A/N:Little late I know, I apologize for that. Had some difficulties getting this chapter how i wanted it again, it's better than it was but not perfect by any means. Thank to you all who have reviewed, your feedback is precious to me; we're at ten for each chapter average. Not too bad! I hope you all continue to review. I am frankly surprised that this little story has gained the following it has, I really need to go back and re-write the first two chapters at least; maybe that way more readers will stick around for the rest. My writing was rather undeveloped at the time I started Blood Lines, I fear it is adversely affecting the number of readers.

Not many reviews to reply to directly this time, I did respond to a few with PM but I had a problem with the site for a few days so I don't know if any sent properly.

This will remain resolutely Harry/Tonks as the central pairing, I won't be changing from that now.

And here is Part II Chapter 1 of Blood Lines. . .

Blood Lines

Part II

Chapter 1

Forbidden Forest, Scotland

7pm-September 1, 1991

A figure popped into existence above the flat surface of the water, dropping silently into the black depths of the lake. Immediately it began to strike out through the water, gliding through the liquid, oblivious to the icy cold creeping into its skin. Eyes gleamed, picking out distant shapes; small people crowded into enchanted boats, propelled silently over the mirror. Its mouth opened, tasting the air and water as both entered a maw ringed with shining ivory teeth.

The children were awed. Struck by the magnificence of the ancient magical castle, the children's murmurs faded away into a shocked wonder. Here in the silence, here in the magic of the area, the glory of the castle could strike the individual gazing upon it. With the utmost stealth the figure crept closer to the boats. Sinking beneath the waters to moved further into the fleet, the faint lights of the castle shimmering into the first couple meters of the darkness.

It was a beautiful sight indeed. Massive towering structures of halls, pillars, an acropolis of epic proportions perched on bluffs, resting in the foothills of a mountain. Flickering amber lights illuminated the hundreds of windows, lending an ethereal glow in the haze of dusk, glittering on the glassy waters of the Black Lake. The air did not stir, the stillness of the moment preserved in the memory of every young one on the water, their eyes locked onto the view. The stars blinked in a clear sky, stretching unendingly beyond the edges of the mystic place. This castle was ever lasting, a bastion of magic and power seated firmly into the countryside.

There was little sound in the darkness, the gravity of the moment striking everyone. Breathing from the students, a giant of a man humming a cheery tune, the croak of a toad; that was all. Harry blinked water from his eyes. He had been drawn here, to watch the innocence of the children, the foolish dreams reflected in their eyes just as the flickering lights of the castle. His own might reflect the light but never the dreams, his were cold, vacant except for hunger, power, dead obsession.

Emerald glow emerged from the eyes glinting. Their keenness sliced cleanly between the shades of black in the water, catching the subtle movement of something large, a massive shapes slithering expanse of calm water. A great arm breached the surface, causing the ripples of a sluggish cavalry charge to spread steadily out from the source. The giant squid had risen from the depth pitch of the Black Lake, to greet the new students. The long slim body pulsed powerfully, beginning a steady movement before the boy suspended in the water. A truly huge eye locked with those of the boy, communicating a silent profound message between the two creatures as they gazed at each other there in the black. And the squid slid on, back into the deep, to its unique safety. It had been an acknowledgement.

The soft thump echoed in the water, the boats finding berth at the long platform protruding into the lake. Harry Potter watched the curved hulls of the vessels rock gently. The young wizards and witches, new students to the disciplines of magic, vacated the enchanted rowboats. They would no doubt be making their way up to the castle. Abyssal magic enveloped the boy beneath the rippling waves and he left the human dimension.

Harry entered once more in the Forbidden Forest. The expanse of woodland was outside of Hogwarts' physical wards, only a few early warning alarms placed further into the shadows; tuned so as to not go off when creature crossed the lines. He had found a clearing in the forest, ringed by ancient trees, easily after arriving in Hogsmeade. It had been interesting finding a way into the village initially; one visit to Diagon Alley several weeks prior had provided him an avenue with which to glean memories of the village. The witch he had taken the memories from remained unaware of the intrusion, untrained in the Mind Arts as she was, and it had been sufficient enough for the boy to focus. Drawing upon the black magic of his race Harry had concentrated it into a image to bring him to the front of the Three Broomsticks tavern.

