People mentioned how Edward seemed to be blowing things out of proportion with his "teen angst." This, in my opinion, is one of the weakest points in the book. I totally agree with all of you, but that idea didn't come from me. It was Stephenie Meyer who did it!
In the book he said that although he was hoping to find Bella alive when he arrived to the studio, a part of him was creating an emergency plan. He explained to her what the Volturi are and how he would have gone and pissed them off so they would kill him, I am just taking the cannon version of Edward and putting him in situations where he would hopefully grow and mature.
So, here we go…
Chapter 4
Superficial Acquaintance
"Are you going to tell me the reason I am graced with your presence?" asked Harry while holding a glass of wine filled with pure Dragon blood.
The blood was one of the strongest he could get, legally that is. Edward was too weak to be able to process the magical components in the creature's blood. Hence the need for a potion to dilute the powers of the Dragon blood. His body needed to be introduced slowly to the new diet. He hadn't started the process, feeling unnecessary for the time being to bother with the more advanced potion required for the next step. To be honest, he was not going to even order the ingredients if the other vampire was just going to waste his efforts by killing himself.
"If we are going to talk, I request to be moved to the living room" replied the portrait. Harry waved his wand lazily while walking to the room himself.
"You are never satisfied wherever I put you! If it's not the hallway so you can greet visits, it's the living room so you can have a pleasant conversation or my studio so you can annoy me while I work, or the kitchen in order for you to see how my potion skills are. Bloody hell Albus, you must have something better to do than to drive me crazy even after both of our deaths!"
"I am a talking portrait, what do you think? I have nothing better to do than see how my only 'living' friend is doing. A little more to the right my boy, I want to be able to see the whole room" Harry growled unmoving by the attempt of manipulation. "You do know that if you set up more blank portraits for me around your properties I could move more easily? Up, up, not so much, there perfect"
"And let you chase me around in my own house? I will never jeopardize the pleasure of knowing that I can always move to the next room and leave your insufferable chattering for a while. Conform yourself with having one in each property" the portrait huffed offended, but knew better than to fight a losing battle. Harry settled in his favorite couch, preparing himself to listen to whatever Albus wanted "Go ahead, tell me why you are here so early on a school term? The new headmaster couldn't have possibly locked you in a closet like the last. He's barely been in the position for two years!"
"I'll have you know that Frederick is quite charmed with my personality" Harry chuckled at that "He was merely trying to get information out of me that I wasn't willing to give"
"How to bleach your mouth to finally silence you? Because if that's the case count me in" Albus ignored the comment and continued speaking.
"He was curious as to where do I disappear every once in a while" Harry rolled his eyes.
"Haven't all headmasters been dying of curiosity to discover the secret?" Albus nodded in agreement.
"He is under the impression that I could be a hazard to the school. He is afraid I might be giving precious information to someone, I am not quite sure who that person or the information could be, but he burned my portrait while I was sleeping. The protections you have put around me warned me just in time" Harry was silent for a while, with his eyes fixed on the blood. He toyed absently with the glass, making circular motions. "I am afraid I encounter myself in need of a place to stay while things sort themselves out, and I was hoping to abuse of your hospitality"
"You know you are more than welcome to stay for as long as you need, of course, only if you are willing to endure my complains" they both look at each other with fondness. "I didn't pay too much attention to the new headmaster, I barely got a look at him before I left, so be frank with me Albus, is this fellow something we must worry about?"
"I don't believe we do. He is merely too paranoid, he was an Auror for far too long, and I believe he might have been an unspeakable at some point. But I see no real malice in his actions; Hogwarts is not to be underestimated, she will not allow the position to be taken by someone seeking to harm her charges."
"Is Minerva okay?"
