"Beauty is rarely soft or consolatory. Quite the contrary. Genuine beauty is always quite alarming." ~ Donna Tartt, The secret history
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Now that everyone was on the same page, Harry repeated his request to Dobby.
'Dobby, can you get to Kreacher and tell him that the dragon he saw was me?'
'Certainly, Harry Potter sir!' Dobby exclaimed enthusiastically.
'Good. Tell Kreacher to find his master and do the same,' Harry instructed.
'And Dobby, make sure he knows it's safe,' he added for good measure.
After all, he didn't fancy the idea of his godfather attacking him due to surprise and fear.
Dobby nodded vigorously, his ears flapping.
'Dobby will do exactly as Harry Potter sir says!' he said and disappeared with a loud crack, leaving the three magical creatures alone in the hollow chamber.
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Dobby felt the other elf through his master's soul, Kreacher, as he called him.
Although the Great Harry Potter Sir wasn't Kreacher's master, he was next in line to become so, and thus they shared a bond.
The house elf appeared in the kitchen of 12 Grimmauld Place, where he was sure the other elf was located.
However, no one was there.
Dobby frowned, his large ears drooping slightly in confusion.
He had been certain Kreacher would be there, but the whole house was empty of any living presence.
Atop the kitchen table, plates were placed haphazardly, as if someone had left hurriedly.
Confused about his mistake, Dobby decided to search the rest of the house for any signs of Kreacher or the master of the house.
Room by room, Dobby searched, his large eyes scanning every corner and crevice.
The drawing room was empty, as were the bedrooms upstairs.
The first and most obvious thing that was wrong with the house, was the absence of people.
Human houses were meant to have people living in them.
The second thing that rang alarms in his little head was the overall mess in the house.
Furniture was overturned, books were strewn across the floor, and curtains were torn.
The front door had been torn off its hinges, but that wasn't what caught Dobby's attention most.
No, that was the humongous hole in the middle of the house.
The gaping hole extended from the topmost floor all the way down to the basement, creating a vertical chasm through the entire house.
Dobby wondered what kind of a spell could cause so much damage.
In the end, though, Kreacher was not there and that's what Harry Potter Sir had asked him to find.
Dobby closed his eyes and concentrated, reaching out with his elf magic to sense Kreacher's presence again.
After a few moments, he felt a faint trace of the other elf's magical signature coming from somewhere else.
'Far, far away,' the elf mused and, with a deafening crack, disappeared yet again, this time to Skye…
Dobby found himself in a kitchen, again.
Unlike the previous kitchen though, this one was clean and organised.
The gleaming countertops and spotless floors were a stark contrast to the chaos Dobby had just left behind.
The other big difference was an elf which was busy polishing silverware.
Dobby immediately noted down the older elf's appearance.
Kreacher was a little bit shorter than him and unsurprisingly, sported their universal bat-like ears..
His skin appeared to be several sizes too big for him, hanging in folds, and he wore a filthy rag not unlike the rag Dobby himself wore once.
The young elf had gotten rid of the despicable clothing when Great Harry Potter Sir helped him escape his old masters…
Dobby approached cautiously, though with pride as he was now a Potter elf.
"Kreacher," he called out.
The older elf snapped back, his bloodshot eyes showing surprise and narrowing suspiciously at the newcomer.
Kreacher was about to jump on the invader when Dobby quickly raised his hands.
"Dobby comes with a message from the Great Harry Potter Sir!" he exclaimed quickly and earnestly.
Kreacher paused dead in his tracks and another look of surprise flashed through his eyes.
His suspicion was not entirely gone but he chose to consider the other elf's words.
After a tense silence, Kreacher spoke, his gravelly voice laced with suspicion.
"What message does the dirty young master have for Kreacher?" he asked, his bloodshot eyes narrowing as he awaited Dobby's response.
"Great Harry Potter Sir wants the bad elf to know that the dragon he saw was him," Dobby explained and took offence at the other elf's description of his master.
Dobby frowned at Kreacher's disrespectful words.
He knew the Great Harry Potter Sir was kind and good, not dirty or bad at all like Kreacher had suggested.
He wanted to correct the wizened elf, but he reminded himself of his task.
Pushing aside his feelings about Kreacher's rudeness, Dobby relayed the rest of the message.
"Great Harry Potter Sir also wants Kreacher to find his master and tell him the same.
