Well, here it is! The Main Event! Harry Potter Vs. The Dragon! Will he prevail? Will he get laid? Will Hermione gain a sister concubine? Will Sirius be able to contain himself? Read on to find out!

(*-*)

"This is someone speaking out loud."

" This is someone speaking a magical language."

This is someone's inner monologue.

(*-*)

Dragon Concubine

Chapter 4

(The chapter in which people do horrible things to poor, innocent dragons.)

(*-*)

The next morning Nymphadora woke early and turned on her room's coffee machine. From the layout of the room and the seemingly muggle device on a counter near her bathroom, she assumed that Hermione had tried to copy a mundane hotel room. Tonks had no complaints; her room was comfortable if a little spartan. She shrugged as she sipped her first cup of coffee, reading the note Harry had slid under the door before she slipped out quietly and made sure both teens were still where they should be. Normally she would trust they were since she was guarding the only exit, but with this Room being what it was, it felt like a good idea to check. With both slumbering teens in place and their room obviously smelling of sex she retreated to her post and sipped coffee as she made a few notes on a conjured sheet of paper. As she was under cover she wouldn't be sending her boss any owls but would be sending Madam Bones a messenger Patronus during office hours and didn't want to miss anything.

When the time came, she exchanged a series of Patroni with her boss, where Madam Bones informed Tonks that Severus Snape was not expected to return to Hogwarts, but if he did she was to keep a close eye on him, and Bones would have her back if she chose to curse first and ask questions second. Tonks was also informed of the possibility that Sirius Black was both innocent and in contact with her charge.

(*-*)

Between the stressful day yesterday and the lack of any natural light in the bedroom both Harry and Hermione slept in and only woke out of habit just before breakfast ended in the Great Hall. It was actually the scent of breakfast that drew the couple out of bed. Dobby had reserved a portion of breakfast and delivered it to them, serving Tonks first since she was already awake. After a quick shower together the two joined Harry's bodyguard for breakfast and made some conversation. Tonks seemed relaxed with her bright pink hair, sipping a soothing mug of tea now that she was wide awake. Both teens proved they'd worked up an appetite as they dug into breakfast. As they were finishing, Tonks spoke up. "So what are your plans for today?"

Harry replied. "Spell practice until we need to leave for Charms. Lunch in the Great Hall afterward and then we'll probably come back here for more practice. I have a plan for tomorrow but my back-up plan could use some work. I don't suppose you have any spells that can injure a dragon? I'm hoping not to kill it, even if things go wrong."

"Dragon?!"

Hermione let out a dark laugh. "Harry was flying a few weeks ago and smelled smoke over the forest, so he took a closer look. Can you think of any other reason they'd have four badly-tempered dragons restrained out there?"

Tonks was silent for a moment before she answered. "No, but I can't believe they expect schoolkids to fight dragons! They're five-X creatures, known wizard killers, dragon handlers train for years to learn how to handle them safely! I highly doubt they're just going to throw you into an arena with a dragon and expect you to fight it."

Harry and Hermione shared a look. Tonks had mentioned yesterday that she had graduated Hogwarts in 1990, so she'd missed the craziness that seemed to follow him. Hermione was the next to speak. "I bet you five galleons they do."

"I'll take that bet!"

Harry smirked. "I wonder how many of your coworkers would take that bet if they had the chance? I'll cover Hermione's debt if she loses."

As the group ventured to the Room's spell-casting range a few moments later, both Harry and Hermione had large smiles on their faces. Tonks had not only taken that bet, but would be offering it to her coworkers when she reported in that afternoon.

(*-*)

Harry and Hermione left for Charms early with Tonks in tow disguised again as an utterly forgettable fellow student. After watching Harry practice his spells Tonks found herself impressed by Harry's transfiguration ability. He wasn't as skilled in other areas, but the few Parseltongue spells he used were impressive in their own right. Tonks had initially been wary of Harry's ability, but the teens had convinced her it was only England that had the stigma for Parseltongue. Which wasn't actually true, a number of Parselmouth dark lords had tainted the ability's reputation in Europe and parts of Africa, just like Voldemort had in England. Still, Harry's argument that if Voldemort had been a Metamorphmagus instead of a Parselmouth Tonks would be facing scorn instead of him made a lot of sense. The simply stunning number of healing spells that worked best or sometimes were only possible for Parselmouths had helped convince her too. Hermione was an impressive witch for her age as well and seemed to have a particular talent for complicated spells and those involving fire.

All three were amused when Flitwick fell off his traditional stack of books after reading Tonks' note explaining why she was there. He did speak before the three found their seats, however. "Nymphadora Tonks? I remember you wanted to become an Auror."

After a quick nod of confirmation, the short Professor turned to Harry. "Would you be willing to demonstrate the Charm you used on Professor Snape, Harry? I always enjoy seeing a new spell in my specialty."

Harry thought for only a moment before drawing his wand and near-silently casting the spell into a stone wall; the first Ravenclaws to enter the classroom watched him use the spell closely. At the Professor's request he repeated it several times as the other students began to arrive. When the class began, Professor Flitwick spoke at a volume so all of the students could hear him. "A rather useful charm, Mister Potter. With the First Task tomorrow I can see why you would be looking into magic beyond the spells we normally teach at Hogwarts."

As the lesson began, Harry found his opinion of the diminutive Professor improving, not only for his words but for the fact that Flitwick had altered his lesson plan to cover the Banishing Charm instead of the less immediately useful Locking Charm. Harry had successfully cast the Banishing Charm a few times by the time class ended, but he had a long way to go before it was mastered. He made sure to thank Flitwick for the change in his plans, but the Charms Professor simply smiled and waved him off.

Figuring both Hermione and himself could use some time with other students, the group of three caught up to the students heading to lunch. (He didn't want to become a hermit or force Hermione to do the same.) There were a lot of new rumors flying around, and Harry was amused that no one seemed to question his theory that Snape had used some potion to force Dumbledore's trust. Several of the Ravenclaw students were arguing about which potions the man had used as they entered the Great Hall. The fact that Snape's potions classes had been canceled while he was sulking in a cell at the Ministry had given the students the time to gossip and speculate about his fate. As Harry caught up to the group of students, he spoke intentionally a little louder than he needed to. "Remember, Snape is a Potions Master even though he's a terrible Professor. He could have altered an existing potion or created a new one with enough time."

With that said Harry led the group to the Gryffindor table with a smirk on his face. He smothered it a moment later as he glanced up to the Head Table, thankfully noting the absence of both Dumbledore and Snape. Harry really wasn't sure how he felt about the Headmaster now. Dumbledore gave the appearance of a caring grandfather and Harry was sure the Headmaster would claim to be on his side, but the man's actions said otherwise. Harry was curious what was happening in the Ministry and Hermione provided the answer. Since they'd stayed in the Room of Requirement until leaving for their second class of the day (Binn's History class was useless at the best of times.) Hermione had missed reading the Prophet like she usually did in the mornings, but Parvati had saved it for her. Harry was glad the prime headline was unambiguous and true: "Hogwarts Professor Casts Torture Curse at Boy-Who-Lived! Unlucky Bystander Hospitalized! Was this a Fit of Anger or A Brazen Assassination Attempt?"