"Minnie is quite alright; she has pretended to know nothing for long enough to be more than safe. She promised to keep us informed of the situation. I hope you are not bothered that I offered your home in case she needed to escape too"
"Albus, you ask me as if you didn't know me at all. She is more than welcome, and if she does appear I will provide her with her own portrait. She doesn't deserve the punishment of having to share with you" Harry's demeanor has relaxed after hearing Albus' observations "I will check on him either way, Meryl will surely forgive me if I break into her records"
"Don't you think it will be easier to ask her? Surely she will not deny you the request."
"But where would the fun be in that?" Albus chuckled.
"And you wonder why I still treat you like if you were eleven! You are still sneaking around in the dark at the first opportunity"
"What can I say Albus? The world is my playground now" with that Harry turned the conversation to more pleasant topics. Enjoying the presence of his longtime friend, and wondering where the devil his guest had gotten himself since two days ago. Oh well, he had a mission tonight, he could always look for him tomorrow.
Edward has been exploring Harry's house for three days feeling oddly childlike. In every room there was something he had never seen before. He had been trying to find the library; he assumed there was a library. The house was absolutely gigantic, he hadn't seen it from outside, but he guessed it must be monstrous to hold this many rooms. However the amazing thing about Harry's home was that it was filled with magic.
There were more moving portraits, mostly of creatures, some of which he had only ever heard about in legends. He especially enjoyed the rich rugs hanging off some walls. They all seem to tell stories, but instead of small images representing parts of the story, it was one big moving image. So far the most interesting one was about some sort of game played with brooms and 3 types of balls. Emmett would have loved it.
He also saw a laundry room where things were magically washing (much like in a Disney movie). Esme would hate it. He was actually waiting for someone to appear singing in the next corner. And although the idea was beyond ridiculous he couldn't help his mind from wondering around. He felt he was around a maze, or more precisely he felt he was in Alice in Wonderland; doors moved before he reached them, stairs going upstairs would suddenly be going downstairs, he would enter a room, only to be exiting in a strange place, or in the next door. It was a damn funhouse of terror. Edward opened a door, and a wave of heat hit him. There was a beach, a freaking beach behind the door. Complete with a sea and all. He closed the door frustrated.
Fine, he admitted he was lost.
"Argh this is impossible!" he started moving again towards the end of the apparently endless corridor. Suddenly he heard someone singing the… Wizard of Oz? What the hell?
"…we are off to see the wizard, the magical wizard of Oz, because, because, because, because, becaaaause, he is the magical Wizard of Oz" He turned around and saw a blond vampire, with only slight curls at the end of his perfectly groomed hair, going down, or more precisely skipping down, an invisible set of stairs. The vampire was dressed rather fashionable, with tight designer clothes, very colorful, and way too flamboyantly for his taste. Alice would love it. In his whole existence Edward had never seen a vampire so thin. Not even Alice, his features where rather aristocratic, and he must be just a little taller than himself.
"Harryyyyyy!" screamed the vampire in a singing voice marked with a slight French accent "second love of my life, come here right now!" the vampire then turned and saw him. "Ah! You must be… Edward" The new stray he picked up
"I beg your pardon?" asked Edward a little offended. The vampire just gave a look full of disapproval and resentment in his direction.
"Well, if you are any kind of gentleman, you must. You have been holding all of Harry's attention with whatever drama you have going on. I demand you to return him to his rightful owner. Me!" I bet you are only abusing of his hospitality. Edward wasn't quite sure how to deal with the accusations, spoken and non-spoken, or with someone so… extravagant.
"Francois, I am sorry to disappoint you, but the only thing you own is your vast collection of clothes and that mate of yours, you even seem unable to keep money" Edward hadn't noticed his appearance at all. Harry seemed to be extremely sneaky when he wanted to be. The blonde vampire grinned.
"Oh but dear, until you get yourself a real mate I called dibs on you" That of course only if I deem someone deserving enough. Harry laughed lightly and shook his head. "By the way, your house is misbehaving again"
"Yes, it seems she found particularly entertaining to mess with my guest" he then directed his attention to said guest "Edward my apologies, I should have foreseen that my house would find it irresistible to play with you. This is Francois, a very old friend of mine. And Francois, stop harassing my guest or I will throw you out to Cotton" Francois sneered at Harry.