Kreacher's expression shifted from suspicion to bewilderment.
After a moment of contemplation, Kreacher nodded slowly, his wrinkled features settling into a look of grim acceptance.
"As you say," he muttered and without another word, he disappeared with a loud crack, leaving Dobby alone in the kitchen.
The young house elf felt a sense of accomplishment at completing his first task given by the Great Harry Potter.
Dobby was daydreaming, imagining of how he'd inform his great master about his success when Kreacher returned.
The older elf's sudden reappearance startled Dobby out of his reverie.
"Traitor master Sirius wants to see Harry," Kreacher croaked, talking for the man next to him.
Sirius Black stood proud and confident in all of his restored glory.
The man's raven hair was thick and shiny, falling in a neat, wavy style.
His tall and lean build filled out again, brimming with strength and vitality, and was emphasised when he moved closer to Dobby.
"What's this about Harry being a dragon?" Sirius asked bewildered, his voice a mixture of curiosity and concern.
Gazed by those steely grey eyes, Dobby felt compelled to answer.
"Sir, Harry Potter Sir, has become a dragon. Great master also wants me to take you there and make sure that you know it's him," Dobby eagerly explained.
Sirius's eyebrows shot up in surprise, but he quickly composed himself.
Just what else did his godson get into?
First, there were the dragons, then that striking Veela girl…
'I'm not jealous. Totally not jealous,' he repeated inside his mind before pushing the thought away.
"Alright then, take me to him," Sirius said and heaved out a sigh.
Before reaching the young elf, Sirius turned to Kreacher.
"Kreacher, stay here. I might be out for a while," the finest, according to him, marauder commanded.
The old house-elf nodded grudgingly, his bloodshot eyes following his master as he prepared to leave.
"Let's go then," Sirius said, reaching out to take Dobby's hand.
Without any preamble, they disappeared from the kitchen, leaving behind a grumbling Kreacher.
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Harry stopped mid-conversation and watched in amazement as something peculiar happened before his eyes.
The air in front of him began to shimmer and distort.
He watched in fascination as the very fabric of reality rippled and warped. A vortex of magical energy began to coalesce, forming a swirling portal of violet-ish light.
As the vortex reached its crescendo, Harry sensed the imminent arrival.
The magical energies converged and intensified before collapsing inwardly with a resounding snap, that echoed through both physical and magical realms, and Dobby appeared with his godfather in tow.
Said godfather's eyes widened as he took in the sight before him, his jaw dropping in astonishment.
There, towering above them, was an enormous dragon with scales as black as lustrous dark steel, and eyes that glowed with an otherworldly green light.
Thankfully, Sirius was warned beforehand and could sense the familiar presence emanating from the beast – unmistakably, undeniably Harry.
"Merlin's beard, Harry," Sirius breathed, taking a tentative step forward, "you really have outdone yourself this time."
He found himself torn between facepalming and congratulating his godson.
After a moment of stunned silence, he shook his head and chuckled, his eyes twinkling with a mix of amusement and pride.
"Only you, Harry, could manage to turn yourself into a bloody dragon," Sirius said finally.
Over the past month, the two renegades met a lot.
They spent most of their time training together, occasionally taking small breaks to enjoy each other's company.
They both managed to grow significantly, with Harry continuously learning and experiencing new things and Sirius relearning stuff he had forgotten…
That was how the two men grew closer and Sirius managed to coax out of Harry that he was going to undergo a ritual.
Harry assured him it would cause no harm, but remained tight-lipped about the details.
"I suppose this means our next quidditch game will be quite different, eh?"
Sirius's jest was met with a low rumble from Harry, which the man interpreted as a chuckle.
Connecting the dots, the last Black concluded that Harry didn't know how to turn back as he would have done so already.
"So, pup," he said, a mischievous glint in his eye, "I take it you are stuck having scales for skin?"
Harry let out a low rumble that Sirius interpreted as confirmation and just to be sure, commanded Dobby to speak for him.
'Tell Sirius that I want his help to transform back,' Harry said through their bond.
Dobby nodded eagerly and relayed the message to Sirius, "Dragon Harry Potter Sir wants help to transform back to Great Harry Potter sir."
"Are you sure? You'll never have to worry about getting a sunburn again," Sirius quipped, his eyes twinkling with mirth.
Harry's answer to that was a deafening roar that shook the ground and scared Sirius shitless.
