CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX:

CAPTURE

Everyone continued down the corridors. Shantiel tried her best to keep her grip on Ron's hand as she ran but a crowd of frantic students came stampeding around the corner. In the process, Shantiel was knocked back onto the floor. She called out to the others but her voice was muffled by all of the shouts and screams around her. As soon as the crowd passed, the blonde girl raced down the corridor she had seen everybody else run.

She came to a juncture where corridors split off in different directions. Not sure of where to go next, she entered the weapon display corridor where medieval weapons were placed with knights and other statutes. She went to turn another corner but let out a gasp as the blonde vampire from earlier walked out of the darkness.

"Well, what do we have here? A beautiful lost creature?"Apollo said as he reached out and tried to grab for her hair. She pulled away and started to run back the other direction. Another and much bigger vampire blocked her way. Both started laughing demonically. It echoed down the corridor.

Shantiel's eyes searched for any way of escaping but before she knew it, they had her pinned against the wall. Apollo stepped up to her with a cruel and demented smile on his face. He drew a finger down her cheek as he leaned into her ear.

"Hello, my pet," he hissed with a twisted hint of excitement. Shantiel screamed and then knew no more.

Prometheus dashed for the school's entrance, fright and worry in every footstep. He had already sent Dumbledore the warning to make certain the fortress be given extra protection, as the ensuing weeks mounted with increased vampire activity in the Forbidden Forest.

Yet even after he had to kill so many of them, including the Vampire Sovereign himself, the dregs of this bloodthirsty contingent refused to be thwarted. They'd wanted this vengeful strike from the start-it was even what caused Rome's creation almost a year previous-revenge gone wrong.

As a precaution, Prometheus still wore Zeus's visage across his features. Both he and Pandora barely crossed the school's threshold when they stopped cold. The doorway had been so darkened that neither vampire could see who had stepped around the corner and now aimed wands at their chests. Wands could serve as wood stakes in a bind, so they froze.

"Who are you?" demanded a harsh voice from the shadows. Rome and Pandora forgot they had cloaks over their faces.

Immediately, a combination of relief and nostalgia washed over Rome as he heard that voice. It wasn't yet a year since he'd been forced to leave Hogwarts behind, when he was her defender, not the perceived enemy...

"Hermione," said Rome, "it's okay, it's only me. It's just H-Harry," he said in his own voice.

He wasn't sure if it was fear of his old friend's reaction or foreignness of the name across his tongue, which caused the catch in his throat.

"H-Harry…?" echoed the voice.

Without hesitation, without guile, without any regard for her safety, Hermione rushed toward and threw her arms about him. It was only then Rome realized how much he'd missed her and Ron… He'd not allowed himself to feel this much human emotion since before he was attacked and bitten that first time-nor till this very moment was Rome sure he was even capable of it anymore. For the very reasons he continued to fight vampires and their virus were paradoxically the very same things that threatened to consume him. However, with hope of re-mortality so close on the horizon, Rome let himself revel in human spontaneity by throwing caution to the wind and fiercely embracing his bushy-haired best mate in return.

"Shall I reserve a private room for the pair of you, or can we get this on a carry-out order?" Pandora inquired silkily from off to his left.

"Shut it, you," Ron Weasley warned, and thrust his wand so close to her face, he'd nearly jammed it up her nose.

Then Ron quickly lit his wand with the Lumos spell, which brought Pandora's striking vampiracy into full, horrific view.

"That's not Harry, Hermione. Back away from him now."

Clearly, Ron wasn't as instantly convinced of their benevolent intentions. Hermione disengaged herself, ready to give the Weasley a good tongue-lashing when she too, saw Pandora's face...along with Rome's strange features. The young woman followed Ron in suit by lighting her wand to illuminate the garishly unfamiliar features on Rome's face. Oh, how he'd dreaded a moment like since sequestering himself in Aragog's cave all those months ago…

"Bit of a shock, I reckon?" Prometheus broke the silence with his empathetic query. He could not bear the stricken looks on the faces of his old friends any longer.

Pandora smirked demurely and said, "So much for convincing them of our loyalty, eh, Rome?"

"Who are you?" Ron repeated Hermione's first question more forcefully. "And what did you just call him?" the redhead flicked eyes in Prometheus's direction, "who's 'Rome'?"

Losing patience, Pandora replied, "He is, we're in a bit of a hurry to stop other vampires here from sireing more victims, as is their intention since Rome, here," she stressed his name and jabbed a finger in his direction, "so recently destroyed their King."

Hermione's eyes grew wide with comprehension as she took in Pandora's words and looked closer and the immortals in front of her. "Harry?" Hermione questioned fearfully. It was only then that Rome exchanged Zeus's facial features for his own.

"So the vampire legend is all true!" the girl exclaimed. "Prometheus, who was proclaimed to rise again and overthrow their evil heartless leaders!"

Ron was dismayed as Hermione lowered her wand and ordered him to do the same.

"Who's this sodding Prometheus?" he demanded.

Rolling her eyes, Hermione replied, "In Greek mythology, he was known as the god with a heart because he loved the mortals and defied Zeus. And even after Zeus banished Prometheus to hang from a cliff face in the sun for all eternity, he escaped and overthrew Zeus. Just like the modern-day Prometheus is said to destroy the Vampire King."