"I am barely over 130! You have no right to call me old when you are so bloody ancient! And you will keep that ball of fleas away from me or I shall ask Bryan to defend my honor!" Although I doubt Bryan will actually go against Harry. He always takes his side!
"As you can see Edward, Francois is a little eccentric and is not quite well in the head. Just ignore him, it's what sane people do" Francois didn't seem bothered at all by the comment, and moved towards Harry, kissing the air next to both his check, and after separating, tapping his foot impatiently. Harry shook his head in resignation and offered his arm, which Francois took too happily in Edward's opinion. "Edward, I do believe it will be wiser for you to follow us until I can get my house under control"
A set of stairs appeared in front of Harry's and Francois path. He followed them, not wanting to get lost again. During the short time it took them to get downstairs, Francois start humming, while singing in his head. "Dites-moi pour quoi, la vie est belle? Dites-moi pour quoi, La vie estgaie? Dites-moi pour quoi, chèremademoiselle, estceque, par ceque, vousm'aimez"
"Is that who I think it is?" asked Albus when they entered the living room.
"Albus!" exclaimed Francois and ran towards the room. Harry smiled fondly.
"Doesn't he get exasperating after a while?" asked Edward softly so that the other vampire wouldn't hear.
"He is one of the very few close friends I have" explained Harry to Edward simply "After he was transformed, he killed his Sire, accidentally of course, I was lucky enough to find him before he found any humans. He is quite charming when he wants to be"
"Stop talking behind my back!" growled Francois I am the only one allowed to criticize people here!
"Now, now Francois, put your Sunday manners in front of the guest, I won't say it again" replied Harry "I have to say that jealousy doesn't suit you my dear"
"Nonsense, everything suits me" responded the blond while taking a seat in one of the couches. "Argh Harry, look at this place it's so… common and vulgar, and cheap" Waste of the fortune in his hands.
"I will not waste away money in furniture I barely use. And besides, I quite like it, is practical. Now, I don't go around making comments about your taste do I?"
"I am not commenting on your taste, since clearly you have none" And mine is impeccable after all. The vampire proceeded to cross his arms and pout "You have been neglecting me! My wedding is on its way and I am freaking out and my bride's maid is not there to help me!" Harry snorted, while indicating to Edward to sit. He moved his wand and also sat.
"Do you mean to tell me that you and Bryan finally came to an agreement?" Three wine glasses came from the kitchen and moved in front of each one of them. Edward noticed that the smell coming from his was less intense than the one coming from Harry's. Francois cup seemed to smell completely differently, the shade of the blood was quite bright, it also smelled very sweet and vanilla like.
"Pure Veela blood, my favorite!" exclaimed Francois pleasantly after taking a sip. "And no, Bryan still insists you will be his best man, I shall use everything in my power to see that you aren't" Maybe if I make him choose between sex or giving up on Harry as best man…
"Look, as I say before, I will not involve myself in this discussion. And how exactly are you freaking out?"
"Well I am not exactly freaking out, but I might! And I want you there if I do" I miss you! We haven't seen each other in ages! Harry snorted again, and then he frowned.
"Wasn't Bryan coming with you?"
"He decided to stop and visit Kurt and the lot of them before making his way" he then directed his attention towards Edward "Harry has been awfully secretive about you. He refuses to tell me anything beyond your name, and the fact you were bad enough to get unconscious. Tell me more about you, like how old are you?" What are your intentions? He demanded.
"I am 104" replied Edward briskly, while narrowing his eyes and tensing.
"And it's none of your business Francois, you can't harass people for information. Especially not one of my guests in my own house" the tone on Harry's voice carried some sort of warning, for Francois nodded seriously and backed up.
