Summary…Just days after the DOM a mysterious letter arrives and Harry is faced with a decision. Reject the offer and continue on the path Dumbledore has set for him or forge a new one and challenge every opinion ever forced on him.

SLASH. Creature fic, new school, Grey/Powerful Harry, possibility of Mpreg but will maybe take a vote on it…

Oh if anything else warning worthy develops I will put the warning in the authors note. I'll also try to highlight it in the text. K?

A/N…Right as stated in the summary this is SLASH so i would hope that anyone whose got to this point has got that by now, so remember if you don't like it don't read it. HBP and eventual DH spoliers, but I think most people will have read that by now, so just in case. Will mention Mpreg but it isnt likely it will actually happen in the story. Could do but i doubt it.

Sorry I havent mentioned anybody here, i'm going to try and reply to everyones review directly instead of in the chapter. The only time i'll put a reply in the chapter is when it addresses something that I think needs explaining.

Pairing news... OK everyone I've decided to take nominations for a while longer, intorduce more ocs and then i'll start a poll. K? Or do you just want me to go with whoever gets most votes.

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Mysteria

Chapter Six

Harry was tiring and badly. He'd been flying over the lake for a while now. The lake was only small, but that was clearly a distraction. The island was here and the lake must be larger than it appeared. It had to support the school's foundations and provide enough land to make the school self sufficient enough to escape detection. It had to have its own food sources, as well as herds of animals for meat and dairy. And there also had to be a muggle community to provide blood for the vampires, unless the vampires fed solely off the students and teachers which didn't seem possible to him, as vampires needed a pint of blood three times a day. And unless they wanted to kill their hosts they must have three separate donors in one day.

There also had to be extensive and safe grounds for the Werewolves to roam on the full moon. And the other species would all have specific requirements as well. Witches and Wizards with elemental powers were taught here, Silay had explained that much. It was dangerous for them to have unsupervised learning and no other school had resident Master's in the Art as it was considered too dangerous by the Ministerial Governments of each Country. Silay had told him this and other things while they looked at weapons.

A fire elemental for instance would need access to a place with natural fire, any demons would also share this accommodation. The water elementals needed access to flowing, clean water and the more powerful they were the larger and faster the water body needed. Earth elementals needed pure ground and air elementals often needed high altitude and high winds.

He had been given that information in Care of Magical Creatures, as even though they were humans with unusual powers people all over the world still believed that they weren't human and therefore didn't have the same rights as a witch, wizard or muggle.

Harry hated that but couldn't do anything about it. Not yet anyway. So with all that it was a reasonable assumption that the island had to be pretty massive. Now if he could just find it. He knew it had to be under secrecy charms and other things but he already knew it was there so why couldn't he see it.

Deciding that he had no choice he dropped lower to the surface of the water but veered sharply upwards when he saw the white shapes beneath the water, he didn't know what they were but he definitely didn't like them or want to be caught by them. The only problem was that the moment he did his wing joints flared with pain and he dropped a foot in response.

Dead hands reached up out of the water for him, he had to veer to avoid them, his body tilting to the side and often his wing tips grazed outstretched fingers. Luckily they were slippery and couldn't get a hold of the sleek feathers. He was trying to gain a bit of height in a sudden lessening of lunges, but then he seemed to hit some sort of barrier that enveloped him like jelly. He broke through into a much brighter world.

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"He is inside the wards, now the real tests begin."

The teachers were silent at Calfora's words, while Silay allowed himself a small smile at Harry's triumph before his face again became impassive. There was still a way to go.

"Our other students are mixed." She began again after changing the view of the web again. "I am very disappointed in the vampire contingent this year. Few have been able to make any distance without hunting. Sunlight may be debilitating to them but this is unacceptable in Mysteria. If I could close our doors to some I would. Then again quality seems to be lacking altogether this year. Out of the twenty six who will live to be taught I believe hardly more than half will survive to the graduation."

