A/N
There will be a TL;DR version of the book description to Faeries in authors note at the end of this chapter. It will not be all-encompassing as the one in the story, but I realize that two pages of reading over an inheritance have bothered me more than once- I just never realized how much detail had to go into it to explain the hows and whys of a creature. It will be there as much as a reference for you as it will be for me once the story progresses.
Also, I should mention that I am going to be making this set around 2015, if only to implement in the glory of laptops and cellphones when not at school, and the knowledge needed to make those things work while at school.
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The first thing that hits me when I wake up is a headache. I mean hit, literally. It felt like a sledgehammer pounding into my skull, worse than any beating Vernon has given me to the head. The second thing I notice is that I'm on my stomach- which was weird, because I never fall asleep unless on my side. I push myself up onto my hands and knees and hiss at the sun hitting my eyes before it's blissfully dark. It's so abrupt however that it startles me, and once I balance back on my knees and reach out I realize that I'm feeling… feathers?
I follow the feathers with my left hand until I can't reach anymore- a space between my shoulders where they seem to fade into my smooth skin. Oh, fuck, I have wings!
I bolt out my door, ignoring my head, and burst into the bathroom to turn on the light. I do take note when the wings immediately expand and then, almost, streamline behind me to make me move faster in my panic. I study the new appendages frantically, both with my hands and my eyes in the mirror. Which is why it takes a moment to process the rest of the changes. I'm focused on the mostly golden honey colored feathers, with white and black feathers sprinkled in. even with them mostly folded in I can tell that they're longer than my arms outstretched, though I can't-do that in the small bathroom.
The next thing I notice is my eyes. Two things immediately stood out. One, I wasn't wearing my glasses, which was bizzarre because everything was very clear. The next is that despite my eyes always being slightly large, they were now so large and bright it was almost too hard to look at them directly. How could I possibly look so innocent? I search my face next, seeing the skin now pulled over my cheeks and the strong line of my jaw that had been only hinted at earlier. Im startled that in place of my chapped, almost thin lips there was fuller, bright red ones that looked like I'd just ran my tongue over them. My hair was slightly longer, though it still didn't reach my shoulders. When I go to push my hair back behind my ears I notice how thin my fingers are and the nails have grown to points that could almost be claws. After a breif pause and look down, since I still hadn't got dressed, I conclude that my already skinny body hadn't grown much, but had become more compact- it looks like my ribs have moved up in my chest and my hips have flared out to create a waist I wouldn't expect a man to have. But, to my relief, I was still in fact male. Shoulders may have grown out a bit, but I was pretty much done growning in that department anyway so I wasn't shocked that it wasn't a huge change.
With that over with I finally look at my ears, the one thing I haven't seen. At the pointed, enlogated lobes, I realize with startling clarity exactly what I should probably be. It's mentioned through out all of our defense books starting third year, and any creature book will have an overview of the main blood lines. However, the book I had seen before in Remus' pile of recommendations Halblooded Creatures and How to Identify Them By Bryn Grimsol had the best description by far. I decide to send it to them bookmarked, because if I recall correctly, my moods and behaviors are going to change drastically and they need warned. I thumb through the book impatiently.
Page 359, come on, come on… there it is! I take a piece of parchment and fold it, holding that page in place. I then take out another and scribble in pen, I'm ready to come down, but I think you should read this first, Bambi. Signing it so that they knew it was in fact from me and not someone else. I give it to Hedwig who coos at me softly before taking off, and I collapse straddling the rickety chair I'd been given. Closing my eyes, I let my mind wander over the pages that described what I believe my inheritance to be.
Faeries: These humanoid creatures are often described as 'others'. Some worship them as deities, while others see them as evil and in level with the Christian equivalent of fallen angels or 'demons'. However, like all humans, there are good and evil Faieries. The Unseelie Court will never be favorable to humans, and in fact only interact with humans when causing them harm or creating havoc for them. They are openly hostile to mankind and it would be easier to avoid them than to deal with them at all. This court is filled with the evil, unsanctified Faeries. Member of the Seelie court are more likely to be neutral towards humans that respect their customs and laws. They have the capability of being kind and grateful to humans, and openly show approval of and rewards for humans who are kind and courteous.
These are, for the most part, the two 'races' of Faeries. Unseelie Faeries are usually fair skinned, with white or golden hair and brown or hazel eyes. These are the taller of the two races and usually are anywhere between 5'9" and 7'0" tall. They will be cold and distant to humans unless attempting to harm or kill them. Seelie Faeries are, in contrast, dark haired, pale skinned, and the eye color will vary. They are usually between 5'3" and 6'0" tall. All Faeries can be dangerous if offended, and it's never a good idea to befriend any of them.
