Demon Bane's Heir

Summary: The night after Harry loses Sirius, he discovers that Hogwarts holds a secret older than time and discovers he has much in common with one that earned the title: "Demon's Bane." AU Valdemar/HP cross Slash with canon pairings.

A/N: Yes, GF has come up with another cross over. (And this time I'm familiar with it! The Frau) This will be set just after the Owl Series. It is rated as M because of the hawk-brothers' free life-style and the gryphons' more raunchy teasing.

:mind speech:

Tayledra terms are at the bottom of this chapter.

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Disclaimer: We don't own either Harry Potter or The Valdemar Series: Owl Knight. They belong to the lovely creative minds of JK Rowlings and Mercedes Lackey and their legal teams. If you don't recognize a character in this story, please assume they belong to our twisted imaginations.

As always: Reviews are welcomed; flames are not.

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Chapter 1: My Lady's Eyes

A lone, dark-clad teen stood in a forest clearing not far from the ancient castle known as Hogwarts. Moonlight cast its silvery light onto the clearing as a soft breeze played with messy black hair. A red and gold scarf was wrapped close around his neck as tears coursed down his cheeks.

Around him a circle with strange symbols was sketched out in the grass. At his feet was a small lit brazier. In the fire were the remains of scorched white feathers, several locks of black hair and the ashes of his wand. The small fire popped in time with the red drops that fell from his slit wrists to hit the hot coals.

Harry Potter raised pained filled emerald eyes to gaze up at the face of the waning moon as he grew light-headed from blood loss.

"Moon Lady, hear me. I know I should've done this when you are at full strength, but I don't have the time. I'm being sent away tomorrow for several weeks of torment and imprisonment. Into a prison some consider the safest place for me, but it is anything but that.

"Please, I read in an ancient tome that if the need is great, and the right sacrifice is made, you would listen. Please, Moon Lady, I need help. According to a prophecy I am supposed to vanquish a Dark Lord, but how? I'm untrained and alone. My friends are hurt and angry and I lost the last link I had to any chance of a family.

"I can't do this alone. Please, Moon Lady, I've nothing to live for. Everyone that I care about is gone, because of me. I'm no coward, but I'm tired of fighting alone. I Just can't do it anymore. I just can't. . . Please. . . Moon Lady, help me." His tormented voice died in a whisper.

Wind whipped up, causing the small flame in the brazier to leap upward. It carried the scent of scorching heat, from hot summer days. When it faded away Harry Potter was gone, along with all traces of the disturbed ground, blood and fire.

The only witness to the teen's passing was a ghostly-white snowy owl who was sitting on a nearby branch, and a lone centaur hiding in the darkness.

"Demon Bane's Heir has started on his path," the centaur whispered before fading into the forest shadows to report what just happened.

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Harry James Potter opened his eyes to find himself in a swirling, grey, misty fog sprinkled with twinkling points of light. The only sound was of his own breath and heart beat. Beneath his feet lay a seemingly endless expanse of white sparkling sand as far as he could see. Immediately before him lay a ribbon-like pebbled pathway that disappeared into the mist.

He wondered if this was the 'next great adventure' that Dumbledore was always going on about. Funny, he'd hoped to see his parents.

Suddenly, from overhead, came the shrill cry of a raptor breaking the silence. He could make out the wide-spread, soaring wings of two large hawks. Harry wasn't too sure what breed they were, but they looked to be huge as they made lazy circles above him.

One of them cried again as the other dipped towards the sand. They lazily turned just ahead, as if urging him to follow them.

Not too sure of what he would find in the mist, Harry shrugged gathered his Gryffindor courage and took a step forward on the silvery pathway. He really had nothing to lose after all. Bloody Hell, he wasn't even sure he was still alive, even if he could hear his heart beating.

The only sound Harry could currently hear was his feet crunching on the path before him. He couldn't tell how far, or how long, he traveled. The hawks would occasionally break the silence to cry sounds of encouragement as they lead him onward.

:Well met, young warrior,: came a woman's strong voice out of the mist. :I have heard your plea and accepted your sacrifice. You have presented me an interesting challenge.:

The woman, if she was a woman, was almost sexless in her aspect.