Fortunately no one would be around to notice. It was a few miles before he would reach the main gate to Hogwarts if he chose to go in that direction. It was the path that the carriages had no doubt taken up to the castle from the Hogsmeade Station. Harry had chosen to walk the same path that morning that the First Years had walked to the dock leaving Hogsmeade, a short jaunt down an embankment. The boats carrying new students would float closely along the shoreline, coming along the massive bluffs before round a bend in the lake to the school. A massive walkway would span the gorge left by a miniscule stream running down to the black lake dozens upon dozens of meters below. The First Years, (which Harry had just left) would climb many stairs before reaching a stone courtyard and from there a perfectly square room opening into more stairs and corridors on three sides and the thick iron doors of the Great Hall. From where Harry was the castle was hidden, only the far shore, distant across black water, was visible, a small section of the Forbidden Forest. Not even the wards stretched out quite this far.

The wards of the school were not any single perfect shape, the stones used to generate the powerful wards, fed by a magic still not understood by any wizard. Many of the stones generated small fields that connected together around the perimeter of the school with an intensely complex runic pattern, set deep within the walls and foundation of the building (powerfully enchanted to be resilient beyond measure in their own right). However sections of the wards stretched out over the lake. The stones used for these sections lay hidden deep beneath the earth, secreted away into deep passages shooting off from the dungeons―their presence hidden by magic as well and known only to the Headmaster. It was a marvel of magic, unparalleled by anything in the modern age, except perhaps the hidden ways of the goblins or Elves (though few humans knew of them). Researchers were forbade from the sight, unable to access the stones; rumoured to be coated in carvings of a fair amount of unknown runes brimming with magic and potential.

Curse Breakers had tried in the past to pierce the wards using their methods of systematic dismantling of the magicks. Apparently the schemes utilized in the wards were particularly difficult to map in the first place, never mind the actual breaking of the first layer (which required knowing the maps of ward runes as they were projected into the invisible dome from the stones). And there were many layers to the wards beyond the initial warning ones, ones to stop physical entry of any objects or creatures, ones to stop magical energy from entering, others rigged for time delayed retaliation, and even more for triggered events. These were rumoured to range from minor stinging and confunding hexes and curses to full blown Armageddon wards designed to destroy anything trying to get in. It was an impressive set up.

Harry had gazed across the stretch of water and appeared on the other side of the lake. It had been a short simple thing to plunge into the depths of the forest, peaceful as they were during the day; the predators preferring night and few docile creatures brave enough to stand the exposure of daytime. A few minutes and the boy had happened to find the clearing, unused and uninhabited if judged by the physical sign. It even smelled as if it hadn't seen any creatures in a good while.

Harry re-entered his camp again. It was sparse by any stretch of the imagination―a fire set into the ground in the center of the clearing had a cauldron suspended of it (a simmering potion set within); a dozen or so meters above in a tree lay Harry's weapon case and the trunk he had brought with him safe from ground dwelling creatures; a slab of rock that coincidently was naturally placed served as a table; there was no bed, Harry rarely ever slept. There wasn't much but it would serve him well enough in the coming months. He was unaffected by temperature or precipitation, the winter would not bother him. And if it ever came down to it he could return to the valley.

For now it was quiet. Blessedly so, here in the forest it was a natural quiet. Untainted by the magic of the Elves, the humans, none of the power possessed by these creatures had truly influenced the area. Here deep within the wild untamed depths of the forest Harry was at ease. He could feel the subtle danger of the denizens there but was unfazed, whatever it held; he could deal with it easily enough.

The boy looked at the potion, simmering away over the fire. The orange light licked up and around the bottom of the cauldron, writhing in a frenzied energy. Misty vapour rose in thin wavering tendrils from the liquid, dissipating into the still air. Harry turned his head, sniffing the air; something, something wasn't right. There was a flicker in the back of his mind. Harry sniffed again . . .then growled low in his throat.

Hogwarts School, Scotland

7:23pm-September 1, 1991

Disappointment fluttered in his heart. The Headmaster of Hogwarts sat at his appointed seat, the center of the Head Table, putting on a facade joviality to hide the pain. Harry Potter had not come. That was the last hope, that perhaps the boy would arrive, well and healthy, to the school on this day. A letter had been made miraculously with the Potter name on it, yet had refused to be sent. The magic of the school had somehow detected Harry Potter but the owl had been unable to carry the letter. Maybe he was still out there, Malkin had flooed him a few weeks before claiming to have seen someone like the boy. Thus the old man had hoped perhaps he would arrive.

