Disclaimer: I do not own anything remotely resembling Harry Potter. I do own Kerenza, her family, and Erebus.

Thank you to those few who have reviewed, I love you hugs

Shades of Black will be updated as soon as I figure out how to start the next chapter, writer's block has descended upon me. I know what I want to do for part of the chapter but I can't decide how to start it. (The meeting of Sirius and fun with Pettigrew.) So if you have any ideas on how to begin it please tell me.

Chapter 4

We were ushered into the entry hall by Professor McGonagall. She had given me an odd look as I walked past her. Draco, Harry, and I stayed close together, waiting to be admitted into the Great Hall. The Weasley boy was talking about how they would have to wrestle a troll to be sorted.

I rolled my eyes, "Do you really think they'd do that?" I asked, "You're foolish to believe something like that."

He narrowed his eyes at me, "Well then, why don't you tell us what's going to happen."

"You put on a hat and it reads your thoughts, telling you where you should be." I said smugly, my father and Erebus had told me what to expect.

He made a sound of disbelief and we were soon ushered into the Great Hall. Just as I had said, a tattered looking hat sat on a stool in front of the staff table. It began to speak, its rhyme filling the Great Hall. Finally it finished and the first name on a long list was called.

"DeNan, Kerenza." McGonagall called, reading my name off the list.

I walked forward, head held high, and sat on the little stool. The hat slid down onto my head and it began to speak to me quietly, "Ahh, a Dark Elf, it's been a long time since one was sent."

I scowled, "What do you mean?" I thought, knowing it was reading my mind.

"It seems that one is sent every fifty years or so. You're different though, you've been marked by someone powerful."

It was confusing me, "Explain." I demanded.

"Someone very powerful has marked you as its own. That's not what you're here for though." He said before I could demand more answers, "You have a good mind, are brave to a degree, but you're calculating." It was silent for a moment, "You are definitely a DeNan. Even if I hadn't heard your name I would know what family you belong to. You belong in…" The next word it said out loud, "SLYTHERIN!"

I sighed and removed the hat, putting it on the stool and walking over to the table that was cheering. Flipping my hair over my shoulder I took a seat, "Welcome to Slytherin." An older male student said with a smile.

I returned the smile. Draco's turn came and it didn't take long for him to be in Slytherin. He took a seat next to me, "I didn't expect that." I said sarcastically, smiling at him.

He smiled, "Harry's turn is coming up, I wonder where he'll end up."

"Potter, Harry." She said and the hall broke out into whispers about 'The-Boy-Who-Lived'.

As the hat slipped onto his head the room went silent, waiting for the hat to make a decision. It took quite awhile but finally the hat said, "SLYTHERIN!"

I smiled, 'This will make it much easier to keep an eye on him.' I thought as he took a seat beside me.

The Slytherin's cheered while the rest of the hall was silent. Many looked shocked at the turn of events. No one said a single word until McGonagall got a hold of herself and read the next name on the list. Harry smiled and they sat waiting for the sorting to finish. Once the last person had been sorted, a young man named Blaise Zabini; Dumbledore began a rather long speech. I didn't listen, had no interest in what the old coot had to say. He was just spouting off some rules anyway and rules were meant to be broken. After he finished his speech food appeared on the tables and everyone began to eat. As I ate I felt something odd, the food was slowly losing its appeal, it wasn't appetizing anymore. I scowled, setting my fork down.

"What's wrong Kerenza?" Harry asked, looking at me with genuine concern on his face.

"I'm suddenly not hungry." I said, looking up at the staff table, Dumbledore was looking at me oddly. I looked right back, "And I don't like the way he's looking at me." I said, referring to Dumbledore.

Harry nodded in agreement, "He's been looking at me oddly too, ever since we were sorted."

"I wonder what's on his mind." I said thoughtfully, of course I would have to wait to find out what he had in store

Finally the meal was over and we were led down to the dungeons by a prefect. He stopped in front of a seemingly solid wall. Silence reigned for a moment before he spoke, "Meracum sanguis." He said with a smile, the wall slid open.

I ended up sharing a room with Pansy, the girl I had spoken to in the robe shop. As I got settled into the room I would be sharing for the next few years I felt something odd, like a calling. I would wait until Pansy went to sleep before sneaking out. As the time went by the calling grew stronger, I had to get out of here. The moment she was in bed I crept out, making my way out of the dorm and through the common room. It was easy for me to sneak around, always had been. I had to be good to get past my parents. Making my way out of the dungeons was easy; it was another matter to get out of the castle. Some how I managed to avoid detection by the prefects that were patrolling. The moon was high, sending its subtle glow down upon Hogwart's grounds. The silhouette of a man standing by the lake caught my attention and I stormed towards him.

"What did you do to me?" I shouted angrily.

He didn't move, "You should be happy Kerenza. I'm giving you a great gift." His voice was calm and cool.

I couldn't stop myself and slapped him, "What did you do!" I demanded, "Tell me Uncle Erebus!"

He didn't flinch, just looked at me calmly, "You are being granted a gift. I have been waiting a long time to bestow it on one in your family. I didn't expect anything to begin until Yule but that doesn't matter." He said absently, "I suppose it's the wand that activated it. My blood is the key. I was hoping to be able to explain to you before this happened." He paused, "Let me see, you're no longer hungry for human food, you're better able to blend into the shadows. You're senses will get better soon as well. Don't worry; you won't stop aging until you're seventeen."

"That doesn't answer my question." I growled, "What is this gift?"

"I thought you would have figured that out already." He sounded almost disappointed in me, "I'm giving you a vampire gift. Can you guess what it is now?"

I narrowed my eyes, "You're turning me into one of you?" I growled.

He smiled, "Smart girl. Yes, that's exactly what I'm doing." I growled lowly and went to hit him again. He grabbed my wrist, "What are you hoping to accomplish? What do you think striking me does? You will become a vampire; there is no way out of it. I chose you because I knew that you were the one I have been looking for. It has been a long time Kerenza. I have waiting for centuries. I knew that you were the one before you were gifted with that wand, that event just clenched the deal."

I looked out over the lake, everything looked clearer, my already better than human vision was getting even better, "Why are you here?" I asked, changing the subject.

"I felt you begin to change earlier so I came and called for you. I was worried about you. I'm not going anywhere for awhile, I'll be around for when the more…painful parts of the change begin to take place." He smiled, "Go get some sleep little one. I'll be around." He said before looking back out over the lake, hands behind his back.

With a sigh I returned to my room and collapsed into bed, snuggling into the thing comforter and closing the curtains around my bed. It was an hour before I finally managed to fall into an unsatisfying sleep.

Now click that little button and review you wonderful people you :P Tell me what to think and if you give me flames they will be used to warm my apartment (I got one on Shades of Black the other day and it upset me because they were saying that Harry was girly and 'uncool' because he's 'gay').