Chapter 23. Opening.

Voldemort heard in aggravation the pitiful screams of the prisoners as he crucioed them. He was furious. Already five days and not a trace of the Malfoy boy could be found! Bellatrix continued in coma and he couldn't get from her the information he needed to track down the people who might be helping the boy. The rest of the Death Eaters that had accompanied him were notoriously weak, Greyback included, and Lucius... He rather not thought about Lucius. Callous Nott and Snape had also vanished, and while he had and idea of where Nott could have hidden his family, Snape was the one he wanted to put his hands on.

Once, Bella had mentioned a place that all the dragon bonded could enter. Where the portal was. She had never been able to take him there as the doors she used to enter simply disappeared whenever others apart from her were around. Not even polyjuice could fool the blasted doors. He had sealed that portal, and he had assumed that no one would be able to enter the place where it had been located, but it was possible that the boy could have found a way into it. After all he owned the last Rainbow Dragon.

Voldemort raged. It should be him the one having that dragon! The creature's power should be his! He had had such plans! With that dragon and the horcruxes that guaranteed him immortality he could become more than a simple wizard. Why, he could be a God! The Dark Lord seethed in fury at the thought that a simple child was standing in his way. It incensed him to think that he had spent years looking for the elusive dragon, thinking that the Potter boy was the one to have it, for surely that was the power that he supposedly knew not. And what other way could there be for the brat to have survived the Avada Kedabra?

And it had turned out that the creature had always been there. At his immediate reach! He could have only asked Lucius for his son when the brat had been borne and he would have had the dragon! Stupid misleading prophesy! And Bellatrix! She had been stupid also. Not telling him every single detail. Not telling him all the names he needed. Letting Snape pass unnoticed! It was as if she had betrayed him herself!

Voldemort abandoned the dungeons where a few rebels were still convulsing in agony and went to his rooms. He needed to think. Britain was already his. The few groups that still foolishly opposed him had been scattered and were weak and divided. His reign was starting to take shape. Soon he will be able to open the isle and resist the probable retaliation from the rest of the wizarding nations. They'll have no choice but to recognize his rule over wizarding Britain and then he will plot the better way to conquer them all. All the nations will tremble before him!

The fact that the wizarding world was not good at diplomatic relationships will work for his intentions. Each country was an isolated unity and everyone preferred to be let alone and in peace to govern as they saw fit. As far as the wizarding world was concerned, international relationships were non-existent; except for a few cases concerning Quidditch, races, and the protection of some magical creatures. The Triwizard tournament had been the most that some governments had been willing to engage in to show interest on international competition that didn't involve brooms. But if some country was facing political troubles, the rest just stood by and let it face the music alone. That had happened the first time that Voldemort had tried to raise to power, and it was happening at the present moment. Grindewald had had more attention, but that was because he had stupidly raised a World War, getting the muggles into the mess before securing his own power. Voldemort wasn't going to commit the same mistake. When the rest of the nations realized his intentions to govern them, it'll be already too late.

But to secure his victory he needed to be mighty powerful. Immortality wasn't enough. He was already the most powerful wizard in history, of that he was sure, but he needed more. He needed complete control over magic. The kind of power that could create and destroy worlds. He had spent years researching, looking for ways to achieve such power, and no one was going to stop him!

He thought again about the Malfoy boy and wondered. Where could he have run to? Potter was with him, but he had already searched every possible hide out that the Order of the Phoenix had. It was very convenient to have a spy other than Snape amongst the enemy ranks. Still, this time his prevention was fruitless. The only place that was not inspected was Hogwarts, but the castle was still closed, or at least it appeared to be so. He had gone every day and looked for every entrance. There was no way in. Another remote possibility was the very place where the portal had once been, in the event that it had not been destroyed when the ritual had closed the magical portal, but even then, Bellatrix had assured him that only a dragon-bonded could enter the place, he himself had confirmed it. And no one but the blond boy had a dragon-bond anymore. Surely Potter had not left the boy alone, not in his... peculiar condition. That was a thing that sincerely mystified the Dark Lord. How on Earth had the Malfoy boy managed to get pregnant? And why in Merlin's name would he want to do such a thing? Someone was plotting something, and Voldemort wanted to know what it was!

He decided to order vigilance on every place that might serve of hiding out. Even the most unlikely. He had to find that dragon soon. Supreme power was just around the corner, and he was not going to miss it.

