Harry Potter and the Son of the Dragon: Chapter 3
I do not own Harry Potter. He and the world in which he lives are the property of J.K Rowling.
Neither do I claim to own all of the ideas I have used concerning Vampire in this story. They have been drawn from a number of sources. But I like to think I merged them in my own way.
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The vampire bit into his neck.
For a moment he felt the pain as needle sharp teeth penetrated one of his arteries.
Felt the hot rush of blood as it surged from the wound.
Then he felt something else. In the back of his mind he could feel something building. The pressure kept mounting and mounting until suddenly like a bursting dam it poured out.
In his mind Harry could briefly hear the vampire call out. "What! How?" before they were both swept away in a tide of memories.
Harry saw scenes from his entire life flash before his eyes.
The first were his earliest memories. He remembered hearing his mother screaming. Remembered Voldemort's harsh voice as he ordered her to get out of the way. Then the sickly green flash of the killing curse.
Later saw more memories of his childhood. None good. He saw himself growing up with the Dursley's. Living in the cupboard under the stairs. Having to settled for Dudley's cast offs.
He also saw his first accidental experiences with magic. The time when he had found himself on his school roof. Then his meeting with the snake at the Zoo, the first indication that he was a parselmouth.
As he experienced this memory he felt the shock and surprise emanating from another presence in his mind. But before he had time to consider that he was swept away by another flood of memories.
His first letter from Hogwarts.
His first meeting with Hagrid.
His first visit to Diagon alley, where he received his wand and found that it was twin to Voldemort's.
Then later the first train ride to Hogwarts. Meeting Ron and Hermione.
Being sorted into Gryffindor, even though the sorting hat had said he would do very well in Slytherin.
Getting through the tasks to get to the Philosophers stone and his second confrontation with Voldemort.
The experiences of the second year. The flying car. Discovering he was a parselmouth. Meeting Aragog in the forbidden forest and finally his encounter with the Diary of Tom Riddle and the Basilisk.
Then he saw his third year at Hogwarts. Remembered running away from the Dursley's. His encounters with the Dementors. Discovering that Sirius was his Godfather and that Peter Pettigrew, the one that had truly betrayed his parents, was alive. Then casting the Patronus to drive away the Dementors. Saving Sirius and watching him fly away on Buckbeak.
As he saw these memories he could sense the other presence in his mind. Watching, observing. Making comments that he could not hear. But every time he attempted to turn his attention to it he found himself swept away again.
His fourth year. The Quidditch World Cup. The Tri Wizard Tournament.
Making his way through the trials only to face something far worse.
Seeing Cedric's death, seeing Voldemort rise again.
Then the memory of how their wands had connected. How the Ghosts of Voldemort's victims, including his mother and father, had helped him to escape.
Then suddenly he was experiencing his fifth year again. Harry gritted his teeth trying to force the memories away but they came on nonetheless.
Saving Dudley from the Dementor.
Number twelve Grimmauld place.
His trial before the Wizengamot.
His return to Hogwarts and the living hell Umbridge had made of his life.
The nightmares that he had had during the year.
His Occlumency lessons with Snape.
Teaching the DA.
Then finally the ill advised rescue mission to the ministry. Fighting the Death Eaters. Seeing Sirius blown through the veil. Voldemort's confrontation with Dumbledore and then finally the prophecy.
Once again Harry desperately tried to shut down the memories. To prevent that other presence from seeing them. But he may as well have tried to hold back the sea. Slowly and deliberately the memory of Sybill Trelawney's strangely harsh hoarse voice unfolded before him.
"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches… born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies… and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not… and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives… the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies…"
In his mind Harry waited, expecting that the ordeal he was under would soon be over. In truth it had barely begun. Suddenly in his mind he felt a roaring like the sound of the sea. He felt as if a great wave was rearing up in front of him. And then without waring it crashed down.
Images and memories assaulted his mind. But these images, he came to realise, were not his own.
He saw a young boy looking back over the deck of a ship at a shore line that receded into the distance behind him.
Saw castles, woods and villages with people who looked straight out of the middle ages.
Saw an older version of the same boy training with swords, axes, maces and other medieval weaponry with a large number of other young men. All of whom wore white tabards with a black cross.
Then he saw the same boy, now a young man kneeling before an altar. Praying in a full suit of armour. Suddenly his prayers were interrupted. Screams and cries were heard. The man looked up, picked up his sword. A figure suddenly appeared behind him. The man brought the sword round in a two handed swing. But the figure merely grabbed the sword by its blade in mid swing and used it to pull the man towards it.
Harry had a brief glimpse of a female face. With white, white skin and brilliant red eyes. Then the female figure opened her mouth revealing a set of long fangs which she rapidly used to bite down on the neck of the man.