Gesturing wildly, Ron shouted , "But what's this gotta do with him?"

Instead of sharing his agitation, Hermione shook her head in awe and said to Rome, "I should've known. You're the only person who could ever be called 'the vampire with a soul'." She turned briefly to Ron and explained, " 'Rome' is short for 'Prometheus'."

"Blimey…" was all Ron managed to utter as his jaw dropped, codfish-like, and he gaped at his old friend.

Pandora also had a new respect as she turned to Rome and said, "That Granger girl is truly brilliant."

Rome's eyes spoke volumes as he replied simply, "I told you so, Pandora."

Apparently, Hermione felt no more uncertainty with these two as the new four-member team quietly made their way through the school, discussing situation and strategy along the way.

Hogwarts had been invaded so quickly that nobody had time to do anything except scatter. Pandora and Rome still hadn't seen Viktor since just before he'd left for Hogwarts. Hermione said she and Ron had barely stumbled across each other near the entrance hall before Rome and Dora had shown up, and neither of the teens had come across any others, student or faculty. The corridors were occasionally punctuated with random screams of fright, though.

Suddenly, a familiar voice rent the air in the form of utmost terror. Rome froze in his tracks; he'd only heard that sound once before-last year, when he was saved by her as the cage she was in nearly fried her into cinders… "Shan," he whispered, ready to sprint upstairs.

Another scream pierced the air; both Hermione and Ron went white as a sheet.

"Not Ginny!" they exclaimed together.

Rome was torn with how he should convince the newly reunited team to split up when Pandora said, "The worst of those lot will have gone for Shan. You shouldn't risk bringing more mortals near them. I'll go with these two downstairs, you go for Shantiel. GO NOW! We'll catch up with you later!"

Rome nodded once and flew up the staircase, grateful for Pandora's presence. He couldn't help but feel a bit guilty leaving Hermione and Ron with a virtual stranger on his word, and one who was a vampyress at that.

"By the way, sorry for the hasty intro," he heard Dora say as they split up and went their separate ways, "but my name is Pandora, and I'll be your immortal bodyguard this evening…"

To further avoid notice, Prometheus removed his footwear as he made his way up the steps. Even among his own kind he was so fleet-footed, he could sneak up on nearly any vampire undetected. Though he was sure the blood pounding in his veins was loud enough to wake anyone now.

Rome recalled this particular floor as being filled with a number of elaborate corridor displays, replete with anachronistic implements. It was also a level of Hogwarts that Filch spent an inordinate amount of time dusting, especially whilst lamenting what he'd thought of as proper punishment for rule-breakers.

He hadn't run across any bodies so far...so it appeared Dumbledore had been able to get most of the students to safety, at least. And then he bumped into Severus Snape. Or at least, what was left of him...

"No..." Rome whispered despondently. "Severus?" It just was not fair that Snape had survived being a Death Eater, only to die at the hands of the vampires. The Potions Master was white as marble and covered in blood. His eyes were open. Prometheus respectfully closed Severus's eyes...eternal sleep. Even if Rome somehow managed to survive the night himself, how in the world could he become human again without Severus's help? Rome resolved to get back at the vampires in Snape's name. He crept further down the corridor.

The adornments in the hallway absorbed a lot of sound and Rome was also provided an inordinate amount of hiding places with which to slip upon his prey unseen. Voices down the corridor grew louder; even without hearing enunciated words, Rome could easily tell who was speaking.

Keeping primally silent, Rome donned his Invisibility Cloak, significance not lost on him that his father's heirloom was of even greater usefulness to him "dead" than alive. As a precaution, he crouched low on all fours and stole around the corner.

There they were, just as Rome had surmised. He contemplated briefly the almost laughable irony the trio he saw were nearest the medieval torture and executioner displays.

"You'll get some of her sweet nectar soon enough," Rome heard Apollo say, "her first-blood is meant for someone else," he continued, new edge in his tone, "because revenge should be sweet. Right, my pet?" Apollo now asked the drowsy blonde, lazily tracing one ear down to her jaw line.

A red haze of rage passed over Prometheus's vision at even seeing the girl be touched by that heartless fiend. So they intended her to scream to lure Rome here, did they? Little did they know, Prometheus was readying a nasty surprise of his own.

Otherwise occupied with their quarry, they didn't even see Rome behind them, setting to foil them with the oldest trick in the book. He'd taken his long, thin rope, made a large lasso, and placed it behind the two vampires on the floor.

Suddenly, Epimetheus growled gutturally, "He's not going to show. What if the others got him first?" It was clear he was anxious to begin the next round of bloodsucking.

"Patience, my thirsty comrade," admonished Apollo, sounding annoyed himself. As he took a step for emphasis, Epimetheus faced him. Apollo continued, "The others are impudents, they can't get at him. So he will come, and when he does, I'll-AAAAAAAAGGGHH!" Epimetheus and Apollo abruptly found themselves in a heap on the floor together.

You'll fall flat on your arse and lose, just like always, Prometheus mentally finished his rival's interrupted declaration as he yanked tight on the rope loop. Rome was about to begin binding the two together, when he glimpsed Shantiel falling from out the corner of his eye.