Well, I won't keep you," Harry replied as he began to rise from his seat.
"No!" Ginny burst out and quickly grabbed Harry's wrist, pulling him back down to his seat. "I mean," she continued awkwardly. "I'd like you to stay...keep me company, for a while."
"All right," Harry laughed, half amused and half afraid. Ginny had certainly regained her strength; Harry feared that by dawn, he would have a large bruise wrapped around his wrist.
Ginny withdrew her hand and placed it awkwardly under her pillow.
"What were you reading?" Ginny asked as she peered down to the floor, searching for the black book.
"Something...for...research," Harry replied.
"More top secret information? Well, I get the idea what happened to me the other night is or at least might be connected, so is it all right if I ask again...what are you reading?" Ginny said, obviously trying to be patient with Harry.
Harry let out a sigh and picked up the book from the ground, "It's about blood...spider's blood mostly. Spells and potions and people involved in blood, things like that."
"Like Halloween...you're still trying to figure out what did it then?" Ginny asked, attentively listening.
Harry smiled to himself; it felt good finally having someone to talk to without starting an argument about Zora. It especially felt good to be talking to Ginny; she gave off a feeling that she could understand everything and keep any secret.
"Exactly, that's what we're looking for," Harry replied as he set the book on top of the rest of Ginny's schoolbooks.
"Any ideas?" Ginny persisted.
"Some...Hermione thinks it's a vampire or something," Harry added with a laugh.
"And what do you think?" Ginny asked curiously.
"Well, at first I thought it was the new girl, Zora...we noticed some pretty odd things about her and...she's got to be involved somehow, but then there was...something we saw in the halls that was even stranger and then your attack. It all goes together, I know it, even if it doesn't fit just yet," Harry replied, thinking out loud again and momentarily forgetting Ginny's presence. "I'm sorry," he added after a while, "you probably don't want to hear more about that...I'll just be shutting up right about now."
"No...it's fine," Ginny smiled. "So you really think Zora had something to do with the blood... and my attack?"
"Yes, I think so, but I have no proof...not yet."
"So...you think she's evil...and not...good or anything?" Ginny asked.
"No, she's definitely evil," Harry chuckled to himself.
Ginny gave Harry a bright smile. Harry suddenly got a very strange picture of Ginny giving Neville the exact smile she was grinning at him now. He averted his eyes to the floor and forced himself to ask, "How's Neville?"
It worked. Her flirtatious smile dropped and her mind was brought back to reality. "Oh," she replied, "he's fine. He visited me the other day. He brought me a bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans...I got a booger flavored one, I haven't eaten another since," she added with a false laugh.
"So, you're still dating him then? That's good, you seem happy with him," he added, trying to sound honest and nonchalant at the same time.
"Want to hear something crazy? I thought you and Zora were...ya know...for a while, but I guess you're not if you really think she's evil and everything."
"Yeah...Hermione mentioned that thought to me too," Harry replied. He was reminded of the argument he had shared with his best friend and the painful truth to her statement about he and Ginny.
"Can I ask you something, you don't have to answer...I'm just curious," Harry continued on the subject, the Gryffindor in his personality would not let him stop, "Why did you start dating Neville?"
Ginny took in a deep breath and began to think for a short time on the question, "I think...it's because...he asked me to. No one's really showed an interest like that in me before so, I guess I just wanted to see what it would be like."
"Why are you still dating him?" Harry persisted.
"I like the feeling of being liked. And Neville's really sweet and kind, he wants to be an Auror like his father, he can do it too, if he tries hard enough."
"And stops forgetting everything he knows," Harry replied, a bit of bitterness hidden in his statement. "I'm sorry, he's your boyfriend, and I shouldn't speak like that about him."
"But you're right...he does have a bad memory," Ginny smiled. "He'll probably be like Percy and work for the ministry somewhere. What about you? What do you want to do?"
"I really don't know. There's so much...I guess I would like to be a professor."
"A professor?" Ginny laughed.
"What's so funny about that?" Harry asked a bit defensively.
"I don't know...Professor Harry Potter...he defeats the Dark Lord and now his pop quizzes are feared throughout the first year students!" Ginny continued her laughter. "I'm sorry, I just think of Snape as being a professor. If you do become one, please for heaven's sake, wash your hair regularly!"
"I was thinking about being like Lupin, thank you very much!" Harry replied with a smile.
"I'm sorry...I just can't see it!" Ginny continued her laugh.
