Undead Secrets
Disclaimer: Once again, thats right yet again I am telling you that I do not awn anything within the Harry Potter world.
A/N: Oh my goodness! So another long chapter for you awsome readers! And yes, there will be no more Parts in A Deal to be Made. I'm thinking about three to four more chapters before this stroy ends, but my plans never work out the way I, well the way I plan them to.
I have to thank my wonderful beta Steve2 and for letting me use his imagination! On that point, I would like to say that the Helsome Threesome ( the H3) was all his creation and those three are his characters. Thinking back now, I honestly dont know where my story would be without those three, they certainly spice things up a notch thats for sure.
Thanks again to all those who reviewed! I couldnt belive all the reviews I got just for the last chapter alone! I should leave evil cliffies more often! No I'm kidding, I try not to do that, if I feel its a good spot to end a chapter then I take it, I didnt mean to leave you all hangin' like that! Honestly I didn't!
You believe me don'cha?
No? (sigh)
Well... I'm just plain rambling now... so without further ado... read on fanfiction lovers, read on!
Chapter 11: A Deal to be Made Part 3
-o0o-
Silence.
The sounds of the people around him, laughing, talking, yelling; it all faded away. A faint murmur, a ringing in his ears.
He could almost hear someone, something calling him. He could feel it, a wave of fascinating power. It washed over him until it was all he could feel.
And just like that, like it never happened. The reality of it all came crashing back in a world of sounds. It was all muddled together, he couldn't make out a single coherent word, coherent sound.Squinting his eyes, he tried to block it all out, tried to grasp hold of something, anything sturdy. It was overwhelming. The sheer power he was feeling had him disoriented to the point he couldn't form a single thought that made any sense at all.
So he stood, stock still, hard emerald eyes scanning the crowd for any indication of where that power was coming from. The vampires: he could tell they were watching him. But they were waiting for something, some sort of signal. He paid them no heed, he needed to find that power, that was the only thing that mattered and it wasn't coming from any of the vampires, they couldn't hold such a controlled, beautiful ability.
He couldn't find it. That force that was calling him. Right in front of him, yet out of reach, out of sight.
A shrill, broken scream. It sounded disoriented kind of like when someone screams under water.
Stillness.
It was gone, that intoxicating power was gone, right when the scream pierced through his mixed and foggy brain, and for a second, he was angry – angry at whoever screamed, whoever made that feeling go away.
Harry shut his eyes and shook his head. Someone had screamed, someone was hurt, someone was getting attacked.
That solitary thought snapped his brain back to the present.
Vampires. Vampires in Hogsmeade.
"Harry!"
His hand shot out and clung to the fabric of the person next to him, the person that was relentlessly trying to get his attention. Well he had it now. He pulled the boy closer, a mere inch from his own face. It was Neville. Harry didn't look at him; his own eyes flickered through the crowd with new purpose; to find the source of that scream.
"Get everyone back up to Hogwarts," he hissed.
It wasn't a suggestion; it was a harsh command that left no room for questions.
Harry finally tore his eyes away from the mingling people, people that never heard the scream, the scream that was heard for Harry's ears only.
Neville was staring right at him with wide confused eyes, his hot breath sending prickles up Harry's neck. Harry turned his head slightly to the side so he could look at Neville. Ron and Hermione were behind him, he could feel it, feel that they were about to ask questions. Now was not the time for questions.
"Now!" he snarled through clenched teeth and let his hold on Neville release. Without another word or so much as a backward glance Harry tore through the crowed streets, pushing past people, completely ignoring the mad calls and cries at his back.
He had a new objective. And he intended to get it done.
So he ran full tilt, or as fast as he could with so many people around. Too many. He hoped to god Neville would do as he told him to or many innocent people were about to get killed.
Harry ran in the direction he figured the scream must have come from, but then one sound, one single ominous sound made him stop dead in his tracks. He was in the middle of the main street, he froze and slowly looked over his shoulder.
A bell tower at the far eastern end of Hogsmeade chimed, deep and resounding.
Once.
Twice.
A third time and another sharp pleading scream followed.
-o0o-
Neville was confused, Harry had yelled at him, pushed him out of the way and was now storming out of the pub. That glint in his eyes though, it scared Neville.
It was a certain glint that held a desire for vengeance, for answers. It was aching to hit something.
Last night, after the slayer had left and Professor McGonagall came into the meeting, it was revealed that Harry Potter was most likely the Dayshadow. Objections had been issued but were overridden with fact after fact that without a doubt he was the one they were looking for. The pieces had all fallen into place.
Dumbledore then asked that he, Ron and Hermione continue to act normally around Harry, like they didn't know anything. He had said that he didn't want Harry to know that they knew as he didn't want to spook Harry away or cause him any alarm until he had a chance to speak with him. It didn't make all that much sense to Neville but he complied nonetheless to Dumbledore's wishes, as did everyone else. He knew what he was doing. Or so Neville hoped.
But Ron and Hermione were being more then a little obvious. You would think that after six years they would be a little better at keeping secrets. While Neville pretended to not know anything, he had to agree with Ron that it was freaky. Harry was some sort of half-vampire… thing, and he was curious. He was always curious, and that curiosity had gotten him into trouble more often then not. But try as he might he just couldn't seem to smother that cat like curiosity.
