Harry Potter and the Birth of a New Sun

Harry Potter and the Birth of a New Sun

Chapter 57 - The Birth of a New Sun

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At a podium set upon the large stone steppe just beneath the dragon rookery atop Ostrý Roháč, Arthur Weasley, Great Britain's Minister for Magic, stood before hundreds of wizards and other magical creatures to pay tribute to the dragon Singehorn for services to his country and to the Wizarding world. Beside him stood Jozef Schuster, Slovakia's Minister for Magic, who had just finished a stirring speech praising the role dragons play in the everyday lives of wizards and how important it was, as a sign of true international cooperation, that witches everywhere stop buying handbags made of dragonskin.

The steppe was ringed by a great grassy plane and in the grass sat dozens of dragons that had come from all parts of the globe. They were independent thinkers, some sceptical in the stability of this new peace, others confident that a new age was upon them. All were there to pay tribute to Singehorn. Unbeknownst to Harry, the leader of the Hungarian Horntails had worked tirelessly to forge an alliance with numerous other dragon clans that sought to find a peaceful coexistence with wizardom. It was the reason he had been travelling for so much of the year. Unfortunately, the alliance had not been originally large enough to sway the vote against the Chinese Fireball leader Ti-Lung. When the Hebridean Blacks joined Singehorn's cause, Ti-Lung did not take it well and chose to forgo honour. He chained Singehorn and continued his planned attack of the wizards over Hogsmeade. Talisan, Igneous, Tanwen and the others had come to Singehorn's aid and destroyed Ti-Lung and many of his followers.

It had been a bloody day, a terrible day for all dragonkind, but the dragons circling the stone steppe had chosen to use those memories as a means to move on toward a brighter tomorrow, while the new leader of the Chinese Fireballs, Ying-Lung, had chosen to let the memories blacken his heart with hate toward the dragon that had mercilessly killed his sister in the sky over Terntalag - the new leader of the Hungarian Horntails, Tanwen.

As the speeches continued, neither dragon nor wizard knew that, at that very moment, above the top of the Horntail stronghold, eighteen Fireballs had descended upon Tanwen's sleeping chamber that they might destroy both her and the wielder of the Black Ring of Death, Harry Potter. If the Fireballs moved quickly and decapitated the Hungarian leadership and its wizard Primate, then there was a chance that the impartial dragons below would change their minds and join the Fireballs in an all out attack upon the unsuspecting gathering of wizards. Unable to Apparate, they would be utterly decimated. Such was Ying-Lung's plan of war and, as battle plans often are, it was flawed from the start.

"I will not let this happen!" cried Tanwen as she rose on her haunches and flipped away from Harry and toward the large entrance to her cavern. Draco had just disappeared down that corridor in hot pursuit of Soseh, who had been Tanwen's prisoner only moments before. Soseh would surely have survived such small blasts of flame, but Draco, if he were unable to properly shield, would be ashes. The dragon reared up to fly out, but Harry called out to her and she hesitated.

"You can't go out there!" he yelled. "It's a trap. They're goading you to fly out. Then, once you do, they'll pounce on you and rip you open like a cat might a mouse.

"And why would I believe you?" she yelled. "Two minutes ago, I would have had you ripped open the same way!"

Harry ran around and in front of the large dragon. He could feel the warmth of the air bursting from her nostrils, the odour a mixture of oil and venison.

"Tanwen," he said gently. "You, more than any other, can see into my eyes and know my heart. Regardless of your deeds, I would not wish you harm in any way."

The dragon lowered her great eyes down in front of Harry's face. He saw tremendous sadness there as she began to realize what she had done. She had been consumed by her own anger and though she was beginning to see, pride blocked her vision.

While she stood silent, Harry took the moment to reach out with his mind to the other members of the Votary. They began to instantly communicate with each other, a dozen witches and wizards all speaking to various members at the same time. It was almost as bad as Christmas dinner at the Weasleys. Information of the activity outside was being passed, recommendations and requests were being made and Harry was being asked for the signal to counter attack.

Talisan had fallen from the sky and tumbled down the side of the mountain. Marek and another member, Ohmir, had gone to his aid. The dragons that had gathered in the grass about the stone steppe remained still, but the Horntails that were there had sensed something was wrong and were taking to the air to return to the top of the mountain. Katana was the only member of the Votary down at the ceremony, listening to the speeches. Harry sent word as to what she must do. She had been standing with Charlie and pulled him aside, letting him know what was happening.

