A week before Alduin was due to return to Nirn, the True Dragonborn was killed by the hands of the Thalmor. This leads to Akatosh having to find someone else who he could turn into a Dragonborn with the help of the Daedric Princes and the other Divines. In the end, he settles on Mara's choice, one Harry James Potter - and they pull him out of his world during what would had been the start of Prisoner of Azkaban. Now, dumped into the world of Skyrim, with naught but his glasses, some rags and a pendant created by Akatosh, Harry will have to face the challenges of being a teenage Dragonborn, destined to save Nirn from the World Eater.
Rise of the Dragon Child
is a Harry Potter and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim crossover by Elia41 which takes Harry and places him in the shoes of the Last Dragonborn, the one destined to defeat Alduin.
Tropes contained in Rise of the Dragon Child:
- Actually Pretty Funny: Farkas fighting a dragon while naked and drunk to the point of blackout, on a dare. Even Akatosh was laughing his ass off from his dimension.
- Adaptational Heroism: in the game, the mages of Morvunskar are hedonists who spend their time torturing people. In the story, they are still hedonists… and much friendlier, welcoming Farkas and Harry fondly during A Night to Remember. They end up teaching Harry a handful of spells, including Bound Bow, and nurse Skjor back to health after he loses his arm.
- Adults Are Useless: Averted, unlike on Earth. People do worry about Harry getting into dangerous situations and ensure he has someone with him whenever possible - and when a fight starts, whether Harry either deals the final blow or is actually active, the adults with him pull their weight as well.
- Affectionate Nickname: The Companions call Harry "whelp".
- An Arm and a Leg: Skjor ends up losing an arm to the Skinner, rather than his life.
- Ascended Fanboy: Sissel, the little girl dreaming of the old, gray, not-scary dragon. Not only does she get to meet Paarthunax, but she's also scouted as having potential for the Way of the Voice and is apprenticed to the Greybeards.
- Badass and Child Duo: Due to his young age and inexperience, Harry is regularly paired with someone older such as housecarl-in-training Lydia or Farkas from the Companions.
- Badass Bystander: They may just be civilians but, when Riverwood is attacked by vampires, Harry, Ron and Hermione aren't the only ones fighting. Alvor is being healed by Delphine, Faendal shoots down a vampire who was threatening Lucan and Camilla... and Embry dies protecting Frodnar and Dagny, an act Harry and Alvor hope will earn him a place in Sovngarde.
- The Berserker: Battle Frenzy, to an extent. The person under it cannot tell friend or foe and they think that the battle still rages on, even when it seems to be over, but is actually clear-headed enough to pull moves such as feints. Harry ends up suffering from it.
- As a rule of thumb, whenever Harry gives in to his dovahsil, he becomes much more aggressive as his draconic instincts take over. Standing in his way when he is in this state is asking for a trouncing. Case in point: Sunderstone Gorge.
- Big Brother Mentor: Farkas has this kind of relationship with Harry due to being his main teacher.
- Big Damn Heroes: Rather than following Hadvar or Ralof, Harry is saved by Paarthurnax in Helgen. Later, he ends up pulling one on Dragon Bridge by stopping Krenmulqah, then again at Solitude by defeating Yahlungaan.
- Breather Episode:
- The Interludes are this to a degree, as they are less action-oriented and more plot-driven.
- The Home arc is also somewhat believed to be this, focusing on Harry finally building a home of his own in Nirn. Even though he still needs to raid barrows and the like just to fund the building process…
- Combat and Support: The Companions and Harry, respectively. The Companions are among - if not the - best fighters in Tamriel but eschew magic. Harry isn't nearly as skilled as they are, but he is proficient in Restoration spells and so focuses on keeping them healthy during a fight, even saving Skjor at Gallows Rock.
- Competence Zone: Discussed between Harry and Siddgeir. Both are quite young by their occupation's standards, but Harry rightfully notes that "[...] competence knows no age". Siddgeir agrees.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: There are a few of these, and, being the Dragonborn, Harry is often the one dishing out the stomping.