Other articles discussed Harry being entered into the Tri-Wizard Tournament against his will as a murder attempt and the status of Snape's victim. (Expected to make a full recovery over the next week.) There was even a small article that mentioned his visit to Patil Imports, and Parvati gave him a warm smile when Hermione turned to that page. Harry wasn't unaware of his fame, which was why he'd insisted on visiting their store as himself and not whoever Tonks had disguised him as afterwards. The Parseltongue books had been extremely useful so drumming up a little business for them in exchange was the least he could do. After lunch, Hermione was dragged off to the Gryffindor common room by Lavender and Parvati for 'girl talk,' whatever that was, and he decided to go for a walk around the lake while practicing the Banishing Charm. It seemed like a rather useful spell, all things considered. Tonks was his nearly silent shadow, but seemed to breathe easier and instantly became less graceful as they left the other student's line of sight. After a little prodding, she explained. "I've been using a complicated spell when we're in the castle. It helps with my coordination and keeps me from being noticed if I don't do anything to call attention to myself, but the mental strain gets to me after a while. Don't worry about it though, I really only have to do it while we're in the halls, in class I can drop most of it. Anything I can do to help you train? Wouldn't want this cozy little assignment to end too soon, you know?"

Tonks' teasing tone and expression was enough to make Harry smile, and the two spent the next few hours with Tonks throwing objects at Harry and Harry banishing them away from himself. When an icy, biting wind kicked up they went inside and briefly visited the Gryffindor common room. When they entered, a relieved Hermione quickly said her goodbyes and rushed to Harry. As the three were about to return to the Room of Requirement Seamus spoke up. "What's the matter, Potter, our dorm not good enough for you?"

Harry replied with a biting tone. "Not at all. I just figured that since someone's trying to kill me, again, it might be safer for all of us if I slept elsewhere. Wouldn't want the wrong bed to get knifed now, would we?"

Flushed but unwilling to back down, Seamus spoke again. "And what about Hermione? She…"

Parvati spoke over Seamus, interrupting his statement. "Hermione has been sleeping in her own bed; she's just been getting in late and occasionally by broom."

(More than one student had seen Harry and Hermione enter the castle by broom yesterday morning, so rumors had already begun spreading. Harry didn't know it yet, but Parvati had told her gossip buddies that Harry had been picking up Hermione on his broom in the mornings to give them more time to practice.)

Harry decided to leave but made a mental note to do something nice for Parvati and the other girls in her dorm sometime soon. Hermione's roommates knew she hadn't been sleeping in her own bed, but were willing to lie to protect her reputation. After a few more goodbyes, the three left and headed back to their private room. Tonks sagged against the wall after they'd crossed a few corridors prompting both teens to look at her in concern. "It's nothing, that spell I told Harry about just got a real workout; Seamus was trying hard to notice me. I'll be fine in a few moments."

With no more words, they returned to the Room of Requirement and Harry opened the Room to a new configuration. It was similar to yesterday's, but Tonks' quarters were larger and they had a dedicated dining room. After they worked together for a few moments to hide and seal the door Harry retired to the training room followed by Hermione and Tonks. Dobby quickly placed a cup of relaxing tea in front of the frazzled Auror, and she watched Hermione do her homework while both of them watched Harry train his Banishing Charm against the moving targets the Room provided.

(*-*)

The evening passed quickly. While he was as prepared as he could be, Harry's nerves began getting the best of him. As the three ate a thankfully simple dinner, Harry could barely taste the food. After dinner he was even too distracted to make love to his lovely consort. Hermione noticed of course, and tried to distract Harry as best she could, but in the end asked Dobby to fetch a Dreamless Sleep potion for him. As the potion took effect, Harry simply pulled Hermione close and whispered in her ear. "Hermione, no matter what happens tomorrow, I want you to know you're the best thing that's ever happened to me. I love you."

"I love you too Harry. Don't you dare leave me alone."

"Never. One way or another I'll make it through tomorrow."

(*-*)

Saturday, November 24th dawned bright, crisp, and clear. The group that had been sleeping in the Room of Requirement woke, showered, and headed down for breakfast to find the school was bustling with activity and a number of guests scattered about the Great Hall. Looking up at the head table Harry saw a rotund man sitting next to Dumbledore, eagerly speaking with him and Ludo Bagman. Based on Sirius' description, the man was probably the former potions professor, Horace Slughorn. While Harry was observing the man, someone must have pointed him out, because Horace locked eyes with Harry. Hoping to get his point across, Harry turned to look at the entrance hall and excused himself with only Tonks following him. A few moments later Horace caught up and the three entered an empty room.

Giving the man his best fake smile, Harry spoke first. (Horace's reputation preceded him, and Harry was nervous enough that smiling felt like a chore.) "Thank you for coming, Professor Slughorn. I'm Harry and this is Auror Tonks. Do you have the potions I asked for?"

Horace smiled and spoke as he withdrew a wooden case containing ten stoppered vials. "Please call me Horace. And I did manage to brew everything you asked for, even though I can't imagine what you're going to do with this combination of potions. I find myself very much looking forward to seeing for myself, Harry."

Harry paused for a moment as he looked through the labeled vials. "It won't be long, Horace. Do you have a bill? I'll get the galleons transferred to you the next time I can get to Gringotts."

Horace was quiet for a moment, absently twirling his mustache. "Several of the potions you asked for were challenging, enough to make me realize I've been letting my brewing skills rust. But as complicated as the potions were, most of the ingredients were rather inexpensive and many came from my own greenhouse. I'll only charge you for the ingredients I had to buy. I'll tally them up and you send a bill when I arrive home tonight."

Harry knew any discount on the potions he ordered would entirely be a ploy for Horace to get closer to him, but with his nerves as they were, he couldn't bring himself to care. He spent a few more moments speaking with the potions master before he excused himself to finish his breakfast. At the table, he handed the small wooden box to Hermione who quickly added the potions they'd brewed themselves to the box, organizing them into the order they'd worked out ahead of time while he finished his breakfast. All too soon Professor McGonagall arrived at the table to escort Harry to the tent where the Champions would wait for the task. McGonagall gave him a robe bearing Hogwarts' crest, and Harry felt a little guilty because he had no intention of wearing it during the task. (And not just because he didn't want his movement impaired if things went badly.) A moment later Harry found himself walking next to a strangely confident Cedric Diggory as they neared the school's Quidditch stadium, now converted into an arena.

The champion's tent was bare, so after they entered and McGonagall left Harry waved his wand and transfigured part of the ground into a comfortable chair. He was rather nervous and didn't want to pace in front of the other champions. Soon Fleur and Victor joined them, both champions looking decidedly nervous themselves. Fleur followed Harry's example in transfiguring a chair while Victor remained standing. Harry looked to Cedric who was calmly determined and spoke when the champions were alone. "You must have a really great plan to deal with a dragon, Cedric, if you're the calmest one here."

