The dawn broke brightly, and Severus covered his eyes with his forearm with a muttered curse. There were times he missed his dungeons. He never got blinded by excessively cheery morning sun there. He showered and dressed, praying that the coffee was ready when he got to the table this morning. Severus ignored the cheerful faces at the breakfast table until he was finishing his second cup of heavenly caffeine.

"I need to get some potions brewing done this morning, before our trip to the Reserve center to build the pool. I have several commissions to fill that are quite lucrative. One of them is from the potions brewer on this reserve. They usually have to pay rather high prices for the mastery-level potions they need. I can charge them half their usual price, and still make a bundle." Severus smiled at their impressed look.

"Can we watch?" Harry asked "Maybe we can help?" Dudley nodded eagerly.

Severus eyed them consideringly. Nothing he was brewing was too volatile or poisonous.

"Very well, but you must follow strict instructions - this is part of my income, not a game." They nodded seriously. Severus snorted, Hogwarts students usually cringed when coming in his classroom. Perhaps he could ensure his two wards would not dread his potions class.

Severus ducked into the library and grabbed a few basic manuals and ingredients books. The boys trailed him into the lab looking mystified by all the jars and equipment.

"Look - cauldrons - just like in books about witches!" Dudley seemed to find this hilarious. Severus rolled his eyes, and Harry grinned at them both.

Severus explained the potions he was working on, well all except the impotency cure for a certain elderly wizard who was on his sixth wife. He conjured a blackboard and a chalk was spelled to write the potions, their ingredients, and the directions for brewing. The boys were quite impressed with the intricacy.

"I don't expect you to do any actual brewing, but this will help you get familiar with the process. I'll give you some simple ingredients to prepare. You can look up the ingredient and how preparation can change its uses and effectiveness in the manuals and books, if you wish."

The boys nodded at him and bent to their tasks, when he showed them the plants and animal parts. Harry proved to be quite good at preparing plant ingredients. His experience with cooking made it easy for him to catch onto the instructions of dicing, chopping, and shredding. The manuals explained all the differences quite clearly, as well as the effects of different cutting methods.

Dudley, however, excelled at dissecting flobberworms and scarab beetles. He had many questions about their uses, and Severus answered as patiently as possible. Dudley soon moved on to the dead toads and rats, to Harry's disgust.

"You have the makings of either a brilliant surgeon or a serial killer, Dud." Harry was pleased to hear Severus chuckle, along with Dudley's cheerful guffaw.

With the boy's help Severus was soon done with three potions and had two others set to simmer until the next day. He put the last two in stasis - he would finish them later.

"Ugh, I feel greasy", Dudley complained as they left the lab.

"Yes, an unfortunate side effect of potions brewing - you should see me after a full day of classes." Severus agreed ruefully.

"Let's grab a shower before Draco gets here." Harry said, and they raced off. Severus hesitated, and then followed them. He supposed he should keep up appearances for them when possible.

They were back downstairs before eleven, just in time for the Malfoy's arrival.

"The director did agree to the pool, several of the dragonriders and keepers were quite happy with the idea of a pool being available. I don't think we'll quite manage the water park Draco and Dudley envisioned, but we will do our best." Lucius eyed the pair of erstwhile pool planners.

Severus retrieved the diary, and they set off across the meadow to the area the director had agreed to let them build on. It was hoped the dragons would not find it interesting. Severus let Lucius and the two pool designers pull ahead and he and Harry dropped back.

"Rosemerta told us you had an encounter with a snake yesterday." Severus began.

Harry glanced at his guardian quickly. Rosemerta had tried to hide how disturbed she had been by his talking to the snake. Draco had seemed excited by it, but had also told him to hush, and not let others hear him. Harry had been unhappy - he had hoped for a bit of normality, and here he was talking to snakes.