After that the images came too fast to follow. A huge torrent of them far too much to process, to much to see more than the briefest of glimpses before he was swept away.
Images of horror. Of vampires hunting down humans for sport. Great orgies of blood.
Then images of a figure in Blood red armour.
Then images of other figures in armour hunting down the vampires.
More images followed. Images of blood and death. Visions of great battles. Battles using weapons, using magic and using teeth and claw.
Later images of hunting, of stalking. Of murders and assassinations. In the memories he saw the settings, the places and the periods in time seemed to change. The weapons changed from medieval to modern. The locations seemed to cover every part of the world. Only two things remained constant.
The victims of these murders or assassinations were always a Vampire, a Wizard or some kind of magical creature. And the killer was always the Vampire that had saved Harry from Voldemort.
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Harry woke up groggily. His entire body ached. He felt completely worn out. Slowly he sat up and looked around. He was in the same bed, the same room as he had been in last night. But now the fire was out. The room was dimly lit. Only a faint light coming from a number of globes situated around the room. But as Harry started to move around the globes began to brighten until the room was clearly lit with a cool white light.
Gradually Harry's mind began to clear. He started to remember the events of the prior night. The attack by Voldemort, his rescue by the Vampire. Then waking up here, meeting the same Vampire and then…
Harry suddenly reached up and felt his neck. There! On the left side of his neck was a heavy bandage. Exactly where the Vampire had bitten him.
Harry began to breathe more heavily in panic. He had been bitten by a Vampire. Did that mean that he was going to turn into one? He knew that Lupin had been turned into a werewolf simply by being bitten by one on the night of a full moon. But Vampires were different weren't they? He couldn't remember. They had never been taught about vampires in Defence against the Dark arts. Vampires were powerful dark creatures. Knowledge about them was restricted to NEWT level students. So he was probably supposed to be learning about them some time this year. The irony of this was not lost on Harry.
But none of that mattered right now. He was alone and apparently unguarded. He had to try to escape while he could.
Pushing away the sheets that covered him, Harry tried to get up. And promptly fell right back into the bed. He felt weak, too weak to support himself.
'What had the Vampire done to me' he wondered. 'Why was he so weak? Was it because the vampire had taken his blood?'
The thought chilled Harry and strengthened his resolve to escape. But just as he was about to attempt rising from the bed again he heard the door handle start to turn and saw the door start to swing open.
Harry instantly froze. But when he looked up he received a surprise. It was not the Vampire who had entered the room. Instead Harry saw a young woman back into the room. A large tray held in both her hands. She was tall and looked to be in her mid twenties. She had long dark brown hair that fell straight down to her shoulders. She was dressed in a pair of faded blue jeans, a grey long sleeved turtleneck top and a dark green sleeveless vest. On her feel were a pair of slippers. Her skin was a healthy Tan. She seemed completely ordinary. But then what was she doing here?
Suddenly she looked up at him and smiled. "Oh you're awake are you?"
"Y.. Yes." Harry found that he could barely speak. His throat was so dry.
At his response the woman bustled over to him the tray still in her hands.
"Now, now. None of that. You shouldn't try to speak or even talk too much until you recover. You've been through a nasty ordeal.
She set the tray down across his lap. Then she helped him sit up and pilled pillows behind his back to support him.
Harry looked down at the tray.
On it he could see a tall glass of orange juice. A cup of tea. Two pieces of toast. A small pot of jam and a bowl of porridge that looked large enough to satisfy even Hagrid. His mouth began to water. He had not realised just how hungry he was until that moment.
Eagerly he reached for the spoon on the tray, but before he could grasp it the young woman's hand closed on his arm.
"Here, let me help you with that. You're still very weak, and we don't want any accidents do we."
Harry reluctantly relinquished the spoon and allowed her to feed him. As she did so she talked. Not about anything in particular. About the weather, how it was affecting the crops. About the animals she had to take care of. She spoke with a Scottish accent.
He learned that her name was Natasha and that she apparently worked on some kind of farm. Any other questions on his part were cut off by another mouthful of food. Harry supposed that under any other circumstance he would have felt embarrassed at having someone else feed him. But right now he was so tired he was grateful for the help.
The porridge tea and jam had all been delicious. Harry didn't stop eating until there was nothing left on the plate.
Natasha chuckled quietly as she cleared away the tray and then started to inspect Harry's dressings.
"I never would have believed that someone could get through a whole bowl of Mum's porridge on his first try. Himself was right about you being absolutely ravenous when you woke up."
At these words Harry went cold and turned to look at her in shock.
"Himself?" asked Harry with just the slightest quaver in his voice. "Who do you mean?"
