A/N: I didn't even write a complete chapter on this one before inspiration failed me.
Harry Potter and the Dragon
by Roff
CHAPTER ONE
Harry Potter was in a tremendous amount of pain because his arm was hurting terribly. He was also very angry. His Uncle Vernon had broken his arm then threw his little nephew of four years of age into the cupboard under the stairs, which was Harry's appointed bedroom.
There wasn't much room in the cupboard, especially as Harry aged and grew bigger as a child. His small mattress was from a baby crib and it barely fit him now. Of course, a regular mattress such as one from a small single bed would be too big for the space, not that they would ever give him a better mattress. The one he was lying on while holding his arm as still as possible, was completely worn out and falling apart.
Harry had not done anything wrong at all to deserve his punishment. His cousin Dudley who was a few months older than him accidentally fell down when he stepped on one of his toys. It made him mad so he suddenly started pitching a fit. When his father asked what was wrong, he lied and said that Harry had pushed him and made him fall.
The enraged man then started whipping little Harry with his belt that he removed from his own pants. After he quit hitting him with the belt, he started shaking Harry's arm, the same one he had held while beating Harry. The shaking caused little Harry's whole, undernourished body to shake. Eventually, as Vernon was losing his temper even more, he shook and jerked his nephew too hard. This caused little Harry to fall, putting his body in the wrong position, and ended up breaking his small arm.
Realizing what he had done, Vernon bodily threw his nephew into the cupboard under the stairs until he could figure out what to do about it. The last thing he wanted to do was take him to the emergency room and have the nurses and doctors start asking too many questions.
No, he didn't want that at all.
As Harry lay on his old mattress with pain shooting through his arm, he began to think back at all the times he had been hurt by his Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia. He could hardly remember a day when they did not blame him for everything bad that happened around them. The physical abuse was bad enough, but the names they called him and the way they talked to him was worse in a way.
He could never remember it ever being his fault, but they always blamed and punished him anyway.
His anger was growing with each throb of pain from his broken arm. He just wished he was strong enough to make them stop hurting him all the time. As his anger grew beyond what he could handle, he let out a yell of anguish that echoed within the small cramped space of the cupboard and was also heard throughout the house at number 4 Privet Drive.
Dudley was playing upstairs with his toys in his spare bedroom. He barely gave his cousin's yelling a second's thought. Vernon and Petunia heard him yell and took off toward the cupboard to deal with his bad behavior. They were actually just very worried that the neighbors would hear him.
They paused on their way to the cupboard door because the second yell Harry let out changed midway through and sounded more like a deep, throaty roar.
Before they could reach the cupboard, they heard a lot of racket coming from it as if a large animal was thrashing around inside.
Petunia was coming from the upstairs and noted that the stairs shook and seemed to buckle a bit as she went down them. Vernon was coming from the kitchen where he went to get a snack. They reached the door of the cupboard about the same time.
Vernon reached over, unlocked the door, and yanked it open, ready to yell at his nephew for his behavior.
Just as the little door swung open, the stairs above the cupboard seemed to break and explode out as a large black scaly head broke through the stairs. The head turned and looked at Vernon and Petunia. It then belched out fire from its mouth straight at them.
They both leaped back in fright, Petunia landed on her backside on the floor while Vernon fell over a chair that he broke when he landed his considerable amount of weight on it. While the fire barely missed them, it did not miss the wood holding up the banister for the stairs.
They watched as the creature broke his way through the banister and the cupboard beneath it. The wood and splinters flying out away from the body of the beast as it smashed through the cupboard door and the wall where it was attached.
After its long body was freed of the cupboard, they were afraid it would attack them or use its fire on them again before they could get up and run away. Instead it turned and burned the cupboard, or what's left of it.
While it was facing away from them and breathing fire on the cupboard, they both scrambled to their feet and ran out the front door. It wasn't until they stopped in the driveway that they realized they had left their son Dudley upstairs in his room playing.
Petunia opened the front door just a little bit and peaked in. She saw the creature on all fours making its way toward the kitchen. Its long claws looked like metal and they made clacking noises on the floor as it walked. The claws also created gashes in the floor as it propelled itself forward. It had wings on its back, spikes on its tail, and was all black in color.
