THE RETURN OF THE HEIR

Harry walked out of the Potter Manor with his trunk floating behind him. It was his home for what seemed like years. In all realty he had spent the better part of a year with Godric. He had learned that he was more powerful than any wizard was. He had also learned that with this power came responsibility. He would teach others to use their powers for the good of all kind, but first he needed to find them.

The sound of hooves brought Harry out of his thoughts. "Greetings, Lord Gryffindor."

"Greetings, Dark Scar. Come to say goodbye my friend?" he replied.

"No Lord Gryffindor. Wind Knight, Fire Mane and I will accompany you to Hogwarts. We have been tasked a mission to speak with Silver Mane."

"Very well, my friends." He gestured to the unicorns to go outside the gates. He reached to a pouch that was attached to his belt and took out the orb within it. He took out his staff handle and placed the orb at the top opening where the phoenix-lion was carved. The eyes of the phoenix glowed and Harry smiled. He touched the beak of the phoenix and the other end of the staff grew to its full six and a half foot length.

He grinned a bit with pride and raised his staff. "Invisital Protectus Heirous!" he said. The unicorns watched as a golden shield enveloped the manor. To those that didnt know of its existence it would look like one big forest. He shrunk his trunk and placed it inside his cloak. "I will apparate us to the edge of the Forbidden Forest. From there we will go our separate ways. Once there you can set out on your mission to the White Elder, and tell him whats been happening. If Silver Mane wishes to speak with me then I will make myself available to him."

The unicorns nodded in agreement. They surrounded him and were pulled along with him to Hogwarts. As he looked at the main doors he saw the last of the students go inside. No one noticed them as they were hidden from view.

"We will take our leave of you Harry Potter," Dark Scar said. "We will make contact with the Elder of the White Unicorns."

"Thank you my friends. I'll miss you all. Farewell for now."

"Farewell Harry Potter - Lord Gryffindor and Heir of Merlin," Fire Mane said.

Harry smiled, "You have much of your father in you Fire Mane, and since you are that I need you to ask a question for me."

"What might that be?"

"Ask Silver Mane if it would be possible to send for the Elf King. Tell him that I have returned and am asking for an audience with him."

"It shall be done Harry Potter. We must be going. Farewell for now. We will send word of our progress."

"I'll be waiting old friend. Good luck."

The last of the students filed in to the Great Hall. Ron and Hermione were the last to sit before Headmaster Dumbledore began to speak. "Before we begin to eat I wish to say that it is the collective thought of the people sitting at this table that you have all performed extremely well in the face of danger. Now you have all seen that the threat of Voldemort is very real. We were lucky that none of you were killed although there were some of the aurors who fell in the attack. I would like to ask that you raise your goblets in their memory." He saw that they picked up their goblets and stood up. He smiled and said, "To fallen comrades."

"To fallen comrades!" the entire hall spoke as one.

"Thank you. Please sit and eat."

The meals came up, and everyone started talking and eating. There were some people who were crying while others were reenacting when the dragons came. Music suddenly filled the hall and everyone seemed to stop. Fawkes came flying in and perched itself on Dumbledores chair. He was singing by himself when the song volume doubled.

"Fawkes? Is everything alright?"

The Phoenix just nodded, spread his wings, and started fly up in the air continuously singing. The doors to the Great Hall opened slowly as a cloaked figure appeared and stood at its entrance holding a pure black staff. The orb located at the top of his staff shone a brilliant gold color. The figure had his cloak hood up, and started to walk forward with confidence knowing that all eyes were on him. Another Phoenix flamed into the Great Hall and the two landed on each of his shoulders and stopped their song. When he reached the head table they flew off his shoulders and back on to the back of Dumbledore's chair.

He released his staff from his grip and to everyones amazement it stayed upright. "Is everyone alright Headmaster?" he asked in a low harsh voice.

"Yes, we all are." he replied. "I'd like to thank you for your help last month."

"I would say that you are welcome, but I was not here last month. Rest assured that I will look into the matter though. At any rate I would like you to meet my phoenix," he gestured to the phoenix next to Fawkes.

"E-excuse me," Hermione stood up. "May we ask your name?"

"You may, but why ask the question when you already know the answer?" He turned to look at Dumbledore, "Is there a place that we can speak privately? I mean not to interrupt your dinner, but I feel that we should get things out of the way so that your students feel safe."

