Harry Potter and the King of Dragons

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoat Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. All other characters come from my own twisted imagination. *cackles semi-maniacally*

A/N: I apologize for the lateness of this story, it was difficult in coming on top of my busy school schedule.

Note: [Text in brackets like this is Parseltongue]; Bold text is a letter or note

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July 31st

Not knowing how long it would take at Gringotts, Harry had scheduled his meeting with the goblins for 8 in the morning, about an hour after they opened. He had a light breakfast of oatmeal and tea before dressing in a nice set of everyday robes, the kind one might wear to make a nice impression, but could also be worn around town and not look out of place.

Harry was walking past a shop on Diagon Alley when a pair of redheads came running out of it and prostrated themselves before him, "All hail, Lord Harry Potter! Savior of the Wizarding World!" Harry rolled his eyes as he assumed a haughty pose, "Gryffindor's Sunshine Boy! Praise be to Potter!"

The dark-haired wizard chuckled, "All right, guys. That's enough."

Fred and George Weasley stood before their silent partner, "Hmm, there's something different about you, Harry."

Harry moved to go around them, but they moved with him. "I can't imagine what it is, George. Can you?" He moved the other way, but again they blocked his way. "I can't either, Fred. It can't be the fact that he's sixteen."

The young wizard put his fists on his hips and mock-glared at the redheaded businessmen, "It might be the fact that I'm heading towards Gringotts on a business matter."

"Well, then. We can't keep the goblins waiting, now can we?" And with that Fred and George hoisted their young friend onto their shoulders and carried him to Gringotts, "By the way, mum told us to tell you that your birthday party is at the Burrow at 12:30 today." Fred said.

Harry nodded, "Understood. How big is the party?"

"Just a small crowd. The Weasley family plus Hermione, Neville, Luna, Remus, Tonks, Dumbledore, Moody, and Figg." George replied.

"Anybody else you think should be there?" Fred asked as he and George lowered Harry to the ground.

The dark-haired wizard dug around in his money pouch for a few knuts, "No, I think that's it," he dropped a couple Knuts in each twin's hand, "There you are, two Knuts a piece. Now straight back to your shop with you."

Harry walked briskly up the steps and told one of the goblins on duty of his appointment. He was then directed to a waiting area where a couple of other individuals sat and read the Daily Prophet. At 8 o'clock exactly, an elderly goblin walked over, "Harry Potter?"

The young wizard stood up and approached the elderly goblin, "I am Harry Potter."

"Follow me, please," the goblin led Harry to an office where a younger goblin waited with a small box. The elder goblin took the box, "Wait out here, Griphook."

The young goblin bowed as the wizard and the elder goblin walked into the office, "My name is Ignatian, I am in charge of the older families' Wills and inheritances," he opened the box and pulled out a smaller box and a stack of papers, "This box holds the Potter family ring," Harry accepted the ring box, "And these are lists of the Potter family investments and vault contents."

The ring was gold with a reversible setting, on one side of the setting was a square ruby embossed with the Potter family crest, and on the other side was the Potter family crest. The phrase "Fortitudo et Probitas" was inscribed inside the band.

The vault contents consisted of books, furniture, clothing, and jewelry. One of the contents listed towards the top was the Sword of Gryffindor, currently on loan to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Most of the investments were in businesses of various kinds. Some were businesses in the Wizarding world and others were Muggle businesses, all in various parts of the world, including Britain. Other investments were in real estate, including Number 4 Privet Drive and the Burrow.

Harry looked through the investments, "If I'm a silent partner in a business, would it still be shown on the list of investments?"

Ignatian nodded, gesturing to the papers, "These are as of the date your parents died. If you've given money to a business, we would need to add it as soon as possible," he placed a pot of ink and a quill on the desk, "Placing the ring on any of your fingers, usually the middle finger of the right hand, will trigger a charm that tests the validity of your claim to family."

The young wizard added "Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes" to the bottom and "1,000 Galleons" in the column marked for that purpose. He set the quill aside and placed the ring on his finger. There was a slight pricking sensation followed by a faint rush of magic. Unlike when he first held his wand, which was like finding the key to controlling his magic, this was more like a welcome home from a short vacation.

"Now that you've been formally accepted into your family, Griphook can show you the way to your family's vaults. Your family's solicitor will most likely want to speak with you as soon as possible," the elderly goblin stated as he handed Harry a set of keys with a slip of parchment, "The keys are numbered and on the list is the general contents of the vaults."