Alas it was for naught. The Madam had sputtered on about a new client she hadn't seen before, ordering a ridiculously expensive wardrobe without blinking an eye―an emerald green eye, so reminiscent of dear Lily's. The woman had begun to cry then, reminded of the red head that had been so kind, generous to everyone around her. Albus couldn't do anything except reassure the woman he would look into it and send her away. The Headmaster decided that to inform the Advance Guard to this information was pointless; Harry had eluded them for years to search now on a miniscule hope would be cruel to those he told. It had been a hope, now dashed on the shore of reality. Harry Potter, wherever he was, he didn't want them, he didn't want Hogwarts. Albus sighed.

"Are you okay Albus?" McGonagall, a wonderful woman. Always fair, forever just, she was a worthy deputy and a wonderful teacher.

"Yes of course Minerva, only thinking of the new students." The Headmaster smiled over his half moon spectacles.

"The Potter boy is not among them. I had . . . hoped, that he would be here. What does it mean? That he isn't here." The stern Scottish woman looked down at her plate vulnerable.

Albus lifted his goblet of gold gently between three fingers and sipped at the lemon flavored cider within. "It means we must go on. There are students here to teach and graduates to prepare, we can't allow one absence to bother us." The ancient wizard smiled. "After all, this batch of graduates is especially mischievous, particularly Miss Tonks and that Weasley boy. And the Weasley Twins as well no doubt."

McGonagall made a noise in her throat and turned back to her food. Albus sipped again from his goblet, gazing back out over the students. Much was unexpected this year. Harry not arriving was far from the only discrepancy in the routine of each Hogwarts school term. Quirinus had changed during his trip, had started to stutter with an unusual nervousness; the man had even volunteered to brave the infamous curse upon the Defense Against the Dark Arts position. Most out of character for the relatively young wizard. The Philosopher's Stone had been moved out of Gringott's back (to the infinite ire of the goblins) and placed in the school on Nicholas' request as it seemed he did not trust the bank. Albus had agreed, placing numerous protections around the stone and secreting it away in hidden chambers deep below the third floor. Albus didn't like it but he could only agree because of the help and mentoring Nicholas had given him years ago.

Dumbledore was a long way from happy with the arrangements for the stone. It felt vulnerable, dangerous, to have the stone hidden here. Amongst the students and faculty, they could be at risk were anyone to discover that the stone had been moved from its place in the vaults to the castle. If someone tried to break in and get past the protections; the students could be at risk to become collateral damage. Innocents caught in the crossfire of those who hunger for immortality or riches. It was very dangerous, even that Cerberus that Hagrid had contributed, Fluffy, was a risk to the students; they hadn't informed the Board of Governors about that particular piece of information.

There was little he could do though. Prepare for a year full of uncertainties was definitely one of the only actions he could take. And that did not consist of much these days. Why he hadn't been so uncertain of a school term since Tom Riddle was wandering the school . . . Riddle, his greatest failure, his greatest shame. Lord Voldemort, how could he have missed the boy's darkness? But it had been difficult, Riddle's charm, his thirst for knowledge, all of the questions. Albus had been blind to the boy's true thirst, the evil contained within that handsome exterior. And now, now there was an object inside the school that the supposedly vanquished Dark Lord would stop at nothing for. Such a feat of alchemy had been hidden by Flamel himself during the time of the Dark Lord's first rise, this time rumors were flying that an example of the stone was on the island and that it was being held in London. Not quite the reality but too close for comfort.

Dumbledore gave his speech after all had finished eating. The previous year had seen an unusual amount of students sneaking into the Forbidden Forest, beyond the wards of the school. The Headmaster gave a pointed look at the Weasley twins as he reiterated his warning, twinkling blue eyes boring into the two red headed brothers as they waved cheerily back. It seemed there was no stopping the two boys from their mischief and trouble making, much like the Tonks girl and her friend (another Weasley). Dumbledore smiled benignly, to be young again―the joys of getting up to no good. Every year had a group of students that broke curfew, played pranks and wandered the forest. Despite the best efforts of Filch and prefects they still managed to get out and about.

This year was slightly different. He hoped that his warning had been severe enough to prevent anyone from wandering down the third floor corridor. The Cerberus was trained to attack anyone who trespassed in its territory and it would follow that training with extreme vigilance. The enchantments surrounding the cavernous chamber of the Cerberus would be enough to deter a curious student and the three headed dog itself would hopefully handle any intruders with more sinister motives.