In the end, Harry insisted on going with Snape. He didn't trust the man as far as he could throw him, and he wanted to make sure that he wasn't playing any tricks on them. Besides, he really needed to get out; he was getting desperate with the lack of activity. He was prepared to oversee the fact that he and Snape would likely kill each other the moment they were outside the chamber. He was ready to accept any risk that would take for him to get some action. He also was tired of being the only one who was never told about the important things. He felt like he was being made fun of, and he was intent to stop it. So now, he decided, he will go with Snape and he will see what the situation in Malfoy manor was first hand. He was not going to give Snape the chance to keep more secrets, and he was going to be the one to decide if the manor was safe enough for Draco or not.

Snape protested that Potter's company was unnecessary, and that he would be a liability in case of danger. But Salamanca pointed out how restless the boy had been, and that it would be wise for him to get out of the chamber for a while, so they could have a bit more time if things didn't go smoothly with the manor. Snape grunted and accepted the Gryffindor tagging along unhappily.

Draco didn't like Harry going either. He wasn't feeling well, and was extremely nervous. Since he had woken up he had tried to reach Sally. He could not feel her, but he knew that she was deep inside him. However, he was getting increasingly worried. He could feel his core fighting to maintain its levels of magic and not depleting. He feared that the energy of the spell that had bound him and Sally was about to end, and he won't have any chances of survival if it did.

Also, he had been nursing a stomachache since the previous day and the dizziness would not go away. He didn't want to worry the Gryffindor boy, but he was afraid of staying apart from him for too long. He had the irrational fear that something bad was going to happen if Harry went away. But he understood that soon the magic of the chamber was going to force them to leave and they needed a place to go. He doubted about the safety of Malfoy manor, but if they could somehow made sure that the Dark Lord was no longer allowed inside it, and if they could manage to ward it, then he was more than willing to return to it.

Still, why did Harry have to insist on going? Draco wanted to scream at the boy to stop been so suspicious and just let the adults solve the problem. But Harry was not like that. He had been lied to so many times that trust was something he didn't give easily. He just had to have some measure of control or he was going to snap soon. Draco had had no other choice but to accept that Harry needed to go, and had assured the Gryffindor that he was going to take care of himself and follow the mediwizard's recommendations.

Truth be told, he felt like utter shit. He was only out of the room because he had to be present, so the portal could open. Besides, he wanted to see the other boy leave and show him that he was in perfect health, so Harry could rest and focus on the task of securing the manor.

A small group of people was with them when they stood in front of the glowing portal that had the Malfoy cot of arms on the threshold. Snape and Harry would be able to enter the manor without danger of being discovered. They'll find the elves and gave them Draco's instructions. The blond boy looked worriedly at the portal. He was aware that he was walking slowly and that his legs felt like they were going to gave in. He tried to look as normal as possible and hide his discomfort, so Harry would not worry about him.

He knew that he could make Harry stay, but the black-haired boy was going to be restless and questioning Severus' motives. He would make the decision to go hide into the manor more difficult than needed. Draco had decided that it was easier to let Harry go and see for himself that Severus was not going to backstab them.

He was telling himself that it was going to be only for a short time, and that Harry will be back within the day. But he couldn't stop the anxiety watching the portal glow in front of them and Snape and Salamanca agreeing on last minute precautions. He clenched Harry's hand nervously and the Gryffindor turned to look at him.

"Will you be fine Draco?"

"Yes. Don't worry. Just be sure to be back soon, please."

"As soon as I'm sure of the safety of the place. I've been talking to the mediwizard, and he tells me that you'll be much better in there because it's your ancestral home and its magic is more compatible with yours."

"You're thinking an awful lot about my well-being."

"I made a promise to you. I don't trust these people enough, but they apparently want to prevent Voldemort from gaining more power. We are pretty much stuck with them until I can find and destroy the last artefact. May as well take their help, and if we are successful and Malfoy manor turns out to be a good and safe hiding place, then we can bring the others in and maybe set some kind of headquarters for the rebellion. Then we'll be less dependent on these people's good will."

Draco pressed his lips. Harry hated to have to depend on others. Especially when they were virtual strangers, and at least one of them was a person that he loathed. Draco sighed and Harry took his chin tenderly.

"Are you sure you'll be ok? You look pale."

Severus' voice announced that they had to get going, and Harry looked at Draco's eyes worriedly. The blond boy had for a moment the urge to ask Harry to stay with him. But he berated himself. He was being irrational, Harry was not abandoning him, and Snape would work faster with the help. He shook his head and tried to sound reassuring. He ignored the dull pain in his stomach that was increasing.

"I'm fine. I'm only tired, and I think I need something to eat."

Harry frowned and looked around. Salamanca, Paraximedes and two other wizards were there. He directed his words to the witch.