"We were all talking to the animals, sort of. I sure didn't expect the pretty blue snake to answer me. I was surprised by it, and then one of the others started insulting me and swearing, the other snakes told him to shut up and he swore at them! - the sign said he was a viper - I suppose that you couldn't expect him to be polite..." Harry trailed off; he realized from Severus' amused look that he was babbling. "Anyway, Draco told me to stop before anyone else could hear me."

"Yes, he's quite right. Because Salazar Slytherin and the Dark Lord were Parselmouths the ability - which is quite rare - is seen as the mark of a dark wizard. Good wizards who have the ability tend to hide it, so few are aware that light wizards can and do have the ability, as well." Severus sighed. "For now, keep this between the five of us...well, six - since Rosemerta knows as well." Harry smiled at Severus' slip.

Harry liked Rosemerta, and his guardian was obviously very fond of her, too. He wasn't all that obvious about it. He had only caught Severus in that one smile after the kiss - that had really given him away.

Harry and Severus caught up with the other three. Lucius summoned three house-elves that were waiting on the call, and they started on the pool. It would be good sized, with a rock waterfall on one end, with a waterslide of polished rock going down beside it. This would keep them all busy while Severus spoke with the director.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Yuan greeted Severus cheerfully. He now had a new dragonrider from the Australian wizarding islands south of New Zealand. The Opaleye had looked around carefully and agreed to the new Reserve. The dragons always had to accept the new position, as well as the rider, and the dragon would never give the agreement until they had seen the place. This was their first Opaleye in decades, and everyone was quite happy.

The Potionsmaster seemed a bit on edge, but finally spoke. "I have a request to make of you. I know Lucius and I are not well-known by you, as yet. However, my chief obligation in life is to keep Harry safe. I need you to understand that everything I do is to achieve that."

Yuan nodded slowly, he suspected what was to follow would not be as pleasant.

"To keep Harry safe, Lucius and I must keep the Dark Lord gone." Severus waited for the inevitable protest.

Now Yuan looked alarmed, "But...Lord ‘you know who' is dead...isn't he?" Yuan wasn't sure he wanted an answer.

Severus held Yuan's eyes, willing him to believe him. "No...not dead...and here I must ask for a promise of silence on what I reveal."

Yuan knew that whatever was to come would be horrible; the Dark Lord had been into very dark magic. He sighed, he wasn't sure that he wanted to be a part of what was likely to be the epicenter of the storm to come.

Yuan could feel Yao pushing at the back of his mind, urging courage. He sighed again, and rubbed his forehead. This Severus had one thing heavily in his favor. Every dragon who had a rider or keeper that understood them had, without exception, expressed complete approval and support of Severus and his charges. The dragons were often aware of conflicts that were coming. They apparently knew of an upcoming battle, and were firmly on Severus and Harry's side.

Yuan nodded, knowing he would side with anyone against the Dark Lord, in any case. "Yes, you have my promise."

Severus nodded at him, understanding the struggle Yuan was likely having. Many who had openly defied Voldemort had died horrible deaths.

"The Dark Lord ensured his survival by making Horcruxes" Severus watched Yuan's eyes close in horror. He sympathized completely. "Lucius and I have thought of a way to ...circumvent this. It will involve consulting the Hebredian Black that is close to death. If he tells me we are wrong...we'll drop the plan and forget it. If, however, he agrees - I hope you will accept that he knows what he is doing." Severus held his breath, a bit. Everything rode on Yuan's answer.

"And no probing questions, either, I suppose." Yuan said grimly. Severus didn't deny that.

Yuan leaned back in his chair. "Our very old dragons have a formidable amount of knowledge. They learn by sharing thoughts and memories with each other and their riders and keepers. It is why the very young dragons are hostile to humans - they haven't had any interaction with them...shared a mental conversation. But the very old - like Yvane - the Hebredian Black you mentioned - he has memories handed down from his great-grandfather who remembered the time of Merlin. He has had six riders, altogether and has traveled most of the world before returning here to die. He is indeed wise, and dragons have their own magical methods of discerning truth."