She watched as it broke down the back door, walking through it like it was tissue paper before it made its way outside and into the back garden.
She quickly opened the front door and told Vernon so he could come back in. She then directed him to get the fire extinguisher from the garage so he could put out the fire while she ran up and made sure Dudley was alright. She had to go around the fire and leap over the broken steps as she ran upstairs.
Just before Vernon came back in he heard big wings flapping. It was night time but he was able to just make out something black flying off into the night. He'd swear it was a dragon, but dragons weren't real. Were they?
They managed to get the fire put out and the smoke alarms to stop blaring. They had to open the windows and doors to let all the smoke out. Of course, the back door was no longer even there. Instead, it was in several pieces on the patio and in the back garden.
There was no sign of Harry Potter so they figured it was some magic thing and their hated nephew turned into some creature that looked suspiciously like a young dragon.
They hoped he never came back.
They told the neighbors who saw the smoke and came over to check on them that something exploded in the cupboard causing all the damage and fire, but they currently had everything under control and could handle the cleanup on their own. The neighbors went back to their houses.
They were in the middle of trying to clean things up when they heard a slight pop and there stood an old man with a long white beard right in their lounge. He was wearing shocking purple and orange robes with stars and moons moving over the material. Before they could say anything about the intrusion, the old man spoke.
"I'm Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. What happened here and where is Harry?" he asked pointedly looking around. He only saw Dudley playing by himself on the floor. "I had all kinds of alarms going off letting me know that the protective wards around this house to keep him and your family safe, have completely collapsed."
"He left," answered Petunia after staring at him for a while. She said it haughtily without going into any detail.
"Why would he do that?" Albus asked curiously. "The boy is only four years old. He can't possibly take care of himself!"
"He turned into a creature of some sort and then destroyed my house before he left," Vernon answered gruffly. "He is no longer welcomed back into my house! He's dangerous! He breathed fire out of his mouth!" he said pointing to the cupboard under the stairs or what was left of it. "No more! You keep that freak away from us!" he yelled.
Albus pulled out his wand and performed a strong reparo that fixed everything right before their eyes. The cupboard and stairs looked brand new and the gouges in the floor simply vanished. He then cast some more spells to completely clear out the remainder of the smoke, freshen the air, and clean up the messes before he turned back to them. They were in shock at the casual use of magic and its result.
"Are you saying little Harry Potter turned into a dragon?" he asked calmly but with great interest.
"Yes! I think that's what he was," Petunia answered. "That's what he looked like anyway. He was all black, he had wings, and a tail."
"He broke down my back door and flew away into the night on those wings," Vernon added hoping that would be fixed too.
Albus moved so he could see the back door and the damage. He then waved his wand again and fixed it, before turning back to the Dursleys.
"I'll see if I can locate him. Rest assured, he will not be returning here. I doubt I could make him even if I wanted to," he told them, "given what he can become. I believe this is good-bye. Have a pleasant life if you can manage it," he said then apparated away right in front of them.
Petunia looked around and everything looked perfect again. Sometimes magic can be useful, she thought to herself, but refused to tell her husband that. However, he was thinking the same thing, especially since everything was fixed, saving them the trouble and expense for repairs. Plus, they got rid of that brat.
Harry was having fun flying high through the night skies. He didn't realize it but because he was all black, no one could make him out well enough from the distance. No moon was out so the night sky was dark and cloudy. He had managed to get out of the city rather quickly as he fled his relative's house in a hurry.
The best part was his arm no longer hurt. Whenever he transformed into a young Hungarian Horntail of around fifteen feet in length, it healed his broken bone as it reformed into one of the dragon's front legs.
Harry wasn't sure where he was going but he felt a mental pull in the direction he flew. The pull seemed to indicate which way he needed to go so he decided to trust his animal's instincts. He had no idea of where else he could go so the choice was easy.
After what seemed like a long flight, he came upon a castle with lots of land surrounding it. He could smell animals like him, but they were also slightly different. His instinct was taking him straight to those animals so he decided to land and check them out.
When he arrived by landing right next to the group of Hebridean Black dragons, he caught them by surprise, but they quickly recognized him as a very young Hungarian Horntail. The adult dragons in the group were all around 30 feet in length while the youngsters were smaller.