"He should go rest."

The woman smiled and put a hand on Draco's back. The boy felt his legs like jelly, but he forced himself to make a last effort. Harry kissed his temple.

"I'll be back soon."

"Go on Mr. Potter. We'll take care of him."

With a final look to Draco, Harry crossed the portal, followed closely by Snape, who also looked at the Slytherin boy and gave a significant glance to Paraximedes before going.

Draco looked longingly at the portal for a moment. Then Salamanca softly pulled him and he started walking towards the stairs. The witch frowned. Draco looked like he had trouble walking. When they reached the stairs, and the boy looked upwards the dizziness made his sight swam. He gasped and grabbed the railing with a hand. His legs were trembling. Salamanca was concerned.

"Draco, what's wrong?"

"I-I don't feel very well. I don't think I can climb the stairs."

Sudden stabs of pain in his stomach made him double over and moan. The mediwizard was beside him immediately, casting diagnostic spells. Someone put a vial of potion in front of him, and he gulped all of its contents. The pain receded a bit, and suddenly he found himself being carried on someone's arms. He no longer cared. He just wanted to fall unconscious and will every problem in his life away.

Severus and Harry were confronted with a set of stairs that took them to a narrow door. They opened it and found themselves inside a walk-in closet. Harry at first thought that it was a small storage room, because it was dark and he could not see clearly what the shadowy lumps around him were. Then Snape had illuminated the room and Harry nearly gaped at the actual size of it. The entire Gryffindor room could fit in the place! The ceiling was low, but there were clothes covering two walls, and a third had lines of shoes and accessories. Harry frowned at a full size mirror and was thinking uncharitable things about Lucius Malfoy's vanity when he realized that everything was woman's clothing. Snape scoffed.

"This is Narcissa's closet. The master bedroom should be at the other side of that door. Unless they have separate bedrooms. Some purebloods still use to do it."

Harry rolled his eyes and followed Snape out of the closet. They ended up in a big bedroom, with forest green and golden tapestries. An entire wall was covered by tick blood red curtains and there were rich carpets over the floor. The central piece was a king-sized bed. The headboard was richly carved with serpents and flowers, which Harry thought odd. The covers were blue with strange figures in brown. A huge dresser was in front of the bed with a mirror which mahogany frame was in the shape of a phoenix. The dresser was full of little fairy figurines, boxes of porcelain with small jewels, bottles of perfume and other necessities for women. Snape frowned.

"Narcissa's room then. Let's see the rest of the manor."

"Strange place for a secret portal if she's not part of all this."

"The room surely was occupied by the last of the Malfoy's that..." Snape's voice suddenly vanished, and the man scowled in annoyance. He thought for a moment and changed his words. "It has been a long time since there was a Malfoy with 'remarkable' power. Surely the order of the rooms had changed since then. I seriously doubt that Narcissa had ever been aware of the door in her closet."

Harry looked at the room suspiciously, and then he shrugged and followed Snape into the hall. Two house-elves appeared in front of them immediately, demanding to know how they had gotten into the property. Harry presented Draco's wand, while Severus took out the message that the blond boy had written with instructions for the elves to assist them in whatever they required. The little creatures were supposedly able to identify Draco's magical signature from both the wand and the written message. The two elves frowned at the parchment and at Severus. Once they had been used to the man coming and going along with their previous Master, but he had stopped his visits some time ago. They related him with Lucius "associates" and were fearful that their new master would want to continue with such company. However, neither of them spoke their fears aloud. They recognized Draco's letter and disposed themselves to comply with their master's wishes.

Snape suggested that they searched the manor, looking for traces of dark magic or possible traps that the Death Eaters may have left behind. He instructed the house-elves to show them primarily the rooms that the Death Eaters had occupied, specially the Dark Lord. The implication that they were there to secure the manor and procure that it was free from the Death Eaters' influence eased considerably the elves' fears, and the little creatures hurried to do what the wizard had ordered.

While they were going over the ballroom, Harry asked the house-elves something that had been nagging at his mind.

"I'm curious, how do you know that Lucius is dead?"

The elves flattened their ears and seemed to sneer. Snape didn't reprimand the boy because he too was interested in the answer. One of the elves disappeared for a moment and returned clutching something in his hands.

"House joining family many generations. Heads making magic bonding with them. They making a ring. Family heirloom, very powerful."

"Ring is here now. It came alone. Means that Head of family changing. Previous orders no longer valid. Master Draco needing ring to master house wards. Master Draco needing coming fast."

