CHAPTER EIGHT –

And that's why the Lady... Is a Vamp!

Hermione leaned back on the couch softly, draping her legs over Harry's lap, gently stroking his hand. The Ravenclaw common room, decked out in blue and bronze, had a relaxed atmosphere. Older Ravenclaws had objected to the presence of Harry, and the other 5th year Hufflepuffs being there, but once they'd sat down and spoken with him, seeing his incredible bond with magic, and the rather poisonous snake wrapped around his arm, they'd relented. Once Harry had explained about Ovo's fetish for snacks that had four legs and impressive ground speed, the Ravenclaw's had relaxed; they had a logical explanation as to why they wouldn't be bitten, so it was okay.

"Seriously, she isn't dangerous. A bit of a flirt, but no danger to you. Arrogant Slytherins or idiotic Gryffindors, on the other hand..."

Justin looked on in part fear, part delight, as Ovo wrapped herself round his neck, her head disappearing down his jumper.

§Do you think anyone would notice?§

Harry burst out laughing at the slightly bemused Hufflepuff. "She wants to know if she stays there, would anyone notice that she isn't your school tie?" Everyone laughed as she unwrapped herself from his neck, and slid further down his stomach, emerging from underneath his sweater, winking at Harry.

§Behold the mighty one-eyed trouser-§

"Ovo! No!"

Justin's smiled was erased from his face as he looked down in panic. "What?"

Harry just shook his head ruefully. "Never mind. She was just being a very, very rude snake." His snake slithered forward onto the nearby coffee table, coiling for a moment before heading towards Hermione, who lowered her hand casually, allowing the serpent to climb aboard. If it was possible for a snake to smirk, Ovophis would've been a serious contender to knock the mighty Gilderoy Lockhart off of his spot for most charming smile. As he shook his head, he noticed Shari lurking in the corner, playing with a ball of wool. If playing involved ripping it shreds, that is...

"Since we had such a good DADA lesson, does anyone want another?"

"Does it involve more Butterbeer?"

"Nope, but I do have a rather enormous slab of Honeydukes finest milk chocolate." He looked at everyone's amazed faces. "I can leave the school at any time, remember? If any one needs anything from Hogsmeade, just let me know, I can nip out and get it for you." The resulting cheers killed any remaining resistance to Harry and the Hufflepuffs being in the Ravenclaw's common room. "Susan, that applies to the Badgers as well. Lions and snakes can fend for themselves."

§Hey!§

"Apart from you, obviously." He shook his head. "Anyway, a lesson. This one is going to surprise you. Scare you, probably, but, hopefully, you'll open your eyes and learn something." He placed a large piece of bacon on the coffee table, as well a vial of red liquid.

"Someone name me a light creature. Something that is the epitome of the light."

"A phoenix!"

"Correct." Harry whistled a three-note tune through his teeth, and a flash of fire signalled the arrival of a bird diving at the coffee table. "This is Hedwig." The bird's wings flared open as she slowed her descent, landing gracefully on the table. She placed one talon on the bacon, and used her beak to rip a shred off, placing it on Hermione's knee. Ovo gratefully slid down her arm, swallowing the snack before climbing back up Hermione's bicep.

"Parselmouths are supposedly Dark wizards, and snakes are used in rituals using Dark magic. And yet, you just saw a Phoenix sharing food with a snake." Harry smiled to himself. "They occasionally try and disgust me by sharing a mouse in front of me. They even try and share it with me. Thanks, but I'll stick to food that's been introduced to fire." He chuckled, stroking Hedwig's white plumage.

Shari, ambling round the ankles of everyone sat on the couches, suddenly jumped in to Hannah Abbott's lap, settling comfortably while the blonde started stroking her.

"Ah, there you are, Shari. Flirting again?"

Meow.

Harry's face suddenly schooled itself into a carefully neutral expression. Hedwig bobbed along the table, and rubbed her head against the cat's, before flying on to Harry's shoulder. "So, you've seen a light creature. Think of a Dark creature. Something that has lost its humanity, that's as Dark as can be. Hannah?"

"A vampire?"

"Are you scared of vampires?"

"I don't know. Never met one. Professor Potter says that they're nothing but animals, and given a chance, he'd exterminate them all."

"Good old dad." he murmured under his breath. "And what do you think. Are vampires evil?" He looked around. "Anyone?"

A chorus of 'yes', with only Hermione's, Padma's and Susan's 'no's', floated round, but Harry was staring directly at Hannah. She pondered for a moment, and then shook her head. "I think that they're just like wizards. Some are good, some are bad; it's a matter of their choices."