Cedric's head snapped to Harry's direction. "What?!"

Harry's mouth opened in shock. "Dammit Hannah… Did she or Susan not pass on my message about the dragons?"

Cedric's expression became stressed and unhappy. "No. I heard her saying you were telling tall tales in the study group she joined, nothing else."

Harry took a deep breath. "Okay. Do you have any idea of how to face a dragon? It's not an easy thing."

Cedric paused for a moment. "No, not off the top of my head. They're tough creatures."

"The eyes are the weakest point, but when they're agitated they have a transparent eyelid that protects them. I saw a book that said you can get through that and blind them with a Conjunctivitis Curse, but that's a horrible idea."

Victor cleared his throat and spoke up. "Vhy?"

"First, because you'd permanently blind the dragon, and second because blinding a dragon isn't enough to kill it. Dragons have great senses of hearing and smell, if you blind it you're stuck in an arena with a very angry 5-X creature."

Victor swallowed heavily. "Ah. Dis good point. Dhank you for pointing dat out."

Really hoping that Victor had a plan B, Harry turned to Fleur. "Do you have a plan that's reasonably safe?"

When she simply nodded, not feeling the need to respond, Harry turned back to Cedric. "I hope you can come up with a plan Cedric. Dragons are tough. "

Cedric replied quickly, nervous sweat starting to bead on his forehead. "I don't suppose you'd be willing to share your own plan?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "My plan won't help you unless you're secretly a Parselmouth."

As Cedric stepped away to pace nervously as he quickly ran through the spells he knew, Victor spoke up again. "I heard you were Parselmouth. One book I read said they can speak to dragons, another said they could not."

Harry replied. "The book I read said I could, but also had an entire chapter of warnings. Parseltongue makes creatures smarter and it's impossible to lie while speaking it. My book gave two examples where speakers interacted with dragons, one worked out well but the other did not, and the escaped dragon sired the Hungarian Horntail breed."

"Ah. Old Legend from my homeland says a dark lord bent a dragon to his will and ruled for many years while none could oppose his might. Legend said he made his dragon unnaturally strong but lost control of it and died."

Harry nodded. "Sounds like the same legend. There must have been another Parselmouth in his stronghold to record what happened, the intelligent dragon eventually broke free of the control and consumed his slaver."

By now, the other three contestants were watching Cedric pace. Victor spoke up one last time before losing himself in his own thoughts. "Ya. Dark lord's son helped many of those his father hurt, became famous wandering healer."

Those were the last words said in the tent until the judges entered. They found Cedric pacing but Victor had joined the others in transfiguring a chair. Ludo Bagman looked very excited as he entered the tent with a small sack. "It's time to tell you what the First Task is! Each of you will be stealing an egg from a dragon!" Somehow, Bagman completely missed the lack of surprise from the four champions. "We wanted to get four nesting mothers for this task but it's been a bad year for the Dragon Sanctuary we contracted to provide the dragons, so we had to improvise. Instead of a nesting mother, each of you will need to slip by a newly adult female that has yet to lay a clutch and steal a golden egg! The Ministry and the dragon keepers worked together to enchant the eggs so the dragons will guard them as if they laid them themselves! Once your time starts you will have thirty minutes to retrieve your egg. Now, each of you will need to stick your hand into this bag and draw one item out! That will determine which dragon you get and the order you compete in!"

Bagman held the bag out to Fleur first, who withdrew a tiny animated pearl dragon, gleaming in the sunlight filtering through the tent. The figurine had the number one on a medallion around its neck. Bagman spoke up. "And Miss Delacour will be first with the Antipodean Opaleye! A beautiful dragon for a beautiful young woman."

Cedric reached into the bag with a sweaty hand and pulled out a jet black figurine that breathed fire at him, singing his fingers. "And the Hebridean Black for Cedric! How fitting to face Britain's native dragon. You'll be going third, Mr. Diggory."

Victor drew next, withdrawing another figurine. This one was copper colored with dark ridges; its build was slight and sleek, a dragon made for speed rather than brute strength. It had the number two on a chain around its neck. Bagman spoke again. "And the Peruvian Vipertooth for Mr. Krum! Your dragon is the smallest one, but don't let that fool you! She's fast and vicious, so stay on your toes! You'll be going second."

Harry reached into the bag and withdrew his dragon, a creature more rusty black than Cedric's with golden horns and claws. Since he'd started researching dragons, he'd never been completely sure which species this was, and part of him was relieved to finally find out. "And Mr. Potter will be going fourth against a rare natural hybrid! Half Hungarian Horntail and half Romanian Longhorn!"

With that the judges left the tent and after a moment of silence Harry found himself learning a number of new swears. It would have been more if he spoke French or Bulgarian. Fleur was the first one to speak something other than curses. " ...inbred, sheep-buggering, Englishidiots! I'd rather have fought a nesting mother! Female dragons calm down after they lay their first clutch!"

Victor let out a humorless chuckle and spoke. "At least you got calmest dragon species. Hogwarts Champions had much worse luck."

Harry laughed, letting a bit of his tension flutter away; drawing the most dangerous dragon had no effect on his plan, after all. "Victor, your dragon isn't easy either; they're agile and fast, venomous too. Their venom's lethal in about five minutes if you don't get a bezoar or the right antidote quickly."

Victor nodded. "And you got the worst of the lot. Hybrids are rare and stronger than their parents."

Harry acknowledged Victor's words with a nod of his head before he turned to Cedric. "Hebridean Blacks don't have any weaknesses that I could find Cedric. They're aggressive and powerful, and their flames are dangerous. Good luck. Oh, and remember that none of us can walk away from this, it's either we make our best efforts or die. I looked it up, it turns out when wizards and witches lose their magic it kills them in a really awful way. Getting burned to death or being eaten alive by a dragon is a better way to go."

With that the room went deathly quiet except for the gradually building sound of the crowd filling the stadium. Eventually Fleur was called up by Bagman who was doing the announcing. Harry and the others wished her luck as she left. From what the three remaining champions could hear, Fleur used some kind of magic to lull her dragon to sleep, though it nearly woke up twice. There was some excitement as she was leaving the arena, something about burns. Victor was called up next and his attempt was much more exciting. "And again the dragon lunges for him! Krum dodges, but he's still bleeding from his left shoulder! That dragon wants revenge for its lost eye! What will our Champion do next! What's that? A Summoning Charm? Mr. Krum knows his dragon breeds! He's summoned and swallowed a bezoar, saving himself from the poison!"

Victor eventually claimed his egg, though he took several more minor wounds in doing so and collapsed while leaving the stadium. Then it was Cedric's turn. Apparently he started out with transfiguration and was doing rather well until the dragon discovered the deer it was eating were actually rocks. After that things took a turn for the worst, and Harry couldn't help but wince as Cedric was mauled, even losing three limbs to the dragon's fangs and claws. When Harry heard Bagman scream that the dragon was going for the kill, he found himself wishing someone would help the Hufflepuff. To Harry's surprise, Rubeus Hagrid answered his wish.

