--

Harry woke up to the sound of Ron's constant snoring and the others trying to get him up. He withdrew the curtains around his bed, putting on his glasses, and yawning widely. It was the first day of classes and he had to get to breakfast, but didn't need to rush since the schedules were sent up to the dorms the previous night. Yet another thing that Snape seemed to improve in the school. Harry didn't mind to admit it, but he was turning out to be one of the best Headmaster's Hogwarts has ever had. Plus he wasn't always so cheery like Dumbledore was. Snape was a normal person who was actually dreading getting up early in the morning to teach kids the Dart Arts. Yes, Snape was again the teacher for Defense Against the Dark Arts. He was glad too since Snape actually taught them stuff. Sure, last year was a bit hectic, but hopefully Snape would set aside their differences.

"I screwed Hermione last night!" yelled Neville resulting in Ron getting up and tackling him to the floor. Well, that got him up. Harry didn't pay attention to the fight though. He just got dressed in his new seventh year uniform that was just a white button up shirt with the insignia of his house on his left breast and rather comfortable black pants. The shirt showed off his new muscles and he rolled his sleeves up to his elbows to give a bigger muscle illusion. He went over to the mirror with a brush before combing it through his hair. Since he let his hair grow out to his shoulders, it was a lot tamer and actually looked good on him. His bangs that covered part of his right eye covered his scar, making him smile at that. He hated his scar. It reminded him of that stupid prophecy and all those things in his past that made him loose his parents, a friend, and his godfather. He glowered at his reflection before turning on his heels and walking out of his dormitory and down the stairs into the common room. His messenger bag was slung over his shoulder and his books had a shrinking spell on them so that it didn't take up a lot of room. He walked out of the portrait hole, strolling down another flight of stairs and turning down the crowded hallways towards the Great Hall. First years stared at him in awe as he passed, but he paid no attention to them. Some seventh year Slytherins smiled as he passed, making him smirk. Now the Slytherins loved him since he was friends with their prince and princess.

"Your hair looks surprisingly sexy today Harry," said a voice next to him. He looked down to see Tanya walked with him with Draco at her side. Harry had grown taller the whole summer, making him six-foot-four, the height of Draco. "You should let me do your hair one day. I could straighten it for you. It would look so hot with green highlights too. Or maybe red…no green would go with your eyes." Harry chuckled at her as they entered the Great Hall and went their separate ways. He reluctantly took a seat next to Ginny and Hermione who were engrossed in gossip for the day. Harry couldn't help but notice the fact that Ginny kept on brushing her leg against his. His eye involuntarily twitched slightly at the contact. Harry didn't like Ginny in that way, well at least not anymore. He used to in the sixth year, but that was over now. Just the thought of being with her made him want to spew.

"Harry, what class do you have first?" asked Hermione just as Ron came to sit down next to her. He gave her good morning kisses, making Harry want to throw up his piece of toast he just ate.

"Dark Arts," he said while taking a swig of his pumpkin juice. "We have it with everyone this year. So it's going to be a rather large class."

"I know," growled Ron. "That place is going to be so cramped now that all the houses are combining for that class." He took a bite of toast. "Although I heard we're dueling again so that should be fun. And since we had practice in the D.A. in year five, we should pass that class easily. Well, the dueling part at least…"

"You know the Slytherins will probably be favored in the class again," snarled Ginny. "It's so stupid." She turned to looked over at the table, so did Harry. Tanya was shooting blue sparks out of her wand that turned into a wizard fighting a dragon. They started laughing when Draco made the wizard turn into a kitten and the dragon started running away from it. Tanya smacked his arm playfully before making eye contact with Harry. She smiled, waving before she took a drink of her pumpkin juice. "God she's so annoying," glowered Ginny.

"Would you shut up already?" asked Harry. "Seriously you've just met her and she wasn't the one who sent the Imps on you. And if you have anything bad to say about her, then just don't say it when I'm around." Ginny looked at Harry with surprise in her eyes. Harry returned his stare coldly towards her before getting up, gathering his bag, and storming out of her Great Hall with almost everyone watching. He turned down a hallway that led to Dark Arts class, as everyone else was too. It was nearly time for classes to begin and no one wanted to be late on the first day back.