The elves gave the ring to Snape, who checked it for hexes and traps. He didn't want to give Draco a portkey. It was a simple ring, silver with the cot of arms engraved. Once he was satisfied that the piece of jewellery was not dangerous he pocketed it, ignoring Harry's deathly glare.

"We'll make sure that he gets it. Now let's finish with this."

They continued going through the house, making sure to dispose of everything that the Dark Lord or the Death Eaters might have left behind.

Draco groaned in pain again. He was lying on a divan that someone had conjured near the stairs in the main chamber. The mediwizard had checked him up, and had not liked the results. The strengthening potions were no longer making a difference and he could feel his core trying unsuccessfully to pull more magic into him. He was working himself into a panic. There was a feeling of sudden emptiness inside him and he could only relate it to Sally. He tried with all his might to find the connection with her, to feel it flaring, even if it was weakly. He was half-listening to the conversation around him, and didn't like the way things were going.

"His body is under so much stress. It's trying to change again."

"That can't happen now! What about his dragon?"

"I can't feel the dragon's aura anymore. It probably has gone dormant and its magic is no longer supporting the boy's."

"What should we do? Do we bring Mr. Potter back?"

"It won't make any difference. The connection that is missing is the dragon's. Nor Mr. Potter or any of us can supply it."

"But there must be something we can do!

"We have little choice. Without his dragon's help he won't be able to keep his body stable. He had had so much stress as it is. He needs to recover strength, so he could summon the bond again. A male-pregnancy is not possible while the bond is dormant."

"So, he's going to lose the child and start over again?" Said one of the other men anxiously. "How long would it be for him to recover enough to sustain the bond with his dragon?"

"I don't know. We really ignore the nature of the spell that confined the dragon in him. His bond activated when his magic was reaching its peak, so I suppose that he has to regain at least that much strength for the bond to be active again."

Draco closed his eyes painfully. It was not going to work. Sally was not going to wake up again. The magic of the original bond that Sally's mother had created had been consumed. The only thing that could save her was to open the portal between worlds, so she could be free of his body and go to the dragon realm to mature. Another strong wave of pain hit him and he cried. The mediwizard hurried to his side.

"There's nothing we can do. I have some potions to help him, they'd make the process easier."

Draco grabbed the sleeve of the mediwizard's robe and tried to concentrate on forming words rather than the pain.

"N-no... please... I-I have to..."

Salamanca sat down at his side, and gently caressed his fevered forehead.

"Easy Draco. My boy, it's for the best. It'll be better for you to recover, to get stronger, now you can't possibly sustain your baby."

"N-no... Y-you don't... understand... I-I won't get better..."

"You will Draco. We'll find the way to protect you and then..."

"People? We have a serious problem." Another man interrupted. Salamanca turned to look at him.

"What is it Horace?"

"The passages. They're closed."

The witch and the other two wizards were momentarily stunned.

"What?" The woman breathed. Paraximedes went to confirm the man's asseveration.

"It's true. We're trapped!"

"Of course." Said the other man. "His dragon had truly gone dormant again. There's no dragon energy to call to the magic in the portals."

"It's like the first time. When the dragon died and hide its cub, the portals immediately closed. Only there was no one inside the chamber at the time."

"Yes, that's true Horace. But now... What are we going to do? We have to find a way to get the boy out of here!" Salamanca was now upset. This was definitely bad. The other man spoke.

"Why we don't try the ritual?"

Everyone looked at him in consternation. He shrugged.

"The boy is in the seventh month. The child can be borne."

"But Augustus, there is only a slim chance for the baby to survive."

"It's still a chance. If his or her magic is as strong as we hoped then it'd make it. It's really the only choice we have, none of us will survive in here long enough for the boy to recover his standard level of magic again. As you said Paraximedes, there's no telling how long it will take."

"We won't have another chance." Said Horace, looking remorseful. "We were careless. We should have go with Severus and risk the possibility of having to confront a trap. Now it's all lost!"

"Not all. I insist! We can provide enough energy for the boy to give birth. We have all we need for the ritual. It has all been prepared since we knew of the boy's pregnancy!"

Draco trembled in fear, but he tried to sit up. The mediwizard tried to stop him.

"Draco, stay quiet. You don't have to..."

"No! I have to! We won't get out of here any other way... We'll die here and we'll take the wizarding world with us... Ooow!"

Another wave of pain and he could feel wetness between his legs. He pressed his lips together and felt a strange sense of detachment. He was in too much pain to be embarrassed. Salamanca helped him to sit and was partially supporting him while talking with the others.

"Paraximedes, do you think he can make it?"

"We in St. Mungo's have saved five months new born children. The baby has a chance if we help to sustain Draco's body long enough for him to finish the delivery."