"Right then, let's figure out how to get you back to your less scaly self," Sirius said, and four sounds of mirths followed.
A thunderous roar, a melodious trill, a menacing hiss, and a squeaky laugh echoed in unison.
Sirius couldn't help but join in, his barking laughter echoing through the chamber.
As the laughter died down, Sirius cautiously approached Harry, maintaining a respectful distance from the massive dragon.
Alright, Harry, let's start with the basics. Try to focus on your human body, visualising every detail of it in your mind," he instructed, his voice calm and reassuring.
As Harry concentrated, closing his enormous dragon eyes, Sirius continued.
"Picture every aspect of it - your hair, your eyes, your hands. Imagine this form slowly enveloping you, gradually replacing your current body. Feel the transformation beginning at your core and spreading outwards. Let the change flow through you naturally, like a gentle wave washing over your entire being. Embrace the sensation of your human self re-emerging, allowing it to guide you back to your original form."
Transforming back to human form, even for the first time, wasn't hard.
Becoming a creature though, that was hard…
Especially so for the first time.
You had to forego your birth form, the one you've lived with every day of your life.
It was a leap into the unknown, requiring courage and trust in one's own magical abilities.
But now, returning to the human shell?
It felt like returning home, a natural transition.
That's why Sirius' instructions were enough for Harry to begin the transformation.
Harry felt a tingling sensation spreading throughout his massive draconic form as he tried willing his body to shrink and return to what it always was.
Gradually, the transformation began to take hold.
His scales, once gleaming and impenetrable, started to recede into his skin, leaving behind smooth human skin.
The massive wings that had adorned his back folded inward, shrinking and disappearing as if they had never existed.
His elongated neck and tail began to retract, his body slowly compressing and reshaping itself into a more familiar human form.
The process was mesmerising to watch, as the majestic dragon form melted away, revealing Harry beneath it.
However, something was wrong, terribly wrong.
The transformation was progressing at an alarmingly slow pace, far exceeding the expected duration, and as the seconds ticked by, Harry found himself engulfed in an increasingly intense wave of discomfort.
What had started as a mild tingling sensation quickly escalated into something far more severe.
Excruciating pain now coursed through every fibre of his being.
ROAR.
ROARRRRRRR.
The agonised roars echoed through the chamber, causing its walls and floors into a constant state of shaking.
It was miraculous that the chamber didn't collapse from the tremors.
ROARRR.
The agony was unlike anything Harry had ever experienced before.
Sirius eyes were widened with concern as he watched his godson struggle through the painful transformation.
The marauder held his wand, desperate to help but unsure of what he could do.
Casting spells at someone during mid-transformation could be dangerous, potentially interfering with the delicate process and causing unforeseen complications.
That was why he stashed his wand back to its holster.
His heart ached as he witnessed Harry's agonising struggle, silently willing his godson to persevere through the ordeal.
Trilll, trill.
Fawkes let out melodious trills, his phoenix song washing over Harry and providing a small measure of comfort amidst the excruciating transformation.
Despite Fawkes' efforts though, Harry was still in agony.
Every moment seemed to stretch into an eternity as Harry struggled to complete the conversion, leaving him trapped in a nightmarish limbo between his dragon and human forms.
As the pain kept intensifying, the climax of the transformation proved to be the most excruciating.
Harry's hair, unruly as ever, sprouted from his scalp, replacing the horns that had crowned his dragon form.
His eyes shrank to accommodate his human body, retaining their brilliant green.
The last to change were the claws which morphed into human hands and feet, followed by his teeth which receded into normal human dentition.
ROOOOOOOOOAAAAARRRRRRRR.
After what seemed like an eternity, which took about half an hour, the transformation was complete.
Where once stood a formidable dragon, now stood Harry Potter in his human form.
Exhausted and disoriented from the intense transformation, Harry's legs buckled beneath him.
His vision swam and the world around him blurred into a dizzying kaleidoscope of colours, prompting him to close his eyes.
With a pained groan, he collapsed to the ground, his body trembling from the exertion.
The cool earth beneath him offered little comfort as he struggled to regain his bearings, his mind still reeling from the extraordinary experience of shifting between two vastly different forms.
Sirius rushed to Harry's side, concern etched deeply on his face.
"Easy there, pup," the dog animagus said softly as he gently placed a hand on Harry's shoulder.