She shook her head, she had been in charge of this school for many a year and knew that unless some of these students developed drastically most would be killed by the other students or the tasks they had to perform. Mysteria was a real life institution, its name showing its view of the world. Anything could happen in it and it wasn't always good.

Those students lucky enough to graduate from her walls were all capable leaders, she would settle for nothing less. Whether or not they took up that mantle was their choice. They had to learn not only to give life and take life but to live it as well. All of their students were powerful but many of them had problems, some like Mr Longbottom were shy and downtrodden, some had been ruined by overindulgent parents and there were even rare individuals like Mr Potter who had suffered in a variety of ways.

That was the reason for the one on one mentoring, their founder had realised that every student who came through their door would have different problems and would need different handling and training. It bothered her sometimes that the high standards also set down by their founder resulted in the tense atmosphere that permeated the school.

The new students would soon realise that nothing was set in stone at this school. They learnt to adapt or they left, it was as simple as that. The manner in which they left was stipulated by their strength.

Some died and some just left, but how many? From the point that they stepped through the door it was up to them how well they did and they didn't always realise the stakes were set so high.

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Harry flared his wings in shock, he was on a beach! Were there supposed to be beaches of this size on an island in the middle of a lake? Either way it didn't matter, he didn't have that much time before the doors closed. After a few minutes of thought he decided to get himself back in the air. He needed to see where he was going and he wasn't about to walk off into a thick wood where he could be easily attacked. He'd probably had it much easier than anyone else, being able to fly had helped him. Neville didn't have that, he hoped his friend would make it. Having someone he already knew would be great but he realised Neville needed this much more than he did. Luckily the other boys training with the DA had improved not only his spell casting but his physical fitness.

His own muscles were protesting now, hell if he were honest they'd been protesting all day, he knew he should stop but he really wanted to get to this school, he could always heal afterwards but he had to get into that school.

The forest stretched before him for ages, ending in the sudden sharp rise of a cliff. It took him a while but eventually his wings took him to the top after that he couldn't fly anymore but luckily the top of the cliff afforded him a nice view of where he needed to be. Several meadows bordered by very small woods lay between him and a low cliff with a jagged path up it. And on top of it was a wall of black marble, broken only by arches of white. It had to be marble the way it glowed.

After a quick glance at his watch Harry set off at a brisk walk, it was all he could manage at the moment.

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"So our first student has crossed the wards." A teacher mused, happy at the prospect of training someone like him.

Calfora smiled to herself, she was looking forward to training Mr Potter herself. The child's destiny had marked him as special and he was seen as such by many but it was the soul that truly made a person extraordinary. The personality of a person and the choices they made led to the changes in the world, whether for good or evil each action shaped it.

This boy was powerful and had had a harsh life but he remained innocent and unblemished by the darker aspects of the world. Perfect for balancing out the increase in the dark forces.

"Have any of the other students flown?" Kire asked.

"Only one has the ability." She answered automatically changing the view to focus on the young man in question. "The demon Chrysan is moments away from passing the wards. His magic is quite impressive and since he has not gone through Mr. Potters...ah difficulties he should pass him by pretty quickly. Two others are also inside the wards. Mr Longbottom is close behind, the boy is smarter than he has appeared and is finally showing it. He reached the lakeshore some time ago and seems to have realised that the creatures in the water are inferi. I now know why he is a Gryffindor, he knows he has little time left and is brave enough to take a chance…Very smart."

"What has he done?" Kire asked anxious for his student.

"Cast a glamour on himself to appear dead and taken Gillyweed from the shallows. As our inferi are quite active he is passing completely un-noticed. Very smart, very brave."

She spent a few moments more watching the other students. "Might I suggest that the mentors of Mr Potter, Mr Longbottom and Chrysan head to the Entrance Hall."

The three in question bowed to her before leaving the room. The others waited for their Headmistress to speak again.