Yuan nodded slowly. "If Yvane agrees with your plan, I will as well." Yuan felt a heaviness lift from the back of his mind. He suspected that Yao had been listening - and perhaps others as well. He sometimes felt the more meddlesome old dragons ‘eavesdropped' at times on a lot of conversations. The old gossips - Yuan thought sneeringly, and could almost feel Yao growl in affronted dignity.

Yuan rose and bowed, and Severus bowed in return and left.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Severus found the potions brewer and let him know that two of the potions were done, and the other would be finished in the morning. The potions brewer was ecstatic; having a Potionsmaster living on the Reserve would be a major asset.

Severus found his way to the new pool - the waterfall was finished, and the waterslide as well. The house-elves were finishing the changing rooms and chaise lounges and chairs. Dudley and Draco were bouncing happily and Harry was peering at the springboard Lucius was conjuring.

Lucius looked at Severus and raised an eyebrow in inquiry. Severus nodded with a small smile. Mission accomplished - so far.

Now to face the dragon, Yvane, himself.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

After a hasty lunch, the trio of swimmers went straight to the new pool to try it out, leaving Lucius and Severus to do some last minute worrying about Yvane. Rigel would take them to the dragon, but they did not intend him to stay. They preferred no one to know what was being done, so the fewer that were in on it, the better.

Rigel would not be available until after dinner. The pair suspected the hours would pass excruciatingly slow. They went over the spells they had memorized until even Severus said it was enough. Severus finally resorted to finishing the potions he had in stasis, while Lucius entertained himself by interpreting the runes on the old map Harry had bought.

They boys dragged home moments before supper, blissfully exhausted by all the swimming. Severus and Lucius were relieved that the boys filled the air with tales of how wonderful the pool was, and boasting of how spectacular their dives had been. The boys therefore did not notice how silent the men were.

Draco barely had the energy to protest being sent to Malfoy Manor after dinner. He did insist he would return by lunch the next day. Dudley and Harry were told to ‘entertain themselves quietly' before bed. Dudley left for his room without protest, but Harry eyed the grim pair closely.

"Are you doing something dangerous tonight, sir?" Harry asked quietly.

Severus and Lucius stared a bit, surprised at Harry's astuteness. Severus answered carefully. "It's not so much dangerous as it is tricky. It's important that we not fail, and we're a bit nervous - we don't want to muck it up." Severus hesitated a bit. "I'll try to explain what we're doing tomorrow, it's a long story - but you should perhaps hear it."

Lucius looked at Severus in shock. "Severus...are you sure?"

"Yes...he is a sensible lad, and I've no right to keep him completely in the dark." Severus held Harry's eyes as he said this, hoping that he understood the trust he was giving him.

Harry nodded once, "Thank You, Severus. Good Luck tonight." And he also headed off to his room, hearing Dudley already snoring in his bed.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Rigel led the Slytherin pair across a rock - strewn cliff side. Severus sighed, apparently this dragon wanted to watch the sea while he died, and had claimed a large cave facing the rolling waves. They passed several dragons, who were keeping watch over the dying Hebredian. Rigel called into the cave, announcing their visit.

Severus and Lucius both conjured a Lumos and entered. The dragon wasn't far in the cave, and they were soon standing near the enormous head, with a large purple eye blinking sleepily at them.

Severus had read the books the Spanish Dragonriders had written. Legilimency to communicate with them was possible, if you were prepared for the migraine headache that would follow. Severus' mental abilities in Legilimency and Occlumency were familial powers, and therefore extremely strong, and had been ridiculously easy for him to learn. He firmly cast the spell to enter the dragons mind.

