I just want to thank everyone for being patient, I've had a rought ime these last few weeks. My computer is working again but I've had an eye injury recently andwasn't been able to use a computer for a week.
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Many thanks for all the reviews! I really enjoy reading them, even when people complain. I like getting opinions and thoughts on the plot.
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Chapter 31
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"Look I don't know what happened!" Shacklebolt snapped. Thousands of miles away Rahkesh watched the image on the hippocampus-hair message screen.
"Damnit Kingsley those vampires saved them!"
"I know that!" Shacklebolt bellowed. Rahkesh raised an eyebrow as he felt the thunderbird flare up in response to Shacklebolt's anger, the threat calmed him instantly. That wasn't happening again. "The Ministry wouldn't listen. They killed two of them before the vampires had a clue what was happening, the others fled."
"FLED?" Rahkesh repeated disbelievingly. Vampire didn't flee anything but a more powerful vampire. Farov's forces would never flee from a bunch of Ministry workers.
"Well, they left; the Ministry is saying they fled." Another critical mistake on the Ministry's part; the vampires would not be happy to have them telling everyone that. Rahkesh finally sat down and focused on the auror. Shacklebolt looked ready to collapse from exhaustion, and far too stressed out.
"What actually happened, you were there." Rahkesh asked gently. He'd heard the story, but he thought repeating it mgiht calm the auror, which it did. Shacklebolt dropped into his chair and rested his head in his hands as he replied.
"When the Ministry workers turned on them they just all stopped, looked at us, one of them nodded, he said something, I don't know what, and then they all just walked away." Shacklebolt said after thinking for a moment.
Rahkesh rubbed his forehead; he had a headache coming, and processed that. The day after the retrieval of the Cup of Hufflepuff and the battle he had been awakened hours before dawn by the message device. Shacklebolt's report had nearly made him faint. After the death eaters had been captured ministry officials had showed up, and turned on the vampires who had helped the aurors, killing two immediately. And the other vampires had left, rather than retaliate. That was so un-vampire as to be inconceivable, but Shacklebolt had been there.
Rahkesh had sent the auror to gather more information, the battle had been Friday night, and it was now Saturday morning. He could make a quick run home, contact Farov, ask…ask what? Why the vampires hadn't started a wizard extermination campaign? Ask why they hadn't gone an annihilated every Ministry employee alive? Asking wouldn't serve any purpose, the vampires would do it eventually, they hadn't yet because they thought they had a reason not to.
"I guess that's it then." He said finally.
"What?" Shacklebolt asked.
"The vampires are going to attack." Rahkesh replied, "and nothing is going to stop them now. All the Ministry had to do was talk, thank them; instead they attacked and managed to kill two. The fact that they left means that they're probably going to coordinate a massive counter attack. Most vampires I know tend to react quickly, but these ones are older and probably need permission to start fighting back. A week at the most I think." He couldn't know for sure, but the vampires were bound to retaliate, and do so to an extreme that the Ministry couldn't even imagine.
"Nothing we can do?" Shacklebolt asked, though Rahkesh noted he didn't seem upset and was not even really resigned. Shacklebolt was thinking about something. He wasn't angry - indeed Rahkesh thought he might even agree with the vampires.
"You told them to stop?" Rahkesh asked.
"Yeah. They didn't listen. Umbridge, I don't know how that bitch got there or why anyone listens to her, is trying to arrest me for consorting with halfbreeds."
"Umbridge will be gone soon." Rahkesh said softly.
"Oh?"
"The vampire assassins Moody and I talked about." Rahkesh replied. He would send a message to Cyala through Daray. Perhaps with a few people removed things would slow down and maybe, just maybe, this would stop before going further, unlikely.
Percy Weasely will likely take her place." Shacklebolt told him, the mention of the Weasely family outcast made Rahkesh flinch. That was one he didn't want to see dead. But he really didn't have time to care.
"He won't last too long either then. Shacklebolt, it might be a good idea to get out of there."
"I was thinking the same thing" Shacklebolt replied.
"They'll be hunting you already, Umbridge's cronies. Any countries not already joined to the anti-magical creature movement would help you if you requested asylum and explained what happened. Heck half of them would give you a medal for the attempt." Rahkesh said. Shacklebolt nodded slowly.
"I don't like to abandon my country."
"The government of which needs to be hit over the head with a brick." Rahkesh said. Shacklebolt snorted and nodded again. "Get out Kingsley, and take as many of the aurors as you can with you. After that battle, they'll go. They know now, and they don't believe in the Ministry at all. If they have someone to help, to lead, they'll all go. Loyalty is good Shacklebolt, but in this case loyalty may be shown through desertion. Not loyalty to the Ministry, but to the country."
