I do not own any part of the Harry Potter or Eragon universes.

First, thanks to all of you, for the positive feedback, which makes me more motivated to write even more.

So, here goes another one. Hope you enjoy it

Harry was gasping for breath, sprinted through the forest, while he vigorously pushed aside the branches of bushes and trees in his desperate attempt to find a path through the forest.

Amidst the thundering sky and falling rain, Harry grappled with the muddy ground that hindered his running. As the hair on the back of his neck bristled, he paused briefly, enveloped in a moment of eerie stillness, where no sound reached his ears.

Amidst his frantic run, Harry's ears caught the ominous clash of swords and the distressing cries of men and women. But what truly took his breath away was the sudden eruption of loud roars, unmistakably emanating from two fierce dragons.

He jumped forward and finally made it out of the forest and saw with wide eyes as two armies faced each other.

Before Harry could figure out what was going on, a tremendous scream and a raging roar pierced the air, originating from the same dragon. His heart pounded in his chest as he witnessed a dragon with white scales crash into the ground just a few feet away, causing him to leap back in shock.

Time appeared to stand still as Harry sprinted towards the injured dragon with all his might. However, upon reaching the creature, he realized it was already too late. The dragon's injuries were too severe, and there was nothing he could do to save it.

Tears streamed down Harry's face as he cried out in anguish. He had never experienced such profound despair, feeling as though a void was tearing him apart. The fallen dragon bore a striking resemblance to Artemis, intensifying his grief.

In the midst of his sorrow, Harry heard a groan, sparking a glimmer of hope. Could the rider still be alive?

Determined, he rushed a few meters away from the dragon and discovered a conscious person lying in the dirt. This individual appeared to be a man, but his face remained obscured by shadows, making it impossible for Harry to discern his features. A short distance from the dragon he found a person lying in the dirt. Harry ran to the person and quickly realized he was conscious.

The person resembled a man.

He carefully helped the man up but could not see their face. It was as if the person's face had been shrouded in shadows.

As Harry woke up, a groan escaped his lips, and he blinked away the remnants of sleep as the sun's first rays greeted his eyes. It had been a long time since he experienced a dream as vivid as this one. The sensations and emotions felt too real to dismiss it as a typical dream. He didn't really know what to make of it.

The dreams he was used to were from his connection with Voldemort, but this one felt different… Was it from the future? Or the past?

Harry's heart sank at the thought. He fervently hoped that the dream wasn't a premonition of a future where Artemis, his dear companion, would be torn away from him. The idea of such a separation was unbearable, and he couldn't fathom how he would cope with such a loss.

He couldn't make any sense of it, and it would be stupid of him to waste his time thinking on it. Nothing good would come of the people who stopped living their lives, because of their fear of the future.

"Artemis, do you want to go flying?" Harry asked suddenly.

Artemis head snapped to him, and her eyes widened.

"You want to go flying? Now?" She frowned.

Harry stood and smiled warmly. "Yes. We should have done it ages ago…Or do you not want to?" He asked with a touch of uncertainty in his voice.

"Absolutely! I'm excited too. Let's go!" Artemis responded enthusiastically through their mental bond.

Artemis' eyes gleamed with excitement as she eagerly waited for Harry to buckle her saddle.

"Are you ready?" Artemis asked impatiently while Harry tightened the saddle straps around his legs.

Taking a deep breath of the crisp morning air, Harry confirmed, "Yes, I am ready."

Just as Artemis kicked off the ground and spun into the air, Harry caught a frustrated growl from Saphira and observed a pale look on Eragon's face.

After three more flaps of her wings, she had already left the ground far behind and was climbing higher and higher.

Harry remembered their last flight a few weeks ago when they went to find out who the dragon was, and it ended up being Saphira. Her wingbeats back then were jerky and the flight itself was uneven. That was no comparison to now.

The flight now felt effortless, and Harry swung his arms around her neck as she lifted her upper body and flew even higher up. As she moved her wings, he could feel the subtle movement of Artemis' muscles beneath his fingers.

