Harry's POV.
I am aware but still shrouded in uncertainty. I can hear and feel, I have lost my ability to smell and to see. I try to move my arms but find them firmly bound in thick handcuffs attached to whatever I am lying on, it is not soft but not uncomfortably hard either. I move my torso slightly trying to find a more comfortable position to lie down, I don't know where I am or why I feel so different, like I am cold but warm, like I am healthier than ever before, every sound is cleaner, crisper, I could hear anything. The door opens and I hear a steady thumping along with calm and easy breathes, a human. They walk over to me and I hear and feel the slight buzz of magic passing over me, I surprise myself with the strong and instinctive growl that emanates from my chest, it sounds threatening as if I am giving a final warning, I don't think I have ever made such an intimidating sound before. I hear the person cease using magic immediately and take a few steps back.
"Harry, it's okay. You are in the infirmary, it is me Poppy Pomfrey." She takes a few more steps back and stops when her back audibly hit a wall.
I don't feel like I am in the hospital wing, the only thing I can use is my touch, and I know this bed nor the restraints feel anything like the hospital wing I know and frequent. I feel out of place and incredibly vulnerable.
"Why can I not see, smell or taste?" I can't even think properly, it's like I can't get to half of my thoughts. "Why am I tied to the bed!" I raise my voice towards the end of my questions both angry and confused at my situation. Now that the strangeness of everything truly occurs to me, I realize I never even questioned the fact that I could hear Poppy's heartbeat or that I growled at her because it just felt natural, instinctual. Something is horribly wrong.
She takes a deep breath and mutters a spell under her breath. I feel magic touch my eyes and growl lowly in my throat so that she can hear my displeasure. "I am sorry Harry but you have blocks on your senses. They are spells, don't worry as soon as they come off I can't place them back on you, as for the thinking, you have some binds on your mental abilities, it is just too much for everyone right now and we want to approach this in a slightly unnatural way compared to what you would expect if you were to have full access to your knowledge. I can't remove anything until we speak with dumbledore and whoever else needs to or you want to be involved." I nod confused by her obvious apprehension and timidity that she so clearly shows through her body language and voice.
"When can we have that meeting?" As I say it a quiet alarm goes off in the small space, the room is not like the usual infirmary; the walls are wood and appear to be sound proof there are couches and armchairs along the walls. My bed is made of wood with a thin mattress and restraints attached. I feel that I in least deserve a comfortable seat, Instead of being propped up as if in a muggle hospital bed, and for goodness sake I do not need freaking handcuffs.
"Well, it looks like you have guests." Poppy points her wand at the wall and mutters a spell to show what is outside the wards that are for some reason surrounding the infirmary. "Who would you like to be here for this meeting, Professor Dumbledore and Professor Snape have to be here, as do I but friends wise it is completely up to you. Trying to get in here is: Hermione Granger, Ronald Weasley, Neville Longbottom, Draco Malfoy and Luna Lovegood. Who do you want to be here? Be aware that it is quite a sensitive meeting." I can't lie and say that I am not disappointed that Snape will have something to do with whatever this is. What really stumped me however is that Draco Malfoy was wanting to come into this meeting completely of his own volition, there is a strange tightness around my heart at the thought of him even thinking of me, though he could be here for selfish and cruel reasons the strange tightness around my heart doesn't seem to lessen.
"Hermione and Ron can come in. I really want to judge what is happening to me and get my senses back before others know. I Want to understand what that hell is going on." Madam pomfrey nods not even bothing to reprimand me for my language before speaking into her wand. On the screen I see the people who I permitted to be here for the meeting and Snape enter while everyone else walks away, I feel a sense of disappointment and guilt as I watch Draco stare at the others backs, frustrated, before walking away from the wards. I just can't trust him to hear the meeting firsthand even if everything within me is willing me to let him in, physically and emotionally, I scowl at my inner monologue, why in the heck would I want Malfoy of all people to know me in the most transparent and personal ways?
"Harry, my boy! How are you feeling?" Dumbledores smile is compensating for something, I have a bad feeling settled in my chest. Hermione skips over and gives me a Hug before being quickly ushered to a seat and witha scolding look from Poppy. Ron offers me a genuine but small smile while Snape just scowls at me. They all sit on the couch and the armchairs while Poppy stood in front of the door as if keeping guard.