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He passed the fields and trees by, sending grazing deer running. The path was steep but not terribly difficult. It was little wider than a metre with a steep drop to its side, but it was well maintained. Never once did he feel in danger of falling. As long as he kept his pace measured and didn't stumble.

At the top of the cliff the wall stretched in every direction, only two metres from the edge the wall was pure black, smooth and polished marble. The veins that sometimes appeared in the stone were just a lighter version of the colours. The white arches that he had glimpsed were recessed sections. No visible arch led through the wall.

He dimly remembered a film Dudley had been watching once, a woman running through a maze, no a labyrinth and a little worm telling her to look at the walls differently. Should he do that here or just try going in one direction. Well, he didn't have a worm but…

"Silvera."

"Yes Master?"

"Would you happen to have any idea which direction I should go?"

"Hhhmmm…" She shifted her head from side to side, her tongue flicking out to taste the air.

"I should say left Master."

"Thank you, Silvera.

He took her advice and the further he went the more he noticed strange things. Faces in the marble, fleeting glimpses of wispy figures. He ignored them and hurried on and if he was careful not to touch the wall who would know.

The change when he came to it was sudden, he passed a filled arch expecting the next to be the same. But it wasn't, this arch was a way in. It was almost tunnel-like this opening. Its walls were still black marble. The only difference was that instead of the dirt track he'd been following, the floor inside it was white marble. He hesitated a moment, looking for traps, depressions in the walls. He saw none, but that meant nothing. On his way he had seen many traps, pitfalls and rocks set to fall in his path or upon him. But luckily these traps weren't meant for students, as he was sure there were many more that he hadn't seen.

The moment he walked beneath the arch he felt the magic rush forward to envelope him. The soft crackle of static electricity across his skin, or at least that's what it made him think of, soothed him. The air beyond the threshold was dark, cool and refreshing. Dark because the black marble that dominated the outside also surrounded him here. He was walking on a pathway of white marble surrounded by black, he could almost believe he was walking in the snow at night time.

The corridor continued on for some time, the white marble catching the day light at either end, lighting his way perfectly. The floor was slightly slanted and just wide enough to permit a small wagon's passage or three people walking in a line. He knew this was a defence as much as the surrounding walls and the moat he had already passed. He knew that in this case any invaders would be hemmed in and less able to fight. The marble was also a defence, the stone was smooth and polished until it was hard enough to find purchase on it but with a few spells it could be made into something infinitely more treacherous.

Harry remembered well the old linoleum covered floors in his old muggle school, the walls on either side were heavily windowed and when it was cold outside and warm inside the condensation ran down the windows and onto the floor. And when the water leaked in from a recent rainstorm it was even worse, the floor became perilous. He remembered well all the students treading gingerly and holding on to each other just to make it to class, there were many slips and falls along the way. In the frenzied atmosphere of an attack there would be crushes and people being trampled, if there were physical weapons and not just wands then there would be injuries associated with them as well. Harry had no doubt in his mind that the winding path he had followed to get to the school was littered with traps also. Any attackers would be thoroughly demoralised and disorganised by this point and then they'd have to meet any organised resistance the school could muster.

It was a smart arrangement and he had no doubt that the exit mirrored the entrance, with its roughly hewn rock on either side of the arch spelled to fall at a moment's notice.

Harry stopped for a moment, the light from the distant exit clearly visible now. Was it strange that he was noticing all these defences? Was that the only way he thought anymore? He started walking again.

He may not like it, but thinking that way might save his life one day. He looked at this place and he looked at Hogwarts and though both buildings were schools he saw few similarities between them.

This place it awoke the same feelings in him as Hogwarts had done. He truly didn't know in which place he belonged or in fact whether he belonged anywhere but he didn't regret leaving Hogwarts to come here. Mysteria was such an apt name for a place like this. The marbles, the flowers, the sinister forest, it all came together to create a place so unique it sang with magic.