"And Professor Hagrid, Keepers of Hogwarts grounds and keys has dropped into the arena! What a sight, he's saved Diggory by drawing the dragon's attention while Professor Sprout has used the distraction to get the boy out of the arena! He's out, Hagrid, you can get back! Sweet Merlin folks, Hagrid is going hand-to-claw with a dragon and winning! There were rumors in the last war about this man, how he was kind and gentle until you pushed him too far, then he became an unstoppable juggernaut! And we're seeing it for ourselves now! I don't believe it folks, the dragon is down! Rubeus Hagrid has beaten a Hebridean Black into submission! Hagrid! It's down, you can stop hitting it! Sweet Mercy, he's not stopping! But why… My word! The dragon has just vomited Cedric's left arm! For those listening from home, Cedric Diggory lost both legs to the dragon's talons, and the monster bit off and swallowed his left arm before anyone could stop it. Hagrid has just ensured Cedric Diggory will have all four of his limbs as soon as they can be reattached! Hagrid is out and the dragon keepers are moving in! The dragon isn't even fighting them, it's just cowering!"

For Harry, the wait for Bagman to call him in seemed longer than any of the other gaps. Eventually, he did hear a subdued sounding Bagman call him in and stood, leaving his comfortable chair and draping the robe Professor McGonagall had given over it. For facing a dragon thoroughly fire-proofed trousers and a tan leather jacket that reached to his thighs from the Room of Lost Things felt more practical than a long robe with no enchantments. Following the path, he stepped into the area and took a deep breath. Casting an Amplifying Charm on himself he spoke up. "Before you start my time, I have a request if that's all right."

Bagman, still slightly somber but now a little amused, replied to Harry. "The answer will probably be no, Mr. Potter. But please, make your request."

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "I have a rather long bit of magic ready, all I want is for Headmaster Dumbledore to translate my words so no one thinks I'm summoning a daemon or consuming the audience's souls or something equally ridiculous. I've had problems with people spreading lies about me since returning to the magical world and it's become a little annoying."

"That is completely reasonable Mr. Potter. The Headmaster is known to speak many different languages, even some rather arcane ones like Mermish. Headmaster, please take the seat next to me. Are you ready Mr. Potter?"

"Yes."

There was a pause, where Bagman was probably preparing a timer, so Harry turned to look at the dragon sitting on the far end of the arena. Sure enough, as he'd suspected would happen all along, he was facing off with the biggest and most dangerous dragon he'd seen in the forest. Her scales were black, not the jet black of Cedric's dragon, but a more rusty color. Looking at her scales and rippling muscles, she was obviously in peak physical form, and the lack of scars suggested she'd been unchallenged wherever she'd come from. She had the distinctive golden horns and claws from the Romanian Longhorn half of her ancestry, and even the bladed tail spike, a feature from her Hungarian Horntail side gleamed a metallic gold. Harry focused himself, looking at the dragon and forcing himself to see beauty in her form, see what she could be . Thinking like Hagrid, he could see the primal majesty and beauty in her form, even standing before her like a happy meal. He decided she was raw power, unshaped and unfocused. He would focus her.

He barely heard Bagman tell him to start but began his plan immediately. With a silent prayer for this to work, Harry took a deep breath and spoke, his voice audible to the audience only as a long string of hissing sounds. No one but Albus Dumbledore realized Harry wasn't speaking in the serpent's tongue, but singing. "Hear my words, daughter of fire and the sky and rejoice! Hear my words, and know them! Hear my words and know yourself for the first time! Awaken!"

The gasp of the audience was audible, but he ignored it. When Harry had spoken to the boa constrictor in the zoo, he hadn't noticed any strain at all, hadn't even noticed the magic being used to grant the mundane animal intelligence. But this, giving intelligence, temporary or not, to a powerful magical creature, he used enough magic at once to make him lightheaded for a moment. Still, as the dragon blinked in shock and looked around the stadium before her eyes zeroed in on him, he gathered himself and continued. "Welcome to the waking world, Golden One!"

Harry clearly heard Dumbledore gasp but ignored it except for a small smirk. The dragon's eyes remained rooted on Harry, and he gave her a warm smile before he continued. "The Serpent's Tongue gives the gift of intelligence, but the magic burns out far too soon, Golden One. Granting the blessing of true intelligence, gifting the permanent sapience needed for animals to gain thought, reason, and eventually a soul of their own is no simple thing, no easy task. Such a Great Work of Magic has not been done in a millennium, but with your help I will work it once more!"

In the pause, the dragon worked her throat for a moment before she replied. When the dragon spoke, it was not exactly Parseltongue. It was a rougher, more primal tongue but Harry understood it anyway. "And what, little wizard, do you want in return?"

Ignoring the gasping crowd entirely now, Harry replied. "The only way for you to remain intelligent that I know will keep you at my side as long as we live."

Harry could see in her eyes and posture that the dragon was upset. With a growl that vibrated the rocks around them, the dragon replied. "You wish for me to be your slave in exchange for intelligence?"

While the dragon was angry, Harry realized that she hadn't refused outright . Still though, he spoke to clear up the misunderstanding. "Not a slave. You will be my partner, my concubine, my mate. We will hunt together for the rest of our lives, Golden One."

The dragon laughed at his offer. "I will never accept a weak mate, wizard. Male dragons fight, restrain, and force themselves on females, do the same to me and I will submit to you. Otherwise…"

The dragon stopped speaking for a moment and breathed concentrated flames onto the chain that ran from her rear leg to the arena wall, then while the metal was red-hot slashed through it with the spike on her tail. "Otherwise I will carry you from this place and make you myservant. You will care for my eggs and whisper your spell into my ears, and the ears of every clutch I bear, morning and night to grant us this gift. I will not be cruel, but you willserve me for the rest of your days."

Part of Harry wanted to run away, but a stronger part, a part that had awakened as he worked the Treasured Concubine Ritual on Hermione, was pleased at the challenge. When Hermione had panicked mid-ritual and tried to fight him, the sensation of forcing her to comply, to serve him had been satisfying on a deep, primal level. The female standing before him, taunting him , triggered that same instinct, the deep need to dominate and reproduce. He knew in his very DNA that if he could make her submit she would give him strong children. With a wide, admittedly lecherous grin on his face, Harry replied and drew his wand. "I accept your challenge, Golden One. You won't leave this arena without carrying my child!"

With that, the dragon exploded into motion, launching towards Harry. The way she moved proved there was magic thundering through her veins, no mundane creature could react and move like she did. Even as a simple creature of instinct, dragons are dangerous creatures; with a sapient mind guiding her body and the magic thrumming just below the surface she was more dangerous still. Still, Harry was no mundane teenager either. As the dragon came to a stop and spun, obviously intending to strike him with the blunt part of her tail above the sharp spike, Harry raised his wand and belted out the spell he'd learned only yesterday. "Depulso!"

