Third Place - Action/Adventure

Harry kicked his legs over the side of the bed with a sigh. He had been in the hospital wing all night now and Madame Pomfrey had, somehow, managed to kick everyone out. He yawned and then looked down at the bandage he had tightly around his stomach, it had steadily been turning red all night and now Harry needed to feed before he got any weaker. He rolled his shoulder around with a groan and then cracked his neck to the side, he was relieved that Terry had healed, but this was just a bitch!

He knew that if he had any hopes of getting out of this hospital wing today, he would have to sneak out when the Medi-Witch wasn�t looking. He reached over to the pillows and he pulled his two daggers out from underneath them. Just as he was strapping the holders to his wrists, the door opened and Harry looked up to see the headmaster entering with a large goblet in his hands, and Snape was following.

"Good morning, Mr. Corvus," the old man said cheerfully and Harry looked up with a nod before he turned his attention back to his holders. When he was sure they were secure, he placed the daggers in and flicked his wrist, testing that they would come to him when needed. "Here, perhaps this will help," Dumbledore said again as he handed the goblet over, Harry looked down and smiled thankfully when he saw the chickens blood.

"Thank you, headmaster," he said and then he closed his eyes and carefully drank the blood, smiling as he felt his strength return to the full.

"I was wondering if we could have a little chat, Harry," Dumbledore said again and Harry barely refrained from rolling his eyes, he could have guessed that. The old man hadn�t come down here just to give him some blood.

"Of course sir" but can we do it somewhere else before Madame Pomfrey wakes up and stops me from leaving?" he asked hopefully and Dumbledore chuckled before nodding. He handed Harry his robes from where they had been folded at the end of the bed and again, Harry nodded his thanks, as he pulled them over his head. He winced slightly as he straightened up and placed a hand over his side but he didn�t say anything. He grabbed his shoes and his wand and then he nodded and followed the two wizards out of the room.

Unsurprisingly, he was led up to the old mans office and he rolled his eyes at the candy-cane password before following them up the moving stairs. None of them had said a word during the walk but Harry could feel Snape�s eyes on him, watching his every move. He was surprised at that; he had thought that he and Snape had come to an understanding. Well, the gaze wasn�t exactly one of loathing; it was a studious one, calculating even.

With a respectful nod, Harry sat in the free chair when offered and he politely declined the tea and lemon drop as he turned to look at his two teachers once more. It didn�t look like he was in trouble as neither of them seemed particularly angry. All he could sense from them was confusion and curiosity and so he waited patiently for the questions to come. He didn�t have to wait long.

"It seems the Corvus family have had � problems � with the Malfoys," Dumbledore said conversationally and Harry quirked an eyebrow before he snorted at the understatement.

"You could say that," was all he said and then rolled his eyes when they just continued to stare at him expectantly. He sat back in his chair and sighed, trying to decide what he should tell them, if anything. He settled for the truth. "The attack on September the first, my fathers found, was arranged by Lucius Malfoy. As I handled it myself, they did not kill the older Malfoy and just left him with a reminder." He said and smirked as Snape snorted at his understatement.

"And Draco?" Snape asked, without even a sneer in sight.

"Is alive. He challenged me to a duel, I accepted, showed him a little humiliation but I did not harm him. You understand that I am a Corvus, thus I have been brought up to make sure my clan and my kind are respected"I could have killed the fool for some of his insults alone, for it would have been within my right as the heir to the Corvus throne,"

"I appreciate your restraint," Dumbledore said mildly. "So, you have � killed � before then?" he asked, seemingly sorrowed, and again Harry arched an eyebrow.

"There have been attempts at my life for years; I started training at five and a half years old. The two most powerful of ancients are my fathers, my sires, so to answer your question; yes, I have killed. I tend not to too often though. Only one of my own kind" well, four now actually" and two mortals when they tried to mug me at nine years old, and then another three mortals when they kidnapped me at eight. I do not take pleasure out of killing, but I will do so for my life and for my honour" and the honour of my family," he explained calmly and Dumbledore nodded with a sigh.