All types of Faeries Enjoy music and dancing, neatness, order, beauty and fertility. They can also never lie, though they do often omit parts of what they are telling you or what they want you to do. They also enjoy crafting things and usually have a specific talent for a certain craft, whether it be spinning, weaving, grinding meal, cooking, baking, churning, metalworking, leatherworking, tailoring, and boat-building. Their natural diet is barley meal, goat milk, butter and cheese also made by a goat, and most plants. The only baked good they seem to enjoy is the small cakes they will also share with humans they are in favor with. Not much is known on powers of the Faerie because they are tight-lipped even to their 'favored' humans.
Faeries can be categorized into two main groups after their 'race' is acknowledged. The social Faeries and the Solitary Faeries. While they are categorized into these two, overbranching groups, there are several subgroups of these two main groups.
The social Faeries live in communal groups, usually under mounds or hills. Their social structure closely imitates that of Humanity, with royals, aristocrats, rustic folk, and the gentry. The royal and aristocrat Faeries are the most beautiful and are the rulers of their communal group. The Rustic folk is usually the peasant equivalent to human society, and the gentry is the middle class.
The Solitary Faeries are the loners, wether by choice or banishment. They have no formal social structure like the social Faeries, but most are as powerful as the gentry with few being royalty or aristocratic level. There is little in common one solitary Faerie has with another besides their lone nature.
Faerie halflings:
Faerie halflings will come into their inheritance on their 16th birthday. They will gain the coloring of their 'race' - Unseelie or Seelie- and may undergo a large personality shift depending on their race. They may become more mischevious and bloodthirsty, no matter what their race is. They will gain the ears, facial structure, and wings of their social structure, though the halfling may find that they are in fact a solitary Faerie. The powers gained depend on the family they descended from. They will gain a large boost in magical power, no matter the class and family they descend from. If they do gain wings ( small amounts of blood in a halfling will not produce wings), they will be able to fly using them and it's impossible to retract them completely, though they are able to fold them comfortably below the shoulders. Royal wings will tend to drag on the floor if done so however. Using a simple glamour that all Faeries inherently know, no one but people they choose will see the changes undergone on their birthday.
The amount of Faerie blood will decide if the halfling will have a change in diet. They may suddenly realize they only have a craving for the Faerie food, or they may continue to eat meats. It will also decide if the halfling can see the Faerieland, though this is said to cause madness because no halfling has been known to enter this land.
Royal Faerie: Will have pointed ears, that they usually adorn with jewelry to show status. The fingers and nails will be long and pointed as well. Sharp cheekbones, large, deceptively doe-like eyes, and prominent jaw and chin. The lips are usually full and unnaturally red for a pale face. Wings are usually feathered, or scaled in the rarest of royalty. Color will depend on race.
Gentry Faerie: Will have rounded, human-like ears. The face will also be rounded, the eyes are sharp and usually almond shaped. The lips are also human in comparison. The wings for this class are usually translucent, with varying shimmering colors depending on race.
Rustic Faerie: will have small, sharp points at the tips of the ears. The face will be gaunt, with deep-set eyes and thinned lips. The wings are usually small in comparison to body size and that of insects.
The halfling will most likely take the sudden views of Faerie, meaning that any tricks, bribes, and pranks pulled on the halfling will be met with them attempting to shed the offender's blood in some way. They will want things neat and tidy and take offense to someone entering their home or area without permission. They will, no matter what amount of blood they inherit, be unable to lie after their sixteenth birthday. This last fact is the only thing keeping halflings from the dark creature lists, though people have argued they should be put there for their 'unknown powers' for centuries.
One of the other reasons that they aren't on the dark creature list is because of the control they have on their mate or mates: the one person or persons that can almost turn a halfling human in their personality. It's common for a Royal or Aristocratic Faerie to have at least two mates, all the way up to five. But a Rustic or Gentry Faerie will rarely have more than one. In reverse, this means that the Faerie usually has a calming presence over the mates, mostly because male or female, the Faerie are submissive to any mate not also Faerie. The British Ministry has recently added a bylaw to the dark creatures list, stating any mated to a Faerie will not be subjected to the laws because there is a 'control' they can use to keep the creature in line.
Well, if that doesn't make you anxious I don't know what will. It was also strange to feel my feathers, my wings, ruffle the more annoyed I got at what I was recalling. Not because it was wrong, really, but because I knew that I was probably going to have way more problems than the ones already had now. I was going to get temperamental and moody and apparently I was one of the powerful groups if my royalty guess was anything to go by.
Before I can dwell too much further on what I was and how I was going to handle it, a series of hoots and coos coming from outside made me look up. There were four or five owls headed my way. I recognized pig, and Erol, and even Ares, the Malfoy owl. The other two I didn't recognize.
Malfoy and I had come to an agreement quickly into my third year. I don't recall exactly what set it off, but we got stuck in a room that was locked by Peeves and after the first hour of insults we realize that we shared a lot in common. He hated waking up early, just like I did. We both found that we followed the falcons religiously, and our best friends- to my shock, his was Blaise Zanbini- were die hard chudley fans. We both hated Binns and studied for his class on our own time, and had a snitch as a friend though his were Crabbe and Goyle reporting to other death eater families- apparently it was a wide kept secret that the malfoys were spies, just like snape, and at the end of the war Bumblefuck had screwed them over by outing them. Now every move the pureblood boy made was reported back to the prominent 'true' families so that their lord will know what the traitors were doing once he was gone.
