Blood of a Malfoy

Chapter 18

The Reemergence

A dark, imposing figure closed his eyes and concentrated. The tingle had been there for nearly a week now, weak at first, but growing stronger every passing day. Today the sensation was particularly strong.

With a barely perceptible sigh he reopened his eyes and, standing he called for his servant.

"Yes my lord?"the girl queried, bowing her head in respect.

"I need you to gather some things for me Darla," he said. "I'm going on a trip."

"Albus, this is a ridiculous idea," Severus fumed. "Exposing the boys for what they are could cause a significant threat to their safety."

"They are both well-accustomed to danger Severus," the headmaster's eyes were guilty but his voice was solid.

"They aren't even used to themselves yet," Severus argued. "They can't be expected to try and fit back in."

The headmaster, however, was unmoving. "We are in the midst of a war Severus, a fact I know you are well aware of. And as much as it chagrins me to say this, we need both of them to be in a position to help us when the time comes. They must make allies, learn their powers, and they cannot do it hidden away as they are now."

Severus' eyes flashed. "And what of their Veela blood. You know the press won't be quiet about this. Should the wrong people get word...you know how wizards treat those with Veela blood."

"Harry doesn't have enough in him for it to be a problem, and every precaution will be taken to keep Draco safe from the Veela traders."

Severus grumbled, but he was running out of excuses. Why did he care anyway? It was a good idea to reintroduce the two back into society, a necessary move. It was just...he had a bad feeling about doing so.

Harry watched enviously as Draco sheathed and unsheathed his claws, watched as they became human hands, and once again fell back to their natural form.

Draco seemed to instinctively know what to do, but, try as he might, Harry could do nothing to hide his inherited traits. Glamour charms no longer worked on either of them, despite having worked on Lily Evans in a similar predicament, and even if he did keep his hands hidden, nothing could hide his wings.

They had ben told that they would come out of hiding in a few days and both were nervous. Even with Draco's ability to hid some of his most obvious characteristics, there was no denying he was a full-blooded Veela. His melodic voice and silver luster gave him away.

Harry's appearance would confuse people at first as they tried to figure out what he was, then fear when they found out. His wings would be a problem in the crowded school and classrooms, and he was prone to magical outbursts.

Dumbledore had explained these magical outbursts by explaining to Harry that he was one of the most magical beings alive. There was almost no human blood in him, and what little of it existed was the blood of a wizard. Because of all of this magic running through his blood, his body had to rid itself of the excess in some way, and it did that by emitting magical energy. This emission most often took place when Harry was experiencing high emotions. The headmaster had assured Harry that as he grew older he would be able to control these outbursts, but until then he had to be careful to keep his emotions in check.

He had also realized that the colors he was seeing around people were their auras. Normally he saw them when he first met the person, or was making a conscious effort to see one, but some auras, like Dumbledore's, and, surprisingly, Draco's, he had to make a conscious effort not to see it.

Now he imagined being around all those students with all their auras and felt his stomach lurch.

Beside him, Draco was just as nervous, but for different reasons. He was well-aware of how his kind were treated, had, more often than not, heard it from his own father. Lucius and Narcissa had only latent Veela blood, but it had always been quite active within Draco. Any human blood that he previously had, would have been washed out when he transformed, the Veela blood enforcing it's dominance.

Wizards enslaved Veela, keeping them as pets or toys. Full-bloods were incredibly expensive and it had become a sign of stature to possess one. The Malfoy family was one of the very few pure-blooded wizarding families who did not keep Veela. Not, as an outsider might think, out of any sense of morality, but out of ear that Veela may recognize their own and give the Malfoy's away.

Which they most certainly would do now, Draco mused, casting a glance over himself. There was no denying his Veela blood.

What exactly was Dumbledore thinking? No Veela had ever attended Hogwarts, the prejudice had always been too high and wizards regarded themselves superior over all thins magical, thought, in retrospect, a Veela's magical prowess far surpassed a wizards.