But at the moment, Neville wasn't sure it was such a bright idea to hide this from Harry. He seemed downright mad and Neville couldn't for the life of him think of what had made him change attitudes so suddenly, from their table to the bathroom.
Harry completely ignored Hermione and Ron, blew off Hermione's questioning and made his way out the door.
Neville was right behind him and Ron and Hermione following, but when he stepped outside he had to catch himself from running into Harry, who stood on the street totally rigid.
"Harry! What the…" Neville stopped again when he looked at Harry.
His eyes brows furrowed together, lips parted, jaw clenched. His green eyes were so hard and icy that Neville couldn't stop the hair that raised on the back of his neck or the shiver that racked his whole body. All he could do was stare at Harry, more scared then he was awed by the complete change in his demeanour.
Neville turned to see if his friends were noticing the same thing he was. Ron was frowning gripping Hermione hand until both their fingers were white.
"Vampires."
Neville heard Harry whisper and he turned to look at him once again. His face had gone lax, his jaw had relaxed and his eyes were skittering through the crowd seemingly looking for someone.
"Harry what are you talking about?" Neville asked. But it was obvious that Harry wasn't listening.
"Harry?" he was worried now, Harry's face was expressionless, but his eyes were glassy. This wasn't good, whatever this was, it definitely couldn't be good.
Neville could feel the inevitable edges of panic creeping into his mind, so he did the first thing that came to his head. He grasped Harry's shoulder and shook it.
"Harry!" he snapped.
He swallowed the 'eep' that almost tumbled out of his mouth when Harry, out of nowhere reached out and snatched the front of his Jacket and pulled him in close. Very close. A little too close for Neville's liking.
"Get everyone back up to Hogwarts."
Neville felt his eyes bug out. Harry's voice was harsh and demanding, a far cry from the smooth rumble he had grown used to.
"Now!" Harry barked and let him go.
Neville stood on the spot and watched as Harry disappeared into the mass of people.
"What the hell was that?!"
Neville nearly jumped out of his skin. He had forgotten his two friends were behind him. He turned around and seen Ron scratching the back of his head dumbfounded and Hermione looking where Harry stood not a moment before.
"I don't know guys, but I think we should do as he says," Hermione stated as she worried the bottom of her lip. Neville nodded his head after a moment.
Just when they were about to turn and start telling the student to head back up to the castle something caught all of their attention.
A profound gong echoed through the air.
"Look, it's the bell tower," Hermione pointed, as did many others. For a good reason too. Neville, himself was looking over at the old tower in the distance.
The same bell tower that had no bell to ring but it did ring. Yet it rang three portentous times before it stopped.
Somebody screamed.
They were too late.
More screams and yells erupted throughout the town. People were running every which way. Neville soon understood why. He only got a glimpse before he was soon getting tussled and thrown about in the mass of people trying to get away, any way.
There in the middle of the street stood a man, clutching the limp form of a woman. Blood dribbled out of his mouth and down his chin. The deep crimson colour standing out profoundly against the white of his skin. Neville let a cry escape his lips, it was a vampire and there were more of them chasing the people of Hogsmeade, adults and students alike.
"Get to Hogwarts!" he yelled at the top of his lungs. He used magic to amplify his voice. "GET TO HOGWARTS NOW!" he yelled much louder. Nobody knew what was going on, hell, Neville didn't know what was going on but he now understood the urgency in Harry's voice.
Ron and Hermione had long since been lost in the mill of people but Neville pushed forth gabbing people that ran past him in the opposite direction and telling them to get up to the school. He was very glad for the school rule stating that none under third year and no one without permission was allowed to go to Hogsmeade. At least third years were more matured then fist or second years. Neville really didn't want to think about the bigger mess this would be if younger children were visiting the town.
He just hoped against hope that these vampires weren't about to charge into the school. Like Morgan had said the night before, the wards around the school won't protect anybody against the undead.
-o0o-
Harry whipped around.
His stance automatically went into the defence mode. Across from him was a vampire, drinking blood from one unfortunate woman who had happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Harry twisted his wrist and his dagger fell lightly into his waiting hand. Once again thanking whatever god was listening for his constant paranoia, he knew he kept his weapons with him at all times for a reason.
Just when the vampire let the body drop to the ground, Harry pulled back his arm and let the dagger fly straight into the Vamp's heart. He turned to flame and dust before he even knew what had happened.
Harry summoned his knife back while he ran over to the fallen woman. He pressed two fingers on her throat, just under the jaw, opposite the garish ripped bite mark. He waited a couple seconds but he felt no pulse, Harry sighed and stood up. He pulled a vial of holy water out and sprinkled it in the holes. At least this was one victim that wouldn't turn. He took a quick look around. The crowd was thinning fast, everyone smart enough were already heading up to the school. Others stood frozen on the spot, green and looking about ready to throw up. He spotted a boy on the other side of the street, young by the looks of him. The poor kid was staring at the dead body unblinking.
Harry let out a small growl and stalked over to the kid. He couldn't blame the kid, he probably had never seen a dead body before but in a time like this, it was most defiantly not the time to freeze up.
He reached the kid and without hesitating slapped the poor boy across the face.
"Wha.. Wha..?"
The kid was breathing fast, and looking every which way so Harry once again slapped him just a little bit harder on the face.
"Hey! Kid, get it together!" Harry shook him and got him to look at him. "Get back up to the castle, okay?"