They knew that as a Hungarian Horntail he would grow to be around 20 feet bigger than them and be a lot fiercer with his fire and offensive weapons, but for now he was just a very young dragon that needed help. They could tell he wasn't sure of himself and he seemed to be very tired.
"Welcome little one! Feel free to rest with us," Harry heard in his head.
Letting his instincts take over, he responded, "Thank you. I'm very tired," he got out before his head plopped down on his front legs and he fell instantly asleep.
The Hebridean Black dragons surrounded him in a circle to keep him protected. They placed their young inside the circle with him.
In the morning when all the dragons were waking, they were surprised to see a small four year old human male in their midst instead of a young dragon.
Harry wasn't sure what he was going to do, surrounded by all the big dragons, but the same one who spoke to him last night spoke to him again.
"Ah, I see that you are a dragon animagus. I can also see that you belong here. You are a Potter by the look and smell of you. I need to take you back to the castle so they can look after you. You are too young to be on your own."
Harry found that he could still communicate in the same way as he did the night before, so he asked mentally, "What is a dragon animagus?" saying the unfamiliar word slowly.
"An animagus is a witch or wizard that can turn into an animal. You can turn into a dragon, a Hungarian Horntail dragon. That makes you a dragon animagus, young wizard. We are Hebridean Black dragons," she said indicating her group of dragons.
"You said I looked and smell like a Potter? I think that's what my last name is. My first name is …Harry, I believe."
"Come! If you cannot change back into your dragon form then you will need to ride on my back. I will take you to where you belong, young Harry Potter," she told him.
Harry tried to change back into his dragon but he couldn't quite figure out how he did it the first time. He gave up and got assistance from one of the other dragons to help him up onto the back of the female dragon. The dragon helping him just used its nose to lift him up onto the back of the bigger dragon where he found a comfortable seat between two ridges.
She then took off into the air and flew over to the castle. They arrived at the back door. An elf popped outside and greeted them.
"What does big dragonsy need?" the small elf asked looking up at the large dragon.
The dragon lowered herself down and had Harry slide down off her back and onto her leg before continuing onto the ground from there.
"Master Harry?" the little elf said in shock.
Harry was not sure what the small creature was so he hesitated.
"This is Potter Castle, Harry, and that is a house elf. Go with the elf, young one, so he and the others can take care of you. You will be safe here. This is after all your home!"
Harry looked up at the dragon, nodded, then walked over to the elf.
"You are Master Harry!" the elf said excitedly. "Thank you, big dragonsy, for bringing Master Harry back to us!" he said to the dragon.
The dragon bowed her head to the elf before turning to leave. "I will see you again, young Harry Potter. If you remember how to change again then come for a visit. Bye for now!" she told him as she walked away before taking off flying.
The elf turned to Harry. "Master Harry, it is so good to see you again! We've been so worried about you. My name is Pauly and I am the head elf here at Potter Castle. Please come inside and let Pauly fix you some breakfast. You look like you've been starved. A young master like yourself needs lots of food to grow big and strong!"
Harry was shocked that someone actually wanted to feed him instead of just giving him scraps. He gladly followed the elf into the castle.
Everything changed for Harry after that. He had a castle to run around in and play and he had a nice big bedroom with an extremely comfortable bed to sleep on. The elves in the castle took very good care of him and he got to meet a lot of his ancestors in their portraits.
When they found out he turned into a dragon, they explained to him that he must be a natural animagus and a special one since he can turn into a magical animal. The Potters were well-known for their animagus abilities.
They worked with him to get him to remember how he felt when he was the dragon and how things looked to him as the dragon. When he was still struggling to change, they had him find an old Potter wand that worked well for him. They then taught him how extract a memory and view it in a pensieve.
Once he was able to see what he looked like as the dragon, along with remembering what it felt like, he managed to change. His ancestors in their portraits were very impressed that his animagus was a Hungarian Horntail. They were capable of reaching 50 feet in length, one of the bigger dragons and one of the fiercest.
Harry would go visit his Black Hebridean friends often after that. He learned a lot from them and witnessed how dragons behaved. He and some of the younger ones who were similar in size would play around with each other and have fun.
While his dragon animagus had become second nature to him and he could transform in less than a second, Harry also spent a lot of time with portraits who were teaching him both mundane and magical subjects so he would be ready for Hogwarts and life after that, no matter what he wanted to do.