"And do you think it would be enough for the ritual?"

"I don't see why not. The ritual is actually simple. It doesn't specify a certain number of people to take part on it, besides the one giving birth. We should be enough."

"We must be enough!" Said Augustus. "We have no other choice!"

"Draco." Salamanca still looked worriedly at the boy. "Are you sure?"

"Let's just bloody get it over with!" Said the boy exasperatedly. It was not as if she was really worried about him, and it was a very bad moment to start feeling guilty for his condition.

Salamanca sighed and understood the sentiment. She and Paraximedes helped Draco and got him ready to begin the process.

Snape knew that something was wrong. He had known since he had last looked at Draco and the feeling had only increased. It was a sensation of foreboding at the back of his mind. He stopped his search of the dungeons and looked worriedly to the exit. He noticed that Potter had started to walk towards it. The boy had a frown on his face and was restless. Snape tried to suppress the urge to snap at the young man. Instead, he walked towards the door that lead back to the manor's cellars. There was little more they could do anyway. They had spent nearly two hours wandering the manor and his unease would not go away. The house was as safe as it could possibly be. The wards had to be resettled, but he needed Draco's presence to do that.

Harry was walking faster. The look on his face was one of pure concern.

"Calm down Potter. We'll be returning soon enough." He said, partly to also reassure himself. The boy shook his head and looked at him. Snape didn't like the fear he saw in Potter's eyes.

"Something's wrong professor. Something's really, really wrong!"

Snape scowled at the boy and wondered if he could feel Draco more strongly than the rest of them. He didn't entirely like that thought.

"Could you be more specific Potter?"

The boy stopped, and clenched and unclenched his hands a couple of times. A perplexed expression was on his face.

"I... I don't know, I just... It's just that I have this feeling that someone is calling for me... And I just know it's Draco, I'm sure and I don't know why! And now I'm not making any sense and it just sounds stupid!"

The boy stomped to return to the lasts cells of the dungeon, feeling frustrated and angry with himself. But Snape paused to consider the young man's words. The boy had a deep connection with Draco. Much deeper in fact than they had been expecting. The bond between them was almost as strong as one created by a mating ritual. And he remembered how weak and unstable Draco had been. The blond boy had not looked good when they had left the chamber. Maybe they should listen to their instincts and just return.

Snape walked decidedly to the exit door and called for Harry, saying that there was nothing more they could do to safeguard the manor. The boy was walking alongside him in an instant.

The potions master was horrified when he realized that he couldn't feel the flow of magic in Narcissa's room. There should be a certain amount of power emanating from the Chamber's door. There always was. He hurried to the closet and stopped right in front of the place where they had come out. The wall looked plain and unmarred. There was nothing that could tell of the existence of a door. Snape paled dramatically and put his hands over the wall.

"No... It can't be..."

"What's this? Where's the door?" Asked Harry, looking like he wanted to hex the wall. Snape retreated a few steps, feeling numb.

"It's closed. There's not enough magic to keep it open." He started to explain to himself. He wanted a reason why the door was closed again. Any explanation but the one that was the most probable. "Yes, that should be it. The magic in the chamber is been used to keep Draco well. Surely they closed the portals to save energy."

He didn't pause to consider the fact that it was highly improbable that magic accumulated for centuries was spent in a matter of days by a boy. In no way Draco could have assimilated that kind of ancient power in so short a time. But he put those rational thoughts aside and stubbornly clung to his own weak explanation. Harry was a step from uncontrolled panic.

"What? Well, do something! We have to get in somehow!"

Snape frowned and with trembling hands he sent Potter away, just to confirm that it was not his presence the reason why the portal had decided to close. Harry did as told distrustfully, but even when the closet door had closed firmly behind him there was no change on the wall. Snape touched it again, murmuring ritual words in vain. Finally he just turned around and with hurried steps he went out of the closet and the room. He passed a frantic Potter on the hall and continued his way to the front doors of the manor. Potter's voice carried to him in nearly a yell.

"Professor! Where are you going? What are we going to do! We need to return!"

"There's nothing we can do here." He answered through gritted teeth. "I need an entrance I can open with my magic."

"What? And where is that?"

Snape paused. He had intended to go to his own home, but Potter could not enter Prince's manor. He raged for a second against his bloody ancestors who had built the manor in a way that no one that was not a Prince for blood or marriage could enter it. Then he made an effort to calm himself. Potter couldn't enter the house per se, but he could get into the grounds. They could take the cellar door and be directly under the manor without the boy actually stepping inside the building. The cellar had been constructed after the wards had been woven into the manor's stones. He started walking again.