"This is amazing!" Harry exclaimed, excited to be that high again.

With his eyes closed, Harry leaned back against Artemis' warm scales, giving in to the enchantment of the moment. As they glided through the air, it felt like a blissful reunion with his old Firebolt broomstick, reliving the exhilarating sensation of soaring high above the ground.

"Harry, never again dare to compare me to a piece of wood!" Artemis exclaimed with determination in her voice.

As Artemis soared through a flock of birds, Harry couldn't help but burst into laughter. The birds, startled by her sudden appearance, opened their beaks and protested loudly, creating a comical symphony of squawks and chirps in response to the playful dragon's antics.

"Sorry! Can you go faster?" He asked his partner.

In response to his question, Artemis roared with delight, resonating through the skies. The exhilaration of the moment took hold of her, and with a mischievous streak, she playfully toppled sideways and executed a daring twist in the air.

Harry clung tightly to Artemis, feeling the adrenaline rush as they soared through the sky, their laughter blending with the exhilarating sensation of their flight.

Artemis surprised Harry by doing something he never expected. Suddenly, her mind connected with his, and she pulled him out of his own body. Startled, he hesitantly withdrew from her.

"Harry let go. Trust me," she said.

As Harry embraced the unexpected connection with Artemis, he could sense an overwhelming trust emanating from her. Taking a deep breath, he summoned the courage to let go of the familiar confines of his own mind, surrendering to the inexplicable pull. For a moment, he felt as if he was floating, when suddenly his vision merged with Artemis' eyes.

He was surprised at how Artemis saw the world. Instead of seeing everything in the usual colors, the blues were more prominent while the greens and reds faded into the background.

If he concentrated, even from up here he could see the tops of trees that he otherwise only saw as black dots.

He felt Artemis' pure delight when she flew into another flight maneuver. The merging deepened until Harry couldn't tell the difference between their personalities.

They were one.

Reluctantly he withdrew with his mind and had to test the movement of his arms when he arrived back in his body. It felt strange not being able to move them like a pair of wings.

His heart raced with excitement, a surge of thrill pulsating through his chest.

"That was incredible. From now on we have to fly together more often!" Harry shouted in joy.

"Absolutely. I'm glad you enjoy flying as much as I do."

Harry nodded with a bright smile. "I love it!"

She turned her head to him and gave him the widest dragon grin, he had ever seen.

"Hold tight. Now, I'll show you how to fly properly with a dragon!"

Had there been individuals blessed with elven hearing, they would have gazed skyward in wonder at the enthusiastic screams of a young man and the thunderous roar of his dragon.

Gracefully, Artemis touched down, and Harry dismounted from her back with a swift leap.

"Someone's angry," Artemis remarked, raising her head to see Brom stomping over to them.

"What were you thinking when you flew off like that?" Brom shouted angrily.

Harry's breath remained unsteady, still agitated from his excitement, but a bright smile adorned his face as he managed to utter just one thing.

"I dare you to say that to Artemis."

Brom's glare shifted from Harry to Artemis, who met his gaze with a challenging glint in her eye. Brom took a deep breath, and gradually, the glare transformed into a smile. The memory of his first flight with his late partner was a cherished moment that still held a special place in his heart to this day.

"Never mind. Come on, we've found something interesting," he gestured for them to follow.

"Coward," Harry muttered.

Brom shot him a glare but remained silent.

They hurried to the spot Brom had found. Eragon was already there, though he looked rather distracted.

"What have you found?" Harry inquired eagerly, but Eragon shook his head.

"I didn't find it. Brom found the tracks of the Ra'zac while Saphira and I flew," Eragon replied, his face beaming with a wide grin.

"Oh? And what was it like?" Harry asked with curiosity.

After all, Eragon had told him how the first flight of the two went and he had seen his pale face earlier.

"Saphira was angry at first when you flew off and insisted on flying as well. She then-"

"Maybe we could focus on the Ra'zac first?" Brom asked in an annoyed voice.

Harry gave Eragon a silent 'later' and turned to Brom. "Sure. What have you found out?"