Harry nodded as he accepted the keys and parchment, "Thank you, Ignatian. May gold overflow your pockets."

Ignatian looked surprised for a moment before answering, "And you, Mr. Potter."

Griphook led the Head of the Potter Family to the carts that led down to the vaults, handing him an envelope as they climbed into a cart.

Mr. Harry Potter,

Gringotts is not my only employer. My other employer would be interested in speaking with you at your earliest convenience. I know little more than that. In vault number 105, there is a silver pendant in the shape of a dragon. Holding the pendant in your hand will allow you to communicate with him. I feel it necessary to warn you that he is powerful and knows more than you may think he does.

Griphook

Harry looked through the list of vaults; Vault 105 contained mostly jewelry and various certificates. The pendant was towards the middle of the last page, a couple items above his mother's wedding ring. The contents were listed chronologically according to when they were acquired which meant the pendant was fairly new, before his parents had gotten married.

Stepping inside, Harry noticed that the vault wasn't very large; most of the space was taken up by jewelry cases. The cases held rings, necklaces, brooches, and bracelets. The items were older close to the door and became newer as they moved to the back of the vault. The side opposite the jewelry cases contained filing cabinets that were older closer to the door. Looking through the filing cabinets he found wedding licenses, birth and death certificates, title deeds to various buildings and tracts of land, along with certificates of investment listing the name of the business and the terms. He withdrew an empty envelope and placed the deed to Number 4 Privet Drive. He also made a list of the Potter residences in the British Isles.

The remaining Potter resumed his search through the jewelry cases for the pendant described in the letter. The pendant he sought was a silver dragon rearing up on its hind legs suspended from a silver chain. The wings were onyx and the body was lapis lazuli with turquoise eyes. He found it at the opposite end of the case that held his parents' wedding rings. Lily's wedding ring had been used in the family for several generations, but her engagement ring was uniquely hers. Her engagement ring wasn't actually in the display, it was still on her finger while she lay in her coffin, but there was a picture of it. According to the description on the card, it was a white gold band with a 6-carat marquis cut emerald flanked by 1-carat diamonds. The family wedding ring resembled the ring he wore, though it was silver instead of gold with a sapphire instead of a ruby. The cards labeling the pieces of jewelry listed any enchantments, mostly cleaning and polishing charms.

On the front of the case was a place for the reverse side of the ring to be placed like a key, allowing Harry to remove the dragon pendant. He slipped it into his pocket before leaving the vault.

"Griphook, how much do you know about this pendant?" the dark-haired young man asked, holding out the pendant.

The goblin examined the pendant carefully before handing it back, "Not much. The metal appears old and if you examine the back carefully, you'll notice that it's been altered several times in its history. I doubt those are the original stones."

"Then why would it be listed with the more recent items?" Harry slipped the chain over his neck and felt the pendant warm slightly as the eyes seemed to glow faintly.

A voice spoke softly in his head, Because it has been passed on from Head to Head, changing from one accessory to another.

The young wizard looked around surprised, "Who are you? Where are you?"

I am the King of Dragons. You don't have to speak for me to hear you, sometimes it may actually be better if you didn't. You simply have to think what you wish to say. replied the voice.

I didn't know the dragons had a king. And how did the pendant come to my family? Harry asked heading towards the next vault; which contained coins, loose gems, and bars of precious metal.

Most intelligent races have at least one leader. Those that don't, swear themselves to another intelligent race. One of your ancestors did a great favor for us, and we have pledged to give aid when requested. Upon his death, your grandfather passed on the pendant as his father passed it on to him. the king of dragons answered.

Inside the vault were numerous sacks and stacks of various coins on one side of the vault, piles of loose gems on the other, and towards the back were stacks of bars of various metals. Some sacks were as big as Harry's body, though most were small enough to fit in his hand. The piles of gems consisted of rubies, emeralds, sapphires, and various other gems and semiprecious stones. Most of the gems were uncut, while others were cut in various styles and sizes.

"I could open my own jewelry store." Harry mused as he replaced the money he'd spent over the course of the two weeks and then left for the vault on the other side of Vault 105.

Vault 106 contained furniture, books, and other miscellaneous items. All the furniture, except for the bookcases, was covered with drop cloths. The bookcases were arranged in rows on the other side of the vault, some stretching halfway up the wall. Trunks of various kinds were stacked on top of each other along the back. Most of them had one to three keyholes, though some had more. One trunk had two rows of four keyholes. All of them had tags listing enchantments cast upon the trunks, mostly sizing and folding charms. He chose a trunk towards the end with three keyholes and wheels at one end so it could be pulled along instead of carried.