In truth, the only reason the Veela had been enslaved to begin with was because of his species naivety, forgetting that humans play dirty, using their magic to construct things that would prohibit a Veela from using its magic, and, thus, leave it a target for imprisonment. These magical inhibitors, which were often in the form of collars, also stopped Veela from transforming into their more dangerous form.

Now, Draco was going to make history by being the first full-blooded Veela to attend Hogwarts. He knew that some part-bloods attended magical schools, such as the Delacours, who attend Beauxbatons, and his own parents and, apparently, the Potter family, who carried the recessive Veela genes, but he was the first full-blood who would freely attend Hogwarts.

It would be dangerous, that was undeniable. Several Hogwarts students had family involved in the Veela trade, and, seeing him as little more than an animal, would help to try and capture him. He would have to be on his guard at all times.

He tapped his foot impatiently as Darla handed him the last bit of baggage in the fireplace to him. He would travel to one of his friends who lived closer to the power source he was sensing at first, and then investigate further from there.

"Tell Rubinyan to keep an eye out," he instructed curtly, and Darla nodded absently. "Tell him especially to watch Lillith, she has been testy lately, and the young are often prone to do that which is not in their best interest. Make sure she doesn't do anything rash during my absence. I doubt very much that there will be anyone here who can handle here when she is using all her cunning and power."

At this sentiment Darla paled quite a bit, considering the young woman in question. She had been rather irrational lately, the product, no doubt, of her mother's recent death, and her father's suspicious absence. Unfortunately, Lillith being tense could be destructive to everyone around her, as she was, by far, the most powerful among them, save the man who stood before her, preparing to leave.

The man's face gentled slightly as he saw Darla's reaction to his concerns about Lillith. "I'm sure it will be a mute issue," he said kindly. "For all her impetuousness, Lillith genuinely cares for those who live here."

Darla nodded, calming slightly. After all, if anything went wrong with Lillith, it would be Rubinyan's problem, not her own.

The man seemed to battle with a bit of indecision for a moment before he inclined his head resolutely. "Very well, I should be gone no longer than a month. If I am not back by then, you will instruct Rubinyan to send five after me. Take care you watch my words and send only five though, otherwise the consequences could be dire."

And with that he let a bit of the floo powder drop into the fire and spoke the name.

"Remus Lupin, 12 Grimmauld Place."

Remus Lupin was alone in Grimmauld Place, the other Order members out on various missions and other duties. He was preparing to go to Hogwarts to retake the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. He had asked for the first weeks of school off so that he could readjust himself to the world again, after his lapse in reality which followed Sirius' death.

The summer after Sirius had been killed by his cousin, Remus had turned into himself with grief. His friend were all gone now, he was the only Marauder left. This same thought was also what brought himself out of his self-imposed coma. He was the only one left to watch over Harry.

It was what had led him to take the DADA position, against his better judgement. It would allow him to keep a closer eye on Harry, as well as be around for the teen that had lost so much in his life. And he knew what had happened to Harry.

He would never forget when he saw Lily take off her glamour and show herself as a full-blood Vampyr. He had cornered her after smelling a change in her scent for several weeks. At first, he had thought she was like him, but then had noticed the subtle differences in her scent, and demanded an explanation.

And had he ever received one. Lily had taken off her glamour (Lily had always been incredibly gifted with charms), and shown him her true self. Her true, red winged, clawed and fanged self. She had revealed to him her parentage and instructed him to watch out for her own children when the time came for them to change, in case she wouldn't be there.

She wasn't, and he would watch out for him, as he had promised. He had sensed the change a week ago, the power which had exploded, then dissolved, so that only a small bubble of power was left. A bubble that beat constantly and unwavering.

Just then, the fire flashed green, and Remus, startled, watched an old friend step out of the fireplace.