"We must not begin a panic," she said, "but Harry needs wizards in the air to create a periphery if they attack."

"Not let them panic?" he hissed under his breath. "We have to tell them what's going on!"

"No!" she insisted. "If the ceremony fails, then the Fireballs will have succeeded in at least one of their aims - there will be no peace between wizard and dragon. Harry asks for more time. Gather your best flyers and get into the air. Tell the people it's just part of the festivities."

Charlie kept clenching his right hand into a fist and releasing it. He didn't like where this could go. His eyes scanned the vast collection of dragons surrounding them. If they turned, it would be one gigantic wizard barbeque.

"Okay, I'll do it."

He made his way through the crowd, first whispering to Ron who glanced over at Katana and then nodded. Ron split off from Charlie and went another direction to find another flyer. And so the paths forked again and again until there were about twenty wizards making their way toward Katana with their brooms. Charlie was not one of them. Instead he headed up toward the podium near where his father sat. With the wave of a finger, he motioned for him to come over and Arthur obliged.

"What is it?" Mr. Weasley said, seeing the apprehension in his son's eyes. "What's wrong?" Charlie told him what he knew and what Harry's plans were. Arthur looked up toward the mountain top, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. The sun had disappeared on the other side, casting a great shadow over the proceedings. Torches had been lit all about, though they were not yet needed. There was a chill in the air, but the late afternoon was quite peaceful. "Are you sure?"

"Dad, you should leave," said Charlie with concern. "If these other dragons decide to join the fray, we're dead. Shield charms will work for awhile, but the earth will surrender what magic it has and the dragons will still breathe fire."

"I thought you liked dragons, Charlie," said Mr. Weasley with a wry smile.

"I love them, dad. You know that. It's just--"

"Go do what you do best," interrupted Mr. Weasley. "And I'll do what I do best. Harry's right. There is a momentous opportunity at our fingertips. Many died because of the darkness Voldemort cast over our country. What irony to think that something so special could be born from such darkness. No, Charlie, I'll help to steady the gathering of wizards, if it is needed. Eighteen Fireballs out to murder us all and Harry doesn't want you to hurt any of them? All I have to do is to trade stories with a bunch of old government officials. Afterwards we'll have to compare notes to see who had the harder task."

Arthur winked and went back to sit down, shaking three or four hands along the way. Charlie turned to see that Katana had already sent the other wizards into the air. He looked back at his dad one more time and then shot into the sky to join the defence.

He climbed to where the others were gathered, hovering in a small section of the sky. High up on their brooms, the flyer's faces were lit by the setting sun as they all looked toward the mountaintop. Ron, who was hovering next to George, pointed at the flying Fireballs as Charlie approached.

"Look at 'em circle," he said. "They look like vultures."

"Two have seen us already," said Olga Fromstein, Chaser for the Heidelberg Harriers. "Yet they ignore us."

"They won't risk letting someone fly out of formation," said Charlie. "They're planning a firestorm like they used on Terntalag. Each dragon must be in the perfect location. Three nearly killed Harry. Eighteen..." He shook his head. "They'll turn the stone to lava."

"We can't just watch him get incinerated!" yelled Ron.

"He told us to stand back and guard the periphery. We can't start a battle. The Votary can handle it." Just then six or seven Horntails rose into the air from behind the walls protecting the rookery. Oddly, they did not fly directly at the Fireballs. Instead they chose a large loop about the mountain. They were quite conspicuous, perhaps dramatically so. When they flew near the wizards on brooms, it was clear to see that a number of the dragons had riders dressed in bright raiment. There was no way the Fireballs did not see them, but still they stayed in position, circling over Tanwen's cavern.

"Why aren't they fighting," asked George.

"Like I said, the Votary can--"

"Hello chaps."

Charlie turned to see Sirius hovering on a broom.

"Didn't think I wouldn't notice something's afoot?" asked Sirius with a smile. "Now, what festivity requires-- oh my." He caught sight of the swirling dragons. "I don't recall seeing 'Fireballs Attack Horntail Stronghold' on the program.

