DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter, that's JK Rowling's creation.

NOTE: Thanks to everyone who reviewed! :) Responses to the current reviews will accompany the next chapter.

So, my muse went on vacation shortly after pushing chapter 4 up. Part of the problem was figuring out how to go about writing parts of this chapter. I think I've gotten it down now though and have laid the foundation for more exciting bits to come. Thanks for sticking around so long and please enjoy this newest chapter. :)

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As I See It - Chapter 5

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It must have been quite a shocker to say the least when the three Hogwarts Staff members portkeyed into my loft. For all they knew, there was a dark-furred creature with its' fangs bared leaning over the unconscious form of Draco Malfoy as if to strike. The head was something of a cross between a human and a wolf - a short snout, slightly pointed ears, black lips, red gums, and unnaturally sharp canine teeth. The silvery eyes gave off an eerie glow, the cat-like pupils open wide in the dim light as the creature's head turned toward them. The expression flickered from menacing - deep in concentration - to surprise as it registered the intruders. The surprise disappeared as quickly as it came, replaced by a faintly-human expression of relief.

Then all hell broke loose.

I had no idea how my appearance had changed since I unlocked the power I'd gained when I'd completed my training. As far as I was concerned, colors had become brighter, noises louder, and scents stronger.

In the heartbeat it took me to recognize my intruders, I sensed an attack.

As quickly as I could I conjured a shield to absorb the first attack as my instincts kicked into gear.

I dodged to the side and sprang at my attacker - the man on the left. I knocked his wand out of his hand as I crashed into his chest, sending us both sprawling over the furniture. Before we stopped rolling I'd already stupefied him and cast bonds at the two remaining intruders. The man blocked my curse, but the woman was caught.

As I got back to my feet my rational senses kicked in and told me who these intruders were.

"Albus! Stop!" I shouted as I regained my footing.

My voice sounded different - raspy, throaty, with a guttural growl to it. I was slightly taken aback, but would not let my guard down out of habit. The wizard opposite me had a look of astonishment on his face, but did not lower his wand.

"Who are you and why did you attack Mister Malfoy?" he asked.

I cocked my head to the side in confusion and brought a clawed hand to my head to scratch my head. When it passed my face I saw what they were looking at.

My response must have come straight out of some cheesy Hollywood B-movie, "Holy crap! What the fuck...??"

I stared at my hand. The fingers were slightly longer, ending in dark gray - almost black claws. They were very sharp, as were my teeth, which I found out as I bit my lip trying to think. I gave a small yip as I tasted the blood on my tongue. I touched my lip and pulled away a bloody finger. A quick lick of my tongue and the bleeding stopped. My head was swimming as memories suddenly surfaced. This was the gift I was given by my Mentor?

I looked back up at Albus, who was staring at me impatiently. He was waiting for an answer.

"Albus, it's me. Harry," I started. The look on his face showed his doubt.

I answered his unasked question, "I don't have time to explain. Malfoy needs immediate medical attention!" With a quick flick of my hand I released the ropes binding Poppy and cast a silent enervate on Severus. "He doesn't have much time. His life thread is almost gone. Please help!"

The Potions Master and Mediwitch immediately rushed to Malfoy and started working in concert. They worked quickly and efficiently to heal his wound and stabilize him. They accomplished in about thirty seconds what I could not in the past two hours.

"He's stable for the time being," Madam Pomfrey announced. "I need to get him to the Hospital Wing immediately for further treatment and observation though, Headmaster."

"Use the note I sent," I responded. "It will take you three straight there." She nodded. Poppy held Draco's hand to the parchment as well as her own. As soon as Snape touched it they were gone.

I turned to Albus. "Thank you, sir. You may go now."

He looked at me with sad eyes, their usual twinkle gone. "I'd like an explanation."