When it was time for Harry to go to Hogwarts, he had to be taken to Diagon Alley to get everything he needed for school.
Dumbledore never found out where he went but he had instruments tied to the boy that told him he was alive. He was thankful for that. All methods to track him down failed. However, when his Hogwarts letter was addressed to Harry Potter at Potter Castle he knew then that he needn't have worried about the lad since he somehow found his way to his main home.
The castle was the family seat of the Potters and the Peverells before them. The Godric's Hollow house where Harry was attacked by Voldemort was a smaller place where James and Lily were able to live under the Fidelius, even though that did not work well for them when a traitor was in their midst.
It then made sense why he could not find Harry. The ancient enchantments on the castle would prevent that but the Hogwarts letter would be an exception they allowed through the wards as many a Potter had attended Hogwarts over the centuries.
Then he remembered that dragons had an uncanny sense of direction, much like a thestral. That must be how he found the castle. His dragon took him there on instinct. He then remembered that the Potters had some Hebridean Black dragons on their large property. He would be very curious about the boy's dragon animagus when he came to school this year.
It was obvious he's a natural, Dumbledore was thinking, since he was able to transform at the mere age of four.
Pauly, using elf travel, popped Harry, now age 11, onto the platform to catch the Hogwarts Express. Pauly remained invisible to everyone except Harry during this time. However, he stuck with Harry until he was settled on the train. Pauly then took his leave back to Potter Castle.
His young master was smart and could take care of himself if it became necessary. He was quite sure Harry Potter was going to make his mark at Hogwarts. He had trained hard to prepare and was already handy with a wand.
The one that chose him at Ollivander's was a fantastic fit and he had no problem making it sing when he used it.
Harry sat in his compartment on the train wondering what it would be like at Hogwarts. He was told all about his parents and how they attended the school and met each other while there. They were both sorted into Gryffindor so he wondered if he would be sorted there too. He wasn't sure if he was more suited for Gryffindor or one of the other houses.
His thoughts were interrupted by someone opening the door to his compartment. He looked up and saw two girls with trunks that looked to be his age.
"Mind if we join you?" asked the one with light brown eyes and medium brown hair that reached her shoulders.
"Not at all. May I help you with your trunks?" Harry asked standing.
"Thanks," the same girl responded, while her friend with long black hair and bright blue eyes stopped to let them get the trunk situated.
However, when it was expected that the boy would help her lift it into the overhead compartment, she was shocked when he whipped out his wand and levitated it up silently. She was standing there in shock that he knew how to do that.
"Ready for me to take care of yours?" Harry asked the other girl.
"Sure," she said, then let go of her trunk, and just watched.
Harry pointed his wand at it and her trunk joined the other girl's in the overhead bin with no struggle at all.
The two girls sat down on the opposite bench from Harry and just stared at him. They were wondering if he wasn't a first year as they originally believed. Perhaps a second year they asked themselves.
"Allow me to introduce myself," he prompted. "I'm Harry Potter and I'm a first year. Are you both first years too?" he asked curiously.
"Harry Potter? Really?" asked the brown haired one.
"Yes," he said smiling. "I'm quite certain of it, actually," he replied.
"Sorry, it was a bit of a shock. My name is Tracey Davis and my talkative friend here is Daphne Greengrass."
"It's very nice to meet you both," Harry replied with a nod.
"That was some nice wand work and you did it silently too," Daphne told him. "I doubt anyone in our year or the next will be able to do that."
"Well, as it so happens, I'm a fairly quick study."
"So, do you think you'll be in Ravenclaw?" asked Tracey.
"No, not really. Theory is not really my strong point. I find the practical side of magic very intuitive though. It seems to come natural to me without having to bog myself down in all the theory of why it works that way."
"I believe the wanded classes will delve into a lot of theory before they teach the practical side of the spell, so you'll have that to look forward to," Daphne told him.
"Yes, but I'll be fine. I can handle the theory but I'd much rather cut to the chase and just get on with it."
"You sound like you will most likely be placed in Gryffindor," Tracey told him.
"Maybe. Do you guys know what house you will likely be put in?" he asked them.
"Based on our families, it will probably be Slytherin," Daphne told him.
Harry nodded.