Brom sighed.

"Those are the tracks of the Ra'zac. Our problem is that they have a new way of moving around."

Brom pointed to the ground with his fingers, where there were deep ruts in the ground.

"I've never seen footprints like this," Artemis observed, resting her head on Harry's. Absentmindedly, he reached up and gently caressed Artemis' cheek with his hand.

"So, we've lost track of them for good," Harry concluded from what Brom was telling him as he absently ran his hand down Artemis' neck.

"Not quite," Brom replied. He nodded with a proud smile towards Eragon. "The boy found a vial of Seithr Oil."

"Seithr-Oil?" Harry frowned.

"Oil from the petals of the Seithr plant. Originally it was used to put pearls in the oil. It gives them durability and a noble radiant shine," Brom explained.

"But if you say a certain incantation in the ancient language over the oil, along with the offering of a blood sacrifice, it becomes a deadly, caustic poison."

Harry's eyes went wide in horror. "They dumped that stuff on Garrow, didn't they?"

He had seen Garrow's injuries himself. The blackened skin he saw was not the result of simple burning. The severity of the wounds suggested something far more ominous and sinister.

Brom nodded gravely, his expression carrying a grim look.

"I will kill those bastards!" Eragon seethed. His eyes were burning with anger.

Harry's respect for Eragon grew over the next few minutes. At least for his newfound vocabulary in cursing the Ra'zac.

"What do we do now? We have no way of tracking them unless you know of some magic you haven't told us about," Harry said to Brom.

But Brom was shaking his head. "I've gone through everything that could have helped us, but I can't think of a way to track down the Ra'zac."

It seemed hopeless at first, but Eragon, after the had calmed down, seemed to have a flash of inspiration.

"This Oil… you mentioned that it was rare, which would mean there should be people trading with it?"

Brom stroked his well-groomed beard with one hand.

"Yes, there will definitely be one or the other who does."

Brom's eyes suddenly lit up.

"Of course! When we look into the shipping records, we'll find out who shipped the oil to the cities and where it went from there."

Harry just looked between the two in confusion. "What sort of records?" he asked.

"I forget sometimes how little you know about Alagaёsia," Brom frowned at him. "Shipping Records. Each of the major cities in Alagaёsia maintains import records of all goods delivered."

"And the oil will have to be on the lists as well. Then we can locate where the oil is being taken and where those monsters are hiding. I doubt there are a lot of people trading with this oil." Eragon explained excitedly.

Harry blinked in surprise at Eragon.

"Wow. You can be really clever if you want to."

"Oi!" Eragon huffed and shoved at Harry. "Just because I can't read doesn't mean I'm as stupid as a pig!"

"What?!" Brom exclaimed.

"You can't read?" Harry asked softly.

"So, what? Roran doesn't know to read either," Eragon tried to defend himself.

"Garrow, you old fool," Brom muttered under his breath. He hid the vial inside his robes and pointed at Eragon with a finger.

"Since it's your mission to hunt down the Ra'zac, you will be helping us. You will learn to read and write while we travel to Teirm. You won't do us any good if you can't read the shipping records."

Eragon gulped. "Do I have to do this?"

Just learning the words of the ancient language proved to be a challenge. And now he has to learn how to read and write?

If Brom was half as engaged in teaching him as he is in swordplay, Eragon would be able to write poetry about halfway on their travels to Teirm.

"Great," Eragon sighed and slumped his shoulders, while Harry just laughed at his misfortune.

Brom just glared at them both.

"This will take time and effort from both of us. And you will help me teach him," Brom pointed to Harry.

Harry shrugged his shoulders and walked over to Artemis and mounted her.

"See you at dinner."

As they flew above the clouds, he said, "Tomorrow I will ride Ares. I don't want to leave Eragon alone with Brom."

"And you should continue to practice using your own magic."

"Maybe… You don't mind it, then?"

"As long as we continue to fly together, no. I would rather have a rider who can defend himself than one who staggers headlong into any danger."