I look around at the people gathered in the room and then to dumbledore expectantly, he seems to notice my stare and snaps out of his thoughts.
"I expect you want to know what has happened to you Harry?" I roll my eyes at him trying to make it seem like all of this is in my control. "Of course. I am more than a little confused." I say keeping my frustration in check. "We suspect that something happened when you were missing, something very rare and very dangerous. We believe you may have been turned into a dark creature Harry." He pauses, looking into my eyes. "A Vampire to be precise." I knew something wasn't right, I can see better, my hearing is much more Precise though my mind feels cloudy and my body feels heavy. My shock is obvious in my expression I am sure, I take a deep breath and decide to get as much information on my current situation as possible, I push down the glimmer of fear that has made itself present. "How do you know? I haven't even been awake for very long." I look at Hermione and Ron, their shocked and slightly fearful expressions hurt me deeply.
Snape speaks up from the corner. "Potter, you show all the internal signs of vampirism, you have no heartbeat, your blood has turned clear and your skin is now impenetrable. There is no other creature that we know of that have these characteristics. I made a potion that would take the cravings and the hunger away, not only that but you will feel disgusted if offered sustenance that you would naturally be drawn too. I will keep making the potions for the safety of the student body however it will not be pleasant for you." I can guess that Snape finds some sick pleasure in having a part in making my life as miserable as possible. "Why do I not have full access to my mind or my senses? Isn't that one of my very basic rights?" Hermione looks at Dumbledore with a calculating glint in her eyes, it is like I can feel the shock and mistrust radiating off of her.
I stopped trusting Dumbledore a long time ago right after he withheld the information on Horcruxes.
Honestly I am not that surprised that I turned into some dark creature, if it was gonna happen, it was going to happen to me. I am mostly angry, angry that Albus Dumbledore thinks he can control this situation. That I have no control over what happens to me and how I live as my own species, however inconvenient.
How dare he not give me access to my own mind or my own senses! He has no right! For once in my life (or I guess now my death) I want to actually fight for the thing I know I deserve. "I want full access to my senses and my mind, and I want to choose whether or not I want to take the potion." I stare dumbledore in the eye as I speak, he opens his mouth to rebuke me but I interrupt before he gets a chance to argue his insignificant view. I turn to Snape. "When does the potion wear off Professor?" I ask respectfully with a slight bow of my head that seems to come instinctively. Ron looks borderline disgusted at how I approached Snape with my question, immature, its not like I like snape any more than he does. "The potion will wear off sometime within the next ten minutes which is why I brought with me another dose. You will feel hunger and desire but will not instinctively know how to find sustenance with your senses, your creature instinct and knowledge being locked away by spells." He answers with a slightly dimmed glare in my direction. I sigh, my life is never easy. "Remove them. Remove the spells, I don't want them." I move as close to the end of the bed as I can with my arms still being restrained, I don't want to bother asking for them to be undone. I know what the answer will be. No. "Harry it is not in the best interest for you or any of the humans in this school. I am sorry but you will have to keep the blocks on and continue to take the potions. We can't risk having an unstable dark creature wandering the halls without any insurance." I growl at him, frustrated, I see Hermione flinch at the sound and stop, I don't want the only one I genuinely and completely trust and care about to fear me.
I look at the ceiling composing myself before looking at Pomfrey for the first time since this discussion began. "What do the blocks actually stop?" She looks reluctant to answer, she glances at dumbledore who subtly shakes his head and turns her eyes back to me. I look at her gently with a small but encouraging smile, not at all like I did to dumbledore, Pomfrey needs a more gentle nudge while dumbledore needs are hard shove with a sledgehammer to even get him to see the possibility of something different.