"Then what would you suggest, Ms. Know-It-All?" Harry smiled as he watched her, it had been so long since she had truly laughed, or at least in front of Harry. He peered at her a moment...there was no way Neville could make her laugh like this and Harry felt proud as she calmed her laughter enough to answer his question.
"I just thought you'd join up with the Quidditch team for England, like Oliver Wood, and become an Auror or something, then after all that, I could see you teaching Defense against the Dark Arts, but not right away. You'd end up just like him."
"I hate to admit it, but you have a point. I was thinking about being an Auror."
"Sounds better than pop quizzes," Ginny chuckled quietly.
"Ok then! No professor, happy?" Harry replied.
"It's a start," Ginny smiled her flirty smile.
Harry felt himself blushing and turned his eyes to the red spider on the cover of his book.
"What about you," he asked, filling in the silence, "what will you do with your life?"
"I was thinking about being a medi-wizard for a long while. I'm good with cuts and things, but I get a little faint with sores and puss and eew!" she added with a disgusted shudder. "I'll probably wind up helping with the twins' business. I'm really good at potions...I don't care what Snape says, I know I am...but what good is it?"
"You can develop healing potions since you like that so much, or develop new flavors for the twins. There's a lot you can do with it, I'm sure," Harry added with a smile.
"I suppose you're right," Ginny replied, settling her head on her pillow and closing her eyes.
"You're tired, I'll let you get some sleep," Harry said awkwardly and stood from his seat, keeping his eye on Ginny's hands and making sure they didn't lash out at him again.
"G'night, Ginny," Harry smiled when she made no attempt to stop him.
"Night night," she replied with a yawn.
Harry turned to leave and began walking quietly towards the door when he remembered the black book he left on the table next to Ginny's bed. He quietly turned and crept soundlessly back to her bed and removed the graphic book from her proximity.
"Before you go," Ginny sounded from her pillow without opening her eyes, "I want to know if you find anything...anything at all. You said the attack was connected, that makes me part of it...promise me you'll tell me."
"I promise," Harry replied after a pause. He took his book and left.
Harry strolled through the long hallway; it was the last day of classes before the holidays began. Practically everyone was in their dormitories and packing their things, leaving the hallways blessedly vacant. Harry kept his pace, searching around the familiar hall, searching for a familiar door.
Harry knocked twice and resisted the urge to continue into pounding. He knew he had been heard, but an increasing need for answers was filled to the brim. Harry waited silently as he listened to the inside of the room and before much longer the door was opened.
"Hello, Harry," Professor Lupin smiled pleasantly when he had opened the door.
"Hello, Professor," Harry replied. "I...need to talk to you, is it a problem?"
"Not at all, please come in," Lupin smiled and stood aside so that Harry could enter. The small room looked very much like it had when Harry had first visited it. It was a small room to begin with, and being filled with the numerous books and boxes and innumerable small and fragile objects made it appear even more compact.
"Please, sit down," Lupin continued and gestured towards a small chair next to the cluttered desk. As Harry sat, Lupin walked over to his desk and straightened a few stacks of papers and jotted down a few scratches with his quill before turning back to Harry.
"Now, what is it you wanted to talk about, Harry?" Lupin asked kindly.
"It's about Halloween," Harry said boldly.
Lupin smiled and his eyes twinkled, "Yes, yes. I was wondering how long it would take for one of you three to come here and ask about that...about two months I think...longer than I expected."
"Well...do you know anything about it?" Harry persisted.
"The professors have pulled together and come up with a few ideas, but unfortunately I cannot discuss them at this time. Our security measures have doubled and we are constantly on the look out."
"Which is why a Lethifold nearly killed Ginny Weasley in her sleep," Harry said bitterly and regretted immediately after. He hadn't meant to be cross with Lupin, he had always been kind to Harry.
"Don't apologize," Lupin replied, as if he was reading Harry's mind, "I understand you and Ron are especially angry about what happened, with good reason I assure you. I can assure you that a Lethifold in this area was thought to be impossible; as I'm sure Ms. Granger must have told you by now. Ms. Weasley is very fortunate; most are killed within five minutes."
"I wanted to ask you something else," Harry said, not wanting to talk about just how close Ginny had come to death. "What do you know...about vampires?"
"Vampires?" Lupin asked curiously, but thought better than asking any questions on it, "let me think. They are...lone creatures by nature, but it was recently discovered that they live in packs, strength in numbers, that sort of thing. Ah...they are attractive usually, or at least they give off an aura of being appealing, it's how they lure victims usually and gain trust. But if they have not been fed, they revert to a very horrifying appearance. They are bitten and do not age from the point of infection, but are far from immortal. They die if they do not get blood, just like we die without food."