"But what about their need for blood? They need to find on the living."

She smiled as she shook her head. "I've read the book for this one. They need blood, true, but can feed off of animals."

"So, if I went and found a vampire, and brought it here, you'd not be scared? You'd try to get to know the person before reaching for a sharpened table leg?"

"I would."

"Hermione?"

"Yes."

"Susan?"

"Yep."

"Padma?"

"Indeed."

Harry smiled. "Well then, it would probably interest you to know that you've got a vampire sitting in your lap, Hannah." He gestured to the cat. "Shari?"

The black cat suddenly morphed in to a devastatingly attractive girl, with pale skin and raven-black hair. As she changed shape, she was sitting in Hannah's lap, with one arm around the blonde girl's neck, while Hannah's arms were around the vampire's waist. "Hi." Using her free arm, she scooped up the vial off the table, and drank down the contents. Shari leaned in towards Hannah's ear. "You know, now that you've stroked my kitty, it's only fair that I stroke yours."

Hannah blushed a furious red, but nodded shyly, gently tightening her arms around the paler girl. Shari planted a kiss on the blonde's cheek, and looked around at everyone.

"Behold, a Dark and terrible animal that should be exterminated!" Harry's voice was mocking as he made his proclamation. Hedwig flew from his shoulder to land on Shari's thigh, stroking the bird, one shameless flirt to another. "Shari was 15 years old when she was turned, against her will. That was 72 years ago. She doesn't feed off of humans. That vial contained rabbit's blood. She is not evil. She is not planning to sneak in to your bed, late at night."

Shari leaned in close to Hannah, and whispered in her ear. "Don't be too sure on that." She straightened up again, and looked at the students around her, none of whom looked like they were planning on staking, beheading or burning her. No-one was nervously clutching a crucifix. It was a new experience for her, but one she felt that she could get used to very quickly. "I'm not evil, but if that skinny cat with the red eyes walks past me one more time, she's having it!"

"Mrs. Norris?" Ernie Macmillan looked gleeful. "Help yourself."

"Ernie!"

"Sorry, Hermione, but the blasted cat's a menace. You'll work up an appetite, though; she's a bit quick on the ground."

"Fast food." She smiled, and petted Hedwig some more.

"Harry, about your Phoenix."

"She isn't my Phoenix, Hermione." He looked down to find that she was holding his hand, and gently brushing the back of his knuckles with her thumb. It was... nice. "She's my friend. As are Shari and Ovo."

"But, well, it's just that..." Hermione paused as she tried to figure out the best way to say the next sentence politely. "She looks like an owl."

"She does. She was, originally, an owl. However, she died saving a life, and was allowed to return to this world. It's an interesting story." He paused as everyone suddenly sat down, clutching the bottles of won Butterbeer that Padma had kindly decided to share. "I guess you'd like to hear it."

Hermione gently squeezed his hand. "Please."

"Okay." He took a deep breath, as if centring himself. "As you may have heard in the Great Hall, I'm a Hunter. I've been doing it for a little over 8 years. Basically what we do is find and destroy evil creatures. The ones who've made the choice to be evil. Anyway, about 7 years ago, I was looking for a particularly nasty one..."


Harry crept through the abandoned warehouse softly, his boots making virtually no noise on the old stone floor. He'd learnt a lot in his 9 years of life; never believe you deserve something you haven't earned, always use the bathroom before taking a long journey, sometimes shit just happens, and, oh yeah, never trust a Potter.

Tracking a Vampire through the heart of Bristol definitely qualified as something he hadn't earned, but as a Hunter, it was something he did, and did well.

This particular vampire, Merrius Walker, was dangerous, as he'd been a particularly enthusiastic Death Eater before he'd been turned, and his own death and un-life didn't appear to have quenched his own pureblood supremacy ideals. And yet, he also feeds from Muggles. The irony is palpable. However, most vampires, while being powerful and ruthless, did not have Walker's potent magic to contend with. Magical vampires were rare, due to the inability of their sire to control them. Worse, though, was that Walker practiced Diablerie, or feeding on other vampires, to gain their power as well as his own. Harry, once he'd beaten enough sense in to people to be taken seriously, had laid down enough galleons to grease a path to his target.

With his back to the wall, he leaned close to a doorway, overhearing his target.

"...really think your father will find you in time, Lady Shari? No, you shall be a snack, and using your power, I shall take his. Clan Ventrue shall bow before me."

The voice that answered was young, sassy and full of defiance, but sounded weary. "My father will tear you in two."

