A carefree laugh escaped Harry as he felt the wind against his face and running through his hair. He nearly forgot how great it was to fly, but now, high in the sky, he remembered why he loved it. The freedom. The ability to leave all worries behind on the ground. The knowledge that nobody could chain him in the air. All of that returned to the young wizard, but now it was underlined by the feeling of safety and love because he was flying on the back of his mate´s dragon form.
Who knew the dragon Kaiju could surpass even his beloved Firebolt?
And what an impressive dragon the king made. He was massive, almost as high as the castle in which they resided and his wingspan was even greater. He also possessed three heads, with horn-like crowns, carried on long snake-like necks, and a pair of long tails with spikes arranged in a fan-like manner. His scales shone like gold, the electricity running through and making them shine with an inner light, and his ruby-red eyes stood out in contrast. Ghidorah looked majestic and intimidating at the same time, but instead of it making Harry afraid of him, he loved it, when his mate first showed him his other form. It was just so amazing.
The vulpine teen could feel his mate´s amusement through their connected magic. The head, on Harry´s right, moved closer to nuzzle the raven-haired teen sitting in his back, making him laugh again. He gently the scaled cheek, then let the head return to its original place and enjoyed the rest of the ride.
Soon, their destination came into view and Ghidorah started to descend. On the way to a clear space to land, the golden dragon shrank, until he was the size of the Hungarian horntail that Harry faced in his fourth year. The teen guessed, the older male did that to avoid destroying more of the nature around him, as he landed. The dragon lowered itself in a way that allowed the Kitiara to easily slip from his back and once he stood on the ground, the older male turned back into his human form.
The teen smiled at his mate before he looked around. "Beautiful," whispered Harry as he took it all in. They landed just on the outskirts of a small village, located beside an oddly shaped mountain with a crystal tower at its top. Ghidorah called it Powai-Huna, the village of the blessed heart. Harry mentally compared it with the Hogsmeade, and found the British village oddly lacking in beauty and uniqueness. Particularly since it was supposed to be a magical village. While Hogsmeade had a rustic, ancient design that spoke of old traditions, Powai-Huna had had the feel, as if it grew straight from the depths of the mountain. The light stone walls of each building, contrasting with the dark red roofs, were decorated with crystals, that mirrored the natural crystal formation around the place. It was magical through and through, particularly with the various, clearly non-humans walking or flying around.
"I´m glad you like this place," smiled Ghidorah as he came to stand next to his mate. However, when he saw his mate´s adorable enthusiasm, with those ears perked up and the fluffy tail wagging around, he couldn´t help but steal a quick kiss from his mate.
"Like it? I love it, it looks amazing!" replied the raven-haired teen with a smile, as they pulled apart. "I´m glad you took me here for our date!"
"Wait until you get to experience the main attraction of this place," chuckled the Kaiju, straightening his dark grey hat in the process.
"You mean the ´blessed heart´?" the younger male inquired, while he couldn´t help but give a once-over look to the causal, comfortable clothes his mate was wearing. A simple white button-down shirt and dark grey pants, combined with a coat and dragon-hide boots in a shade of blue complementing his skin tone. His mate appreciated it since it showed his mate´s well-sculptured figure while keeping his real identity a secret from the observers.
A part of Harry was grateful that Laputa included in his wardrobe clothes for casual wear. Because of that, he was standing there in a long green cardigan, a white shirt with silver embroidery of flowers that shifted and bloomed as he moved and dark pants, combined with black boots and a bag with silver details.
"Yes, but we have to wait a bit until sunset before we can enjoy it. Until then, I thought you might love to explore the market in the village. There are a lot of interesting things in it, including delicious food. We can then have a picnic later, while we wait," his mate explained, offering his arm to him.
"Sounds great to me," Harry chuckled, linking their hands together and tiptoeing to give his mate a kiss on the cheek. "Lead the way!"