"Maybe." Rahkesh didn't push him any, Shacklebolt could make his own decisions. But he knew what the auror would choose. The aurors had started to fall away from the Ministry when Azkaban was attacked, before that even. By now most would have changed their minds, they were loyal, but that loyalty might be best expressed by leaving. "That magic you used during the battle?"
"Need to know only." Rahkesh said sharply. Shacklebolt shrugged and nodded.
"I'll contact you later."
Once the screen was blank Rahkesh walked across the room and flopped onto his bed. Crap. He'd had real hope the vampires saving the aurors would change something. Anything. The aurors were now outside his abilities to handle. The vampires were not. He needed advice on what they were likely to do, and he needed to know what the overall effect would be, at Akren and everywhere else.
Rahkesh had figured out soon after arriving at Akren where the rooms of the school's most influential students were, in case he ever needed to know. Now he sought out Caroline, the unofficial leader of the Akren vampire students.
Caroline was in her last year of schooling and would graduate that summer, she had been the alpha-vampire (Ally's words for her position) of the vampire students for nearly two years. It was expected that her second, Hilda, would take over when she left, though Rahkesh suspected that the fights after the old students graduated and before the new ones showed up would be spectacular. He also knew that Daray was looking to take over from Hilda possibly as early as late in the next year. Caroline was very justice oriented and while absolutely ruthless in personal advancement she also considered the good of everyone else to be very important. She was a highly skilled organizer and at a young age was already joining vampiric organizations and taking on roles as a manager of sorts. She was also a very talented alchemist and quite good at bloodmagic and unarmed combat.
He could expect both female vampires to be in the room, probably working on their parts of the upcoming event to mix vampires openly with muggles. Both of them were part of the group of vampires currently managing the younger vampires involved, deciding what would happen after the initial announcement of their existence. The plan called for young vampires to enter into muggle universities and to learn alongside muggles, so that muggles got more exposure to them. Caroline and Hilda had volunteered to work on that part, as directors who were more in touch with the younger vampires than the city masters. Rahkesh knew Daray and Silas and Rianae had volunteered to help with the project by ebing among those sent in alongisde muggle students. Rahkesh couldn't help but pity anyone who wound up rooming with Daray.
Rahkesh was fairly confident that he could match Hilda in a fight, for a little while, and though he very much doubted he'd win, he could reasonably expect to escape alive. Adding Caroline made such a fight rather hopeless. Neither of them had shown any inclination for feeding on him yet, but he had heard of Caroline feeding on many human students, though Hilda apparently preferred fae blood to human if given a choice.
As he approached her rooms Rahkesh sent out a telepathic signal ahead of himself, and felt an alert vampire mind catch it. It was like throwing a rope and sending a message down it. He let the though fly across that he needed to speak to her and had information on the new developments in England. Caroline sent back a brief flash of agreement, and a door down the hallway swung open magically.
As he got closer Rahkesh sensed a third presence, this one a veela, and then a fourth and fifth, both vampires, one male one female. The veela he could guess was Caroline's "pet" a rare male veela whose name he'd never bothered to learn and whom she kept around basically as a slave, though Silashad once said thatthe relationship was entirely voluntary. Pretty creature who Rahkesh had never heard speak muchor have any opinions of his own, and probably not too much of a threat. But he did not recognize the two vampires. One of them was an Akren graduate, who wore the "tag" on her aura, the male vampire was a student. He didn't know either of them, but it was too late to turn back now.
Rahkesh entered the room, and noted at once that Caroline had enchanted her rooms to make them bigger inside than outside. He'd have to try that himself. The four vampires were seated around a coffee table, there were two extra chairs in the circle, Caroline's pet veela was kneeling beside her with his head on her knee, apparently asleep.
"Rahkesh." Hilda said, "what is it?" Rahkesh took one of the remaining chairs.
"A few weeks ago," he began, "I was contacted by an Akren alumnus working in England, he needed help with the current situation there and he needed someone who knew the area." The others nodded, that was perfectly reasonable. "Friday evening he called me home to help with a situation that was developing with the vampires and death eaters and aurors." He proceeded to tell them everything, leaving out any mention of the theft of the horcrux.
By the time he was done the vampires, and Caroline's veela, were looking murderous, Rahkesh guessed that they would have enough sense not to attack him, but the next mortal witch or wizard they found would probably not be so lucky.
"Guess I'll go do riot control." The female he didn't know said. "There're going to be a lot of angry vampires out there. Better they get calmed down quickly so they don't attack everyone." She rose and left the room.
