Harry Potter: I Am a Dragon

 I fell down the tunnel, the slippery walls preventing me from getting a foothold. Extending my claws, I began to slow down. The end of the tunnel greeted me with a multitude of rat bones. The darkness of the dungeon was no problem for me. Dragons can see just as well in the dark as they do in daylight.

 As I continued through the dungeon, I saw the shed skin of a snake left behind by the basilisk. Estimating its size, I smiled, anticipating a feast. How long had it been since I had eaten in dragon form? A year or two? 

 At the end of the stone dungeon, I stumbled upon a door decorated with snakes. I repeated the command to open in Parseltongue, and the snakes stirred, unlocking the steel hatch.

 My senses picked up the scent of two people, one of whom belonged to Astoria.

 I calmly entered a huge hall with a stone platform in the centre and pools on either side, which were filled with water flowing from the mouths of stone snakes. At the end of the hall was a stone face of an old man with dishevelled hair, eyes full of pain, and thin lips tightly closed, trying to hold back a cry of agony.

 In front of this face stood Ginny Weasley, at whose feet lay Astoria, her face turned towards me. Looking at Astoria, I realised that she was alive, that she could feel and see everything, her body paralysed but her mind intact. The amulet had done its job. I stepped closer, stopping ten metres in front of the redhead.

"You came, just as I thought.

"And why do you need me? You're not Ginny. 

"Hmm, that's right. I have a question: how did a three-year-old child defeat the most powerful dark magician of this time?

"So you're the Dark Lord? Tom Riddle?

"Don't call me by my Muggle name! I am Voldemort!

"Why not? You're a half-blood, aren't you? The headmaster told me about you.

"I said. Don't. Dare. Me.

Call me that!

"Hmm, fine, wolf-face. 

"Voldemort!

"All right, all right. So what do you want from me? And why did you take Astoria? You could have called me, I would have come myself.

"Do you know what this is?" - The Dark Lord in Ginny's body showed me a leather-bound notebook. "This is my prison, I am a memory that longs to come alive. At first, I wanted to return by creating a body for myself. Then I decided to take over a ready-made body, yours will do. Wealth, fame... I can use all of that. There will be problems with your mother, but under Imperius, she will crawl on her knees, serving me.

 These words made me lose my temper, and I rushed at my enemy, throwing a fireball at him, not afraid of hurting Ginny herself, she was nobody to me, but...

"One more step, and little Astoria will die. Oh, if only you knew how Ginny suffered when you ignored her, when you kissed and hugged that bitch Daphne! She told me everything! Do you know what it's like to listen to a little girl and pretend to sympathise with her? But I was patient... I told her what to do. Get rid of that annoying boy who was bothering her Aldwin? Easy. Punish the one who accused you of assault? What could be simpler? She wanted to kill her brother, but then she saw Daphne kissing you. That's when she broke down and gave me control over her body! Now I want your body. Drop the wand and come here. I promise, if you do everything right, I won't hurt the girl. I'll transfer my soul into you and that's it. I smiled imperceptibly as I approached Ginny closer and closer, throwing the wand on the floor.

"Where's the basilisk?" I asked another question.

"It's not exactly a basilisk. You could say it's my distant great-grandfather. Salazar Slytherin himself! Have you heard that Merlin could turn into a dragon by mastering animagi? Salazar also possessed this ability, and once he turned into a basilisk, he could never return to his former self. Centuries of loneliness drove the great wizard mad. Now he only understands the words of those in whom he senses his blood. Now, kneel before me, Potter!

 I did as he asked, looking at the wand that was at Astoria's head.

"Good boy," said not Ginny, but the Dark Lord, for there was nothing left of the girl's soul.

 He kissed me sharply, letting his soul into my body. I smiled contentedly, feeling the energy of the Dark Lord's soul flow into me. The only thing that prevented me from swallowing his soul completely was the notebook, which still held the wizard's soul tightly. 