"Hello, wolf-friend," the man spoke silkily, and Remus' eyes widened.

"How did you get in here?"

"I sensed you. I sensed you, and I found where you were staying," the man spoke this as though breaking one of the most powerful secret-keeper charms ever made was nothing. Remus winced, to him it probably wasn't.

"Let me rephrase that question then: why are you here?"

The man's face grew serious. "I think you know why Remus, I know you can sense it as well. There is a large amount of power coming from somewhere, and it reeks of Vampyric blood. I need to know who, and how that came to be. And you are going to help me."

Remus groaned.

Saetan Lupine just grinned.

The Hall fell silent as the Headmaster stood, curiosity enveloping the student body. It had been a week since Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy had been seen. Unrest had been growing as rumors that the Dark Lord had finally succeeded in destroying the Boy-Who-Lived spread through the school.

Dumbledore smiled gently at the students.

"I hope you've enjoyed your meal thus far," Dumbledore began pleasantly, his voice booming through the silent hall. "I'm sure you have noticed the absence of Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy..." there was a murmur of agreement. "Mr. Potter and Mr. Malfoy will be returning to classes tomorrow. Mr. Malfoy is a Veela and underwent his transformation this week. His transformation triggered Mr. Potters as well."

Instantly the hall filled with noise. Someone cried out the question they were all wondering. "Potter's a Veela?"

The hall grew quiet again awaiting Dumbledore's answer. Most were shocked when the Headmaster let out a small chuckle.

"Mr. Potter is only Veela by a small margin I believe...however," here he grew serious. "Mr. Potter is Elfin by a higher margin, and Vampyr by a higher margin than that."

Vampyr. The whispering enveloped the hall once again. "There's no such thing as Vampyr," a voice cried out from the Hufflepuff table.

Dumbledore gave the third-year an amused glance. "Tell that to Mr. Potter."

That quieted him, and before the noise could start up again, Dumbledore continued. "I expect you will make sure Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Potter are comfortable and you would do well to remember your Defense lessons regarding Veela, Vampyr, and Elfs. That will be all."

The noise in the hall had never before reached such a thunderous level. Some students, such as Blaise Zabini, were expressing their disgust that a full-blooded Veela would be allowed to attend a wizard school, others, such as Neville Longbottom, were still in disbelief that Vampyr's actually existed. Still more, such as Padma Patil, were crying that Harry was part-Veela, that their hero, their savior, was part animal. And some, such as Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, were quietly observing.

Harry fluttered his wings anxiously as Severus gave he and Draco a last-minute lecture.

"Remember not to lose your temper or you could seriously injure a student. Don't use any magic unless you're specifically instructed and, for Merlin's sake, try to use your wand," this was directed at Harry, who continuously forgot this small matter. "Neither of you should call any undue attention to yourselves, you'll have enough of that anyway."

Both Harry and Draco grimaced. They had grudgingly agreed that Dumbledore should tell the school of their changes and not leave it as an unpleasant surprise.

Severus rubbed his head tiredly. "Some of the students have gotten Anti-Veela charms, but I'd be prepared, both of you, to have students falling down at your feet."

While Harry groaned, Severus sneered at Draco who looked oddly pleased. "Draco, you'd do well to remember that all these people want to do is get in your pants."

Draco soured, "You have to ruin everything don't you Severus?"

Harry snickered and Draco turned on him. "I wouldn't be laughing Vampyr. Thought about how you're going to fit those wings of yours in a desk?"

Harry grimaced. It wasn't easy sitting with his wings, it took a great deal of effort for him to get them to wrap around his body in order to sit, and he hated being so confined. He spent most of his time standing up. He was horrified by the prospect of being confined to a desk all day.

Severus cleared his throat. "That won't be a problem. I've talked to your teachers and they've agreed that you can stand, provided that you don't cause any disturbances. They put podiums in the back for a writing surface."