I would like to meet with you at your earliest convenience. the dragon stated.

Tomorrow is the reading of my godfather's will and I'd like time to deal with any issues that come up because of it. Is August 10th acceptable? the young human replied.

Indeed. Have a good day, Mr. Potter. and with that, the pendant became just another piece of jewelry.

Harry browsed through the bookcases, looking for books on wizarding customs and history. He also looked for books about magical societies around the world. Most of the books expanded on various aspects of the subjects taught at Hogwarts. Others were collections of stories for children or young adults. He added a few of each to his trunk before exiting the vault. The journey back was uneventful and allowed him time to drop off his new trunk and make an appointment with the Potter family solicitor for August third at 2:30 in the afternoon.

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Around noon, Harry flooed to the Burrow for the party.

Most of the Weasley family was there, with Charlie exiting the fireplace shortly after he'd brushed himself off.

"Happy birthday, Harry," the second oldest of the Weasley boys shook his hand firmly before placing his present in a pile in the corner.

The black haired wizard went into the kitchen where he found Mrs. Weasley taking a sheet of cookies out of the oven and placing them on a counter nearby. Ginny was kneeling on a chair at the dining table mashing up potatoes and adding a bit of milk occasionally.

"Hi, Mum, Ginny." Charlie said, hugging Ginny and kissing his mum on the cheek.

"Hello, dear. Could you go help your brothers set up the tables? We're doing it in a buffet-style," the Weasley matriarch pulled out cake ingredients before noticing Harry, "Happy birthday, Harry. How are you?"

"I'm fine, Mrs. Weasley. Anything I can help with?" Harry said, hugging Ginny and Molly.

"The potatoes are done, mum." Ginny said before Mrs. Weasley could answer the dark-haired wizard.

"Thank you, dear. Could you take them out with the butter?" the plump witch requested, handing her daughter a plate of butter, "Harry, could you take the sandwiches outside?" she handed the young man a pair of plates piled high with sandwiches.

"Yes, Mrs. Weasley." Harry followed Ginny outside, surreptitiously watching the sway of her backside.

Bill and Charlie had arranged four long tables at one of the yard in a wide U-shape and Ron had placed chairs in groups of two to four around the smaller tables the twins had set up. Harry and Ginny set their food down on the table closest to the house.

"Wotcher, Harry?" Bill said as he passed the birthday boy going into the kitchen.

"Hey, mate!" said Ron after placing the last chair, "I saw Skeeter's article in the Daily Prophet the other day. Do you know what changed her tune about you?"

The birthday boy nodded, "I offered her a job. The way I figure, by employing her myself, I have a final say in what she writes about me."

"Blimey," the young redhead shook his head, "After some of the things she said, I don't know too many people who would've done that."

Harry shrugged, "It just felt like something I had to do," he turned to Charlie, "Do you mind if I pick your brain, Charlie?"

"Not at all," he followed the brunette a short distance away, "What can I do for you?"

"How much do you know about the king of dragons?" Harry asked.

Charlie shrugged, "Not much. He is considered a near-mythical figure. We know one exists, but little is known about him other than that he's an elder dragon."

"An elder dragon?" the young Potter asked.

His redhead companion nodded, "There are two general classes of dragons, lesser and elder. Lesser dragons are thought to be as intelligent as people, but it's more of an animal's intelligence. Elder dragons are more intelligent, and as self-aware as people. They're also significantly more powerful than lesser dragons. What really separates the two, however, is that elder dragons have an arthanc, a heartstone. This is largely considered to be the source of their power and longevity. You can kill an elder dragon with only a little more difficulty than a lesser, but unless you destroy its arthanc, it'll regenerate another body within several decades."

Harry was about to reply when his pendant warmed up slightly. He took it out of his shirt, Charlie's eyes widening slightly, Can I help you, sir?

I was looking into my eggs after I spoke with you, and I was thinking that I'd give a few of them to a local preserve. Do you know a dragon handler named Charlie Weasley? asked the king of dragons.

I do, sir. I'm with him right now. Would you like to speak with him? the wizard asked.

Yes, please. When would be a good time for him? requested the elder dragon.

Harry turned to Charlie, "The king of dragons would like to speak with you. When would be a good time?"

The redhead shook himself out of his surprise, "Umm, now I suppose. You don't mind, do you?"

Mr. Weasley says he's available now. I might caution you that his mother may come looking for him if he's kept too late. We're holding my party at 12:30 in case you're interested. the young man relayed the information.