Natasha turned to look at him. "I wouldn't have thought you would have forgotten about Himself. Not after he saved you life a few nights ago."
"You mean the Vampire." Harry was half relieved and half terrified. Relieved because it appeared that he had still escaped from Voldemort. Terrified because he wasn't sure if that had been a case of jumping out of the frying pan into the fire.
"Himself!" said Natasha sharply. "Or his lordship to you young sir, until he says otherwise. You are a guest in his house. So you can at least act with the proper courtesy."
"A guest!" said Harry incredulously.
"Aye." Responded Natasha impassively. "Himself said as much. Said that you were his guest, under his protection and that we were to care for you until he awoke."
"Under his protection! He bit me in the neck! He tried to kill me!"
"Pish" said Natasha dismissively as she waved away the comment. "That's naught but a scratch lad. If he had wanted you dead you would be. And he didn't bring you here just to feed off you either. His Lordship's not one to play with his food."
Harry was now staring at Natasha in shock. This seemingly innocent farm girl was talking about a vampire killing and feeding off people as if it were a normal day to day occurrence. Then another thought crossed his mind.
"You said until he awoke. Do you mean when the sun sets?"
"Aye."
"But its still morning. What am I supposed to do for the rest of the day?"
"Oh I wouldn't worry about that." Said Natasha smiling with perfect white teeth. "You'll be asleep again, as soon as that potion in the porridge starts to take effect."
Harry stared at her in shock. Then without warning he dived forward trying to get out of the bed and to the open door. He never even made it out of the bed. A pair of strong young arms grabbed him and pushed him back into the bed, holding him down.
Harry struggled but it did absolutely no good. He could not so much as budge the girl, who Harry suddenly realised was much stronger than she looked.
"Easy, easy there young sir." Said Natasha as she held him down. "You may not believe me now but neither myself nor my Lord means you any harm."
"No harm." Harry sneered. "What do you call him feeding off me and you dosing me with potions then?" But even as he struggled he could feel himself becoming weaker and weaker. Harry fought to maintain consciousness, but it did no good. Very soon he found himself falling into a deep, peaceful and dreamless sleep.
Natasha waited until the boy stopped struggling. Then she reached up and tucked the bed covers back around him. After that she waited for a few more minutes, listening carefully to his breathing and his heart beat. Finally when she was satisfied he was truly asleep. She picked up the tray and left. Before she did so she paused at the door and looked back.
"Rest well Harry Potter. Even if you do not know it you are well guarded from your enemies here."
Then she turned and left locking the door behind her. She still had other chores to do, before she could go out hunting.
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Harry awoke slowly this time. His head was clear and he felt refreshed. But he was so comfortable he didn't want to awake up just yet. Sighing contentedly he turned over and burrowed deeper into the covers. Until a voice disturbed him.
"So you are finally awake Harry Potter. Good we have much to talk about."
Instantly Harry sat bolt upright in his bed and turned to stare at the source of the voice.
The fire was once again lit in the room. It crackled strongly, radiating heat and light. But the glow orbs that dotted the room were also half lit and so there was plenty of illumination to make out the figure that sat in one of the chairs by the fire side.
The Vampire sat facing Harry, in one of the large armchairs by the fire. An open book lay across his lap. In one hand he held a clear goblet of a dark red liquid. Harry didn't even want to guess what that liquid was.
Slowly with almost exaggerated care the Vampire laid a book mark in the page he had been reading. Then he closed the book and set it on low table by the arm chair. He then took a long lingering sip from the goblet before setting that down too. When he was finished the Vampire stood up and moved half of the distance towards Harry.
"It strikes me" said the Vampire when he stopped. "That I have been remiss in my duties as a host. "I know your name. Indeed few in the magic world do not. But I have neglected to tell you mine."
The vampire straightened suddenly formal. "I am Luther. Luther san Tepes of the Order of the Blood Dragon."
Harry stared at the vampire and blinked rapidly. He had no idea what that meant.
Luther laughed suddenly and made a motion with his hand. The armchair that he had been previously sitting in made its way across the room to him and he settled back into it.
"I would be very surprised if you did Harry Potter. The Order to which I belong is a very secret one. Over the centuries we have killed to preserve its mere name, let alone its history or its purpose."
Harry suddenly felt a chill spread through him at the implications of that statement. Luther looked at him suddenly and smiled, flashing his fangs in the process. Not a reassuring sight.
"Have no fear Harry Potter. I mean you no harm."
That did it. "What the hell do you mean you mean me no harm? You tell me that you are obligated to protect my life. Then you bite me in the neck yourself. Then when I wake up you drug my food to keep me asleep. How the hell am I supposed to believe that you mean me no harm!"
