Chapter Text
"What is he?", McGonagall asked. "We won't know until his inheritance fully comes in. The wings limit the possibilities, but I'm afraid that even I have no idea, Minerva." Poppy responded. Both Harry and Snape were back reclining on the hospital bed and Snape was glaring at Dumbledore with narrowed eyes.
"What I'm more interested in knowing," he cut through their conversation. "Is why Mr. Potter was even in Petunia's care. Lily would have been adamant in her wishes that her son never be raised by that woman, if anything happened to both her and Potter." All eyes turned to Dumbledore, who looked at a loss for words, before he gathered his resolve around him. "It was for the best at the time, Severus. Even with Voldemort's fall at the time, Harry wouldn't have been safe. Lily's sacrifice afforded Harry the best form of protection that was strengthened by his presence in the home of her next closest blood relative. The Death Eaters could not find him. Even Voldemort wherever he is, would not be able to find him. Harry would be safe to grow up, until he could return to us." His grandfatherly voice of reason might have worked, if the truth of Harry's "safety" hadn't come out.
Severus was seething with anger and ready to explode. He could see the same answer simmering in McGonagall's eyes. Before either of them could respond to Dumbledore's speech however, Poppy fairly exploded at the old man and they let her. She was a good woman; patient, kind and understanding, but she didn't take kindly to the abuse or neglect of a child. Albus might not have been the one to raise his hand in this instance; but he hadn't stopped it either. He hadn't once checked up on the boy himself; or he might have noticed that he wasn't safe in his home. He was directly responsible for placing a child in danger. Severus discreetly placed a silencing charm around Harry.
" Safe? SAFE!?! This child has suffered more in his short life than all of the injuries and illnesses I treat in a year for the whole student body. Or didn't you read his file. I've never seen so many broken bones on a single body. The ONLY reason he's here now, alive, is because his magic has been sustaining him." She shook the parchment in Albus' face as she began reading off past injuries. "This concussion when he was 5, should have killed him. This broken leg when he was 7 should have crippled him. He's had several illnesses here that he should have been vaccinated for, but he hasn't a single vaccination since his parent's deaths. He hasn't had a single TREATMENT. Every broken bone, every illness, every injury has been healed by his magic, because NOBODY has been taking him to see a healer. He's also been severely malnourished. I don't know why none of us noticed how small he is for his age!"
Here Severus and McGonagall both shifted uncomfortably, as they hadn't noticed either. Severus felt that he of all people should have noticed the signs. If he hadn't been so blinded by his own hatred, he might have. He resolved that he'd do better.
Poppy was practically screaming at Albus for his failure now and Severus was glad that he'd put up the silencing charm. "As if that weren't enough. As if this child hadn't suffered enough at their hands. His relatives. The people you deemed as being the ONLY ones who could keep him safe from Death Eaters and Voldemort, raped him. A twelve year old boy was defiled in his safe home, by a loving relative; and he felt so safe and secure that HE TRUSTED NOBODY WITH THIS KNOWLEDGE!"
Dumbledore had no recourse and hadn't bothered with trying to talk himself out of the hole he'd dug himself. Poppy had sent him away and was now in her office angrily starting the paperwork for Potter's removal from his 'relatives care'. After a moment's hesitation, Severus had asked her to put him down as a possible candidate for his new home, if no one listed in the Potter's Wills were available. She'd shot him a look that he knew he deserved, because he wasn't exactly guilt free in the boy's overall happiness, but nodded anyways. Especially as Harry was still clinging to him and hadn't even let McGonagall near him.
Harry's friends had shown up after class to see him and had been shocked by his appearance. Severus suspected that they'd be moreso once his creature inheritance had fully taken. Poppy had calmly explained to them all, that while inheritances didn't usually take this long to settle, his body couldn't handle the entire thing at once. Creature inheritances came with the maturity of their magic, between 16 and 18. Harry's had been brought forth much earlier than it was supposed to; if he was even supposed to get one to begin with. He'd probably been changing for the past week or so; but it was all coming to a head now as he was nearing the end of it.
