Chapter Eleven

(The start's badly written but I make up for it at the end! This is one of many big battles to be fought in this fic… okay… three fights! The fight is continued into the next chappie anyways. The fic is nearly half finished yay! Long chapter though… very long…)

"Sounds easy enough," Dario shrugged.

"Dari… he's not going to just walk right into our open arms.  We will have to find him and then capture him… not easy!" Donato argued.

Both boys were walking through the forest, back to the lair to find Draco and then go to find Harry.  They both automatically jumped into the shadows and blended in as soon as they heard someone coming.

"Hey… it's Potter!" Dario grinned at Donato.  "You were saying my friend?"

"Shut it! You got lucky!" Donato spat.

"Who's there?" Harry jumped and the light on his wand flickered.  He stared around the area he was standing in the grounds.  There was definitely someone there, he had heard them.  He cautiously set back out through the forest, back pack full of weapons and guards.

A snap of a twig.

Harry spun round again.  Then he heard the same thing come from behind him again.  He spun round once again but he still saw nothing.  Harry was getting scared.

Hey… did that shadow just… Oh come off it Harry! It's just a trick of the light! Harry shook his head.

No.  Something was moving in the shadows but before Harry could reach for a weapon, something jumped out at him like a striking snake and forced him down to the ground, Harry's wand light went out as it hit the ground.  Harry cried out in surprise but couldn't struggle out of the strong grip.

"Hello Potter.  Fancy seeing you in this neighbourhood!" a voice whispered.

"Who are you? Get off me or I'll… I'll be forced to hurt you!"

The boy laughed, Harry could hear another one doing the same a short distance away.  "Hurt us? Do you know who we are Potter?" he sneered.

Harry remained silent.  Did he want to know? A bright white light appeared from beside him and filled the small area they were staying.  Now Harry could see who these people were, it made him jump to see the one who was holding him down to the ground.

"Remember me?" Donato grinned.

"What do you want?" Harry hissed.

The other boy sat down beside Harry with a white flame in his palm.  Harry had not seen him before but he looked sinister with his black, shifty eyes.  "Nothing much…" he sighed before looking at Harry sideways.

"We just need…" Donato trailed off as he lifted one hand off Harry's shoulders.  Harry attempted to get away now but the grip was still unbelievably strong.  Harry felt Donato placing an icy finger onto his temple and whispering an incantation.  Within seconds, Harry began to feel dizzy and sick, soon he began to fall into darkness and he fell limp in Donato's grip.  "…you!" Donato grinned as he and Dario grabbed an arm each.

"Pathetic really aren't they? Mortals," Dario sighed.

They both disappeared with Harry.

*~*~*~*~*

Draco opened his eyes.  He didn't remember falling asleep but when he woke, he realised why he had.  He couldn't move, his head spun, his throat was dry and painful.  He felt paralysed as well as weak.

"Raven… you there?" he managed to call in a strained voice.

"Finally awake then are you? I didn't want to wake you…" she said to him from the other side of the cave with a small group of girls.

"Something's not right…"

"What's up?" she stood up and went over to him, kneeling down with her hand on his.

"I can't move… so weak…"

"Draco, when was the last time you had a drink?" she sighed.

"Never…" he replied after thinking.

"That's the problem!" she shook her head.  "Draco, you need to have something! Why do you think us vampires drink blood? To keep us from totally dying that's why! We need that blood to make up for what we don't have!"

"You tell me that now!"

"Wasn't it obvious?"

"Leave me alone… I'm blonde!"

Raven laughed.  "At least you still have your sense of humour! Hold on, I'll get you something." She got up and left.

The girls in the corner giggled.  Draco grew agitated and his eye twitched.

"What?" he snapped.

More giggling.  Draco groaned. 

Almost straight after Raven left, the chamber door opened again and hurried footsteps could be heard running down the stone stairs.

"Malfoy, my friend!"

"Get away from me Donato!" Draco glared as he sat up slowly and propped himself up against the wall.

"I do believe someone wants a word with you," Donato grinned malevolently.

Draco stared at Donato.  There was something about his face that told Draco that he had done something to endanger him.  He wouldn't have! "Don… please say you didn't tell!"

"Hmmm… sorry Malfoy, can't do that!" Donato reached forward and grabbed Draco round the neck.

"Will you two take it outside!" one of the girls snapped.