"Harry's in there," said Ron with a tone that suggested Sirius should do something about it.

"Oooh," said Sirius with concern. "Eighteen against one? That can't be a good thing for the Fireballs now, can it?"

"But--"

"I'm sure he and the Horntails have things well in hand." He shifted nervously on his broom.

"Did you see the Horntail down there?" Ron asked, pointing toward Talisan. Marek was working with him. "He didn't handle it so-- what in Hades name is that?" A giant was moving up from the bottom of the mountain.

"Florge," said George. He had spent enough time here during the last battle to know the locals. "He lives in the valley below. He's gonna be pissed when he finds out that his friend Talisan was hurt. If we don't start something, and the Votary doesn't start something, I bet he will."

"We can't let that happen," said Charlie. "Whatever happens, don't let him past the stone walls." He began to order the flyers into position and prepared them for a battle he hoped would never come.

Through Marek's eyes, Harry saw the giant approach. He watched him scream in anger, seeing his friend hurt. The look of anguish was not unlike the expression now on Tanwen's face.

"I would have peace," she said sadly. "But we now have no choice."

"Peace?" asked Harry incredulously. "You let the word roll off your forked tongue like you mean it."

"I do."

"Words are easy," Tanwen. "One does not find peace when an adversary is at the gate by spitting fire at them." He rubbed his temples. Trying to stay in constant communication was beginning to tire him. "It's all I can do to stay in touch with the others. None wishes to hold back. They all want to attack. If that happens, Singehorn will have died in vain." He stepped back from the dragon.

"Let me go first. Let me talk to them. Maybe I can--" Harry sensed the anger flash in Tanwen's eyes immediately.

"You plan to escape! You wish to leave me here alone so they can attack and not harm you!"

"You're speaking madness!"

"No! It's clear to me now." The dragon's eyes were suddenly filled with rage. "You've been lying to me!"

"Stop! Summon them yourself!" Harry argued. "Listen to the Votary."

"Your puppets? Never!" she stepped back against the stone wall and began to mutter gibberish. "Wizards... dragons... they can't be trusted."

She stretched out her wings to launch toward the entrance. Harry held out his right hand and cried, "Stop!" The Ring of Onyx burned upon his finger as he held the dragon's will in his hand. She screamed in agony.

"Traitor! I knew... I knew... Let me go!"

Harry's heart was ripping apart. His whole arm trembled as tears began to cloud his eyes. He was breaking her, he knew that, but he had no choice. Soon, her will would be his. She'd be safe, but she would no longer be Tanwen. He wiped his eyes with his left arm.

"I can't let you commit suicide... I'm sorry."

His forearm began to burn and flash bright red. The dragon writhed upon his skin when, suddenly, the Viswa Vajra flashed bright upon his wrist. He was being summoned. That was clear, but the only one with that power was here before him. He shook his head and concentrated to bend Tanwen's mind. The mark of the dragon tightened upon his forearm. He knew this sensation, but it was impossible. Tanwen screamed again.

Then, a familiar voice whispered in the back of his mind. "Harry."

Unsure if it was a trick, he let his mind travel to the meeting place of the dragon. He was back in the forest where he had last stood with Tanwen in human form. It was as green and as beautiful as ever. The water of the falls tumbled over the rocks, soothing the soul, yet pulsing with power. There, upon the crystal bench, sat Singehorn. His broad face smiled and his yellow eyes glowed with happiness. His whole body seemed to shimmer with a bluish-white aura.

Harry ran over to him, dropped to his knees in the grass at the dragon's feet, reached his arms about him and hugged what he could of the massive man's frame. Singehorn returned the hug, ruffled Harry's hair and patted him on the back.

"Stand up! Stand up, Harry!" he said with a jovial smile. "Come," he tapped the crystal bench, "sit next to me."

"How is this possible?" Harry asked in disbelief. "You're... you're..."

"Dead?" asked Singehorn with a laugh. "Yes... and no. I'm not sure what I am, really. I feel... spread out, but something called to me - your anguish." He shifted uneasily on the bench. "I'm sorry, Harry. I should have known better."

"What? Tanwen?"