I get up from my exhausted position and notice that my headache is gone because I can look out the window without flinching. When did that happen? I shrug it off and wait for the owls, who fly in and land on my bed or Hedwig's cage. I fill her food and water before I take the various letters and packages. I recognize the handwriting on one of the packages from the owls I don't recognize as Remus, which means that either he borrowed an owl to surprise me or finally allowed Sirius to buy him one. The other looked like an official paper and I realize it's probably from Gringotts.
I settle on the bed now that the owls are around the water and food and open the letters first, deciding I can get the fun ones out of the way before I get to the serious mail.
Harrykins!
Happy Hatch day!
Ron said we could send our letter and package with Pig, so we wrote this out for you. Mum says you're not coming in after your birthday, but since we're legal we're coming to see you at Sirius' this weekend. Ron explained to us because he wanted to hitch a ride, no worries.
She's really upset with you, especially after you yelled 'For fuck's sake woman I'm gay!' at her when she mentioned a contract for you and Ginny. Gins just happy she can date that Micheal fellow without mum scaring him off now.
Don't do anything we wouldn't do and we'll see you soon!
Fred and George
P.S. Don't use any of these gifts on yourself. Your enemies would be a preferable test subject.
I grin at the letter from the twins, and peak into the box that had matching handwriting- and matching, bright gold and red ink. They chose black parchment, which made it easier to read, but it was still a ridiculous choice. I realize this must be a 'tester basket' they send to close friends and family, meaning that the products inside usually aren't even named yet and only on the first or second go around of 'how do you make this safe' evolutions. I skim Mollys note, which was a forced apology about her attitude towards me being gay and a plea for me to visit before the summer was over. I take it with a grain of salt and open the package she sent with Erol. inside was sweets and a subscription to a quidditch magazine, the same thing I got last year. I make a face at the sweets and banish them, but keep the subscription.
"What the fuck?" I murmur when I pull out Rons significantly heavier letter. When I unfold it, I realize why. Inside was a cylinder I recognize as the sneakoscope he had bought me.
Harry,
Happy birthday! Thanks for letting me use this. I was finally able to tell when the twins had put something in my food or my room. They've moved out officially now, with the flat above their building now livable, so I don't think I will need it anymore.
Sirius told me after you turn 16 he's moving you in wether Bumblefuck likes it or not so I'm going to see if the twins will bring me down. They've been very neutral in their answers, so I'm not sure. But I'll bring your real gift then!
Best of wishes and good luck,
Ron
Well. That wasn't a very Ron letter. But he's known about my inheritance so he was probably making sure nothing got out because of him, which I would never forgive. I'm glad he's taking the precautions. I finally turn to the package that Malfoy sent, no letter attatched. When I open it, I see that it's a stack of books. Mastering Runes: The Complete Guide to the Mastering Test of Britian, By Gredwith Frual, Spell-Weaving and the Craft, by Versiol Brechban, and Wardbreaking and Building Volume III by Harrison Volu, William Weasley, and Nactural Cascus. I was surprised, the first was a banned book because it was basically a cheat sheet, the second was so old only about 20 copies remain, and the third so new I hadn't heard a release date for it, even from the Weasley family who was constantly gushing about it. I pick it up and move it out of the way only to see that there was a shrunken package and, the letter I expected at the top.
Potter,
My father and mother wanted to express their gratitude at their defense this summer in their trials. As such, we've all given you a book that we could acquire: the runes from my father, the spell weaving from the black vaults my mother has, and the ward breaking and building has a favor from a book publishing company from myself. The package at the bottom of clean stanza sheets and another black heirloom that we figured belonged with the heir more than a family that can't even play.
Enjoy your birthday, and write back for once you peasant.
Draconis Malfoy
I tense at the mention of playing, and quickly take the package out and enlarge it, finally having to grab my wand off the floor under my bed to do so. I open the package hurriedly and find the bound folder with the clean sheets, and a thin, silver case. I open the case a little shakily, and all the air rushes out of my body as I see what's nestled inside.
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A/N
TL;DR version of Faeries for this story:
Faeries are depending on race and types. "Good" race is darker colored hair and pale skin and much shorter than the others. "Bad" race is dark skinned and white or gold hair with hazel and brown eyes. Halflings or humans born into the inheritance, cant go to the Faerie plain and the features they gain are based on blood and what type they are: royal, aristocratic, gentry, and rustic. The most powerful to least in that order. May gain mannerisms and beliefs of race. Cannot lie after 16 and has an inherited glamour to use. May have more than one mate and anyone mated to a faerie are allowed off the dark creature list because the Faerie is used as a 'control' to the dominant creature.
