Harry Potter & The Prince of Darkness
It was a dark and cold night in the forest, trees barely able to be seen even if they were a foot in front of you. The bleak blackness of the night devouring all but a man, a man with a long grey beard.
The man raised a long and bumpy stick in the air and chanted a few words. "Lumos!" The man uttered loudly as the stick, or rather the Wand tip began to brightly shine with a bright light, illuminating the forest and revealing something.
The man's wise grey beard hung down to his chest and over his shoulders. On his face he wore glasses which mirrored his lazily half opened and analytical eyes. He wore a long grey robe which gave off a powerful aura. The wrinkles in his old white skin reflecting the bright light which raised off of his Wand.
"Hagrid? Do you have him?" The old man asked, turning around to face a very large shadow.
"Uhm… yup! He's right here, little guy fell asleep as soon as we entered this place." The large man rambled. "Oh I'm gonna miss him." Hagrid mumbled.
Hagrid walked out of the shadows and into the light, revealing his figure. He was a rather large and tall man, standing at around eleven feet tall, Hagrid carried a bundle of cloth in his arms and was wearing a worn and large leather trench coat. His hair was large, dark brown and curled slightly and his beard looked as if it was part of his hair. He wore a dark brown buttoned shirt and hanging from his belt was a lavender umbrella.
"Oh, don't worry Hagrid. This isn't a goodbye after all and you'll be able to see him everyday. We all will miss him, but it's for his protection." The old man reasoned with the giant of a man.
"Oh… I guess you're right Professor." Hagrid gave in with a sigh.
"That's good now can I please hold him?" The Professor asked, holding his arms out in an inviting manner.
Hagrid nodded and handed the bundle of cloth to the Professor. The Professor smiled and bounced the cloth in his arms cooing softly. Looking at the cloth there was the face of a small little baby boy whose hands reached up and tugged slightly and playfully on the Professor's grey beard. The Professor chuckled at the child before hearing the sounds of several tree branches snapping. Looking around the Professor and Hagrid looked up at the massive magical trees which stood hundreds of feet tall and looked down on the two.
Hagrid brought out a crossbow from underneath his coat which was already loaded and the Professor hugged the child closer to him and placed his back to Hagrid while pointing his wand out in all directions.
"Professor Dumbledore? What is out there?" Hagrid whispered to Dumbledore.
"I am not sure old friend." The Professor replied while skeptically eyeing the darkness of the forest.
The two looked around in the darkness before seeing a flash of bloodied neon green, causing the two to dart their weapons towards the light only to find that it had disappeared. Hagrid and Dumbledore looked around again. Hagrid turned his head to look at where he had last seen the flash before looking to the right and finding a pair of neon green eyes with greyish green slits for pupils looking back at him. Hagrid stopped dead in his tracks and stared back at the menacing set of eyes before him.
Professor Dumbledore wasn't fairing off much better as he was face to face with a much more powerful force. A person of neutral build with bony hands and no defined face stared at the Professor and at his Wand. The darkness of their hood shadowing the cloaked figure's face. With a small hum of curiosity the cloaked figure looked at Dumbledore before moving around like a ghost and walking to the large dragon's side.
"Albus Dumbledore and Rubeus Hagrid, what brings you two to our domain, our forest?" The cloaked figure asked.
"We have come seeking out two beings, and you know who they are." Dumbledore told the dragon and the figure. "We have come seeking Death and his brother Dargah."
The dragon looked down to the elder Wizard with a slightly raised eyebrow and asked. "What is your business with my brother and I?" The dragon Dargah asked, his voice shaking the very darkness he ruled over and the trees within that dark bowed beneath him as if to say, 'you are our one true leader'.
"Well, you see…." Hagrid began as he slung his crossbow over his shoulder. "It's that time."
"Ah, so it's time for Dargah to choose and heir?" The cloaked figure who was also called Death guessed. "And I don't suppose you have someone in mind?" He inquired.
"Yes, my immortal friend. We have someone with us." Dumbledore told the deities as he showed them the child in his arms.
