This is my first fic, so please, don't beat me too hard.

Disclaimer: I own NUFFING!

Off we go...

Chapter One - It's always me, isn't it?

'Harry trembled as he ran down the dark corridor. He felt the shadows grasp at his ankles as he sped past the walls. Whispers clung to his ears getting louder, rising with the speed of his heart. The adrenaline was becoming too much. He had to find a way out. Tripping over a crack in the floors, he landed sprawled onto the hard stone. Groaning and lifting his head, he saw a pair of black shining boots in the dim light. A hand grabbed the boy's cloak startling him into a coughing fit as he was dragged to his feet. He lifted his eyes only to come face to face with-'

"Shit," Harry moaned as he landed onto the thin carpeting of his small dreary room of number 4 Privet Drive. Stumbling as he began to stand, then ebony haired teen shifted himself back onto his bed. Turning his head to face the clock, he saw that only nine minutes had passed from the time he had drifted to sleep. "11:58. Well isn't that a shocker. I Might as well stay up a bit longer. How come I can never seem to fall asleep and stay asleep the night before my birthday?" Harry complained as the clock flashed by another minute.

Leaning over his bed he pried that forever loose floor board from its place. "Might as well write to Ron to see when we can go do our apparation tests. Finally! Seventeen! I bet the Dursleys will have a stroke when they find out I can do magic now."

While he was busy under his bed the clock flashed forward, midnight. A scream silently echoed through the house. The pitch so high no normal human could possibly fathom its existence. Harry fell to the floor in convulsions. Blood ran down his face, from his fingertips, and unknowingly to him, his back. Bones cracked as they shifted themselves. The boy's fingers became slimmer, and his nails sharpened into claws. His feet morphed to be double jointed and looked as if they had been replaced with a kangaroo's. Dark ebony locks grew to his waist. Red and green streaks highlighted to the slightest detail, and at last his ears grew into points.

Suddenly, the convulsing stopped. Harry laid there panting, his breath short.A quick spot of pain sent his body to spring forward off the floor. A sharp gasp escaped his lips as two rather large wings burst almost gracefully from his back. The moonlight trickled in through his barred window. Blood soaked wings sparkled in the nearly heavenly light. Barely visible through the crimson liquid could be seen black feathers with an almost metallic green tint. Lining the silken treasures was a sliver streak alternating every other feather.

In exhaustion, Harry fell to his side in a much needed sleep. The clock flashed once again. It was only four past midnight.

"BOY! Get up and fix breakfast!" A voice bellowed from downstairs. Harry opened his eyes. "What the bloody freaking hell am I doing, " he yawned, "on the floor?"

Slowly picking himself from the carpet he noticed that something seemed a bit off."AHN!" He yelped as he spotted blood on the floor. Checking himself over, Harry bit his lip to keep from screaming at his new attachments.

An angry hoot peeped from the corner of his room. Spinning around Harry saw Hedwig nipping at the lock of her cage. "Sorry girl. I meant to let you out yesterday. Wait. I did let you out. What are you doing back into your cage?" He asked to no one as he unlatched the lock allowing the snowy owl room to get to his bed.

Well you sent out a signal master.

Harry nearly toppled over at the voice in his head. "Who's there?"

Who do you think you level witted boy. Now turn around so I can look at those feathers you have! HNN! Such poor grooming...

"Hedwig?" Whispered Harry, unsure of his guess.

Who else? That Lord Moldy Warts or whoever it is you complain about?

"Well I wanted to be sure. You aren't the only one that's been inside my head you know." Harry snipped back at the bird.

HN! Not knowing the voice of your own familiar! I Never! The nerve! Hedwig turned her back to him.

"I'm sorry but-"

HN!

"Hedwig! Please!" Came Harry's futile attempt to reason with the infuriating owl. Somehow feeling his want for normalcy, his body melded back into a more human form, all but the ears had vanished.

An obnoxious bellow sounded from the steps. "Boy! You had better get your arse down here now before I-" Whatever had come next was drowned out by a rather large CRACK.

Harry buried his face into the pillow. "Oh no..." Came the muffled sound beneath the case.

"Potter!" A devastatingly familiar voice hissed. Harry just groaned into the pillow. 'Not SNAPE… ' He whined to himself.

"Get up Potter. We haven't all day! You did get the note didn't you?" Growled another voice.

"No. Don't care. Yes." Was Harry's short reply.

"Potter! " Shrieked the younger voice indignantly.

"I'm up! I'm up! Merlin get off my case Malfoy !" Huffed the annoyed Gryffindor. Harry dragged himself to his feet and faced his intruders.

"So when do we leave Professor?" Harry said calmly, ignoring the hissy blonde.

Harry looked up. His hair shifted backwards revealing the tapered ears. Malfoy gasped while the Potions Master only stared in curiosity. Harry drew his hands over them, hiding the new creations from view.

"What now?" He asked rather dejectedly.

The usually hot tongued slytherin kept quiet. Slowly he stepped forward to pry away Harry's hands and have a closer look. Tugging at one the blonde asked, " Are these real potter?"

"If I said no, would you back off? OW! Hey!" Harry shoved Malfoy back into an old dusty dresser. The boy brushed himself off and settled for a glare. He stuck his nose in the air and stalked to the other side of the small bedroom, if you could call it a room at all.

"Is everything packed, Mr. Potter?" Questioned Snape as he pulled out a rather tattered looking belt.

'Hmm. Must be a portkey' Thought Harry. "Not quite sir," he replied scooting under his bed to get his important things and wrapped them in the invisibility cloak.

"Potter..." Warned an impatient Malfoy.

"They're in the cupboard under the stairs if you must know."

"What all is Scar-head?"

"All my stuff, my trunk, and my unfinished homework are in the cupboard, Prince Dunder-head." Harry shot back coolly.

"What did you just call me?"

Snape looked on with masked amusement. Though, one must admit that two grown boys fighting over petty names is rather humorous. Snape cleared his throat to capture their attention. "Now Draco, Potter, the head master has us on a strict schedule. Pull yourselves together so that we may take our leave."

Harry ran down the steps and flung open the cupboard door. Grabbing his trunk, he hefted it up the stairs and into his room, not wanting to upset his uncle, wherever he went. After shoving the rest of his belongings into the trunk, releasing Hedwig to fly herself, and tying the cage down, the three each wrapped a hand around the belt, and were sucked off to their destination, Hogwarts.