I entered in the First's library, but he wasn't there. Patiently I
stepped over to the blank wall that was opposite the fireplace. The wall,
which was at least three stories high, was filled with framed newspaper
articles from both wizard and Muggle publications. My eyes brushed the
headlines: "Woman Found Dead in Apartment, Suspected Neck Rupture";
"Vampire Attack; One Dead, Four Wounded"; and the newest one, which was
placed in an effulgent frame in the center of the wall, "Hogwarts Massacre,
Half of School Population Dead or Wounded."
"That one's my favorite," a voice said piercingly. The glass frame held only my misty reflection; I knew who stood behind me. I turned around. "You've made quite a name for yourself, Harry Potter. Eager to prove yourself, aren't you?"
"I'm an overachiever," I replied casually. The First looked as if he was going to laugh and decided against it. Instead, I found my back to the wall and his hand at my throat.
"You stupid little boy," he began calmly, as if we were discussing the weather. "I told you not to disobey me. I told you not to attract attention to our kind."
I didn't fight his tight grip on my windpipe; wasn't like I needed the air. "Hate to inform you, but I don't play by your rules," I informed the First. "We're ten times more powerful than any Muggle, twice as powerful as a wizard- and we hide in the shadows? We can kill anything that stands in our way."
The First let go of me abruptly, his black eyes intense. "Is that a threat?"
"Maybe." I waved my hand towards the wall; the glass in every frame shattered. My right lip curled into a smile. "What would you do about it?"
"Kill you," answered the ancient vampire, walking over to the fireplace. Above the mantle were two swords. They leaped from their position on the wall to his hands, and the First tossed me one easily. "I cannot stand for another trying to undermine my authority, Potter. One of must die today-" he smiled "- and I certainly don't plan it to be me."
For a moment, I wasn't sure how to respond. "Do I have a choice in the matter?" I was answered the moment the First lunged at me. I unsheathed the blade and parried his blow. He struck his sword down and in; I hindered it. For another moment we paced each other, looking for a weakness. To my alarm, I could not find the First's.
Again the First whipped his saber towards my torso, which I clumsily blocked; he nearly cut my heart out of my chest. That would've killed me for sure.
Stepping forward, I gripped my weapon tighter and aimed for the First's head. The second my sword hit his neck he disappeared.
~Think you're clever, Harry? ~ he inquired, speaking from somewhere I couldn't see.
"Very," I told him through gritted teeth. "Get down here and fight!" Something sharp hit the back of my head, knocking me to my knees.
"You think you're so powerful," the First commented, appearing before me. "You killed nearly everyone at Hogwarts that makes you so great. Power comes with age, Potter. One day you will learn that."
The back of my head was bleeding; from my neck, ribbons of red streamed down my chest, soaking into my shirt. Black spots appeared in my vision. A wave of dizziness came over me. "Maybe not," I said heavily. Reaching out with my mind, I pushed the First into the wall, hard enough that dust showered down from the corners.
With much effort I pulled myself back up, trying to steady myself. The First was trying to get back up again. "Even injured, you are strong," the First told me, trying his best not to look surprised.
"I know." My eyes locked on the blaze in the hearth. Mentally I pulled a handful of flame from the fire. "Stronger than you?"
He paused. "Almost."
I snorted. "Not good enough." The blaze collected into a ball and I hurled it him; his dry vampire skin immediately caught, and he quickly burned away to a pile of ash. Then I collapsed.
* * *
A taste filled my mouth; it was sweet and hot. It refreshed me, chasing away the weakness that filled my body. I opened my eyes; a child squirmed, his eyes filled with fresh panic.
"Drink, Master," ordered the vampire who kept the child from squirming away. "He will save you." Closing my eyes again, I drank until there was no more. I heard a voice, the only person I cared about. "Harry!"
Lips touched mine, and I opened my eyes. Hermione pulled away from me, stroking my face. "You're safe," she sighed, her eyes red at the corners with collected blood-tears. "I thought you'd been killed."
"Too bad," another commented. Draco and Ginny appeared at my side, a satisfied smile covering the git's pasty mug.
I sat up in bed, and pulled Hermione towards me. "I'm safe, Princess," I told her. "You're here, and it'll be all right." I smiled. "I killed him, Hermione. First's dead." It occurred to me that I was not in my room. The room I sat in now was darker, more ornate, like a king's chambers. The First's room, I assumed.
"You have killed the First, Harry Potter," one of the several vampires who crowded me said. "You are the strongest vampire to live." The velvet-clad group bowed before me. "We dedicate ourselves to you. You are our leader."
Draco turned whiter than he already was. I raised an eyebrow. "Come again?"
"You kill the First, you assume his position."
"This is what leads you to the end, Harry!" the old woman had said. She was the seer with the dreamy expression who bored me to tears. "I die, then the First. You must stop this before-" Then Hermione and I killed her. Not the best decision in retrospect.
"Do you assume the title, Harry Potter?" The word title appealed to me. People with titles had power; something I'd wanted for a long time. Finally, the novice works his way up to power.
"I'll take it," I replied easily. I looped my arm tightly around Hermione. "See, love? Now you're a real Princess." She grinned.