It was a haven for both kinds of magic's and seemed more alive than Hogwarts because of it. The familiar routine of nothing but light magic now seemed stifling to him when compared with this. This was what magic should feel like, that mixture of both light and dark…that was what it was all about.

He reached the end of the way, the change in light hindered his vision and that was when he was attacked.

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He thanked Merlin everyday thereafter for the quick reflexes and senses of the creature he had become. The moment he felt the change in the air before him his body dropped to the ground, it was an instinctive reaction on his part from living with the Dursley's. His creature instincts rose to the fore and latched onto his thinking mind with a vice grip, a moment later he was dodging away from another blow but even as he rolled he was planning. He felt his attacker follow him and took his chance.

He snapped his wings out, slamming the frame into the figures unprotected stomach. The wings then twisted away even as his legs swept around and took out the attackers own. His attacker dropped like a stone but made no sound, catching the attention of his creature. He focused more closely then, he heard no breathing, felt no heart beat in the air. He looked around him realising he was on a manicured lawn but there was no attacker in sight.

Had it been real?

He looked around again. Real enough he thought grimly as the sight of the body registered. It was a girl, or at least he thought so…it was either a very Bulstrode like girl or a Bulstrode like boy, either way it wasn't attractive but with a severed neck it was even less so.

The body lay at an awkward angle, one leg bent unnaturally the other snapped. Along with the severed neck was an obvious thing for such a wound, a copious amount of blood.

Blood that he hadn't smelled. Now that was strange.

He stepped closer, keeping a sharp eye on the shadows of the doorway. He had his nose almost pressed against the wound before he smelled the coppery odour that heralded the red.

Why is blood said to have a coppery taste, surely the taste is iron since iron is in the blood?

That's a fine thing to be thinking about right now! Idiot.

The corpse was fresh that was obvious and it hadn't been dragged. Since there were no tracks in the grass other than the ones directly next to the body, it was obvious it had been picked up and brought out of sight, most probably from the same place he was attacked. But what had done the killing?

He didn't know but whatever it was it would probably come back the moment another student left the arch. Deciding that it was better to leave than stick around and get attacked again he started walking down the central and largest path.

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He realised after a few minutes that the white framework he had been admiring, the one that reached far above his head and bracketed the path. The framework that held up a multitude of vines on which grew multicoloured flowers was more than what he had first thought. He knew the moment he passed a cluster of white flowers and found a bony hand in its centre. And just above a polished skull marked in black ink, runes of some kind surrounding the eye sockets making the thing appear quite tribal. Upon closer inspection the hand also revealed the same runes upon its palm. Or what would have been its palm.

He now knew what had attacked him; spectral forms of dead students, those who hadn't made it past this first step. Long dead or just dead this past year it didn't matter and each year the framework would just be built higher and higher, until a new framework was began somewhere else. How many bones littered the grounds of this school?

With that to guard its entrance no wonder they didn't bother with doors or a portcullis. Even though it was ghastly it was still quite beautiful. It wasn't the usual clichéd view of a dungeon with its manacled skeletons dangling from chain links, not that that was even possible in the first place. The moment the skin and tissues were gone from them the bones would just fall apart, no longer held together by strips of flesh they would become brittle and fall to the ground and crack.

No this was a much nicer way of displaying the dead. The flowers themselves were mixed and random as though the person that they surrounded only permitted their favourites to grow.

He hurried on his eye often being caught by glints of polished metal amongst the multitude of greens, the stark whites and the multitude of colours, but he didn't reach for the rings or weapons that he saw.

He wasn't so dumb as that and was quite thankful that he hadn't when he came across a boy no older than himself trying to free his hand from the teeth embedded in his flesh.

Now that was actually surprising, if he was expecting anything it would have been for the skeletal hand to grab the boys own, after all that was what happened in every single cheesy horror or moderately scary film as a way of upping the tension. Well it just didn't work on him; he knew when it was coming in films so he could definitely avoid it in real life if he chose.

