Chapter Eight: Adrian- Dumbledore's Office

A/n- Like I said before this chapter is really short, only three pages and most of it's dialog, but it sets up the next chapter, which is like the second to last chapter and includes my big all-thrilling-all-action-climax-scene-that-you're-gonna-love. Please R/R

Dear Lord,

             I write with excellent news for our cause. Though the idiot Pettigrew has managed to get himself taken hostage our backup plan is foolproof. Instead of the 14th the wolves will be taken on the 13th by the group of vampires that you have taken into your employ. They will then be brought to Diagon alley as was already planned. They will be dead by eight that evening, no later I promise.

Hogwarts has received a surge of visitors and seemingly permanent residents this year. Might I have permission to send out a reconnaissance team to scout them out?

                   Your humble servant,

                                                Lucius Malfoy

I don't know what I was doing there. I'd been there so many times before for lectures, bad news, good news, and the like that it just seemed the place to go. No one of importance was there. The portraits were chatting amongst themselves, completely ignoring me and Fawkes was asleep, his head tucked under a wing. He didn't see me as I pushed the door open and came in. The noise from my transformation startled him slightly but his feathers just ruffled and settled again. In the magically enforced cage in the corner sat Peter Pettigrew. He watched me with his watery eyes as I transformed and sat down in the plush chair in front of Dumbledore's desk. His eyes narrowed as I stared straight back at him.

"The Dark Lord would reward you greatly to let me go." Pettigrew said smoothly.

I ignored him. There were more important things on my mind than bribes made by a rat; say Valentines Day for instance. It was the thirteenth already and I had nothing for Hermione yet. Then there were Snape's two essays that sat unfinished on my bed. Those were important too.

"Rewards you could never dream of. He would pay greatly to have someone of your abilities working for him."

"I'm sure he would," I murmured hoping to shut him up. "Unlike you, I don't sell out."

"His followers do not consider it 'selling out'. We think of it as salvation from the taints of our race." He said.

"Yeah, uh, by your guidelines I'm one of those 'tainted' parts. I'm a vampire remember? I could rip your throat out without even thinking." I reminded him.

"But you're special. Join us and peace would never come between species."

"Dad was right, you are stupid. That was the worst sales pitch I've ever heard."

Pettigrew grinned maliciously. "I have a better one. Join us and the vermin won't burn at the stake tomorrow."

"What?" Cautiously, I sat up from my slouched position on looked him straight in the eye.

"Your friend Oz and my old compatriot Remus. Them; the ones who don't deserve to live. The werewolves." He explained. "They'll be taken later today and executed by the good people of Diagon Ally."

I opened my mouth to speak, but then pieces of the metaphorical puzzle started falling into place. I could almost guarantee that Lee knew about this. She'd been acting weird about something. And when Pettigrew had transformed to human in the office that night a silver knife fell out of his hand. He'd been after the two of them. I went into game face as I approached the cage.

"Who's taking them?" I asked, baring fangs. "And when?"

"Why would I tell someone against our cause?"

"Remember what I said about ripping out your throat?"

He gave a slight shudder that was barely detectable but still said nothing helpful. "You'd never do anything to me…James." As he'd hoped I was forced to back away as a shock rocked through my body. When I looked back up he had regained full composure. "That's better. Now if you let me out of this cage I'm sure I could talk Lucius Malfoy out of this plan. Just let me out. You have your wand. Think how much Oz and Remus mean to you, you wouldn't want to loose them so soon, would you? I was supposed to take them tomorrow because with my silver hand I could handle both of them at one, but since you all ruined that plan by keeping me here they're probably already gone by now."

"I'm not going to loose them." I turned towards the door. 'I'd find Dumbledore' I told myself. 'He'd be able to do something.'

"Oh, and James." Pushing down the pain I looked back at Pettigrew. He clamped his hands to the bars, pressing his head up against them. "I wanted to tell you this, when I killed your mother I enjoyed it. She fought to the end you know, but I had everything I needed to defeat a vampire. It was easy to frame Leandra for it. Of Remus, James, and Sirius I hated Sirius the most. Revenge on his family fed my hate until I could get Sirius himself."

Without thinking I lunged at the cage. When I forced my hand through the magical barrier the pain was almost unbearable but I didn't care or draw back my hand. I pulled Pettigrew's neck until I could reach it and sunk my fangs in. It was something I'd swore never to do to a human, but this was Peter Pettigrew. In my book he didn't quite qualify.