"And the blood, must it be human?" Harry asked.
Lupin judged Harry's eagerness for a moment before continuing, "Not necessarily, some species of blood give temporary side effects."
"Like what? Like seeing in the dark or like telepathy?" Harry continued in his eagerness. He was now near the edge of his small chair and leaning in closer and closer to the professor, awaiting his answers.
"Harry, is there something you want to tell me?"
Harry wanted to blurt it out, tell him Zora was involved in something evil, or at least someone was stalking the halls at night. The blood was stolen, and what else could it be used for than to feed a colony of vampires? "No," Harry mumbled as he leaned back into his chair.
Lupin sighed a little and continued, "Nothing as extreme as telepathy, but yes...seeing in the dark is from pixie or fairy blood. Goblin's blood can make a vampire faster. Things of that sort, but mammal blood must be taken. Vampires cannot survive on special blood alone."
"So, eventually, they have to take...regular blood? Human?"
"Yes, but I wouldn't worry. Wards are set up year round around the castle...no vampire can or will get in. They are in the Forest, yes, but the paths are protected so that Hagrid can walk through them. There hasn't been an attack by a vampire for a very long time. I wouldn't worry about the slight chance of one if I were you."
"What if the vampire was already in? Could...a staff member, or...a student...be a vampire?"
"Could a professor be a werewolf?" Lupin smiled. "You should know by now anything is possible, but it is highly unlikely. Besides...you'd know a vampire if you saw it."
"What do they look like?" Harry asked, nearly on the very edge of his seat now.
"Long hair usually, it's very unlikely that they cut it. Red eyes, from the excess blood in their bodies, pale pale skin, they hate the sun, and very sharp nails. But other than that, they have a very distinct appearance and way of holding themselves. You couldn't be mistaken."
"But...could they hide it? With a...potion or something?"
"I suppose it would be possible," Lupin replied thoughtfully. "But highly unlikely."
"And the sun...they can't go in the sun, right?"
"Very young vampires, single years, can't. Their skin is far too sensitive. But as the vampire ages, it becomes resistant to the sun's rays. It works from the feet up, strangely. They can walk barefoot in the sun, but must keep their legs, arms, and faces completely covered. Eventually they can walk in daylight, but not for very long."
Harry thought for a moment on all this information. Hermione was right, and he hated it. Zora could be a vampire; it was actually possible...but highly unlikely.
"But I have to ask, Harry, what is all this about?" Lupin added, studying Harry from his desk.
"It's...just that with the blood missing...and the Lethifold...do you think Voldemort has anything to do with this?"
Lupin sunk against the back of his chair and scratched his chin. "Well, in the long run anything evil is probably somehow connected to him, but I can't say just yet."
"Thank you, professor," Harry said quickly as he got up and headed for the door.
"Harry..." Lupin called after him, "if you need to talk...or need help...you obviously know where my office is."
"Yes, professor," Harry replied and walked out of the room. He rushed off to find Hermione and Ron.
"So, he didn't say you-know-who was connected?" Ron asked Harry as they entered their Potions class.
"No, he said he couldn't say," Harry replied almost excitedly. "He said that he couldn't say anything about what the professors think...and he couldn't say Voldemort is connected. Voldemort is the reason all this is happening!"
"This is a good thing how?" Ron asked confused.
"We know who's behind it...which means we have more than we did before, which was nothing...do you see?"
"Not really, but if you think it's good that you-know-who is sneaking around and stealing blood and sending Lethifolds after my sister...I guess it's good."
"Ron, I didn't say it's good that he's doing it, I think it's good we know he's behind it, before we were just guessing," Harry explained. "Now we know who we need to go after. It's a step in the right direction."
"I suppose you're right," Ron replied, sitting in his seat as Snape passed by them.
"Settle down, class," Snape called out as the students took their seats. "This is the last class before you all get your Christmas holiday and forget everything you've learned these past few months in a matter of hours. So before then, I would like to take this opportunity to give you all a present...a pop quiz."
Harry looked worriedly to his friend at his side, who was busy hitting his red head on the wooden table before them with a thump.
"Course he would give us a quiz on this day!" Ron mumbled from the table.
"Ms. Birk!" Snape called from the front of the dungeon, "if you would please come up to the front of the room."
All heads turned back and looked on the girl seat in the back of the room. She was peering curiously at Snape over the binding of a blue book and sporadically darting her eyes nervously around the room. She set the book down and walked to the front of the dungeon, not taking her glare away from Snape as she walked.