 Ginny's body fell lifelessly, leaving behind the body of a teenager. Black hair, a neat face, and a robe with Slytherin stripes. The teenager looked battered and weakened. Despite the fact that he could barely stand, his soul hurried away from me, several metres away.

"Kha... Kha... What was that? I was supposed to devour you!" - The teenager coughed, blood spurting from his mouth.

"The thing is, whoever's soul is stronger absorbs the other. I'm stronger than you, Tom." I stood up, approached Astoria and stroked her hair. Now the Dark Lord couldn't hurt her without a body or spiritual energy.

"Lies! I'm stronger than you!" - Tom turned to face the face carved out of stone. "Talk to me, Salazar!" - The Dark Lord hissed, smiling triumphantly. 

 The stone lips began to open until the old man's face resembled a man screaming in agony. Red eyes appeared from his mouth, staring at me and sending curses that shattered against my Dragon essence. Surprise flashed across Tom's face, but he said nothing. Realising that his trick had failed, the snake slithered out. 

 A huge snake, forty metres long, looked at me with gastronomic interest. And waited for commands from its distant great-grandson. 

 At that moment, I removed the paralysis from Astoria. When the girl was able to move, I summoned Dremora to protect her. Reluctantly and with concern in her eyes, the girl ran after me to safety.

"Watch and remember what will happen here. You will learn what a real Dragon should be like," I said to the fleeing girl as she ran away.

 My body began to be enveloped in black smoke. My body began to grow. My skin became thick and impenetrable. Scales began to grow, covering my entire body. My arms and legs turned into powerful paws, wrapped in muscles like steel cables. My eyes narrowed and filled with blood, signifying the destruction of anyone who came into view. My mouth stretched out, revealing sharp fangs dripping with saliva, and bony crests appeared on my head, resembling a black crown. The same crests were all over its body, reaching down to its tail. Sharp, strong, and deadly. My entire body was covered in red veins, through which pure magical power flowed, seemingly endless.

 Finishing my transformation, I stood up on my hind legs, wrapping my tail around them. I took a deep breath, spread my wings to the sides, and roared loudly. My roar echoed in the huge stone hall, which promised to be the arena of two giants. No, I can grow to the size of a planet and eat that planet. It's not for nothing that they call me the World Eater; I can really swallow a planet. But this size is enough for now.

"A dragon!? Are you an Animagus who turns into a dragon?!" Tom shouted in confusion.

"Hahaha, I'm a dragon who turns into a human. 

"That's even better. The basilisk will weaken you, and when you're dying, I'll take over your body and take your power." Tom said with a smile, then ordered the snake to attack me.

 The basilisk, like a coiled spring, jumped at me, trying to wrap its coils around my body. Its fangs struck my scales without success. I tore the scales off the king of snakes, freeing my body from the unnecessary, while remembering the rules of skinning and cutting up food.

 The snake began to squeeze me tighter and tighter in its embrace, but the scales tightly covering me refused to break and allow it to squeeze me. I got tired of this and simply heated my natural armour, burning it red. 

 The snake screeched, feeling itself begin to burn alive, and hurried to let me go and dive into the water.

 Once free, I let out a death cry and followed him. The snake's scales began to fall off, and its naked body began to bleed, staining the water red and giving it a sweet smell of blood.

 I watched this with satisfaction, listening to Tom giving orders to the wizard, who was unable to cope with his second nature.

 The snake hissed in response, complaining of pain, fear and panic, but emerged from the water to spit venom at me in an attempt to blind me or get me in my mouth. When it hits me, the poison begins to burn and crumble, becoming useless. I run up to the snake, grab it with my paw, digging my claws into its body and preventing it from diving back down. I open my mouth and bite off its head, chewing and swallowing it. Along with the devoured flesh, I ate the soul of the once great magician. Power and pleasure coursed through my body. My scales glistened, becoming mirror-black, and my crests began to spread and move, creaking and grinding as they rubbed against each other.