This did not make me happy. I really wanted the old man gone. I'd had enough excitement for one day and all I wanted to do was sit down and relax. After that I'd go check up on Draco, just to soothe my conscience. I motioned for the Hogwarts Headmaster to have a seat as I sat down opposite him.

I closed my eyes and concentrated, reigning back in the power, reverting back to human form. Avoiding eye contact with the old man, I began my tale.

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The sadness coming off me was tangible, the grief visible. The potion had taken effect, but he was barely alive. I grabbed his hand as I knelt over him. I begged him to please not die on me. I knew we were enemies in school, but Merlin, I'd do anything for him now. I never wanted to hurt another innocent.

"Please don't die on me Malfoy, hold on."

It became a mantra. The minutes ticked away. Still nobody showed up. For the first time since I left Hogwarts, I felt fear. Why did I have to end up becoming a killer when I could have become a healer or an Auror? I guess it seemed like a good idea at the time. All I wanted then was revenge.

The faint thread Malfoy was hanging on by was stretching thinner. If the others didn't show up soon, I was going to have to take drastic measures. I could help him, but it would cost me my life, just as it cost my mentor.

I reached within me and found the power I'd gained when I took my mentor's place. I could let the other parts of me take hold for the first time since that ritual.

You see, the final piece I needed in grafting my wand to my hand was the bonding ritual my mentor had told me about. He never elaborated on it until he'd decided that I had finally learned all he could teach me. The details of the ritual put simply: there was to be an exchange of power, in two parts. I thought it would go two ways. I was wrong.

The ritual was fairly simple really. We knelt across from each other in a meditation posture. Knees touching, toes pointed back, with the top of the foot flat on the ground. The hips were relaxed and the back was up straight.

It started with a joint meditation, something we've done many times before. This was how we usually started our training sessions. We'd sit and meditate until our breathing, our heartbeats, and our thoughts were synchronized. Instead of slowly standing up from the kneeling and beginning our warm-up Kata, we stayed on the ground. Leaning slightly forward, we let our left hand touch the right shoulder and right hand on the left temple.

From here we started the knowledge transfer.

It started slowly, images of training sessions past, watching my regressions from expert to novice to awkward, angst-ridden teen training against his will. I watched as my mentor observed me during my years at Hogwarts. I saw the jobs he took from time to time. The outsider's view of my early childhood was rather interesting; the anger that ran through my mentor's head as he saw the abuse I grew accustomed to.

I saw as he learned before I was born that I was to be his successor . I lived the anger he felt to his superiors. 'Why should I train an unknown wizard who hasn't even been born yet?'

The images and knowledge came faster. I leaned the techniques he'd learned over the years. His own mentor having this same ritual, the flood of knowledge that was passed to him.

It started coming clearer as the ritual went on. I was gaining not only his memories, but the memories of his mentor and his mentor's mentor. I gained the memories and knowledge of eight prior generations of mentorship going back two thousand years!

I started in disbelief at the knowledge I was learning. Amidst all this knowledge I learned exactly how this ritual worked. But by this time, I was thirsting for more. The flow of information was a drug and I started to actively seek out more and more knowledge.

I saw the blood-letting that was required for the transfusion of power between the mentor and the student. I learned that it was the end of the line for the mentor. Like his mentor before him, my mentor was ready to end his life to further the knowledge and power of this line.

I knew what was to come next - my mentor would release his power and transform into his natural non-human form. I was too enthralled in the assimilation of knowledge to pay attention. I was oblivious as we fell into an embrace, I wanted to live this moment to its' fullest. There was an intimacy being shared I'd never experienced before - either on a physical level or an emotional level.

I never felt his fangs pierce my neck. The final part of the ritual had begun.

As my blood was being drained I slowly became more aware of the world around me. The dancing of the candlelight on the walls of the training room, the faint whisper of the flames and they consumed the wicks. The rustling of my clothing under the hands of my mentor. The slight sucking sound as he drank in my life-force, merging his own magical force with mine.

