FALLEN

Chapter Four: I Sold My Soul Just to Hide the Light

Hermione ran along the shelves of the Library.

"Where is it...come on," she muttered.

She pulled out a very old and large book. She brought it over to the nearest table and flipped through it anxiously. The pages were yellow and cracked from age, and hard to turn without breaking. The book was a deep red, with a gold embroidery for the letters and a fancy design down the spine. The title gleamed in the small light of the Library, reading, "The Complete Guide to Dark Creatures in the Magical World." It had been in the Restricted Section, but luckily Professor McGonagall had been kind enough to sign the note after she had thoroughly explained that she needed it for the upcoming Defense Against the Dark Arts course. But in truth, she hadn't needed it for the new Defense course at all. She needed to make sure of something.

Sure of what? Those girls. The redhead and the blonde, the ones they saw the other day. The ones with the starch white skin, long flowing hair and gliding movements. The ones with oddly pointed teeth and glassy finger nails. And the black haired girl. The one who had bumped into Harry, and ever since he had been weird, wobbly, and unable to concentrate. Obviously there was something wrong with himand Hermione thought that the girl was the source of the problem. Suspicions. But she hardly believed they were true...because Dumbledore wouldn't let someonesomething like that in Hogwarts? He had let Lupin in...but he had known him for so long, and these, these things were worse.

"Yes!" Hermione said, and started reading the paragraph on the page.

'Female vampires have ranges of different eye and hair color. However, as any vampire, they cannot change their hairit will grow back the way they had it when they mortally died. Females have pale white skin, glass like fingernails, normally full hair a well-devolped body and no signs of age or any blemishes. Females are very talented in the art of seduction. Their mysterious looks and movements make them very appealing, and that makes it easier for them to lure victims away and take them to feed on. Possibly the worst power of the female vampire is their power of mind control. Their eyes are almost as lethal as a Basilisk'syou see, if you make full-on eye contact with one of this particular species, if she chooses so to put her powers into use, you are in much danger. Her eyes will steadily become shades lighter until they are a blinding white. Then she will basically hypntoize the victim, and give him or her thoughts. When she is done the victim will have symptoms of not being able to think clearly, not being steady, not being able to walk or concentrate, and most likely the victim will become very pale.'

Hermione slammed the book shut. She got up and ran out of the Library, muttering, "Oh no, oh no, please don't tell me this isn't real, I've got to get to Dumbledore quickly...please..."

She ran through a narrow corridor, leaving the sound of her thudding footsteps behind.

Alex stepped out in front of her, a smirk planted firmly on her face, "You don't think I'd just let you ruin our plan, did you?"

"You filth...you monster!" Hermione sputtered, and she was less confident then she sounded. Her whole body had become numb and she couldn't move.

Two other girls stepped out and were now circling around her, and it seemed in the command of the black haired girl.

"Well, you're obviously wrong, now aren't you? It'll be easier if you don't struggle, hun," Alex said, "Brains don't really help you, in fact, in this case they rather work against you, no?"

She laughed.

Alex looked the shivering girl in the eyes. She was speaking confidently but shaking like mad. There was fear in those eyes, fear of death, fear of escape, fear of them. She loved this, this being one of her favorite parts of the kill. Watching her quiver, seeing the fear in her eyes, seeing the fright and complete helplessness. Her victim was weak, powerless against her.

The thirst erupted in her. It tore at her stomach and gnawed mercilessly at her limbs, clawing painfully inside her. She bore her fangs with a loud grunt. Her hands clenched into fists and she slowly closed her eyes. She slowly moved toward Hermione and grabbed her shoulders with both hands, and it took everything in her body not to bite onto her. She began to speak calmly, "You have a deep misunderstanding of Vampires, dear. We are not monsters and certainly not filth, but creatures of the night, sworn to take others' lives to live themselves. Sworn to drink the blood of the innocent, draw them to the very point of death. But never do we drink from the dead. The blood is our whole being. What you fail to see is...we do not only feed on the victim's blood, but their very life, the pounding of their heart. Blood would simply not satisfy our tastes."

"You don't need to kill humans! You can kill animals, feed off them!" Hermione said.

Alex shrugged it off, and let go of her shoulders and took a step back, and began circling her, the other girls lurking in the shadows a few feet away, "But we do not always take the lives of mortals. Sometimes we draw from them until they are almost dead, and slit our own wrist, and they drink our blood, like we do to mortals, they are one of the children of darkness now...we took their life, their blood, and now we give it back to them with a series of gifts...they are now immortal, they now have the thirst, they are now a Vampire."

She stopped, and looked upon Hermione, "Now that you have a full understanding of us, I'm sorry to let you know, but your quest ends here. There is no stopping us. There is no defeating us!" her cold laughter rang and echoed through the corridor, multiplying in sound and cruelity. As she was saying this, she had taken a step forward, and now was so close that their chests touched.

"My dear," Alex whispered, "I fear to say that not only does your quest end here, but also your life. Say good bye to all you know around you."

She, in her quick vampiric movements was suddenly behind her, her teeth sinking deep into her neck and the warm blood was spilling into her mouth. She took in each mouthful, feeling the blood, the life, flowing into her, hearing the shallow beating of her mortal heart. She felt alive now, alive as she would ever be, with mortal blood...She was alive, mortal again, living on someone else's life, and she had forgotten the tragedy of her becoming a Vampire and everything else that came with it, for that single moment, she was human again...only she was living her victims' life.

The heart stopped. She threw her down and watched her body as it fell. She wouldn't have fed if the thirst hadn't commanded her, she would've simply placed a memory charm on her. But the scent of mortal flesh, blood, mortal life had been too strong. She disposed of the body quickly, and laughed with Chaylin and Jessica all the way back into their chambers.

"We're in deep shit," Jessica said as they approched her room.

"What?"

"Hermione was popular, well-liked, part of the amazing trio. Her death will raise questions, especially with the body missing."

"They'll blame it on the Dark Lord, most likely thinking that he took her prisoner or something to hurt Famous Harry Potter," Alex said, her voice reassuring, "Obviously they won't turn to us, especially with having Harry on our side."

"Are you sure?"

"Have I ever been unsure?"