"Won't be long girls… in fact, we were just leaving," Donato replied sweetly.

"Get off! No, I won't go! You wouldn't! You wouldn't!" Draco didn't have the energy to thrash and kick.

"This is too easy!" Donato laughed, "First Potter walks right into our arms and now you are too weak to even move! This is good!"

"Potter? What are you at?"

"You'll see…" Donato put his finger to Draco temple and muttered something.  A few seconds later and Draco's head began to spin just like Harry's had, the spinning was continually growing faster and faster until he felt sick and fell unconscious.

*~*~*~*~*

Hermione tossed over and opened her eyes to the weak light of early morning.  Beside her, Ron was lying with his head lolling off the arm rest of the sofa where Hermione was curled up in.  His mouth was open and soft snores could be heard along with a string of drool dropping out of his mouth.  Hermione's nose wrinkled up in disgust.

"Honestly Ronald! Clean yourself up!" she whispered as she walked over to the writing desk, taking an every-flavour bean from the box.  She aimed and threw it into his mouth.

Ron woke up with a snort and a jump, "Apocalypse! Run for your lives!"

Hermione laughed, "Good morning to you too!"

"What kind of wake up is that?" he swallowed the bean, "I mean, you could've used a better flavour! Yuck, cactus!"

"Oh so sorry, I'll lick it next time to make sure it's a good flavour!"

"No, you're alright there!" Ron stretched.

"Typically, you fall asleep… what if a nasty vampire had come and attacked me in my sleep?"  she smiled as she also stretched.  "Where's Harry?"

Ron froze, "Uh oh…"

"What?" Hermione grew concerned.

"He left last night… after you fell asleep… he isn't back!" Ron looked around him.

"Left… to go where?" then a thought struck her.  He wouldn't have… would he? "Ron, where'd he go? Tell me!" she grabbed him by the collar.

"He went out to find Malfoy and get rid of him so he won't try to kill you! Get off Hermione you're hurting me! No, Hermione, that's getting tighter!"

Hermione tensed and stared at Ron.  "No… I've got to go get him back before he does something stupid!" she let go and started to head to the portrait hole.

"I thought you'd be glad Harry was going to destroy him," Ron called.

Hermione stopped and walked back to Ron slowly.  "Something Lupin told me last night… he said that I could save Draco.  We didn't have to destroy him…"

"Hermione… he's a vampire!"

"I know! But Lupin said that I can save him because he's not a complete vampire yet! The person who attacked him forgot to finish the ritual, so Draco's soul is still strong and we can call it back!"

Ron was looking at Hermione as if she was insane.  "Yeah… and flobber worms will some day rule the world!"

"Ron! Believe me, please! The attacker forgot to come back for Draco and make him drink their blood… to complete it."

"Now I know you're mad! Vampires don't have blood… why else do you think they want ours?"

"No! Listen to me… the blood they force him to drink is his own! It gives him strength and makes the evil force stronger, it also stops him from dying like a human normally would after a vampire drains them… the attacker forgot about that so that means we can help him!"

"Hermione… I know that you want Malfoy to be himself again, but whatever dream you had last night… it's madness!"

"I hear Draco when… oh you know what… I give up! I'm going now to stop Harry… you want to come, you can come.  If not, sit here and think that you're right!" Hermione turned and ran out.

Ron sat on his own in the common room staring into space, "It is mad… she's gone nutters…" he said to himself.  He sat for all five seconds before he sighed and followed.  "Wait!"

*~*~*~*~*

Harry felt stiff all over.  He tried to sit up but it was painful, especially on the hard, cold, stone floor he was lying on.  He didn't have a clue where he was or what had happened.  All he remembered was wandering into the forest, being attacked and then dizziness.  He didn't want to open his eyes, scared of what he might see, scared of who he might see.  Eventually, he did open them.

The room was all completely dark except for the occasional thin bar of morning sunlight venturing in through cracks on the wooden window shutter.  The whole room was made of stone… moss covered stone.  It was also cold and smelt strongly of decay. 

Harry managed to sit up and rubbed his aching head, he sat for a few minutes letting his eyes get used to the darkness of the room.  After that, he managed to see little details of the room such as the chains and manacles bolted to the walls, the floor stained with dried blood, rats' bones scattered all around him, piles of tattered cloaks and other clothes and old and rusted weapons that probably haven't seen battle in centuries.