"I was wondering, Ms. Birk, if you could be the subject for today's lesson. You've stayed in the back so long; you need to have some type of grade on your record for this class.
"Each side of the classroom is to come together and concoct a potion that will have very temporary effects on Ms. Birk and will leave her completely unharmed...does everyone understand?"
"Yes, professor," rang out through the dungeon.
"You all have exactly one hour to make your potions in their entirety. You will be graded on the smoothness of their effects, the effect itself, and the return to normal state. If Ms. Birk experiences any amount of pain...you will fail. Does everyone understand that as well? You may begin."
Students, chattering and discussing, surrounded the tables. Harry looked over his shoulder and found Zora watching both sides, moving her head back and forth, and gazing worriedly at each. If Harry hadn't known better of her evil mind, he would say she was afraid...that the light in her eyes resembled tears, but he knew better. He turned back to the table and listened intently on the suggestions.
"We can turn her hair pink," Lavender Brown suggested.
"We couldn't turn it back," Hermione replied, shaking her head.
"What about turning her into someone else?" Neville chimed in.
"No...that hurts," Ron replied, giving Harry and Hermione a knowing grin.
"What about a revealing potion?" Harry said. "Like personality? Can you do that?"
Hermione tucked her hair behind her ear and gazed at the table. "We can," she finally said.
"Brilliant," Seamus Finnigan beamed at Harry, "she'll turn back, right?"
"Yes, in about three minutes...if we decrease the amount of aconite in the potion. It will be perfect."
Devious smiles spread all around the table and everyone began to gather the required ingredients. Soon, the dungeon was filled with foul smells and increasing smoke as the two sides raced to complete their potions. Draco gave a sneer as he passed by the Gryffindor table on his way to the front of the dungeon.
"Sorry to bother you, professor," Draco began loud enough to be heard by all in the dungeon, "our spoon has melted in our elixir...could you supply another?"
With a crooked grin, Snape drew a new silver spoon from a drawer and handed it to Draco. Harry shifted his eyes over to Zora, now seated next to Snape's desk. She looked again as if on the verge of tears. A pang of sympathy rushed through Harry's heart. He turned back to his table before she had a chance to sway his opinions.
"She's evil," he thought to himself, "she's with Voldemort...she's with Voldemort...she's with Voldemort."
"Is a potion supposed to smell that bad?" Ron asked as he peered at the other half of the room. There was a great deal of laughter and giggling coming from the large overflowing cauldron on the other side of the dungeon. Harry turned his head to see Draco pouring an entire bottle of something unmarked into the cauldron, turning the elixir pink and sending a smell of rotting eggs into the air.
"They're going to fail," Hermione scoffed as she mixed the Gryffindors' silver concoction into a spiral.
"They're going to kill her," Harry replied quietly as he watched another handful of some powder being added, turning the pink to a scornful crimson.
"I hope Snape has an antidote or something," Lavender commented.
"Of course he does," Parvati added, "he's a potions master...he'll know. Everything will be all right."
Harry wasn't comforted in that he had to put all his faith into Snape to save Zora's life. He continued to watch out the corner of his eyes as the Slytherins piled in ingredient after ingredient and the snickers and giggles that erupted after each; at Snape's bored eyes as he casually glanced at his watch and yawned as he waited; to Zora, her eyes at the floor and refusing to look anywhere else inside the dungeon.
"Time!" Snape called through the dungeon as he peered at the face of a golden pocket watch. "Bring your cauldrons to the head tables and no stirring and adding anything of any kind."
Harry and Ron lifted the cauldron and moved it to the front of the dungeon. The potion was a smooth red color and smelled like a mixture of black pepper and smoke. Harry and Ron set the heavy black cauldron on the table with a loud thump, and wiped the tiny beads of sweat from their brows as they moved into the back of the crowd of Gryffindors. Crabbe and Goyle did the same as Harry and Ron, although their potion retained a smell of rotten eggs and a deep color of putrid green.
"Very interesting concoctions each side has made," Snape said as he peered into the cauldrons, spending less time at the Slytherins' side and wiping his nose with a handkerchief as he walked away.
"Ms. Birk," he continued, "if you would please."
Zora rose from her seat and moved to Snape's side. Snape retrieved two glasses and filled each with a potion.
"Drink!" he ordered and shoved the glasses into her hands.
Zora sniffed each glass and quickly set the Slytherins' down with wide and disgusted eyes and a cough. She glanced over to the Slytherins, all standing and waiting with devious eyes and evil grins. She set the red drink down gently on the table and raised the glass of green to her lips.