- Cutting the Knot: Harry knows all too well how dangerous dragons are and does everything he can to establish an Enemy Mine between the Empire and the Stormcloaks. He finally succeeds in Tullius's Interlude, putting the Civil War questline on hold before it canonically happens in Season Unending.
- Deadly Dodging: After Ron accidentally elbows Goyle too hard, Draco and Crabbe retaliate by trying to hex him, causing Hermione to grab him and duck. The Slytherins hit Professor McGonagall instead. Oops...
- Deal with the Devil: Nocturnal agrees to help Akatosh spirit Harry away into Mundus, as long as the God of Time lets her use the boy to clean the Thieves' Guild for her.
- Defector from Decadence: We are told in-series that many of the Altmer disagree with the Thalmor. In the fic, we get to meet one such group, the disciples of the friendly dragon Kunovaak. One of the children is even chosen to become a Greybeard.
- Dishing Out Dirt: The made-up Shout GOL BEX AL (Earth Open Destroy), used by Paarthurnax and Krenmulqah, causes an earthquake.
- Disease by Any Other Name: It is mentionned that Jarl Balgruuf's wife died five years ago when "her blood turned against her", meaning it was abnormally pale and prone to flow when she had a scratch. Those symptoms would indicate leukemia, but Skyrim's medieval society couldn't pose the diagnosis.
- Drunken Master: As it turns out, Farkas is one. How else would he be able to kill a dragon while stark naked?
- Eating the Eye Candy: A platonic example. While they relax in the hot springs, Ron notices that Harry is fitter than he used to be. Hermione takes a bit too long looking away...
- Enemy Mine:
- Aedra and Daedra hate each other with passion but neither actually wants to see Nirn destroyed. So they team up to find a replacement Dragonborn and screw over Alduin.
- Enforced by Harry between the Empire and the Stormcloaks. His logic is that the dragons are enemies to both sides and incredibly dangerous, so Tullius and Ulfric have everything to gain by focusing on them. His personal interest is that, while they are busy fighting dragons, they aren't busy threatening Whiterun (who's still neutral) and his Parental Substitute Balgruuf…
- Evil Versus Oblivion: When they learn who Harry is and what he is up against, a faction of the Volkihar vampires, led by Orthjolf, begins to talk about supporting him against Alduin. In Orthjolf's words, the Tyranny of the Sun can't come true if Alduin devours the world.
- Eye Scream: Eyes being squishy even on dragons, Harry and anyone fighting with him at the moment will go right for them.
- Fantastic Racism: Ulfric isn't fond of Altmer at all, even questioning Kunovaak's decision when he takes one of the Altmer boys to become a Greybeard. Harry has to remind him Skyrim is home to more than the Nords.
- Fur Against Fang: anytime the Companions raid vampire dens.
- Fusion Dance: Basically, when Martin ascended in the Oblivion Crisis, he became Akatosh himself.
- Godzilla Threshold: Sirius is a wanted man. But, when Harry is mysteriously taken by unknown forces as he watches, he doesn't hesitate to go seek Dumbledore to help rescue him.
- Happily Adopted: Sofie, after revealing her Restoration magic, is adopted by Jora and Lortheim, the Talos priests. Harry is also Balgruuf's adoptive son in all but name.
- Here We Go Again!: When Harry and Agmaer meet Isran, the Redguard is initially reluctant to let Harry join on the ground he is Just a Kid. Harry is exasperated to have to go through the routine again.
- Heroic Sacrifice: Embry dies distracting a vampire from Frodnar and Dorthe, buying Harry and his friends precious time to interfere. Harry sincerely hopes the deed earned him a place in Sovngarde.
- Holy Hand Grenade: Dawnbreaker is one in sword form. Also the made-up Shout Kun Shul Lok (Light Sun Sky)
- Humanity Ensues: Doubling with Voluntary Shapeshifting. At the end of The Blessings of Nature, Kynareth grants Hedwig the ability to transform into a "maidenowl", an owl-like hagraven, with the added bonus that she can shift between the two forms.