 After the head, I began to tear off pieces of the snake's remaining flesh. A couple of minutes later, I was happily sucking on the tip of the snake's tail. Looking around, I saw a frightened Tom, who was covering the notebook that served as the last anchor of his soul with his illusory body.

 I transformed back into a human, walked over and picked up Wabadjack, putting him in my pocket.

"No... Don't come closer! Don't you dare!" Tom screamed, but I passed through him and took the notebook in my hands.

 Ignoring the ghost's pleas, I grew a claw and slowly ran it across the notebook, enjoying the ghost's screams and tears. After running the claw from top to bottom, I repeated the procedure again, slowly and with relish.

 I tormented his soul, scratching its container and letting out ink-like blood for several minutes until I got bored. Then I simply plunged my claw into the notebook, piercing his soul. The notebook fell into a puddle of ink-like blood, and a bright ball remained hanging on my claw.

 I licked it off, swallowing it and realising that this was not the whole soul, there must be much more. It was like a piece of a whole cake, and I was not used to being satisfied with a small piece.

 Disappointed, I turn around and head for the exit, where Astoria stands with tears and fear in her eyes. Dremore has already left, realising that she is in no danger.

 Looking at the frightened Astoria, I remembered what I had done. For an ordinary person, it was too harsh to watch. I was already scared, thinking that the one who was already in my pack would be afraid of me and avoid me, but then I felt a slap on my face. 

"Don't do that again! You know how scared I was when I saw you in the arms of that snake! I thought he was going to strangle you!" After that, Astoria abruptly and awkwardly pressed her lips to mine. "Honey, blood, and ashes," she said, pulling away from my lips.

 Smiling, I took Astoria by the hand and led her out of the dungeon.

 Returning to our faculty common room, I spoke to Dumbledore, who was guarding the other girls. After telling him what had happened to Ginny, about the notebook and the basilisk, I left him to deal with it all himself. He did not disappoint me. The next day at breakfast, there was some news.

"We have discovered who was responsible for the attacks on the students. Ginny Weasley was under the control of a dark artefact, which has been found and destroyed. Unfortunately, the artefact killed the girl. I hasten to add that the school is not to blame for what you bring within its walls! Be careful and cautious...

 Dumbledore tactfully remained silent about the secret room and the basilisk.

 After this news, most of the students apologised to me. They admitted that they had judged without evidence. Well, snake-tongued, but as it turned out, this can be learned, which is what I did when teaching the girls.

 Nymphadora apologised and invited me to take a walk around London in the summer, to which I agreed.

 Only Ron Weasley and Draco Malfoy tried to push their thoughts on the masses, which only made me smile and enjoy their efforts. They were jealous and trying to humiliate me, which meant they had something to be jealous of and something to let go of.

"It's your fault! I know you're involved in my sister's death!" shouted the redhead, lunging at me again with his fists. But Daphne and Astoria came out from behind me, pointing their wands at the redhead.

"What? Hiding behind girls' skirts?! Are you too weak to come out yourself?

"We're protecting you, so you'll at least stay alive," said Astoria, remembering what had happened in the dungeon.

"You'd better leave. Your sister is the only one to blame for reaching for those strange artefacts, along with your parents, who didn't bother to teach their child not to touch unfamiliar things without checking them first.

 The redhead almost lunged at the girls, but he was grabbed by the shoulders by the twins, who were much smarter than their younger brother and understood who was right and who was wrong. But they promised themselves to take revenge for such words about their sister and parents.

 The teachers were able to relax when the headmaster assured them that the attacks were over. The mandrakes had grown, and they were used to make potions to remove the curse from the paralysed schoolchildren.

 Astoria and Daphne began to lock themselves in their room more and more often, discussing something unknown to me, sometimes glancing at me with strange looks.

 I found out what those looks meant when Astoria joined Daphne in my bed at night. They occupied my shoulders and fell asleep, snoring contentedly. I held them close and cast a spell that would give them their most desired dreams. Then I fell asleep myself... 

***

patreon.com/posts/harry-potter-i-131863375