"No!" Ginny burst out and quickly grabbed Harry's wrist, pulling him back down to his seat. "I mean," she continued awkwardly. "I'd like you to stay...keep me company, for a while."
"All right," Harry laughed, half amused and half afraid. Ginny had certainly regained her strength; Harry feared that by dawn, he would have a large bruise wrapped around his wrist.
Ginny withdrew her hand and placed it awkwardly under her pillow.
"What were you reading?" Ginny asked as she peered down to the floor, searching for the black book.
"Something...for...research," Harry replied.
"More top secret information? Well, I get the idea what happened to me the other night is or at least might be connected, so is it all right if I ask again...what are you reading?" Ginny said, obviously trying to be patient with Harry.
Harry let out a sigh and picked up the book from the ground, "It's about blood...spider's blood mostly. Spells and potions and people involved in blood, things like that."
"Like Halloween...you're still trying to figure out what did it then?" Ginny asked, attentively listening.
Harry smiled to himself; it felt good finally having someone to talk to without starting an argument about Zora. It especially felt good to be talking to Ginny; she gave off a feeling that she could understand everything and keep any secret.
"Exactly, that's what we're looking for," Harry replied as he set the book on top of the rest of Ginny's schoolbooks.
"Any ideas?" Ginny persisted.
"Some...Hermione thinks it's a vampire or something," Harry added with a laugh.
"And what do you think?" Ginny asked curiously.
"Well, at first I thought it was the new girl, Zora...we noticed some pretty odd things about her and...she's got to be involved somehow, but then there was...something we saw in the halls that was even stranger and then your attack. It all goes together, I know it, even if it doesn't fit just yet," Harry replied, thinking out loud again and momentarily forgetting Ginny's presence. "I'm sorry," he added after a while, "you probably don't want to hear more about that...I'll just be shutting up right about now."
"No...it's fine," Ginny smiled. "So you really think Zora had something to do with the blood... and my attack?"
"Yes, I think so, but I have no proof...not yet."
"So...you think she's evil...and not...good or anything?" Ginny asked.
"No, she's definitely evil," Harry chuckled to himself.
Ginny gave Harry a bright smile. Harry suddenly got a very strange picture of Ginny giving Neville the exact smile she was grinning at him now. He averted his eyes to the floor and forced himself to ask, "How's Neville?"
It worked. Her flirtatious smile dropped and her mind was brought back to reality. "Oh," she replied, "he's fine. He visited me the other day. He brought me a bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans...I got a booger flavored one, I haven't eaten another since," she added with a false laugh.
"So, you're still dating him then? That's good, you seem happy with him," he added, trying to sound honest and nonchalant at the same time.
"Want to hear something crazy? I thought you and Zora were...ya know...for a while, but I guess you're not if you really think she's evil and everything."
"Yeah...Hermione mentioned that thought to me too," Harry replied. He was reminded of the argument he had shared with his best friend and the painful truth to her statement about he and Ginny.
"Can I ask you something, you don't have to answer...I'm just curious," Harry continued on the subject, the Gryffindor in his personality would not let him stop, "Why did you start dating Neville?"
Ginny took in a deep breath and began to think for a short time on the question, "I think...it's because...he asked me to. No one's really showed an interest like that in me before so, I guess I just wanted to see what it would be like."
"Why are you still dating him?" Harry persisted.
"I like the feeling of being liked. And Neville's really sweet and kind, he wants to be an Auror like his father, he can do it too, if he tries hard enough."
"And stops forgetting everything he knows," Harry replied, a bit of bitterness hidden in his statement. "I'm sorry, he's your boyfriend, and I shouldn't speak like that about him."
"But you're right...he does have a bad memory," Ginny smiled. "He'll probably be like Percy and work for the ministry somewhere. What about you? What do you want to do?"
"I really don't know. There's so much...I guess I would like to be a professor."
"A professor?" Ginny laughed.
"What's so funny about that?" Harry asked a bit defensively.
"I don't know...Professor Harry Potter...he defeats the Dark Lord and now his pop quizzes are feared throughout the first year students!" Ginny continued her laughter. "I'm sorry, I just think of Snape as being a professor. If you do become one, please for heaven's sake, wash your hair regularly!"
"I was thinking about being like Lupin, thank you very much!" Harry replied with a smile.
"I'm sorry...I just can't see it!" Ginny continued her laugh.
"Then what would you suggest, Ms. Know-It-All?" Harry smiled as he watched her, it had been so long since she had truly laughed, or at least in front of Harry. He peered at her a moment...there was no way Neville could make her laugh like this and Harry felt proud as she calmed her laughter enough to answer his question.