They walked into the village, through the busy streets, taking in the sights. They talked, with Ghidorah pointing out interesting details and places, that the younger wizard made sure to remember them, in case they ever returned to this village. He noted a lot of different beings around them, most of which appeared to be couples. When the green-eyed teen asked about it, Ghidorah revealed this was a popular destination for pairs in serious relationships. The younger male could see why, though he wondered if another reason for the popularity could be this "blessed heart".
Well, I will find out later, anyway, thought the teen, before he remembered something. He discreetly looked around, silently wondering where are the guards hiding among the crowd. He knew that they had to be there, somewhere, since Ghidorah admitted sending some ahead. But he didn´t see any familiar face out there. Either they were very good at hiding, or one of them was the mysterious guard he had yet to meet properly, because he always managed to evade him, preferring to guard the Kitiara from the shadows.
Soon they came to a spacious marketplace, which made Harry´s eyes sparkle at the sight of the various goods sold there, and his mouth water at the delicious smelling scents. Just from one look, it was possible to tell that the market didn´t sell just local foods and spices, but also crafted objects, fabrics and such. He loved it, because of the calm, relaxed atmosphere and how, even when you were bickering with the sellers about the price, nobody took offence and they smiled by the end of it. As the two mates walked around, different things caught their attention. Ghidorah introduced Harry to delicacies he had never heard about. Such as visa buns, which were filled with spiced deer meat, and there were even flower-shaped sweets. Of course, they didn´t buy only food. When they came across stalls with different tinkers, the Kitiara immediately fell in love with a stained-glass clock, depicting a moving tree that, according to the vendor, changed based on the season. Though it was the Kaiju mate, who bought it, claiming it was a late birthday present for his mate. Harry, not to let himself be outdone, secretly brought his mate a matching set of cufflinks and a pocket watch, that were decorated with rubies, for an early birthday present (he wasn´t even lying, since his mate´s birthday was only a month away). There was a moment when the two mates separated when Ghidorah found a small present for his mother and went to talk about it with the seller. At that moment, Harry decided to explore a bit on his own and came across a curious small stall called Brair Spirit´s, which sold different products made of apples and honey.
"Hello there! Would you like something from our humble stall?" inquired the young seller with light hair, whom Harry guessed to be a pan, considering the sheep features he had.
"Maybe. Me and my partner are having a picnic. Can you recommend something?" asked Harry, looking over the goods.
"Let me guess, it´s a date? In that case, if you don´t have anything to drink, that is refreshing and sweet, there is the cider made from Brair Valley apples," the pan produced a bottle with a clear, light purple liquid.
The vulpine teen perked up, seeing the bottle. "Are those the delicious comical apples, with that nice purplish colour and a faint rose-like smell? I love those! They´re great for experimenting in the kitchen!"
"Glad to hear we have a fan," the pan smiled, putting the bottle on the counter before he reached for another one. "And if you want something more adventurous, you can mix it with the mead from the roses on our farm. They go great together."
"My mate will love it. I´ll have both… and that honey cake, please," he decided, as he looked at the caramel-coloured delicacy shaped like a honeycomb.
"There you go. It will be four galleons and seven sickles, please," the pan seller told the price while packing away his order. "And here, a free sample of our honey!"
Harry paid five galleons with the words "Thank you and keep the change, as a tip."
The pan´s eyes widened. "But that´s more than ten sickles back…!"
"And your apples are more than worth it!" chuckled the fox, putting away his purchase into his enchanted bag. "And who knows? Maybe my mate will like your products so much that we might serve them at our wedding!"
"Already making plans for that, dearest?" an amused Ghidorah asked, as he joined him by the stall. "We haven´t even set a proper date, yet."
Harry fondly rolled his eyes. "If your sister can tease us about our honeymoon now, then I can decide what will be served at our wedding. Besides these are the apples I used in the apple crumble you loved so much."
Ruby-red eyes twinkled at that. "Is that so? Then I can´t wait to try what you bought here."
"In time, my dragon. First, we must find a nice place for our picnic, right?" the raven-haired teen reminded him.
