IMPORTANT STORY INFO: Okay, well, I was reading a Pirates of the Caribbean reincarnation story about Jack and Will and I was hit with a plot bunny (a rather mean one that just kept biting me). I thought the idea of reincarnating to fulfill promises was interesting and since I don't want to start a new story I have decided to adapt this story to fit into the evil plot bunny's demands. So you should reread the rest of the story. But if you don't want to reread all of it then you MUST at least REREAD CHAPTER TWO!
The PotC Fic: Dead End Angels by Mamusi
Stars in the Moonlit Sky
Beautiful dreamer, wake unto me,
Starlight and dewdrops are waiting for thee;
Sounds of the rude world heard in the day,
Lull'd by the moonlight have all pass'd away!
"You're not joking?" Harry said, a confused look coming over his face. "What the hell do you mean by you're not joking? Are you saying that I'm a vampire now?"
"Yes."
Harry gaped at Draco's calmness of voice. "Explain, please," he said as he sat back in the divan.
Draco opened his mouth to start speaking before closing it again and pausing. Finally, he spoke, "I'm only allowed to tell you the general facts about vampires. Gabriel, that what the vampire who bit you said his name was, will have to explain all the details of the matter. It is a tradition among vampires for the sire to tell of the vampiric ways to the newly turned."
"This is the dumbest joke that you have played on me, Draco Malfoy." A fierce look came over his face. He of course did not see how his green eyes started glowing with an edge of silver seeming to come out of them but Draco did, mesmerized.
"It would be except for the fact that it isn't a joke." A voice said from the door leading out of the head boy rooms. "I have come a bit earlier than expected because my business was cut short."
Harry stood and turned around so quickly that Draco winced at the thought of the whiplash (which never came, as vampires do not seem to get whiplash ;). The newly turned vampire watched as his sire came out of the shadows as seamlessly as if melting from the shadows himself.
"I suggest that you sit down now, childe."
Harry immediately did just that but not before he asked a question. "Who are you?"
"I have gone by many names in the centuries that I have lived. My first name, the one that I was given at my naming ceremony as a child, is Gabriel."
"I didn't mean just your name." Harry replied. "I want to know about who you are. A name doesn't determine your character. If I'm to be your childe I'd rather know what you are like."
"I was born in the year 976 AD. My mother was an elf-witch. Her family had descended from the mixed blood of one of the highest lineages of the woodland elves and a powerful pureblooded wizarding family. My parents match was not at all in any shape or form a love match. They were betrothed before they had even heard of each other's names. However, my parents did respect each other and their matrimonial bonds. My father was a busy man during my early years and because of this I spent much time with my mother and her kin. There was, however, a man in the woodland realm of the elves. He had been there to visit and learn of the different types of magicks available there. Since my mother was also busy during this time with her people, I was taken care of by this man. Throughout this time of my life, I rarely, if ever, saw my father. But when my mother passed on into afterlife when I was only seven years of age the man (of whom I will withhold his name for now) took me to where he was told my father was to be.
"They became quick friends and I was apprenticed under both of them. They planned to build a wizarding university with two of their friends for all young magicians to be trained because during these hard times many were being burned at the stake and unable to protect themselves. Can you guess how I am speaking of?"
"The Hogwarts Founders!" Draco breathed out.
"My father was Godric Gryffindor and my childhood caretaker was Salazar Slytherin." Gabriel stated before he continued on with his tale. "My father and Salazar frequently had arguments about the bringing of what you now called Muggleborns to Hogwarts. My father believed that we should invite them to come so that they wouldn't live in ignorance of their abilities but Salazar always opposed—however, he did have a good reason. Witch burnings were common during this time and Salazar had already lost three of those close to him due to Muggles. He believed that one of the Muggleborns would betray Hogwarts to those that wished them all dead. Even though, they did argue a lot the two did remain friends (of some sort or fashion) until the end even after Salazar decided to leave the school.
"When I was twenty-three the unthinkable happened. While I had been out in the Noctem Forest, which is now known as the Forbidden (or Dark) Forest, I was bitten. It was because of this that I was never able to return to Hogwarts or to my wife and son, who was but a little child at that time. Vampires were being hunted during this time, I was afraid to return. I knew that my wife came from a family of vampire hunters and that she held no love for me. I only returned once to Hogwarts and that was to say goodbye to my father and Salazar. They were the only two who knew the truth of the matter; everyone else had been led to believe that I had died and my body never found."