"I just thought you'd join up with the Quidditch team for England, like Oliver Wood, and become an Auror or something, then after all that, I could see you teaching Defense against the Dark Arts, but not right away. You'd end up just like him."
"I hate to admit it, but you have a point. I was thinking about being an Auror."
"Sounds better than pop quizzes," Ginny chuckled quietly.
"Ok then! No professor, happy?" Harry replied.
"It's a start," Ginny smiled her flirty smile.
Harry felt himself blushing and turned his eyes to the red spider on the cover of his book.
"What about you," he asked, filling in the silence, "what will you do with your life?"
"I was thinking about being a medi-wizard for a long while. I'm good with cuts and things, but I get a little faint with sores and puss and eew!" she added with a disgusted shudder. "I'll probably wind up helping with the twins' business. I'm really good at potions...I don't care what Snape says, I know I am...but what good is it?"
"You can develop healing potions since you like that so much, or develop new flavors for the twins. There's a lot you can do with it, I'm sure," Harry added with a smile.
"I suppose you're right," Ginny replied, settling her head on her pillow and closing her eyes.
"You're tired, I'll let you get some sleep," Harry said awkwardly and stood from his seat, keeping his eye on Ginny's hands and making sure they didn't lash out at him again.
"G'night, Ginny," Harry smiled when she made no attempt to stop him.
"Night night," she replied with a yawn.
Harry turned to leave and began walking quietly towards the door when he remembered the black book he left on the table next to Ginny's bed. He quietly turned and crept soundlessly back to her bed and removed the graphic book from her proximity.
"Before you go," Ginny sounded from her pillow without opening her eyes, "I want to know if you find anything...anything at all. You said the attack was connected, that makes me part of it...promise me you'll tell me."
"I promise," Harry replied after a pause. He took his book and left.
Harry strolled through the long hallway; it was the last day of classes before the holidays began. Practically everyone was in their dormitories and packing their things, leaving the hallways blessedly vacant. Harry kept his pace, searching around the familiar hall, searching for a familiar door.
Harry knocked twice and resisted the urge to continue into pounding. He knew he had been heard, but an increasing need for answers was filled to the brim. Harry waited silently as he listened to the inside of the room and before much longer the door was opened.
"Hello, Harry," Professor Lupin smiled pleasantly when he had opened the door.
"Hello, Professor," Harry replied. "I...need to talk to you, is it a problem?"
"Not at all, please come in," Lupin smiled and stood aside so that Harry could enter. The small room looked very much like it had when Harry had first visited it. It was a small room to begin with, and being filled with the numerous books and boxes and innumerable small and fragile objects made it appear even more compact.
"Please, sit down," Lupin continued and gestured towards a small chair next to the cluttered desk. As Harry sat, Lupin walked over to his desk and straightened a few stacks of papers and jotted down a few scratches with his quill before turning back to Harry.
"Now, what is it you wanted to talk about, Harry?" Lupin asked kindly.
"It's about Halloween," Harry said boldly.
Lupin smiled and his eyes twinkled, "Yes, yes. I was wondering how long it would take for one of you three to come here and ask about that...about two months I think...longer than I expected."
"Well...do you know anything about it?" Harry persisted.
"The professors have pulled together and come up with a few ideas, but unfortunately I cannot discuss them at this time. Our security measures have doubled and we are constantly on the look out."
"Which is why a Lethifold nearly killed Ginny Weasley in her sleep," Harry said bitterly and regretted immediately after. He hadn't meant to be cross with Lupin, he had always been kind to Harry.
"Don't apologize," Lupin replied, as if he was reading Harry's mind, "I understand you and Ron are especially angry about what happened, with good reason I assure you. I can assure you that a Lethifold in this area was thought to be impossible; as I'm sure Ms. Granger must have told you by now. Ms. Weasley is very fortunate; most are killed within five minutes."
"I wanted to ask you something else," Harry said, not wanting to talk about just how close Ginny had come to death. "What do you know...about vampires?"
"Vampires?" Lupin asked curiously, but thought better than asking any questions on it, "let me think. They are...lone creatures by nature, but it was recently discovered that they live in packs, strength in numbers, that sort of thing. Ah...they are attractive usually, or at least they give off an aura of being appealing, it's how they lure victims usually and gain trust. But if they have not been fed, they revert to a very horrifying appearance. They are bitten and do not age from the point of infection, but are far from immortal. They die if they do not get blood, just like we die without food."