Luther's comment had finally set Harry off. All the fear, all the worry all the concerns he had felt since he woke up in this strange place suddenly came flowing out in a burst of anger.
If was only after he had finished that Harry realised that he had just been yelling at a Vampire which currently had him trapped unarmed in a small room. Possibly not the best of ideas.
But to Harry's surprise the vampire only laughed softly and grinned at him.
"Yes. I apologise for that. When I bit into your neck I was attempting to search through your mind to discover what you knew of how to destroy Voldemort. In that I succeeded, although not quite in the way I had expected."
Harry was now looking at the Vampire in shock. "You know about the prophecy."
The Vampire rested its chin on its fist as it nodded.
"Yes and much more besides. I now know your entire life Harry Potter. From Voldemort's murder of your parents, to your time with the Dursely's through all your years in Hogwarts. Every lesson, every trial that you have been through I now know. Probably better than you do yourself."
As he spoke Luther's voice had grown quieter and quieter. Now he turned to stare at Harry with eyes that were oddly sympathetic. "You have endured much for one so young."
Harry stared at the vampire in shock and then turned away in anger. To think that this creature this thing of Darkness knew all of his memories even his most intimate and personnel ones, was almost more than he could bear. His mind, his memories had been violated before, but that had been by Snape. And as horrible as that had been the knowledge of the mutual dislike, and the history between them somehow made it more bearable.
Now to know that this Vampire this dark creature that he barely met knew all of his most intimate memories, all of his secrets. The thought was more than he could bear.
Rage coursed through him. Only the knowledge that the vampire could probably kill him before he had time to move kept him from lashing out. But that meant that his rage had no release.
"I understand your anger Harry Potter." Said Luther quietly.
Harry turned to stare at him.
"You may not believe me but I do. And I am sorry that I violated your memories, it was not my intention to do so."
"Then why did you do it then!" yelled Harry. Unable to keep the anger out of his voice.
But the Vampire only responded in that same tone of voice. "It was not done intentionally. I only intended to search your mind for the information on how to kill Voldemort. I had no interest in your other memories, much less in giving you access to my own. Or do you think that I intentionally gave you access to all the memories of my life?"
Harry now stared at the vampire in surprise.
"Those images I saw. The boy on the boat, the knights training. They were all images from your life?"
Luther's eyes widened briefly in surprise, and then he nodded. "Yes Harry Potter. It's impressive that you could see that much in this short space of time, but perhaps unsurprising. In time you will be able to recall all of my memories in detail."
"But, why would I want to do that?" asked Harry now confused.
"It will cement the bond between us. And it will allow us to hasten your training."
"Bond? Training?"
Luther nodded and he looked at Harry that blazing intensity now in his eyes.
"You are my apprentice. You have been Chosen."
Shocked by these rapid revelations Harry could only summon the wit to ask
"Chosen by whom?"
"By the powers which I serve." Responded Luther. Raising his hand he made a motion and the Glass of red liquid shot to his hand. Moving so fast it was a blur. But strangely not a drop spilled. Under any other circumstances Harry would have been shocked by this apparent use of wandless magic. But currently there were other things on his mind.
Luther took a sip of the goblet. Then he started speaking again, Harry attention was fixed on each word.
"When a vampire is turned, they inherit the traits of bloodline to which their sire belonged. Usually this means that they will be tied to that bloodline for the rest of their … life. The members of the order of the Blood Dragon are different. Each Blood Dragon is already a vampire when we are chosen. As part of the choosing process each initiate receives the memories and knowledge of a member of the order. It is then the duty of that order member to train them to best utilise that knowledge so they may fulfil their duties as a Blood Dragon."
Now Luther paused
"Always before Blood Dragons have been vampires. The other clans make use of humans as slaves or some of them as bonded, but to my knowledge no Blood Dragon has ever done so before. Until now. Until you Harry Potter."
Harry Blinked as he tried to process what had just been said. Then he became angry.
"So I've been chosen to become some kind of vampire slave. Is that it?"
"No" said Luther, his voice containing a hint of annoyance. "I told you, unlike the other Bloodlines we do not make use of Human slaves. We have willing servants and we have sword brothers, but never slaves. It is not our way. No if you have been chosen to become one of us then you will be a bonded."
Harry looked at Luther uncertainly. "What is a bonded?"
Luther looked at Harry, a hint of surprise in his eyes. "Have you been taught nothing about the nature of Vampires?" He continued without waiting for a reply. "A bonded is just that, a Human that has been bonded to a Vampire. The bond is a connection between them, a partnership. It allows them to share their powers and their skills. To draw strength from one another. In addition the human partner receives other benefits. Increased strength and reactions, heightened senses, faster healing it varies."
