Chapter Three: We All Have Our Demons
"Harry, just let me explain."
"You… You TRICKED me!" Harry screamed.
"Harry, it's not what you think!" Layla tried desperately to reason with the boy but Harry drew out his wand with his right hand, still rubbing the bleeding spot on his neck with his left. He was waving it at her angrily.
"Put the wand down, boy, and listen to reason."
"Is THAT why you found me so attractive? I was just something for you to feed off? I've been wondering why I kept falling asleep on my broom in Quidditch practice lately. I NEVER fall asleep on my broom!"
"Harry—"
"How old are you?"
"I am twenty years of age."
"No, I mean really!" Harry hissed, harshly. Layla looked down at her feet, then up at Harry.
"You don't want to know."
"Why the hell did you do this to me?" he demanded. "Why?" Layla wanted to end it all at that moment, to just kill Harry and get it over yet. But she wasn't aloud to. Voldemort would have her head if she did. He wanted Harry all for himself. Layla could kill anyone except for him. Therefor, Layla had to continue to play the game, to win back his trust.
"Harry, have I done anything to harm you? We've been alone countless times this year and I have not done a thing to harm you. Not all vampyres are evil. We just need to eat, that's all. I haven't killed in cold blood in years. I would never hurt you, Harry, never."
"How do I know that for a fact? You and your kind kill many innocent people for no reason at all. You're a demon, a DEMON!" Harry screamed.
"We all have our demons, Harry," said Layla. "Please. I haven't hurt anyone."
"Have you fed off any of the other students? Hufflepuffs? Ravenclaws? Slytherins? Gryffindors? Have you fed off any of my friends? Have you hurt Ron or Hermione? Because if you touched either of them in any way, I swear—"
"I have not touched a single student in this school," Layla answered, quietly. "Other than… Other than you."
"I don't need any more stress, I have my fair share of it already, alright? I just want you out, get OUT!"
"Harry, would you hear me out?" Layla cried, becoming frustrated. If this boy caused much more trouble, she might have to kill him and take Voldemort's wrath. She doesn't usually take orders from anyone anyway.
"I've already heard you out!"
"Just listen! I came to this school to teach so students can learn to defend themselves against my kind. Not all vampyres are heartless killers and everyone needs to feed. Among my kind, it is considered a sign of affection for the female to bite the male. Really, Harry. Please, I haven't hurt you, I swear." Harry slowly lowered his wand and Layla smiled. He was listening. Suddenly, an idea came to her as she approached him.
"You know…" she whispered when he would let her get close enough. "You could be a vampyre. You'd be a strong one too. You wouldn't have to worry about glasses because you wouldn't need them. All your senses would be enhanced. A vampyre's senses are perfect and much better than the senses of humans. You could see every single eye of a fly on your hand, hear a cricket chirp a mile away, smell if a person had been in a room and feel if a person's blood is healthy just by shaking their hand…" Layla whispered into his ear.
"And become a killer like you!" Harry hissed.
"You don't have to kill, only when necessary, like me. You could do many great things, Harry. You could go up against Lord Voldemort and defeat him. We could do it together, Harry, it's that simple. He's no match for two vampyres, I know that for a fact, even with his Death Eaters behind him. I nearly killed him myself but his wretched minions were too much. One cannot be hurt by a rodent, Harry, but many rodents can bring you down. But together, we would be powerful enough to overthrow him and his Death Eaters. You could do much good in the body of a God…" Harry stiffened as the words and ideas swirled around in his head.
"I don't…"
"A vampyre does not have to be a demon, Harry."
"But you feed off of blood… Human blood."
"We can eat other things but they do not sustain us. You crave blood, Harry, you must have blood. But you need not kill to get it. You do not have to kill one innocent soul." Layla lied as fluently as she spoke the truth.
If Harry consented to becoming a vampyre, she had two options. One of the options would be to take the risk and let him and then use him to destroy Voldemort once and for all. After the deed was done, his Death Eaters would follow her and she could make the most noble of them vampyres and her children. And depending on the way Harry acts after defeating Voldemort, Layla would either make him a Death Eater, or kill him. Of course, there was always the chance that Harry would not be enough to defeat Voldemort after all. Layla could just lead Harry to the forest claiming she'd make him into a vampyre and give him to Lord Voldemort like their deal entailed. He did, after all, consent to leave her be after this and never ask for her help again.
"I don't… I don't want to be a vampyre."
"You're sure about this now?" asked Layla. She wasn't about to give up now. But before Harry could answer, the door opened.
"I heard Harry's screams, are you OK?" asked Hermione. Layla was now extremely frustrated. Hermione had broken her concentration and Harry's attention and she was furious. Of course, she couldn't kill her. She needed Harry's trust.
"STUPEFY!" she screamed and Hermione fell to the floor. Harry ran to her. "I'm sorry, about that Harry, I wasn't thinking. I'm just so frustrated. Would you like to come for a walk with me in the forest?"
"Sure," said Harry. "I'll be right there. I just want to check on Hermione."
"OK." Layla waited but Harry stared at her.
"Go on. I'll be right with you. I'll catch up, I just want to make sure she's OK."
"Fine!" Layla sighed as she turned to walk down the hall.
"We all have our demons…" Harry muttered as he scribbled a quick note and put the parchment in her robe pocket. He then stood up and went to catch up with Layla.
Harry knew that Layla was trouble, but he couldn't help feeling drawn to her. He had to find out. And if she wasn't what she seemed, he had back up, providing Hermione found the note he had left her. He was going to find out for himself.