A small nod was all Harry needed before he pushed to kid in the direction of the school.
The town was pretty much empty now, which made Harry happy that the place could evacuate so fast but he didn't linger on that thought as another vampire jumped down right in front of him.
It was a girl with short, curly blonde hair. She sneered at him and reached out to grab him around the neck. Harry was quicker through, he easily side stepped the hand, balled his fist up and hit her square in the jaw. The blow sent the vamp stumbling sideways. When she turned to face Harry again she spat out a mouthful of blood, landing dangerously close to Harry's boots.
"That's not nice, didn't your momma ever teach you it's rude to hit a girl?" she said, running her tongue across her pointed fangs, licking the blood off them.
"Really? Oh jeez my bad," Harry replied, scrunching up his face, seriously resisting the urge to gag.
The vamp let out a sharp cackle, throwing her head back, curls bouncing lightly on her shoulders.
"Please, spare me the dramatics," Harry said to the vampire as she laughed. He stared at her in an almost disinterested way while he pulled out his dagger and got ready to throw it.
When she looked back at him she opened her mouth to say something back but never got that far. In the blink of an eye a shiny silver dagger protruded out of her chest. Harry took two steps forward and grabbed the deadly knife before it hit the ground with the lingering dust.
Looking around he noticed the street he was on was deserted. Deciding he needed a better look at things so he gazed upward and ended up smirking.
He ran in between two buildings, kicked off the one side and grasped the top of the opposite building. He braced his feet on the wall and with one powerful push he flipped over the top, landing on the roof in a semi crouched position.
His head shot up. It looked like he wasn't the only one with this idea, four vampires stood crouched on the other side. Conversing in low tones. He stayed crouched and snuck up close behind them. They were young, Harry reasoned, that was why they didn't notice him when he got that close. All the better for Harry.
He took out two wooden stakes, and as he stood behind two nimrods, twirled his weapons in his hands before abruptly driving them deep into the backs of the vamps. He harshly twisted the stakes and ripped them out.
The other two stood dumbstruck for a second, staring at the spot where their buddies were a few seconds ago. Harry smirked at them, he was giddy and his adrenaline was pumping.
He was ready for the fist that came flying his way. He grabbed the offending wrist and twisting his body, used the momentum to throw the vamp down on the ground. He lifted his leg and kicked the other advancing vampire in the chest, sending him backwards and on his back.
He had to jump to avoid getting tripped by the closer vamp, who had swung his legs out attempting to knock Harry down.
The other vamp had jumped to his feet and sent a punch at him, which Harry had just barely been able to block. They traded blows for a minute before Harry got the first opening and used it to drive his dagger into the others heart. Just as Harry ripped it out he was tackled to the ground.
Damn, he forgot about the last vamp.
"Who the hell are you?" Blondie (as Harry had dubbed the vamp) hissed, fangs bared.
He was pinned on top of Harry and looked a little like a crazed lunatic, but really what vampire wasn't a crazed bloodthirsty lunatic?
"Ah newbie's, still too young to tell the difference," Harry stated mocking him wistfully. He was cut off as the vamp pushed down hard on his throat. Harry rolled his eyes.
He easily flipped Blondie off him, and within the next second Harry was the one pinning Blondie to the ground.
"My turn."
Harry pulled out his dagger and pressed it against Blondie's throat. A slight sizzle came from the area Harry touched with the dagger.
"Now I'm going to ask you some questions and if you answer I just might let you live."
Blondie was looking at him with wide eyes, obviously not ready to die… again… permanently.
"For starters," Harry said as he glared at the vampire. "It's the middle of the day," he deadpanned.
Blondie just looked at him, in a perplexed, confused sort of way. Harry growled and pressed the dagger down harder causing the skin around it to burn.
"How?" Harry hissed bringing his face closer to Blondie.
"It's a potion, alright? A potion!" Blondie yelled back. He was young and not yet totally accustomed to being a vampire and it had Harry grinning. Looks like this guy was going to answer some questions. But a potion? How on earth could a potion let vampires run around during the day?
Harry once again pressed the dagger down harder, silently asking to elaborate.
"Check my pocket… it's in my pocket – just take it!" Blondie yelled, more then a little desperate for his undead life.
Harry continued to stare at him for a second before decided to check. He kept his eyes trained on Blondie as he reached his hand inside the others jacket and felt around until he grasped something small. He pulled it out and looked at it. It was a long skinny vial filled with… well purple goop by the looks of it. Harry stared at it for another minute before bringing his eyes back to the now shivering Blondie.
"So what? This is, like, some sort of vamp sun block?" At Blondie's nod he continued. "Alright, who made it?"
"I don't know! Please I don't know!"
"Why are you here?" Harry asked, deciding to take the conversation in a different direction. He took one last look at the vial before stuffing it into his own pocket.
"Look, we ah…" Blondie paused and gulped audibly. "All of us were given two vials of that potion and told to attack Hogsmeade. That's all I know, I swear that all I know!"
"Who are you working for?" Harry growled; he was getting impatient. This vamp wasn't giving him all that much info anymore. Attack Hogsmeade? He'd already figured that one out.
When the vampire made a show of pausing, Harry lost any sort of patience he had with Blondie and rammed his knife into the vamps shoulder.