Agreed. And many happy returns, Mr. Potter. once again the pendant became as cold and as lifeless as before. A few moments later, an old man came walking out of the nearby trees. The only indication of his age was his eyes, as if they'd seen decades pass with loved ones coming and going as time went on. He was tall and broad, but moved with a predator's grace. Silver streaks ran through his braided black hair, mirroring the strands of silver that were wound around his oaken staff. He wore navy blue robes with silver filigree under a black cloak.

Harry and Charlie bowed slightly before the man raised a hand, "Gentlemen, you do not need to bow to me, I am not your master."

"With your power you could be, sir." answered the second oldest of the Weasley boys.

The dark-haired man shrugged, "Possibly. The real measure of power, however, is not that you use it, it is how you use it."

Harry cleared his throat, "I should get back, sir. My guests will probably be arriving soon." With that said, the dark-haired wizard went back inside the Burrow, leaving the wizard and the dragon together.

"What can I do for you, sir?" Charlie asked when they were alone.

"How much do you know about elder dragons, Mr. Weasley?" asked the king of dragons in return.

"Not much. I know that much of their power comes from their heartstone, and that the only way to really kill one is to destroy the heartstone." replied the young man.

The old dragon nodded, "We are not born, however. In order for a dragon to become an elder dragon, another elder dragon, usually a parent or older sibling, gives up a sliver of their arthanc to the young dragon. This usually occurs within a year or year and a half of the dragon's birth."

"I see. And how do you know which dragon to give this sliver to?" wondered Charlie.

The king of dragons paced a few steps away, "Usually while the dragon is still in its shell, or sometime after it hatches. I was looking upon the eggs my mate recently laid, and while a few of them would be eligible, I cannot bring myself to do so," he sighed before pacing back, "It is almost as if something is telling me to wait."

The redheaded wizard looked back at the house before asking, "Do you think Harry should receive it? And if you don't give it to them, what are you going to do?"

The king of dragons closed his eyes in thought, "No. I believe that there is something else out there for him," he then turned to his companion, "As for my children, Mr. Weasley, that is where you come in."

Charlie looked at the king in surprise, "Me, sir?"

The king of dragons nodded, "Yes, you. You are a dragon handler in Romania, correct?"

"I am, sir. Do you wish me to take them in?" asked the young man.

"I do. At least some, I'm sure there are other preserves in need of young dragons," replied the elder, "It likely wouldn't take place for another year or so, of course. That should give you time to gather information on the other preserves."

"Wouldn't it be better to give them up sooner rather than later, sir? Before your mate has a chance to become too attached to them?" Charlie wondered.

The king of dragons shook his head, "No. My mate and I discussed it before I spoke to Mr. Potter," he chuckled, "In fact, she was the one who dissuaded me from giving a sliver of my arthanc to him."

The young red-head nodded, "Should I send word through Harry or do you have some other method in mind, sir?"

"There's a goblin at Gringotts by the name of Griphook, he is one of my contacts. You can send the information through him." replied the man in navy blue robes.

Charlie nodded, "Are you able to stay for the party? I'm sure there are a few people who might be interested in meeting you, sir."

The king of dragons chuckled, "I'm sure they would be. I fear I must decline, however. I have things I need to take care of. Have a good day, Mr. Weasley."

And the king of dragons walked back into the woods and vanished.

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Harry's birthday party was fairly uneventful. Good food and good company made for a very pleasant party. The only thing of real importance that happened was when Percy showed up and asked his parents to forgive him. Mrs. Weasley gave him a small piece of her mind before tearfully hugging him tightly, with Mr. Weasley hugging the both of them. Percy then walked over to the birthday boy and asked him to forgive him.

"I wish it weren't true either. I don't know exactly what it was like, but I can make a pretty good guess," he stuck out his hand, smiling, "Welcome back, Percy."

Percy pulled the dark-haired young man into a headlock and rubbed his head with his knuckles a few times before releasing him with a chuckle.

The redhead went around to his brothers and sister, hugging them and shaking their hands.

Later on, Harry was talking to Albus about some of the items he'd found, "Is it common for a family to use a family ring for weddings and a personal one for engagements, sir?"

The elderly wizard shrugged, "It depends on the family. Some do it the other way around, they have a family ring for when a couple is engaged, and then a personal ring for weddings. Some pureblood families also make betrothal agreements between the two. I believe the Blacks entered into one with the Malfoys and the Lestranges. Though, I doubt your family did them after your grandparents' betrothal," he took a bite of his potatoes before continuing, "Did you find anything else of interest?"