"Wake the other vampire students; we're going to need help getting ahead of this." Caroline told the male vampire, he left in a hurry, sending out telepathic signals.
"What will happen?" Rahkesh asked.
"The priority right now will be to contact everyone who isn't at the gathering, tell them the news and give them a chance to react and get over it. The major problem is that when they hear about this a lot of vampires might form mobs and just start attacking muggles and mortal magic users everywhere, even in vampire-friendly places. We can't have that happen. I haven't heard of this from anyone else so I'm guessingthe gatheringstill working on the same thing we are, or the gathering is arguing about what to do and when and haven't done anything yet. If we can get everybody informed and calm then we can plan a retaliation that won't harm anyone who isn't involved and doesn't deserve it."
Caroline opened a desk and pulled out three hippocampus hair communication devices and four communication mirrors, she handed a few to Hilda and the two began contact people, Rahkesh guessed most of them to be family members and the higher-ups in their home territories.
Moments later vampire students began to stream into the room. The sitting room expanded to hold them all, new furniture was being conjured everywhere. Caroline signaled with a nod for Rahkesh to leave and he did. The vampires had things to do and so did he. His friends needed to get out of Europe, now.
XXXX
"Well, I had intended to take the Quibbler international, my brother think's it would do well outside the UK." Mr. Lovegood said, "perhaps this is a blessing in disguise, a reason to go elsewhere."
"I would prefer America." Mrs. Lovegood told her husband. A tall gray-haired woman with a kind face she was already making a list of things to take at once and where to go. She was the organized one, Harry decided, Mr. Lovegood was a bit absentminded. "How long do you think we have?" She asked Harry.
"The vampires won't target you directly, the Quibbler has been printing the truth and I'm sure they know that."
"Another reason to leave, we've been accused of going against the new laws." Mr. Lovegood said. "In fact they'll probably be ready to arrest soon."
"We'll be out by Monday." Mrs. Lovegood decided, "and put it in the next issue that the Ministry has been threatening you for printing the truth."
"An excellent idea." Harry agreed, "I can give you an account of what actually happened from an unnamed auror." Mr. Lovegood chuckled.
"Of course, how high up?"
"High enough." Harry replied, which was enough for Mr. Lovegood.
"Luna has been asking to leave for months now. She wants to enroll in the Salem Academy." He told Harry.
"I'm glad you're leaving, hopefully you can convince others to leave too." Harry said standing to leave. Most people who read the Quibbler were suspicious of the Ministry and getting them to leave shouldn't be too hard. "I'm off to the Weasely's now, I would suggest you put a ward up on the edges of the property to alert you to aurors."
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Harry knocked on the door of the Burrow, it sprang open in seconds to show Ginny. She stared at him for a moment, saying nothing.
"Afternoon Ginny, I need to speak with you and your parents." Harry said, he knew Mr. Weasely was home, he'd asked Moody to tell Mr. Weasely to go home around lunch time and Moody said he had done so.
"Sure Harry, um, how are you?" Ginny finally asked awkwardly as she held the door open for him.
"Quite horrible." Harry replied as he closed the door behind him. "Afternoon Mr. Weasely."
"Ah Harry, Moody said you'd be around. I suppose you know about what happened last night?" Mr. Weasely said, gesturing for Harry to take a seat, which he did.
"I was there. The question is - what do you know?" Harry replied. Ron was standing in the doorway to the stairs, staring at him. Harry pretended he didn't see him. Hogwarts was letting students home on weekends now, the parents had insisted. He would rather avoid a confrontation with Ron, but in case that could not be prevented Bill was home. Harry knew form the twins that Molly wanted to renovate part of the porch and rebuild the shed, he had owled Bill before dawn asking the oldest Weasley son to come home with the excuse of helping his mother, brother, and sister with the work.
"The aurors got into trouble with the death eaters, vampires showed up helping the death eaters, then other Ministry workers got involved. Many of the vampires and death eaters were killed or captured…where were you?" Mr. Weasley asked.
"Helping. And most of what you just said is incorrect." Harry replied. Mr. Weasely paused and waited. "We, Moody and I, got word that the death eaters and a few of their vampire allies were going to attack a mostly-magical neighborhood. We told the vampires and they showed up in time to save everyone. Then-"
"Wait a minute! You just said the vampires were allies with the death eaters!" Ron shouted.
"There are two factions amongst the vampires; one group is with Voldemort one group is against him." Harry explained.
"What! Harry you must be confused, they're dark creatures, they're all with him." Ron said.