Instead of knocking him arse over teakettle, (and leaving him stunned enough for the dragon to simply carry him off to make good on her threat) the powerful tail was rebuffed by Harry's Banishing Charm, throwing off the dragon's balance and knocking her into the dirt. As she tried to get all four of her legs back under her, Harry's wand danced as he cast spells which had become familiar in the last week. Playing to his new wand's strengths, he hissed out three Parseltongue transfiguration spells and three serpents, each as thick as the dragon's neck, rose from the surrounding rocks and began trying to coil around her. Sadly they were too slow, and Harry's intentions in creating them had been too scattered, not nearly precise enough. The first serpent crumbled into small stones under her flames, the second was slashed apart by gleaming golden talons, and the last had her tail spike driven into its head.

Despite the loss of his first attempt, Harry was glad for the time and distance it bought him. As his wand danced, his magic sang in a way it hadn't before. In that moment as he felt more alive than ever before, he pitied every wizard who'd never felt this thrill, this connection to the power thrumming higher and higher in his chest. Seven perfectly lifelike Lamia, bare breasts displayed to the audience, soon formed an honor guard around him, hooked spears in one hand and coils of rope in the other. Further away, seven Naga rose from the ground. (Naga being a distinct species from both Lamia and Merpeople. They are amphibious, powerfully muscled, and have scales over almost their entire forms and fins on their heads and tails that double as heat dissipation in hot climates.) Without stopping, Harry gave each Naga a net enchanted by the same spell he'd used to animate the silk ropes he'd used on Hermione their first night together.

With a gesture the first Naga began slithering to the dragon just as she destroyed the third serpent. As they distracted her, Harry cast the rope-animating charm on each coil of rope the Lamia carried intermixed with casting a powerful animating charm on the ground a dozen feet away. While the dragon was fighting the Naga with speed and skill, she was still keeping an eye on him, so he was disguising his wand movements. He'd already lost two Naga and while several of the nets had landed on her, her talons and sharp tail easily slashed through them to free her limbs. Still, the nets themselves were proving sticky, adhering to the dragon without limiting her movements. Harry had just barely gotten the last rope spell off when the last of his Naga constructs crumbled under dragon-fire.

With a gesture of his hand, Harry sent out all but one of the Lamia surrounding him. The first snakes he'd transfigured had been flawed and not very useful, but Harry was a quick learner under stress. These Lamia were fast, and quickly slithered forward. Where the dragon struck, they used their spears to deflect blows but their real danger was the enchanted rope. When the dragon's attention was on one construct, the others would slither out of sight and throw their ropes. In moments, every construct had a rope binding the dragon and were using strong tugs to hamper her movements. Still, even with six Lamia the dragon was stronger still, it took her several moments but eventually she did destroy the first construct. While she focused on the other constructs, the dragon seemed to miss the coils of rope slithering like snakes over her scales to join the remains of the enchanted nets.

Harry's wand had never stopped moving, even though it was now targeting the same patch of ground over and over again with the same spell. With a nod, Harry sent the final construct out, he needed to buy more time. As the fifth of his Lamia constructs fell, he smirked in victory as he completed the forty-ninth cast of the same spell on the ground nearby. (Seven was a powerful magical number, and 'seven times seven' was even more powerful.) Still, as he saw the last Lamia fall, he knew the dragon had seen him casting the spell and knew he'd been laying a trap; she wouldn't walk into it easily. So Harry drew in a deep breath and cast the serpent transfiguration spell again at his feet, drawing on the memory of the most terrifying snake he'd ever seen.

To the gasps and screams of the crowd, a life-sized female Basilisk rose out of the stone under Harry's feet, exactly as he recalled the fallen guardian of Hogwarts in the Chamber of Secrets. As he rose into the air, standing on the Basilisk's head, Harry cast a Sticking Charm on his feet and forced more magic into the construct, reinforcing it. Then he quickly flicked out seven Unbreakable charms on the serpent as well as the same number of silencing charms. On a transfiguration this large the charms wouldn't fully affect it, but they would help. With a hissed command, the Basilisk launched itself forward. With his wand Harry started casting spells at the dragon, starting with the vertigo-inducing charm he'd used on Snape. He didn't really expect to do very much with it, but the one spell that hit the dragon's eye seemed to do something.

The hail of vertigo-charms did seem to throw off the dragon's balance, and when she lunged forward to bite his Basilisk in half it slithered to the side easily. Still, he wasn't going to win this without going on the offensive. He wasn't sure what to do next, but after a second of thought he was glad Hermione had insisted Harry glance through the Parseltongue book's list of healing spells. With a smirk, Harry crouched down, tapping his wand to the construct and giving it orders. It sped away under him to circle the dragon, then rushed in, sinking venomless fangs in the dragon's shoulder. As she roared, Harry quickly leaped onto the dragon's neck in a spot she couldn't reach easily, quickly canceling and re-applying his Sticking Charm. That done, he cast a Supersensory Charm on the dragon, hoping the dragon's magical resistance would ignore a beneficial spell.

With a smirk, Harry switched back to Parseltongue and cast a spell used by mind-healers. Then he began to speak in a soothing tone. "You are safe. You are alright. There is nothing to fear. Feel your breath, relax. I am not going to hurt you. I am going to make you part of my family, Golden One. We will hunt together as one and none will challenge us. I will give you a home, my love, and strong children."

As hoped, the spell usually used to counter panic attacks worked. The dragon relaxed, almost falling into a trance as Harry continued to soothe her. Without her noticing, Harry's Basilisk released her shoulder and slithered under the dragon before half-carrying half-dragging her towards the rocky space Harry had prepared. Sadly the trance he'd lulled her into wasn't as strong as he'd hoped, and when she was nearly in position she managed to throw it off. She even forced Harry to leap off her neck by threatening to lift off and fly away with him. Luckily the fall wasn't a large one and Harry knew the Slowing spell Dumbledore had used to save his life two years ago so he landed safely. Harry looked up at the winded and lightly injured dragon and smiled. " Still think I'm weak, Golden One?"

The dragon looked down at him and let out a short barking laugh. "I think you're going to make a wonderful pet, wizard. After I claim you, I willhave you sire my first clutch. Imagine children with yourmagical power and mybrute strength."

Harry kept his eyes locked with the dragon, no matter how much he wanted to look away. When the strike came, he only barely managed to duck in time. Quickly getting to his feet, Harry glanced at the Basilisk that had rammed the dragon's side, glad he didn't need the crumbling construct any longer. With all of his focus, he jerked his wand harshly at the dragon clambering to her feet and spoke a single word in Parseltongue. "Bind!"

With that the ground under the dragon just climbing to her feet writhed, and tendrils that looked like black silk but were stronger than steel swarmed up and grasped any part of the dragon they could. She struggled powerfully, but the tendrils were everywhere. Moreover, they revealed another facet of Harry's trap. The rope and broken nets that had stuck to the dragon were not inert. As the tendrils made contact the enchanted ropes and nets were given new life, and joined the writhing mass securing the dragon. Harry laughed out loud when the dragon was completely bound, helpless to do anything but writhe. Without fully meaning to, Harry spoke out loud. "Thank Merlin Salazar Slytherin was a pervert."