The wizard led his students in the singing of the age old school song with appropriate gusto. His heart may not have been in it, but the students could never know that, nor the faculty. Albus smiled at the Twins already delving into their troublesome habits. He dismissed the students back to their dorms and phoenix flashed back to his office with Fawkes' aid sans any further ado.

Hidden Valley, Elven Forest

7:25pm-September 1, 1991

Harry dropped into existence outside his forest headquarters. It was quiet, unnaturally so. Immediately he knew something was wrong, anger, fear and aggression laced the air of the forest. Elves, there were Elves in the area, hardly a good sign. This was his place, his freedom. Katherine was near him, armed with a silver weapon and the Elves were some distance away, they too armed with silver, coated in the deadly 'Holy Water.' They lurked somewhere in the gloom of the setting sun, the Elves before him, his own pack behind him.

Katherine snarled at his back. Harry turned, his wings folding in around the woman in a protective cocoon. Three arrows bit into the wings and his back, through the soft feathers and into the flesh , Harry's lips twitched as the burn of the enchanted metal entered his blood.

Growls surrounded the boy and the woman; the gargoyles had emerged from the cave, scenting the Elves. Harry heard the whistle of more arrows, his eyes caught movement and the projectiles clattered against hard scale armour. A shriek, then moaning. A young gargoyle, armour still soft and undeveloped had been hit and lay on the ground grey blood leaking from the puncture wound of the arrow in his chest. The dark grey liquid soaked up into the soil creating a viscous mud, sticking to the young beast as he writhed in pain. The Beta, in all his massive scarred ferocity, charged with a roar, sprinting in a thundering boom toward the group of Elves concealed in the branches of the trees.

Harry released Katherine and pushed her toward the cave, it was far too likely she could be killed by the enchanted weapons. At the same time there was a large crash and the shrill wailing of destroyed wood, a senescent tree keeled over and the gargoyle snorted in rage. The Elves dropped from the tree, two leaping to safety in other branches and one hitting the ground in a crouch. The Beta pounced on the fallen Elf, snatching the slim woman by the throat, tossing her easily through the splintered trunk of the tree and into another still standing. When she hit the second trunk the gargoyle was already there, pinning her to the wood and readying itself to plunge a hand into her body.

Arrows, one after the other, skipped off of the shoulder plates of the Beta. It was mere annoyance to the large beast. However the black cloud of magic that wrapped itself around the creature's abdomen and wrists was not as easily ignorable, especially so when it plucked the weighty predator off of the Elf and restrained it floating in the air. The flight of arrows stopped. The female Elf that the gargoyle had held stood warily and the two in the trees descended to the ground. The three glanced at the gargoyle held in magical restraints cautiously looked, they flinched when black tendrils of magic leaped into existence around them. Before any of them could really react fully to the dark magic each had their own bindings coiling around their arms and legs, lifting them into the air alongside the gargoyle.

Harry rubbed his jaw. The wings on his back retracted, bloodied arrows falling to the ground as the flesh they were embedded within vanished, though he allowed the rest of his change to remain present. The Abyssal magic brought the captives of his power before him, suspending them for examination in front of the boy. The young gargoyle still lay moaning in a subdued way, the blood flow had slowed and the beast was weakened, clawing feebly at the embedded wooden shaft. The boy ignored the juvenile, focussing on the Elves as they were relieved of their weapons.

Harry's head cocked to the side as he noticed the blood that had begun to drip forth from the nose and mouth of the female Elf, the same effect appeared in the two male Elves a moment later. He blinked, picking out the dead rot that spread lethargically through the flesh from the from the contact areas of the magic. Harry sighed and let the Elves drop to the ground, motioning for several gargoyles to take over mechanical restraint of the Elves.

The Beta seemed unaffected by the magic but when the Elves fell to the ground he opened his maw, "N―" The gargoyle's voice was cut off as a tentacle of magic wrapped around its head, forcing its jaw closed.

/Silence/Beta follow orders/do not move/

The Beta growled. It had improved in mental communication marginally, enough so that the simple images and impressions Harry had initially used had become obsolete. Still it seemed the brute had taken to finding whatever small defiance it could. It had nearly spoken, interesting to see the language lessons had be going so well.

Harry spared a glare at the creature. "Now then. What is that you want? To come to my home and attack my pack." His eyes bore into the Elves, each looking up at him, remnants of blood clinging to their lips. They looked as all Elves do: tall; slim; well muscled; brimming with magic that hummed with the trappings of power; silken clothing styled as all Elven garb.