"Just trying to get to know him, no need to get defensive" I just need to get him alone and see what the hell he wants with Harry. The sounds of low barking interrupted whatever he was going to say next. A second later the door opened and closed, and a slight unpleasant smell reached Edward's nose. A bulky figure appeared in the doorway and Harry stood up to greet him happily. From what Edward could tell, the man's build was more like the pack of La Push than Emmett. However his scent wasn't quite that bad, it did have a sort of wildness that kept him on edge. He had short dark brown hair and his features were quite rough.
"Bryan you bloody bastard! I see you finally decided to come visit me" smiled Harry while clasping his right hand with his and giving him an affectionate one arm hug with the other. The newcomer corresponded enthusiastically and replied teasingly.
"Well grandpa, you know things are not how they used to be way back when and can't come to visit all the time. I am all grown up now and have responsibilities to take care of!" Miss you too mate. He took a seat next to Francois and passed an arm around his shoulders. They locked gaze and smiled adoringly to each other, their minds filled with images of moments together. Edward felt a sharp pain at the happiness and love they displayed for each other.
"Oi! None of that on my couch! I'll have you separated until the wedding if you start making out"
"You wouldn't dare!" exclaimed Francois. He would.
"Wanna try me?... Edward, are you quite well?" he asked when he saw the pained expression.
"Yes, quite. I am sorry if I appear to be rude, but are you a…" he left the question hanging towards Bryan.
"Werewolf? Well yes of course" And don't tell me, you are a… vampire! Answered Bryan not at all bothered by the surprised appearing in Edwards face.
"And you two…" started before being interrupted, he realized it was happening more and more often since he met Harry.
"Together?" Mates, gay, from different species, going to marry? "Yes" replied Bryan again with a slightly more tensed body. He says one bad thing about us and, so help me Merlin, I am lighting him on fire, and buying a new couch for Harry.
"That's unusual" replied Edward still surprised. Harry and Bryan laughed at his reaction; Francois simply rolled his eyes and sipped his cup, curling against the werewolf. Edward then came to a shocking realization. "I can't read your mind" he whispered looking at Harry after trying unsuccessfully to get anything from him. "I can't read your mind" he said again with more conviction, but a shakier voice.
Edward was too ashamed to say it aloud. However, the facts were too clear to be able to lie to himself. He was on the bridge of having a panic attack. He escaped from the living room and exited the house. Cotton was nowhere in sight. The air didn't seem to get to his lungs fast enough. And it was ridiculous, because he didn't need air, it didn't stop his breath from coming laboriously. His shirt felt constricting, and his whole body was shaking. His legs weren't strong enough to support him, and before he realized he was on his knees.
"Edward?" Harry's voice was soft, and his movements deliberately slow.
Edward laughed almost hysterically, too stubborn to cry, he hugged himself trying to keep the emptiness from spreading across him. Harry was standing before him now, giving him a wide enough breach between them in order to not overwhelm the distressed vampire.
"Edward, I need you to calm down" it sounded like a request, but Edward could heard the soft command behind it. His whole body seemed to start relaxing instinctually at the order. Edward wished he could hate Harry, he wanted to feel the pain of the loss; and as awful as it sounded, he was too grateful for the short moments of peace where he would forget about Bella. "I won't push you Edward if you decide not to answer, but I will ask you once and I expect an honest answer, are you ok?"
Edward didn't move an inch. It was clear he wasn't ok. He refused to answer; it was not Harry's problem. In a subconscious level he knew, the reason he refused to talk to the older vampire was out of resentment. Bella had been the only person or vampire that could keep her mind shielded from his power. He resented this vampire for sharing a trait that he associated only to Bella. He resented him for making her unique ability seem less special.
She was meant to be with him, they complemented each other. His family believed that the reason they were perfect for each other was the fact he could not read her. He needed to get to know her in order to understand her. No one ever told him as much, but he had read it from all of them.