"True. Shall we, then? Or do you want to explore the market a bit more?"
"If I stay, then I might not leave the market until night, with all these interesting things. Besides, I´m getting hungry and the sun will set soon," the younger male admitted with a soft smile.
With that they said goodbye to the seller, and walked away, leaving the market. Soon, they found a good spot for their picnic, in a small clearing, close to the upper edge of the village. It provided them with a nice view of both the village and the coming sunset. They spread a blanket on the ground and arranged every food they brought on it, so it was easily within reach. Then the two mates sat down, next to each other, and enjoyed their meal, feeding each other, and occasionally playfully stealing a bite from each other. The latter included stolen kisses to "get back the stolen bites". Harry even tried to shyly tease his mate, by holding a flower candy between his teeth, for the Kaiju to take. That one resulted in a long, slow kiss that ended well after the candy itself melted between their dancing tongues.
"Out of curiosity, what is the blessed heart?" Harry asked, once they finished their main course and waiting a bit, before going for the deserts.
"It´s the tower on top of the mountain," the king answered from where he was lying, with his head resting in his mate´s lap. "It´s a remnant from the time when a female Kaiju found her mate, but the mate´s family didn´t want to allow them to bond. They feared the Kaiju´s power and viewed her as a danger for them. So, to prove her feelings for her mate were true and pure, she came to this mountain and used her powers to create the tower from the crystals found inside the mountain. Then, she brought her mate and their family here, right around the time of a new moon, and declared that at the sunset, the tower would sing true to her heart and her feelings for her mate."
"And the tower sang," whispered Harry in understanding.
"A song that melted the hearts of the mate´s family," Ghidorah agreed. "They were allowed to stay together. And ever since then, every sunset, right before the new moon, the tower keeps singing, as a reminder of their love."
The green-eyed wizard smiled hearing this, as he understood the reason why his mate brought him here and why was this place so popular with couples.
They stayed in their places in a comfortable silence, until the sun started to descend behind the horizon. Then, black fox ears twitched and Harry looked up. Slowly, gently, a melody filled the air. It was gentle and pure, like the ringing of sleigh bells, but it didn't sound like anything the younger male ever heard. A voice that wasn't human, powerful and clear, sang without words an unearthly melody that captured the attention of all. It seized their hearts and made them feel. Passion and gentleness. Happiness and sadness. Magical and ordinary. Old and new. Unique and familiar. It was love in all its forms, with everything that came with it. The good and the bad. All in the form of a promise of faithfulness and trust between the partners. The Kitiara felt it within his heart. It resonated with him and with the feelings he was developing towards his mate. He was at the beginning, falling in love with the amazing, strong and supportive man that was Ghidorah. He wasn´t fully there yet, but he wasn´t afraid to take the leap of faith and try it, because he knew the other would be there to catch him and hold him.
The raven-haired wizard didn´t even realize he closed his eyes until the song ended as the sun fully disappeared. Slowly, he opened them to see that Ghidorah had moved from his lap. The dark-skinned male sat facing him, holding out a small box in his palm.
"Ghidorah?"
The older male looked into his eyes, as he started speaking: "I know I probably should have done this sooner, but I wanted to wait for the perfect opportunity to give this to you. I wanted to make sure you knew just how much you mean to me. How happy I became since the day you came into my life. Before, there was always a feeling of dullness in my life. Everything had less colour and sometimes, things seemed almost cold to me. I almost forgot what was it like to fully laugh or to be more than just a king to my country. But then you came and your arrival brightened everything. You´re the spark that ignited the fire and brought a warmth in my life that chased away the cold. Your smile makes my heart beat. Having you close makes me feel alive. Your kisses make me fall in love with you more and more each day. With you by my side, it´s as if I had been reborn. I´m no longer just a king, for I´m a man blessed with an amazing mate with whom I want to spend the rest of my life." Here he paused as he opened the box and his mate gasped. "This is a token of what I promise you for the rest of my life. A promise, which I want to tie with you at the altar at our wedding. Do you accept it and my heart, Harry?"
