Arthur did as he was told, albeit reluctantly. He stood from under the table and picked up his bag full of stolen ingredients, avoiding Snape's glare.

The professor folded his arms. "Explain yourself."

"I-I got this note from a giant zombie telling me to go to a cave in the Forbidden Forest and I wouldn't have gone but it threatened me and it was also concerning family so I went and in the cave there was this vampire that gave my this list of ingredients for potions that he wants I don't know what they're for but I just want to do what he says so me and the school and everyone stays safe and-

"Enough." The elder mage ended Arthur's rambling then stretched out a hand.

Arthur, unsure of what the professor wanted, handed over the list of ingredients. Snape scanned the list, dark eyes flicking from left to right several times before stopping. Snape returned to list to Arthur. He then reached into his coat and produced a small phial of silvery liquid and gave it to Arthur. Arthur took the phial in both hands, and looked at the master wizard in awe.

"Thank-" Arthur began.

"Begone."

Arthur nodded and hurriedly walked around Snape and out of the classroom, resisting the urge to look back.

He had not expected to be let go so easily. Maybe Snape knew something Arthur didn't?

Of course he does.

More specifically, did Snape know something about this vampire and zombie situation? He conveniently had a sample of what Arthur could only assume to be unicorn blood...

What would this have been used for if not given to me?

Despite the confounding mystery of Snape. that would surely haunt him even beyond his time at Hogwarts, Arthur made his way back to the common room. Once among his housemates, Arthur gave quick look around. Penelle was nowhere to be found. Perhaps she was in her room? Arthur did not go to look for her, he had potions to make. He entered his room and poured all of the contents of his bag onto the desk. Next, he put away all of his books leaving only his text on potions which he opened and read briefly.

The principle ingredients of the first potion were the blood and rose oil. The Flitterbloom and pomegranate were simply modifiers, Flitterbloom to speed the reaction and pomegranate to multiply the blood.

"Vampires need blood to live..." Arthur mumbled to himself.

The blood in the potion would make the vampire stronger. Needless to say helping a dark being increase in power was questionable at best and dangerous at worst. Then Arthur remembered the effects of rose oil from his class.

"It reverses the effects..."

Arthur flipped through his book to confirm this and then pondered. If he understood correctly this potion actually would weaken or even kill the vampire instead of strengthening him. It didn't make sense. Why would a vampire want a potion that would spell its demise? When Arthur looked on to phase two things became more clear.

Silverweed and Lavender were both medicinal in nature and Moly petals provided protection from darkness. Only after reading from the potions book once more did Arthur learn that unicorn blood restored life even from the brink of certain death. When taken together, phase one killed a vampire and phase two restored life and healed the body.

Is this... a cure?

Before Arthur could consider that notion a knock came from the door. He stood from the desk and went to answer. One of his housemates handed him one letter of which there were several in her other hand.

"Thanks." Arthur took the envelope and the girl smiled before going to the next room.

He returned to his desk and saw that it was another letter from his mother. The news had gotten worse from the first letter to the second. Arthur hesitantly opened the envelope, his hopes not high for this letter.

My dearest,

When your father first went missing I was optimistic. We have overcome so much in our time together, even before you were born. Your grandmother couldn't stand the thought of her daughter marrying not just a black man but a muggle as well. Our families spat like children, it was truly embarrassing. However I loved him regardless of all that. He was strong, skilled, caring... an incredible husband and father. I still love him, but I fear we may never see him again.

His brothers have neither returned nor sent word. I haven't spoken to them since I last wrote you. I suspect they have been drained magically, just as your aunt was. Nothing remains of her. Her mind was taken by a Death Eater, as was her livelihood. Your father, however, became something different, something wicked and bloodthirsty. I tried to help him but he fled. He may try to contact you, Arthur. Do not listen to him, whatever the cost. It's just too dangerous. I can't afford to lose both of you...

Your loving mother, Evelyn

Arthur stared wide-eyed at the letter, disbelief written on his face although none would see.

"The vampire is my father?"

If that was true, then were his uncles among the Inferi he fought with Sipher in the cave? Arthur folded the letter slowly, unsure. His mother said to not listen to his father but that was out the window, a warning that came a few days too late.

Both Penelle and now his mother had expressed how they didn't want Arthur to do what the vampire, possibly his father, asked. However, they did not know of the nature of his request. His father did not seek to increase his power, he sought a cure and a return to humanity. Arthur debated shortly before going to his ingredients to make the potions. He could always change his mind on giving them to the vampire if new information was gained.

Arthur began with the first potion labeled as 'phase one'. Arthur broke the dried pomegranate in half and added its red-violet kernels to an empty potion glass. Afterward the Flitterbloom and Rose Oil were added. Finally Arthur needed the kindred blood. The vampire had never explicitly stated that he and Arthur were related but the hints given were unmistakable. If the potion was for the vampire as Arthur assumed and it required blood from a relative of said vampire then Arthur guessed his own blood would be good enough. He took out his wand with his left hand and aimed at his right.