"I think that would be a splendid idea," Dumbledore smiled. "Hagrid I will leave the students in your care along with the Student Professors. I'm sure that you will be able to handle them." Dumbledore and the other professors got out of their chairs and moved to the exit. "I will expect that after you are all fed and watered that you will return to your dormitories in an orderly fashion. Prefects, please note that normal patrol routines will continue."

The group walked to the Headmasters Office. "I have asked that our dinner be brought here so that we can eat and talk at the same time. Please everyone take a seat and let us begin."

Harry could tell that Hermione had questions forming already, especially since his hood was still up. "You had questions?" he asked her almost immediately.

"There was someone here last month, but he didnt give us his name. Since we arent in public, will you now tell us who you are?"

Snape snorted. "Now there's an obvious question. With your brain Ms. Granger I would expect -" Professor Snape never got to finish his statement. The hooded figure snapped his head towards Snape who was thrown into the wall noticeably hard, but to his astonishment he did not feel a thing.

"Respect, my dear professor is a two way street. You demand it from the students so why shouldnt they demand it from you. I realize that you dont particularly care for the students in Gryffindor House, but you still should show some respect." He turned his attention back to Hermione as Snape struggled to his feet. "I believe you were about to say something else?"

"Yes, I was thanks," she smiled. "There was an incident here a few weeks back. We were saved by someone who moved and spoke as you do. He put on the Sorting Hat and it put him in Gryffindor. His power seemed as familiar as yours does, but it still is a bit different."

"Difference is everything, but as to continue through your thought you wouldnt be wrong to say that I am a Gryffindor. After all, that is the place where it put me when it was my turn to be sorted all those years ago."

"So you are a former student?"

He laughed a little. 'Some things never change', he thought to himself. "To answer your question of my identity, I can say only this." He walked towards her and lifted his hands to his hood. "I am," he pulled his hood down, "someone who loves you more than anything in this world."

"Oh Harry!" she screamed.

He pulled her close to him and kissed her passionately. Fawkes and the now changed and familiar white phoenix named Nova began to sing as a familiar gold and crimson light encased them. The Sorting Hat woke and floated in the air. "Welcome Harry Potter Heir of Gryffindor, Heir of Merlin and Defender of Light," it said aloud. "Welcome home Lord Gryffindor."

"Albus we need to talk, but it can wait until tomorrow. Right now I want to spend some time with Hermione and Ron. Oh yes I almost forgot Professor McGonagall, how did you like my anamagus form? The Golden Dragon is my second favorite one of my forms you have seen. I'll show you more dont worry."

Dumbledore and McGonagall exchanged looks. They were both beaming with pride. "I guess that weve got a lot to catch up on Harry. I'll cancel classes for tomorrow and schedule a meeting with the staff at noon. It will give me time to contact Sirius and Remus. I'll announce it in the morning. Welcome back Harry."

"Thanks professor. It's good to be home again." He grabbed his staff and tapped it twice on the floor.

"Something wrong Harry?" Ron asked.

"Not really. I'm just waiting for someone." No sooner had the words left his mouth when a snowy white owl swooped into the Headmasters Office. Harry lifted his arm out and waited for the owl to land on his arm. Instead it landed on Hermiones shoulder. Harry looked confused and sad at the same time, but it quickly passed. He saw Hermione grinning.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" she asked.

"I didnt forget love. Its just that I haven't seen her in a while. I thought Hedwig would come to me first. I underestimated you. Your powers have grown. I should have realized that when I saw you perform the healing spell before."

"Is that why you looked at us?" she asked. "You felt my magic?"

"Yes, but I also wanted to see you. I've been away for a long time and I just wanted to make sure that you were safe."

"Potter," McGonagall started, "one thing before you go."

"Yes Professor?"

"I will guess that the other dragon that will be descending upon us tomorrow will not be you?"

"Oh bugger," Harry winced. "I forgot about him." He turned to Dumbledore. "Albus you might want to tell the rest of the students not to panic when they see a Hungarian Horn Tail (A/N: Yes I know now that Norbert is now Norberta and a Norwegian Ridgeback but this is fan fiction after all) land on school grounds. Although you might not let on to Hagrid that it is his 'son' coming. Consider it a small prank on my first night back."

"What was that Harry?" Dumbledore was smiling. "At my age, one tends to loose hearing at odd times."

"Oh sorry sir," he smiled back. "I said that we were heading out. As not to disturb anyone we'll take over the Room of Requirement for the night and see you back here for breakfast at eight. Goodnight everyone."

Harry raised his hand and the trio were gone in a flash of golden light.