"You had me terrified there for a moment," he added, his voice filled with relief and helped Harry into a sitting position.
His eyes scanned his godson for any signs of lingering pain or discomfort, and he found plenty.
Harry's face was pale and drawn, his body still trembling every few seconds.
Despite the successful transformation, it was clear that the process had taken a significant toll on his godson.
"There, there," Sirius murmured, gently rubbing Harry's back.
"Just take deep breaths," he said and conjured a bed for the boy to lie in.
Harry gratefully sank into the soft mattress.
As he lay there, his consciousness slowly returned to him and he steadied his breathing.
"God help me, I'm not doing that ever again," Harry rasped out, his voice hoarse and barely above a whisper, and Sirius agreed.
Watching his godson going through so much pain, unable to help him and unsure if everything was going to turn out alright…
It was an experience Sirius never wanted to repeat.
"I'm glad to hear that Harry. I'm glad to hear that," Sirius said tiredly.
He pulled Harry into a gentle hug, careful not to aggravate any lingering pain.
He was unsuccessful though as Harry yelped a curse.
"Let's get you some rest and maybe a bite to eat. You've been through quite an ordeal," Sirius said after getting back up, but Harry wasn't paying him any attention.
Because when Sirius hugged him, he finally opened his eyes and…
"Sirius, why is everything so colourful?" Harry asked.
"What do you mean, pup? Everything looks normal to me," Sirius said and looked at Harry with confusion.
'Perhaps something went wrong,' Sirius thought to himself anxiously.
Harry, unaware of his godfather's worries, blinked rapidly, trying to make sense of the sudden shift in his perception.
The world had transformed into a dazzling tapestry of vibrant energies, and the very air around him shimmered with faint, swirling patterns.
'Just like the apparition I saw before,' Harry belatedly realised.
However, this time they were everywhere around him.
It was as if a veil had been lifted, revealing a hidden layer of existence that had always been there, just beyond his perception.
Harry's eyes widened as he took in the sight of Fawkes.
The phoenix was a beacon of blazing magical energy, its feathers seeming to emit waves of golden light that rippled through the air.
Overwhelmed by the sudden influx of sensory information, Harry felt his head spin as he tried to make sense of this new, vibrant view, and closed his eyes,.
That turned out to be a mistake though, because just as he stopped looking, he started feeling.
The magical senses that he had lost during the ritual, returned, but with an intensity he had never experienced before.
He could feel everything.
The magic of the chamber itself pulsed around him, a steady thrum.
He could sense Sirius's magic radiating off him in cold waves, and even echoes of the ritual that he performed before.
It was all-encompassing.
Harry felt as if he was drowning in a sea of magical energy, unable to distinguish individual sources or find his bearings.
Unable to control his new sense, which kept filling his head with more information, Harry fainted.
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Harry's eyes fluttered open, his vision slowly coming into focus.
Immediately, he noticed the previous swarm of colours from before and closed his eyes, not wanting to worsen his skull-splitting headache.
His mind felt foggy as he struggled to remember what had happened.
Soon enough, the memories of the ritual came back, as did all that followed.
"Oh shi-" he managed to curse before his brain started registering all the magical signatures nearby.
"Harry?!" Sirius exclaimed as he rushed to his godson's bedside.
Before Harry could respond, the overwhelming sensory knocked him off once again.
Sirius watched helplessly as Harry slipped back into unconsciousness, noting the anguish in the youth's face.
The situation was becoming increasingly worrisome, and Sirius knew he needed to find a way to help Harry.
When Harry came to for the second time, Sirius was ready.
"Harry! Thank Merlin, you're awake," Sirius exclaimed, relief evident in his voice. "What's happening?"
Harry groaned, his eyes closed shut against the onslaught of his sensory input.
"Everything's... too much," he managed to rasp out, "I can see and feel magic everywhere, it's overwhelming."
Sirius frowned, his concern deepening.
He had never heard of such a side effect from an Animagus transformation, albeit he hadn't heard of anyone becoming a magical creature either.
And Harry became a dragon…
Then, there was the ritual Harry had performed, which Sirius knew nothing about.
"Alright, pup. Is it your feeling magic that makes you faint?" he asked gently, trying to gauge the situation.
Harry managed a slight nod, that made Sirius' heart crack a bit.
Sirius's mind raced, trying to think of a solution.