"What does the Vampire get out of it?" asked Harry.
Luther looked thoughtful. "That depends both on the vampire and the bloodline to which it belongs. In my case I do not know. In time we will find out."
Harry looked at the Vampire shocked. "You mean that.. that we're
Luther turned to Harry and smiled. "Yes Harry Potter. The Bond has already been established. We are linked now, you and I. Didn't you wonder how it was that you could see without your glasses?"
Harry reached up in shock. His glasses were not on his face, but he could see perfectly clearly.
Luther smiled at Harry's reaction. "You will never need you glasses again. In time you will be able to see far better than a normal human, both by day and night.
Your physical strength will also increase and I will teach you how to use that as well."
Suddenly Harry leapt out of the bed and stormed around the room.
"What gives you the right to do this to me? I never asked for this. I never wanted to be a member of your order. I never chose this!"
Luther was suddenly on his feet and standing before Harry. Harry hadn't even seen the Vampire move. One minute he was sitting in the chair. The next he was standing before Harry.
Luther looked down at Harry, more than a hint of anger in his blood red eyes.
"None of use chose to become Blood Dragons Harry Potter, we were all chosen."
Harry looked up into the Vampire's eyes defiantly.
"I refuse to serve you or you're order! I'm not a dark wizard I won't serve your aims!"
"We have no aims!" Thundered Luther. His voice echoed in the small room loud as a thunderclap.
But when he spoke again it was quiet. A barely audible whisper.
"We have no aims. We have our duty and that is what we fulfil. A duty that you have no comprehension of. You should be more cautious rather than condemning something before you even know what it is."
Harry struggled with his anger. When he had first heard of what the vampire had done it had burned hot and bright within him. But with each of Luther's responses it was dying down. Leaving him feeling calmer and calmer. One last time he rallied his anger.
"I didn't choose this." he yelled.
Luther's response was not what he expected.
The vampire let out a bellow of rage. His mouth opened wide to reveal his fangs, and his eyes his eyes almost seemed to light up they blazed so strongly with anger.
"NEITHER DID I" roared the vampire. Then his face twisted as if he was struggling with something. Gradually his face calmed and he sank back into the armchair. When he spoke again his voice was soft.
"Neither did I." Then he looked up into Harry's eyes. Harry looked into Luther's blood red eyes and saw something new. He saw pain.
"Did you think I chose to become what I am Harry Potter?" asked Luther softly.
"Do you think I wanted this life? I was training to be a knight, training to be a servant of God. Do you think I wanted to be what I have become? But I had no choice in the matter. Darkness claimed me and I became a vampire."
Then Luther looked up staring into the distance remembering a time long ago.
"I still remember that day. No matter how I try I can never forget it. I sat in the chapel of my order. It was my night of vigil, my night of prayer. In the morning I was to be knighted after 5 years as a squire. It was supposed to be a holy night, it ended a night of Hell.
I didn't even hear the screams at first. I had been told, had been taught that on a night of Vigil nothing should interrupt my prayers. So I ignored the sounds at first. But gradually they grew louder and louder. Until I could not block out the cries of pain, the screams of the dying. I finally decided to act and when I moved I saw her. Standing there with her white, white skin and her blood red eyes."
Harry started in shock as he recognised the scene Luther was describing from his visions earlier. But if Luther noticed he gave no sign of it.
"I knew what she was as soon as I saw her. We had been taught about vampires. Taught how to recognise and how to fight them. I thought I knew what to do. I thought that there in the heart of our keep, in the chapel where gods power was strongest I would have no difficulty defeating her. I thought wrong.
She disarmed me with a single blow and then she fed off me and when she was done she turned me."
Now for the first time since he had begun Luther turned his head to stare at Harry.
"Do you know what a Ladmarian is Harry Potter?"
Wordlessly Harry shook his head.
"Then let this be your first lesson in the lore of the vampire clans. The Ladmarians are one of the clans. Their characteristics are these, although their ranks include both male and female vampires only the females have any power. The males are thralls little better than zombies, mindless slaves to the female vampire that creates them. Ladmarian's have considerable powers to bewitch and beguile the mind. That is their greatest strength. They surround themselves with both human and vampire slaves to protect them and to satisfy their desires. And that is their greatest weakness. They are hedonists, pleasure seekers. They go to great lengths to acquire power so that they can indulge their appetites."
"Appetites?" asked Harry curious despite himself.
Luther turned and gave him a cold cold smile.
"Appetites. A passion for flesh and for blood. They have a taste for sex and for causing pain. Often at the same time."
Once again Luther looked away.