"And the blood, must it be human?" Harry asked.
Lupin judged Harry's eagerness for a moment before continuing, "Not necessarily, some species of blood give temporary side effects."
"Like what? Like seeing in the dark or like telepathy?" Harry continued in his eagerness. He was now near the edge of his small chair and leaning in closer and closer to the professor, awaiting his answers.
"Harry, is there something you want to tell me?"
Harry wanted to blurt it out, tell him Zora was involved in something evil, or at least someone was stalking the halls at night. The blood was stolen, and what else could it be used for than to feed a colony of vampires? "No," Harry mumbled as he leaned back into his chair.
Lupin sighed a little and continued, "Nothing as extreme as telepathy, but yes...seeing in the dark is from pixie or fairy blood. Goblin's blood can make a vampire faster. Things of that sort, but mammal blood must be taken. Vampires cannot survive on special blood alone."
"So, eventually, they have to take...regular blood? Human?"
"Yes, but I wouldn't worry. Wards are set up year round around the castle...no vampire can or will get in. They are in the Forest, yes, but the paths are protected so that Hagrid can walk through them. There hasn't been an attack by a vampire for a very long time. I wouldn't worry about the slight chance of one if I were you."
"What if the vampire was already in? Could...a staff member, or...a student...be a vampire?"
"Could a professor be a werewolf?" Lupin smiled. "You should know by now anything is possible, but it is highly unlikely. Besides...you'd know a vampire if you saw it."
"What do they look like?" Harry asked, nearly on the very edge of his seat now.
"Long hair usually, it's very unlikely that they cut it. Red eyes, from the excess blood in their bodies, pale pale skin, they hate the sun, and very sharp nails. But other than that, they have a very distinct appearance and way of holding themselves. You couldn't be mistaken."
"But...could they hide it? With a...potion or something?"
"I suppose it would be possible," Lupin replied thoughtfully. "But highly unlikely."
"And the sun...they can't go in the sun, right?"
"Very young vampires, single years, can't. Their skin is far too sensitive. But as the vampire ages, it becomes resistant to the sun's rays. It works from the feet up, strangely. They can walk barefoot in the sun, but must keep their legs, arms, and faces completely covered. Eventually they can walk in daylight, but not for very long."
Harry thought for a moment on all this information. Hermione was right, and he hated it. Zora could be a vampire; it was actually possible...but highly unlikely.
"But I have to ask, Harry, what is all this about?" Lupin added, studying Harry from his desk.
"It's...just that with the blood missing...and the Lethifold...do you think Voldemort has anything to do with this?"
Lupin sunk against the back of his chair and scratched his chin. "Well, in the long run anything evil is probably somehow connected to him, but I can't say just yet."
"Thank you, professor," Harry said quickly as he got up and headed for the door.
"Harry..." Lupin called after him, "if you need to talk...or need help...you obviously know where my office is."
"Yes, professor," Harry replied and walked out of the room. He rushed off to find Hermione and Ron.
"So, he didn't say you-know-who was connected?" Ron asked Harry as they entered their Potions class.
"No, he said he couldn't say," Harry replied almost excitedly. "He said that he couldn't say anything about what the professors think...and he couldn't say Voldemort is connected. Voldemort is the reason all this is happening!"
"This is a good thing how?" Ron asked confused.
"We know who's behind it...which means we have more than we did before, which was nothing...do you see?"
"Not really, but if you think it's good that you-know-who is sneaking around and stealing blood and sending Lethifolds after my sister...I guess it's good."
"Ron, I didn't say it's good that he's doing it, I think it's good we know he's behind it, before we were just guessing," Harry explained. "Now we know who we need to go after. It's a step in the right direction."
"I suppose you're right," Ron replied, sitting in his seat as Snape passed by them.
"Settle down, class," Snape called out as the students took their seats. "This is the last class before you all get your Christmas holiday and forget everything you've learned these past few months in a matter of hours. So before then, I would like to take this opportunity to give you all a present...a pop quiz."
Harry looked worriedly to his friend at his side, who was busy hitting his red head on the wooden table before them with a thump.
"Course he would give us a quiz on this day!" Ron mumbled from the table.
"Ms. Birk!" Snape called from the front of the dungeon, "if you would please come up to the front of the room."
All heads turned back and looked on the girl seat in the back of the room. She was peering curiously at Snape over the binding of a blue book and sporadically darting her eyes nervously around the room. She set the book down and walked to the front of the dungeon, not taking her glare away from Snape as she walked.