(The restraint spell was something Harry had discovered in the Indian Parseltongue books, and Salazar's notes. Salazar had refined the spell, and created a version which created a longer-lasting enchantment on a solid surface.)

Harry paused for a moment before he continued. He could walk away right now and collect the egg. But that would mean she would eventually lose her intelligence, go back to life as a beast. I've given her the gift of a sentient mind and promised to make it permanent. Can I walk away and leave her to revert, can I offer her intelligence and then tear it away? Hell, even if I was that selfish, would my life be better with a dragon on my side? Fuck, that's an easy answer. If anyone asks I'll just say I already started the ritual and I had to finish it or explode. Wizards are idiots, they'll buy it.

Harry walked towards the completely restrained dragon while waving his wand in a mostly fake series of movements while he casually rested his left hand in a pocket for a moment. As he cast the Bluebell flame spell and three different spells to make eerie glowing lights and what amounted to burning glitter swirl together with the flames he momentarily came to a stop and formed a sphere about the size of his head floating in the air. Withdrawing his left hand from his pocket, Harry reached into the sphere long enough for his sleeve to start smoking from the blue fire. When he withdrew his hand it carried the unshrunken potion box Horace had given him earlier. With a wave of his wand he dismissed the flame. Sheathing his wand he withdrew two potions Hermione had marked with differently colored caps and drank them. One of the potions was the same he'd used the night he claimed Hermione's virginity and made her his, and would ensure he could 'perform' in front of an audience. The other was the male half of a powerful fertility potion. So powerful, in fact, that it was likely the method Hagrid had used to create his damnable Blast-Ended Screwts.

Stalking forward confidently, Harry smiled at the dragon. She was laying with her head against the ground, wings folded against her back, legs bound to the ground, and tail held off to the side. Pulling out the first potion vial of the set, Harry spoke to her again. " I told you you'd bear my young, now I'll make good on my promise Golden One. Once the ritual is in progress I can't stop it, but I promise to give you a life you'll enjoy. Now be a good girl and drink these potions for me. I picked them out to compliment my ritual and give you good health and a long, happy life."

Harry approached her head from the side so she couldn't (hopefully) breathe flames on him. Salazar's bondage spell shifted her position slightly at a prod from his wand, loosening the tendrils enough for her to open her mouth slightly and swallow easily. She chuckled as Harry prepared the first vial and spoke. "You beat me wizard. As nature demands, I submit to you."She let out a rough, full-throated laugh before continuing in a light, mocking tone. "Please be gentle Master , it's my first time."

Harry smiled as she swallowed the first potion, then he reached out with his hand and touched the scales just behind her eye. "Don't worry Golden One, you'll enjoy this. Don't fight me now, if I lose contact with you the backlash will kill us both."

"As you wish, Master."

Harry smiled all the wider, beginning the ritual he'd practiced on Hermione with his left hand while using his right hand to feed potions to the dragon. He liked her tone, the way she was already comfortable surrendering to him but still able to jest at the difference in their size. Hermione still hasn't given in so completely yet, it must be easier for her, animal instincts being closer to the surface. Hmm, she needs a name. When I have the time I'll find something that means Golden One or similar, but that's a concern for later. Focus on the task at hand first.

As Harry forced his magic through her scales, he found himself facing resistance but not opposition. Her body's natural magic made the ritual difficult, but his Golden One wasn't fighting him; unlike Hermione where the body's magic was mostly focused in the chest and vital organs, his dragon's magic was spread around, a nearly equal amount in every muscle, bone, organ, and sinew. As his magic reached deeper, it continued to be difficult going until he reached deep enough that he could sense his Golden One's new mind and emotions. From that point it became easier, her magic beginning to accept his power as if it was a part of her. By the time he finished the potions, save the two that required physical touch and stood, running two hands over her while drenched in sweat from the exertion of penetrating her magically, he could feel her contentment. She had no idea how he was going to even mount her, much less breed her , but she was utterly eagerfor it. Any remaining doubts of his strength or worthiness as a mate had been abandoned when he'd won her submission with a fraction of the pain and injury a male dragon would have.

With the Treasured Concubine Ritual running its course, Harry pulled up more of his own magic and began something he'd learned from the Parselscript notes Dobby had provided for him. After reading some of Salazar Slytherin's notes on the magic he'd worked on his Basilisk, Harry had no doubt that the man would have been mocked as a pervert if anyone had known everything he accomplished. Pervert or not, the man had obviously been a genius in the way the man had modified the magic used to turn humans into Lamia; a change in the ritual that produced incredible results. Still, given that Harry was following the man's notes, he supposed Salazar was Harry's kind of pervert. Harry's dragon felt something deep in her begin to change and panicked, squirming against her bindings. Harry spoke again, gentle reassurance in his voice. "Relax, Golden One. I am making you more, not less. I swear I will not steal your strength from you."

Despite her obvious reservations, the dragon calmed and went limp as Harry's efforts continued. As he focused, he realized the crowd had gone silent as he worked on the dragon. At least, until her mighty physical form began to shrink, then they started to mutter to themselves. The dragon began to shrink as Harry circled her, constantly running both hands over her dark scales. Her form collapsed into itself faster and faster as he worked, and soon the shackle and broken chain fell off her leg. As the dragon's form shifted, her bindings shifted, keeping her perfectly restrained. By the time Harry had circled the shrinking dragon and returned to her head, she was only three times his size. Harry took a deep breath and focused himself, using a single hand to wipe the sweat off his face before he continued. "Now for the hard part."

Thinking back to the practice he'd done with Hermione as a model, Harry focused his mind, both on the physical form and what he considered beautiful. At the same time, he didn't force his preconceptions on the magic. As he saw the dragon's form continue to shrink and begin to change, he understood the brilliance of this Parseltongue spell. He wasn't sure if he was even guiding it all or not, when he tried to force the spell in any particular direction he felt his efforts impeding the magic, threatening to ruin the entire effort. Hermione had shared a quote with him yesterday after her mother had included it in a letter and Harry found it truly applied to the magic he was working. The famous artist Michelangelo had once said 'Every block of stone has a statue inside it and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it.'

As Harry let go of his conscious efforts to control Slytherin's spell, he watched the dragon change instead. Still keeping his hands on her, he saw her limbs change from paws to human hands and feet, her neck shorten, and her head change from a muzzle to a sharply defined aristocratic face. That isn't to say she lost all of her natural features however: Where humans grew nails, she retained golden claws, as well as a pair of gleaming horns that changed shape to gently sweep backwards, starting from her hairline above her eyes, out over jet black hair that reached the base of her neck. Her hands and feet took human shapes, but retained their rusty-black scales to her elbows and knees. Her wings pulled into her back, but in their place left a line of soft, sensitive scales running down her spine. Those scales met the tail jutting from the end of her spine; a three-foot prehensile, whip-like tail as thick as Harry's forearm at the base that became thinner near the tip. He knew instinctively that she retained her fangs and ability to breathe fire, though her flames would be different in this form.