Looking at the rings inside the box, resting on the white velvet, Harry felt tears well up inside his eyes. Despite all the almost overwhelming emotions he was feeling, he managed to smile at his mate and said "I accept and I offer my promise and heart to you too, Ghidorah, for I´m falling in love with you too!"
The dragon Kaiju smiled widely and without further words, the two mates kissed each other, pouring everything they felt into the gesture. When they parted for air, panting, they were quick to pull the rings on. Soon a pair of matching bands, made of intertwined gold and black metal with a tear-shaped emerald and a tear-shaped ruby decorating them, adored the ring fingers on their joined hands. The two of them stared at it with identical loving gazes, before Ghidorah pulled his mate to his side with his free hand, holding him as their gazes fell on the city of the blessed heart.
She smiled to herself, as she watched the touching scene between her little boy and his mate, using the water mirror she crafted in her prison. It was a great relief to see him in the safe hands, instead of being hurt by those fools from Britain. He deserved a safe haven to call home and to live a happy life, especially in his new, cute little fox form. That part of the inheritance from her "husband" was interesting to say at least, but since it interacted well with her own mixed DNA, she wasn´t complaining. Besides, it didn't matter in the long run, since the father of her future grandchildren was inhuman. Her little Harry´s mate was a great match, possessing every quality she wanted from the partner of her baby. Ghidorah was strong, both as a fighter and as a magic user, had a good heart and already proved to care deeply for her boy. There was also the fact that, as a king, he was influential and well-connected. The Kaiju would be the safety net her baby desperately needed to have in his life. After all, he already managed to make sure those bastards could never again reach Harry.
The Kitiara was safe while staying in Ganei-sha, and Erie, in general. As long as the King´s men manage to keep anybody who belongs to the Order and the Death Eaters from entering, that is. She was aware that until either of those fractions disappeared, her child would still be in danger from them.
"I just have to be a bit more patient. Then, I will take care of them, personally," she told herself, feeling around her surroundings with her magic. It served to confirm what she had already known. Odin´s spell was weakening with each day. Once the old fool falls into his next sleep cycle, she could slip away. Then she would make the lives of those bastards a living hell… after she collected her familiar and reunited with her baby and gave him a big hug, of course. She couldn´t wait to hold Harry in her arms again. Her heart missed him so much, it nearly hurt. The time she spent with him, as Lily Potter, was too short. She vowed to make up for him all the lost time, to be the mother he deserved, to love him, and to be there for him. With a soft sigh, she focused back on the water mirror. Now she needed to focus on other things…like the enemies of her child.
The raven-haired woman could go back to planning her reunion and the rest of her life with her son later.
A slender hand clad in black reached out and her pale fingers touched the liquid surface, making it ripple and the image changed. This time, it showed her what looked like a manor room with a long table and several people seated behind it.
"So, Tom and his lackeys aren´t idle. This should be interesting," she muttered as she watched what was happening…
Tom sat at the head of the long table, looking around at his followers. Most of his inner circle were present, while others were busy on assignments that he gave them. He didn't expect to hear from them for a while, considering the nature of their roles. However, he was pleased that Severus, Lucius and Fenrir were there with the rest, which meant that there was some new development. So, he patiently waited, until his other followers finished their respective reports, and gave them related orders about what to do next.
Then, he turned towards the trio with the question "Anything new to report about the situation with Potter and the Order?" He felt no reason to avoid the issue and his followers were already informed about his new stance when it came to the boy: Their enemy was Dumbledore and his Order, and Harry Potter was just another victim in the old bastard´s schemes.
"In regards to the Order, they are still stationed in Headquarters, but very diminished," Severus replied. "The Aurors, most of the Weasley family and some of the more morally founded members left and I hadn´t heard from them since. The Weasley matriarch stayed, as did Potter´s former friends for one, including the thief shop owner. I managed to hide my reason behind staying as my ´debt´ towards Dumbledore, so he doesn´t suspect anything. However, what surprised me was that also the mutt and Dumbledore's pet werewolf stayed with the bastard," the potion master finished, making Tom raise an eyebrow, while the others muttered between themselves about this information.