The only female of the three had brilliant white skin, nearly as pale as a Vampire's. Her eyes glittered, bright silvery grey lit with authority. She was more muscular than most female Elves, lacking the soft curves of Eleniel or any other of the women Harry had interacted with. Her hair framed a diamond shaped face, sharp forehead, thin brow, sharp eyes and a pointed nose above a small mouth. She was, though, smaller than the other Elves, nearly shorter than Harry and far less imposing.

The two males looked to be to be brothers. They were familiar; Onvyr and Lorsan, twins. An oddity of the race, they were, seeing as twins were so rare among the Fair Folk. Harry had trained with them in group battle tactics and challenges. The two were good men, skilled with their bows ferocious fighters when the instance called for it. The twins were extraordinarily skilled trackers as well, perhaps why he had been discovered. Both were particularly slender examples of the race, tall and whip-like in stature. Each had the same silver hair cascading down their shoulders, the same strong jaw, thin lips, ice blue eyes with bushy brows adorning bare foreheads. They only looked at him without expression, admirable because of the pain no doubt caused by the magic.

The female spat a globule of blood at the Hybrid. Onvyr glanced at her and sighed, "I apologize for Liluth; she did not expect to find Sereg when we came here."

The female snarled, "Vampire swine! You're a blight upon the world, burn in the daylight!" she screamed madly, glaring at Katherine whom had emerged from the cave.

Harry spared a glance at her, watching her struggle against the infinitely stronger and larger fanged gargoyles. "Onvyr, Lorsan. I ask again what do you want?"

"Harry, we've come to join you if you'd have us . . ." The twins stared pleadingly at Harry. Decorum tended to disappear when battle had been engaged in and blood spilt. The dignity of the race left when subjected to the power of the Hybrid

"I am Lord Potter now, you would do well to remember that." Harry's patience was wearing thin, he had not planned to have this interruption in his day. "Why would you come to me? Did I not garner fear and resentment from your race? None of you wished for me to be in your city, your King never graced me with his presence. In fact I know my contact with your people was suppressed, I only ever met a few of you out of hundreds, thousands."

"Very well Lord Potter. But we want to fight. The Sereg," Liluth sneered and spat more blood while Lorsan spoke, "Pierced the wards, they would have wreaked destruction were it not for you. Yet the Eldar Council and the Court both refuse to do anything about them. They fear the leader, they do not want to fight a war. But war is what they have."

Harry paced before his captives. "What is your point?"

"We want to fight you fool of a child! Staying in our city won't allow us to! So here we are." Liluth screeched.

Katherine stalked forward and slapped the Elf woman hard across the face. "You will not speak with such disrespect to Lord Potter." Liluth spun to the side, four bleeding lines slashed into her cheek, stopped from a mouthful of dirt by the muscle of plated arms.

Harry smirked, "That's enough Katherine. Go see if you can drag that injured gargoyle into the cave, do what you can for him without removing the arrow." Katherine bowed her head, eyes closed and walked off. "As you can see, that 'swine' has sworn fealty to me. You wish to fight the Vampires. You must do so as well if you wish to fight this war with me. Understand that is not my only goal, should you join me then you will follow my every order . . . without question. I have little patience for petty arguments against my authority.

Take the oath and you will see more than your forest. I take the fight to the Sereg and others, but keep in mind that we may very well have to battle with your kind. I am not in the favour of Elves anymore, not after Eleniel―did she survive the injury?"

The brothers nodded, accepting, "We accept the terms. We only wish to stop the attacks and finish this war, it has gone on too long. Another of our communities on the mainland was raided two weeks ago, no survivors." Moisture gathered in the two pairs of blue eyes, "We had family there. They have passed now but still we are not permitted to stop more of the attacks.

Ekara-Eleniel . . .She survived, but it does not bode well for her. The injury was grave, mortal were it not for your magic; that in part has stopped the hunt for you. Many are calling for your head, recompense for so damaging the oldest Elf to have existed."

Harry looked at Liluth, "And you?" he ignored the information about Eleniel, she had lived and that was the only thing that was of importance.

As she had a penchant for, the woman spat again, "I will not fight alongside the very creatures we set out to destroy!"

