecessors to the Blacks," Sirius said as he looked around the room in awe.
"What's their family specialty?" I asked Sirius. Every family has a specialty, a way to make money for the family.
"Beast taming, dragons specifically," I perked up slightly but that was nothing compared to Oromis whose eyes widened to the size of saucers while he leaned across the table.
"Dragons, you say?" He asked with rapture in his voice.
"Yea, Dragons. Common Greens, Horntails, Longhorns, Iron Bellies, Hebridian Blacks, and others that I'm not sure of," he said tapping his chin.
"Would they have eggs here?" I can almost hear Oromis' voice vibrating in excitement as he waited for Sirius to say something. I put my hand up before Sirius could say anything.
"Oromis, before he says anything," I said indicating Sirius, "Remember what I told you." I said quietly, Sirius looked confused as Oromis shrunk in on himself slightly but nodded. "Dobby? Bring Astraeus." I said to the empty air. With a small pop, the crimson dragon found himself lying on cold stones instead of in the warm sun and hot slate - he wasn't happy.
"Bloody hell!" Sirius barked, nearly falling out of his chair as he turned to look at me as the horse sized dragon stood up and growled slightly at me, "who are you, Hagrid!?"
XXX
Beor Mountains…
"Achoo!" rang through the clearing a pair of deer were standing in, startling them, and every other deer for three miles around away.
"Damn you, Goritag! You scared them off! Now what am I going to tell Hiralie!?"
"Sorry, Eualir," the rather tall dwarf said to his fellow clan member, "Orik'll kill me if he finds out we lost the deer…"
"As well he should! Never understood what Hrothgar saw in you two… Come, there has to be other game too stupid even for that avalanche you created to have scared off. Maybe we'll get lucky and you truly did cause an avalanche, there's bound to be meat caught in something like that…"
XXX
With Harry...
"No, I am not Hagrid," I said with a small grin as I scratched Astraeus' chin to try to calm the annoyed dragon down… Thankfully it worked and he went from annoyed to just grumpy, "but I think you'll agree that he's a much better-looking dragon than the ones back home, yes?"
"It is," Sirius said as he leaned toward me to get a better look but before he could, his hand shot to his temple and he groaned in pain. As he finally regained his bearings, he looked up in shock and asked, "did… did that Dragon just bloody talk?"
"First of all, his name is Astraeus," I said with a small glare toward my Godfather, "second of all, we're bonded," I raised my hand and showed the silver scar on my left palm, "third? Yes, he just bloody talked because my dragon's just bloody awesome like that," I said with a grin. Sirius looked at me with a dropped jaw before he threw his head back and started howling with laughter. It took a few minutes but the old dog finally calmed down enough to gain a level head.
"Indeed, and don't forget it either, Harry," Astraeus said as he started prowling around the room in search of somewhere warm to sleep.
"Oh, Prongslet, I've missed you! How long was I dead anyway?" He asked, "couldn't have been longer than two or three years, you look great!"
"Uh," I say with a small wince, "It's been twenty-six years since you fell through the arch." Sirius just stared at me in horror while that processed in his head.
"Twenty-six years?" he whispered as even Oromis' excitement ebbed from the prospect of new dragons, "you graduated… had a family?"
"Yes and yes," I said quietly, "I married Ginny, had three kids - two boys and a girl, became head Auror. Oh, and I was murdered, so that was fun. And it was by Astoria Greengrass-Malfoy, of all people," I growled at the memory, unconsciously rubbing my chest.
"Murdered!? You were murdered!?"
"Yeah… I got better though!"
I swear…" Sirius muttered as he pinched his nose in consternation before giving up the line of thought and moved on. "Wait, Greengrass? Septimus and Jessica's daughter?" He asked confusedly.
"Youngest daughter," I confirmed.
"Damn," Sirius swore. "They were close friends of mine before my twelve-year retreat from the public eye… But we can talk about that another time. What's the fascination with dragons, Oromis?" The quick change in topic was so sudden it almost gave me whiplash, but what was even more surprising was the look on Oromis' face. He was smiling more broadly than anytime I had ever seen him.