"Yes," said Singehorn with a nod and then he shook his head. "I asked you to show her the path, to help her see the way to peace. I should have known that night, after she murdered the Fireballs, when it was not needed. Ti-Lung died in battle, but his children... that was wrong. It was murder, Harry. There was no need for butchery. They had been beaten. They would have returned to the east and, perhaps, their kin would not be outside your door now. I was wrong. Tanwen was lost to us that night."

"I tried," said Harry miserably. "I thought, maybe, she would listen. Now... I don't want to use my power like this, Singehorn."

"Nor should you have to. Release her."

"But if I do, they'll kill her. She's gone mad with rage. How many more must die?"

"I don't know, Harry. I don't know. But any dragon would rather have the chance to be set upon the stars, rather than be twisted by the Ring. Tanwen is a great and noble creature. She is no dog to be taught to obey. Let her go." Harry nodded and stood from the bench.

"Will I see you again?" he asked. Singehorn grinned and stood up, the bench groaning as it released his weight. His massive, clawed hand rested upon Harry's shoulder.

"I hope so, Harry." He faded and disappeared in a twinkling of light, leaving Harry alone by the falls. He hoped that, when it was over, he could return to this place. It was beautiful.

The scene changed to the stark stone of Tanwen's cavern. His arm was still held high and the dragon was still screaming. Harry was winning the battle to take control of her will. Trembling, he let go and dropped his arm. Tanwen roared and took off down the cavern, her large wings beating heavily to gain lift. At the last moment, not really thinking, Harry jumped and grabbed hold of one of the ridges that protruded out from the top of her tail. An instant later he was flying down the tunnel with her, his body being slammed against her scaled hide with each thrust of her wings.

He wasn't really sure why he grabbed on to her. Part of him just didn't want her to go, another wanted to protect her, but as they approached the entrance, he suddenly realised that his decision was a bad idea. In a moment they would be incinerated. He was bouncing so badly he couldn't reach his wand. There was no hope of casting a strong enough shield charm as he had done over the Forbidden Forest. Even if he had the wand, the shield wouldn't last, not with more than a dozen Fireballs preparing to create a firestorm. By the time he seriously considered letting go, they were too far off the ground.

"Igneous!" his mind cried out. That moment they burst forth from the mouth of the cavern.

"You dare to invade my lands!" roared Tanwen, her mind pressed on attacking Ying-Lung directly. But he was much higher than the others and before she could think another thought, the firestorm began. It was as if a giant welding torch had just been ignited. Hoping that the Heart of Asha could contain such intense heat, he used it to pull the energy toward him. It was, at first, working, when all of a sudden two dragons above them screamed and fell from the formation.

On the ground below, the giant Florge had taken a massive stone and cast it into the sky at the collection of the Fireballs. There were so many, it wasn't hard to hit at least one and Florge has struck down two.

"Florge, no!" Harry yelled and then turning to the dragon carrying him higher and higher into the air he said, "Tanwen, stop this madness! Return now before all is lost!"

Singularly focussed on reaching and killing the leader of the Fireballs high above the rest she ignored the parasite on her back. Florge had managed to disrupt the firestorm, but two of the dragons were now turning toward him.

"Run!" Harry called out to the giant, but he just let loose another boulder. This time the dragons were ready. Fire erupted from their mouths and the stone exploded like a giant firework. In fact, with the sky darkening, the crowd below thought that that's what exactly it was. Harry could hear the distant sound of clapping. Another stone and another explosion. 'Ooohs!' and 'Aaaaahs!' sounded from the wizards below.

Tanwen pressed higher. She passed three Fireballs as they slashed and clawed at her. Her right wing suffered a bloody gash along its length, but she continued upward. Six Fireballs closed the gap she was trying to break through. Together, they breathed fire and Harry pulled the energy in with the stone, but their teeth and talons would be another matter.

Suddenly, they exploded apart. At first Harry thought it was another stone from Florge, but it wasn't. It was Igneous, crashing down on the dragons from on high. While the rest of the Horntails had spread out in a circle at eye level with the Fireballs, Igneous used the distraction to climb high above them. He waited for Harry's signal and plummeted downward like a peregrine falcon. The line of defence has been shattered and Tanwen continued to climb.