Blondie cried out and his body jerked and twitched under Harry. The skin started to smoke and burn with a rancid smell that Harry ignored. If he left the silver dagger in there for long enough it would eventually kill Blondie.
"You want to tell me now?" he asked sweetly, keeping the vamp firmly pinned down.
"Okay, okay! It's the H3! Alright? The H3. They made a deal with Voldemort and now they're calling every vampire in the world here! That's it! Okay?! That all I know!"
Harry frowned and bit his lip. Well, he was right when he thought the vampires were working with Voldemort. But the H3? He never met them before but he knew all about them. He'd interrogated enough vamps in the past to get the idea of who and what the H3 actually were. This was not good news. What would Voldemort have that they would want? Harry was thinking it seriously had to do something with the newly discovered potion.
"What was the deal?"
"I don't know, she didn't tell us anything! All I know is that this has got something to do with the Dayshadow."
Huh?! Harry almost snorted, did this vamp not even realise who he was? This was just too good.
Harry stiffened as he heard somebody yelling. He'd spent too much time with Blondie, there was still other vamps around that probably knew more then this one. He looked back down at Blondie and twisted the dagger as he ripped it out cringing at the high pitched yell the vamp made.
Harry jumped lightly back onto his feet, amused at Blondie. The vamp scrambled to his feet and made to go past Harry but Harry stopped him by putting a hand on his chest and pushing him back.
"Where do you think your going?" he asked while Blondie glared at him.
"What, you're gonna kill me?" he hissed. "I answered your pathetic questions"
Harry's eyebrows shot up to his hairline. Now this guys trying to act tough.
"I lied," Harry replied and without further notice stabbed the vamp in the heart.
Idiot.
He turned around and jogged to the far corner of the building.
He quickly scanned the area, being up a little higher he could easily see what was going on.
"Crap!" he cursed before vaulting over to the next building.
At the far end of the street stood Neville and Ginny and to make things worse there were about ten vampires closing in on them.
-o0o-
Ginny was very puzzled.
She didn't know what was going on. One minute everyone was laughing having a good time and the next people were screaming and running for their lives.
She got jostled by the crowd and ended up getting separated from her friends. What had happened? She heard someone yell to get back to Hogwarts. Was it a Death Eater attack? She pulled out her wand and gripped it hard. She tried to get some good footing but it was extremely hard when people kept pushing past her. She finally lost her footing and went tumbling to the ground.
Nobody seemed to care that she fell, it was pretty much every man for himself the way things were right now. Ginny groaned as she brought herself onto her knees.
Oh man I got my dress dirty!
Oh man I lost my wand!
She scanned the area for her wand and spotted it beside Zonko's. So she crawled over to it, giving a triumphant yell when she picked it up. Ginny stood up and hissed in pain when she noticed that her knees and elbows were scraped up. She then looked around and noticed that the town had cleared out pretty fast.
Not good. She grasped her wand and took of at a run towards Hogwarts. She was really getting scared and she was alone, which wasn't helping her state of mind. But she was partly glad no one was around because she would most like loose control over her… gift. Like all magic, it was tied into her emotions but she was learning how to control, she liked to think she was getting really good at turning it on and off.
Just had she got to the edge of town someone jumped into her path about 12 feet away from her, blocking the path back up to the school. She went to go around but the stranger followed her every move.
This was creepy, the guy had short cropped brown hair, the palest skin she had ever seen, she could even see the blue and purple veins through the milky white skin. And he had… he had… tinted red….
That was when she made eye contact.
Her wand slipped almost gracefully from her limp hand.
Ginny froze as her sight took over and she was uncontrollably sucked into a world of nothing but blackness.
-o0o-
Neville ran through the town, he was positive there was nobody left behind so he ran back to the school. He had a deep bloody gash on his cheek, and he was sweaty and almost to the point of exhaustion, but otherwise was fine.
He didn't know how to fight hand to hand, so whenever he came across one of those vampires he just used a reducto curse and ran in the opposite direction. Not very effective, he knew, but it worked for him.
As he turned a corner he spotted somebody standing in the middle of the street stock still. It was a girl, her sun dress was flowing in the wind and red hair was whipping about.
"Ginny!" Neville yelled realizing just who it was that was standing there. She didn't move when he called her name, which bothered Neville on a whole new level.
That's when he noticed a vampire creeping up the left side of Ginny. Neville's eyes widened and he yelled out to Ginny again but to no avail.
"Reducto!" he yelled. The spell hit the vampire in the chest and sent him flying away from the small red head.
He took the chance and ran full out, stumbling a little, with one thing in mind.
Get to Ginny. Get to Ginny. Get to Ginny, he chanted over and over in his head as he ran straight towards her.
As he reached her, he grabbed her arm and tried to pull her away but she wouldn't budge. It was like trying to pull a young sapling out of the ground, she was rooted to the spot.
"Ginny, come we have to get out of here!" he yelled at her but she wasn't moving. He looked around and felt his heart jump up to his throat.
There were no less then ten Vampires all around the two of them, and just like predators, they were slowly closing in. Neville held tightly to his wand with one sweaty hand, his other hand gripping Ginny's arm. It was useless there were too many of them; he didn't know any spells that would kill them. He had his back turned to Ginny, watching five advancing vampires. His wand kept jumping to each one of them every time they took a step closer.