"And why did they stay? I thought they were the ones supposed to care about Potter the most?" It honestly confused him.
"Black seems to firmly believe that somebody kidnapped and ´brainwashed´ Potter. He denies any possibility that Potter has any free will of his own and adamantly wants to find the boy so things can be ´fixed´. The werewolf seems to tag along with it, outside of doing his sad puppy routine," the professor explained with a grimace.
"Fucking pathetic," growled Greyback. "But what could you expect from a coward who denies his own wolf? He dulled his fangs and senses to the point, where he is nothing but a laughingstock of our race."
"Would that have made any difference? Given how loyal he is to the old fucker?" inquired Rabastan Lestrange, out of curiosity.
The feral man glanced at him. "With Potter? Had Lupin been a proper wolf, he would have picked up that something was wrong with him. He would have claimed the boy as a part of his pack, his pup, and because of that, his instincts would demand that he regularly check on Potter and watch over him, even from afar. Rightfully, he should have chosen the teen over the headmaster, even if he saw the man as his alpha. And if he was as smart as Severus claims, he would have found a way to take the boy away and somewhere safe. Particularly outside Britain. I can list at least ten countries that would have granted them asylum if needed since Dumbledore is not universally liked by the IWC."
Some members of the inner circle nodded their heads or snorted in agreement. It was a common subject of their amusement, that while Britain hailed the old fool as the second coming of Merlin, the rest of the world didn´t share his sentiment. And there were even countries that outright banned the man from entering their borders.
"Does Dumbledore have any concrete plan in mind, about what to do?" Tom inquired, returning to the matter on hand.
Severus frowned. "He tried to use his phoenix to find the boy, but the bird refused to listen to him. Now he is thinking about outsourcing, but I´m unsure about how…"
"From what I heard around the office, and Minister let slip without thinking in our conversation, Dumbledore and he plan to contract a group of bounty hunters to track down Potter," Lucius spoke up. "I´m unsure which one, outside of the fact that they´re apparently non-human in nature. Considering the charges over their head and the fact that neither of them are willing to step in to take responsibility, they are hoping to find the boy before the circumstances force them to stand in front of a trail. I´ll keep an eye out, in case I learn which group are they going to contact."
"Do so, Lucius. The last thing we want is for Dumbledore to get ahead of himself and cause a potential international accident…Unless there is a way we can use it to boot him out of his offices," the Dark Lord decided, both pleased, yet worried. He knew of several groups of bounty hunters that were…notorious, for their less-than-legal methods. But then he remembered who was probably protecting the teenager, and he felt like he should feel sorry for the group.
"If they are stupid enough to attack or try something on Erie, then they have to have a dead wish," grumbled Fenrir.
The dark-haired wizard´s head snapped towards the werewolf. "So, it is confirmed that the boy is there?"
"There is no doubt, my Lord," replied Fenrir. "After confirming that King Ghidorah Morgenstern was in Britain, during the time Potter disappeared, I asked around within my contacts in the packs in Erie. They confirmed that there was a special ´guest´ in his castle and his description matches Potter´s, save for the fact the guest is a magical creature. However, considering the teen passed the age of sixteen, it is a possibility we should consider," the werewolf pointed out. "The concrete reason for why the boy is in the castle is unknown, but there are rumours. The main one claims the guest is a heavily abused bearer that the King took under his wing, particularly since he recently found his true mate."
"I see," muttered Tom. On the inside, he winced at the implication of those words. No wonder Potter high-tailed from Britain, once he got the opportunity or was desperate enough to reach out to the King. The Dark Lord was well aware of the horrible laws passed by the Ministry, in regards to bearers. Laws that the old bastard helped to put in place, despite portraying himself as the people´s lover. Oh, how Lord Slytherin wished he hadn´t lost his sanity, because then he would have been able to do something about it, or at least have a more stable ability to fight against Dumbledore.