Gabriel then seemed to focus solely on Harry. "You are not the first—." He trailed off as his eyes widened as if he had just realized what Harry looked like. "Dear Merlin," he whispered as he walked closer to the emerald eyed teenager and circled him. "I knew that you looked at least a little similar to him. But you look exactly like him. I'd swear that you were a younger him if I hadn't seen his corpse with my own eyes." A slightly hysteric look came into the vampire's eyes.
Harry and Draco looked at each quickly and Draco arched his eyebrow and looked pointedly at the vampire and rolled his eyes as if saying, 'This is your sire? Pity for you. That's what you get from a Gryffindor.' However, the blonde decided to just ask "What on earth are you talking about?" instead.
The elder vampire started circling him as well. "You! You look like him too! But this morning you didn't! What did you do?"
"I, uh, changed clothes and pulled back my hair?" Draco said.
"We can't both look like him because we don't look at all alike, Gabriel." Harry said.
"I'm not talking about the same person!"
"Then whom do we look like?" Harry asked.
"It's just uncanny." Gabriel said. "But it's impossible. They didn't have any children and you two can't be siblings. I saw your body! I know did, Ezekiel. And Zachariah died only a week later. This can't be possible. Unless…"
"What are you raving about?" Draco asked.
"Have either of you seen a portrait of Ezekiel or Zachariah?"
"Who and who?" Harry asked. "Aren't those biblical names? Don't they mean strength and remembrance in God or something of the sort? What do they have to do with us?"
"Ezekiel and Zachariah! They are supposedly the most powerful vampire and mate relationship to have ever occurred in the last millennia or so."
"I read about them once in a couple of my vampire texts. But I've never seen a picture of them anywhere. Didn't they die in the early 1700s? None of the texts would specify how they died. Even Vampiric Mysteries didn't tell and that book goes into great depth of detail."
"Of course they don't," Gabriel said stiffly, calming considerably. "It is forbidden to tell those outside of the vampiric society of the events that occurred that led to their deaths. And even in our society their tragedy is rarely spoken of. But I know for a fact that several portraits were made of them and those several were copied which means there should be a portrait here at Hogwarts because this place has almost all of the more important paintings from history—or at least a copy—and quite a few not-so-important ones. Unfortunately, it has been about a century since a have last been to Hogwarts. I was a Ravenclaw, did you know? I only have to become a Hufflepuff now when I come back to school for the fourth time, if I ever decide to. I was a Gryffindor my first time at Hogwarts, of being the son of Godric, then I was a Slytherin in 1496 when I came to Hogwarts again."
Harry blinked his eyes at the rambling vampire. "Where was the painting the last time you were here? I don't think that the teachers would move paintings because the paintings can pretty much move themselves so the painting might be in the same spot or general area."
"It was in one of the secret rooms of the East Tower, I know it. Follow quickly." Gabriel then rushed from the room and faded into the shadows. Luckily, Harry could see him somewhat dimly with his newly improved sight and ran after him with Draco close at his heels.
Gabriel led them down some staircases and then up others and what seemed to be circles until he finally reached a hidden, dark hallway in the East Tower. "The painting should be at the very end of the hall." He then waved a hand towards a long forgotten torch on the wall and it went up in flames followed by the other torches.
Harry gasped and stopped short making Draco crash into him. "Oh my God," he whispered.
There was a painting on the wall in front of him. He was staring into a mirror image of himself—minus the scar—with different clothes and a more mature face. And there next to him seemed to be Draco leaning in so that their foreheads almost touched yet they couldn't move that extra three inches to touch be able to touch each other.
It smelled musty and confined in the room; and of the painting oils of the leering painter watching him. Yet he was happy here because of one reason. One currently whining reason.
"Zeke! You're the Vampire Lord! Get a little bit more self-control and sit still so we can finish in here. You do want to finish, don't you?"
"I do not know, my love, I rather like being here next to you. Do you not enjoy my company?"
"Of course I enjoy it, dear, but I don't like the painters. Just think when the portrait is done we can hang it up in the castle."
"But then everyone would see our portrait selves kissing all day, wouldn't they?"