But with his back turned, he couldn't watch the other vampires slowly advancing closer and closer to them on Ginny side, he wasn't even thinking about it. In all the panic he had forgotten that Ginny was otherwise incapacitated.
-o0o-
Harry jumped and leaped until he was on the roof of a building directly over Neville and Ginny.
Neville had his back to Ginny as he watched five press forward slowly on them. But Ginny was rigid and staring straight at something. Harry followed her line of sight and seen a vampire that was about ten feet away. He had his arms crossed as he stared back at Ginny with a wicked gleam in his eyes and a smirk on his face.
That was when Harry, with a small start, remembered Ginny had that weird ability. The conversation he had with her replayed in his mind and he realised that if she lost control with him she was probably lost with the Vampires. But right now there was another vamp, no less then four feet away from the redhead. Harry looked back at Neville but he didn't seem to notice.
He took a deep breath and vaulted over the two story building. He landed crouched directly in front of Ginny facing the Vampire, who had his arm outstretched ready to grab the girl.
Harry grabbed the offending arm and pulled, lifting his leg and kneeing the vamp in the ribs three hard times. Harry let go and before the vamp could get his bearings Harry thrust a stake into his heart.
As that vamp turned to dust Harry turned to Neville, grabbed his arm and whipped him around. To his credit Neville had his wand pointed directly at Harry but once he saw him let his arm drop to the side and it was almost as if he sagged with relief at seeing him.
Harry then moved Neville to stand directly in front of Ginny. He didn't know if this was going to work but he sure as hell hoped it did.
"Look at her Neville," he said when Neville was looking at him. "Look her dead in the eye. I don't have time to explain, just do it!" he demanded. Neville nodding, wide eyed, and looked at Ginny. Taking one surprisingly steady hand he reached up and touched her face. Neville didn't know what the hell Harry was talking about but found himself trusting him. But when he looked into Ginny's eyes, he felt his own eyes widen in shock. Ginny, her eyes, her sparkling hazel eyes were completely white. Neville had to force himself to keep eye contact with her, but there was something very disconcerting about staring into those white eyes.
Harry let his eyes watch the Vampires around them, they seemed to have stopped coming any closer at the sight of Harry but they were now circling them like caged animals. Virtually leaving no room for escape.
"Ginny? Ginny look at me?" he heard Neville; a quick glance told him that he was slowly getting through to her.
"Neville I'm going to do something, just don't break eye contact with her okay?" he warned knowing that his plan was working.
He saw Neville nod out of the corner of his eye and that was all he needed before he started to concentrate on the magic in the tattoos on his wrists. His arms hanging by his side, seemingly useless while he faced the trail up to Hogwarts. The vampires stopped and were staring at Harry suspiciously and tensed up waiting to see what he was going to do. Harry's fingers started to twitch and jump as he felt the power start to build up.
Now was the tricky part, getting his hands to slam together. Doing that was tough since it was like the negative side of two magnets, no matter how hard a person tries, they can never get those sides to stay together.
Harry took a deep breath and with more strength then he looked like he had, he brought his arms up and with a muffled yell slammed his hands together.
The result was instantaneous. A huge, invisible shockwave erupted from his hands and blew out in a wide circle sending all the vampires, within a twenty-foot radius, flying backwards and off their feet. Harry took a deep gasping breath, it always took too much energy to make that happen, and he always forgot to breathe too.
He didn't have a lot of time, already he could see the now confused Vampires starting to stir and get to their feet. Harry turned to Neville and Ginny. He could see beads of sweat rolling down Ginny's face while she stared at Neville, but her eyes were slowly gaining their color back. Which was a good sign. With a burst of inspiration, Harry took the sunglasses off his face and stuffed them onto Ginny's face not really knowing if it was going to make a difference.
Harry grabbed them both and pushed them towards the school since it seemed Ginny was at least able to move again.
"Get out of here!" Harry yelled at them. He turned and kicked the vampire that was watching Ginny earlier in the chest, leaving a small escape route for the two. That particular vamp was only ten feet away when Harry made the shockwave so he wasn't hit with the brunt of it, merely pushed back a couple of feet.
Harry was then tackled to the ground by another vamp, Harry turned his head to see Neville still standing there, holding up a weak Ginny.
"Go!" Harry yelled before flipped on top of the vamp and throwing a stake at other one that was getting closer. He didn't look back to see if he went or not but he was pretty sure he wouldn't just leave Ginny all defenceless like that.
Harry was on his feet and blocked hits that were coming at him from all sides. Blankly, he heard a series of loud pops alerting him that Aurors had finally arrived. He didn't have the time to get angry at the incompetence of the ministry, besides they probably didn't know the first thing about fighting vampires in the first place.
-o0o-
Albus Dumbledore was running with all due haste down the trail to Hogsmeade with a few of the teachers, bar the head of houses. He had ordered them to get everyone to their respective houses and do a head count.
Sirius Black knew Dumbledore was behind him but that didn't stop him from out right sprinting down the trail. He noticed two people stumbling back up the trail, a young boy and girl by the looks of them. As he got closer he realised that said boy and girl were in fact Neville Longbottom and Ginny Weasley.
He picked up that pace and got to them in record time. He was still out of breath as he looked at them, they seemed fine enough. Neville was holding up a pale, sweaty faced Ginny and he had a rather deep cut on his cheek.
"Padfoot!" Neville exclaimed when he seen him.