Relief washed over his face and he smirked back at Draco. The Veela just sent him back a disgruntled look.

Ron and Hermione stopped in the doorway of the Great Hall, clearly shocked. Sitting in the place where their best friend usually sat was a tall, dark haired, winged being. The majority of the half-filled hall was staring in amazement at the creature while the other half was focused on the beautiful, blond-haired, silver-eyed person at the Slytherin table.

Overcoming their shock as quickly as possible, the two Gryffindors plopped down on either side of him. Harry looked at each of them slowly, anxiety evident on his face.

"Mate," Ron greeted him in all seriousness, piling food onto his plate. "We are so going to win Quidditch now."

The anxiety disappeared as Harry grinned, and then laughed, and then roared. Hermione smiled as she good-naturedly smoothed out some of his feathers.

There was no question a long interrogation would take place later on, but for now Harry had enough to be getting on with.

Draco bristled as he saw Harry's friends flock around the boy. Most of the Slytherins were either making sure Draco saw the Anti-Veela charms or were winking at him suggestively, one girl even tried to sit on his lap, before he sneered at her and pushed her away.

The new Veela braced himself as Blaise Zabini settled beside him. Trying to guess at the boy's motives, Draco was relieved to spot the charm around his neck.

"What do you want Zabini?" he asked warily.

"Patience Veela," Zabini said, buttering his toast, "I'm only here to observe."

"Observe what exactly?"

"You, of course."

Draco tensed. "And why are you observing me, exactly?"

Zabini stood, toast in hand. "I expect you'll know soon enough."

Draco had a bad feeling as he headed towards class.

Classes had gone surprisingly well. Aside from the stares and whispering, Harry's day had past almost normally. The teachers had been mostly sympathetic, and the promised podium stood in each room.

He had even been able to control his magic for the most part, reigning it in enough so that he could still easily do the spells and still keep a relatively low profile in regards to his magical prowess.

Now he was headed to his last class of the day, potions, escorted by a very protective Hermione who scowled at anyone she caught staring at her poor friend.

However, not even Hermione's disapproving glared could shield Harry in Slytherin territory. The muttering was quite evident as soon as they entered the Potions dungeon.

Pansy Parkinson's voice sounded through the room, "I'm quite sure my parents won't be happy when they hear I'm having lessons with animals."

Harry bristled, and Draco shifted quite noticeably from where he was sitting, quite alone, in the corner of the room.

"Now really," Hermione started angrily, but Parkinson cut her off.

"Why are you here anyway Potter? Perhaps Professor Snape was planning to give us a practical lesson? Perhaps on how to obtain potions ingredients from dangerous beasts?" Several Slytherin students snickered condescendingly.

Harry inwardly flinched. He was distinctly reminded of all those times of being called a freak when in the care of the Dursleys. However, his voice was calm and steady when he responded.

"If you've noticed my changes Parkinson, perhaps you'd do well to remember the dangers of offending a magical being?" Harry fanned his wings to their full breadth and bared his fangs for effect, Pansy's eyes went wide at the threat.

"Y-y-you can't t-t-touch me P-potter," Pansy stuttered. "Beasts aren't allowed to touch humans. You'd get life in Azkaban."

Harry hated how her voice gained confidence as she continued. "Are you willing to test that theory Parkinson?" He shot Draco a look, only to find the Slytherin watching the proceedings with obvious interest. But before Harry could make well on his threat, Snape entered the room, sneering as he took in the situation.

"What exactly is going on here?" he demanded, taking in Harry's bared fangs and outstretched wings.

"That creature is trying to kill me Professor," Parkinson exclaimed, confidence sounding in her voice now that her Head of House had arrived.

"Please sir," Hermione spoke up. "Pansy was insulting Harry, Harry was only acting on his instincts."

