Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter!
Author's Note: This story idea was inspired by the Basilisk plot-point from the fantastic "Harry Potter and the Eyes of the Serpent" written by MariusDarkwolf. If you haven't read it yet, go read it now! It's really cool and Marius is awesome for giving me permission to barrow his idea about Harry's eyes changing into those of a Basilisk like in his story.
Only this is different as explained bellow, since he can't change them at will except when he uses his new 'powers' for lack of a better term. Also, in case anyone's wondering this story is NOT slash. There will be NO slash in this story. It's good old H/Hr (HarryXHermione) in this fanfic and maybe a few girls besides. Just read the story and answer the question in the end A/N in regards to more pairings. So now without any further ado, I present you with my humble offering to the Harry Potter Fandom!
Chapter 1: "I'M A WHAT?"
Harry Potter awoke feeling dazed and disoriented. He felt light-headed and dizzy, as if one of those giant Double-Decker Busses had rammed into him at a hundred miles per hour.
His whole body ached all over and his head throbbed with pain as a migraine stabbed at him relentlessly. If that wasn't bad enough, he couldn't open his eyes for fear that mere light would hurt him and his teeth were killing him.
It felt as if they had changed and had grown exceptionally large overnight, threatening to plunge out of his gums and into his lap. It was a most disgusting mental image that sprung to mind causing bile to rise in his throat.
Harry groaned pitifully, only to rue the action for it caused him to cough something fierce as if a monster was lodged in his throat and trying to come out.
"What the *cough, cough* bloody hell *cough* is...going *cough, cough* ON?" Harry rasped, his throat constricting as if trying to keep the words from surfacing.
It took all his strength just to speak and after he voiced the question, a bitter sensation rested on the tip of his tongue. His throat felt parched and his mind was reeling.
"I am afraid to say that you are a Serpent Vampire, Mr. Potter," Said an all-too-familiar grandfatherly voice.
This time the words came easily and were literally torn from his throat by a feral rage.
"I'M A WHAT?" Harry shrieked in shock and horror.
He had no idea where he was or how he got here, but whatever shit this was it was really taking the cake.
"A Serpent Vampire, Mr. Potter," The voice said with a weary sigh. "I do believe the term here is rather new and you will soon be classed as a whole new creature. A Ministry official is on her way, in fact, for that sole purpose."
"Excuse me," Harry growled, slowly trying to open his eyes and not get blinded all at once. "Who the heck are you and where the bloody hell am I? And why does it feel like I've been under a dammed Unforgivable?"
"Normally I would chide you for your language and deduct House Points," Said the voice. "But in this case it is only understandable considering the amount of pain you're in."
"You can say that again," Harry quipped sarcastically.
"So I shall try to explain the best as I can," The voice continued, headless of his interruption. "First of all, what is the last thing you remember? In all cases, last memories may be crucial to solving a riddle of some sort."
Harry bit back a snarky remark and strove to remember. At first, nothing came to mind – only blackness and pain. But then images, blurry and vague, swam through his consciousness: The limp body of a beautiful girl, a crumpled piece of paper that held a clue, a fraud teacher, falling rocks, a boastful wraith, another limp girl, a gigantic snake, screams, a flash of red and gold, the blade of a sword appearing in a warrior's hands, fresh blood splashing everywhere as a naked blade plunged home into a titanic serpent, screaming in pain a giant fang dug into his palm, phoenix tears, pain, sorrow, confusion, discussion, faces, pain, blackness, nothing...
"Err, sorry," Harry mumbled. "My mind's kind of messed up right now. It's like I just watched a bad action movie."
"Or rather experiencing one?" The voice prodded.
"Pardon me?" Harry asked. "And who are you? No, wait. I remember now. You're Albus Dumbledore, the old codger who put me on the Dursley's doorstep right?"
"You remember that?" The voice asked softly.
Finally, Harry could see again although the light around him still hurt his eyes. But he could see that it was indeed the aged Headmaster sitting on a chair beside him. He, Harry, lay in a hospital bed. Next to him lay the still petrified form of his best female friend Hermione Granger.
"I don't know," Harry admitted reluctantly. "The memory just flashed in my mind now. It's confusing really."
Dumbledore sighed, and to Harry he looked a million years older.
"Alas, I had feared this would happen," Dumbledore said slowly.