"Neville, are you alright?" he asked, which was really the first thing that came to mind.
"Vampires, it was vampires!" Neville said, eyes wide. The whole situation was catching up to him now that he had seen a teacher.
"What? Neville what are you talking about? They said there was an attack," Sirius said, not helping as he was getting worked up and confused about it too. Vampires?! What was Neville talking about? Vampires don't walk around in the middle of the day, and under a bright sun no less.
"Padfoot," Neville said again grabbing his arm and looking at him with distraught eyes. "Harry... He… he's still down there."
That was all Sirius needed to hear before he took off down the beaten path again just as Dumbledore caught up with him with the other teacher in tow.
All reasoning disappeared from his mind as he raced down to Hogsmeade. His godson was down there, his godson was in trouble. The simple fact that his godson was the Dayshadow and not completely helpless, escaped him.
He stopped dead in his tracks when he got to the border of Hogsmeade, and all he could do was stare as did many other Aurors that were standing around the town with dropped jaws.
There was Harry Potter in the opening of the street, fighting off five blood suckers like it was easy.
Sirius stared more shocked then anything at the pure skill his godson showed.
-o0o-
Harry grunted in pain when one Vampire hit him rather painfully in the kidney. His moment of pain cost him, as he was once again tackled to the ground.
He growled in frustration when he realized he lost his knife. Summoning his knife back was easy when he knew where it was. Otherwise to do it when he didn't know where it was usually took a couple seconds of concentration; time he just couldn't spare. Harry had both his arms up covering his face; the vamp that was currently on top of him was snarling and snapping his teeth at him. Harry gave up trying to push the sucker off him, so he gripped both sides of the vamp's face with his hands and with one swift jerk snapped the neck.
He rolled out of the way as the vamp turned to dust and ended up having to roll again when a foot stomped down on the ground where his head was just seconds before. Harry swiftly flipped back on his feet, fists at the ready, right tucked tightly by his chin, the left down by his stomach.
He scanned the remaining four vampires. These guys were young too, more brawn then brain. He could see the Aurors and a few teachers along with Dumbledore standing on the sidelines.
Yeah, just stand there like a bunch of idiots.
Harry swiftly sidestepped the vamp that had the bright idea to try and tackle him again. The vamp fell down to the ground, but another one grabbed him from behind and pinned his arms back. When another came at him from the front, Harry threw all his weight back on the vamp holding him and lifted both his legs in the air. He then hit the offending vamp right square in the face, using the momentum to flip over the vamp holding him and wrapped an arm around his head. With a sharp jerk Harry snapped his neck and the vamp knew no more.
Where the hell is my dagger?!
He jerked his elbow back and cracked the vamp that was none too subtly sneaking up behind him and sent him reeling backwards. At the same time he caught the foot that was aimed for his side with his other hand. He then grabbed the foot with both hands and twisted it sharply, sending the vampire twirling to the ground.
After that, he caught a glint of something shiny in his peripheral vision. Almost as if it was innocently calling Harry, there was his precious dagger lying innocently on the ground a few feet away.
Harry smirked and dived towards. He rolled into the dive and was back on his feet in an instant, dagger in hand. He had wandlessly summoned it the last few meters during the dive. He just had to love that wandless summoning ability of his.
He turned on his heels and let the knife fly out of his hand. The dagger hit a vamp in the chest halting him in mid air. Harry stalked forward, grabbing his weapon while it was still in the air and the vamp was dusting out and faced off against the last vamp.
To Harry's amusement, the guy looked a mixture between down right scared and furious, what made it so funny was that the vamp's face was covered in his own blood and his nose was so obviously broken from when Harry had kicked him in the face. The vampire attacked without warning, or words, which had Harry raising his pierced eyebrow. Usually these vampires took joy in chewing their victim's ears out before they tried to kill them.
The vamp moved forward with inhuman speed but Harry anticipated that and took one step backwards before he instantly plunged his oh so handy dagger into the vampire's heart.
He ripped it out with more force then necessary, casually flipped it in his hand before safely tucking it back in its holster.
This didn't feel right.
It was almost too easy; all the vampires he had come across were young and stupid. The whole attack seemed almost… choreographed. He was tired from the fight, but he'd had tougher battles with fewer opponents in the past. He just didn't get the whole scene, it wasn't adding up in Harry's books. If the H3 were behind this whole thing, wouldn't they find vampires… he didn't know, a little more qualified?
Harry sighed and with sweat dripping down his temple, closed his eyes to see if there were anymore of the suckers slinking around. He held up a hand telling the other people around him to stay put and let loose his tracking sense. It was a way vampires talked with one another. If you were in range, you could sense them. Emotions sometimes flowed along this sense but the few times Harry had felt them, they had been faint as the vamps didn't really show much emotion beyond anger, hunger, and disdain at their food source.
He was sucked up to an overhead view of Hogsmeade but it seemed that all the remaining vampires had done the smart thing and gotten out of the town. He frowned when he caught a faint almost non-existent feeling of a vampire. Harry figured it might be on lone vampire outside the town but decided to follow the trail anyway. His vision swirled into a downward spiral, and his breath hitched when his vision stopped right behind him. There was a woman standing right behind him and he hadn't even sensed it!