"Very well then, I'll return to Francois and Bryan. You may come in the house whenever you felt like it" Harry turned elegantly and walked back inside. The small calm he had gained with Harry's presence left him, and it was replaced with rage. How could he? How could he demean one of the pillars of his and Bella's relationship without even trying to? He stayed outside for a few hours, getting angrier and angrier with each second. He stormed inside the house, following Harry's scent until he found him inside a studio sitting comfortably behind the desk. His feet resting on the desk while he read a file in concentration.
"Why can't I read your mind?" he asked in a half growl. His body shaking now, in rage.
"It's a brand of magic; Occlumency. A pain to master, in simple terms, it allows the user to guard his mind." He raised his eyes to meet Edward's "I was quite curious whether you had a gift or not" He gave an assessing look to the younger vampire "It seems quite fitting for you to read minds, you strike me as someone that needs to know everything to be satisfied" with that he returned to his paper dismissing Edward entirely.
"Can you take it down?" asked Edward while approaching the desk, trying to get Harry's full attention.
"Naturally, I haven't done so in… I can't remember, probably 400 years ago" he waved his hand in an indistinct fashion; he frowned at something in the file.
"Take it down!" he ordered getting even angrier at Harry's nonchalant attitude. Harry raised his eyes and met Edward's.
"I guard very jealously my mind Edward. You are a guest here, and there is no relation between us beyond superficial acquaintance. I have known mortal enemies better than I know you, you are free to close the gap at any given time" he closed the file harshly "I see no reason why you deem necessary for me to take down my shields. Furthermore, you are my guest, and I will not be ordered around in my home. I have been patient with you and haven't asked more than you are willing to give. I demand you to have the same courtesy or leave immediately"
"You don't understand! I need you to!" he expressed desperately. He needed to see his mind, assure himself this vampire was nothing like his Bella.
"You are right, I don't understand. How could I if you don't tell me?" Harry stood up, while the file vanished from his hands. "Tell me why Edward, what's so important that you need to invade my privacy? I may think about it if you give me a good enough reason"
"I… I couldn't read her mind. That had never happened to me before, that is until now" he explained lamely, now he was saying it out loud it seemed quite foolish "I… always assumed we…"
"You were meant to each other because of that" finished Harry for him, Edward nodded.
"Among other things" added weakly after a moment.
"Like?" pressed Harry gently.
"She was fascinating, didn't fear me for one second, we couldn't stay away from each other. Her blood was the most alluring thing I have ever encountered" named Edward, while Harry frowned.
"La tua cantante" muttered Harry while passing a hand through his hair and messing it more. "It shows a rather impressive self-control that you didn't drink from her at first opportunity"
"It was close" admitted Edward, the curiosity of the terms used by Harry growing. Harry's eyes narrowed and looked closely at Edward.
"You are aware of all the consequences of a prolonged exposure to your singer?" Edward blinked, confused.
"Beyond the blood lust?" he asked unsure. Harry deflated considerably; it was clearly not the answer he was looking for.
"I am afraid not. How long where you in a relationship with this Bella?"
"Around 7 months" Harry hummed in understanding "Care to inform me of your discoveries?"
"I rather let you read it from a book. I am afraid should I tell you myself you will react badly and I will be forced to subdue you. Let it rest for now, I will give you your answers in time" Edward was puzzled by the answer, but Harry was unmoving with his resolve, even after much prodding and digging. Amazingly the wizard could be even more stubborn than him.
Finally he snapped at Edward, warning him that one more comment of the topic and he will silence him with a spell. He waved his wand and all the papers in the desk started floating to different parts of the room. In the end Edward decided to ask a question that has been burning him since he found out magic was real.
"How does magic work?"
"I don't get it" complained Edward. Harry gave an exasperated sigh.
"This is why magic is only explained when you are eleven and fucking gullible" muttered Harry angrily. Albus' laugh filled the room. "Oh cease that immediately you old fool!"
