Chapter Five. Dark Shadows is nearly complete. The questions I posed last update will be answered in this chapter.

Chapter Five- Close Call

Harry felt better when classes began again on Monday. His two friends knew his secret and promised to keep it. His attitude became a bit sunnier and Ron assured their housemates that Harry had had a small case of the end-of-summer blues.

Of course, Harry still didn't eat. The teen vampire found ways to make sure he wasn't at the table all the time. Sometimes, he would sleep in or do some extra homework. It couldn't hurt to do some advance preparation for his N.E.W.T's next year. He knew Hermonie would approve of his thinking ahead.

He didn't think too far ahead. He was immortal now and thus he had endless centuries to live. He did think of how he could die, however. Maybe a stake through his heart was one way. Sunlight was obviously not an option. Would he die if he didn't drink blood or Snape's potion? Possibly. He might test that option centuries later when he was ready to die.

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Another week passed and Harry was elated. He made it through without raising suspicions. However, Snape was late in bringing his next dosage and he was beginning to feel a strange feeling come over him. He surmised that this feeling was bloodlust.

'I need blood.' His mind repeated this phrase over and over in his head. He sat in one of the common room chairs, his head in his hands. In addition to the phrase, a headache throbbed in his temples and he was feeling irritable, though he was keeping it under control.

"Harry, are you alright?" Hermonie asked. She and Ron were near their friend, concerned about his well-being.

Harry lifted his head and looked at her. The teen witch saw that the outlines of Harry's green irises were lined red, as if he had been crying. Only he hadn't. "I'm very thirsty," the vampire said softly and with a hint of bloodlust in his tone.

"Ron, go find Prof. Snape," Hermonie ordered.

"Why me?"

"Just do it."

Ron left the dorm and the two friends sat in silence before Harry spoke again. "Hermonie, I think you should stun me unconscious."

"No, Harry. I won't."

"Please, Hermonie. If you don't, I might end up attacking you."

The girl sighed. "Very well. I'll go get my wand." She went upstairs to retrieve her wand from her dresser. As she descended the stairs, she felt sorry she had to knock out her best friends, but it was for her safety, as well as the school's.

Bringing her wand up, she cried, "STU-!" and gasped. Harry was gone! He was roaming the castle without his potion to curb his lust. Bolting out of the dorm, she began to search for her vampire friend.

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Draco Malfoy strolled through the corridor with his usual confident stride. In another year, he would graduate from Hogwarts and go on to follow in his father's footsteps. Become a Death Eater as well as a school governor. Yes, that sounded perfect.

Another figure was approaching from the opposite direction. Light from a torch revealed the figure to be Harry Potter. Malfoy sneered. The boy had been acting pelicular since the year started. He was pale, even though he spent his free time outside and he didn't eat, though his body said otherwise. As far as Draco was concerned, Potter was becoming more cocky with his skin and odd eating habits, as well as his tendency to avoid eye contact.

As the two boys crossed paths, Malfoy hissed, "What's with your attitude, Potter? Are we not good enough for you to look at anymore?" He smirked for a second before he found himself pinned to the wall by the shorter boy. He choked back a gasp of shock at the sudden turn of events.

"What's your problem, Potter?" Malfoy spat, glaring at Harry. He gasped when the boy bared a pair of fangs at him and moved his head toward the blonde's neck. Malfoy whimpered, realizing that he was about to die.

"Potter! Step away from him," a cold voice ordered.

Harry pulled away, eyes wide in shock of what he almost did. Looking to the right he saw Ron and Prof. Snape. Ron held a flask in his hand and as he approached Harry, he handed it to him. Harry grabbed it gratefully and allowed Ron to lead him away, leaving Snape and Malfoy behind.

Snape whirled on his house student. "Not a word to anyone about this, understand Mr. Malfoy?"

Stunned, the boy nodded before saying, "Prof. what is wrong with him?"

"Potter became a vampire over the summer. Now, get back to your dorm. And remembr if you tell anyone about Potter's "condition", I'll let him bite you."

Shuddering, Malfoy nodded and took off for his dorm.

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Harry moaned. "I can't believe I almost bit Malfoy."

"He would have deserved it."

"But I could have killed him."

"If Snape and I had been a few minutes late, yeah, you would have."

"Now that Malfoy knows, the whole school will know by tonight or tomorrow."

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Weeks passed since the incident with Draco and it seemed as if nothing happened. No one edged away from him at the table or avoided him in the halls. Did Snape make Malfoy promise not to tell? Most likely. Harry felt grateful to Snape for the potion and keeping his secret. Despite his hatred for Harry, Snape knew how important it was that Harry's secret be kept as just that. If they were to bring down Voldemort, secrecy was the key.

Whoa, Malfoy almost became a victim! Luckily, Snape showed in time. I'm not a Snape a fan. I'm a Gryffindor all the way. Of course, the completion of each chapter raises more questions. Will Harry kill Dumbledore? Will his vampire blood be too much for him to handle? Will Malfoy spill the beans on Harry anyway? Chapter Six will reveal the answers.