He could tell that the words had an effect on some of his followers as well, particularly Rabastan, who seemed to shrink in his seat, and Rodolphus warped one arm around his shoulders in comfort. It hit them the hardest, considering Rabastan´s status as a bearer, which he had to hide under the Fidelius, to protect himself. Thankfully, Bellatrix was no longer around to drag the brothers down with her insanity. That was the one thing he was thankful for – Sirius Black killing her during the incident in the Department of Mysteries. At least he managed to put down the mad bitch, before she could do more damage.
With a small headshake to clear his mind, the Dark Lord spoke up: "Now, for the sake of keeping the King out of our conflict, we need to contact him and Potter. If we manage it and reach an agreement with them, then, in case Dumbledore makes the mistake of angering King Ghidorah, we will be left alone." A part of him wished that would be the case, and the headmaster would dig his own grave because it would make things so much easier for them. Even if getting the attention of a Kaiju, the one being capable of wiping out entire countries in one attack, was a bad thing. Let alone someone like King, who has so much influence and respect from the IWC, that he could basically do anything they want. That was the main reason why, the first time around, Tom made sure to keep things in their country and keep a big distance from them. Even in his insane state, he wasn´t stupid or suicidal enough, to start a war with them.
"In that case, I would recommend trying to do it through the Goblins at Gringotts. They´re notorious for their neutrality in these affairs," Lucius claimed.
Tom nodded in thought, already forming plans to arrange a meeting with them. First, he would send a letter to his account manager with the request to arrange a meeting with the head of the British branch of the bank. Then, depending on how that went, he should talk with. After confirming everybody knew their orders and tasks, he dismissed them all and headed to his study to write a few letters…
She tilted her head to the side with a soft humming noise, as she took in what she heard from the Dead Eaters´ meeting. So, Tom had some sense knocked into him and he was already planning to make amends to her child. Well, that was one less problem for her to worry about then. Particularly, considering she already found out what caused him to become Voldemort in the first place. All of that was leading back to Dumbledore and his meddling. All, because he wanted another chance of growing in fame, as defeating another Dark Lord. Well, if he wanted fame, then maybe she should help him by making his death memorable, like using the blood eagle, or trying Vlad the Impaler´s method for example… When it came to Severus, she wasn´t going to kill, but she was punching him. Even if it was James´ and the Marauders´ fault for pushing him that far, he still tormented her baby and never noticed he needed help. Afterwards, she was going to give him a chance to apologize, before deciding what next.
Speaking of Marauders, she thought about what to do about Sirius and Remus. She was still going to kill Peter, the traitor, but that did not change. But those two idiots…she didn´t know what to do with them. A part of her still cared for them, but if they didn´t try to open their eyes to the truth, then she was going to make sure they never hurt her baby. Her baby was her priority first and foremost, and those two could never hope to usurp him. And if they choose Dumbledore over Harry, then they are her enemies and she would make them pay. Just like she was going to make the rest of the old bastard´s followers pay, including the so-called "best friends" of her son. And if any of them somehow managed to get past her or Ghidorah, then they would have another surprise waiting for them.
The thought, of the creature she made for her son killing the members of the Order, made her smile. The raven-haired woman had to admit that she was not holding back when she created the second familiar for her baby boy. Particularly in combining those animals into one. She wanted the perfect protector for him, and she got it. It would take care of Harry and protect him no matter what. Now she just has to wait for the creature to reach the Kitiara and her baby´s reaction to it.
Any guess who is Harry´s mother? The first to get it correct gets to decide what I name Harry´s second familiar!
I give you a hint: that woman isn´t a redhead and she loves canines.
Apropos, I decided to make Harry´s second familiar a combination of two different creatures. Would you like to try guessing?
Also, a question out of honest curiosity - who would you like to have the privilege of going after Dumbledore? Ghidorah and his family or Harry´s mysterious mother?