Inamorato

A/N: This is in response to DeadBeatAngel's challenge for a unique Creature!fic. I'm going about as unique as I can. I'm taking a bit of liberty, however, w/ the Creature I intend to use. I apologize to anyone who knows of this particular Fey & especially to anyone Persian. I know I'm bastardizing a part of your lore but I need to in order to make the story work. (Hey, JKR bastardized the Vila of the Balkan States into the "Veela" of the HP world...it's allowed!) The Fey in question is called a "Peri" & unlike in traditional folklore, my version isn't bound to it's "skin" (or in this case, feathers, lol). Sorry! I'm taking more to the Islamic view of the Peris...in which they are akin to Fallen Angels, although not entirely the same, as they are still like the original Peris in that they...well, I won't say too much more about them here. You'll see soon enough!

Oh & I'm not fond of HBP so, in my stories you can pretty much generally disregard anything after book 5.

I hope you enjoy this, DBA!!! &, of course, all my other readers! Sorry if it's weird at first; it'll be explained eventually! Please review...I love reading them & I alert to updates! ~ FallenAngel

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A big brown barn owl - a Hogwarts school owl, to be precise - tapping on Harry's window woke him up on the morning of July 30, 1997. He hurriedly opened the window, not wanting to wake his Uncle. Although, in a worst case scenario, he'd be locked up with no food for a single day. Tomorrow he would be 17 and legally an adult in the eyes of the Wizarding World. He'd be able to do magic outside of school, so any punishment meted out wouldn't last long. Still, the summer was being mostly uneventful in terms of family drama, so why push his luck?

The barn owl hooted indignantly at Harry to recapture his attention and pompously stuck out it's leg. "Sorry." Harry apologized, taking the letter. "Do you need a reply?" The owl fluffed it's feathers and spread it's wings, taking off out the window, which Harry assumed (correctly) meant no.

Harry looked at the envelope in his hands and frowned. It was a bit early in the summer for his Hogwarts letter...normally he'd find it waiting at the Burrow or Grimmauld Place upon his arrival in August. Also, it wasn't as heavy as his usual letter. He turned it over and noted that the seal was an ornate "AD", not the Hogwarts crest. Ah...that explained it. This was a personal letter from Dumbledore, not an official one from the school. Harry smiled slightly, thinking the man was surely going to be wishing him a happy birthday and perhaps telling him when, exactly, to expect his "rescuers" to arrive to take him to Grimmauld Place. Hopefully, it would be soon.

Harry carefully broke the wax seal on the envelope and removed the single folded sheet of parchment from within. He opened it and began to read the thin, spidery writing of the Headmaster:

My Dear Harry,

I hope this letter finds you well. I write to you because it is soon to be your 17th birthday and you are, as of yet, unaware of some things about our world. When you turn seventeen, you not only become an adult in the eyes of the Ministry, you will also come into your inheritance. Upon reaching your majority, you will inherit the Potter vault, the Black vault, and Sirius's personal vault, as well as your summer abode. The vault you have had access to until now was merely one your parents left in trust to you, up until this point, should anything untoward occur to them before you were of age. It, of course, remains yours.

You will also come into any possible magical inheritance that may be in your blood. There are several in your father's family, most of which have lain dormant for years and will likely not awaken now. Still, it is best to be prepared for anything. Should you notice any changes in your appearance, appetite, power, or anything else that seems at all unusual, please document it so that we might check into it further upon your arrival at your summer abode. I hope to see you in a few short days. Oh, and happy birthday, Harry.

Sincerely,
Albus Dumbledore


'Huh.' Harry thought, frowning at the paper. He had more money? Well, that was good as he'd nearly run through everything in the vault. Although, he supposed that was the point. The vault was intended to get him through his first six years at Hogwarts...and it had. Still, probably best not to let Ron know. He'd spazzed the first time he'd seen the OTHER vault...finding out there were three more probably wouldn't go over fantastically well or anything. He'd have to find out from the goblins if there was a way to get an accurate count of the vaults...without having to do it personally. He didn't relish the idea of counting that many coins.

He frowned a bit harder at the thought of a magical inheritance. What was that? Like, a power boost or something? Or did it refer to things like Veela? Harry recalled Hermione and Ginny discussing Fleur one day last year. It would seem she'd only just received her Veela gifts when she competed in the Triwizard Tournament. Because she'd only just turned 17? Dumbledore had said to note any changes in appearance...

Harry tried to imagine waking up and being suddenly pale and blonde...he couldn't help it. The idea made him laugh. No, he somehow didn't think Dumbledore meant changes that drastic. Still, it was best to keep an eye on himself. And he'd be sure to test his magic throughout the day tomorrow. He grinned widely. After all, what was the point of being considered a legal adult if he didn't get to enjoy it a bit?

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A/N: Okay, my prologue's are notoriously short. SORRY!!! I am IN LOVE with this fic, so I should have more up soon. A side note...I alert to updates. So if you leave your e-mail with your review you'll get a lovely e-mail letting you know as soon as I've posted more. So please go the extra three inches to review. I love to read them, they totally make my day, & I tend to reply to the particularly perceptive or intelligent reviews! Enjoy! ~ FallenAngel