"No they're not Ron, remember what the papers and auror Shacklebolt told us about the muggles-turned-vampire siding with Voldemort along with the youngest magical vampires, and the old magical vampires being against Voldemort?" Ginny reminded her brother.
"They say they're against him, don't tell me you actually believe what a vampire says!" Ron sneered. Harry frowned; he hadn't often seen his friend sneer before.
"Just like you can't actually believe what a werewolf says, right Ron?" Harry asked, "I'm sure Remus will be glad to hear that you still think like that."
"I- Harry that's not the same!"
"Yes it is. You've never met a vampire Ron, not one, not of either side, therefore you can't judge them any better than you could judge a werewolf before meeting Remus." Harry turned back to Mr. Weasely. "The vampires had picked off the original attacking force of death eaters and vampires when one of the death eaters managed to send word back to their base that they'd lost. Voldemort, or whoever was responsible for planning that attack, sent out a massive force of death eaters and vampires to retake the neighborhood. An alarm went out to the aurors and they arrived soon after Voldemort's forces did. The vampires who are working with us figured that the aurors would appreciate a good fight and let them deal with Voldemort's people."
"What they ran off and left the aurors?" Ron said.
"No. For a vampire that's a gesture of respect. They thought the aurors would want a little fun and their not getting involved immediately was a sign that they thought the aurors were good enough to handle the situation on their own. Unfortunately the aurors weren't good enough. They started loosing quickly. Once the vampires realized that the aurors weren't as good as they'd thought, and in real trouble, they joined in again and got rid of all of Voldemort's vampires and death eaters. Then they went and started healing the aurors. The Ministry employees, who I think were rallied by Umbridge and Percy hoping to make a save and get some good press, came in to see the vampire casting spells on the aurors. Those were healing spells but it seems they assumed them to be attacking the aurors, a stupid assumption since there wasn't any fighting going on and everyone was being quite friendly. The vampires greeted them and asked them to help move the prisoners off to Azkaban, since the aurors were all injured, the Ministry workers attacked the vampires and managed to kill two."
"Guess they're not so powerful after all eh?" Ron said with a grin. Harry felt his stomach drop out as he realized that Hermione's thought that Ron really wanted to become a vampire slayer was the complete truth.
"The vampires had only agreed to help save the people in that neighborhood after a lot of argument. They had already given up on Britain's magical humans. Now that the Ministry went and betrayed them after they saved the aurors there's no hope for peace." Harry finished quickly. "And Ron, they are very hard to kill, and you can forget any derma of your of being a glorious vampire slayer. You'll only wind up dead."
"How would you know?" Ron yelled, face turning red, "they're obviously not as tough as everyone says they are, and you're all just believing everything they tell you."
"I have practice fights all the time with them Ron, I don't think most of the aurors are capable of taking a vampire one on one, never mind someone with no actual fighting training."
"You're just like Hermione; you think I can't do anything! Well I've got news for you – oh great Harry Potter – when I graduate I'm going to become the best of the vampire hunters! Then we'll see who's capable of what!" Ron slammed the door as he left the house, breaking the glass, Harry fixed it with a flick of his wand. By this point he was well passed being upset by anything Ron said.
"Ron! Ronald Weasely!" Molly Weasely yelled after him.
"Don't bother, not right now." Harry said, "give it a bit and try again later."
"Are they going to kill him?" Ginny asked Harry.
"In all likelihood it is safe enough for you to remain here. The vampires are not indiscriminate you know. They choose each and every victim with great care." Harry replied after a short pause, he had to say this right, so that they would side with the vampire against Ron.
"And how do they do that?" Mrs. Weasely asked.
"I have found that the ruling vampires, the old ones and their followers and allies, are very fair minded, unusually kind, and highly intelligent. When they attack they will harm only those who hate vampires without a reasonable, logical, justification for doing so. They will attack those who are bigoted, prejudiced against creatures they've never met, and those who equate vampires with inherent evil. Those who hate vampires, werewolves, centaurs, the fae, and other magical creatures will be their main targets." Harry explained.
"People like Ron." Bill said, having come inside just after Ron stormed out. "People like Percy."
"Yes, exactly. Ron is everything the vampires hate. And, unfortunately, their hatred is completely justified." Harry said, Mrs. Weasely gave a small sob, "for now his age will protect him, but once he graduates that won't help him any. Vampires read minds, and they question everyone they capture under vertisarum, so that there is no room for accidents. Ron doesn't just think like the world's worst bigots, he projects those thoughts, reading his mind will take no effort at all."
"What can we do?" Mrs. Weasely asked.