"Killing the Vampire Lord responsible for the attacks is not the only objective I have in mind. There are more important concerns that will be dealt with first, I am not going to battle directly with this mysterious leader. I lack the information required for these moves, something that will perhaps be remedied by the two men next to you. You want the war over? Then you will have to put aside that prejudice you feel toward Katherine and any other creature I might invite to join me, such as the gargoyles. That is the only way you will leave here with your memory intact, or at all for that matter."

The Elf glared at him challengingly. "Very well, Katherine!" The woman appeared from the depths of the cave, "See about making a cell of some sort out of one of the deeper sections of the cave, something that can contain our guest here." She spun on her heel. Harry turned back to the restrained Liluth, and Onvyr and Larson whom had been released by the gargoyles on a silent command. A second command, an armoured fist cracked into Liluth's skull hard enough to knock the Elf out.

Harry sniffed, "Now then, you swear to me as your lord and master until such time that you are released? On your magic and honour as Ninn and dwellers of the forest?"

Both Ninn took deep breaths and replied in sync, "We do." Following with the Elven equivalent of the oath.

"Well, there are some . . .guidelines to lay forth. One, you refer to as Lord Potter or Milord, I am head of the Potter house and deserve the respect due such a station, whatever you may think of human practice. Two, I may order you to do unsavoury despicable things in the time that you serve me, you will do so; this is necessary to further the goal, if this is distasteful to you that's too bad because I do not care. Most of the worst will be done by me personally though. Katherine is second in command, you follow her orders as if they were from me directly, this is the third. And fourth, there are a variety of tasks that must be done to ensure our success in these ventures we undertake, it may take several years so get used to servitude now."

The Elves stood and nodded solemnly, "It is nothing more than we expected Milord," it was Larson that spoke, "We were prepared to serve you when we left, we knew that it was very likely the only way to escape the hold of the Eldar and the Court. You are a great warrior, a master of the forbidden magicks and we will gladly follow you just as we did our Ekara back in the city."

Harry allowed the slightest grin to touch his expression, Elves were simple enough creatures when it came completely down to the basics. They followed the strongest, those who had the nerve, the courage and power to prove themselves worthy of the leadership. He had done so and now he had two elves ready to die for him. "Excellent. Try and remove this broken lumber will you. I have a gargoyle to ensure is recovering from your attack and then I will be returning to my field camp. Katherine will direct you in what to do for the mean time. If you can convince Liluth to join you I won't erase her memories of this place and drop her in the forest." Harry turned but looked back, "Oh and one more thing."

Harry held his arm up, hand stretched toward the pair. A flicker of strain passed before a long tendril of white light, blindingly bright, slithered out of his skin light some ethereal serpent. The snake divided into several branches, each reaching out to the dead rot of the Abyss. The tentacle dove in through the skin of the Elves as they watched fascinated. The black of dead flesh was lit from within; glowing with the scarlet of blood and the glow crept up each twisting mark. As the glow travelled the scarring disappeared leaving the perfect skin of the Elves behind, visible as the Abyssal magic had dissolved the clothing it touched. The Hybrid disappeared into the caved.

Unseen behind the boy the twin Elves looked at each other. Their heads bowed to Harry's back and to work they went. Shifting lumber to the side for later use and working their way through the location of the short battle. They would have to retrieve their packs later from where they had been hidden.

The young injured gargoyle lay against a wall in the haze of the, weakly dozing in and out of conscience, the blood reduced to a slow but steady trickle, soaking through the fabric wadded around the arrow shaft. Harry knelt in front of the juvenile creature, picking away the cloth with a cautious tenderness. Grey blood welled up silently. The boy placed a hand on the gargoyle's chest while the other wrapped firmly around the shaft, a sharp jerk and the silver head popped free of the black flesh and undeveloped armour. The issue of liquid increased, Harry blew air from his nose drawing on his focus again.

The white light of the Angelic power sputtered over his hand. Harry tried to push it out to the cub, forcing his will into the magic. For a moment the light reached out but an instant before touching the black hole of the wound. A pulse of energy broke from Harry's body, spreading in a wide arc from him, at the same time the white sparked and turned into a deep shadow hungrily thrusting into the wound. The cub roared in pain, waking up abruptly and swinging an arm at Harry. The dark skin held a large portion of heavy muscle and it was enough to toss the boy aside and cause him to skip and skid over the rough hewn stone floor.

