A/N: Yay chapter 3. Thanks for the reviews. They made my work a little more fun. Well this isn't as long as the last one, but things get interesting in here. So enjoy. Ray

BIG THANKS goes to Emmi Sophie who as always is betaing and giving me support!

III. The birthday and the inheritance

Sitting in his room on the bed reading the book from last time he couldn't help it. But he had the feeling that he had forgotten something. Now if he just could remember what that was it would help him to actually concentrate on the book. Deciding that it didn't do him any good to stare at the book he reluctantly closed it and went to his desk. On his way to the desk he glanced towards the clock. The first time he saw the clock he wondered why there was a clock hanging over the desk in a mansion of a wizard. But now he was glad for the clock. It told him that it was almost midnight. Come to think of it. Which day was today? He couldn't remember. The weeks he had spent with the Dursleys were boring as hell and he had lost track of time just after the first week of summer holiday. So it would be no surprise if his birthday was tomorrow. He would soon now. He was only mere seconds away from the next day. He usually got owls right after midnight from his friends. And as it was his seventeenth birthday he would come into his inheritance. Which he wasn't sure of what it would be any more. Because if Hermoine was right and he was a Royal Elf and the prince wouldn't the Royal Elves have contacted him years ago? The clock turned to midnight and with the new day came enormous pain which soured through his whole body. Just before he lost consciousness he saw the owls waiting for him.

Later the day he woke up from shouting.

"Draco, who is this? Where is Potter? And since when are Royal Elfs appearing out of nowhere?" that was Lucius shouting. A Malfoy shouting? Interesting. Malfoys don't shout. Harry decided to open his eyes and make a retort to Lucius shouting.

"Since when do Malfoys shout in front of non family people?" Harry could see now the two blonds standing on either side of his bed. One house elf was standing at the door, unsure of what to do. Lucius turned his face towards the elf.

"Potter is that you?" Potter moved his head, yes.

"What happened? You're a Royal Elf." Potter moved his hands to his face, staring at the color. His hands were of a pale color. Yesterday his hands and body were tanned and now he was as pale as a ghost, no scratch that. He was as pale as a vampire. Royal Elf, eh, than he had to have pointy ears. His hands moved to his ears. There he had pointy ears. Okay that was strange, first he felt pain then lost consciousness and then when he woke up he was a Royal Elf. He needed to know what had changed.

On his way to the bathroom he almost knocked Lucius to the ground. Okay, that was definitely strange. Just yesterday you were you and then you wake up and you look like this. His eyes were shining in his forest green eyes, he didn't need his glasses that was something positive. His cheekbones were now more prominent and his hair was longer and looked like silk. Even more than the hair of the Malfoys. He was now a bit taller, compared to Lucius he was the same height.

'So what to do now?' he thought and then he remembered the owls. The owls had left but they had put the letters on his desk. He looked through them. The letters were mainly from his wanna be friends Hermoine and Ron, as well as from Remus, the Weasley parents and twins. But he didn't open them. Only one letter caught his eyes. It was a thick letter and the parchment as he opened the letter was of really high quality.

Dear Harry James Potter,

as you may have noticed by now you are a Royal Dark Elf. You're real name is Cassian Jeron Sebald Lythem the heir of the house of Lythem as well as the next king of the Royal Dark Elfs. You're mothers name was Zynthia Laureen Lythem and you're fathers name was Jeron Sebald Lythem. You may wonder now who is writing to you. I am the counselor of the king and I was the best friend of your father. I was asked by your parents to contact you when you reached the age of seventeen and to help you afterwards through the coming struggles. But now to more important things.

Your parents decided to give you to a family outside our realm, as you would have not survived for long. Many were against your father, there were many assassination attempts even before you were born. Lily Potter and James Potter were happy to take you as their own son. And nobody thought that a certain human Dark Lord would be attempting to kill the Potter family. I was relieved when I heard you were not killed and that the relatives of Lily Potter took you in.

You are probably wondering why I didn't try to contact you earlier, but as I said I was asked to contact you only when you reached your seventeenth birthday and I had to swear to your parents to keep that promise. As it seems I can't explain everything in a letter. It would be better that we meet. I have placed a port key in the letter. It will activate when you say 'Lythem will shine'. You may take some things with you as I don't know how long it will take me to explain everything to you. And you may take one or two humans with you as I know that you may want some friends with you.

I await you in two days.