Ron and Hermione caught up to him, apologizing on Ginny's behalf. Harry didn't really pay attention to it, but grunted for their satisfaction before going into Snape's classroom. The desks were tables that had two chairs with them. Hermione and Ron didn't hesitate to take one for themselves. Harry shook his head before taking the only free seat left. Everyone stared at him as if he was crazy, and some felt sorry for him. He looked to see who he was sitting by, Tanya. She was drawing on a spare bit of parchment while Draco was turning around in the seat in front of him to watch her draw. Her tongue was sticking out from the corner of her mouth as she dipped her quill in again and started drawing even more. Harry looked at Draco who just shrugged. He peered over Tanya's shoulder to see her drawing picture of Harry, Draco, and Tanya. Harry looked at Tanya who still didn't seem to notice he was watching. She sighed, looking over at Harry before putting her quill back. She took out her wand, a white jet flying to the picture. It started to move. Harry was in the middle, smirking with his arms crossed over his chest. Tanya was to his left, petting a snake that had crawled up her body to her neck. Draco was on his right, also holding a snake. Tanya slid the picture over to Harry just as the Headmaster entered the classroom. Harry smile before putting the picture in his bag. He could feel the Gryffindors looking at him as if he were insane.

"Welcome to Defense Against the Dark Arts," said Snape in his usual dark tone of voice. "This year I will expect the best from all of you since it is your last year here at Hogwarts. I'll be teaching you how to duel, create spells of your own, the history of the dark creatures we've known in this world, and Minister Malfoy has given me permission to teach all of you the three unforgivable curses." There was a sharp intake of breath from all the houses, except for the Slytherins and Harry. "Miss. Riddle will be helping with that lesson since she knows how to perform them correctly from previous teaching." Some of the students glanced in her direction, seeing her just twirling her wand between her fingers. Harry couldn't help but smile at the bored look on her face.

"Now, can anyone tell me who the first vampire was?" Hermione's hand shot up, while everyone thought. Harry looked over at Tanya who was smirking. He knew she knew the answer.

"Yes Miss. Granger," said the professor after about a few minutes of just looking around.

"That would be Kane, sir," she answered.

"Unfortunately wrong Miss. Granger," said Snape. Everyone was shocked by this, even Harry. Hermione never got a question wrong. That was a first and the Daily Prophet should've been notified. Tanya raised her hand. "Yes Tanya."

"Miss. Granger was confusing the first vampire with the vampire that was the first to ever go through evolution. The first true vampire was named Nathanial Hazel, born in the early 1200's. He quickly followed Kane after his evolution and killed Kane shortly after realizing that with the evolution came the dark magic of a vampire." Tanya turned to Hermione. "If you had ever opened a book that was fully dedicated to the history of vampires, you'd know that." Harry snickered with his head down.

"Twenty points to Slytherin," said the professor with a smirk. "Indeed Kane was murdered by Nathanial, a very big betrayal in the vampire community. Can anyone tell me why?"

"Kane was a mate to Nathanial," said Draco with a grin. "There's a law that states that if you turn your back on a mate, your position in the vampire society will be stripped away from you. Thus, making the vampire have to work his way back up when the community trusts him."

"Ten point to Slytherin again."

"Potter, who have the vampires been feuding with over the centuries and who has resolved that feud?"

"Werewolves and the Dark Lord has resolved the feud," he answered. Wait…did he just say the Dark Lord? In fact, everyone had noticed it and they were all staring at him in awe. He rolled his eyes while placing his chin to rest on his hand. So what if he said the Dark Lord? It was just a name they didn't have to make a fuss about it. And he could see Hermione whispering about how he knew about the dark creatures to her boyfriend. The truth, Harry had stolen numerous books from the library last time he was in the castle and had asked Snape if he could borrow some over the summer. He, for some reason, allowed that and that's how Harry had so much knowledge about the dark arts now. He was so glad he was seventeen. Why? Because on his birthday he actually left Private Drive and stayed at the Leaky Cauldron for the rest of the summer while his so call 'family' was rotting away in their house. No one, no one knew of it. Not even Dumbledore who he hadn't seen the whole entire summer.