"For years I served the bitch that sired me. During that time I had no control over myself. I was compelled to do everything she said. But I still remember the actions I performed the crimes I committed. Even if I was compelled to do so against my will it was still I that did the deeds."
"For twenty years I served her and her kind. They made their base in our orders keep. Then obtained a twisted delight in using a formerly holy place as their stronghold.
For twenty years I committed crimes too unspeakable to name."
Until my master found me and chose me.
That night he found me and bound me as a Blood Dragon.
I still remember what he said to me that night. He stood above me his blood red armour flickering in the torchlight.
"I have taken your choices from you" he said "But this final one I give to you. I offer you a final death, a release from the suffering of this existence. Or I offer you a lifetime of hardship, pain and struggle in a worthy cause. Which do you choose?"
Luther now turned to look at Harry.
"I chose to serve Harry Potter and I have never regretted that decision."
Then the vampire looked away for a moment before once again meeting Harry's gaze.
"I cannot force you to accept the bond Harry Potter. Any further changes that come of it cannot occur against you will. But before you reject it consider this. Voldemort is out there. He will be searching for you looking to kill you. Your only chance to survive is to kill him first. Until you do this the lives of everyone you know, everyone you care about will be in danger."
"I know that!" yelled Harry angrily.
Luther turned and looked down at Harry sharply.
"Do you? Then do you understand the nature of the enemy you face? The extent of his threat?
Voldemort is powerful. One of the most powerful dark wizards in centuries and he has had decades to gather his power.
You are a powerful young wizard, but you lack knowledge and training. And regardless you cannot fight Voldemort with the light magic that you know. Light magic is the magic of life. Of creation. It heals and it builds.
But you need to learn how to kill. And there is only one way to do that."
Now the Vampire look away again, staring into the distance as if he could see something far away.
"To embrace the darkness."
Luther looked down at Harry once more, his red eyes no longer blazed but there was something in there. Something ancient. Something dark and powerful. And when he spoke Harry knew that it was not Luther speaking, or at least not the vampire alone.
"The darkness has chosen you Harry Potter. It has marked you as its own. From the moment you survived the curse that should have killed you, you have been marked by it. Yes that means you are cursed, yes it is unfair. But life is never fair. The longer you live the more you learn that.
You have a choice now. A choice that will affect not only your life but the fate of the entire world. A choice to accept a hard truth or ignore it.
You can remain in the light and hope that it will be strong enough to protect you.
Or you can accept that you are born to the darkness. Embrace it. Pick up a weapon. And fight."
Harry stared into Luther's eyes. Gradually the dark power that he had felt in them withdrew and he felt that he was once again alone except for the vampire. His mind was in turmoil. He knew, he knew without a shadow of a doubt that what had been said to him was true. But it went contrary to everything that he had ever learned, everything he had ever heard.
As if sensing the turmoil inside Harry Luther spoke again.
"You have questions about what you have heard Harry Potter." Stated the Vampire as he settled himself back into his seat.
From his bed Harry nodded.
"Then why not ask me?"
Harry licked his lips. "But how do I know you answer me honestly?"
Harry saw a flash of anger cross Luther's face but it was quickly suppressed.
"Another lesson for you Harry Potter. Do not question a Vampires word. Many of us particularly the older ones put great store by it. But as you were ignorant of that and do not understand our concept of honour I will let it pass.
Luther looked thoughtful for a moment.
"I could offer to take Veritaserum, but that in a way that would be a lie as vampires are immune to it. No instead I will tell you the most reliably way. Use our bond Harry Potter."
"What.. What do you mean."
"The bond that links us, even now you should be able to use it to tell if I am telling the truth or lying. Bonded cannot lie to one another Harry Potter."
"But how do I use the bond."
"Simply focus on what I am saying. As I speak you should be able to get a feel for what I say. Now ask your questions."
Harry licked his lips then pressed forward.
"When you spoke of the Darkness, at first I thought you were referring to the Dark Arts. But you weren't were you. You were referring to something more. Something deeper."
Luther smiled again.
"Very perceptive Harry Potter. Yes the two are not the same thing. The dark arts as you wizards term them form part of the Darkness. But they are by no means all of it."
Harry nodded as Luther confirmed what he had suspected. Then he asked again. "What do you mean when you speak of the Darkness?"
"We speak of the Darkness that eats all things."
For some reason Harry's spine tingled at those words.
"This Darkness you speak of, is it evil?"
Luther appeared to consider this question for quite some time before he answered.
"Not in of itself no. It simply is. But there are many aspects of it that others, particularly humans, consider to be evil."
"What do you mean?" Asked Harry now confused.
"Death, killing, destruction, creation, change. All of these are part of the darkness in all of their forms. So while the Darkness represents death as the natural end of cycle of life. It also represents death from murder and violence. Because fundamentally they are all the same. All a part of the cycle."