Now Ying-Lung could be seen. Harry sensed his surprise, his worry. The Horntails on the outer perimeter began to move in when they saw some of the Fireballs begin to turn on Igneous. Harry could hear, but not see Florge cry out in pain from somewhere down below. The battle had begun. If left to play out it would surely spill over the mountain and down to the wizards and dragons below. Harry couldn't let that happen. He began to pull himself up on her back and, again, he considered the black ring upon his finger.

Tanwen was cunning and fast. Quick in the air, her teeth were as sharp as razors. If she reached Ying-Lung, he would be killed. Of this, he was certain. Could the Horntails turn back the attack? Probably. But not without spilling more blood.

"Please Tanwen," he pleaded. "This is our last chance!"

"You summoned Igneous to come to my aid, didn't you?" she asked.

"Yes," said Harry, feeling miserable. "But he's hurt and they're going after him."

"Knowing you commanded it, the others shall follow his lead," she said. "I can feel their approach. I need only finish this last task! The battle is ours!"

Ying-Lung, realizing he was about to meet his doom, chose not to run. Instead, he roared and rained a tremendous fire down on them. Only a few metres from her prey, Tanwen opened her jaws wide to snap at his neck. Before she could clamp down, a dark blur flashed in front of Harry and was upon Tanwen. She screamed in pain. At first, Harry thought it was a small dragon. He climbed further upon her back to get a better look and realized that the creature that had her by the throat was Draco Malfoy in vampire form.

The left side of his body was burned and his left wing looked somewhat withered, but he was stronger than Harry ever imagined, turning Tanwen's head with his bare hands and forcing her toward the ground. They began to slip downward, losing altitude when two Fireballs shot toward them. One grabbed Harry in its talons, pulling him away from her back and the other began to gnash at her right wing with his teeth.

There was a whistling sound as another boulder came up from below. Again Florge struck two dragons - the one attacking Tanwen and Tanwen herself. The sound of busting bones was clear as the boulder crashed into the Fireball and then knocked him into Tanwen. The force broke Draco loose, but not before Tanwen had the opportunity to snap at his leg, ripping it down the length with her teeth. Blood began to spray onto the ground as Draco tumbled downward.

The other Horntails were closing in and Harry, clasped tightly in the Fireball's clutches, saw three wizards on their brooms - Sirius, Ron and Charlie. Charlie had his wand at the ready, tailing the Fireball as it was lifting Harry up toward Ying-Lung.

"What do you want me to do, Harry?" he asked.

"I... I don't know," Harry muttered, truly lost in the fog of war. In seconds the clash would begin. The Horntails had come to Tanwen's aid including the smallest of them all, little Tûzkár. The small dragon stepped out of the rookery stunned at what he was seeing. As he stood there, the largest of all the Fireballs, his eyes flaming red, shot down toward him.

In wizard years, Tûzkár was no more than a ten year old. He'd travelled with his father, Talisan, to Britain, but was sheltered the whole time. Now, his father was injured and the little dragon had been called. Harry could sense the dragon's fear, battling with his desire to help his father and the leader of the Horntails, Tanwen, who even now was falling like a rock from the sky.

The large Fireball, Shi-Le, was a great general in Ti-Lung's army. He had fought off many Wizarding attempts in China to take dragons from the Fireball rookery. He was old, far older than his appearance revealed, and he held no love for wizards of any kind. Plummeting toward Tûzkár, he began to blow a plume of fire and then, as if realizing what he was about to destroy, stopped. Stalling in his attempt to kill the child, he just hovered above Tûzkár, his massive wings darkening the sky above the small dragon. Harry could hear Shi-Le's thoughts. He was beginning to hate what they were doing, what they were becoming.

"Dragon, upon dragon," he muttered. "This is not what Ti-Lung wanted."

The rest of the Horntails arrived. Those without riders engaged the remaining Fireballs and began to slash and tear at each other. Antreas sat upon Casinius, the only green Horntail in the flight.

"Let us engage, Primate!" he yelled as Harry was being taken higher into the sky. If Harry was to play king in this Arthurian tail, Antreas would most certainly be his Lancelot. If the goal were to win the battle and destroy the Fireballs, Harry needed only to say the word.

"STAY BACK!" he yelled instead.