- The Hunter Becomes the Hunted: During the "Ill met by moonlight" quest, Harry sides with Sinding, thus fulfilling this trope. However, Hircine Invokes this by noting how this is the very definition of Harry's role as the Dragonborn... and gives him a bow to do just that, as the Bow of the Hunted fires stronger arrows the stronger the target is.
- An Ice Person: Once Hedwig gains her maidenowl form, she has access to potent Ice Magic.
- If You Ever Do Anything to Hurt Her...: After promising Serana a reward for helping Harry, Akatosh threatens to send Alduin and the dragons after Clan Volkihar if she turns on him. Serana agrees to this but makes clear she will hold the dragon-god on his promise.
- I Need a Freaking Drink: After the ceasefire at Dragonsreach, Ulfric decides one bottle of mead simply won't be enough.
- Just a Kid: People in Skyrim never expected the Dragonborn could be a kid barely into his teenage years and appropriately freak or dismiss him.
- Katanas Are Just Better: The Blades' trademark weapon. Harry ends up owning Rael's (The True Dragonborn) Blade... but its quickly deconstructed when he realizes he has no idea how to use it and he refuses to make up his own technique - due to already not being on good terms with Delphine as she learns about Paarthurnax after the fight with Sahloknir, and Harry outright telling her he won't kill any dragons who won't do any harm to the world - choosing to stick to Dawnbreaker instead. By Home 4.3, Delphine has begun teaching him.
- Killed Off for Real: the True Dragonborn, Rael of Bruma, which kickstarts the plot. Embry, Riverwood's drunkard, also loses his life distracting a vampire from Frodnar and Dorthe.
- Light Is Good: Tullius's Interlude introduces Kunovaak, a friendly golden dragon and one of Paarthurnax's disciples. The first word of his name actually means light and he teaches Harry the Word KUN (Light).
- Metaphorically True: Dumbledore reassures the students and staff of Hogwarts on Harry's fate by telling them he is "on foreign assignment and his education is being handled". While technically true, it omits a lot of details, starting with the fact that "foreign" means "in another world".
- Multiple Narrative Modes: the story is usually told from Harry's P.O.V, but it switches to a third-person viewpoint when he is unconscious or his mental state is altered. Also, every Interlude is in third person.
- Named by the Adaptation: In canon, Commander Maro's first name is never given. In the fic, his first name is Caelius.
- New Life in Another World Bonus: Akatosh imbues Harry with a fragment of his soul to make him a Dragonborn, thus granting him a large number of abilities he didn't have as a Wizard. He later grants Ron and Hermione the ability to use Tamrielic magic so they can help their friend.
- Noodle Incident: As of the end of the Companions arc, there have been two so far.
- The first is whatever Farkas did during A Night to Remember - this one is actually Subverted in that we do learn what happened. And it's hilarious.
- The second crosses with Offscreen Moment of Awesome and is Harry killing twenty-four Thalmor battlemages by himself at Valtheim Towers. We aren't shown the fight, but there's no doubt it was epic.
- Papa Wolf: Balgruuf is not okay with thirteen-year-old Harry travelling alone and insists for him to have a bodyguard. He unwinds a bit when Harry starts Taking a Level in Badass, but still.
- Parental Substitute: Balgruuf becomes this for Harry, offering him a new home in Dragonsreach and taking care of his safety.
- Poirot Speak: Dragons that regularly interact with mortals tend to speak that way, using mostly mortal words but switching to dovalzul (the Dragon language) when they would understand.
- The Power Of Music: The true version of One They Fear/Song of the Dragonborn (that is, the version which normally plays in Sovngarde in the game) is sung during Harry's solo fight with Krenmulqah by the Companions, the citizens and guards of Dragon Bridge and the Penitus Oculatus. While not a true Theme Music Power-Up, it does help Harry defeat the dragon. It also doubles as Source Music and In-Universe Soundtrack.
- Pre-Mortem One-Liner: Ron gives one to the vampire who just killed Embry. "You're dead, mate." Harry impales him on Dawnbreaker the next second.