His thoughts flashed from tome to tome that he had studied, searching for any little tidbit of information that could help his godson, and to his own experiences.
Suddenly, a memory surfaced.
It was a charm he suspected McGonagall knew by heart and one he should have probably gotten familiar with as well.
James, even, used to tease him about it.
"An Animagus with a mammal form who inherits their animal's heightened sense of smell in human form could face several challenges. Everyday environments might become overwhelming, as the subtleties of scents that go unnoticed by ordinary humans would become pungent and unavoidable. The smell of perfumes, food, or even unwashed clothing could be distracting or nauseating. Navigating public spaces like crowded streets or subways might become a sensory overload…" and so droned on the dry text of "The Beast Within" by Elias Selwyn.
Next to that page though, was a spell, meant to help an animagus who found themselves in such a situation.
Sirius remembered how when he first transformed back, he was lucky to have inherited a heightened sense of smell.
It had caused some annoyance in the start but since it wasn't too strong, he managed to mostly ignore it until he got the gist of it.
While this wasn't exactly the same situation, he wondered if the spell could help Harry.
"Harry, I want to try something," Sirius started slowly.
"I'm not sure if it will help your case, but I'm confident it won't do anything to worsen your situation," Sirius explained and waited for Harry's approval.
"Anything that will take the pain away," Harry mumbled weakly, his eyes still tightly shut.
"I'm going to cast a charm on you now. I know that spell temporarily reduces the intensity of an animagus' sense of smell while human. I hope it works for every trait inherited from the animal instead of just the smell. Just stay still and let me know if you feel better."
With that, Sirius raised his wand and prayed that the spell would provide some much-needed relief for his godson.
"Sensoria Minora," Sirius intoned, waving his wand in a precise motion.
A soft, shimmering light enveloped Harry, and for a moment, nothing seemed to change.
That was just for a moment though, as Harry's tense expression relaxed and his breathing became more even.
"Thanks, Sirius," Harry said gratefully, his voice still a bit hoarse.
"That's so much better. I can still feel the magic, but it's not overwhelming anymore," he added as an afterthought.
Harry slowly opened his eyes, ready to shut them close at the first sign of discomfort, and blinked as he adjusted to the new sensations.
The overwhelming flood of sensory input and magical awareness had subsided to a manageable level, allowing Harry to focus on his surroundings once more.
He still saw splashes of colour where they shouldn't be and weird patterns dancing across his vision, but it was no longer overwhelming.
With a sigh of relief, he turned to Sirius, a weak smile forming on his lips as he slowly sat up.
"Thanks," Harry said again, prompting the older man to frown.
"I'm your godfather kid. That's what I'm here for. You don't need to thank me for taking care of you," Sirius said seriously and Harry just nodded, not showing just how much Sirius' words moved him…
Harry glanced around the chamber, taking in the now-muted display with fascination.
"So, what now?" he asked, suddenly feeling so exhausted that he could barely keep his eyes open.
Sirius noticed Harry's fatigue and gently placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Now, you need to relax," Sirius said sternly and paused for a moment, "You've been through a lot, and your body needs time to adjust. You can figure out those new abilities of yours later, but for now, just rest."
He conjured a glass of water and handed it to Harry.
"Drink this and try to get some sleep. We will talk more when you wake up and I can teach you that spell I just used."
Harry nodded and took ahold of the cup.
A wave of relief washed over him as he sipped the cool water.
'I wonder if I could replicate the spell myself,' he mused, his mind drifting back to the magical input he'd sensed when Sirius cast the spell.
As he settled back onto his bed, Harry's thoughts drifted to the spell.
'Sensoria Minora,' he tried in his thoughts.
A sudden inexplicable and deep need to cast the spell filled his being, prompting him to take out his wand and cast the spell…
However, exhaustion soon overtook him, and he found himself drifting off into Morpheus' realm.
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Thanks to these legends for their subs: Meruem Astro, Hroghtar, Gábriel Egyed, Cody Dennis, Elizabeth Dawson, Max Brown, singin johsnon, Lape99, Chrystopher Nardiello, and last but not least, Shadow king.
[p=a=t=r=e=o=n=.=c=o=m/Mr_0ne]: Chapter 21 - Water and fire don't mix
Or do a Google search of 'p=a=t=r=e=o=n= Fake Violinist'.
[d=i=s=c=o=r=d=.=g=g/NJ3WV9RVgR ]: I'm alive!