Blazing green eyes snapped open. Harry clenched his fist and brought his elbow straight back but whoever was behind him caught it easily so he wrenched his elbow out of the grasp, snatched his dagger out of its holster and turned using all the force he could muster turned and swung his arm around before coming to an abrupt stop.
The tip of the silver blade halted not two centimeters away from the vampire's eye.
She held Harry's wrist tightly and had a wicked smirk on her stunning face. A face that Harry recognized all too well.
It was that girl. The one he met at the club. It was then that Harry realized, like a sharp slap in the face, that it was all a set up. This entire situation was an elaborate set up to get Harry to come out of the shadows and right smack dab into the spotlight.
Harry pulled an incredulous look on his face as he stared at the girl.
"Aww F#$!" he swore.
-o0o-
Sirius found himself unable to move.
All he could do was stare at the scene before him. His godson was just standing there staring at what had to be the most beautiful woman he had ever saw. Where had she come from? He hadn't even seen her walk up to his godson. Harry was partly blocking her with his back turned facing the mysterious beauty.
He vaguely noted that two more male vampires had shown themselves on either side of the woman a distance away from her. But he couldn't take his eyes off of her. She was smiling widely at Harry, her hand still firmly wrapped around his wrist.
It was when he saw Harry let out a choked gasp, his back going dead rigid that Sirius was able to look away. Harry, he had to help him. He tightened his hold on his wand and took off. He got about two steps in the right direction before he was roughly jerked back by the back of his robes.
He turned to throw whoever grabbed him off, but stopped when he saw it was Mad Eye.
"Don't," Moody grunted.
Sirius opened his mouth to ask what the hell he was talking about but never got that far as Mad Eye interrupted him by sticking his hand up for silence. He wasn't looking at Sirius but rather looking over at Harry.
"It's the H3." Sirius whipped his head around so fast that he could have sworn he heard a crack. He looked at the three mysterious vampires in a new light. It fit; all three of them excluded a power that just screamed for attention and respect. He watched the scene before him again waiting for Harry to do something, anything. Wasn't he going to fight? Why were they all just standing there? When he heard Harry cry out and grip his head he had enough of watching. And waiting.
"We have to help him!" Sirius said as he tried again to go to his godson's aid and was once again pulled back.
"You go now you die," Mad Eye grunted still staring avidly at the three. "It's suicide and you know it."
"I don't care! I have to help him Mad Eye!" he said in desperation.
Whatever Mad Eye was about to say next was cut off. There was a severe wallop and a distinct snap and he found himself watching with horror-filled eyes as Harry went sailing through the air, landing roughly and sliding across the ground.
Sirius took off even before Harry came to a complete stop. He got to Harry as he had stopped and rolled onto his back.
Sirius fell down onto his knees beside Harry.
"Harry? Harry can you hear me?" he panicked when Harry tried to breathe but ended up coughing up blood. Sirius felt Harry's pulse and found it was slowly getting weaker. His eyes were wide and unseeing as he tried to breathe.
"Harry? Say something, come on stay with me," but he didn't, his eyes rolled back and his head fell to the side.
Unmoving.
Looking back down the street, the three Vampires just vanished without a trace they weren't there anymore. It was like they were never there at all.
-o0o-
One hundred percent tainted power crashed over him, through to his very soul, like a wild wave. Harry stared into two matching striking violet eyes, she had let loose her entire power and it hit Harry full on with no mercy. He gasped and his dagger slipped from his hand landing with a diminutive clanking sound that went unnoticed.
He tried to snap his senses shut and close them off from her but she was keeping them pried right open.
Her touch was like icy poison and those eyes. Those endless depths of pure nothingness were gradually drowning him.
He had to look away, look anywhere but her. Anywhere but those violet eyes. It frightened him and vampires don't scare him. No, it was her eyes, looking into them was like looking into Hell itself. Heat, unbearable heat and unimaginable death, yet he felt like he was drowning in freezing waters, trapped under a thick sheet of ice.
Like a childish game of tug a war, Harry found himself pulling as hard as he could, until finally, bloody finally, he managed to tear his eyes out and away from the nightmare she was pushing him into.
She still grasped his wrist with one delicate hand, her thumb ran smoothly up and down, caressing his skin, but Harry ignored it, what he was worried about right now was just breathing, getting that desperately needed oxygen into his burning lungs. When he looked away he took one single deep shuddering breath. Gasping and letting the air in and out, in and out erratically. He couldn't get his bearings, he was panicking, and he knew it.
Even when he felt his heart rate slow a little bit it wasn't enough, it was like he had the worst possible luck because just when he calmed down the slightest he heard it, the sound that haunted his dreams. He felt his heart jump into his throat and his stomach drop.
That caw of a crow.
That laughter in his head.
His eyes widened and his head snapped up to the sky. The clear blue sky was absolutely cloudless, so it was impossible to miss the dark black shape. Harry followed the crow with his eyes as it descended swiftly, unnaturally graceful for its kind, and landed on an outstretched arm.
He stared at the crow, afraid to look at the owner. Slowly, ever so slowly he trailed his eyes up the arm, to the pale skin of the neck, then the face, the face that haunted his dreams, the face that Harry was all too familiar with. Long silky black hair flutter around his handsome features, red tinted eyes looked directly at him, a cocky smile plaster on his face. He looked into those eyes and just like before he was lost in the darkness.
