THE DRAGON REBORN

- The Search of Identity

Time seemed to slow down as the glowing green light of the Avada Kedavra curse came barelling towards him. He wondered how it had all come down to this. Surely all the pain, all the betrayals, all the suffering he had endured had to have been worth more than this moment in time. His life, such as it was, would end; and he had done nothing but play the martyr. He fealt he should have done something else, done more, been more. He somehow doubted when he had been given to the Potter's shortly after his birth, that this was the ending his parents had in mind for him.

He remembered when he first found out the truth of whom he was. It was the summer after second year. Nearly as soon as he returned to Durzkaban. Sirius later theorized that it must have been something to do with the basilisk bite and the phoenix tears that began the change. Slowly, he noticed his appearance was changing. First was his hair. Instead of being splayed in every which way it began lay flat and become curly at the ends. Not only that, but the color changed. It was still jet-black, but now there was a large streak of platinum blonde in the front. His eyes had also changed. They were no longer the emerald green of Lily Evans, but were now an unique hue of a deep violet. The changes didn't stop there. His body changes included an increased height and even some structural changes to his face. His cheekbones hightened and his jaw-line became more pronounced. It had to be said that it was a definite improvement. While still being only thirteen, he had become decidedly handsome and was for the first time graceful not only in the air, but on two legs as well. It had been concluded that he had been placed under what could only be described as a dark blood glamour which was tied to his very blood. Apparently, it had been the mixture of basilisk venom and phoenix tears that had broken it.

He was no fool, he knew something major had occured. So, he went to the only place he could think of that might have answers: the goblins of Gringott's. It was there after performing a small blood test that that the truth came out. His birth mother was Lyra Cassieopea Black; daughter of Orion and Walburga Black. She died giving birth to him. His father was Augustus Charlus Malfoy; son of Abraxas Malfoy and his second wife Drusilla Potter. He had apparently been killed during a duel with the Dark Lord himself several months before his birth.

At the time, it was thought that both of his only living uncles were two of Britain's most notorious Death Eaters. His true name was Hadrian Black Malfoy. He was the only living non-incarcerated Black of the main line, and he was the secondary Malfoy heir after Draco-his cousin...three times over. Oh how that grated on his nerves. However there was one bright spot to be found in that mess. He was still the heir to the Potters; or to use their true name, the Peverell's. His Father's mother was the considerably older sister of James Potter. This made sense as apparently Drusilla Potter's parents, Charlus and Dorea, were in their fourty's when James was born. She was also still alive and living in France.

The goblins had contacted her immediately. She had almost fainted at the sight of him. She had tried to gain custody of him on numerous occaisions, but had been soundly rebuffed as apparently Petunia Evans had an equal claim as his mother's sister. However, when the Ministry was informed that she was his actual grandmother,not just an aunt; she was granted immediate custody. His whole life changed then.

For the first time in his life he had been truly happy. His grandmother had shown him what a truly loving parent was like. Several months later, they had been joined by a recently freed Sirius Black. His Grandma had seen to it that the French government, backed by the ICW, had granted him a trial. The British Ministry had no choice but to accept their not guilty verdict. With the love he recieved from his Grandmother and Sirius he truly began to come into his own. His confidence and knowledge soared. They also saw to hit that he reached his full magical potential.

The summer before fourth year, he began his animagus training. When he took the animagus revealing potion, nothing could have prepared him for the results. Supposedly, it was impossible to be a magical creature. Merlin was the only one that legend mentioned of such a possibility. Even those legends paled in comparison to what he had become. Of all the creatures in the universe destined to represent his soul, it was a dragon. He became an adolescent jet black dragon with white horns and white around the crown. His eyes remained violet, but they seemed to glow with an inner fire. Apparently no dragon would be complete without fire; and he was no different. His was a deep green, eerily similar to the Avada Kedavra curse. It took three years, but just as he was nearing his seventeenth birthday he had finally managed to complete the transition from boy to gigantic fire-breathing beast in only seconds. This was of course kept a closely guarded secret, though it did certainly explain his love for flying and his immunity to fire in all its forms. He could even walk right through fiendfyre.

Unfortunately, no matter how good and loving his home life became; nothing lasts forever. Especially for those marked by prophecy. Indeed, his birth parents had also thrice defied Voldemort. But, before he faced his end against the self-appointed Dark Lord he had managed to make certain the remains of his family were protected. He had been wed in secret in France the summer before sixth year to a pureblood witch he had fallen for whose estate was near his grandmother's. Her name was Marie-Adelaide de Valois- an heiress of the old French royal line. She would just as soon disappear on horseback or sword fight as she would put up the front of a typical pureblood princess, a literal one in her case. And he had loved her. She had given him a son named Sebastion whilst he was on the hunt for horcruxes. He had long since made sure his wife and child were secure; along with his beloved Grandma. His remaining relatives he had grown close to: Andromeda and Nymphadora, as well as his Aunt Narcissa and even Draco the Prat- he had made sure they were all safe on the Continent and would be taken care of. Sirius, who had become as a father to him; refused to leave his side and was with him throughout the war.

However, in order to make his way out to the Forbidden Forest without being followed, which he assuredly would, he'd had to make use of the Cloak of Invisibility. When he'd arrived, he managed lure Tom into the runic circle he had already drawn in anticipation of this. When the runes activated they would manage to hold the Dark Lord in place for one minute maximum before he broke out. One minute was all he needed. In an instant he was in his animagus form which was now the size of the largest and fiercest dragon any of those present had ever seen. By the time Voldemort managed to break out of the runic cage he imprisoned him in he'd already managed to kill every single Death Eater Voldemort had.

Returned to his human form, Harry executed the next part of his plan. With a prayer to the heavens he walked right in to the on-coming path of an enraged Dark Lord's Avada Kedavra. Having told none but his best male friend Neville Longbottom, he knew that in order for the psychopath to die; the Horcux in Harry must die first. As the beam of green death struck him and the light left his eyes, he managed to see the perfectly timed Avada Kedavra hit the suprised Dark Lord from behind that came from a disillusioned Neville. He had fulfilled his destiny; and he died content in the knowledge that his child would never live in terror the way he had. That would have to be enough.