"Dragons are a way of life to my people, for thousands of years we have coexisted with the dragons of Alagaesia. For years we have depended on dragons and we have grown alongside them in peace. But that peace was forged in war, Mister Black. But dark times have fallen on this land," he said, his face darkening at the thought of Galbatorix, "a rogue rider named Galbatorix turned traitor against our order, the Dragon Riders. At our height, we were five hundred strong. Galbatorix cut our number down to fifteen, but - more monstrously, he killed every wild dragon in Alagaesia."
I felt my eyes bulge at that, I knew that Galbatorix was a murderous bastard but to have committed a draconic genocide? That's too far.
"At this time, there are only three living dragons in Alagaesia. Shruikan - the traitor's slave and victim, Astraeus - our newest hope, and then there is Glaedr," he said, lifting his palm, showing the Gedwey to Sirius' wide, shining grey eyes, "my partner of heart and mind, he who is the eldest living dragon left in Alagaesia at nearly eight centuries old. Their kind is few, I beg of you to help, any dragons could be the dawn of a new age in this land."
"Well then," Sirius said slowly, "I guess it's time to start looking for eggs," the old Animagus grinned and tried to stand but failed miserably… "probably need to see a healer though," he said contritely.
"Rider Potter," Oromis said with a serious look on his face, "extend your palm bearing the Gedwey Ignasia and say the words, Waise Heill. Remember, our magic works differently than your own. Heal him, but do not go too far. Do you understand?"
"I do, I haven't forgotten what happened when I warded this place," I said blandly, meeting Oromis' own grey eyes before turning to Sirius, "are you ready?" I asked my godfather that I realized with a start I was probably older than he was. He nodded and before that thought could seed itself in mind, I pressed my hand to his chest and met his eyes again saying what Oromis told me to say. Strangely, the magic felt more like a rush of ice water than the normal fire I was used to with my natural magic. I shuddered as the cool magic flowed from my stomach, down my arm, and into Sirius. The Grim Animagus gasped but the pallor of his skin receded as it slowly shifted toward a more healthy, swarthy color as his grey eyes pulsed red for a beat. I nearly panicked until I realized that was because of my magic, I relaxed long enough to see that his eyes had shifted from light grey to nearly coal black. I had to blink before I realized something big had just happened and I had no idea what it was. I let go of the magic and pulled back, nearly unaffected from the healing.
"Incredible," Oromis whispered, "truly incredible… Rider Potter, I do not know what you have just accomplished in healing him but it appears that he is whole once again."
"I don't know what he's on about," Sirius said, "but I haven't felt this great since I was with the Hit Wizards," he said with a grin, bounding out of his chair with the ease of a man my (current) age. "Well!? What are you sitting around for!? We have a vault to explore!" I couldn't help but chuckle slightly at the boyish excitement radiating from the last true Black.
"Alright, alright you, calm down," I said with a grin, "let the old folks get up and moving."
"Old folks?" Sirius scoffed, "Harry I don't know if you've noticed but I'm older than you by a fair margin."
"And how old were you when you died? I may be in the body of an eighteen-year-old again, but I'm still forty-one, young man," I said with a grin, both at the look on his face and at the fact that Oromis was just standing there chuckling.
"Forty-one? Bloody hell… Bloody, bloody hell…" he muttered as he just stood there before shifting into his animagus form and whining pathetically. I didn't show any sympathy to the dog waving its feet in the air and whining as loud as he could but I did transform into my Nundu's smallest size. The dog looked up at me, stopped whining, froze, and then barked hysterically as he ran away as fast as he could, hunkering behind a random chest that still wasn't big enough to really hide the titanic, pitch black, Caucasian Shepherd. The roar I let loose terrified Sirius even more and Oromis froze where he was standing, right up until I changed back into my human form and the only roaring was from laughter.
If I actually had my eyes open from my place on the floor, I would have seen the top of the dog's head peek around the end of the trunk where he was trying to hide. Didn't do much good since his tail end and back were still poking out even while he was laying down, though it was the closest trunk to him.
Not that it mattered to me two seconds later as the massive Black dog barreled into me full tilt. As soon as he hit me, I knew I was in trouble. Especially when he decided it would be a wonderful idea to lick me.