He passed the boy without looking at him but he did give the idiot some advice.

"If you want to get free I suggest you cut off your hand. It used to be the standard punishment for thieves in the past but I doubt a bit of time would deter them here."

He continued on his way, keeping his senses open. The only other thought he had on the boy was that if he did escape the trap, whether it be the way he suggested or in some other, the boy would bear watching. After all stealing from a skinless corpse in a magical school wasn't an endearing trait in a character, it was underhanded, treacherous and downright stupid. And that could be quite a deadly combination if the right person manipulated it. The whole Pettigrew and Voldemort thing was a prime example of that.

He left the gruesome arbour behind eventually, seeing no other living soul but often hearing rustling and strange voices at his side or behind. He was prepared for something to grab him at any moment and kept his arms tucked in close to his body but he didn't have to worry. He didn't gain any of the skeleton's ire but somebody did, he heard their distant screams.

The path led him out of the arbour and into an orchard, a very large orchard and the air immediately turned stifling. He knew why of course, there was no way Banana's or Oranges could grow so well here in England without a little magical help. He wasn't expecting to be attacked here, not with the possibility of damaging the fruit and he wasn't attacked not really. He was warned away from trees when the path took him too close, he heard the angry calls of birds and a creaking of wooden limbs which was actually quite eerie in the silence.

No what was worrying him more was the temperature, he was sure that it was a trick of the mind but with every step he took he thought it got hotter and hotter. He walked on wishing he could get out of there, the heat was unbearable, he knew it wasn't possible, if it were real the trees would be wilting, the fruit spoiling and they weren't. So they were playing with his mind. He knew that but he still let out a pleased sigh when he saw the water trough beside the Apple tree.

A whispered conversation with Silvera assured him that she detected no poison or any other substance in the water. He bent down and used his cupped hands to scoop up the water.

A low but violent hissing came to his ears, thinking it to be Silvera he stood to check on her when out of the corner of his eye he spotted a flash of violent orange. He jerked back instinctively. An orange head with black banding appeared from the tall grass, this was joined by two others.

"Shit."

Harry said backing up again. He may be able to talk to snakes but he didn't feel like trying to talk a Runespoor out of killing him.

"Who dares drink from my water?" said the first, the right head, the Planner. His voice sly and soft.

"Who dares drink from our water?" said the Dreamer, the middle head in a voice not unlike Luna Lovegoods.

"Who dares drink from my water?" said the last. The Critic, the left head and a snake that sounded remarkably like Snape.

The Planner hissed at the Critic while the Dreamer ducked its head and spoke.

"This is ours and no two leg is going to take it from me."

Despite the situation Harry felt his lips twitch, this snake had a serious identity crisis.

"Who dares threaten my Master?" Silvera hissed, poking her head out from beneath his shirt where she'd been sleeping.

"Your Master little one presumes to drink from our water." The Planner hissed.

"Your water. You should be bowing down to my Master."

"And why should I be doing that?" The Critic asked.

Harry was quite curious as to what reason Silvera would actually give.

"My Master is a speaker." Harry nearly laughed her tone of voice suggested the other snake was most stupid for not knowing this.

"Speaker? Prove this!" That last couldn't be mistaken for anything other than an order. And considering it was the Critic that again spoke, Harry felt like he should be searching for a potions essay.

"What would you wish me to say?" Harry smirked at the sight of all three heads rearing back in shock.

"Come closer human snake so that we might know thee better." Harry hesitated which was not lost on the Runespoor. "We will not hurt one who speaks my tongue nor would we touch someone so claimed." Said the Dreamer. The Runespoor then bowed its three heads in Silvera's direction.

Harry did as the snake asked, he was a little agitated to say the least when the snake raised itself and flicked all three tongues over every inch of his face.

"So like him." the snake muttered.

Curious now Harry asked…"So like who?"