Now Harry looked shocked. "So is that what the Darkness represents? Death and Destruction? Then I want no part of it I want no part in killing."
At this the vampire looked up a curious look on his face.
"Why are you so opposed to killing Harry Potter?" asked Luther.
"It's wrong. It's evil to cause death" said Harry passionately
"Evil". The Vampire sneered. "That's a vast oversimplification. As usual you humans attempt to impose your own sense of morality where it has no place. If you consider all killing to be evil then by rights this world should be considered a place drenched in evil."
"How can you say that?" Asked Harry Shocked.
"Are you a vegetarian." Asked the Vampire
"No" said Harry confused
"So you eat meat?"
"Yes"
"And where do you think that comes from. You think it's magiced into existence? If you had ever seen a slaughter house you would revise your concept of evil Harry Potter."
Now the vampire leaned forward, speaking intensely.
"All things in life follow a cycle. For some to live others must die. This is the way of the world and the Darkness is part that. But death is only a part of the Darkness. The Darkness also represents change. New life, new ideas. There can be no life without death. There can be no new creation without destruction. The light represents one part of the cycle, the darkness is the other. Both are essential and neither can exist without the other if the balance of the world is to be maintained."
Now Harry looked confused again.
"But Voldemort. He and his followers kill indiscriminately. They use the Dark Arts. Doesn't that make them servants of the Darkness?"
"No" The one word was spoken with such harsh intensity that it seemed to chill the room.
"Voldemort seeks to change the wizarding world. To tear down the old institutions and replace them with something new. Voldmort wants to bring change. In that he may be an agent of the darkness. But he kills indiscriminately. He and his followers kill and cause pain for pleasure. For no reason other than to revel in their power. That is no part of the Darkness, to take pleasure in pain and to kill without reason. To act in such away is against the code of those that follow the darkness."
"Is that why you were trying to Kill Voldemort?" asked Harry. Because what he was doing was against your code?"
"No" replied Luther shortly. "While we may not approve of Voldemort's actions, what he and his followers do takes place outside of our sphere of interest. The order would not interfere. My reasons for wanting Voldemort dead are personal."
"What are they?"
Luther looked at him coldly.
"You don't need to know that Harry Potter. All that you need to know is that for my own reasons I will help you Kill Voldemort and fulfil the prophecy."
The vampire started to turn away, but Harry's next word stopped him.
"No"
Luther slowly turned back to face Harry.
"No?" he echoed.
"No" repeated Harry, his voice unwavering.
"Everyone uses that excuse. Says that I don't need to know, or that I'm too young to know. Well if you want me to accept this bond, if you want me to accept your help then I need to know why you want Voldemort dead!"
Luther stared at him and Harry could feel the building fury and bloodlust in the vampires gaze. He met it unflinchingly however, and after a short while the bloodlust faded from Luther's eyes.
The vampire started at him looking thoughtful before finally speaking.
"Yes. You have that right. You have been betrayed too many times by those close to you to take what I say on faith, and trust must be offered and earned.
Very well Harry Potter, I will tell you what you wish to know but in return you must swear an oath not to reveal a word of what I say to you. Not to anyone. Can you do this?"
Harry looked at Luther questioningly. "To no one? Not even t Dumbledore or my friends?"
"To no one Harry Potter." Repeated Luther. "If I cannot trust you to keep this promise then I cannot give you this information. Now are you willing to swear?"
Harry thought for a long minute before replying "Yes".
Luther nodded, and then brought his fist to his chest in an oddly formal gesture.
"By my immortal life. By blood and steel and before the darkness that eats all things I Luther, born of the blood of the dragon swear that what I will reveal to you is the truth."
Then Luther stopped and looked at Harry, obviously expecting something.
Harry thought frantically then cleared his throat. "By my life, by my magic and by all that I hold dear. I Harry Potter, son of Lily and James Potter swear never to repeat what is revealed to me to another."
Luther nodded, satisfied then he stared into the fire and began to speak.
He spoke for a long time.
He explained to Harry that due to an ancient treaty the Order of the Blood Dragon had little interaction with the Wizarding communities worldwide. By these treaties the Order did not involve themselves in the affairs of the Wizarding and Muggle governments. Likewise the governments left the Order to deal with the various vampire clans and enclaves worldwide. After all that was once of the primary functions of the order, to preserve the peace and administer justice to the various vampire clans. This was the reason that the Order had taken no action against Voldemort. They considered Voldemort to be a member of the Wizarding world and they were thus bound by the treaties to take no action and allow the Wizarding world to deal within him.