"Are you happy Harry? Are things well at home?" he asked and Harry smiled again, snickering to himself as the question was finally asked. He had been waiting for this since he first arrived here.

"Extremely. I love my fathers with all my heart and I would do anything for them, as they would for me. I am happy with who I am, with what I am" and I would be greatly insulted if one tried to change that," he said as he looked straight into those blue eyes again. Dumbledore returned the stare piercingly for a minute and then he smiled and nodded once more.

"It is not my place Harry; I wouldn�t even consider trying to remove you from your family unless it was what you wished."

"Good, I like you, I wouldn�t want to have to kill you," Harry replied without blinking and he grinned when Dumbledore actually laughed aloud at that.

"No, I wouldn�t want you to either," he said and Harry smiled again as he sat back in his chair and crossed his legs, wincing slightly as pain from his wound spread through him. He placed a hand gently over his side and rolled his eyes at the looks of concern he was receiving.

"I, of course, heard about the attack last night. I want you to know that I am trying to do something about it; I�m researching ways in which I can block out vampires from the grounds and yet somehow make an exception for you, your fathers and your guards. I don�t suppose you would allow me to have a teacher escort you when you go hunting?" Dumbledore asked and Harry shook his head calmly.

"To be honest sir, it�s a nice thought an all, but they would just get in the way. You know there is little magic that has any effect against vampires and I have heard that few mortals remember how to wield weapons anymore. If I were attacked again with a teacher present, I would have to be careful and keep one eye on said teacher at all times." He explained and Dumbledore nodded with a sigh

"Somehow I knew you would say that but I will concede to your point this time. Come, its time for breakfast and no doubt you should find your friends before they realise you are not in the hospital wing. Your fathers asked me to tell you that they will return this evening to make sure all is well."

Harry walked into the Great Hall and he could see Terry, Blaise and Hermione look up at him in surprise. Before he went over to join them though, he stopped in the middle of the hall and glanced around for a minute, then he shook his head and moved towards the Hufflepuffs and studied them.

"Cedric Diggory?" he asked mildly and watched as a third year boy lifted his head halfway down the table. Harry locked eyes with him and he cocked an eyebrow in question and then moved to stand in front of him when he received a nod. "Am I right in saying that you are the seeker for the Hufflepuff team?"

"Yes"" the boy said cautiously and Harry offered him a small smile as he tilted his head to the side in greeting.

"Then I would ask you if you could teach me about the game. There is only so much you can learn in a book and my fellow Slytherins see me as something of a � ahh � traitor should I say?" he asked and looked over his shoulder with a cold sneer, not in the least surprised when he received many back. Nearly everyone was listening now, waiting to see what would happen but Harry turned his attention back to Cedric and waited.

"Why should he teach you, you are on the opposing team!" A sixth year Hufflepuff spoke up and Harry bowed his head slightly in acknowledgement.

"That I am, but as I said the Slytherins merely expect me to know everything before the first game, the Gryffindors have hated me since the word �Slytherin� came out of that hat and even more so since they believe I have corrupted a member of their house and the Ravenclaws also believe I have corrupted a member of their house, thus it leaves Hufflepuff house as the only one I have, so far, managed not to offend in one way or another," he said smoothly and then smirked his �Corvus� smirk. "And as I, the heir to the Corvus throne, am asking Cedric Diggory for a favour, one will be repaid in kind."

"Ahh don�t worry about it, if what I�ve heard about your flying is true, then the pleasure will be all mine. Of course I�ll teach you" no favour," Cedric said grinning and he held out his hand, Harry clasped it firmly and smirked again. The Slytherins were outraged that he would have to ask someone for a favour, and even more that he would ask a Hufflepuff and both the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw house had the decency to look ashamed.

"Then I thank you,"

"Don�t mention it" are you free after classes today?"

"Aye, that I am. I�ll meet you on the quidditch pitch" and if you will not allow me to return the favour, then at least allow me to give you a small token of my gratitude, it would be improper for a Corvus to accept something and not repay that debt in someway," Harry said and grinned at the uncomfortable third year. "Then I will have it by the time of our meeting," he said when he received a tentative nod. Just to make the boy squirm more, Harry stepped closer and pressed a kiss to both cheeks before he nodded his thanks and then turned on his heel and moved to the Ravenclaw table.