Harry stepped around the corner, kicking open the door, clutching a wooden stake in one hand and a poignard in the other. "I'll help him." He thrust the stake forward, aiming straight at the heart of the vampire. Walker, catching the movement out of the corner of his eye, turned feeling the stake skip off a rib, leaving a trail off fire down his flank, but causing considerable pain.

"Who are you? Lek'golo, a Hunter," he exclaimed, recognising the small insignia on the blade. "They must really be desperate if they are sending children."

"Well, you know, they save the grown-ups for the really tough jobs. I get all the shit work."

"I shall enjoy gutting you, whelp." Merrius lunged forward, intent on eviscerating Harry with his razor-sharp talons, only to find his arm in an iron grip. Harry yanked him forwards, snapping a kick straight in his groin.

"You see, you may be undead, but you still have testicles. And although your heart may have stopped pumping, your pain impulses? Oh, those are working just fine." Harry pointed his hand at the vampire, who was on his knees, looking murderous. Pulling out his wand, Walker shot his most powerful cutting curse straight at Harry, who wasn't prepared for the vampire to recover so quickly.

A screech and blur of white blocked Harry's view, as Hedwig intercepted the curse aimed at him. An oddly quiet impact and a distressed hoot were the only indication that the curse had hit her, as Harry wheeled on Walker with a murderous look on his face. He held his hand out as he summoned a fireball, the Phoenix Flame, his signature manoeuvre, and tossed it at the vampire, who combusted to ash in barely a second. A screech in the air drew his attention back to his owl.

Harry watched in fear as Hedwig streaked downwards, blood staining her beautiful feathers, to land in an undignified mass on the ground. He rushed over to her, cradling her light body in his arms.

"No, not like this." He looked in to his familiar's eyes, trying desperately to find a way to save her. "Hold on, Hedwig. There must be a vet near here, or something."

Do not fear, Harry-wizard. This is not the end. Your journey will continue. How could I expect you to continue without me to bail me out? Harry smiled slightly through his tears. When I am gone, consign me to the flame, Harry-wizard. As Fawkes, through flame, gave you access to a new type of life, so you shall be for me. Her wing twitched feebly as the blood pouring out of her chest wound slowed. Seek me out, Harry-wizard, for I shall be your new light in the darkness. The sun raises in the East, and so shall I.With a last mournful hoot, Hedwig was still.

Harry used his fireball to incinerate her body, leaving behind nothing, not even ashes. He stood, wiping his tears away with the back of his hand, and wandered over to the captive girl, who was manacled to the wall. Blood was pouring from dozens of small cuts, marring a pretty face and lithe body.

He could immediately tell that the girl in front of him was a vampire, but he couldn't sense any dark intent from her at all. Is she... well... innocent?

He released her from the heavy shackles, and she fell upon him, the strength and bravery she had shown having exhausted itself, leaving her spent, weary and terrified. She held herself in Harry's arms, tears falling from her eyes like rain. After several minutes, she calmed slightly, brushing her tears away just as Harry had.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have cried on you after your owl... well... you know."

Harry smiled sadly. "I don't think that's the last I'll see of her." He raised his hand, and made a small incision in the fleshy part of his palm, watching the blood flow freely. He held his hand towards her. "You look like you need this more than me."

She gently took his hand, and began to suckle the fresh blood he was offering. "You knew?"

"Of course; I don't go offering flesh wounds to just any one."

"I meant before you untied me."

"Oh. Yes, I did. I then held you with your face against my neck for several minutes."

"Why?"

"You looked like you needed it."

"But you're a Hunter. Shouldn't you be trying to stake me now?"

"Probably."

"Are you going to?"

"Nope. Wouldn't have fed you if I was planning to stake you." He blushed for a moment. "Besides, I'm 9. I'm too young to be sticking things in girls. I'm Harry, by the way."

"Lady Shari Aphrodite LeCroix."

"Good manners, regal beauty. You must be Ventrue." She nodded. "Well, my job was to eliminate that Tzimitzce scum down there. Will you be okay?"

"Thanks to you, yes. I owe you a life boon. If you need me, I shall be there. So mote it be." She smiled softly. "And if you could avoid toasting me, that would be a bonus."

"I can't do all that much magic. My magical core isn't developed enough for serious combat, and I don't have a wand. A phoenix gift gives me this ability."

"You are the most mature 9-year old I have ever encountered."

"I've had to grow up in a hurry. I've had some... interesting teachers in magic and ethics."