By the time he laid me flat on the floor I was barely conscious, but still aware. I heard the distinctive snick of the blade I made for him for Christmas the year before. I could almost feel as the point cut into the skin of his left index finger. I could smell the blood as it welled up, waiting to drop onto my lips and into my mouth.

One drop was all it took.

One drop of his blood on my tongue and the thirst awakened.

I felt my body being torn apart from the inside out as our combined magic started to make its' way back into me, revitalizing and remaking my body.

The transformation started out painlessly - the magic working its' way through my being, interacting with my very soul. When it started manipulating my consciousness the pain started. By the time my physical self started changing on a molecular level, the pain was acute. With each passing moment it grew steadily.

When the physical changes were done I took in a deep breath and screamed!

The release that afforded me energized me.

My eyes opened and I was HUNGRY. I gazed around me and saw my mentor watching me. He tilted his head to the side in a gesture of submission.

In an instant I was upon him.

The fangs I'd developed pierced the flesh of his neck and I moaned as I tasted the lifeblood springing forth from the wound. I drank in, knowing I was receiving the greatest gift of knowledge and power my mentor could ever give me. The blood I drank was the combination of my former blood and his, mixed to give me the greatest possible power.

I drank until there was nothing left.

My mentor was dead.

...And I was drunk with lust. I could feel the power coursing through my veins with every beat of my newly-awakened heart. I could feel the last physical change begin.

It was a pain I was not prepared for.

I felt as if every nerve of my body was on fire. I felt my muscles grow, the bones fortify, my skin became a fine dark fur all over my body. I felt my jaw change shape slightly to resemble a canine snout. My teeth grew slightly larger and much sharper. My ears became slightly pointed and my eyes changed. I became aware of more sounds and my vision got sharper in the dim light.

I was no longer human.

That realization came crashing down on me and I let forth a howl that would give children in the nearby neighborhood nightmares for years to come. Their parents would have a difficult time sleeping for days after.

The euphoria brought about by the infusion of knowledge and power gave way to anger as I realized my mentor - the man I'd grown to know and love over the past three years - was now dead.

I knew he gave himself willingly but I still blamed myself for not being able to stop. It's that knowledge you have after the fact that you had no control over the situation, but the 'what if?' haunted you.

I picked up the lifeless corpse of my mentor and cradled him to my chest as I let loose a torrent of tears unlike any since I lost Sirius, Remus, and Hagrid.

The candles had long since burned out when I'd finally let my tears run dry. I had cried through the night. I gently set my mentor down and slowly stood up, wincing as the tired muscles let me know how long they'd been unused in that position.

As I stood, the memories of the bonding rituals long past came to the forefront of my mind, and let me know that I needed to properly dispose of the body.

My mentor had long since been classified as dead. From the memories I now held, I could tell that he had been four hundred, seventy-five years old. I could recall the day he was officially declared dead, just after his forty-fifth birthday.

That was when his mentor took him on.

He trained for thirty years. His mentor had trained for twenty eight. The mentor before that was a non-human to begin with and only needed ten years of training. Why was I finished with my training in only three?

I took a deep breath as I again knelt before the body of my mentor. With a sad sigh I began the ritual that would take his body on to the next plane. It was short, and when I was done I watched as a mist surrounded and consumed his body. All that remained was the dagger I'd given him, the one he used in our bonding ritual.

As the body disappeared I felt my human side regain control, and the magic sealing itself away. The transformation back to human was painless, and I vowed never to use it until it was time for me to make the transition.

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I sighed as I lifted my head up and looked to Albus. The anger I'd had when he demanded the explanation had long since dissipated. His gaze was still sad, the twinkle still gone from his eyes. But there was an understanding showing on his face that I'd never seen before. For the first time somebody had experienced something he'd never encountered. A small smile made its' way across his lips as he said the first words since I started, "Thank you."

With another sigh I responded, "I think it's time for me to come home."

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