Yours sincerely

Gaius Geberd Ventus

(counselor of the king, member of the senate)

Lucius and Draco Malfoy were reading the letter over his shoulder and as they too finished their eyes widened. Draco tried to say something but nothing came out of his mouth and so it looked like he imitated a fish. Lucius had his blank calculating mask on his face. Harry didn't know any more what he should think or do, his whole world was turned over. He just got to know that Lily and James Potter weren't his real parents, that his real parents probably were assassinated because some people didn't like their policy's and that some stranger wanted to meet him and explain everything. Yeah he really should meet this Ventus for he may know the answer to his questions. Harry just hoped that Ventus wasn't a person like Dumbledork who liked to manipulate others or use him to gain more respect among those politicians. Great his life got even more complicated now. Lucius was the first to snap out of whatever he was thinking.

"Well, we should head to breakfast. It's almost 9am and the Dark Lord wanted to eat breakfast at 9." that snapped the other two out of their musings. As they entered the dining room, Voldemort wanted to celebrate Harrys Birthday with his followers, the room went silent. It was a wise move that the Malfoys had entered before him or else he would have been cursed first thing. As it was the two blonds were supposed to bring him, so Harry watched as Voldemort tried to figure out what happened. The only conclusion Voldemort could think of was that Harry inherited his Royal Dark Elf blood and changed his appearance. Well Harry did hope that Tom would figure this out himself and would need no further explanations. Voldemorts eyes narrowed and took Harrys form in.

"Well, well, well, this is rather interesting. I didn't know the Potter family had once bred with Royal Dark Elfs. Care to enlighten us?"

"They didn't, but if you wish to know then I think it would be better to talk after breakfast. Any how I even have to tell you something different." Harry said and sat down to grab the first fruit he found.

After breakfast Voldemort, the Malfoys and Harry went to the study, the study being the only room where no Death Eaters were allowed, well except Malfoy. Voldemort irked to know the answer to the newest puzzle concerning Potter and sat on the couch in front of the fireplace, this couch looked uncomfortable but it was really comfortable. Harry sat on the chair on the right and the Malfoys sat on the couch to the left. The Dark Lord looked Harry in the eyes, searching for something as he was not able to break into Potters mind. Harry took it as a signal that Voldemort was listening.

"You probably already know it, but today is my birthday and with it came my inheritance. As I woke up from shouting, I believe Lucius and Draco thought that I was replaced by someone and that I was not myself but an imposter. Anyhow, I was surprised about my inheritance too and after a few moments to gather my thoughts I saw my birthday letters on the desk. Shuffling through them I found a letter from some guy named Gaius Ventus. Ventus explained who my parents were and what I am and what position I hold in the nation of Elfs. He also invited me and two friends of mine to his place." here Harry paused to let the information sink in and give him time to comprehend what will happen later on. They were quiet for a few minutes until Voldemort looked up again into the eyes of Harry.

"So you're not really Harry Potter. What's your real name then?" Harry didn't know what he had expected. Did he expect Voldemort to shout? Or to ask if this was a joke? Well no, but him asking what his real name is wasn't even close to what he thought possible.

"Err, well Ventus wrote that my full name is Cassian Jeron Sebald Lythem and that I am the heir to the house of Lythem as well as the next king of the Royal Dark Elfs." Harry hoped he hadn't told Voldemort to much. Not that Tom would start thinking of using him in his quest against muggles, muggle-borns and the so called 'blood traitors'.

"The king? And you can take two people with you?" he stated, well those questions were only rhetorical and didn't need to be answered. Voldemort decided to be a little bit more forward.

"Did you already decide who you'll take with you? If not, I would say it is safe to take Lucius and Draco with you." Harry and Lucius knew that Voldemort tried to hide the demand behind the words but failed. Only Draco didn't know that this was a demand and not a well meant question out of curiosity.

"You are lucky Tom, I already decided whom I take with me. And even luckier because your wish will be fulfilled even without you demanding it!" Harry said, reminding everyone in the study that Potter was not one of Voldemorts followers but someone staying with them on his own account.

Harry and Draco spent some time afterwards fling outside and playing Quidditch, well they let the training snitch free and tried to race after it. In the end Harry won 5 out of 5 times and Draco started to get annoyed so they decided to go inside again.

Draco wanted to show Harry some books he might not have read yet, especially the books on Royal Dark Elfs and so they spent the two hours before Dinner in the library.

A/N: Soooo? Any questions? Did you like it? Did I write rubbish? Tell me with your review.

As a side note I don't know when I'll be updating next, as I am moving this Weekend from my hometown to where I'll be going to University and attend some classes before the new term. And I don't know how my Internet will work there, if it works...