Harry waited patiently for the ancient wizard to speak, but something in his stomach didn't sit right with being near that man. It was like gut instinct or something.
"What I said earlier is true, Harry," Dumbledore said sadly. "You have turned into a Serpent Vampire."
"Say what?" Harry asked in disbelief.
"Do you remember the Basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets?" Dumbledore asked, almost as if fearing the answer.
"You mean the one I killed?" Harry drawled.
"The same," Dumbledore nodded.
"Obviously," Harry replied, rolling his eyes. "What of it?"
"Well when the beast bit into you there was something that not even Fawkes could heal," Dumbledore answered quietly.
His words were so soft that Harry had to strain to hear them, and that didn't help the sinking feeling of dread that was welling up inside him either.
"The Basilisk changed you Harry," Dumbledore continued. "Normally, that much venom of the snake would be enough to kill a person. Actually, it would be enough to turn one's body to mush and dissolve all the bones."
Dumbledore paused for a moment as if pondering something, and Harry Potter shuddered at the idea, for he knew it could be true. The Basilisk was huge!
"However," Dumbledore said with evident reluctance. "The tears of Fawkes and an ancient spell known to the Dumbledore family, a jealously guarded secret, were able to counter the poison – to some extent."
"You mean I'm going to die slowly?" Harry interjected, nightmarish sequences flashing through him like rapid fire.
"No Harry," Dumbledore said, offering a weak smile. "The magic of my Phoenix and spell plus your own strong magical core was able to stop the poison. Sadly, it had some unexpected side-effects. The first and foremost is your teeth."
"Huh?" Was all Harry could say.
Who had ever seen that one coming?
"It would be easier to explain if you saw for yourself," Dumbledore said. "May I show you?"
Harry nodded dumbly, still trying to process all the theories of what his adventure had resulted in. He waited anxiously as Dumbledore conjured a mirror and handed it over to him. Harry took the mirror gingerly and held it in shaking hands. Cautiously and carefully, he held it up to his teeth and opened his mouth.
The poor boy nearly dropped the mirror in shock, horror, and revulsion when he saw what had happened to him – he had fangs. That's right! Real, bloody, inch-long fangs (probably a centimetre longer). They were like a snake's fangs and he had two of them. They were long and slender, curving slightly outward. Actually, he had four fangs since he had two pairs – one for each set of teeth.
His other teeth fitted in seamlessly with the fangs and Harry noticed in dismay that they were different too. They were all gleaming white as if brand-new and his normal teeth were far from normal. In fact, they were shaped into fine triangles and sparkled as the sunlight filtering through the hospital window glinted off them. He touched them numbly and was stunned when they felt slick and metallic, a little like normal teeth but much stronger and harder.
"What the hell happened to me?" Harry asked in fear, not taking his eyes off the mirror.
"I am so, so sorry," Dumbledore answered, and Harry could sense true remorse in the Headmaster's voice. "I would have come if I could, but as you know I was sent away from Hogwarts. I only got permission to come here because rumour had it that you were injured. I came as fast as I could but it was too late. If you had perhaps called a teacher..."
"I did," Harry growled, setting the mirror aside and clenching his fists. "But the teacher we asked for help – our Defence Against the Dark Arts, mind! – tried to use a Memory Charm on us!"
"I apologise," Dumbledore said somewhat sheepishly. "But you might be interested to know that Mr. Lockhart is now a permanent resident of St. Mungos for having his memory whipped clean."
"Yes!" Harry laughed, punching the air in triumph.
Dumbledore allowed a chuckle, knowing that the Defence Professor wasn't the best of teachers.
"How's Ron?" Harry asked, suddenly worried about his best mate. "And what about Ginny? Did she survive?"
Again, Dumbledore's face looked grave and Harry immediately sobered.
"Mr. Weasley is doing well and with his family, I believe," Dumbledore said. "Ms. Weasley did not have it so easy, I'm afraid. Because the diary that was possessing her for the entirety of the school is now destroyed, so is her memory of her whole first year at Hogwarts. She cannot even remember anything that happened until before she got the diary."
"Nothing? Nothing at all?" Harry asked incredulously, shocked that something so innocent as a diary could hold such dark powers.