Snape sneered. "Twenty points from Gryffindor for threatening a student Mr. Potter..." he began, but at seeing the growl ready to tear from Harry's throat at the injustice, and seeing the triumphant looks the Slytherins had on their faces, he continued, "and twenty points from Slytherin for being so foolish as to insult a Vampyr. Miss Parkinson, you should know better."

Brightened by seeing the gloomy looks on all faces, Severus barked at them to get started on the Potion on the board. Harry was able to go to his usual place in this class, seeing as students stood in this class anyway in order to do their potions.

Everyone worked with their usual partners on their potions, a standard healing potion that was in need of restocking in the Hospital Wing, Draco and Harry worked silently, occasionally discussing the instructions. He noticed that both of the magical beings were more attentive than usual, their sense aware of everything around them.

They were nearing the end of the class when Snape's diligent eyes caught Parkinson tossing a pinch of bicorn horn towards Draco and Harry's potion. Snape immediately erected a shield around himself, to slow to stop the proceedings which would undoubtedly follow.

Harry seemed to notice the threat before it hit the potion as he quickly ensconced himself and Draco in his ebony wings. The rest of the class, however, did not have the benefit of wings to protect them. The potions spread everywhere, converted by the pinch of bicorn horn into a burning substance which hit every student in the class.

Snape swore, his shield the only thing protecting him, as he imagined the effect that the potion would have on Potter's wings, especially at such close proximity. However, his concerns were quickly nullified as Potter unwrapped himself and Draco from his wings, gently shaking them free from the potion residue, no harm seeming to have come to them.

Amazing, he managed to think, before attending to the chaos of half a dozen students full of third-degree burns, Vampyr wings are impenetrable.

Harry was more than a little surprised that he had been able to deflect the potion. He had cursed himself when he had wrapped the wings around himself and the Slytherin Veela, but it had come as an instinct at the sight of that dangerous bicorn horn coming towards their potion.

He had fully expected to encounter pain when he unwrapped himself and Draco from his wings, but was pleasantly surprised to find them undamaged. Ignoring Draco's blatantly shocked look, Harry gently wiped his wings of any remaining potion residue and hurried over to help Hermione who was wailing in pain at the third degree burns throughout her body.

Draco sneered when Harry hurried over to help Hermione, inwardly cursing the boy's saving-people thing that would surely expose them. He winced when he saw the girl's body, which was much more damaged than any other student's as she had been in close proximity to the potion. His wince turned into anger though as Harry led her out of the dungeons. He sincerely prayed that no one else noticed how the girl's burns disappeared wherever the part-Elf placed his hands.

He turned his attention towards Severus, who had saved himself from injury with a hastily erected shield and was now looking at Parkinson as though he would like nothing better than to kill her. The cries of pain filling the classroom came to an abrupt halt as Severus spoke.

"Fifty points from Slytherin for sabotaging a potion and endangering your peers Miss Parkinson," Severus snapped. "And a further fifty for attempting to anger and endanger two dangerous magical creatures. I expect you to show better sense in the future."

And with that the Potions Master swept out of the room. Draco followed at a more sedate pace, leaving the rest of his house mates in stunned silence as they tried to swallow the fact that their head of house had taken a total of 120 points from them in one hour.

Wow, longest chapter I've ever written. Ten pages. Anyway, just some notes.

This chapter you were introduced to Saetan Lupine (who's last name bears a striking resemblance to Professor Lupin's, wouldn't you say?), and Darla. You also heard mentions of Rubinyan and Lillith, who will play a large role.

Ok, second thing, I'm thinking of changing the title of this story. It's been pointed out to me that the title can be misleading and make people think that the story is mostly about Draco and the Malfoy family, which is clearly not true. So I'm going to have a vote, and, after three chapters, however many votes I get will be the new title. Please only vote once.

Choices are:

1.Survivors of the Shadows

2. The Forgotten

3. Followers of the Darkness

If you are of the creatively inclined and want to mention another title that somewhat pertains to the story, please, by all means, let me know.

Thanks.