Hybrid Destiny

Chapter 2

Harry awakened the next morning when Poppy came to run more tests. She was trying to see if she could figure out what that other magical signature was. She still was not having much luck. That is until Harry got out of the bed and walked towards the bathroom while pulling his hair over his shoulder to get a good look at the changes. This is when Poppy saw the tattoos on his back.

“Harry! Get back over here right this minute!” she yelled.

Harry jumped at the shout and looked at her in total confusion. He was so startled to hear her yell that he didn’t immediately move to obey. Poppy, on the other hand, was getting a mite impatient. She soon started gesturing frantically for him to come hither and tapping her foot. Harry finally unfroze enough to walk over to her cautiously. Poppy promptly turned him around to gaze at his back again. She ran her hand across the tattoo but it felt just like ordinary skin. She didn’t feel anything magical at all.

“Harry, did you get any tattoos over the summer?” she asked.

“Well, no but I want one. Why?” he asked, totally confused.

“I’m going to call the headmaster down here. Maybe he can explain what this all means,” she said, trying to hedge the question.

Before Harry could get in another word, Madame Pomphrey was already out of the room. She firecalled the headmaster and refused to leave that room until the headmaster had reached the door to the hospital wing. Albus and Poppy walked into the room together and Harry immediately stood in sheer nervousness.

“Okay, what is wrong with me? It has to bad if Madame Pomfrey had to call you down here for answers, Professor. Am I going to die from this?” asked Harry anxiously.

“Well, it’s not really bad but I do think we have finally managed to uncover the source of the other magical signature. There are not many magical creatures that have wings and still look human,” he started. He raised a hand quickly to ward off the questions he saw Harry about to ask. “You know veela have wings only when they are angry; vampires also occasionally have wings. The last are the fae. All fae are born with wings but the really powerful fae can hide their wings as tattoos on their back. That is the only explanation I have for those tattoos.”

“Wait, wait. I have tattoos of wings on my back. How in the world did I suddenly end up with tattoos on my back? I was thinking about getting a dragon or a phoenix, but oh no, I have to have wings. Can this situation get any weirder?” Harry yelled at about the same time the tattoos disappeared and large black, green, and silver feathered wings sprouted from his back. Poppy staggered back in shock while Albus looked a little disconcerted. Harry finally noticing their reactions glanced behind him and got a face full of feathers. “Great, just great. I take this to mean that those tattoos are not merely for decoration?” he asked sarcastically.

“Well I guess that’s one way to look at it. Now I firmly believe that my deductions were correct. Apparently you are an elf/fae hybrid, though I really don’t know where the fae lineage occurs. I would suggest looking through the Potter vaults for clues on these phenomena. They may contain a more detailed description of your ancestry. Of course, with this new development I believe it would be best if you were to stay here at Hogwarts for the rest of the summer. I will arrange a day for you to go to Diagon Alley for your school supplies in a week or so,” said Albus.

“Professor, will it be alright if I make use of the library so I can find any information on my situation so I can at least know what to expect?” asked Harry.

“Yes, Harry. You may use the library, just don’t be out too late. You can stay in your usual dorm in Gryffindor tower until school starts. We’ll talk again later,” said Dumbledore.

Not long after Dumbledore left, Harry decided to make use of his time by going to the library for research. He could only find two books on elves and only one on fae. Oh well, I have to start somewhere right? he thought to himself and opened the first book. After two hours of continuous reading, the only things he had learned is that royal elves were the most powerful of the elfin race and that they hold great sway over nature (plants and animals) and that they have a destined mate but will not die if they are not found. The book containing information on the fae only mentioned that fae abilities vary depending on power. Weaker fae have some of the same powers as elves but the stronger fae create portals to other dimensions and control some of the elements. Feeling slightly discouraged, he made his way back to the tower to work on his potions essay that was due the first day of school.