Except this time it was the laughter that he heard in his head. It increased to an ultimately unbearable level. That was all he could hear, and that caw; that distorted horrifying caw weaved in and out. Harry couldn't handle it, couldn't take it. He felt his eyes start to burn and skull start to crack.
That was when the information exchange kicked in. His vampire ability was an unknown to the rest of the vampire community and he preferred it that way. Some of his skills were already known – enhanced strength, durability, flexibility, healing. What wasn't known was that he used those magically enhanced vamp neurons of his to locate his enemy at times and then ruthlessly take them down. He'd researched it as best he could over the years. As close as he could tell, it was similar to legilimency. But it only worked on vamps.
This was the first time Harry had every gotten anything but emotions out of them. There was no anger. Just coldness. And then images. Names. Places. Sights. Sounds. Knowledge.
The H3. Three friends, graduates of Hogwarts, traveling to Italy to meet their benefactor in 1487. Attacked. Turned. Assuming power over the next few years. Edmund Crowfield, alias: the Crow. Called that before being turned as his familiar was a crow. An ability that apparently followed him in death.
Harry's face contorted into a pained expression. He cried out and with his one free hand reached up and gripped his hair painfully, but he couldn't feel it, he couldn't shut his eyes and look away from the vampire and the black crow.
He couldn't breathe.
Couldn't hear anything but that laughter, laughter that was about to drive him insane. It was scraping the inside of his head and he could feel the sick pleasure the vampire was feeling because of it.
When the vampire took his bloodshot eyes off Harry and looked at his crow, running long pale fingers across the bird's feathers, Harry got a small chance to look away and he took it, desperately.
Problem with that he looked directly at another one. Harry eyed the other male standing near the Crow. Slightly smaller than his colleagues, Etienne DeMarco, alias: Big Red. Smaller but bulkier than the other two. He was in charge of the muscle they used. He'd used many vamps to get his goals in the past, not caring if they "lived" or "died" again.
The last member of the H3 to be turned, one he apparently didn't have the pleasure of meeting previously. His body looked to be about 27, 28 when it died but Harry knew better, all three reeked of age and power. That same power that before felt so alluring now felt disgusting and rotten and his whole being recoiled at the feel of it.
His hair was tussled falling in loose waves to his shoulders. His pale dark blue eyes smirked at him as he leaned almost casually against a building, arms crossed. He sucked on one of his fangs in a bored manner.
God, he couldn't breathe, he wasn't able to manage a deep enough breathe to get his brain to work and shake of that god-forsaken control they had over him. They were destroying him, his sanity, his soul. He could feel it and it scared him to the point of hysterics.
Join us and you'll be made whole and well, he sensed.
The living part of his soul rebuked at the idea regardless of the torment he was in. He did not want to die.
He didn't feel the painful jerk on his arm that had him whipping around to once again face the woman.
She smirked at him but nothing was registering in his brain. He looked right back at her, his eyes burned with tears that would never fall, even in the state he was in.
"You're not so tough after all," she said in a slick mockingly sweet voice.
Harry continued to look at here, unable to comprehend what she said.
Watching as her deadly fangs elongated, a small something clicked back into place.
Her deadly smirk faltered when her eyes flickered past his shoulder and landed on something behind him. She reached her other hand up and caressed his cheek with her thumb. Her long perfectly manicured nail digging into his skin, drawing blood.
"So. You've figured it out finally. Good. Have fun being the center of everybody's attention, Harry," she hissed her eyes flashing dangerously. She leaned in close to Harry, her lips ghosting over his ear, and whispered. "Don't worry; I'm not done with you."
While Harry was still trying to shake that detached feeling out of his head he didn't notice she let him go and stepped back a step. She drew back an arm and too late for Harry to do anything to stop it, she struck him. Directly in the chest, palm open.
The pure force of the hit knocked that precious air out of his lungs with a blunt distinctive crack and had him flying ten feet in the air and backwards.
Harry landed hard, tumbled, rolled and slid painfully on his side for what seemed like forever. When he at long last came to stop, he slumped onto his back and let out a pained grunt.
He hurt. Everywhere.
He tried to take a breath but realised too late that it was a bad idea.
Ribs…broken.
He started coughing and tried to take in some much need air. He heard the pounding of footsteps. Someone knelt down beside him and pressed two clammy fingers on him neck.
"Ha…ry…can….ar…ee?"
Whatever they were trying to say, Harry couldn't make it out. His ears were ringing and his head was throbbing. Everything was blurred and foggy.
Merlin, he hurt.
The edges around his vision started to blacken and with one last weak attempt at breathing he started to give into the darkness. He just couldn't get that last vamp's name out of his head. Katherine. The vamp community referred to her mostly as Katherine - the Great One, or simply Katherine the Great. Now Harry knew her true name. Her given name.
A name he recognized.
Katherine Potter.
Darkness.
-o0o-
Okay so hopefully not such a evil cliffie this time...
Bahh! Okay so so thats not where I wanted to end this chapter, but it was already getting too long and I had to stop somewhere. Gosh I was sooo nervous posting this chapter, I would make for one very happy writer if I got a review from any of you faithfull readers. I dont base my story on the amount of reviews I get, if that hit counter keeps going up then I'm happy :) but I would really love to hear what you guys thought.
Feedback? Comments? Complaints? Questions? Anything at all, I'd love hear it. :)
Peace\//