"Harry, just let me explain."
"You… You TRICKED me!" Harry screamed.
"Harry, it's not what you think!" Layla tried desperately to reason with the boy but Harry drew out his wand with his right hand, still rubbing the bleeding spot on his neck with his left. He was waving it at her angrily.
"Put the wand down, boy, and listen to reason."
"Is THAT why you found me so attractive? I was just something for you to feed off? I've been wondering why I kept falling asleep on my broom in Quidditch practice lately. I NEVER fall asleep on my broom!"
"Harry—"
"How old are you?"
"I am twenty years of age."
"No, I mean really!" Harry hissed, harshly. Layla looked down at her feet, then up at Harry.
"You don't want to know."
"Why the hell did you do this to me?" he demanded. "Why?" Layla wanted to end it all at that moment, to just kill Harry and get it over yet. But she wasn't aloud to. Voldemort would have her head if she did. He wanted Harry all for himself. Layla could kill anyone except for him. Therefor, Layla had to continue to play the game, to win back his trust.
"Harry, have I done anything to harm you? We've been alone countless times this year and I have not done a thing to harm you. Not all vampyres are evil. We just need to eat, that's all. I haven't killed in cold blood in years. I would never hurt you, Harry, never."
"How do I know that for a fact? You and your kind kill many innocent people for no reason at all. You're a demon, a DEMON!" Harry screamed.
"We all have our demons, Harry," said Layla. "Please. I haven't hurt anyone."
"Have you fed off any of the other students? Hufflepuffs? Ravenclaws? Slytherins? Gryffindors? Have you fed off any of my friends? Have you hurt Ron or Hermione? Because if you touched either of them in any way, I swear—"
"I have not touched a single student in this school," Layla answered, quietly. "Other than… Other than you."
"I don't need any more stress, I have my fair share of it already, alright? I just want you out, get OUT!"
"Harry, would you hear me out?" Layla cried, becoming frustrated. If this boy caused much more trouble, she might have to kill him and take Voldemort's wrath. She doesn't usually take orders from anyone anyway.
"I've already heard you out!"
"Just listen! I came to this school to teach so students can learn to defend themselves against my kind. Not all vampyres are heartless killers and everyone needs to feed. Among my kind, it is considered a sign of affection for the female to bite the male. Really, Harry. Please, I haven't hurt you, I swear." Harry slowly lowered his wand and Layla smiled. He was listening. Suddenly, an idea came to her as she approached him.
"You know…" she whispered when he would let her get close enough. "You could be a vampyre. You'd be a strong one too. You wouldn't have to worry about glasses because you wouldn't need them. All your senses would be enhanced. A vampyre's senses are perfect and much better than the senses of humans. You could see every single eye of a fly on your hand, hear a cricket chirp a mile away, smell if a person had been in a room and feel if a person's blood is healthy just by shaking their hand…" Layla whispered into his ear.
"And become a killer like you!" Harry hissed.
"You don't have to kill, only when necessary, like me. You could do many great things, Harry. You could go up against Lord Voldemort and defeat him. We could do it together, Harry, it's that simple. He's no match for two vampyres, I know that for a fact, even with his Death Eaters behind him. I nearly killed him myself but his wretched minions were too much. One cannot be hurt by a rodent, Harry, but many rodents can bring you down. But together, we would be powerful enough to overthrow him and his Death Eaters. You could do much good in the body of a God…" Harry stiffened as the words and ideas swirled around in his head.
"I don't…"
"A vampyre does not have to be a demon, Harry."
"But you feed off of blood… Human blood."
"We can eat other things but they do not sustain us. You crave blood, Harry, you must have blood. But you need not kill to get it. You do not have to kill one innocent soul." Layla lied as fluently as she spoke the truth.
If Harry consented to becoming a vampyre, she had two options. One of the options would be to take the risk and let him and then use him to destroy Voldemort once and for all. After the deed was done, his Death Eaters would follow her and she could make the most noble of them vampyres and her children. And depending on the way Harry acts after defeating Voldemort, Layla would either make him a Death Eater, or kill him. Of course, there was always the chance that Harry would not be enough to defeat Voldemort after all. Layla could just lead Harry to the forest claiming she'd make him into a vampyre and give him to Lord Voldemort like their deal entailed. He did, after all, consent to leave her be after this and never ask for her help again.
"I don't… I don't want to be a vampyre."
"You're sure about this now?" asked Layla. She wasn't about to give up now. But before Harry could answer, the door opened.
"I heard Harry's screams, are you OK?" asked Hermione. Layla was now extremely frustrated. Hermione had broken her concentration and Harry's attention and she was furious. Of course, she couldn't kill her. She needed Harry's trust.
"STUPEFY!" she screamed and Hermione fell to the floor. Harry ran to her. "I'm sorry, about that Harry, I wasn't thinking. I'm just so frustrated. Would you like to come for a walk with me in the forest?"
"Sure," said Harry. "I'll be right there. I just want to check on Hermione."
"OK." Layla waited but Harry stared at her.
"Go on. I'll be right with you. I'll catch up, I just want to make sure she's OK."
"Fine!" Layla sighed as she turned to walk down the hall.
"We all have our demons…" Harry muttered as he scribbled a quick note and put the parchment in her robe pocket. He then stood up and went to catch up with Layla.
Harry knew that Layla was trouble, but he couldn't help feeling drawn to her. He had to find out. And if she wasn't what she seemed, he had back up, providing Hermione found the note he had left her. He was going to find out for himself.