She wore a skin-tight, unrelentingly black leather uniform that covered her body. What little skin that did show was golden tan. Sable hair cascaded down Her back, framing a face exotic, as well as ageless. But it was her eyes that drew Harry in. They were black, lit with points of light like a clear night sky full of stars, lacking pupils or iris.

The two hawks overhead cried once more, breaking the trance that Harry found himself in. They dropped from the sky only to transform into two equally exotic individuals, male and female.

Harry bowed his head, as he started to kneel. "Moon Lady."

:There is no need to bow to me, young warrior,: she spoke. Her voice held amused chiding, filling the grey mist around him. :A warrior is only good as the weapons he carries. And yet you carried nothing but a small stick and your own determination. That you fought for so long with no training, or a mentor to guide you, is a testament to your courage, your honor and your heart. Well met indeed.:

The female of the two former hawks came to stand beside Harry and lifted his chin to meet her eyes. "First thing is to heal him, Lady. Then he will need someone to guide him in the true ways of magic."

The male came to stand on the other side of him and raised one of Harry's blood stained arms. "He will need someone to teach him the Warrior's Path as well. He is not of the Shin'a'in, and can't not walk the Kel'enedral* way."

"He still needs to be trained," the other female argued.

Harry stood watching the discussion but couldn't speak. He had the feeling he was being weighed in the balance. He hoped they would help him. He didn't know what else to do.

Over head, there was a rustling of wings and a white figure swooped in from the mist stopping the argument for the moment. The Star-Eyed Goddess held up her hand as a snowy owl landed on her fist.

"Hedwig!" Harry cried hoarsely, worried about his owl, the only family he had left.

The snowy owl chided the goddess in clicks of her beak and small trills.

The Moon Lady laughed as she reached up to soothe the snowy owl. :So loyal. So wise. Yes. You will do well. I have decided.:

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Far north and west from the heart of the land known as Valdemar was a small bustling village known as Errod's Grove. Despite being just off the major trade route it did, however, boast a claim to fame as it were. It was home to the k'Valdemar Vale.

The first Vale to be created within Valdemar's borders in over a century. Normally Vales were home to a very exotic group of individuals known as Tayledras* ,or, more commonly known as Hawk-brothers in Valdemaran lore.

Vales are protected areas created by the Tayledras. They used the pooling of free flowing underground magical ley-lines, directing the 'wild magic' into an artificially created monolith known as a 'heart-stone.'

The main purposes for these stones were the cleansing and renewal of the land after the Great Mage War a millennia ago. However, the heart stones in turn power many magical protections within the Vales, including the weather. They can only be accessed by Master Class mages for upkeep, and monitoring, lest they go rogue and destroy everything around them.

Within these Vales the Hawk-Brother's homes ranged from multi-level tree houses to caves and human ground dwellings as there were a variety of sentient beings that call the Vales home.

Between patrolling the surrounding forests and maintaining the heart stone life was never dull within these boisterous communities.

In such a tree house, known locally as an 'ekele', sat a lean handsome man with long, black, braided hair. He wore a muted, forest colored lounging robe. He was sitting in front a small hearth fire, meditating.

Suddenly, the fire popped as it took the shape of a raptor.

"Silverfox," came a woman's voice from the fire. "You are needed on the moon-paths. Please come as soon as possible."

Surprised by the summons, Silverfox gave a curt nod before sinking into a deep trance before allowing his spirit to leave his body and walk the moon-paths.

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Kel'enedral – According the Valdemar Wiki: Called "Sword Sworn" by non-Shin'a'in, they are servants of the Shin'a'in Goddess in her aspect as the Warrior. The term actually means both "Children of Her Sword" and "Her Sword-Brothers."

Tayledras – Or Hawk-brothers are so named for their bonds with raptors. The name actually means "Brother of the hawks."

Moon-paths – pathways that the living may use to more-or-less safely traverse the Spirit Realm. The Moonpaths can be dangerous, but most do fine as long as they stick to the paths. The paths are surrounded by a mist inhabited by lingering spirits.