"Twenty points to Gryffindor," smiled the professor as he started telling everyone about the history of the vampires. Everyone was taking notes, even Tanya. Harry watched as she listened to her uncle with such concentration that it could rival Hermione. No wonder the hat said that she was possibly smarter than Ravenclaw. Harry took notes as well, not knowing that all of the Slytherins had their watchful eyes on him. Soon…soon he'd know the truth.

--

Tanya took her seat in Potions to see an actual vampire seated at the teacher's desk. His hair was a bronzy color and it contrasted with his pale skin. Those red tinted blue eyes looked at all of the students as they assembled into the classroom. This one was only of Slytherins and Gryffindors. Harry took a seat behind Tanya at the end of his table since Hermione and Ronald wanted to sit as close as they could together. Tanya was seated in between Draco and Blaise. The professor, whom she had known from previous meetings, stood up and started to walk around the room. "Welcome to Potions," he said in a small feminine voice. Yes, the vampire was gay. "I'm Professor Dragomir and I'll be teaching you the awesome art of potion making." Tanya glanced over at Blaise who was looking at the professor with dazed eyes. Tanya knew that Blaise was gay, but she didn't tell anyone until he was comfortable to come out on his own.

"Now, everyone set up your cauldrons and I want you to concoct a potion of your choice. I just want to see where everyone is at so I know where to start teaching." Everyone got out their cauldrons, Tanya getting up and going to the supplies cabinet. While everyone was figuring out what they were going to do for their point, she already had hers in her mind. She took out a very small empty capsule and filled it with silver unicorn blood. Professor Dragomir was watching her with his hypnotizing eyes as she also took out the strands of dark veela hair, a demon's fang, a Dementor's bone, a vile filled with water pixie blood, and a Basilisk's scale. She turned to the professor. "I know they're rare, but do you mind if I use one scale?"

"Not at all Miss. Riddle," he smiled before sitting down at his desk and taking out a book. She took her ingredients and brought them to her table where she started to work. Hermione was looking at her with a questionable look in her eye as she walked up to the supply cabinet along with Harry. He took out his ingredients, ones Hermione had never seen together before. She looked over at Tanya who had her hair back and was busy pouring pixie and unicorn blood into her potion. She silently wondered what the girl was working on. She would have to tell Dumbledore about it during Christmas break since he had said not to write him until then.

Tanya met Hermione's stare with a smirk as she walked up to the professor's desk and whispered a question to him. He nodded, following her to her cauldron while rolling up one of his sleeve. She hand him a knife and he slit his wrist before letting his blood drip into the potion. Some kids gasped at this, making the professor smile. "It's find kids. She just needs some vampire blood for her potion. I'm interested of what's going to come out of it though. What is the potions name you're working on?"

"It's one I made myself. You'll see the effects of it when I'm done," said Tanya vaguely as she stirred the potion for a little bit before adding the remaining ingredients into the potion. She stirred a little more, sitting back in her seat when she was done. Draco was doing a simple sleeping draft that he was near completing. Tanya turned around; looking at Harry as he also was using a Dementor's bone. He smiled up at her as he put the shavings into his potion. It turned a violet color before fading into an emerald color. "I know this potion," she whispered. She swatted Harry over the head with her hand. "You could get expelled for brewing that kind of potion you raging butt monkey. It's the Serpents Draft. How the hell did you find out how to make that?" Her voice was a mere whisper, no one heard her.

"A book I read," he answered with a smile. "Come on Tanya, I know that potion you're brewing could get you expelled too. Vampire blood and a Basilisk scale? That's one of the darkest combinations in the world Tanya."

"Alright you caught me, but why the Serpents Draft? Salazar made that draft for a reason and it wasn't supposed to be for a school potion's project."

"I know Tanya. It was used for…"

"Times up class!" said the professor as Tanya turned around in her seat. Professor Dragomir walked around the classroom, questioning everyone about their potions. Hermione's was criticized as being juvenile along with the rest of the class. At least until he got to Tanya and Harry. He started with Harry. "The Serpents Draft? What a very, interesting choice of potion Mr. Potter. Could you tell me what Salazar used it for?"

"He would force his enemies to drink it and as a result his enemies darkest secrets would flow into his body. Salazar basically used the Serpents Draft during the war to get the secrets of battle plans on the other side along with blackmail."