The dragon leaned his head closer before sniffing the boy. His eyes glaring at the sleeping child, causing the child who is now yawning awake to stare back. Dargah huffed at the child causing a puff of black steam to fly into the child's face causing him to sneeze softly. The child giggled before reaching for the dragon's nose and placing his very small hand on the snout of Dargah causing the dragon to see into the heart of the child.
"This child… Has seen not just murder… But a slaughter. A slaughter of his mother and several others. Dumbledore, was this child there a moon ago when he slaughtered the other boy's mother and father?" Dargah asked while his eyes lingered on the young child touching him.
"Yes… I'm afraid he was there. But he did not receive a scar of proof rather… His true form was revealed." The Professor confirmed. "This boy has your blood Dargah, he is your heir."
This left Dargah in a state of shock as the old dragon's eyes widened slightly with surprise. The boy who was now smiling and laughing joyfully as he touched the dragon's snout was the heir of Darkness? It was a world of shock but Dargah soon raised his draconic claw to touch the child and poked the child's stomach causing the child to giggle uncontrollably. Dargah smiled at the child before holding out his claw, allowing Dumbledore to place the child in the massive dragon's claw.
"I see you've already grown fond of the child, haven't you dear brother?" Death asked Dargah.
"Yes, in his veins swims my blood so it is not only my duty as a parent to care for him, but also my duty as a dragon to take care of one of my own." Dargah sighed before looking at Hagrid and Dumbledore. "I thank you both for bringing this child to my care. If I may ask, what is his name?" Dargah inquired.
"His name is Axel." Hagrid told the dragon with a smile. "Guess now it'll be Axel Pentecost."
"Axel Pentecost. What a wonderful name." Dargah cooed as he laid on the grassy floor of the forest and played with the child. "For doing this, you both and that Phoenix. Fawkes will be welcome here anytime." The Dragon God told the two before seeing the child getting sleepy. "Also I might need a book on parenting." He sighed with a smile.
"Oh! Got one right here!" Hagrid exclaimed softly before reaching into his coat pocket and fishing out a book with the words 'Parenting 101: A beginner's guide'.
"How did you-?" Death began before Dumbledore placed his hand on the deity's shoulder.
"Best not to question it. I've known him for a very long time and I still have no clue how that works." The Professor whispered. "Also I have a question. Is it nearing that time? When you-know-what is going to occur?"
Death let out an annoyed sigh and replied by saying. "Yes… By the time this child is eleven it should reach that date. But you have a plan don't you?" He asked.
"Yes, train the child when he turns three and can properly hold a Wand. Train him in the Dragon Arts and when the time comes, Hagrid and I will visit and bring him to the school. But when that happens can you fashion him a Wand that will help him? One that will help him harness not only his true form but also his powers?" Dumbledore requested.
"I will talk with my brother and when the time comes I will do what I can." Death responded. "It is getting late, my brother and I will take the child with us and we shall send you a letter telling you where we are." Death told everyone while looking at the clear full moon. "We will see you two again soon. Goodbye for now." Death told the two as Dumbledore placed his hand on Hagrid's shoulder.
"Ah, right. Well… I'll see you later Dargah, Axel." Hagrid said with a small nod.
"Yes, we will see you soon my friend." Dargah smiled as he watched Hagrid and Dumbledore Appirate away.
This left the two deities alone in the forest with the soft snores of a baby Axel being the only sound. Death looked up to his brother before smiling and taking one of Axel's hands in his own and writing a rune on the child's hand, which then silently disappeared into the baby's skin. The rune was one of power one, one of heritage.
The rune was one, for The Prince of Darkness.
Dargah smiled before he allowed his brother to climb onto his back while holding Axel tightly. Dargah then crouched down and bolted quickly into the air before roaring out into the sky, signaling to the dragons of the world that Dargah Pentecost has found an heir. The new God of Dragons was born and all who dared to harm him would face his father's wrath.
Dargah then flew towards the moon and the silver light of the celestial body shined onto the two deities and they smiled as a swirling white portal opened allowing them to vanish through it, and into their home. The realm of Darkness, the realm of Dragons. The new home for the heir, a new home for a family.