Having taken in her inhuman features, Harry focused on her human ones. Her skin was a striking dark brown; as he ran his hands along it he discovered that while she didn't truly have human skin her hide was silky and smooth. (Also probably rather magic resistant.) And she was fit, covered in strong, healthy muscles. Her build was lean and muscled but still breathtakingly feminine, a lithe fighter with perfect sculpted muscles that didn't detract from her beauty. She was tall, taller than he was for now, at just under six feet not counting her horns. Harry found himself staring at her impressive breasts, firm and perky despite their size with small dark, almost black nipples; they seemed easily heavy enough to balance the weight from her tail. (Though he was learning, Harry wasn't an expert on breasts yet. A true expert would tell you that his dragon's wonderful mammaries were large 'C' cups.) As the changes ended, the dragon taking in her new form with as much surprise as anyone else in the audience, Harry marveled at the heat he could feel just under her skin.

Slytherin's Tendril Restraint Spell was now forcing his dragon to stand up straight, legs slightly spread, and her hands bound behind her back to better display her breasts. Her tail was left free to slowly sway behind her, and the fact that she didn't use it to cover herself proved she wasn't ashamed of her nudity. Not that she has anything to be ashamed about... Harry was tempted to step back and simply take her in, but had to keep physical contact until he'd 'tied off' the rituals in progress. Thank magic for that potion, I can't imagine performing in front of an audience without it. Tomorrow's Prophet will be interesting...

Drawing his wand with his right hand, Harry cast a spell the Room had given him after a number of attempts. He had no idea where it had come from, but it was the only one that met his needs; obviously he would have preferred to perform the last step in privacy, but the Tournament's rules ensured he couldn't obscure the judge's view without risking his magic. So Harry began a chant in Latin and repeated it three times while etching out a complicated wand movement. Unlike most spells he'd learned at Hogwarts, this spell was not bastardized Latin, but a coherent phrase. The incantation translated as: 'Hide this place from those too young to bear or sire!'

The best privacy spell he could find for this tournament would only hide his next actions from those physically too young to have children of their own. Not ideal , but the best solution he could come up with. Shrugging his shoulders, Harry placed the last two potion vials on the ground and gave a command to the restraining tendrils. Harry had no idea how they were so intelligent, guessing it was a quirk of transfiguration. (Harry hoped the restraint spell's enchantment went away on its own, because the scattered Parselscript notes Dobby had found for him hadn't included the counterspell.) Slowly the tendrils gently brought his newest pet to her knees in front of him, and that was when Harry gave another command to Slytherin's spell. Tendrils reached into the potion vials a few inches in front of the dragon-girl and began painting her breasts, neck, lips, tail, pussy, and asshole in the same two potions he'd massaged into Hermione their first night together.

His Golden One began to writhe again as the potions and tendrils did their work, painting, massaging, and leaving her wonderfully sensitive. Harry reached down and gently traced his fingers across her face. He smiled when she leaned into his hand. Looking over to the timer, he saw he still had half of the thirty minutes left, which left him enough time if he was quick. Looking down at his new concubine, Harry smiled and spoke, both to her and the spell restraining her. "On your hands and knees, Golden One. I'd like to take this slowly, but we can't wait. Time to become a mother."

The tendrils restraining her shifted yet again, even as others continued to paint her inside and out. With a wan smile on his face at how this next act would forever change his reputation, Harry moved behind her. Keeping one hand firmly wrapped around the base of her tail, Harry moved with her, dropping to his knees behind her as her weight was brought to rest on her hands, forearms, and knees. Harry was briefly concerned that her breasts would be bruised on the ground, but it turned out the Restraint spell had taken care of that and the ground felt like a firm mattress with a silk sheet on top.

Reaching out, Harry groped his dragon's firm ass for a moment before reaching for her entrance. As he stroked her, quickly slipping one, then two fingers inside her wet, silken heat, he reflected that he needed to spend more time on foreplay in the future; so far he hadn't even returned the favor of Hermione's shower oral. Gold's fluids are different from Hermione's, they're thicker and they feel more oily. They smell different too. In only a moment she was easily wet enough to take him; she might be inexperienced, especially in this new body, but that was one of the things the potions were for. Choosing to ignore the crowd, Harry removed his pants with a Switching spell and pulled off the enchanted protective cup he was wearing instead of underwear, revealing the potion he'd taken earlier ensured he was hard as steel. (Whole body armor was sadly impractical, but given this had been his plan the entire time, making sure he could perform was imperative.) Am I bigger? Screw it, I'll worry about that later.

Harry shuffled forward until his throbbing erection was pressed against wonderfully warm skin. Using a hand to line himself up Harry slowly pushed in, reveling in the tightness and heat. He had no idea what his dragon's new internal temperature was, but it was obviously higher than a human's. If she was any warmer inside I'd be in pain. His concubine's breathy moan as he entered her rang out across the arena, joining Harry's grunts of exertion. In his defense, she was really tight. He began a pattern of thrusting in and out, a little deeper each time. Harry grabbed her hips with both hands as he slowly pushed deeper and deeper. To his surprise he felt resistance as her hymen stretched and tore around his steel-hard length. She wasn't joking about it being her first time, that's good to know. Hermione didn't have much of a hymen, but that's normal. I wish I could go slowly but I don't have the time. I just hope I can make it memorable for her.

With that, Harry picked up the speed of his thrusts and soon he was fully sheathing himself with each thrust. Holy… The heat is incredible, just short of hot enough to burn, I can feel it in my gut now, seeping from where we're connected. It feels incredible! In addition to the heat, the texture gripping him so snugly was different, smoother than Hermione's inner flesh but with rings of stretchy muscle that gripped him in a rhythmic milking motion as she fluttered around him. He smirked as he felt her tail wrap around his torso, wishing they were in private so he could be as naked as she was. Leaning forward, he let his hands roam her body, splitting his attention between holding the nearly-completed rituals in place and exploring his new concubine. Leaning forward he couldn't keep the pleased expression off his face as his hands buried themselves in her voluminous breasts, taking a moment to knead them as he explored, having to stretch his arms to find her nipples. When he did, he gave them both a firm tug, drawing a loud whimper from her before his right hand trailed lower. Cursing his inexperience, his fingers fumbled for a moment until he found a spot just above where his hardness met her softness that made his Golden One let out a soft, keening cry.

Smiling, Harry kept his hands busy as he leaned in and put his lips on the side of her neck. He'd prefer to kiss her during their first time but her teeth looked a bit sharp and for his own safety he wanted to explain snogging before he tried it with her. Still, there was a certain appeal to using his teeth, so Harry bit down hard enough to bruise and pulsed his magic through his fingers, directly stimulating her nerves. She let out a long, wailing cry as her body tensed up, and he groaned as he felt her insides clench. If this had been his first time he'd have blown his load long before he brought his Golden One to orgasm, but it was still difficult to hold on. Given that he had a time limit, his fingers got a little rougher and he kept up the stream of magic, extending her orgasm until she shook and shuddered. Only then did he finish tying off the two rituals he was working. The clash of magic intensified Gold's already thunderous orgasm enough that she screamed out loud and lost consciousness, overcome by the rituals, her first time, and Harry's magic hands.