- Prophecy Twist: The Tyranny of the Sun, as with most prophecies, has its twists and turns. Akatosh intends to use them and tasks Harry and Serana with taking the matter. Harry accepts because Akatosh is his patron. Serana agrees because the god of time promised a reward.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Akatosh delivers a particularly painful one to Dumbledore, Mc Gonagall and especially Snape during Interlude: Hogwarts, which doubles with Awful Truth. It is bad enough Snape doesn't say a word until the end of the chapter.
- Reasonable Authority Figure:
- Ulfric and Tullius, even more so than in-game. Upon being presented with proof of how dangerous the dragons are and given the guarantee the other side will remain neutral, they immediately agree to a ceasefire. Tullius more than Ulfric, though - Ulfric had to be cowed by Harry first. Also, Balgruuf.
- Tullius demonstrates this trope again when Harry visits Solitude. Along with gifting him a set of mithril chainmail, he also advises him to inform Balgruuf and Ulfric about the vampire threats and takes upon himself to become The Mentor to a more proactive Elisif.
- Elisif is no slouch in the departmnt either. Not only does she welcome Harry and Serana without question, she makes Harry the same offer Balgruuf did - that he will always have a place at the Blue Palace. She then dares anyone to challenge her decision and decides that, if Harry can become a competent Dragonborn in a few months, she can become a competent jarl in the same timespan and seeks Tullius for guidance.
- Recruit Teenagers with Attitude: Justified when Akatosh picks thirteen-year-old Harry as his new Champion; he can't use a grown-up as infusing a mature soul with Dragon power would destroy it and a baby wouldn't have time to grow up before Alduin showed up, while Harry already has some experience with fighting evil.
- Running Gag: Whenever Harry learns a new Shout, expect him to screw it up at least once.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: During the quest "In my Time of Need", upon seeing the Companions are after Kematu, the bandits of Swindler's Den swiftly bail while saying the Alik'r don't pay them enough to fight them.
- Secret-Keeper: Rayya, Harry's Housecarl from Falkreath, learns the truth about Harry being from another world due to being present when Harry has his reunion with Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Snape.
- Ship Tease: Between Farkas and Ahlam, surprisingly enough.
- Shout-Out: Mikhail's song Age of the Dragons. The title sounds a lot like one of BioWare's franchise, Dragon Age.
- The candidates chosen by the Divines and Daedric Princes to become the new Dragonborn are Squall Leonheart, Sora, Sarkhan Vol, Yugi Muto, Aang and Taylor Hebert.
- Spared by the Adaptation: Because he stayed with Harry in Dimhollow, Vigilant Tolan made it out in one piece rather than dying at the entrance.
- Squishy Wizard: Zig-Zagged. Magic Knight is as common as the average spell-focused mage in Skyrim, as Harry and the mages of Morvunskar demonstrate. On Earth, however, Dumbledore fully acknowledges that, Quidditch aside, Wizards tend to eschew physical education. Wanting to keep up with Harry in his adventures, Ron and Hermione start working out to Avert it.
- Truce Zone: Whiterun, as enforced by the Dragonborn. Teenager or not, he won't take losing the first home he knew with a smile.
- True Companions: As in the game, the Companions are a close-knit group who readily take in Harry and teach him fighting.
- Unreliable Narrator: the story is narrated from Harry's point of view. When his mental state is altered - like his dovahsil taking over, to name one - the narration is altered accordingly, and not particularly trustful.
- Unwitting Instigator of Doom: The Thalmor almost doomed the world by virtue of killing the True Dragonborn barely a week before Alduin's return. Needless to say, Akatosh is very much unhappy with them.
- Warp Whistle: Hary's map works like this, courtesy of Akatosh.
- White Magician Girl: Sofie, the Innocent Flower Girl from Windhelm, turns out to be a naturally powerful Restoration mage.
- Whole-Plot Reference: Chapter 19, based on the quest A Night to Remember, which itself is a homage to The Hangover - in fact, it was nicknamed "The Hangover - Skyrim Edition" by the author - even though in this case, it's Farkas who takes on the drinking challenge instead of Harry.
