Title: Proving Adept

Author: Knife Hand

Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated

Spoilers: Nothing Specific, general for first few books.

Rating: M

Disclaimer: I do not own Hermione, or Luna, or Ginny, or Cho, or... I would buy them all but I am broke.

Summary: The bindings on Harry's Magical Core should have killed him in a magical explosion, instead his system re-routed the unusable Magic into other, more physical, areas. Now 14 and ready to go to Hogwarts, Harry is not the meek and ignorant weapon Dumbledore expected.

A/N: There have been a lot of questions about Harry's Core being unbound. Unbinding his Core will not greatly increase his powers, or increase his powers at all. Half of Harry's Core is free for Casting and the other half is directed to his physiological enhancements. As his Core grows, the proportion will remain the same. He will never have more than half his Magic available for Spells.

"So, the rumours are true." A snide voice said. "Harry Potter has come to Hogwarts."

"Well if it isn't Mister States the Obvious." Harry replied. "Are you going to do everyone else now?"

"Do you have any idea who I am?" the blond hair boy asked.

"Let's see. Bleached blond hair, pale complexion, too much hair gel. Vampire Groupie?" Harry asked sarcastically.

"I am Draco Malfoy." The boy said proudly.

"You are the Dragon of Bad Faith?" Harry and Hermione asked together.

"Huh?" a few students, including Draco, asked.

"Draco is Dragon in Latin. Malfoy is Bad Faith in French." Harry explained.

"I find it kind of funny he does not even know what his own name means." Hermione said.

"Oh yeah, and who are you?" Draco asked.

"Hermione Granger." She replied. "Hermione is Greek and means Well Born, and is the feminised form of the God Hermes. Granger is an English and French Occupational Surname. Grangers were Farm Bailiffs, collecting Rents and Taxes for a Lord."

Everyone seemed to be confused, but before anyone could say anything the door opened and Professor McGonagall came in. The professor led the teens into the Great Hall. Hermione looked up at the amazing ceiling and opened her mouth to say something to Harry when he gave a minute shake of his head. She closed her mouth and a slight frown crossed her face before realisation dawned and she nodded slightly.

The first years, with the semi-arrogant confidence of mid-teens combined with nervousness of a new student, stood in front of the hall. One by one the students were called up to put the Sorting Hat on their head. Hermione was sorted into Ravenclaw and Draco, the only other student Harry was even slightly familiar with, went into Slytherin. When Harry's name was called he went forward to have the sorting hat placed on his head.

"Interesting." A voice said into Harry's mind. "Brave, intelligent, cunning and hard working. All the traits the Founders valued, but where to put you?"

"Well, as I understand it, Gryffindors are brave but reckless; Slytherins are ambitious but spoilt; Hufflepuffs are hardworking but not very smart and Ravenclaws are Intelligent but socially clueless." Harry replied.

"Not how the Founders intended, but not too far off nowadays." The Hat confirmed.

"Ravenclaw then." Harry replied. "Easier to work the system from there."

"Ravenclaw." The Hat announced.

Harry stood, placed the Hat on the stool and walked to the Ravenclaw table and sat next to Hermione.

Harry was sitting in the corner of the Ravenclaw Common Room when Hedwig emerged from the hole in the ceiling's brickwork, causing a Third Year who had been sitting below the Owl Access Point to jump in his chair before staring up at the hole.

"So that's what that's for." The Third Year remarked staring up at the Owl Access Point.

"Hey girl." Harry said as Hedwig landed on his shoulder.

Hermione, who was sitting next to Harry, looked up at the beautiful Snowy Owl who looked the First Year over and then gave a sharp bark.

"How could you say that?" Harry admonished his Owl. "Of course I am not trying to replace you."

Hermione and the few other students in the Common Room stared at Harry. Hedwig gave a few hoots and hisses.

"No, I'm fine, I've already eaten. Go enjoy yourself. And I'll save you some bacon in the morning." Harry said.

Hedwig bobbed her head and then took off, heading back out the Owl Access Point. Several of the students turned to look at Hermione with an expression that implied they expected her to get answers.

"Harry." Hermione began, nervously. "Why did you say those things to Hedwig?"

"Well, she was out of line." Harry defended. "I mean honestly thinking that I would abandon her for you was just silly. And I did not particularly want to go on a mouse hunt."

"No, I mean… wait, you understood what Hedwig was vocalising?" Hermione asked in shock.

"Sure. What? You can't?" Harry replied.

"No one can, Harry." She insisted.

"Huh." Harry grunted, before getting an annoyed look from Hermione. "What? I kind of figured it was because of the linguistics spells on most Magical Pets like Owls and Kneezles and such. I mean I can't understand animals at my Aunt and Uncle's place."

"What linguistics spells?" a Second Year Witch asked.

"The ones on Post Owls and most other pets sold in Diagon Alley. They allow the pet to understand what their owner is telling them, so I kind of figured that it worked both ways." Harry explained. "Though come to think of it, with the number of insults that the pets use, if their owner could understand they would rectify the problem or get rid of the pet."

"Why would they…?" a Fifth Year began and then stopped. "Oh I get it. I never thought about it but we just tell the Owl who to deliver the letter to, even if we don't know where they are, or even who they are."

As the other Ravenclaws started chatting with their friends, Hermione leaned over to whisper to Harry.

"Why would Hedwig be jealous of me?" She asked.

"I'm sure you'll figure it out eventually." Harry replied with a small grin.

Hermione huffed at information being withheld from her, then she remembered what Harry has tried to teach her on the train. Observe, question, draw conclusions, test conclusions, repeat.

Harry sat on the floor of the Ravenclaw Common Room, stretching. It was five-thirty in the morning and the Common Room was deserted apart from Harry and Hedwig who was sitting on the back of one of the plush chairs watching her Human. After a series of exercises both to loosen his muscles up and to maintain his flexibility, Harry rose to his feet, jumping up and down briefly, partly to make sure his Gymnastics clothes were secure in some places and loose in others. As he made his way to the entrance of the Common Room, Hedwig launched off the chair and landed on his shoulder.

'I'm going to have to find a proper place to train.' Harry thought to himself as he walked out the entrance portal.

Once outside he began to jog through the halls and stairwells of the castle, partly for the exercise and partly in order to begin learning the general layout of the school, with Hedwig accompanying him either gliding beside him or landing on various surfaces until he passed and then flying ahead. One of the staircases began to move when he was descending and almost at the bottom so, without slowing, he placed one hand on the railing and vaulted over it to the landing he had been heading for. Upon landing, Harry broke out in a grin. With a bark, Hedwig challenged him to keep up and took off at a relatively slow speed.

Using walls to change directions and leaping from one staircase to another, Harry discovered the thrill of what would eventually be come to be known as Freerunning.

TBC…