As Harry feared, the continued fighting did not go unnoticed by the wizards below. From this height, Harry could see a sea of people begin to move toward them. A few had already made it above the ridge and stood in awe at the cause of the fireworks they had been seeing only moments earlier. They were not alone. A number of the dragons had risen into the sky. First upon the ridge stood Arthur Weasley, Katana at his side. As he implored the wizards, so too did Katana beg the dragons not to press into the fray.

"Sirius, keep them back!" Flying fast on his broom, Sirius broke away toward Arthur.

Ending their fall of hundreds of feet, Tanwen and the Fireball hit the ground with a sickening crack. Neither stirred upon the earth below, but the Fireballs were too busy to celebrate the moment. Dragonfire and hatred filled the air as they fought tooth, nail and breath against the Horntails. The dragon holding Harry presented him like a dead chicken to Ying-Lung.

"Tell the Horntails to retreat and I will spare their lives as well as your own."

"And the other wizards on the mountain?" Harry asked.

"Join me in their destruction!"

Harry tilted his head to one side, almost as if her were considering the offer.

"I see below, your general, Shi-Le, is a dragon of great honour. He will not kill for the sake of killing. Such sport is for protection and for prey, no more. You know this! These precepts span the ages long before you were born. Singehorn--"

"We will no longer stand by while wizards treat us as dogs! Singehorn could not see the future as do we."

"If you follow this path, Ying-Lung, your future is naught but death. You will be, as Tanwen below, but broken bones."

As the battle raged around them, Shi-Le roared sending a plume of flame into the air. Harry heard him call for help, although the translation was awkward. Still hovering above the frightened Tûzkár, he sure didn't look like he needed help. Suddenly, the dragons in the distance, which to this point had been independent, began to fly toward the fighting. As they moved out, the swarm of wizards beneath them broke over the mountain. With that, so did Harry's heart. It was over. Things were bad, but he had still held out hope. Now with all parties pressing forward, there was no hope to be had.

"You think your precious Singehorn so special?" Ying-Lung yelled. "Your leader was false! Ask any Centaur. No new star has been born in the heavens since his passing into dust. The Truly Great Dragons know of his treachery and defy his ascension!"

"Singehorn only ever wanted peace. Peace between dragons, peace between wizards, peace among all--"

Harry stopped. The sea of wizards was breaking into groups spreading out like ants on the barren mountain landscape. One such group had already surrounded a fallen Fireball. He had expected to see them destroy it, but instead they were each holding out their wands, bathing it in blue light, attempting to heal its injuries. Another group was moving out toward Marek and the injured dragon, Talisan. A few moments later it became clear; Arthur Weasley was organizing a makeshift field army of healers, consisting of some of the finest wizards on earth.

The dragons, each from a different corner of the globe, pressed toward the dragon holding Harry and Ying-Lung, then suddenly broke off guided by the Horntails and the members of the Votary who resisted the temptation to fight. Groups of a half-dozen or more clustered together, much like the wizards below, then intervened in each of the individual skirmishes raging across the sky, working together to pull the adversaries apart. It felt like an eternity until the fighting dragons turned their attention from each other and saw what was happening around them.

Arthur and Katana had reached Tanwen and the Fireball next to her. Harry could tell from Katana's heart that it did not look good for either dragon. Near the rookery, Shi-Le stood next to Tûzkár, his wing protecting the smaller dragon. They watched silently with sadness in their eyes, the sadness of an innocent child and the wisest among them. The fighting dragons, both Horntail and Fireball, ceased their battling and allowed themselves to be escorted to the ground.

"Is this what you fear Ying-Lung?" asked Harry. "Singehorn's dream is coming true before your eyes. You need do nothing, but let it happen! We can stop the bloodshed now! The Fireballs are noble creatures and deserve a better ending than this."

Ying-Lung moved toward Harry and held up a long sharp talon directly over his heart.

"It is but a pause, Primate. Your leader is beaten. If I destroy you know, there may be hope that the--"

There was a flash of purple light. When Harry opened his eyes, Ying-Lung's front claws were bound and Draco was wrapped about the dragon's neck, his wand at Ying-Lung's throat. The lower half of his body was caked in blood.

"Harry, tell the bastard to surrender, or I'll kill him! Assure him, even in my weakened state, I know how. I was taught by Dakhil Barghouti."

"I can hear you myself, young one," said Ying-Lung with an almost pleased expression. "So you are Dakhil's protégé. You remind me of him in many ways. A moment ago you saved my life, but now you wish to end it."