"I believe Harry, that since I am a portrait, you are in fact older than me" Edward could have been imagining it, but there was a twinkle in Dumbledore's eyes. "And do please moderate your language; time has done more than enough to murder the English language as it is"
"We have already had this conversation before, I refuse to have it again" Harry stood up, and after sparing a look to Edward he passed a hand through his hair in frustration. "I can't believe it. Your stubbornness to accept the facts in front of you is actually eating my patience"
"Not that you ever had much to begin with" muttered the portrait, and was ignored by both vampires.
"I just don't get how magic works! It has to have a reasonable explanation" Harry covered his face with his hand and groaned in defeat, suppressing the need to scream at Edward's logic. They have been doing this for hours.
"That's it. Albus take over; I am going to have a shower. It's your turn to deal with the unbelieving, I had my share back with Churchill, I still haven't quite recovered from that conversation" with that confusing statement Harry left the room.
"What did he meant by that?" asked Edward puzzled.
"The Second and First Wars were not only muggles, non-magical people, affairs. Harry was the unspoken commander of the magical forces. In both occasions he made sure to work alongside with both governments at the time. The few people that were aware of his existence frowned at most of his decisions, but Harry's name carries a lot of weight in our world. However his decisions proved to be right and all his efforts were rewarded when the magical community was hardly affected" Edward blinked surprised at the information.
"It seems odd that a vampire would concern himself with the mortal's affairs" remarked Edward.
"Ah, yes, a curse and a blessing if you ask me. Harry has a natural weakness to help those in need. It was so engraved in his human nature that unsurprisingly it survived the transformation" Albus smiled "But we are getting off topic here. Tell me Edward, do you believe in God?"
"I used to" he responded sincerely. The portrait raised an eyebrow at that but didn't comment.
"Is explanation needed for faith? Do those that believe need a tangible proof of that omnipotent being they called God?" Edward nodded to show he was following the explanation. "Most wizards don't believe in a religion, or more accurately in a God. The concept of things appearing out of nothing is not foreign to us. We believe in magic. To us it is as vital as air to mortals, or blood to vampires. It keeps us alive. You strip magic away off a wizard and you are striping him away of his essence, or life force if you will"
"I see; does that mean there is no way of knowing how it works?" after experimenting with all the process of humanity, and more importantly, the discovery of science, Edward felt oddly bothered by the idea of magic.
"Many wizards and muggles have asked questions about the universe. If the mortal philosophers are unable to agree on the most basic things, how do you expect anybody to understand something as complex and beautiful as magic?" Edward nodded, still digesting the idea of an inexplicable force capable of doing almost anything with just a wave of a stick.
"Is a wizard's magic part of their soul?" Albus took his moment to answer his question.
"Yes and no. A wizard without a soul cannot perform magic, he will be just a shell, he will be alive yes, but there would be no life in him, and in consequence, magic will abandon him. On the other hand, a wizard without magic is simply dead. Reason why vampires cannot be created from wizards. The venom, in a way, destroys mortality, and magic is much too wild to be trapped in the same body for eternity." Albus paused before deciding how to continue his explanation.
"Unless forced to, magic will never help a wizard to remain in this world forever" He smiled, and there was some pride in his stance at the next statement. "Magic is sentient, and Harry's magic decided to stay with him even after immortality had claimed him. His magic must have found him worthy enough to trust herself into his command. You can imagine how precarious is to be giving the power of magic alongside immortality."
Edward nodded, a new respect for Harry growing. If a thing as simple as reading one's mind made Aro raise to power, he shuddered to imagine what could be accomplish with magic. He offered an observation that had started bothering.
"A wizard without soul is like a vampire then? We are in a sense alive, but we have no soul."
"What makes you say that?" asked a voice from behind him. He turned to see Harry with his arms crossed, inclined against the doorframe.