She'd asked them if they'd noticed any changes in him at the start of the year. She'd also delicately asked them if Harry ever mentioned his home life. After a brief hesitation the Weasley boy mentioned that his brothers and he had, had to rescue Harry that summer. Harry hadn't been responding to any of his friends letters. They'd found him half starved locked in his bedroom, bars on his windows and a cat flap on his bedroom door where his meals were pushed thru once a day. His mother hadn't taken them seriously when they tried to tell her; after they'd brought him back home.
Harry didn't stir again until later that night. His soft moans woke Severus, who immediately sent his Patronus to alert Albus and Minerva. Poppy was already hurrying towards the bed. The lights in the infirmary brightened as she ran a scan over him as the others hurried into the room, still pulling on dressing gowns. Harry climbed down off of him and Severus was able to move for the first time in hours. He stretched, popping his back, before turning towards the boy.
Harry moved quietly towards the windows. His wings unfolded from his back for the first time since they emerged. They all watched with baited breath as a tremor wracked through the small figure. The change was subtle at first and it took them all a moment to notice it. Harry's skin began to darken even as it sunk in. Blackish blue skin pulling tight across his already thin frame. Giving him an ethereal look. The whole change was quiet and beautiful, until it reached his head. Suddenly the boy dropped to his knees and let out a keening wail as he clutched his head. No his scar.
Before anyone could move towards him, a dark cloud began pouring forth from his scar and it to was screaming an inhuman scream. None of them moved as it continued to pour forth. When it snapped free from Harry and began moving towards the exit; he suddenly sprang up, his wings expanding again, taking one flap and then a second to lift the boy high enough. Harry reached out and grabbed the spectral cloud that had came out of him and ate it. No one moved. No one spoke. Harry turned towards them for the first time since the transformation had begun and gave a little burp as a white orb escaped his lips and floated towards the ceiling, before vanishing.
Still, no one moved as he looked at each of them in turn and they looked at him. Harry Potter was both beautiful and alien in his new form. His skin was like iridescent black leather with a blue sheen. It seemed to be stretched over his nearly skeletal form. Two nub like horns protruded from his wild black hair. His eyes, while still green, were milky and sitting in sunken sockets. His face subtly reptilian and still somehow human. He looked each of them over carefully. Almost as if he were cataloging them. The only movement from everyone in the room his.
Only when his eyes landed on Severus himself, did he move. His movements were swift and graceful as he quickly approached him, his milky green eyes locked on his left arm. Swallowing, Severus unbuttoned his sleeve and rolled it up, baring his Dark Mark to the boy's eyes, although he didn't know why. It was his mark of shame. A foolish mistake he'd made when he was a boy. One that had cost him everything and that he'd failed to atone for. Potter's innocent fingers were on that blemish and he wanted to push him away. He wanted to cover it back up. Keep it hidden under a multitude of buttons, as he had for years, but he didn't move.
The attack was sudden and unexpected. One minute small ebony fingers were touching his arm and in the next the boy had bitten him. Severus gasped in pain and began panting, even as the boy continued to bite his mark. He could see Poppy, Albus and Minerva trying to reach them from the corner of his eye; but his focus was entirely on Harry as he felt the pull. What felt like an eternity, but was possibly only minutes everything stopped and the boy took a step back. He let out a second quiet burp and watched absent-mindedly as a second orb of light escaped his mouth and ascended. Before his eyes turned back to Severus' arm.
The Dark Mark was gone. In its place was a new tattoo. Despite the darkness associated with the creature that now adorned his skin, this mark felt lighter to Severus. 'He' felt lighter. When he looked up at Harry, he saw him as he'd always been. Messy black hair, curse green eyes and a small smile on his lips. The only sign of his creature inheritance; the black leathery wings folded neatly on his back and the small stub horns barely visible thru his unruly locks. Severus' eyes returned to his new mark, a Thestral.