Her concern echoed in his mind as she remarked, "Something you are unsurprisingly really good at."

A few days passed before Teirm came to light. The city lay within a white wall a hundred feet high and thirty feet thick. The smooth surface reminded him a lot of the Gringotts bank.

Two iron portcullises broke through the wall, granting access into the city. The place exuded an aura of reverence and appeared like an impregnable fortress.

In front of the gates, soldiers guarded the entrance, but they leaned carelessly on their spears, displaying a lack of vigilance.

The group had agreed on a common story while they approached the entrance to Teirm. When they arrived, the soldiers stood to attention, blocking their way.

"Name?" One of them grunted in a sleepy voice.

"I'm Nael," Brom said, his voice panting.

He had a goofy look on his face and Harry thought for the moment he bore a great resemblance to Goyle.

He sniggered inwardly.

"And the other two?" The soldier pointed his spear first lazily on Eragon than towards Harry.

"I was just about to get to that. This is my nephew, Arvid."

"The other is Evans, a good friend of the family."

"We're accompanying him because he's visiting an old friend," Eragon piped up.

"He's not the brightest anymore, if you know what I mean. I just caught him trying to court a pig the other day...," Eragon sighed and shook his head.

The soldiers turned with a frown to Brom, who wagged his head eagerly.

Harry laughed inwardly. He saw Brom's eye twitch, and he knew Eragon would regret that moment in the future.

"I see… Make sure he doesn't cause any trouble, else you will be responsible for him," said the soldier, drew the spear away from them.

The way was cleared.

"He won't," Eragon promised.

Harry spurred Ares on, and they rode into Teirm.

"Do you prefer them a little on the tame side or a little wilder?" Harry asked Brom, once they were out of earshot. Eragon and Harry were unable to contain their laughter.

Brom just grunted in reply, ignoring Eragon's and Harry's laughter. There would be a time for his revenge, and he was eagerly looking forward to it.

Some of the people gave them curious looks, but most of them walked past and ignoring them.

The prevailing mood was somber.

"I know someone who can help us. His name is Jeod," Brom said grimly. "Let's stop and ask for directions."

They dismounted from their horses, tied them to a post across the street, and went inside a tavern.

Harry had walked into quite a few places that had an uncomfortable vibe, and this was definitely one of them.

The room was shabby and reminded him well of Aberforth's Pub in Hogsmeade.

In the corners sat two guests with grumpy faces over their drinks with deep scowls. Harry kept his eyes open, ready in case someone suddenly moved towards them.

Brom leaned against the counter and asked the owner of the tavern, "Do you know where we can find a man named Jeod?"

"Who wants to know that?" the man looked up with a scowl.

'No wonder the place isn't running when he keeps scowling like that,' thought Harry.

Brom put some coins on the counter.

"How about we forget the name and you tell us where to find him?"

The innkeeper's expression brightened.

"Perhaps," he said. "But my memory needs a little more … nudge for that... It's not that easy to forget the faces of people without names."

Brom narrowed his eyes at the man but added a few more coins.

The man nodded happily and pocketed the money.

"Jeod lives on the west side of town, next to the herbalist, Angela."

"Thank you," Brom said, and the other two followed in tow.

"Business doesn't seem to be going well," Harry observed as they headed west.

"No, I'm just wondering why. Maybe Jeod will be able to tell us more."

Angela's herbal shop was easy to find. The shop had a colorful sign, and a short curly-haired woman was found sitting in front of the shop. What surprised Harry was that she was holding a frog in one hand and was writing on a piece of paper with the other.

Harry averted his gaze from the herbalist and saw a house to the left and right of the shop.

Whoever lived in them, owned quite a lot of gold.

"What do you think, which house is Jeod's?" Eragon asked.

Brom seemed to think briefly. "We'll find out soon enough."

He approached the woman and asked her politely, "Could you tell us in which house Jeod lives?"

"I could," she said, and continued writing.

Harry smirked at her quirky humor. It reminded him of Luna.

"Are you going to tell us?" Brom tried again.

"Yes." She fell into silence.