He sighed and leaned up against the wall.  What was happening? What was he doing here? Another noise could be heard from the area near the pile of clothes in the darkness and Harry jumped.  It was a moaning, groaning sound that sounded almost human.  Then the pile moved, it was then Harry realised it wasn't a pile of clothes, but another person.  Harry stared but he couldn't make them out through the darkness.

"Who's there?" Harry croaked with is dry, strained voice.

A moan was the only reply followed by a slight attempt at the person sitting up.

Harry stood up shakily and walked over to this person to help, they sounded in a great deal of pain.  "You okay? Need help?" Harry kneeled down beside the curled up figure and gave them a shake. 

"Get away…" a small, raspy voice threatened.

"I'm only trying to help… who are you?"

No answer.  Harry shook the person again, he felt very cold… deathly cold.  Harry waited for a reaction but nothing happened, the person wasn't moving.  Harry then panicked.

"Hey… you alive?" he asked urgently shaking the figure again and turning it over to see the face.  Harry pulled back with a glare.

Draco was lying there in front of him, deathly white and cold, hair messed up and the lightest colour of blonde anyone could imagine, his face completely motionless and his chest totally still from movement… he may as well have been dead to anyone who looked at him.

Harry continued to glare at Draco.  He could do it now, now that Draco was weak and defenceless but Harry had no weapons.  Usually Harry wouldn't attack someone as defenceless as this but he felt such anger towards this creature that he would've torn him apart without hesitation. 

A squeaky door opened a little way off and brought Harry back to his senses.  A tall man with long, ragged brown hair stared down at him.  He was carrying a mug in his hand

"You'd better move…" he told Harry.  His voice was like a growl; Harry could tell he was a werewolf.  Harry moved away and the werewolf-man sat down beside Draco.

"Drink this, kid," he whispered as he lifted the mug to Draco's pale lips and tipped the liquid into his mouth.  "You'll feel stronger after this."

Yeah, and once he gets up, I'll kick his ass! Harry thought.  He could smell the liquid from where he was standing; it was, of course, blood.  Harry's stomach churned violently.

The guy then stood up and while leaving he said, "Someone will see you in a minute, Potter…" he grinned.  The grin made Harry feel very uncomfortable and know that something bad would come of that.

After a while of complete silence, there was a startled sound that came from Draco.  He sat up and rubbed his head.  Harry walked over to him and leaned against the wall beside him.

Draco blinked a few times and stared around him wildly, then he found Harry.

"Hello Malfoy," he said neutrally before hitting him hard round the back of his head.

Draco fell to his side but quickly recovered and glared.  "What are you at Potter?"

"I have a little revenge to get on you from a friend of mine!" he grabbed Draco by the collar and pushed him up against the wall.

Draco laughed softly and bowed his head, "Do you honestly believe that you can harm me with pathetic mortal methods?"

Harry barely had time to think.  As quick as a flash, Draco had broke free from Harry's grip and had pinned him up against the wall instead.  Draco laughed softly again and raised both his eyebrows swiftly at Harry, mocking him.

"I have powers that you can only dream of, Potter.  I can move with the swiftness and speed of lightning, I can use powerful magic without aid of a wand, I can disappear into the night… blend into the shadows so you don't know I'm there… I am more powerful than you, Weasel boy and the mud-blood put together.  So don't… push it!"

Harry glared and more hatred flared up inside him like an innocent camp fire turning into a wild forest blaze.  He pushed Draco away from him, ready to fight.

"You want to die Potter? Fine, fight me and die trying to kill me!" Draco taunted.

Harry was ready for him, surely there was something in this room he could use to kill him… surely.

"There will be none of that."

Both boys jumped back a step when they heard the voice of Lord Voldemort.  If Harry had expected Draco to be all humble and stand by his master, he was greatly shocked to see Draco cower back into the shadows.

Voldemort advanced towards them, he stopped beside Harry and pushed him aside into the wall.  "I'll deal with you in a moment, Potter."

Draco edged silently along the dark, shadowed wall, heading towards the open door.

"Where do you think you're going Malfoy? I want a word with you," Voldemort walked forward and grabbed Draco by the wrist before he could get away.

Draco struggled but he dared not lash out at him.  That would just make things a lot worse.

"You'd better be afraid of me Draco! I let you get away with failing me once.  I found a way round it and gave you a second chance, you failed me again! This time, you will suffer!" Voldemort hissed at the struggling creature in his grasp.