"Nothing." Harry replied.
"There has to be something! We'll go away; we'll find a new home somewhere else!" She turned to Mr. Weasely, who had gone very pale and was sitting very still, not moving.
"No Molly, I don't think we can. Ron can't." Mr. Weasely glanced at Harry, his eyes looked dead. "There was an announcement that came into the Ministry today. The immigration rules are being changed, everywhere that isn't on the anti-vampire list. They're screening all applicants for biases against magical creatures and certain forms of magic. People who hate vampires, merpeople, centaurs, they're not welcome in any of those places. People who believe that werewolves and vampires are evil, people who are too radically against magics they think are "dark", they aren't welcome."
"Oh gods," Mrs. Weasely said softly. "We can't leave Arthur, we can't! I won't lose another son!"
Harry wondered if the new program he had gotten Moody and Shacklebolt and Remus to work on, re-education for people from the anti-dark creature countries, might have caused this. He was almost sure it had. They had suggested one thing, and the governments of those countries had decided that simply not allowing certain people to enter would be easier than trying to change their views. One on hand he agreed. It got those people together in places where the vampires would harm only those who deserve it, and those that we're so radically bigoted wouldn't be affected much. But on the other hand a lot of families might be broken up, and it was likely that his former best friend would be among the early victims. Surely Ron's prejudice was too strong not to be noticed. The first vampire he met would sense it.
"Ron has chosen his path," he finally said, "and perhaps if he has to walk it alone, it will force him to think more. Not being able to rely on anyone might be helpful, and it might give him more of a chance." Unlikely, but if Ron had no one there was a chance he would, being insecure, start thinking carefully about everything he heard and saw, and change his mind. Or he'd fall victim to those in the Ministry who thought that they could eradicate vampires and be the heroes of the world. Which, currently, seemed to be far more likely.
"That may be true," Mr. Weasely agreed.
"If the vampires take him, good riddance." Bill proclaimed when everyone had gone silent, thinking. "They won't kill him, and maybe being one of their servants will get him to change his mind, once he starts being around them all the time." Harry remembered that he had heard of slaves being set free when their perceptions changed, and Ron's mind had never been too hard to sway. Except when dealing with things or people he considered ark and evil. But he had accepted Remus quickly enough. Possibly because he'd forgotten he was a werewolf, but he had.
"That is a strong possibility, unless of course they decide he's a lost cause." He said, hesitantly agreeing with Bill.
"Ginny, you're going abroad for your last year of schooling." Mr. Weasely decided, Harry prepared for the coming firestorm, but Ginny frowned, and then finally nodded slowly.
"Luna is going to Salem Academy in America." Harry supplied. Mr. Weasely nodded.
"But, for now, I think we'll stick it out," Mr. Weasely said, looking at Mrs. Weasely, who nodded vigorously. "At least until we can take Ron with us." Privately Harry thought that unlikely to happen, but miracles did occur. He couldn't ask Farov to make any exceptions, that would have to be cleared with the Master of London, and he wasn't going to do that either, but the Weasely's were unlikely targets. Ron and Percy were the only ones likely to be a problem. And as much Harry hated to turn his back in his friend, he didn't think he could do much. He could try a practice duel with Ron…but somehow he thought that would only increase his friend's resentment, and he didn't put it past Ron to start going into some of the worst dark magics to gain power. For now Ron was on his own.
Harry left the Weasely's a half hour later, after discussing what was happening at the Ministry with Mr. Weasely for a little while. Ginny followed him down the path to the edge of the wards, she hadn't said a word but Harry guessed she wanted to talk.
"I'll talk to Hermione and Neville before I go, anyone else you think I should see?" He asked her finally, getting tired of her silence.
"Dean, Seamus, Parvarti and Lavender, Cho too I suppose. They can tell everyone else what you tell them."
"I'm concerned they might not get it word for word, and the information might get mixed up and twisted." Harry said, he could use a little telepathic nudging to get their minds to get it right, but he felt dirty doing that to someone.
"Send them a letter with a written account. They can show the letter around." Ginny said. Harry nodded slowly, he would have to work on handwriting concealments charms, and make sure it didn't sound like his writing. Rahkesh wrote in a different style than Harry Potter anyway, he had changed that early on, but he would need to be very careful. No explanation for his presence that night, nothing, no mention of Moody or anyone else.