With a flash of light and a peal of thunder that shook the sky in the clear morning, Harry did several things at once. First, he completed the Treasured Concubine Ritual, binding his Golden One to him for the rest of their lives. Second, he anchored Slytherin's adaptation of the simpler ritual in the Indian Parseltongue's guide. When Slytherin performed the ritual, he didn't want to deprive his Basilisk of its power, but his apparently unstoppable libido wanted to fuck a Lamia. So he did what Harry was doing now; despite her new form, his Golden One wasn't any less of a dragon. Instead, she was now something similar to an animagus, an anthromagus, if you will. If things went right she'd eventually be able to change between forms at will.

And third, as Harry held himself as deeply as he could and released a magically enhanced load of seed deep inside his new concubine, he ensured she would bear his child. That was actually a necessary step to keep her new form stable, after all. With a new life to nurture, her body's inherent magic would work to keep her form stable instead of fighting to return to her natural shape immediately, killing her developing child in the process. No female's magic would ever destroy her own young. In time, her body's magic would accept her humanoid shape as natural just as it did her dragon's form. And between the magic thundering through them, Harry's will bearing down on her during the climax of the rituals, and the exceptionally powerful fertility potions both had taken their first time together would almost certainly bear fruit. If not, well Harry was planning on leaving Hogwarts for at least a few days to recuperate and relax with both of his concubines. His Golden One had a lot to learn and he wanted to find out if she could wield a wand or not. He didn't really care where his godfather had arranged for them to go, as long as there was a large bed involved.

(*-*)

With his eyes closed in concentration and bliss, with the way his Golden One's magic thundered through his veins as the Treasured Concubine ritual tied them together, Harry never noticed his forehead erupting as black, burning smoke boiled out of his famous scar. His magic had answered his call today like never before, rising higher and higher in his chest like a smoldering fire stoked into a great conflagration. The second Treasured Concubine ritual did what the first alone could not, and amplified the protection Lily Potter had given her son. When Voldemort came to the Potter's home that fateful night, after he killed Lily he had begun the ritual to create his final planned horcrux, a nigh indestructible item to preserve a fragment of his soul, using the skull of his prophesied nemesis. That magic had bound a fragment of his soul to Harry, and Lily's protection had been unable to remove it. But now… with new magic, magic willingly, even joyfully, subservient to Harry, with magic from a creature of magical flame thundering through the boy's veins, the magic protecting Voldemort's soul fragment burned away, and it was finally destroyed.

Since the night he became an orphan, Lily's protection had been directing Harry's magic against that foreign piece of soul to keep it isolated, forcing a child's magic to work harder than many children could even survive. But Harry was strong. Albus Dumbledore and Tom Riddle were both examples of what could happen when new blood was added to decrepit or unremarkable bloodlines. The Potter line was not so dangerously inbred as the Gaunts, or, with the exception of an ancient blood gift, as unremarkable as the Dumbledores before Albus. James Potter, like his parents before him, was a strong wizard and dangerously intelligent. He had, after all, combined transfiguration and the dangerous magic taught by his mother into a dueling style that assured his place as one of the ten most dangerous combatants of the war. Add an infusion of fresh blood from the most intelligent and powerful witch of her generation, and Harry easily had as much potential as Dumbledore or Voldemort. Now, Harry had the opportunity to truly become the equal of Voldemort as Trelawney's prophecy predicted.

Now, as Harry knelt behind the dragon he had claimed as his own, all the power, all the potential that had been locked into the urgent task of protecting his soul was free for him to use however he wanted. As Harry felt his raging magic slowly calm, he only knew he felt stronger. He had no idea that the obstacle that had nearly crippled him magically had been torn away. He had no idea that the only things separating him from an equal footing with Dumbledore or Voldemort were knowledge, skill, and quite a lot of hard work. It was a good thing that Harry Potter was no stranger to hard work.

(*-*)

Given the difficulty of what he'd just done, Harry could be excused from taking several minutes to catch his breath, kneeling on the ground behind his Golden One, his throbbing manhood still hard inside her. Pulling out with difficulty, even unconscious she really didn't want to let him go, Harry got to his feet shakily; between the battle, the rituals, and the lovemaking he was exhausted. He revealed to the spectators that could see he was still rock hard before he drew his wand and switched the air around his legs with the pants he'd been wearing during the task. With one last hissed command to Slytherin's Restraint Enchantment Harry's Golden one was bound at her thighs, knees, and ankles and her arms were bound behind her back again; even her mouth was gagged. In a moment the soft but strong material began to separate from the ground. Apparently the spell had understood that Harry wanted her tail free. If she'd been awake, Harry might not have gone to this extreme, but he didn't want to chance a disoriented dragon breaking something or someone. (Especially him.) Until he had the chance to explain things to her and got to know her better, she could easily be dangerous.

Swinging the completely nude dragon-girl onto his shoulder, ignoring the way her lower lips were drooling his seed, (A Featherweight Charm was a godsend at this point, with how drained he felt.) Harry considered walking all the way to the golden egg, but felt he'd earned the right to be lazy. A flick of his wand transfigured another serpent under him and it sped towards the task's goal. With time to spare, Harry's serpent grabbed the egg in its mouth. Feeling the need to say something, Harry cast the Amplifying Charm on himself again and addressed the crowd. "That's a Great Work of Magic delivered in less than thirty minutes! After a healer checks me out, I'll be heading somewhere to relax for a few days. If anyone tries to stop me, my response will be 'Bugger you, I have a dragon. ' Thank you for forcing me to compete in this blood sport for your amusement."

With that, Harry Potter left the arena behind, carrying the golden egg with his right arm and the true treasure over his left shoulder. Harry couldn't see her face as he walked towards the healer's tent, so he missed the content smile as she rested, half asleep from the stress of both the magic Harry had worked on her and an exhausting first time.

Harry barely noticed that the crowd had gone completely silent. As he walked out of the arena, they remained silent, not knowing what to make of his performance.

(*-*)

Harry: "Hermione, now that I think about it, using the ritual to connect my magic to a dragon's seems a little like grabbing a power main with my bare hands. You don't think there might be side effects, do you?"

Hermione, imagining bedroom activities with a half-dragon or dragon animagus Harry and remembering the adult owl-order 'Bad Dragon' catalog she'd seen an older witch browsing: "No, I don't think so. Nothing to worry about at all."

(*-*)

A/N: You know, I'm tempted to write a spin-off chapter where Draco stuns Harry during the task (and promptly loses his magic) in a fit of jealousy. Harry would lose his fight with the dragon and get carried off like a princess in a storybook. Harry would start out as a dragon's slave and eventually worm his way into her heart as an equal/husband, then come back to England later on. Might have her decide to make Harry collect a harem as a breeding project, hoping to get more Parselmouths. Anyone want to read that?

Next chapter: Meet Aurelia, Harry's newest concubine!

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Next chapter of Dragon Concubine is mostly written, just having trouble nailing the chapter's adult scene.