Eventually Harry broke the silence. "In which house does Jeod live? And why is the frog sitting on your hand?"

"Aha!" she said with a smile. "So, there are still people asking the right questions."

She tilted her head to the right house.

"Jeod lives on my right. And the frog on my hand... it's actually a toad. I'm trying to prove that toads don't really exist, only frogs."

"How can there be no toads when there's one clearly sitting on your hand?" Eragon asked confused.

The woman shook her head.

"No, you don't understand. If I can prove that toads don't exist, then this is a frog. So, the toad you see doesn't exist."

"I see," Brom said, but Harry strongly doubted it.

"That sounds very interesting, and I'd like to know more about it, but we have to go to Jeod."

"Of course," she said, and started writing again. She nudged the frog with her feather as it began to bend its legs to try to hop away.

"Stay," she said in a firm voice. The frog remained still.

Eragon and Brom continued walking while Harry stood still for a moment.

"Yes?" the herbalist asked.

"Have you ever thought that all toads are frogs but not all frogs are toads?"

Her eyes sparkled with interest. "No, I didn't. It's an interesting thought, though." She eyed him for a moment. "Again, thank you for the advice."

Harry gave her a smile. "You're welcome."

He followed the other two and just caught the last scraps of conversation.

"She's a freak-"

Harry's anger flared when he heard the word. He grabbed Eragon by the collar, who looked around in surprise. Harry held him up against the wall, where Eragon hit his head on the wood.

"Ow-Harry, what are you doing?" Eragon yelled but stopped when he saw Harry's face.

His face was without any emotion, except for the coldness in his eyes.

"If you say something like that in front of me again, you're going to wish you never had met me, understood?"

"I-" Eragon began, but Harry cut him off.

"Understood?" Harry asked, this time with anger in his voice.

Eragon nodded in rapid succession and Harry released him. He fell to the ground, gasping for breath.

Brom narrowed his eyes at him but didn't say anything.

He turned and banged on the door three times. Nothing happened.

He knocked again, this time louder. Harry waited patiently, out of the corner of his eye he saw Eragon straightening himself and shooting nervous glances at him.

Then they heard movement. A young woman with light blonde hair opened the door slightly. Her eyes were red and looked as if she had just cried.

Harry knew the woman in front of him was of strong character because, despite her appearance, her voice was calm.

"Yes, please?"

"This is where Jeod lives, doesn't he?" Brom asked gently.

The woman stuck out her head a little. "Yes, he is my husband. Are you expected?"

She looked them over.

"No, but we really need to talk to him," Brom urged.

"He is very busy." She closed the door slightly.

"We have traveled very far. It is very important that we speak to him."

Her face became hard. "He doesn't have the time."

Brom was annoyed but remained friendly despite everything. "Since he obviously can't see us, would it be possible for you to send him a message?"

She made a face but agreed anyway.

"Tell him there's a friend from Gil'ead waiting outside."

The woman looked wary, but finally agreed, "All right."

Then she abruptly slammed the door in front of their faces.

"That wasn't very kind," Eragon said, while he gently rubbed his neck.

"Keep your opinion to yourself," Brom snapped at him.

"It's best if you just don't say anything at all." The last bit was aimed at Eragon and at Harry as well.

Harry, who at the moment would rather be with Artemis to distract himself, remained quiet.

Suddenly the door flew open, and a tall man rushed out of the house. His expensive clothes were rumpled, his thinning gray hair disheveled. A nasty scar stretched across his scalp to his left temple.

His mouth opened many times and Harry thought of a stranded fish gasping for air.

"Brom?" he whispered in disbelief.

Brom grabbed the man by the arms and held a finger to his lips. "It's nice to see you again, Jeod! I'm glad you still recognize me, but don't use that name. I don't want anyone to know that I'm here."

The shock was still written all over his face.

"I thought you were dead."

"Follow me," Jeod gestured with one arm for them to proceed.

They walked down a hallway of polished wood that reminded Harry a lot of Malfoy's mansion. It was the same smell of fine wood that made Harry aware that Jeod was no simple trader.