"Ten points to Gryffindor," smiled Professor Dragomir before he walked over to Tanya. She looked up from her cauldron that she was space out while staring at. She watched as the vampire looked at her cauldron that had sapphire looking liquid in it. "What kind of potion is this Miss. Riddle? I've seen the ingredients you pulled out but I don't know what the combination will create."

"I call it Memoria Cruciatus," she said as some people gasped at the last word. Indeed, she named it after the famous unforgivable curse. "This potion is one of the most deadly I've created because it could make a person who drinks it insane for reasons you'll just have to find out yourself. It works wonders on enemies, just like the Serpents Draft. Only it's a little more painful."

"Hmm…" said the professor as he took a vial and put some of the potion in it. He examined the sapphire liquid that had silver streaks actually swimming in the potion with red ones entwined with it, just like her wand. "The vampire blood is keeping the venom from the Basilisk scale in check. Very clever Tanya. But…what happens when the combination enters the body? Wouldn't the person turn into a vampire from the blood?"

Tanya shook her head. "The veela hair, unicorn blood, and demon fang make the venoms nearly dormant. It only helps with the torture part of the potion."

"Ah," he said as he put the vial of potion on his desk. "Ten points to Slytherin for making a new potion that we have no idea of what it does. And I'm to predict you won't tell us at all."

Tanya shook her head. "If you want to find out so badly, why don't you try it?"

He snorted. "Yeah right." That whole entire class time everyone was wondering what Tanya's potion did, but she wouldn't tell. She even took a vial out of her bag and put the rest of the potion within it. No one would get their hands on it. It was for her use only and for Dragomir's. Dragomir may have acted naïve about the whole potion thing, but he knew exactly what it did. Dragomir was the one Tanya tested the potion on when she was thirteen, very surprised at the effects. She didn't even tell her father about the potion.

--

Harry had his iPod in ears as he walked down the deserted hallway towards Snape's classroom to deliver the books he had borrowed over the summer. Everyone else was crowded around the Quidditch field to watch tryout. Harry decided he wasn't going to go out for the Quidditch team this year. It bored him now. Sure he loved flying his Firebolt, but he was getting bored with the sport in general. Plus he hated being knocked off his broom and there were some bad memories during Quidditch that he hated to revisit. He turned off his iPod, putting it in his pocket before knocking on the classroom's door. "Enter," he heard from the other side of the door. Harry opened the door, seeing the busy professor putting some supplies away. Snape stopped to look at Harry who had the four books in his hand. "I'm glad you remembered to bring them back Potter," he said as he started to gather up some parchment. "Were they of any help?"

"Indeed sir," replied Harry as he walked up to the teacher's desk. "I wanted to ask you if you had any books on more…darker spells than what this book has to offer." Harry needed to know more spells, more ways to gain more power. He was becoming nearly obsessed with it. He craved more knowledge about the darker spells that not even the books in his hands held.

"I'm afraid I don't have anything darker than that Harry," he said as he grabbed the books from Harry and started putting them away. "If you want darker spells, go to my niece. She knows more about the Dark Arts than me. Ever since she was six she's been studying them. Go to her, she may even tutor you." Harry smiled with an almost evil glint in his eye. Yes, he'd need to get to Tanya to get his power.

--

Tanya stared at the mirror as it floated in mid air. "Thomas Marvolo Riddle," she said clearly as she paced her room. Suddenly the face of her father took up the mirror and it followed her around as she paced. "Hello Father," she said softly as she sat down. "Sorina is awake just like you ordered."

"Good," he said with a smile. "I trust that Rasmir is taking care of his mother."

"Duh," she replied. "Now, what would you like me to do now since you won't let me in on this little plan you have?"

"Harry will be asking you to tutor him in the Dark Arts from what Severus has informed me. Teach him all you know and on Halloween night I want you to have Sorina and Rasmir kill two mudbloods, only two."

"Anything else?"

"Oh, I'll be sending a rather angry howler to you on Thursday. It will be completely false as to what it says, but act like an abused little girl when you're finished opening it in the Great Hall. You know tears and everything. Make it believable so that no one will suspect you when things to haywire."

"Cool," she drawled out with a yawn. "Well, goodnight Father."

"Goodnight my little serpent."

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