*** A/N: Short, yeah. But the best is coming soon, I promise you that! More Draco/Ginny, I promise. If you hate my D/G lack, go read my BFF's Evil Slytherin Child's story, A Walk on the Wild Side. Eighth chapter up soon!
"That one's my favorite," a voice said piercingly. The glass frame held only my misty reflection; I knew who stood behind me. I turned around. "You've made quite a name for yourself, Harry Potter. Eager to prove yourself, aren't you?"
"I'm an overachiever," I replied casually. The First looked as if he was going to laugh and decided against it. Instead, I found my back to the wall and his hand at my throat.
"You stupid little boy," he began calmly, as if we were discussing the weather. "I told you not to disobey me. I told you not to attract attention to our kind."
I didn't fight his tight grip on my windpipe; wasn't like I needed the air. "Hate to inform you, but I don't play by your rules," I informed the First. "We're ten times more powerful than any Muggle, twice as powerful as a wizard- and we hide in the shadows? We can kill anything that stands in our way."
The First let go of me abruptly, his black eyes intense. "Is that a threat?"
"Maybe." I waved my hand towards the wall; the glass in every frame shattered. My right lip curled into a smile. "What would you do about it?"
"Kill you," answered the ancient vampire, walking over to the fireplace. Above the mantle were two swords. They leaped from their position on the wall to his hands, and the First tossed me one easily. "I cannot stand for another trying to undermine my authority, Potter. One of must die today-" he smiled "- and I certainly don't plan it to be me."
For a moment, I wasn't sure how to respond. "Do I have a choice in the matter?" I was answered the moment the First lunged at me. I unsheathed the blade and parried his blow. He struck his sword down and in; I hindered it. For another moment we paced each other, looking for a weakness. To my alarm, I could not find the First's.
Again the First whipped his saber towards my torso, which I clumsily blocked; he nearly cut my heart out of my chest. That would've killed me for sure.
Stepping forward, I gripped my weapon tighter and aimed for the First's head. The second my sword hit his neck he disappeared.
~Think you're clever, Harry? ~ he inquired, speaking from somewhere I couldn't see.
"Very," I told him through gritted teeth. "Get down here and fight!" Something sharp hit the back of my head, knocking me to my knees.
"You think you're so powerful," the First commented, appearing before me. "You killed nearly everyone at Hogwarts that makes you so great. Power comes with age, Potter. One day you will learn that."
The back of my head was bleeding; from my neck, ribbons of red streamed down my chest, soaking into my shirt. Black spots appeared in my vision. A wave of dizziness came over me. "Maybe not," I said heavily. Reaching out with my mind, I pushed the First into the wall, hard enough that dust showered down from the corners.
With much effort I pulled myself back up, trying to steady myself. The First was trying to get back up again. "Even injured, you are strong," the First told me, trying his best not to look surprised.
"I know." My eyes locked on the blaze in the hearth. Mentally I pulled a handful of flame from the fire. "Stronger than you?"
He paused. "Almost."
I snorted. "Not good enough." The blaze collected into a ball and I hurled it him; his dry vampire skin immediately caught, and he quickly burned away to a pile of ash. Then I collapsed.
* * *
A taste filled my mouth; it was sweet and hot. It refreshed me, chasing away the weakness that filled my body. I opened my eyes; a child squirmed, his eyes filled with fresh panic.
"Drink, Master," ordered the vampire who kept the child from squirming away. "He will save you." Closing my eyes again, I drank until there was no more. I heard a voice, the only person I cared about. "Harry!"
Lips touched mine, and I opened my eyes. Hermione pulled away from me, stroking my face. "You're safe," she sighed, her eyes red at the corners with collected blood-tears. "I thought you'd been killed."
"Too bad," another commented. Draco and Ginny appeared at my side, a satisfied smile covering the git's pasty mug.
I sat up in bed, and pulled Hermione towards me. "I'm safe, Princess," I told her. "You're here, and it'll be all right." I smiled. "I killed him, Hermione. First's dead." It occurred to me that I was not in my room. The room I sat in now was darker, more ornate, like a king's chambers. The First's room, I assumed.
"You have killed the First, Harry Potter," one of the several vampires who crowded me said. "You are the strongest vampire to live." The velvet-clad group bowed before me. "We dedicate ourselves to you. You are our leader."
Draco turned whiter than he already was. I raised an eyebrow. "Come again?"
"You kill the First, you assume his position."
"This is what leads you to the end, Harry!" the old woman had said. She was the seer with the dreamy expression who bored me to tears. "I die, then the First. You must stop this before-" Then Hermione and I killed her. Not the best decision in retrospect.
"Do you assume the title, Harry Potter?" The word title appealed to me. People with titles had power; something I'd wanted for a long time. Finally, the novice works his way up to power.
"I'll take it," I replied easily. I looped my arm tightly around Hermione. "See, love? Now you're a real Princess." She grinned.
*** A/N: Short, yeah. But the best is coming soon, I promise you that! More Draco/Ginny, I promise. If you hate my D/G lack, go read my BFF's Evil Slytherin Child's story, A Walk on the Wild Side. Eighth chapter up soon!