"Cruor Vulnus," he uttered.

The skin of his palm tore open and Arthur ground his teeth to keep from crying out. He blinked away tears and raised his wounded hand so the blood that came forth would drip into the glass. His whole arm trembled with pain as his hand bled for several seconds. When Arthur felt he had enough of his blood in the jar he leaned over to his dresser to grab a sock. He wrapped the sock around his bloody hand then moved to make the next potion.

To a different potion glass the medicinal plants, Silverweed and Lavender, were added as were the petals of Moly. Finally Arthur took out the phial Snape had given him and unscrewed the top. It certainly looked like unicorn blood and if it wasn't there wasn't much Arthur could do about it. He poured in the silvery liquid and then picked up wand to tap lightly on both glasses. A wisp of smoke rose from both potions, one dark red and the other a brilliant white. With the potions done, Arthur corked both of them and put them aside.

He put away his potion book and pulled out his astronomy book in preparation for the class he had tomorrow. The next meeting would be unique according to Professor Sinistra. All Arthur needed was a perfect score. He flipped through his book but couldn't remember the assignment Sinistra had given. So much had been going on in the last few days, especially the weekend that just passed, that he was forgetting assignments left and right.

Olmeir would know...

Arthur sighed while reaching for his wand with his good hand. It was unlike Olmeir to hold grudges or even get upset in the first place. He kept his emotions contained which meant he probably wouldn't be angry with Arthur. However, Olmeir could still be distant because of their latest conflict. In the end, there was only one way to know and the air needed to be cleared between them.

Arthur closed his eyes and thought of Olmeir. "Sermo Mentalis," he whispered.

An extrasensory connection was made with Olmeir's mind and through Olmeir's eyes, Arthur could see he was reading a very technical manual of some kind.

"Olmeir, can you hear me?" Arthur thought.

"Get out of my mind, I'm studying," Olmeir droned.

"Wait! I-" Arthur paused mid-thought. "I'm sorry about fighting with you."

Olmeir looked up from his reading. "What do you want?"

"I want to make sure we're still friends."

"We are."

"Cool..." Arthur said. "So what was the homework for astronomy?"

"There was no homework," Olmeir informed. "Sinistra said to bring your star chart, that is all."

Before Arthur could respond he felt Olmeir's consciousness leave his. Arthur put his wand away and stood to give a quick glance around his room. Where had he left his star chart last? He checked in his closet and on his shelf before checking under his bed. There he found the star chart and soon after he had the scroll rolled out on his desk. It held drawings Arthur had made throughout the course of astronomy class.

At this point most of the chart had been diagrammed, stars and planets outlined exactly as Sinistra had illustrated. However there was a lack of information in the upper right corner of the page. Arthur couldn't think of what belonged there off the top of his head. Maybe she hadn't gone over it yet? Arthur was unsure but at least he was ready for class tomorrow according to Olmeir. If fact he had a notion to go to bed right then and be well rested for the morning. However something was nagging at him, something unresolved. He spoke with Olmeir but not with Sipher but there was something else.

"Penelle..." he mouthed.

She asked if he loved her and he did not give a direct answer. Arthur could easily say he liked her but love was harder to say. He was unsure of how he felt beyond the obvious feelings. The only reason she asked that was because she didn't want Arthur to do anything dangerous with the vampire. However, as Arthur had recently learned, the situation wasn't dangerous at all.

The potions were meant to cure the vampire, not make him more powerful. Arthur sighed. Even if he explained all of this new information to Penelle, there would still be the issue of their relationship. Arthur walked out into the common room and kept going until he reached Penelle's room. He stopped just outside, hesitant before finally knocking on the door.

"Come in," she sung.

Arthur walked in to find Penelle laying down on her bed. "Hey."

"Hello," she replied, face still buried in her pillow.

Arthur sat down beside her and she turned on her side to look at him.

"I thought about what you asked..." he said while taking her hand gently. "...in the library."

"It's okay to say 'no'." Penelle smiled. "I just wanted to help."

Arthur made a face, undecided on how he would respond. "First I have to tell you something."

He breathed in and held Penelle's hand, looking at her sheepishly. "So the vampire? He might actually be my father," he told her. "Also the potions he wants are a cure for him to be human again."

Penelle was silent for a while. "Okay..." she said slowly after processing what Arthur said. "That's good, I guess?"

"I mean, have to help my father," Arthur asserted. "Plus it won't be as dangerous as we once thought."

Penelle pulled her hand away. "So what does that mean for us?" she yawned.

"Well, you're beautiful, caring, even strong when you need to be..." Arthur swallowed. "I really like you a lot..."

Penelle looked at Arthur and pulled blond curls out of her face. She seemed to smile at him again but Arthur wasn't sure. She had fallen asleep.

Arthur stretched out beside her and slept as well.