"My old Master, the founder of this school. Your form is like him, you taste like him also." Harry's eyes widened in surprise.

"Who was he?" He asked.

"I know not. Snakes do not understand human speech well I never knew a name and whenever I thought of him he was Master. Only Master." Harry nodded, a little disappointed but he should be able to find out at the school.

"Would you visit?" The snake asked. "There aren't many snakes who will converse with me."

Harry hesitated a moment but then agreed. He went on his way with a promise to come and find the snake in the orchard whenever he could. And he also gained a promise in return…that if he sensed a boy that showed excitement at the trees, he was to let that boy pass unharmed as he was a friend.

He knew he could have asked for safe passage for all the students but he didn't think the snake would be particularly receptive to the idea.

After leaving the orchard he passed through more extensive grounds, large rock gardens and artful ponds, again with the odd skull or leg bone motif. He passed by a veritable city of greenhouses and knew that Neville would have to tear himself away from them. He passed a lake, the bones of a large dragon half in and half out of the water. He stayed well away from it just in case it was like the others he'd passed, able to come alive. He was quite glad he had done later as he wasn't entirely sure his eyes weren't playing tricks on him but he still thought he'd seen it wink! How could a dragon's skull wink?

After that he saw no more bones, he saw only manicured lawns and perfectly trimmed trees. His next problem came when he reached what was obviously the practice grounds. His arrival was marked by a volley of arrows aiming for him whenever he set foot out of the bushes. He tried to use a freezing charm on them and it did work, but whenever he stepped out of hiding they (whoever they were) just loosed more arrows. So giving up he stuck to the bushes surrounding the field and took the long way around. He passed an obstacle course and a running track, as well as several training dummies that looked like they would knock seven bells out of him instead of the other way around.

He startled many a bird and rabbit and wondered if they would be learning to hunt and skin them in survival skills? Not an idea he was particularly comfortable with, when he was a little kid he had associated every rabbit he saw with Thumper, Bambi's best friend. Great childhood he must have had if the only film he could remember watching was a video they'd watched in school.

Anyway he passed even more formal gardens and wondered why he hadn't even seen the school yet, surely as large a building as he thought this to be would be visible by now?

And then he passed through a line of old oaks, which surely reached as high as the heavens and saw his school before him.

The pathway he had followed off and on since he left the arch had been black and white marble pieces in mismatched stone shapes. This continued on now to the school. The building was surrounded by open grass and in the distance behind it were agricultural fields. Containing corn and vegetables galore and herds of animals, like sheep, cows and pigs. There were even some free running horses. Some ordinary, some more majestic than you would get with muggle breeding and some even more clearly magical. He saw the snow white coats of the Unicorns and the darkest black coats of a breed he didn't recognise that never seemed to stray too far from the water's edge.

There was a black stallion stood proudly beside the path, one foot on the shore, his others resting on the bed of the lake that surrounded the school. The path led to a black and white marble bridge, raised high from the surface of the water by a series of pillars. The bridge itself didn't go straight it went diagonal across the lake, a monument of ancient architecture.

Even though the marble still gleamed you could still sense the age in it.

The bridge ended at a semi circle of a landing that housed two trees, both as black as ebony covered in twining vines as white as bone. The trees framed the large double doors. The doors themselves were white with a black motif, made to stand out against the stark black of the Castle's walls. Patterns, lintels and window ledges were the only white on an otherwise black surface. The same went for the white walls of the inner segments that had only black details.

There were more towers and turrets than even Hogwarts had, a lot of the building was open plan, with columns and open planned courtyards. It made him think of both a medieval castle and a roman villa, it appeared a perfect marriage between the two.

It was beautiful, if anyone tried to recreate it they would not succeed. As it was now it was perfect, not too cramped like Hogwarts often appeared to be. It's walls descending past the surface of the lake, no visible joining to land. A building in the middle of a lake. No land visible, just lake.

Surely this could only be achieved by magic?

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