"There are 4 blocks." She glances again warily at dumbledore. "The first two stop you from smelling and from tasting. They are very simple spells, simple to put on and take off a human, we only could apply them to you because you were heavily unconscious. The second two are much more complex, they are like wards within your mind. One is restricting your access to your natural instincts; though it can not block out everything it stops the really dangerous instincts, hence why you have found yourself growling and snarling when you are frustrated or upset. It also stops you from accessing any inhuman skills apart from clearer sight and acute hearing." I nod in understanding, trying to be calm for Poppy's sake despite the low growl I am continuously producing. "What is the last one Madame?" I prompt, she sends an apologetic look to dumbledore causing me to roll my eyes. "The fourth one restricts your access to information. You see, when a sire bites a human they transfer information on their species and their bloodline. It is the same with all creatures who are not created through inheritance. You would know everything about what you are to how you hunt to how your very species started. That much information could change you, you have already changed since waking up. It would also put the students of this school at risk which the headmaster just can't do in good conscience. I am sorry Harry." She leans further against the door possibly looking to become invisible.
I turn to Dumbledore who just looks at me with a sad smile. I growl at him baring my unimpressive and very human looking teeth, I pull against the restraints. Angry when they do not budge. "Do I have no rights here! This is my fucking life! Who do you think you are to tell me that I can't have access to my own mind or my own abilities? Who do you think you are!" I glare at dumbledore my eyes piercing his in a way that I hope comes across as intimidating. I see Hermione and Ron look at each other from the corner of my eye, Hermione looking worried while Ron looks frustrated, on whose behalf I don't know.
Hermione looks at Dumbledore: "Sir, do you think Harry can at least be trusted to have his senses and his knowledge. Even giving access to his instincts wouldn't be the end of the world. It is what he is now, it's not like we will just abandon him based on a couple of legends. Shouldn't we get Harry's side of the story. Know his perspective on what he is." I send her a grateful smile, she nods at me sending me a wink. At least I have someone who is on my side, I glance at Snape who is looking at me with a critical gaze.
"Harry my boy, I just can't let you. It is too risky, you can also help us there is still so much we don't know about vampires-" I cut dumbledore off.
"So what? I deserve to know a hell of a lot more than you do. I don't ca-" I have an idea, dumbledore may be headstrong but he is easily manipulated if he thinks it could benefit him. "How are you meant to know anything if I don't even know everything about what I am. I need senses, instinct and knowledge to tell you anything." I know that he probably wants to know how to kill vampires if they join Voldemort's army but a few white lies never hurt anyone to much.
I can see that dumbledore is thinking over my words, he can see the truth in them. I smile to myself not escaping the notice of Snape or Hermione. I straighten up trying to sit as comfortably as possible without being able to move my fricken forearms.
Dumbledore opens his mouth to respond but stops when I let out a groan of pain. Instantaneously I feel a gnawing at my stomach and a burn in my throat. It feels like my veins are on fire, it is the worst pain I have felt, being starved as a child hurt but this was like my very veins were on fire, I just need something to quench the burning.
"What is wrong Harry?" Asks Hermione, worried.
Snape answers, I find it difficult to concentrate with the burning consuming my mind. "The potion just wore off." He turns to Dumbledore. "Potter needs blood. It is his first meal he needs fresh blood." "Just give him the potion or fetch an animal away from humans." Dumbledore suggests with an uncaring tone.
Snape looks unimpressed. "Mr Potter needs human blood. The potion will worsen his pain if he has it now, it must be taken while the previous dose is still active." Dumbledore looks torn, "We shall leave and reconvene at a later day." Dumbledore looks at me, I glare, the pain is to much. "You May leave not leave the hospital wing Harry. You however may leave this room after we leave. Poppy will not come in unless you need her, there are wards over the entrance keeping you in and others out so don't try to leave. We will continue this discussion at a later date." He looks at me pityingly. I am in so much pain and he is just going to leave me? "Wait!" I yell despite my bodys resistance. They look at me. "How much does the school know?" I ask, Ron and Hermione glance at each other with a look I can't decifer.
"They know that you are in a critical condition and that no body can enter the space where you are without permission. Legally I have to give them information due to the danger you pose. However I gave them less information than the law states. You should be thankful." He stands and takes a step towards the door. "Come everyone." Dumbledore beckons. Ron follows without question, Hermione and Poppy hesitate then follow and Snape leaves after muttering so that I can only hear a faint: "Sorry". My surprise must show on my face because he shakes his head and nods to me as he leaves. I feel magic wash over the room as they leave and the restraints on my arms unlock. I immediately double over in pain from the emptiness in my stomach. I can't even smell or taste, I don't think I can feed myself with such limitations if I truly am a Vampire.
I need to find help, to get these blocks off.
I need to get out.