Shari stood, and held out her hand. "You've made a friend this day, Hunter Harry. We shall go and meet my father, and see if you can make more."


"A week later, I was in a grimy alley in Merthyr Tydfil, following up on a lead of a hag who was trying to kidnap children. She'd managed to graze me with a stunner, slowing me down. She was about to finish me when a screech, a blur of white and a flash of flame announced the presence of my beautiful saviour here. The hag, unfortunately, found out that Phoenix's are creatures of flame in a rather warm welcome." He stroked the soft downy feathers, watching as Hedwig's amber eyes closed in pleasure. "I'm not sure if it was just the hag, but I know she gives me a very pointed look if I forget her when I'm cooking bacon." He looked at everyone. "Let this be a warning to all Birds and Badgers; if you see a beautiful white Phoenix in the air, then diving, beware; avatar of the Light or not, she's a thieving cow when it comes to sausages and bacon." He smiled, taking the sting out of his words, and he stroked her head.

Hedwig trilled mournfully, and flew upwards towards the windows. If you're going to tease me, Harry-wizard, then I shall go and amuse myself with Fawkes for a while.

"She'll be back later. Anyway, I made friends with Shari's father and clan, and Hedwig rescued me." He reached out and gently stroked Ovo. "You, on the other hand, just turned up one day and haven't left."

§If Hedwig hadn't dived on my mouse, then things would've been different.§

"Hmmm." Harry shook his head and smiled. "So, class, hopefully you've learnt something today; like Light and Dark magic being matters of intent, Light and Dark creatures are a matter of choices." He looked at Hannah, who was gently stroking Shari's back, and realised she'd made a choice that probably surprised herself more than anyone. "Now, since I've just realised that there's no way to reward the lesson I've just tried to teach, I'll pick up some Honeydukes for everyone."

Everyone nodded, and got back to their routine, while Hermione scooted a little closer to him on the couch. She leaned over and planted a kiss on his cheek.

"What was that for?"

"For being you, Harry." She squeezed his hand and leaned against him, finally comfortable with herself at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.


Harry was amusing himself by roller-blading round the Transfiguration courtyard, speeding under the covered walkways, dodging left and right, weaving between students. As he rounded the corner, he saw Hannah Abbott rushing towards him, looking elated and worried.

"Are you okay?"

She nodded, blushes lighting up her cheeks like a lamp.

"I take it you had a good night. I saw Shari as a cat this morning, and she looked like someone's been force-feeding her catnip. Very excited." He didn't think her blush could have increased, but, amazingly, it did. "I don't suppose you know anything about that, do you?"

Hannah squeaked, and was about to run, but Harry gently placed his hand on her arm. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to embarrass you. I've just not seen her this happy before."

"She's wonderful!"

"I know." He paused. "Probably not in the same way as you, mind, but still. So, what's the problem?"

"Last night, I made love to a girl five times my age. And it was incredible. But..." She looked lost.

"You don't know if what you feel is right, since she's a vampire, she's so much older than you, and you didn't know you were gay. Am I right?" She nodded. "I've known Shari for the last 7 years. I've known her inclinations for the last 6. And I know that she doesn't bed-hop, so if she's taken to your bed, then she feels something."

"But I'm not... I mean, I wasn't..."

"Vampires have an incredible sense of smell. They can pick up pheromones and signals that are just beyond us. She wouldn't have sat in your lap if you weren't at least open to the possibility. Are you ashamed of what you did?"

She shook her head forcefully, her pigtails whipping around her face.

"About 70 Ravenclaws and 8 Hufflepuffs saw you last night with a beautiful girl in your arms. Has one of them said something? Have any rumours been flying around at breakfast?" He shook his head. "She's beautiful, smart and caring. Enjoy yourself."

"What about... I..."

"Blood?" She nodded. "You don't have to do anything. For food, she'll find her own. But, if you're willing to share, it can be quite... stimulating. Between me and her, it's purely platonic. Between the two of you? She could probably show you some tricks that'll take your breath away." He hugged the blonde, and held her at arms length. "Look after her, please."

"I will." The blonde kissed him on the cheek and tore off towards her dorm, a smile on her face.

"Harry, you're a good man." Harry looked around behind him to find Hermione leaning against the wall. "She was scared of her reaction to Shari, and what people would say to her. I don't think she is any more."

"That's the thing; she was scared of her reaction, not Shari. They both deserve happiness. If they can find it with each other, then that's good."

She leaned forward and kissed Harry on the lips, before blushing and dashing away from him.

Harry shook his head, and resumed skating. "I'll never understand women..."