"We'll aparate to Prince manor. There's another door there, and it's attuned to my magic. I should be able to open it."

Harry followed him, asking what was going to happen if that door was also closed. Snape refused to answer. He was busy convincing himself that the Prince's door will be open. The alternative would mean that something had happened to Draco's bond with his dragon and Snape really didn't want to imagine what exactly that something could be.

Both wizards got out of the manor with barely an assurance to the house elves that they were going to retrieve Draco and that they'll bring him home as soon as possible. Snape started crossing the grounds, aiming for the entrance to the property. He couldn't reset the wards, so they had to walk out of them to be able to aparate. They exited by the main door and Snape hurried to where he knew was the apparition point. He was so worried and Potter so anxious, that neither of them remembered to be cautious. So, when the hexes came they were nearly hit. Only sheer luck and quick reflexes saved them from been instantly captured.

Confused and with their nerves on end, they retaliated with all they had. Their attackers were wearing auror robes, but soon three Death Eaters came out of the shadows and Snape and Harry were forced to take cover. Malfoy manor was surrounded by a meadow with scarce trees and prominent rocks. There was a forest in the distance, too far to be of any use. Snape and Harry relied mostly on their ability to fight back and prevent being captured. Snape soon realized that the Death Eaters must have put antiaparition wards over the entire area. Desperation made him fight harder, and together him and Harry were able to keep their attackers at bay. But they needed to think of some way to escape soon, before they got too tired.

Draco screamed again and focused on pushing. He was in the centre of a five-point star, kneeling on a blanket that was all between him and the cold floor. He had barely noticed the moment they had put him there and didn't know what else was around him. Neither was he paying any attention to the proceedings of the ritual. His only task was to be there and give birth, so he was putting every ounce of his effort into that. He had no more attention to spare. There was something hovering above his head and Draco had clung to it and squeezed strongly as the waves of pain shocked his body. He was slightly worried that the thing would break and then he'll be left without any support to keep him from falling.

He could not believe that the delivery process could last hours, as he had been informed by Hermione. The girl also had made him read the few books about pregnancy that Mrs. Weasley had managed to snatch from her house. Everywhere was specified the frequency of the contractions and the baby's development with the many positions it could be inside the womb. How mother and baby should be positioned in order to make the delivery easiest and many techniques to do it correctly. Nowhere had said how much pain was involved!

Draco thought he was going to die. Fortunately, the people taking care of him had actually been desperate enough to have everything prepared way before hand. The ritual was in fact easy, and they had had brewed the necessary potions that would accelerate the delivery process, so instead of having to endure the pain for several hours, Draco got to give birth in forty minutes. Those were the longest forty minutes of his life. He swore that if he survived he would never complain of anything to his mother. The whole experience had given him a renewed love for Narcissa Malfoy, and he intended to make her happy for the rest of her life. If he survived. Which was looking more unlikely by the minute.

He screamed again and felt clearly something coming through between his legs. It stayed there and Draco felt that he had no more energy to continue pushing. He was drenched in sweat and desperate to get more air into his lungs. However, the potions they had made him take will not allow his body to stop. Another contraction came by. It seemed stronger and to last way longer than every other before. Draco was about to black out. His ears were buzzing and the only thing he could see around him was light. Brilliant, blinding light. His screams grew stronger, and for a second he wondered if he was actually hearing himself or some other noise, far away from him, that could easily be more screams, crying, or a loud and distant roar.

Harry was getting tired. They had managed to resist for several minutes already, and their enemies were frustrated and angry at their inability to break Severus' perfect defence. They were against an auror and two death eaters now. They had already incapacitated three of the attackers. But they won't last much longer, and the death eaters seemed to know it, renewing the force of their attack.

Harry's mind was trying to find a way to escape, when suddenly he froze. There was... something. Someone was screaming. He had the feeling that the world had suddenly stopped. He blinked twice in confusion, and Draco's wand flew from his hand. Belatedly he realized that someone had managed to disarm him. He looked at the two men that were approaching him with wands raised, and thought that he could hear Snape yelling at him, but he couldn't move. A sudden fear had taken hold of him and he couldn't explain where it had come from. In the next instant his core started to vibrate and Harry gasped in surprise. His magic was apparently restless. He could feel it running through his body, intensifying. It was odd. For a moment he had the absolute certainty that something was calling and that his magic was answering back.

