"What? Where am I? Hang on… is that… my mother?!" Harry asked himself in shock as he locked eyes on his parents, who looked at him like he was the most beautiful creature to ever grace the earth. "How is this possible?"
"Don't ask questions." A strange voice berated him. It was melodic and beautiful, both feminine and masculine. "Just roll with what fate has in store for you now…"
And his consciousness faded. But his knowledge didn't.
Lily Potter gazed adoringly at the beautiful bundle in her arms. God, her baby boy was so wonderful.
"Well, dear, I don't think Harry is gonna suit him. I'm afraid." James Potter-Peverell laughed, sitting so that his wife was resting against his chest, resting his chin on her shoulder to look at his son.
Small amounts of curly purple, so dark it was almost black, hair sprouted from his head, and his strange, almost inhuman eyes gazed back at them. His right eye was a swirl of Avada Kedavra green and his left eye was azure blue.
His skin was like porcelain, completely flawless, with no variation in tone the whole way across his body.
The most outstanding feature though, was his mouth. The jet black lips widened, revealing pearly white teeth that shouldn't be there, and sharpened canines.
Lily could remember the feeling of her heart almost stopping, when the nurse had pulled the child from her body, and he hadn't made a sound.
"Looks like we got a magical creature inheritance here, Mr and Mrs Potter." The nurse had laughed, showing Lily and James their son, who had been staring around the room with an almost too intelligent gaze. His eyes had locked onto his parents, and he had smiled brightly at them, making an unintelligible cooing sound and reaching out with both hands for his mummy.
"Well, what should we name him?" Lily asked with a laugh.
"Umm… guys, you can come in now!" James yelled out the door to save himself from having to answer.
Through the door came three figures, one jumping up and down excitedly, one rolling his eyes and shaking his head, and one scowling and sneering.
"Oh, James, he's beautiful! Are you sure he's yours?" Sirius Black asked with a grin, dodging the swipe his best friend sent at his head.
"Don't be ridiculous, Sirius." Remus Lupin murmured, shaking his head in exasperation.
"No, the man makes a good point. For once." Severus Snape sneered mockingly at the male population of the room.
A loud sound had all their attention focused back on the tiny, striking newborn that was currently struggling to free itself from his mother's arms and deposit himself in one Severus Snape's.
"Here, Severus, can you take him?" Lily asked around the baby, whom was currently doing a commendable imitation of a snake.
"Oh, I umm…" Severus trailed off when he suddenly found himself face to face with a content, inhuman baby.
"Oh, he likes you!" Lily smiled, but Severus' attention was somewhere else entirely.
'His…' a voice he recognised as the vampire part of him which had been created the moment he was bitten, at the tender age of 15, crooned. 'We are his.'
'How can that be?' Severus retorted to the small voice.
'He is Domine. To others, also.' The voice refused to speak after that.
"-rus-verus-Severus!" Lily's voice called him back to the present. "Finally! Now, I think we should all just put our favourite name down for him on this piece of paper, and take a vote. Got it?" She asked the men in the room, who all nodded with slight fear at the red head's wrath.
When they had finished, they ended up with the names: Hadrian Anathema Tenebris Riddle Dryadalis.
"Okay… umm… they all suit him so well…" Lily said, gazing at the son who simply rested in her best friend's arms.
"I know!" James announced, punching the air with his fist. "All of them!"
"All of them? Are you insane?" Lily asked in shock.
"Yep. Tenebris Hadrian Anathema Dryadalis Riddle Potter-Peverell. Harry can be a nickname!" James said, grinning from ear to ear. "A perfect name for the next Lord Potter-Peverell."
15 months later…
"Stand aside, you fools!" A serpentine voice hissed at the Potters as they tried desperately to shield their only son from view.
"No! Not Harry! Not my baby! Please, anyone but my baby! Take me, kill me, just not Harry!" Lily begged as James attempted to hide her body from view as she held an ominously silent Harry in her arms.
The dark lord Voldemort looked past them to meet the mismatched, glowing eyes, before a white light seemed to envelope him, leaving an empty space standing where an agonised shriek now echoed.
A year and a half later…
"You talk funny." Ron Weasley stated plainly as he and Tenebris 'Harry' Potter-Peverell met for the first time in their short lives.
"Eloquent." Harry replied, already almost 4 feet high. "While I appreciate your analysis of my very being, I was in the middle of reading a fascinating book on Dark Elves. Seeing as that happens to be the type of creature I am, I thought I should have more knowledge. Goodbye."
And that was that.
Two years later…
"Happy fifth birthday, sweetheart!" Lily squealed as she threw her arms around her 5'4" six year old son. "Oh, why do you keep growing?" she whined.
At the age of 5, Harry was easily mistaken for a short teenager. With defined cheekbones, shoulder-length curls of hair so dark it only shone purple under light and pouty lips he was darkly beautiful and, as he'd been told, haunting.
"As a Dark Elf I have accelerated increased growth, and will reach somewhere between 7 and 8 feet high when I turn 13, which is the age that Dark Elves stop growing." Harry replied automatically. Lily just shook her head.
"Tenner!" Sirius crowed as he swept into the room. "Happy birthday, Cub!"
"Must you insist on the use of that not only illogical but, in my personal opinion, abhorrent nickname. I must once again request that you either call me Tenebris, Harry or nothing." Harry scowled at the man as he was smothered in a bear hug.
"Okay, Nothing!" Sirius replied, grinning.
"Juvenile." Severus said as he strode into the room in his customary black robes, looking, for all intents and purposes, like an over-glorified bat.
"Oh, shut it Snivel- Ow!" Sirius yelped as he clutched his leg and hid behind Remus, whimpering pitifully about how 'he must be the devil's spawn'. Harry only smirked.