To his shock Yvane had been awaiting him. As the books had explained dragon tended to communicate with each other in memories and visual impressions, as well as emotions. The older they became, and after learning language from their riders and keepers they would also use words. Severus realized quickly that Yvane was indeed very old; he had the dizzying impression of vast stores of memories and knowledge obtained from other dragons and incredible memories passed down from millenniums of dragons. He didn't doubt for a moment that Yvane had memories from the time of Merlin, and perhaps of Merlin himself.

Yvane waited patiently for Severus to ground himself in Yvane's mind.

"So, you are here to see if the being locked in that book should be freed, young wizard?" Yvane's mind voice asked the stunned Severus.

"We must find the Horcruxes and destroy them; otherwise we can never kill Lord Voldemort. Tom Riddle was only sixteen when he made this Horcrux-diary. We can tell that it is different from the others. The magic in it doesn't reek of the dark the way the cup does." Severus explained, hoping his own mental voice was conveying the desperation he was feeling. "Tom Riddle might know where the Horcruxes would be hidden in and where. He might also know how to be rid of the partial Horcrux in Harry's scar." Severus could feel the dragon patiently listening to his explanation, as well as the dragons fury at the making of Horcruxes - dragons seemed to find them a personal insult. "At sixteen, Tom Riddle might still be open to changing his beliefs - especially if we show him how wrong everything went."

Severus could hear Yvane's mental chuckle. "Or perhaps you will merely be showing him where to change his strategy to be more successful this time, and unleash a second Lord Voldemort - to join up with the first."

Severus felt quite affronted. "We did foresee that possibility. We'll be binding him up in Wizard Oaths to not harm or fight against Harry. Anything he might do to Harry will cause his own death. We'll bind his magic, if we must."

Yvane sighed. "Such an unwilling ally will be of little use to you. Any information he might give you will be suspect and possibly fraught with danger. You Slytherins can find loopholes in any bargain. If there is a way to thwart you - he is likely to do so. He may even decide death by broken Wizard Oath worth it if he kills Harry Potter at the same time."

Severus could feel his shoulders slump, even while still in Yvane's mind. "So you advise against the undertaking?" They had hoped this would work, especially if it freed Harry from that fatal scar he carried.

"There may be a way to do this safely. I see that you must use my death to fuel his rebirth in flesh." Yvane seemed to ponder. "Dragons use the time close to their death to pass on their knowledge - in memories as well as in the human languages. A wizard once told me of their portraits, which carried echoes of the people they represented. I can do something similar - I can carry an echo of myself into this wizard, to guide and teach him until he is safe to turn loose on his own."

"Like a possession?" Severus was confused at what was offered. It seemed too easy.

"Nothing so crude, or so strong - I could restrain him from doing something I didn't wish him to do. But I couldn't force him to do something - he can ignore an order from me." Yvane sighed. "My hope is to teach him, show him his errors. I can sense much of his anger is from lack of understanding, and fear."

"Do you wish to do this now, or another day?" Severus was quickly losing energy from the prolonged mental conversation.

"Now would be best, I might not be here tomorrow." Yvane answered. "I can choose the moment of my death, now that it is already so near. That will make it possible for me to place the ‘echo' of myself."

Severus left the dragons mind, and quickly took a headache potion. It only blunted the pain, to his aggravation. He dropped the diary to the ground, near the dragon. The dragons breathing abruptly became harsher. Lucius and Severus cast the spell to activate the diary's Horcrux, and soon Tom's spirit could be seen, becoming more and more stable, and then solid as Yvane's breathing ended with a final sigh.

The diary burst into flames as the spell ended. The newly awakened Tom Riddle looked around the cave in confusion - at the dead dragon, then at the two wizards, eyeing him doubtfully.

"Welcome back to life, young Tom." Yvane's voice was heard not only in Tom Riddle's head, but in Lucius and Severus' heads, as well.

The young wizard grabbed his head in alarm and looked over at the blonde and dark haired wizards, who simply crossed their arms and raised their eyebrows, giving him identical smirking smiles.

"What have you done?" He asked plaintively.