For once, he wasn�t met with glares.

"Does everything for you have to be a show?" Hermione asked with a roll of her eyes and Harry smirked

"Of course not, but its much more entertaining when it is," he replied as he pulled out a piece of parchment and wrote to his fathers, explaining the situation and requesting a particular item. When he was finished, he watched as Raven flew off with his note before he looked up at the staff table. McGonagall, Dumbledore and Snape were all watching him with amusement and something like pride and he quirked an eyebrow and nodded to them before turning back to his breakfast.

"You do realise that you have now completely stepped above all types of house rivalry? You have accepted a Gryffindor and a Ravenclaw as your friend, and a Hufflepuff as your teacher" something of this kind has not happened for a long while" not so openly," Hermione said again, explaining why the teachers were looking at him like that. Harry merely shrugged indifferently.

"I�m a Corvus, I don�t do things the normal way."

The package he had requested from his fathers arrived just after lessons finished when Harry was changing in his dorm. He grinned but didn�t unwrap the parcel as he reached for his reply and he stroked Raven and fed him some food before watching as his eagle flew out of the window and up to the owlery.

Son

I am proud of you for realising when you need to ask for help and then doing so. The gift you requested is a just payment in return, it seems you have used the correct Corvus formalities for this, and once again you have made your Pa and I proud. We will arrive at seven this evening" meet us in the entrance hall please; do not enter the forest alone. You could bring your two friends, if you like, as the meeting with the shapeshifter was disrupted and your muggleborn friend sounds" interestingly know-it-all" just like you.

Your Aunt Cerelias has found out about our visiting and is intending to follow us this evening, so unless we can manage to ditch her and get away without her noticing, you�ll be seeing your aunt too. Enjoy your lesson and behave yourself.

Love
Pa and Da

With a nod, Harry tucked the letter into his trunk and then grabbed his own broom and the wrapped present before slipping out of the Slytherin rooms and into the main part of the dungeons. He could feel some glares on his back and whispers behind him as the portrait closed to cover the common rooms but he ignored them completely, they didn�t have the guts to say them � or even to glare � to his face, then he wouldn�t bother.

He couldn�t keep the smug grin from his face, he had made his fathers proud, nothing could compare to the immense satisfaction and pure pleasure he felt when his fathers said that. They, of course, knew this and so they spaced it out now. when he was younger, they told him of their pride often, but as he got older, they made him work for it and then when they said it, just like now, it felt all the better.

Sometimes he thought he lived for nothing more.

He could see Cedric stood in the middle of the pitch, but what was quite unexpected were the spectators sat in the stands. Harry nodded to his three friends and then looked at the scattering of Hufflepuffs" there was even one or two Slytherins. He shook his head in amusement and then turned his attention back to Cedric with the parcel lying across the palm of his hand.

"A thank you from my fathers, we hope it is to your liking," he said smoothly and Cedric looked at him, quite obviously speechless. When he still didn�t move to take it though, Harry quirked an eyebrow and cleared his throat.

"I � err � thank you � but � I mean � you didn�t have to � I-" Cedric stuttered as he finally gripped onto the gift. Harry took pity on the extremely uncomfortable boy then and he grinned widely.

"Open it then! Let�s play!" he said cheerfully and he watched as the third year tore the brown parcel paper off his gift before he turned his attention to the boy�s broom. A Nimbus 1000, thank Merlin for that.

"A Twigger!" Cedric gasped in awe ashe ran his hands over it. Harry grinned when he looked up questioningly and he held up his own broom.

"Now we�re evenly matched. Shall we get on with the lesson then?" he asked, politely, already loosing his patience as he could hear the gasps from the students in the stands too. He didn�t want any of them to decide they wanted to try out their friend�s new broom, not until he had his lesson anyways.

"Oh! Right, sorry. What do you know about quidditch so far?" Cedric asked, straightening up and Harry smiled his approval.