"Alright! That's quite enough, Padfoot!" I barked as I sent a weak banishing charm at his chest, tossing him off me. Unfortunately, the dog was acrobatic enough to change his midair flop into a somersault when he transformed back to his human form. He landed lightly on his feet with a broad grin spreading across his face.
"Alright then, but when did you become an Animagus!?" he barked happily as he stepped over to Oromis and me.
"When I turned twenty-one," I said with a grin, "but that's a story for another time," I said with a grin as I looked at his slightly disappointed expression, "but yes, we found the Marauder's manual."
His eyes lit up immediately, "well!?"
"We decided it wasn't worth the time investment," I shrugged slightly and he looked like I kicked his puppy, "Sirius. While it's easier than the normal method by far, the process still takes three weeks to finish. I finished the process overnight."
"Overnight!?" He barked, "how!?" even Oromis looked interested now.
"Another time, Sirius," I said with a grin.
"Damn!" he said with a grimace, before he cocked his head to one side. "Strange... the vault hasn't granted us full access yet… Maybe it's blood bound? If it is, I'll have to either renounce my title of Lord Black or take up the Noir title too."
"You were dead, Sirius. Albus is the Lord Black now," I said as Sirius whirled around with eyes wider than saucers and I quickly clarified knowing exactly what he was thinking, "Albus Remus, my second son. James Sirius is the head of house Potter now."
"Thank Merlin, I thought you'd given Dumbledore my family Lordship."
"Dumbledore died less than a year after you did, Padfoot. Snape killed him," I said. Sirius' face turned red so I had to clarify that "Dumbledore asked him to, he was trying to keep Tom from getting something that would have made the Dark Wanker almost unbeatable - and in turn unkillable." Sirius actually stopped, tapped his chin, and nodded without saying a word as he walked to the vault's door and placed his hand against it.
"I, Sirius, the last Black by right of Birth, do surrender my name. The House Noir is dead. As the last son of Noir, I claim headship by right of birth and blood," as he said the last words, a miasma of darkness pulsed from around his hand placed on the door before it coalesced back onto his middle finger in the form of a simple onyx band. He pulled his hand back, turned his hand around, balled it into a fist, and intoned, "Consummatum est, Filius Noir." I glanced at Oromis since the voice most certainly wasn't Sirius'. He let his fist fall and his shoulders visibly relaxed.
"Sirius?"
"Yeah pup?" he asked as he turned around. With a slight start, I noticed his eyes had changed colors again. Thankfully, they were back to his normal grey again. I shook my head slightly, chalking it up to family magic.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, but you realize that you'll probably have to do something similar with the rest of the vaults, right?" I slowly nodded my head as Sirius pulled the vault door open, "Good, go do that while I ward the door and disable some of the traps I just know my family has laid. If there truly are any Dragon Eggs in there, we'll need to let the Vault reset before it will reveal them along with any other secrets that it has hidden in there."
"Then let's reset them," I said with a grin, already walking toward the control room with Astraeus padding at my side. 'Wait, when did he get up?'
XXX
[1] - Always Pure, Always Faithful
[2] - We Raise the Dragon
AN: Hey guys! Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Playing the cliche of bringing Sirius back into the fold is always fun to do, especially when Harry is older than he is! Other than that, I know, this was another one of those "Harry has super stuff without a good pay off," chapters that some of you don't enjoy nearly as much - and I understand! But right now I'm playing a bit of the long game.
When I started this back in February of last year (and isn't that a wonderful thought, good riddance 2020), I had every intention of this story only being somewhere between ten or fifteen chapters with Harry mentoring Eragon and kicking Galbatorix's ass but, back in July, things changed slightly. Instead of the idea I originally to write four, separate stories pertaining to Harry's choices in The Crossroads Divergence, my beta (Hkurtz2013) and I decided to take a path that I had toyed with for months: why separate the storylines? So, as stated at the beginning of this chapter, Harry will be going to the World of Avatar, Westeros, and into the Star Wars plot. Hopefully, that explains just a touch of why Harry is gaining all these things - though it won't always be sunshine and unicorns.
Anyway, I hope to see you next time in Chapter 6 - Secrets Unveiled
Rogue Mando!