In fact the case with Britain was even more extreme than normal. In the distant past a great wizard, possibly even Merlin himself, had extracted a treaty from the Order which prevented all but one member of the Order from being in Britain or her isles at any given time. That single Order member was charged with ensuring that the Vampire enclaves in Britain, such as they were, followed the laws of blood.
"I am that Order member." Stated Luther.
"I have lived here for over two hundred years. More than Half my life.
In that time I became good friends, in truth more than friends, with the leader of an enclave."
Now Luther turned and stared at Harry
"You cannot know Harry Potter how the years of an immortal life can weigh on you. Seeing the world you know change beyond all recognition. Seeing your past and all you hold familiar disappear. For some of us it becomes too much to bear. Many of us retreat from all contact with the outside world. Others choose to end their own existence. Unable to bear the changes.
Even though we saw each other infrequently, we could find comfort with each other. We had a shared history, a shared past. In each other we found an anchor a constant in a changing world. She was a rare friend. One of few I have made and kept in my life."
Now Luther's expression changed his face tensing. But beneath the calm exterior Harry could tell the Vampire was struggling to control a building rage.
"Recently I returned from and extended period away from Britain. My duty to the Order called me away. When came back I went to my friend, eager to see her after my long absence. But when I did I found things had changed.
Her enclave was gone; her servants had left their ancient hold. And in the hold itself, standing exposed to the elements I found her skull."
Even though the vampire was speaking calmly, through the bond Harry could feel the building rage behind each word. Enthralled he listened.
"I scryed and performed charms to discover who was responsible, and I discovered that it had been Voldemort himself."
At this Harry looked shocked, but Luther only nodded calmly before continuing.
"He was responsible. He killed her to get command of her enclave. She would never have served him willingly, but by killing her he effectively bound her servants to his will. None of them would have the power to challenge him."
Now Luther faced Harry and this time the Vampire did not try to conceal the rage and bloodlust that made his blood red eyes seem to glow.
"So that is my reason Harry Potter." Spat Luther Harshly, his voice growing harsher and angrier with each word.
"I do not care of the damage Voldemort has done, of the innocents he has killed. That is an affair for the Wizarding world and of no concern to me.
But he has taken something precious from me. Killed a friend of mine. Someone I could trust. And in the world I live in that is almost beyond price.
Now Luther stopped himself. He did not take a deep breath, he had not breathed the entire conversation, but he seemed to gather and calm himself. When he spoke again his voice was almost normal.
"So I have a debt of blood vengeance to repay. I have vowed before my Lord to see Voldemort dead. But the only way I can keep that vow is to help you kill him. So know this I will stay near you and do my best to keep you alive until you can fulfil the prophecy. Whether you choose to accept my help in achieving that end or not is up to you."
Suddenly Luther looked up sharply. Then he rose from its seat.
"The hour grows early and I have other things to do this night before the sun rises. I suggest you think of what I have said Harry Potter. I will discuss it with you again tomorrow night. Until then get some rest. You will need it for your training."
Harry had just been settling back down, at these words he jerked upright.
"Training?"
At the door Luther turned and smiled at him. "Yes training. While you are here I will undertake to train your body and your mind. I will also try to train you in the arts of death."
"But I don't want to learn that!" yelled Harry angrily.
Luther shrugged. "What you want is irrelevant. I will teach you and you will learn whether you choose to use that knowledge or not is entirely up to you. Now rest Harry Potter. Rest knowing that you enjoy the protection my house this night and all the nights you are to remain."
And with these words the vampire left the room and shut the door. The glow lights around the room seemed to automatically dimmed and then go dark as he did so.
Harry settled down to sleep, the glow of the fire the only illumination in the room. But it was a long time before he found sleep. Luther had given him much to think on.
………………………………………………………………………………………
End of Chapter 3.
I would like to thank all those that have reviewed to date.
Corvus the Wizzy
FRED
Alex
Mannyaf1
Crazy-lil-nae-nae
And
Hn
I am sorry that it has taken me so long but unfortunately I don't think that I am going to be able to get the next chapters out much faster.
Work and other interests continue to make demands on my time.
For those curious as to the way the story will go, this will be a Dark Harry fic. But unlike others Harry's decent into darkness will be steady.
Harry will become very strong and very powerful, but this will take a while, it isn't going to be one of those fics where he suddenly gets a super power boost, at least not in the early stages.
Will Harry become a vampire, as yet undecided.
Will Harry return to Hogwarts for his 6th year, yes but at this stage it is looking unlikely he will stay for the entire 6th year. Something during that time will happen that will cause a great change in his life.
Well enough hints.
Please pass on any questions or suggestions that you have I'll be sure to address them.
And PLEASE REVIEW!
Until next time
DarkBlade