"I hate writing letters," he admitted. "Fingerprints removed, wax that comes from some random shop in some out of the way place incase someone tries that route, rent an owl, wear a disguise doing so, touch nothing in the post office, blank shoes so no foot prints, blurring charms and forget-me charms on my clothes." Ginny stared at him, and then nodded slowly. Funny how good he'd gotten at hiding everything. He hadn't thought of half of that when he'd first decided to change his identity and leave, but he learned fast, and was lucky to have survived the lessons.
"The assassins."
"Found me the one time I made a mistake, left my fingerprints somewhere unsafe. I've altered my fingerprints since then, but I don't want to have to do it again, so I have to be very careful."
"Why do I think you're actually enjoying that challenge?" Ginny asked after a moment, making Harry flinch. She was getting far too perceptive, war did that to people.
"Because I do enjoy it? I don't know why but I do." He replied, Ginny just shook her head and gave him a look that told him she thought he was mildly crazy. "How have things been at Hogwarts?"
"Boring, nervous. Everyone misses you, even some of the Slytherins, and it's a mess of fear, nervous breakdowns happening everywhere. I can't wait for the weekend so I can come home and get away from it all. Poor McGonagal, she'll keep on trying but at this point there isn't a whole lot to be done, and everyone is either going to be home schooled, or go elsewhere next year." Ginny said, and Harry realized just how tired she was.
"Remember that luck potion, if anything happens."
"I'll remind Ron too, not that he actually deserves a chance like that." Ginny muttered. "Are they really okay people Harry? The vampires?"
"Yes. The problem right now is that there are too many vampires. The youngest have overpopulated and they all want to create their own little covens and feel powerful. The old ones are ready to kill them all off, such exterminations happen every few centuries, and Voldemort returns just in time to recruit scared young vampires. The ones I know are just fine, temperamental, sometimes very cold, but for the most part they're alright, some of them are even very friendly. You just have to be very perceptive and very careful. They exist in a strict hierarchy Ginny, not much unlike that of a wolf pack, if you're attuned to everything, there're whole conversations going on through telepathy and body language, which most people miss. If you learn to look, then they're pretty easy to get along with, and they make excellent friends."
"Are there any vampires at the Salem Academy?"
"I don't know, I'd imagine so. The vampires have been trying to integrate more into magical human society, and all magical schools in the States accept vampire students, and they have to learn somewhere. There're probably quite a few vampires there." He'd have to check on that. He was sure there were vampires, and werewolves, though probably not any fae.
"I look forward to it then; I'd like to actually meet some."
"I'll send you a book on Occlumency." Harry replied, "so they can't pick through your mind." Ginny nodded, "I'll see you later, possibly not until summer."
"Voldemort?"
"We've made some very exciting progress." Harry replied, reluctant to say more for fear of listening spells. He was known to be a friend of the Weasely's so not only Voldemort, but also the Ministry and some individuals might have put spells on the property. Ginny turned back towards the house and Harry apparated away; he'd stop by Neville's place next.
XXXX
Rahkesh urged the Firehorse into a run, he'd spent most of the day contacting old friends, and he wanted to be back at Akren before nightfall. Surely some of the vampire students would be heading home that night to speak with friends and family, and he'd rather not meet them on the way. They'd be angry at mortals and some of the more impulsive ones might misplace that anger onto him, he'd rather not take the risk.
The dying light tinged the mountain peaks pink and orange, and Rahkesh saw small white heads dodging away from the path amongst the evergreens, the Yecks were out. After a long winter staying close to their caves the snow was gone and they were roving again, he'd have to be careful. He'd never heard of them attacking anyone except during the trials for the new students, but he didn't want to be the first victim if they did get annoyed or bored.
Back at his rooms Rahkesh removed the wards and slipped inside, checking for unwelcome visitors even though none of the vampires would be up to their usual games tonight. The Akren students were all well attuned to empathy and telepathy and would be very quite right now, letting the vampires chill out before getting back to the usual cutthroat competition. He was glad they were taking a break for the night, he was exhausted. He hadn't gotten more than a few hours sleep since Thursday and he needed to rest. A long low hiss stopped him as he tossed his traveling cloak over a chair. Sygra was coiled up in her cage, eyes half glazed and looking glum. Apparently the magics she had used to retrieve the cup had caused her to start shedding her skin a week early. She couldn't tell why but Rahkesh and Sygra both assumed it was the change from wyvern to snake coupled with using her magics to go through rock, and maybe even exposure to the magics in Voldemort's rooms. Rahkesh moved over to the cage and knelt down beside the serpent, she looked extremely dreary. She hated shedding skin and always got depressed and lethargic.
How long? He asked her.
A few days, it's not ready yet, aches though. Sygra replied slowly, shifting a little uncomfortably. Shedding skin wasn't fun.