"How are you, Severus?" Harry asked, as he always did.
"I am well. You are growing again." He noted.
"That I am. I estimate I will reach your height of 6 foot by the ages of 8-10." Harry replied.
"Yes, well. Happy birthday Tenebris." Severus said, offering the boy a small smile.
"Thank you." Harry replied, returning the courtesy.
Later that day… (A/N: this stating-the-time thing is fun)
"Harry, dear. There's a letter for you, dear!" Lily called from the kitchen.
"If it is from that intolerable Weasley boy, it would be best for you to keep it. If I lay eyes on that ungodly chicken scratch he calls writing once more, I shall become homicidal." Harry replied.
"It's not from Ron. And you be nice to him, the Weasley's are wonderful people." Lily scolded gently as she handed the thick envelope to her son.
Dear Mr Potter,
It is my great pleasure to inform you that you have been selected to attend Arcane Academy for the Exceptionally Inclined School of Magic.
Arcane Academy is aimed at magical creatures of any and all types. Where we understand that some species will simply 'not get along', we do not tolerate violent behaviour or any action against a fellow student that is not strictly in self-defense.
It has come to our attention that you are a Dark Elf. We would be honoured if you would accept our 5-year program and learn with us.
We do not usually accept students under the age of 11, but due to your mental and magical prowess, we have decided to make an exception.
Please send your reply via owl.
Within the envelope you will find enclosed a list of subjects for you to choose from as well as a list of necessary items for mandatory classes and all students. If you are accepting, please send your subject selections along with the affirmative response and we will send you the list of items required for your chosen subjects.
A student is advised to only choose the normal 13 subjects on top of seven mandatory ones and three species orientated ones. However, exceptions by the way of time-turners are available should you find yourself in a position where you wish to undertake more.
School goes from Monday to Saturday, 8am to 6pm, with a two hour break for lunch and two half hour breaks in the morning and afternoon. The curriculum is rigorous and not for the faint-hearted. We teach our students to push themselves to the end of their abilities and beyond.
Hoping to hear from you soon,
Belladonna Black
Headmistress
"What do you think, mum?" Harry asked quietly, not removing his gaze from the letter.
"Would you like to go?" She asked softly.
"Yes." Harry replied. And that made both hers and James' decision. Harry had never asked for anything, preferring to earn it instead.
"Well, then. Let's take a look at those subjects, huh?" James swung an arm around his son's shoulders from where he sat.
Arcane Academy offers 7 mandatory courses, three courses determined by species and a number of optional courses, of which any student can select between 13-26. As a Dark Elf, Mr Potter-Peverell, you only require 4 hours of sleep a day, so you will also be able to attend night classes to make learning more easier for you, should you wish to exploit this. Please do not make a mistake, this is not special treatment but something offered to all students with similar abilities.
Mandatory Classes (all students):
Potions
Arithmancy
Ancient Runes
Dark Arts
Defense Against the Dark Arts
Transfiguration
Charms
Dark Elf only:
Shadow Magic
Combat
Black Magic
Optional Extras:
Blood Magic
Curses and Hexes
Rituals
Defensive Magic
Offensive Magic
Wizarding and Muggle Culture
Magical Creatures
Essence/Spirit Magic
Elemental Magic
Transformations
Spell Casting (via wand, thought, gesture, will)
Astronomy
Spell Crafting
Domestic Spells
Creatures in Wizarding Society
History of Magic
Sex Magic
Conjuring
Light and Dark Necromancy
Druidism
Divination
Special Studies (Flight, Aura Reading, Invisibility, Parselmagic, etc…)
Breeding of Magical Creatures
Celtic Magic
Asian Magic
European Magic
International Wizarding Cultural Studies
Politics
Etiquette
Mind Magics (Occlumency, Legilimency)
Strategy
Portrait Making
Soul Magic
Wand Creation
Extras: (available before breakfast each morning)
Duelling
Survival Skills
Please fill in the attached form with your choices.
Harry James Potter
I hereby choose the following subjects for my education at Arcane Academy;
Blood Magic
Curses and Hexes
Defensive Magic
Offensive Magic
Essence/Spirit Magic
Transformations
Spell Casting
Spell Crafting
Sex Magic
Conjuring
Necromancy
Special Studies
Celtic Magic
Asian Magic
Mind Magics
Strategy
Soul Magic
Wand Creation
Duelling
Survival Skills
"Dear, are you sure you wish to undertake so many classes?" Lily asked, concern written all over her face.
"Yes, mum. I'm positive." Harry replied. "I know I can keep up."
"Sex Magic? You trying to tell us something…?" James asked slyly, nudging Harry in the ribs and grinning when his son glared at him disdainfully from the corner of his eye.
"Desist." Harry snarled softly as he sent an owl off with his reply. "Knowledge is power."
"I can't help but worry," Lily continued as though the interaction between father and son had never taken place. "I mean, it all just seems so… so dark."
"There is no good or evil, light or dark." Harry stated. "Only power, and those too weak to seek it." His face changed, twisting into a soft snarl for a reason he could not comprehend with those words.
"Yes, well… why wand crafting?" Lily asked in a slightly desperate attempt to change the subject.
"Hmm…?" Harry looked up, the glazed look leaving, his eyes sharp and clear once more. "I will finish my schooling by the age of eleven, where I will, ideally, undertake several masteries. Wand crafting is something I have always dreamt of doing, but did not imagine I would ever have the chance." Harry stood to leave the room, but paused in the doorway.
"Mother, Father?"
"Yes dear?" Lily asked kindly.
The stoic, emotionless expression Harry's face was constantly in gave way to the human emotions his mother's blood allowed him to feel. "I love you."
And he was gone.