The magic faltered, throbbing darkly, feeding on the wound as the gargoyle screamed and thrashed. The tendrils of power multiplied, twisting and entwining around the gargoyle's limbs. Suddenly the appendages began to strain, as if the web of magic was physical rope tightening over the beast's body. It continued to pulse brightly with black flaring lights and the gargoyle still writhed and screamed on the ground. Whatever was happening was causing immense pain in the creature, beneath the plates that were not obscured thick ropy veins were visible pushing out against the soft covering. Every iota of strength within the cub was devoted to fighting the force besetting its young body and mind. And then, it was gone. The magic vanished, like a wizard apparating away it simply was replaced with nothing.

Harry opened his eyes, pushing himself off of the ground. The victim of the rogue magic had quieted now, falling back into blissful unconsciousness. The boy frowned looking at the cub and his hand immediately after. He licked his lips, making a snap decision, it was based strongly in curiosity and wonder but he refused to turn back on strange reaction to his power the gargoyle had had. He would take the cub with him, study it carefully, discover what had happened and perhaps utilize it to his advantage. That had been the first time his power had betrayed him, turned it's darkness upon him. The Hybrid was not pleased with that fact, though intrigued with the possibility that it could be used. The reaction could be used, manipulated in such a way that it could be maintained and altered to give the cub more power. Of course much work and research would be needed but it would prove interesting to delve into this unknown facet of magic.

Ignoring the appearance of his pack―the two Elves, the Vampire and multiple gargoyles―Harry checked the cub's vitals and finding them acceptable drew up a portal and vanished through it. He was taking the cub to the Forbidden Forest; his camp was an adequate place to study and experiment, while keeping the young beast from the wrath of the Beta or other aggressive males. It would even prevent any unfortunate reactions from causing too much collateral damage to his base. It wasn't a perfect plan but it would do for now.

Forbidden Forest, Scotland

10:21pm-September 1, 1991

Harry released pent up breath. He had examined the gargoyle cub as thoroughly as he could without the appropriate tools. The wound had closed, nothing but a rough scar left. Slight vestigial remains of the Abyssal magic clung to the tissue, lingering like malignant parasitic insects around the raw area. It was not visible but he could taste it, scent the magic, feel it tingling in his skin when he touched the scar. The cub had yet to regain conscious and he did not expect it to anytime soon, the ordeal was not something to just be shaken off.

It had taken a considerable amount of energy to first summon the dark magic and later the light. Harry felt the first burns in his throat of that unquenchable thirst for blood that followed him everywhere he went. It was not easily ignorable. Nothing he had on hand would make it any easier to continue, he needed real, powerful blood to restore his strength to where he would not require sleep. Harry had no time to sleep, he needed to scout the forest further, find out what was around him in the night and what might intrude upon his slumbering guest. He would need to call the necessary refreshment in, were he honest it was unclear if his body had the energy to summon more magic.

"Fane." The House Elf popped into his camp, luminous eyes glowing brightly with eagerness. "I need blood. Private stock from Eleniel; as fast as you can manage."

"Right away Milord." The Elf popped out and a moment later popped back in holding a large bottle of deep red.

Harry accepted the blood from his Head House Elf without a word. Snapping the stopper off, he drained the container in two long draughts. Harry sighed contentedly, waving the House Elf away (whom popped out again silently). The House Elves were useful, loyal servants to carry out menial tasks when he required them. Maybe they would take on a greater role at some point but really having such high numbers of the diminutive creatures was unnecessary. Most of them would remain to care take after the many properties he still held, though most of the Potter fortune liquidity had been frittered away on a failed war effort more than a decade before. Fane was his personal servant, to carry out his whims.

Harry considered the sleeping gargoyle for a moment. An injected potion would keep the young one sleeping longer than the stress and pain would and a House Elf could easily watch over it while he was gone. Gaining the House Elves hadn't been the easiest thing but it had been well worth it.

Hidden Valley, Elven Forest

11am-August 1, 1991

"Harry Potter, sir! We always knowed you was living somewheres sir!"Twelve dozen diminutive House Elves screeched simultaneously, exalted. "Yous want to renew the bond now?"

Harry flinched sharply. He was in a large room, one yet to be furnished but that had been formed out of one cavernous chamber in the deeper part of the cave. It wasn't the mass compression of the room from the spontaneous occupation of a large volume of space. Nor was it the whiny voices of one hundred forty four House Elves. Not even their overt enthusiasm made him flinch. It was the fact that twelve dozen miniature creatures rushed him, completely surrounding him in a swarm of bodies.