"I wish for you to surrender, nothing more."

Perhaps because his dragons had already stopped fighting, perhaps because he had other plans, Ying-Lung withdrew his claw from Harry's chest and pulled in a great breath. Then, almost as if releasing a tremendous sigh, he exhaled a puff of white smoke that floated upward in the air. It was a signal to cease the attack.

"I knew before I came, Harry Potter," began Ying-Lung, "that you would survive this night. I assumed the Seer's words meant that I would die on these grounds. I never dreamed... I'm beginning to believe the stories about you, Primate. Tell me, why do your people heal those that would destroy them?"

Harry's thoughts travelled instantly to Katana, who asked Arthur Weasley. Standing back from the healers working on Tanwen, he looked up at Harry and the others. His face was covered in ash and grime. He was at the bottom of a small valley and everyone was looking down on him. Haggard and yet energetic, he held his wand to his throat so that all could hear.

"Words, Harry," he said, his voice echoing both up and down the valley. "Just words. For the last three hours we've all been talking to each other about peace and the meaning of true cooperation. After awhile, I think we began to actually believe that it might be possible. But words... words are easy. Committing them to action... now there's the rub.

"We all questioned in our hearts what we might do when the moment came that tested those words. None of us dreamed it would come so quickly, but we are blessed that it did; for the words were fresh in our minds and the belief was earnest in our hearts.

"We have come to see the realization of Singehorn's dream, a truly great vision from a truly great dragon!"

Everyone cheered and the dragons roared and the earth moved. And then a rumbling of murmurs began from the wizards below as they looked up at Harry and Ying-Lung.

"So be it," said the leader of the Fireballs. "We will seek peace with wizards!" There was another roar among the dragons. "To make that happen, Harry, I will need help to understand their ways." Draco released the bindings about the dragon's claws and relaxed his stranglehold, but not completely.

"You should begin your own Votary, Ying-Lung," suggested Harry.

"My thoughts exactly," said the dragon, his eyes narrowing. "And I would start with the one who saved my life this very evening - the protégé of Dakhil Barghouti. The mark is already set upon him and I see that in his heart there is no great love for wizards, perhaps because he is no longer fully human."

"I'm human!" asserted Draco, but Ying-Lung ignored him, speaking instead to Harry.

"Yet you, holder of the Heart of Asha, consider him a friend?"

"I do," said Harry. The murmuring below was growing louder. Perhaps they were anticipating what was about to happen.

"What say you, Draco Malfoy?" asked Ying-Lung. "Do you think yourself brave enough to join with the Fireballs as we begin a new age?"

There was a pause as the general unease of the wizards and dragons below grew greater.

"Werewolves," said Draco. "What about werewolves? Would they be able to join this little club of ours?"

"Excellent... yes," said Ying-Lung. "Let us see how truly willing the Wizarding world is to seek true cooperation among all of Earth's creatures."

"Very well," said Draco with a gravelled growl, releasing Ying-Lung and taking to the air. It was clear by the laboured strokes of his wings that he was injured more than he was sharing. "We have an alliance."

Ying-Lung breathed out and a flame of blue touched Draco's forehead. His body began to glow and, in mid-air, his human form could be seen, the mark upon his forearm wrapping higher until the dragon clawed upon his shoulder. The glow disappeared and Draco was a vampire again.

"Well that was--" he began, but short shrieks from below stopped him. People were pointing at them, but then Harry realized that they weren't pointing at them, but beyond them, higher into the sky. He turned to see; Draco and the others followed.

The swirling flame that had for so long filled the sky was spinning in on itself. It looked like a giant compressing galaxy with great glowing arms that swung out in long arcs of blue and red and gold. The whorls reminded Harry of the mark beneath the dragon on Patrick's arm - the rune of life, death and rebirth.

The glowing arms were slowly spinning, moving toward their centre which Harry knew to be in line with Mars, though the planet could not be seen through the great light building at the spiral's core.