The death eaters in front of him stopped some meters away from him, still with their wands poised to attack. Then something bizarre happened. The air around them felt charged with energy. There was a sound like something moving fast above them and then the earth under them trembled with enough force to make them almost lost their balance. Harry had time to realize that something big had landed behind him and to appreciate the look of terror on his attackers' faces before a potent roar was heard and a column of purple fire came running mere meters at his side. The screams of terror and pain of Death Eaters and aurors resonated in the meadow.

Harry looked in astonished terror at the purple flames creating an inferno in front of him. He was still frozen to the spot and didn't want to turn around. The loud roar was heard again and that forced him into motion. He jumped to the side and turned, calling automatically Draco's wand to him. He grasped the piece of wood and released it the next second due to it being extremely hot. He cursed under his breath seeing the creature now in front of him. It was a dragon. A full-grown dragon, roughly the size of a Ridgeback, with iridescent scales and wings that were almost translucent. It had two horns on its head and the tail ended in the shape of an arrow. It was black but the iridescence of its scales made it look like there was purple, blue, and gold alternating along its body. It was magnificent. And undoubtedly deathly.

Harry retired a couple of steps, mindful of the flames still roaring and praying to all the gods that the creature just lose interest in him. But then he noticed that the dragon's green eyes were not on him, but on a spot a few paces at his right. Belatedly he sensed Snape walking by him, getting closer to the big creature. Before Harry could yell at him in warning, the man had raised his arms towards the dragon, which had lowered its head. Snape's face had a look that Harry could only classify as pure elation.

"Ah, Obsidian. At last!"

The next instant Severus Snape was hugging, or at least trying to, the Dragon's head. The creature took a relaxed posture and folded its wings, letting the man touch it at his heart's content and making a grumbling noise that could very well be the dragon's equivalent to a purr. Harry stood with his mouth hanging open. His mind resisted to acknowledge the reality of the bizarre image in front of him. He wondered absently if someone had actually managed to curse him and he was hallucinating.

He had no time to think too much about the strange situation. A big shadow passed over the entire scene and seconds after that, another vibration of the ground announced the landing of yet another creature. This time Harry did lose his balance and fell. He tried to turn around quickly and was frozen in terror. It was another dragon, bigger than the first one for a good eight meters, and with the same iridescent scales, only this one seemed to not have a defined colour. It just looked bright and eerie. It had landed practically in the midst of the flames caused by its comrade, and was leaning towards Harry in a way that its head was practically hovering over him.

The boy looked up from his position on the ground to stare into vibrant yellow eyes. He was half sitting on the grass, leaning on his arms to maintain his torso upright, very aware that he was gaping like an idiot. His brain had apparently decided to shut down and he couldn't do anything to comprehend what was going on.

Suddenly, the dragon emitted a low growl and Harry realized that he wanted to get the hell away from there. He started to crawl backwards and the big eyes followed his movement in an unnerving manner. He heard in the background Snape yelling at him.

"Stay where you are Potter!"

Harry wanted to turn around and gape incredulously at the man, but he didn't dare to take his eyes away from the dragon. He snapped back instead.

"Are you crazy? That's a dragon there! We have to get away now!"

The dragon's head got closer and its eyes narrowed. Harry remained still for a moment, trying to quickly calculate his next move before the creature decided to attack him. But the attack came too fast for him to realize what had happened until it was too late. A deep roar and a sudden movement of one of the dragon's legs and sharp talons had slashed Harry's left arm. The resulting gash started to bleed profusely. The boy screamed and lay on the ground, looking in terror as the big head approached him. He tried again to crawl back.

"Remain still Potter! The pain will only last a few moments!"

Well, evidently Snape wanted him to be eaten! Harry threw him an accusatory glance, thinking every foul word about the traitorous bastard, who by the way had not been attacked by any of the two creatures. He was wishing he had Draco's wand to curse the man when a wet and slightly rough tongue lapped once at his bloodied side. Harry yelped in fear and tried once again to get away, but an enormous paw on his way prevented him from doing so. Snape started yelling at him again.

"Potter, you have to take the blood! Lean onto it Potter!"

Harry blinked, absolutely befuddled. The dragon nudged at him with its paw and the boy noticed that it was indeed bloodied. He stared at it, thinking that Snape must have been mad. An impatient growl and another not to kind nudge made him look around in panic.

"Do it Potter! Nobody denies a Dragon! Explanations will come later!"

Another voice, deep and rough was heard and Harry almost went into shock realizing that the dragon was speaking.

Ignorant! Is this how you prepare your hatchlings human?

"We had no choice!" Answered Snape. If Harry had not already been beyond shocked he would have been bemused at the desperate tone in the man's voice. "We had been cursed. All of us! He has to make the... He has to be one of us for he to be trained!"