"I know the rules and regulations, I know that a seeker is more likely to break his neck than � say � a keeper, and I know that I have to catch a tiny little ball that has wings. I know what the other team members have to do as well, so really all I need your help with is showing me how to fly on a broom in a game, any particular moves or anything," he explained and Cedric nodded with a grin. He bent down and Harry looked to see a large wooden box at his feet.

"Madame Hooch loaned us the balls, we�ll just practice with the actual snitch this time" but next time a few of my friends have agreed to act as beaters and will be aiming the bludgers at us. There�s not really any specific moves I can show you yet, because you mainly just have to follow the ball and � well � catch it."

Harry leant against the wall in amusement and crossed his arms over his chest, simply waiting. Terry and Hermione were stood in the middle of the Entrance Hall arguing and therefore they hadn�t noticed the arrival of the Corvus vampires.

"Actually, Terry, it clearly states in �Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them� that the thestral is an animal associated with death-" Hermione was saying in that text book confidence that seemed to surround her.

"Yeah � and the Grim is a creature that Divination associates with death, and they don�t even exist!" Terry retorted

"What nonsense the children talk about these days," a voice whispered from the far corner of the room, Harry didn�t so much as twitch as his two friends turned sharply.

"What happened to sex, drugs and rock and roll?" another voice whispered from near the doors. Hermione and Terry turned towards it once more and Harry watched as his Da, who was the one by the stairs, moved quickly. He was cloaked in shadows as he stood directly behind Hermione, careful not to touch her and bring attention to himself.

"Remember, they are eleven. I would like to think that sex had not even entered their minds," Ivan Corvus whispered in her ear and by the time Hermione had turned around again, he was back in the shadows and out of view.

"Do you think-"

"-We should stop-"

"-tormenting them my-"

"-dear husband?"

Both Ivan and Dante moved from one place to another as they continued each others sentences. Eventually, both Hermione and Terry threw their hands up in disgust and exasperation and then sat stubbornly on the floor with their arms crossed.

"Enough," another voice said from the main doors and Harry�s grin widened as he saw his Aunt Cerelias. He was about to step forward but then paused and smirked wickedly when he saw the look of absolute awe in Terry�s eyes. Apparently Harry�s two fathers had noticed too as they exchanged amused glances and then smirked.

Cerelias didn�t appear to be aware of the affect she had, or if she did then she didn�t say anything. Instead she turned to where Harry was stood and opened her arms in invitation. Harry stepped into her embrace carefully and pressed a kiss to her cheek.

"Are you going to introduce me to your friends then?" she asked after a minute and Harry rolled his eyes before turning to look at the two glaring first years.

"Of course, Aunt Cerelias meet Hermione Granger, muggleborn first year in Gryffindor house and Terry Boot, shapeshifter and first year in Ravenclaw house" not that that means anything to you-"

"Don�t be foolish Har; of course I know" you don�t think I would allow your fathers to send you to a place I knew nothing about now did you?" Cerelias asked with amusement and Harry scowled before shrugging.

"Hermione, Terry; meet Cerelias Corvus, my aunt," he finished as if he hadn�t even been interrupted. Cerelias held out her hand which Hermione took without hesitation and shook it, she even bowed slightly out of respect and Harry nodded his approval, he hadn�t really had chance to tell his friends of vampire customs or anything and so he knew they were on their own here. When Hermione released his aunt�s hand though, Harry choked back a laugh as Terry bowed and brought her knuckles to his lips" rather like Harry had done with Hermione in the Great Hall.

"And you call me a flirt," he teased, relishing in the bright flush he brought to the shifters usually calm features.

"Now, why aren�t you in bed young man?" Cerelias asked with her hands on her hips and Harry groaned audibly and looked at his fathers for help.

"Err � well, you see-" he said and then scowled when his Da and Pa just crossed their arms and smirked at him. Fine, if they were going to be like that" "It was Da and Pa! They were the ones who stole all your shampoo and they dyed your hair bright green and blamed it on Uncle Noel and Aunt Maeryn." He said quickly and then he dodged out of the way as his Da made to grab him.



The Heir of Corvus I: The Philosopher�s Stone - Chapter 11

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