Draco swallowed hard and stared up at Voldemort with huge, hollow eyes filled with the only human emotion to pass over them in a while, fear.  Voldemort hadn't noticed, for if he had noticed this mortal emotion, he would've been suspicious and begin questioning him.  He'd find out about Draco still being connected to his soul.

*~*~*~*

Meanwhile, Ron and Hermione were heading for the grounds to find Harry when Lupin stopped them before they had even made it out of Gryffindor tower.  He had come up to talk to Hermione.

"Where are you two going?" he asked.

"Harry's gone to try and kill Draco!" Hermione explained, "We're trying to go stop him."

Lupin was deep in thought for a minute, "It's not Draco I'd be worried about if I were you! Harry could be in a lot of danger if he fights with Draco.  Vampires are very powerful.  I was going to come up and tell you that we can try to start the spell tonight.  It would make it safer to us if he comes to us instead of us going to catch him, but now I know that we must do it now to save Harry."

Hermione stared.  "What?" she asked in a confused tone.

"We have to start the spell now or Draco will kill Harry!" Lupin simply said.  "This part of the spell will coax the soul into fighting the evil and regain control long enough for Draco to get here to us so we can finish it.  We must do it now or Harry will die."

Hermione looked at Ron who was wearing his 'Great, she was right after all but I won't mention it' look, it was what was normally on his face during class time.

"Okay… what do we have to do?" she asked.

"It's mainly you, Hermione.  You have to talk to his soul and keep that connection while I cast a spell," Lupin explained as they walked down to his room.

"What do I do?" Ron asked.

"You have the most important job," Lupin grinned.

"What's that?"

"Sitting and keeping an eye out for Snape! I have to sneak into his store cupboard for some supplies for the rest of the spell, so we may as well do this part in there too!"

"Great…" Ron said sarcastically.

"Hurry!" Lupin sped up.  The children followed.

(A/N:- a VERY rushed part there!)

*~*~*~*~*

Even Harry winced at the sight of Draco being tortured by Voldemort.  He was being thrown about the room, spell after spell was cast on him and all with the same result… Draco crying out in agony.

Eventually Voldemort stopped and put his wand back into his robe pocket.  "You think that this is bad Malfoy? I haven't finished yet.  You deserve worse than this, many people who have failed me have suffered worse, but how can I make it any worse for you? You are already in a low, pathetic state… a lowly, filthy vampire.  I could just let you die but that would be a relief to this cursed 'life' you know lead.  I will put you through pain until you scream for mercy and forgiveness, to make sure that you will never fail me again!" with that, he opened the wooden shutter that kept out the strong sunlight.

The sunlight filled the room soon followed by the worst cry of agony that Harry had heard.  The sunlight made Harry blink after the long darkness.  He sat with his back against the wall, not being able to frown out the cries and yells from Draco as the sunlight burnt him.  He looked up and saw Draco writhing on the ground, hands covering his face as a weak defence.  His eyes were watering and tears escaped his eyes down his burning, cracking skin.  Harry winced again and looked away.

Let it be over soon… let me die for God's sake! Draco thought as the pain was growing unbearable.  Just as he was about to give up struggling, darkness filled the room once again.  Draco still lay curled up on the floor, his strength coming back to him as he lay in the darkness but he dared not move.

Voldemort walked over and dragged him up off the ground.  His face was getting back to its normal, pale state but his eyes were still full of water.  "Had enough? He grinned.

Draco closed his eyes and turned his head away.  He didn't say a word.

"Speak to me, boy!" Voldemort threw Draco up against the wall.  "Now, what do you say?"

Draco struggled weakly in Voldemort's grip, "I-I'm sorry m-master… I w-will never…n-never f-fail you again… never…" Draco stammered.

Voldemort laughed, "You're right.  Never… fail me again or you know what will happen.  Maybe next time it will be worse. " With that, he threw Draco aside and advanced towards Harry.  "Now, as for you, Potter…"

(Too long? Tell me if it was, I do get carried away most of the time, I had to fight to stop it there so I'm itching to write the next chapter!!!! *eye twitches* PLEASE review if you liked it or if you have anything to say… any ideas for me or anything! C yas next chappie when the rest of the little encounter with voldie finishes with a fight and Hermione tries to call Draco back! BYES!!!!)