Foolish! Whoever concocted the mad idea of doing things backwards? Wizards I'll never understand!

Harry was by then convinced that he was having a very bizarre dream. The Death Eaters surely had crucioed him to madness and this was all a joke from his own mind. The lack of blood on his arm, despite the deep slice on it, only confirmed his suspicions. The dragon did something like a snort and put its paw a bit forcefully in front of Harry's face, growling once more.

You're lucky boy, that you resemble your father at least physically. Even if he was a bit mad himself.

Harry had not the mental energy to be more surprised. He looked at the blood dripping from the paw and almost mechanically reached for it. Without really thinking what he was doing, he lapped, and the rich coppery flavour invaded his mouth. Almost instantly he felt his magic flaring, growing, reaching outside him. He gasped at the overwhelming feeling and fell backwards. His magic found something. It was powerful and was intertwining with his core. Harry felt lost in a world of energy. He was exploding. Some part of his mind still registered Snape's voice.

"Potter, listen! You must repeat the words! Do it or you will die!"

Harry wondered which words was Snape talking about, but then the same rough voice resonated in his head.

'Blood of my blood, running through your veins. May our ancestors' promise be true and our races prevail. As long as magic survives together we shall remain. Until death says otherwise.'

Harry repeated the words automatically, and everything around him flared in a multitude of colour.

Moody was pacing restlessly. He had just gotten rid of Hermione and the twins asking again about Potter's whereabouts. The teens were worried beyond what was reasonable and seemed to think that if they were insistent enough Moody would take them to their friend. The grown-ups were no better. Apparently the only thing that was preventing McGonagall from outright order him to tell them how to contact Harry was that they'd been forced to keep moving from one hideout to another. The Death Eaters seemed also determined to find them, and they wouldn't be paying that much of an effort if Voldemort already had Harry.

He huffed. The place where they were at the moment was some kind of cellar under a house in the outskirts of Grimsby. It was spacious enough, but he felt constricted and claustrophobic. So he directed himself to the door and got out.

He walked around the small yard for a few moments. The feeling of restlessness only got stronger. He looked over to the limits of the property. He knew that they were near to a road, something the muggles called a highway, and there was really nothing to see. There was a line of trees some meters away that hide a small river from view. Everything else was field. He walked towards the trees almost without thinking. Halfway there he started to feel it. His magic. It was flaring. He stopped in his tracks astonished and started to pay attention. His core was humming with magic. He could feel how it was running through his body, increasing in energy. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. It was magnificent. He was whole again! He concentrated on the trail of energy that was his bond. It was great to be able to feel it again. He experimentally tugged at it and it flared in response. And old and missed presence was grumbling in his mind. Moody felt like scream out loud in elation. He was there again! His beloved dragon was back! But that meant... Shit. Moody released a string of creative curses. He needed to find a gate to the chamber. He needed to see what had happened.

He was about to apparate away when he heard a noise from the nearest bushes. His wand was instantly out and he threw a hex in the noise's direction. Someone squealed and a voice yelled with urgency.

"No! Stop Moody, it is we!"

The twins got out from their hiding place with scowls on their faces. They had both luckily avoided Moody's hex. The man gritted his teeth at them.

"What are you two doing outside? You're supposed to remain in the cellar!"

"You too old man!"

"Yeah! Where are you going?"

"If it's to see Harry we're going too!"

"Yes! We only have your word that he's ok, and quite frankly I'm not sure I believe you!"

Moody huffed in irritation. It had been hard enough to explain how he knew that the Dark Lord had used ancient magic to break the fidelius. He didn't need the Weasley twins following his every step in the hopes that he may lead them to Harry. He was about to send them packing when they heard a strange noise. Like a big bird approaching. He looked up in time to see two big shapes pass above them. Their shadows made the twins look up too and they gaped at what they saw.

Two translucent dragons were making circles in the air. Both of them suddenly dived at the same time and landed some meters away from the group. Their enormous heads turned and one of them roared in a somewhat lazy way. The twins stood there thoroughly dumbfounded. Moody emitted a painful sigh.

"Just my rotten luck that I'd be the one near by when THIS happens to you two! Can't be helped I guess."

Both young men looked at him with equally shocked faces, and Mad Eye snorted.

"Well, don't waste time! You follow my instructions exactly and when we're finished we'll go to find Potter!"

The twins were simply too far into shock to protest.

Somewhere, Bellatrix woke up with a start. She looked blankly in front of her for long minutes, her mind trying to grasp where she was. Soon a sense of foreboding invaded her, and she screamed in overwhelming terror.