He led them past many doors until they finally arrived at his study. At first sight the man looked tired and weary, but his eyes shone with intelligence and curiosity. His mouth curled in a small smile.

A movement he probably hadn't done for a long time.

Harry let his eyes roam the study. Dozens of books, scrolls, and papers lay stowed on shelves behind an oval worktable.

'Hermione would have loved to work here,' Harry thought with a small smile.

"Please, sit down. Brom can you-?" Jeod asked.

Brom tilted his head in acknowledgement.

He closed his eyes. "Atra nosu waíse vardo fra eld Hórnya."

Harry could feel the magic behind his words and raised an eyebrow.

"It means 'May we be protected from eavesdroppers. A useful spell to know. You two should remember it," Brom explained and looked towards Jeod.

"Thank you. I know it doesn't bode well for me to ask you in my own house, but the last few months haven't been good for me," Jeod said.

He looked at the door as if he was prepared for his wife to burst through the door at any moment.

He turned to Brom. "You have things to explain to me, old man. Tell me your story, you old fool. My tired bones groan for some entertainment," Jeod said impatiently.

Harry listened carefully, maybe he would learn more about Brom's past.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Eragon lean forward in interest.

"Remember the last time we visited Gil'ead?"

"Of course, I do," Jeod replied. "A trip like this is not easily forgotten."

"An understatement for what we've been through, but true nonetheless," Brom remarked dryly.

"When we were separated, I couldn't find you. In the turmoil that surrounded us, luck shone down on me. I stumbled into an abandoned room and found exactly what we were looking for."

Shock was written all over Jeod's face.

"You mean-?"

Brom nodded with a weak smile. "As soon as I got my hands on it, I couldn't wait. I needed take it to our..."

Brom hesitated, glancing at Eragon. "I ran to our friends, as swiftly as I could, who kept it safe. They promised me that I would train whoever was chosen. But until then I had to disappear. So, I headed north and hid in Carvahall."

Jeod frowned at him. "I only wish our… friends had told me that you were still alive. It would have been a balm to my soul to know that my life's work had not been in vain."

Jeod looked with curiosity between Eragon and Harry for the first time. "I take it you're currently fulfilling your duty?"

Brom shook his head.

"It's not as easy as you think. I suspect it was stolen. Although there was no word from our mutual friends, I decided to find out what I can. Eragon lived near me in Carvahall, and we met Harry on the journey to Yazuac."

Jeod looked confused. "But if they didn't send any messages, how did you find out-?"

Brom quickly interrupted Jeod. "Eragon's uncle was brutally murdered by the Ra'zac. They burned his house and nearly got him. He deserves his revenge, but we recently lost their trail."

Jeod's cleared up. "I see... But why did you come to me? I know even less than you do about the Ra'zac. Only the cursed king knows where they are and anyone else who knows about them is dead."

Brom nodded to Eragon, who reached into his robes. He pulled out the bottle from the Ra'zac and placed it on the table.

"There is Seithr oil in the bottle. The dangerous one you'd rather not wash your body with."

Jeod carefully picked up the bottle and held it in front of the light. The oil sloshed back and forth, glistening dangerously.

"Incredible," Jeod whispered. "They forgot it, didn't they?"

Eragon nodded eagerly and shared his findings with Jeod.

"This isn't going to be easy," Jeod pointed to the books behind him with a finger. There were countless of them.

"These are the shipping records from just my business. Only mine. What you have in mind could stretch for months and I doubt you want to spend your time in Teirm that long."

Suddenly, Jeod's eyes flashed, as if he remembered something important slammed both fists on the table and sat up.

He looked at Brom with wide eyes.

"You have to leave immediately. He's coming. He's coming here! To Teirm!"

Brom frowned and placed a calming hand on Jeod's shoulder.

"Who are you talking about, Jeod?"

Sweat ran down Jeod's forehead. "The king's right hand. The first traitor to join the king in treachery against the dragon riders!"

"Morzan is coming to Teirm!"