Sorry, anything I can do?
Dim the lighting in the cage a bit, not all dark, just darker, makes it easier to sleep for the next few days until the skin is ready to come off.
Sleeping potion?
We've tried six, none of them helped. Sygra said with a heavy sigh. Rahkesh shrugged and cast a spell on the glass of the cage to cloud it, dimming the light inside. Sygra gave a soft huff and changed position uncomfortably, grumbling about lucky humans who didn't shed their whole skins. Rahkesh ignored her, there wasn't much he could do about it.
He pulled a box out from under the bed; it was disguised as a dropped toenail clipping, and took off the concealing spells and enlarged it. In here was the last of the disguise stuff he needed, the fake skin to cover his scar.
Changing out of his traveling clothes Rahkesh went over to Silas room. Daray's room had somehow gotten blown up – Daray wouldn't say how – so they were meeting in Silas room. Inside Nuri was stretched out on his back, all four big shiny black paws in the air, in front of the fireplace. Ally, Silas, and Daray were sitting around the big cat in arm chairs. Daray and Silas carefully going over Rahkesh's shattered staff to see if it was repairable. Satan let out a puff of fire and smoke in greeting and Rahkesh rubbed behind his ears, the bat growled approvingly.
"What are the vampires doing?" Rahkesh asked, taking the last seat. Nuri purred up at him and pawed his knee, asking for attention.
"Rianae went home, her mother's one of the vampiric ambassadors remember? She'll have an update tomorrow. Right now everyone's just trying to stop the riots." Silas said.
"There were riots then?" Rahkesh asked, he'd had some hope that it might get settled without violence. Nuri reached up a paw and started flicking his shoelaces about.
"Oh yes. The United States and Chile are particularly violent right now. Master of New York called out all his forces and killed some three hundred rioting vampires to stop them from attacking muggles and magical humans. They were young vampires of course, primarily muggles-turned-vampire, with about a hundred magical humans turned vampire thrown in. All under four hundred years old. That stopped up the eastern half of the country, the south and the west coast are still having violent riots." Ally said, "I've been in contact with mum and dad all evening – my older brother works law enforcement and he says it was pretty awful for a while there. But it's stopping. Everyone agrees with the vampires that the British ministry was wrong and stupid and needs to be punished, and that understanding has everyone on the vampire's side, so they have no one to fight."
"How are things in the UK?" Daray asked.
"Strange." Rahkesh replied after a moment to think, "there're a lot of people who see this as a victory and are very happy, and a lot of people who know enough not to trust what the newspapers say and are wondering what really happened, and a lot of people who are getting very worried. And then there are those who are happy because they're with Voldemort and they want a Ministry-vampire war because they think it will kill off their opponents in both groups."
"When does the gathering end?" Ally asked.
"Tomorrow, tonight actually. I don't think they'll extend it. The Master of London wants those responsible for killing his two vampires, he sent one of his lieutenants after then today, my grandmother's half-sister Kylara is his second, she's heading that operation. Farov is going to the prophet and whatever other papers you have over there to give the real story, under vertisarum. The master of France is planning an extermination of young vampires to begin in a week or two. Our family will start going after the witches and wizards causing trouble in the various European governments very soon." Daray updated them.
"I hope there's some left for us by summer break." Silas said, looking a bit gloomy. Nuri purred at him and rolled over to rub his check on Silas knee. Silas scrathed his neck and the panther draped his front half across his legs. "Can't have you getting bored with no one ot pounce on cna we?" He asked the panther, Nuri growled his agreement.
"I'm sure there will be." Rahkesh reassured him, "there're plenty of anti-vampire imbeciles to go around." Including his former best friend. But they'd be starting off with government workers, and then working down into regular citizens. "How is it?" He asked Daray, who was examining the remains of Rahkesh's staff.
"Don't know. None of the magics are working. I don't know if it had a core, but if it did then the core is still intact, but the magics seems to have been turned off." Daray replied.
"I think it would be possible to get most of them working again, but it might be best not to do so, magics that strong may have relied on the strength of the wood to keep them from imploding or falling apart." Silas said, handing the staff back to Rahkesh.
"Perhaps you should seek out that demon you met, Sharahak." Ally suggested.
"Yes, he lived with the Chachapoyaro for a ling time, and he knew a lot of their magics." Rahkesh said, knowing he wouldn't have the time to find Sharahak, if he was still around. There was too much to do right now. "Maybe over summer break."