A bright laugh echoed throughout the room. "I would hope that they would have a bit more control." Blonde hair tickled his neck as kisses were gently placed on him, warding the painter off.
Harry shook his head at the sensations that just ran through his body and especially his neck before turning to look to Gabriel. "The portrait isn't moving," he said softly. "Why's that?"
"It is said that when they died with their promise unfulfilled that they were doomed to be forever ever apart until the time came where they could complete their promise. They stopped moving the day Ezekiel was killed, or so the legend goes."
"What promise?" Harry asked.
"Ezekiel swore to Zachariah that he would return from his journey and then forever more remain at his side. He broke the promise with his death. It is said that mates who die separated with an broken promise of importance between are doomed to be separated even in the afterlife until it is completed, as I said before."
"Then how on earth could they complete the promise if they were doomed to be apart?"
"That knowledge has been forgotten so it is a fair chance that it never will be. Finding mates are so rare these days, what with most vampires hiding from wizards so we don't have much practical knowledge about them. Our greater scholars who knew the secrets of the vampires are dead."
Draco commented. "Well, that's stupid. Why didn't you write down your records? It would have saved you much trouble."
"And risk someone with malicious motives finding all the secrets of the vampires? I think not." Gabriel turned and started walking down the hall. "Do come quickly, I have many explanations to give to Harry once we reach the room."
*
"How did they die?" Draco asked Gabriel as the three sat down in the small living room in his dorm.
"It is forbidden for me to tell you. Even the vampires do not like to talk of it. I am one of the few who still survives and knows the entirety of the story. So, as it is, I cannot tell you."
"Why?" Draco asked indignantly.
"You are not a vampire."
"So I have to be a vampire to be told? That's stupid! I wouldn't hurt Harry and I swear I won't!"
"Unless you are a vampire or a vampire's mate then I am not allowed to tell you anything that pertains to Ezekiel and Zachariah's story in detail. I can assure you that the likeliness of you finding a vampire for a mate is very, very low."
"How do you know so much about what happened?" Harry asked quietly before Draco could ask anything else.
"You are not the first that I have turned. Ezekiel had been my childe, a term that is used of a vampire while he is still in training, until his rite of passage when he became my apprentice. I had always specialized in swordsmanship. He was an excellent student. Then he died."
Harry nodded then tilted his head to the side and asked, "If he was so good at swordsmanship then how was he captured?"
"I am not allowed to tell while the human remains in the room."
Draco sat up huffily. "Well, excuse me for not being the one you chose to bite! But might I remind you that this is my room that I have so kindly let you use?"
"The only way that I'll be able to tell you what happened while staying within the vampire code would be for you to either be bitten—which I can assure you won't happen within the next hour—or for you to be either Harry's or my mate, which is even more unlikely."
"How do you know if someone is your mate?" Harry questioned.
"I wouldn't know as I have not found my mate. Ezekiel, however, described it as a pull that he felt when first looked into Zachariah's eyes deeply." Harry's facial expressions showed his confusion. "Basically, he looked into Zachariah's eyes for at least ten seconds then started feeling a sexual pull (in other words, sexual desire) towards him which was strange being at the time he believed that he hated, or at least extremely disliked, Zachariah."
Draco sighed. "Being that I feel absolutely no sexual pull towards either of you I guess I shall be leaving to go to dinner. Harry, I'd come up with a good excuse of your absence. Weasley," he paused as if to think, "and almost all of your house," he paused again, "and, well, over half the school have been a bit temperamental lately."
Harry stood up and walked towards Draco. "Thanks for everything you've done for me today, Draco," he said smiling into his silver eyes.
Draco nodded. "Fat lot of help it did me. I don't even get to hear the good stuff."
Emerald eyes twinkled in an irritating manner as Harry tried to keep in his laughter. Draco breath caught and Harry's eyes widened. There seemed to be a feeling deep within their chests around their hearts that made them close the distance between them but just before their lips could meet, they both jumped back.
"Bloody hell." They both said loudly as they put a hand on their rapidly beating hearts.
Gabriel put his finger to his chin in a gesture of thought. "Well, isn't that interesting. I guess you won't be needing to leave now, Draco Malfoy."
Poem Excerpt—"Beautiful Dreamer" by Stephen Foster