Alexandria: Chapter 4: Wait

As I slid down the spiral stairs, my mind was working very fast, searching out beyond the limits of my own head and expanding to find the boy's thought. I had no idea what House he was in, although I had a very good guess. I had never before preformed Occumencly to this level. It was exhausting work, and if I had been a human, I would have been sweating. But I wasn't a human, so I pushed my mind out even farther. I heard the strangest thoughts, and began to beleive most students here didn't trust anyone else:

"She better give me my badge back, that is my favorite one!"

"That whore, she's flirting with my boyfriend! How could she? Or... is he flirting with her?!"

"Stupid Potty, always thinking he's number one..."

"HOW could Snape give us detention already?"

"I wonder what would happen if the Fillybuster was combined with a pinch of waterwoart? The effects would be quite explosive... haha!"

I sighed. How many students were here? At this rate, it would take all night... but then again, I did have all that time available. I figured I would get somewhere closer to the Gryffindor tower to hear Harry's thoughts. I crept into the Hall, where only a cat was pacing its wide area. I ran smooththly to the stairs which were enchanted to move slowly, connecting to other platforms. I skipped every ninth step or so, and soon I was in the corridor that would lead me to the entrance of the common room. Again, I closed my eyes and pushed my mind out. I found him within seconds. He was lying in his bed, reminising about, of all things, his trial with the Ministery. I watched his memory with him, and when he looked up in the dungeon, his eyes found the very same woman that warned me against feeding on the grounds. I gave a start, and my mind snapped back into my own skull. I gasped, and opened my eyes. I rubbed my head. That boy had an extreme power, and Dumbledore was certainly right about not even thinking about the boy.

I got bored the next few weeks, especially when he fell asleep. There was nothing to keep me entertained, except when I slipped out of the grounds to hunt and trying to stay out of the devil-woman's way. The students noticed me, but their insticts told them to say away from me. The rumors passed through the halls, and I figured out I wasn't the only topic of discussion. Umbridge was not very popular with either the sudents or the staff, and I enjoyed this immensly. It kept me entertained throughout the days of long classees.

I started to wander the halls at night to explore. Every so often, I tuned back into Harry's mind. He was just having a normal teenage boy's dreams. This was a beautiful castle, full with mysteries and majestic windows and halls. The paintings which covered the walls were in every range of creativity, from poor to amazing. One night, I stopped, and started wringing my hands. Something here, in this spot, was not right. I might be a vampire, but I was a very unusual one. I still felt many human feelings, and I fidgeted quite a lot. I stopped, and sank to the floor. Why was I this weak?

"Humph. You say you are strong, but look at you, lying on the floor like a weakling." I looked up, and Umbridge was standing over me, with her wand pointing directly at where my dormant heart was. I narrowed my eyes, and a feral growl ripped through my throat. My teeth were clenched, and my fists were balled into fists, so hard that the white veins started popping. It was one thing to threaten a vampire based on stereotypes, but another to ambush one in the middle of the night! But then, I thought calmy, why hadn't I been paying attention to my surroundings while I was keeping a watch on Harry? I could do that, and I should start right now. I smoothed my features and my body ceased to tighten. Instead, I pretended that Umbridge had won this battle, while in fact, my Occumencly was working furiously.

"Stupid, ugly half-blood. Thinks she has the right to spy on us. I think NOT." As soon as I saw this, I smiled. She thought that the Crucio Curse was going to affect me! Well, I certainly wasn't going to deny her the chance to learn a little lesson! "Crucio!" Nothing. Except a little pleasant tingling feeling in my limbs, the illegal curse had no effect whatsoever. I smiled, showing all my teeth and started to stand very slowly, drawing myself to full height. I stood over her. "Again, witch, we have this conversation! Why do you have a desire to get rid of me?"

She stood on her toes. "I know what you are. You are not a full vampire. That is why you have human feelings! Your mother was a human, and you killed her when she gave birth to you!" Her eyes glittered evily, and her honeyed tones get even worse. "I will not have such an unstable creature around a learning institution! I will continue to hunt you until you leave forever!" She was talking with a breathy, high voice.

I grinned. "Alright, then. I will stay in the Forbidden Forest, and not enter the castle unless called by a member of the staff. If I do not stay to these terms, I will gladly move away from Hogwarts. Alright?"

Umbridge looked taken aback, then nodded curtly. "Deal."

I turned and walked out of the doors and into the forest. It was not over, this war. Not yet.