His young companion nodded as he chewed before answering, "I found a listing of potions ingredients and books Professor Snape might be interested in. As well as the basilisk that may still be down in Chamber of Secrets," the dark-haired wizard sipped his tea before continuing, "In addition, the Sword of Gryffindor was listed as being on loan to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

Albus choked on his tea slightly before continuing, "Now, Harry, you must understand..."

Harry held up a hand, "I'm not planning on taking it back anytime soon, Professor. While I disagree with you as to the safety of Hogwarts versus Gringotts, it is better served at the school than in the bank. I would imagine that there are other founders objects in keeping there?"

The white-haired man stroked his beard in thought, "Once upon a time I believe we did. Hefflepuff's Chalice was taken several years ago, however, and the Slytherin family reclaimed its ring several decades before."

The young wizard nodded, "I also found a book on wizard children's stories and another on wizarding customs."

Albus chuckled, "Both are excellent books," his eyes twinkled merrily, "My favorite children's story is the one about the Deathly Hallows."

"The Deathly Hallows, sir?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow.

The old wizard nodded, "Like most children's stories, it carries a lesson. I'll try not to give too much away, but the lesson is that sometimes it's better to not use power than to use it."

The dark-haired young man looked surprised, "The king of dragons said the same thing."

It was Albus's turn to look surprised, "You've spoken to him? When?"

"A few minutes before the party started. I'd pulled Charlie aside to ask him what he knew about the king of dragons." Harry pointed to where Bill and Charlie were regaling Hermione with stories about a young Ron while she told them about some of his exploits at Hogwarts with her and Harry.

The headmaster of Hogwarts caught the redhead's eye before gesturing him over. The young wizard chose that moment to slip over to pair that Charlie had just left and add his own comments to the conversation. The party continued in a similar vein with Harry going from one group to another as he felt the need; congratulating the couples on getting together, asking Mr. Weasley about wizarding customs and answering his questions about muggle technology.

Around 2:30, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley went inside to gather the presents and levitated them outside for Harry to open. Harry received books from several people; some cookbooks from Mrs. Weasley and Mrs. Figg, magical creatures from Hagrid, and a book on dueling from Moody. Hermione got him a desk set that could be collapsed into a more portable form. Bill got him a pair of dragonhide boots while Charlie got him a pair of dragonhide gloves. The Twins gave him a sack of galleons with a note saying they were his share of the profits since they'd began selling their joke items, another portion would be coming within the next five months and every six months after that. Albus had bought him a set of robes that were dark green with gold celtic knotwork along the bottom of the robe and edges of the sleeves. Remus gave him a cuckoo clock that called out the half hour and hour when it chimed. Ginny gave him a journal, she giggled when he asked her if she was sure it wasn't a Horcrux and assured him that it wasn't, to keep his thoughts in.

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After the wrapping from the presents was thrown away, the Weasley children plus Mr. Weasley talked Remus, Tonks, and Moody into playing a game of Quidditch with them. Bill, Mr. Weasley, the Twins, Remus, and Harry were on one team; Percy, Charlie, Ron, Tonks, Moody, and Ginny were on the other team. With Ron defending one goal and Mr. Weasley defending the other, the score was fairly close; Ron had only allowed two more goals past him than Mr. Weasley.

The people on the ground who were watching cheered freely no matter who scored or missed a goal. Nothing mattered other than having fun with friends and family. Even once the Snitch appeared, the Seekers did nothing to actually hurt the other team. Harry was riding a broom he'd borrowed from the Weasleys, making it more about the skill of the flyer than the speed of the broom. Even so, Harry still caught the Snitch a few centimeters before Ginny.

Once everybody had landed, hugs and handshakes were exchanged along with compliments on a game well played. Everybody laughed when the Twins accidentally kissed each other in the midst of the well wishing, though Harry's cheeks were slightly red from Hermione's kiss on his cheek.

After the game, everybody went back to eating and talking and just generally enjoying each other's company. Overall, in Harry's mind, it was one of the best birthdays he'd ever have. He went to bed at the Leaky Cauldron that night with a full stomach and a smile on his face.

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A/N: Again, I'd like to thank my beta readers, Filodea and Jestana. They make sure my story makes some kind of sense and mostly resembles US engilhs. I'd also like to thank Iivanainen, jestana, filodea, Mistress Nikki and Graballz for helping me get through the story.