"Maybe, I have a feeling everyone is going to be pretty busy. That includes you – the vampires at the gathering are aware of you Rahkesh. Farov made his report of the battle publicly. My grandmother was very pleased; she got to act superior for already knowing the mortal who can control lightning." Daray warned him. Rahkesh's blood went cold. Then he stopped and wondered why that bothered him. The respect or just curiosity of the old ones could be useful, and probably not dangerous in any way. So long as none of them wanted his blood. And if they figured out who he was? Namach probably knew already, and he wouldn't be surprised if Cyala and the headmistress did as well. They probably wouldn't care at all, so long as he didn't join Voldemort. And perhaps knowing of his survival of the killing curse would be useful in his necromancy training. But he wasn't going to tell them, he really didn't want to have to deal with it. If they found out then they could bring it up on their own, he wasn't about to help them there.
Rahkesh returned to his rooms a few hours later, and noticed immediately that the small sapphire set on a small black velvet cushion on his desktop was glowing steadily. A wicked smile crept over his face as he tapped it twice and the glowing stopped. Siraka was safe and alive and working her way into the ranks of Voldemort's serpents. His spy was in place, and soon Nagini's time would come.
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She didn't hold the rank she once had: the new minister didn't trust her like good old Cornelius did. But her remaining allies and those who had relied upon her for their own power had been quick to force him to take her on as a personal advisor, and so she did have a fairly nice office. And it was quiet. Dolores Umbridge opened the door, ignoring the auror who stood beside it, she had asked for a personal guard – the was no telling when the nasty half-breed centaurs would make another try for her. They knew she knew what they really were, mongrels trying to break down wizarding kind, but this time she would be ready. Prepared, there was more than the auror to defend her. She glanced at the bowl of garlic on her desk; she couldn't wait until the first vampire was brought in.
Outside in the hallway the auror straightened and stood still, watching the approaching shadow. A pair of eyes glowed and sparkled with a frightening fire, but the auror was not afraid. This one was not coming for him. The vampire paused in front of him, becoming eerily still, not breathing, no motion, no pulse, gazing steadily into his eyes. The aurro had known he would come, and had already made his decision. His family was out of the country, and he would leave now too. He inclined his head respectfully, and lowered what little mental defense he had, but he was not telepathically aware enough to stop this vampire anyway, and he didn't even sense the quick scan. The vampire took only a few seconds determining that he was no threat and he could find no reason to hate vampires, and so did not.
Umbridge frowned and waved her wand again, but the lamp did not turn on. Vowing to show the maintenance people exactly why they should take special care with her office she walked over to see what was wrong, unable to see the lamp she cast a quick lumos spell. But the light was sucked up in the shadows and gone instantly.
"Madam Umbridge?" A silky voice asked. Umbridge whirled, wand coming up.
"Are you Madam Umbridge?" The voice asked again.
"Yes I am. And I'll have you know this is the office of a high ranking ministry official! You would do well to show yourself and explain your presence!" Her voice was very shrill, she was very frightened…their blood always had a nice tang to it when they were scared.
"You know what madam? That is an excellent idea." A pair of glowing eyes appeared only a few feet away, followed by a man who seemed to step directly out of the shadows. Umbridge's wand clattered to the floor as she made the mistake of meeting the vampires' eyes. Eyes that locked with hers and began to channel the mind magics vampires use to seduce. She stood absolutely still as her mind was overwhelmed and the vampire approached, tilted her head to the side with one hand, and bit into her neck.
Once assured she was unconscious from blood loss the vampire cast a spell to keep her asleep, and to cause her body to replenish the blood quickly. She'd have plenty to drink in the cell and the magics would move the liquids towards blood replenishment much more quickly than the body normally would. He pulled a bag to of his cloak, a bag with a hidden room inside of it, and picking Umbridge up with ease he lifted her into the bag. Her body vanishing into it as if into a black hole. He zipped the bag and tucked it back under his cloak and left the office, not even glancing at the auror on the way out. The auror, knowing he'd be fired once it was discovered she had vanished on his watch, went home that night, packed the last of his belongings, and took a portkey to the carpet station connected to Diagon Alley. He'd be in Spain with his family in two hours and his new citizenship was already approved. Spain was one of the last holdouts in Europe that didn't mind magical creatures and practiced all forms of magic, he had little doubt the government would refuse to hand him over.
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See I'm not dead! And I haven't abandoned this. Sorry for scaring anyone. Note: if I decided to give up on this fic I will tell you way beforehand, and it will not be happening, I have too many ideas.
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Question for readers: Harassment is when you persistently torment someone, sexual harassment is when the persistent attacks are sexual in nature, what is it called when a vampire is harassing you for your blood? I need a term for it and I can't think of anything.
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