"How can we have souls if we are meant to take life away from humans to survive?" he couldn't help the bitterness in his tone.
"How can humans have a soul, when they kill to feed themselves?" Harry uncrossed his arms, and walked towards him in an imposing manner; he was so full of confidence that Edward couldn't help but feel drawn to him. "What makes humans better than a deer, so that taking their life would be so unforgivable? Humans may be able to think and talk and reason, but a wolf would never kill out of malice alone. He kills to survive, humans kill for very little."
"Yes, but humans have a soul, they are capable of showing, selfness, love…" Harry cut him off.
"According to you humans have souls because they are able to feel love. I have loved, you claim to have loved, or where you lying about Bella?" Edward stood up offended; Harry however didn't wait for his reply. "You are in pain, mourning a loss. How could you not have a soul if you are capable of feeling?"
Edward remained silent. Harry took that as his cue to continue "Vampires are capable to show every emotion that a normal human feels. What's more, we feel more intensely, all the qualities of humanity are further enhanced in us. Being selfish, greedy, stubborn or merciless, it's all part of human nature, and it's easier to bask in those traits than in our virtues. However, we love, protect and mourn more strongly. You fell in love with a human, again, how could you if you didn't possess a soul?"
"Yes I loved her. However her blood never stopped calling me, I managed to contain myself, I fell in love, and what good did that to her? It only led her to her death. I may as well have killed her with my own hands" the pressure in his chest was growing, the guilt moving inside of him, destroying any peace he had found so far.
"Continue to blame yourself for the actions of others, and you will never be judged by your own worth" stated Harry casually. "I don't kill humans if I can help it. But I have participated in many wars, and have taken many lives in order to save more. I have seen the goodness and darkness of humanity. It's nature to have a creature kill another for their flesh, what's so different about blood? Either way, you did not take her blood, temptation matters very little as long as we do not give into it."
"If you are so sure that feeding of mortal is not so horrible, why do you not kill in order to feed?" spat Edward with a little more force than necessary.
"Why kill if the possibility to not do it is there? I respect life, is as simple as that."
"I wish I could have your convictions. I condemned Bella by letting her associate with a soulless creature like me" Harry looked at him intensely; he didn't dare to break eye contact.
"What if I could prove to you that you have a soul?" the question made Edward freeze.
"Harry, if your train of thoughts is what I believe, I do beg you to reconsider. It is less than wise." commented Albus.
"How?" Edward asked suspiciously. He ignored the small feeling of hope that made its way around the guilt and self-loathing.
"Magic is not just filled with unicorns, rainbows and cheerful spells that make the world a better place. There are dark creatures out there that form as much part of our life as anything else. You think vampires are dark and soulless? We are the image of goodness compared to others" he appeared a book opened at a seemingly random page. "I was planning on giving this to you so you could read some facts you seem to be clueless about vampires. However, I think you will find this even more interesting."
"Harry there is no need for drastic measures" complained the portrait again.
"For the stubborn, ignorant and unbelieving there is no other way than drastic measures" replied Harry, before handing him the book. "Read about them, and if you ask me, I will take you to them" Edward grabbed the book and read the headline.
"What are they?" he felt that by the warnings of Albus and Harry's seriousness it was not an answer he should look forward to. Harry was already out of the room by the time he finished his question. Albus sighed defeated and spoke.
"Read and think about what you learn carefully. I have seen some of the bravest men fall under their mere presence. But more importantly, even the most ignorant fool out there knows better than to seek them willingly. To fear them is a wise thing, not cowardly. What Harry is offering is madness, but I am afraid I must conceal to his point. It is most regretful, but he may be right about needing drastic measures to open your eyes" and with that statement the old wizard left, leaving him alone with the book.
"Dementors" he read out loud this time.
So sorry for the lack of updates! I promise I haven't abandoned the fic, I have plans to start writing again on July 2012 when I am free from uni and work.