Along with Ying-Lung, the dragon holding Harry descended to the ground and released him as they stood their, looking up at the celestial event unfolding before everyone's eyes. Tighter and tighter, the spiral accelerated inward upon itself. The centre grew brighter and brighter until, all at once, the light completely vanished, like some interstellar vacuum had sucked it all away. In the absence of the light, there hung the red planet Mars, the same familiar planet they all knew, but perhaps a bit dimmer than it had been these past many months. There was a beat... maybe two. And a pulse of blinding light flashed outward, dwarfing the light of all the others stars and filling the sky with one last roar of fire - a roar they all could hear. The mountain filled with shrieks, but the light diminished until a steady yellow ball of flame remained, brighter than the moon, but much smaller. It spread a new light upon the Earth, turning twilight to daylight once more.

"A new star," Ying-Lung whispered. "Singehorn has been set upon the heavens and shines more brightly than all who went before. A Truly Great dragon."

"SINGEHORN!" the Horntails roared.

"SINGEHORN!" the valley and all its inhabitants echoed. Shi-Le, the eldest of the dragons there and the greatest general of the east, flew and lit upon the stone wall protecting the rookery.

"He has been born a star!" he called out. "The greatest star in the history of their births." All cheered. Harry held his hands together and fingered the Ring of Onyx. With it he spoke to all assembled in their own language.

"No! This is no mere star. It is the birth of a new sun!" he called out loudly. "It is a new light that now shines upon the Earth as a reminder of what was sacrificed that we might find peace among all our kinds. It is a beacon that will guide us to push back the darkness wherever it may lurk and bring forth the light of a new day!

"That new day begins now! The time for gazing at the heavens can wait. Let us now turn to one another and offer aid. Help the injured, feed the hungry. Let us set into action the words that have led us here."

At once dragons and wizards alike returned to the task of caring for the injured. Harry turned at once to help Tanwen, but Katana was already at his side. Together they had seen many deaths, but he had never seen her cry before now. He knew at once Tanwen was gone as was the Fireball at her side.

"I'm sorry, Harry," said Arthur Weasley. "They had both passed before we arrived. There was nothing we could do." Harry nodded, but there was far too much work to be done to dwell on death. He spun back to Ying-Lung who was already being tended to by Marek. Draco stood at his side, transformed back into human form, he looked more like overcooked hamburger meat than human. Ignoring his own injuries, Draco was locked in an intense, though silent, exchange with Ying-Lung. A woman came running over to his aid. It was Soseh. Harry's heart leapt.

"You're alright!" he cried, running toward her, but she pushed him aside.

"Out of my way; out of my way!" she insisted, swerving past Harry to tend to Draco's injuries. It took a moment for Harry to realize that Sirius was trailing behind her, exhausted and out of breath and carrying a large satchel strapped over his shoulder.

"She's an old woman for Merlin's sake!" he panted. Harry laughed slapping him on the shoulder. He looked about by the light of the new sun and saw everyone working to help in whatever way they could. The stone stirred beneath his chest, filling itself on the positive energy. The moment Harry thought he might go to help another dragon, a group of wizards or dragons was already there to assist. He was smiling, wishing Gabriella were here to share this moment with him, when Draco called his name and not in a way that made Harry feel good.

"Potter!" he snapped. Harry turned and was amazed to see that his friend already looked more human than hamburger. The burns were nearly completely healed and continued to fade even as Draco's eyes grew more concerned. "Harry, we have to go!"

"Why?" Harry asked, stepping closer. "What's wr--"

"Oh no!" whispered Soseh, covering her mouth. She had seen Draco's thoughts before he shared them, and a look of fear was filling her eyes.

"Harry," said Draco, taking him by the arm. "Ying-Lung says that the Fireballs did not just attack here. They came to destroy Tanwen and you, and everything that belonged to you both." Harry shrugged.

"So. I don't have anything. Maia already took Gabriella from me. What possession--?" He stopped himself short. "Jamie... the castle," he whispered, his own eyes growing large. "Just today, Sirius gave me the castle.

"Ying-Lung! Stop them!" Harry yelled. "Tell them to return!"

"I can't," said Ying-Lung, his eyes truly pained. "Our Seer said you would still be standing when the battle was done. I thought it meant that, here, we would be defeated. We knew of the ring you wear. It has the power to twist my will to your own. If I were to call them back, they would only think the battle here had been lost. Their orders were to destroy everything they could find, no matter what I might have them do."

"But my family is there!"

"I know, my friend. I know."