"I was wondering, Ms. Birk, if you could be the subject for today's lesson. You've stayed in the back so long; you need to have some type of grade on your record for this class.
"Each side of the classroom is to come together and concoct a potion that will have very temporary effects on Ms. Birk and will leave her completely unharmed...does everyone understand?"
"Yes, professor," rang out through the dungeon.
"You all have exactly one hour to make your potions in their entirety. You will be graded on the smoothness of their effects, the effect itself, and the return to normal state. If Ms. Birk experiences any amount of pain...you will fail. Does everyone understand that as well? You may begin."
Students, chattering and discussing, surrounded the tables. Harry looked over his shoulder and found Zora watching both sides, moving her head back and forth, and gazing worriedly at each. If Harry hadn't known better of her evil mind, he would say she was afraid...that the light in her eyes resembled tears, but he knew better. He turned back to the table and listened intently on the suggestions.
"We can turn her hair pink," Lavender Brown suggested.
"We couldn't turn it back," Hermione replied, shaking her head.
"What about turning her into someone else?" Neville chimed in.
"No...that hurts," Ron replied, giving Harry and Hermione a knowing grin.
"What about a revealing potion?" Harry said. "Like personality? Can you do that?"
Hermione tucked her hair behind her ear and gazed at the table. "We can," she finally said.
"Brilliant," Seamus Finnigan beamed at Harry, "she'll turn back, right?"
"Yes, in about three minutes...if we decrease the amount of aconite in the potion. It will be perfect."
Devious smiles spread all around the table and everyone began to gather the required ingredients. Soon, the dungeon was filled with foul smells and increasing smoke as the two sides raced to complete their potions. Draco gave a sneer as he passed by the Gryffindor table on his way to the front of the dungeon.
"Sorry to bother you, professor," Draco began loud enough to be heard by all in the dungeon, "our spoon has melted in our elixir...could you supply another?"
With a crooked grin, Snape drew a new silver spoon from a drawer and handed it to Draco. Harry shifted his eyes over to Zora, now seated next to Snape's desk. She looked again as if on the verge of tears. A pang of sympathy rushed through Harry's heart. He turned back to his table before she had a chance to sway his opinions.
"She's evil," he thought to himself, "she's with Voldemort...she's with Voldemort...she's with Voldemort."
"Is a potion supposed to smell that bad?" Ron asked as he peered at the other half of the room. There was a great deal of laughter and giggling coming from the large overflowing cauldron on the other side of the dungeon. Harry turned his head to see Draco pouring an entire bottle of something unmarked into the cauldron, turning the elixir pink and sending a smell of rotting eggs into the air.
"They're going to fail," Hermione scoffed as she mixed the Gryffindors' silver concoction into a spiral.
"They're going to kill her," Harry replied quietly as he watched another handful of some powder being added, turning the pink to a scornful crimson.
"I hope Snape has an antidote or something," Lavender commented.
"Of course he does," Parvati added, "he's a potions master...he'll know. Everything will be all right."
Harry wasn't comforted in that he had to put all his faith into Snape to save Zora's life. He continued to watch out the corner of his eyes as the Slytherins piled in ingredient after ingredient and the snickers and giggles that erupted after each; at Snape's bored eyes as he casually glanced at his watch and yawned as he waited; to Zora, her eyes at the floor and refusing to look anywhere else inside the dungeon.
"Time!" Snape called through the dungeon as he peered at the face of a golden pocket watch. "Bring your cauldrons to the head tables and no stirring and adding anything of any kind."
Harry and Ron lifted the cauldron and moved it to the front of the dungeon. The potion was a smooth red color and smelled like a mixture of black pepper and smoke. Harry and Ron set the heavy black cauldron on the table with a loud thump, and wiped the tiny beads of sweat from their brows as they moved into the back of the crowd of Gryffindors. Crabbe and Goyle did the same as Harry and Ron, although their potion retained a smell of rotten eggs and a deep color of putrid green.
"Very interesting concoctions each side has made," Snape said as he peered into the cauldrons, spending less time at the Slytherins' side and wiping his nose with a handkerchief as he walked away.
"Ms. Birk," he continued, "if you would please."
Zora rose from her seat and moved to Snape's side. Snape retrieved two glasses and filled each with a potion.
"Drink!" he ordered and shoved the glasses into her hands.
Zora sniffed each glass and quickly set the Slytherins' down with wide and disgusted eyes and a cough. She glanced over to the Slytherins, all standing and waiting with devious eyes and evil grins. She set the red drink down gently on the table and raised the glass of green to her lips.