"Kill me." He whispered, still smiling. "The mission will be accomplished then."

I wiped blood from my mouth, still swallowing. "Don't worry I will."

The more I drank the weaker his pulse in my hand became. Behind me the door slammed, but I didn't care. I could've taken anyone then. With the blood I felt almost invincible. A cool hand gripped my shoulder and pulled me off my victim. I hit the stone wall hard. As I slumped slowly I reached and felt blood dripping from a new wound in my forehead. It hurt, but was healing faster than what was normal for me. My eyes weren't focusing though, and the three figures in the room were a blur. I only recognized Peter.

"Adrian?" This time a warm hand swept back my hair. "Adrian? How many fingers am I holding up?"

"Three?" I blinked fiercely as the room slowly stopped spinning. "Ow!"

"Is your neck ok, any bones broken?"

"Fine and no."

"Ok then, what the hell were you doing?"

"Xander?" I asked stupidly. Someone with black hair was in front of me. I could see that, but I couldn't really see facial features. He nodded, and pushed me down as I tried to get up. "The room is spinning."

"Spike I think you hit him a little too hard." Xander said sarcastically.

"Well he was having a meal on our little rat friend over here." Spike's familiar voice came from the right corner of the room. I spotted two blond heads and a black one with a fat blur on top of them. It looked sort of like Pettigrew. 

"Adrian can you see?" Asked Buffy's voice.

"The room is spinning." I repeated. "That really hurt. It's getting a little better though." I could make out Xander's face looking over me now, and his hand waving in my face. I batted it away and tried again to sit up, but I received only a monster headache.

The door opened again and a woman in white came in. "Oh God, what'd you do now?"

"Leandra can you clean him up before we chew him out?" Asked dad. I could see him now at the cage. They'd put Pettigrew back in and he was reapplying the spells I'd gone through. Xander moved away and Madam Morela bent over me clucking her tongue.

"You took blood?" She asked.

"Uh huh." I moaned, my body still throbbed from Spike throwing me against the wall. There was the familiar feeling of a broken rib on the right side of my chest.

"Not much I need to do then." She said, pulling out her wand. "Whoever threw him needs to be a little more careful in the handling of students. Spike I assume?"

"Yeah. Adrian what the bloody hell were you doing?" Dad asked evenly.

"They're gonna take Remus and Oz- today." I blurted out almost in-cohesively. "Like kidnapping them, then executing them."

"Buffy-"

"I'm on it." Buffy said cutting Spike off. She raced out of the room and down the twisting steps. Spike stuck his hand out and pulled me up off the floor. He completely ignored my groans as the room blurred again and multiple hammers started pounding on my skull. The cut on my head had healed completely and the rib felt better.

"You went all fangy and grr on Wormtail 'cause he said he was going to kidnap Oz and Remus?" Xander asked skeptically. He looked at Spike a frowned. "You're a really bad influence on these kids."

Spike rolled his eyes. "Shut up whelp."

"Don't even start with each other." Morela glared at both of them. "Wormtail will be fine so there's no lasting damage on that front, and James can explain to us what happened later. But since we have what one might consider a pending crisis I suggest we not ground him now but develop some sort of plan."

"Right," Spike said. "Sirius since you can't go down there as a human the whelp'll have to go. Xander, there're some crossbows in the transfiguration room, and some swords. Get Peaches, he's with Cordelia, then go find Buffy."

"Spike we're dealing with humans, not demons." Xander sighed referring to the crossbows and swords. "Humans with magic wands."

"No. Buffy's slayer sense went off a little earlier but we couldn't find anything. The suns just about to set. Crossbows."

"I'll go with you, transformed don't worry." A distant pop sounded and dad had transformed into a huge black dog.

I looked at Spike. "What're you gonna do?"

"Goin' to pay a visit to a certain white haired goddess. You're coming with me. She has something that could help."

"Adhara?" Morela exclaimed. "She's still here? What could she possibly have?"

"Freya's strand. When you wear it you can change your form into anything. Dru wanted it for her birthday during World War Two, we didn't get it though. Adhara has it now and I think it'll help. C'mon, let's go."

A/n- Please R/R. GTG finish my English paper and study for Latin. ETA for chapter nine is Thursday-Monday. I know that's really broad, but I'll try to send out an e-mail, also I'll answer all questions in next chapters authors note. Bye!

          -MJ

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