An instant before they converged upon him, Harry vanished in a wisp of black magic. Collectively the House Elves moaned in disappointment then cheered when their Master reappeared just on the other side of the room. Arms out stretched they rushed toward him, small children charging for a new toy.

"STOP!" Harry yelled. Instantly the servants came to a dead stop. The boy let out a quiet sigh, "Now then. What exactly must be done to renew the bond with you all?"

The House Elves cheered again, "Blood! Harry Potter sir needs to gives each of us some of his blood!" thankfully only one Elf spoke this time; slightly taller than the others, head held high with professionalism and pride. Hard to imagine with his body covered only by a now tattered piece of what was obviously once fine cloth, that much nakedness did not promote pride. Especially so on the thin, dirty bodies of House Elves that appeared somewhat ill.

"Very well." A straight, flat blade, flicked from his sleeve, slicing a thin line through the tough skin of his palm as if it were butter. As his blood welled forth, Harry clenched the hand into a fist to quench most of the stream. Uniformly the Elves gathered in front of him, the lead Elf taking first position.

"You must says the Elveses names and accept them as bonded to yous, touching with yous blood. Ises Fane, Harry Potter sir."

Harry nodded and lifted his first, thick globules falling from his fist. Two fell upon the brow of Fane and sparked with magic, "I Lord Harry James Potter accept this House Elf, Fane, unto my household to serve until such time I choose dismiss him or he leaves this world." The boy attempted to use formal language, drawing some faint knowledge of custom from the recesses of his mind.

Fane, a newly indentured serf gazed up at the boy with tennis ball sized eyes, glistening with tears and joy at being properly accepted back into the Potter service. "Thank yous, Master." The House Elf bowed deeply, and backed away, far more quiet than previously. Only one hundred forty three more to go. . .

Harry slumped back into one of the few chairs he had bought thus far. "Fane, send for Katherine―I need her." Without a word the Elf bowed, popping away with hardly a sound. Harry sighed once more. The blood spent in the last hour had built for him a small army of totally devoted attendants with undetectable and often powerful magic. It had though, left Harry with some exhaustion; a result of the spilt blood. He needed to replenish.

Katherine walked into the room, spying him laying limply on the chair. "The bonding went well, Milord?"

"Yes, yes. Required more blood than I had thought though. Come here." Harry waved his hand vaguely. Katherine stiffly made her way to the boy and stood attentively before him. The Hybrid heaved himself to his feet and heavily dropped forward, dragging the Vampire's neck to him. His fangs slid into the junction of her neck and shoulder, sapping away her blood. Her head leaned back, eyes rolling back as the magic injected through his fangs flooded her body with numbing effects and a euphoric pleasure unattainable through other means. Harry drank deeply, growing stronger. He allowed Katherine to fall back to her knees, dazed as he stood upright fully. "Thank you, Katherine. Go take something from the stores and continue with your cataloguing."

Harry wiped arm over his mouth.

Admittedly their reaction had been less than favourable. Mad dwarves running around with their arms out stretched, gleeful light consuming their eyes, it had been quite frightening at first. Harry was used to hatred, fear, caution, even indifference. But the House Elves revered him as a god, falling over themselves to ensure his every need was taken care of. Really rather unsettling.

Harry set the bottle that had contained the blood on the rock slab. He had rinsed it out with water held in a crystal decanter to avoid attracting attention from any predators in the area. Those would need to be dealt with on his terms.

The boy adjusted the long cloak on his shoulders and swept through the trees, bare feet cracking no branches or debris under him as he walked. He was as a ghost among a dark forest.

A/N:One final note; in the coming weeks I may or may not be starting yet another HP fic hesitantly centered around a Harry/Fleur pairing. This is to be written in either first or second person in Harry. I have some ideas for more new magicks, again to do with Demons and summoning and all the fun that comes with that (legality, taboos, Hell, familiars, etc). Either Sirius will feature strongly as a mentor/friend instead of a father figure or maybe an OC giving Harry power (in this case, no attendance of Hogwarts but still around for TriWizard), and Harry will likely be older than canon by at least a year. I am thinking the end of third year/summer for the start with Harry entering a tutorship with Sirius or the OC. More humor in this one too, I hope anyways. If there are readers who want to see this fic sooner rather than later drop a review mentioning it for this chapter and if there's enough interest, I'll write out a chapter one or prologue and publish it with the next update of Blood Lines (a week, week and a half). . . and stick up a poll with pairing options if Fleur isn't popular.

Thank you all.

Nazran