True, he remembered the spirit of Tom Riddle boasting about how Ginny wrote her very soul into the diary but Harry just thought it was another one of those cliché speeches where the villain gloated to the hero about how his master-plan won out in the end. He never thought it could be true. But now it seemed to have come to pass. It made sense really. Ginny's soul was tied to the diary, so she should have died when it was destroyed. But she survived so she had to pay the price for her life – and that was her memory.
"How awful!" Harry exclaimed, glad that the diabolical diary and wraith were gone.
"Indeed," Dumbledore said sorrowfully. "You will be pleased to know that the one who gave her the diary – Lucius Malfoy, Draco's father – has been sacked from the Board of Governors and sent to the Prison of Azkaban for the possession of Dark Objects."
"Wicked!" Harry grinned. But his face fell again when he remembered that something really wicked, in a bad way, had happened to him because of Malfoy. "So I'm a what again?"
"A Serpent Vampire," Dumbledore sighed. "Would you like me to explain to you what it is all about?"
"Please," Harry said.
"A Serpent Vampire is a unique creature," Dumbledore began. "Normal vampires require human blood to survive. They cannot stand the light or fire and are allergic to things like garlic and wooden staves. They must sleep for twenty-four hours in a coffin to regain their strength before they go hunting at night for their prey. Serpent Vampires, however, are different. Unlike their darker kin, they do not seem to need human blood to survive."
"Thank Merlin!" Harry breathed, feeling as if a heavy burden had been lifted off from his shoulders.
"Indeed," Dumbledore said with a nod. "On the other hand, they do require a mate in order to survive."
"A mate?" Harry asked in confusion.
Dumbledore nodded and the twinkle in his eye grew en masse.
"Yes, Harry," Dumbledore said. "A mate. As a Serpent Vampire, you will require a mate or several in order to stay alive and in sync with your magic. This is an alternative to feasting on blood and is almost like a Veela. It is different though as Serpent Vampires must Bite their mate at least once, sometimes more, and draw blood from them to survive. They usually Bite their mate when they Claim them. A Bite often leaves a Mark and this is a way to differentiate each other's mates."
Harry lost Dumbledore when he said the word Veela. It had been one of the many discussions with Ron and the other boys of Hogwarts. Veela were magical creature who required sex, and lots of it, to stay alive. They could sprout wings and shoot fire balls from their palms. If that meant he was like a Veela even in the slightest...
"But I'm just a kid!" Harry protested, flinging up his hands into the air.
Dumbledore chuckled.
"I am sorry Harry," He said. "But now you are not."
"What?" Harry asked sharply.
"In order to speed up the likely hood of you getting a mate to ensure your survival," Dumbledore explained. "The magic within you changed your age. That is one of the reasons why you experienced so much pain."
"But I still feel like a kid!" Harry insisted.
"Emotions and feelings do not change overnight," Dumbledore agreed. "But according to your age, as I am sure a perplexed Ministry of Magic has discovered just now, you are an official adult and have all the rights that accompany one. Likewise, whoever you choose as your mate – unless she is an adult which is acceptable – will also grow to match your age."
"I'm an adult?" Harry asked, not daring to believe it. "Does that mean I get to use magic during the summer?"
Dumbledore nodded with a slight smile. Harry whooped in joy and nearly leapt off the bed, if it weren't for the pain that dragged him back down.
"Sorry, Harry," Dumbledore said. "But you will need to rest for some time. Once you have slept some more, I would recommend choosing a mate. You could choose one of the Hogwarts students or even a teacher if you wish – although that may be frowned upon – and even someone you know outside of school. Although I daresay, choose your mate wisely since this will have massive repercussions throughout all of England. So far, they do not know of your state but since you are The Boy Who Lived, things will get messy."
"Great, just great!" Harry groaned, collapsing back in bed.
"Do not fear, Harry," Dumbledore said not unkindly. "I shall help you wherever you can."
"Okay," Harry replied.
And, his mind still reeling with images, ideas, hopes, dreams, and worries, his eyelids closed wearily and he sank down into a deep, deep sleep.
To Be Continued...
A/N: So how was the first chapter? Should I continue this story? As for the pairing, it will most certainly be Harry/Hermione but I might include a few other girls. Also, Harry has the body of an adult if anyone's wondering but that just hasn't been addressed yet. This takes place immediately after the Chamber of Secrets battle as well. Hope that clears some stuff up. By the way, should I make this story a harem fanfic or just add a few more girls? Or should I just keep it good old H/Hr?
Any thoughts?