Note! I was actually working on an update, but right before that scene in Dumbledore's office I decided to throw you guys off with a belated April fools joke…but well, it's currently got it's own file and is about five-ten pages long not counting all the stuff I've written at school that I haven't typed up yet and that hasn't happened yet…/grins/ don't try that at home, kids, trained professionals only. And for anyone that cares—I've also learned to do the Charleston, eight and a half days of school left, heck yeah, and STAR WARS! Is going to be released May 19th.
I would like to thank cleoviper, Heather, clover, Mako-Kigue, Freak in Corner, ShAdOWadria (I got tired…), Sheik Moscorvin, Skye-Chan 12, shadowphantomness, ethere, chocytwo, Darkdragonhime, aloneforevermore, Kaaera, chaser1, tessa3, ailisa d. frieson (you wouldn't happen to like that song—control, would you?), ShellyB, Shewolfe7, SEP, LG, amber-eyez456, HP Girl 28, tinkita, Night-Owl123, dragon, Kage Mirai, Sybelle (It focuses on other characters at the end of the chapter/cheers/), Virginia Riddle-Malfoy, and E.A.V. for reviewing.
Toki Mirage: Harry will fight! I wanted him to fight, but then I realized you have to learn how to do that…but worry not, he will fight soon! As for me actually updating /elbows side violently/ don't make me come over there/winks/ I don't take that kind of disrespect!
Shadowseeker: me? Abandon a story? Never!
Darkangelgep: Harry's denseness is part of his charm…
Coldfiredragon: there is no passage of time…and no it doesn't matter, just read…it's the plot that matters, not the actual time passage.
HecateDeMort: /pats head/ Okay, honey, Harry is not a vampire yet, he will be though, and Dumbledore, an evil second only to Goku, has been keeping Harry out of the real world and in a controlled environment so that when Dumbledore needs him to do something, it will be done—no questions asked. Dumbledore is controlling Harry in a bad, evil way…not protecting him from himself.
Magicalfoci: Voldie and Harry will talk in due time, Harry looks like his mother and his father, with his grandmother's nose /shrugs/
Siren Duveil: Keep control of your elbow…here's another chapter…it's not so mysterious, but I've been distracted.
HoshiHikari: yes, Dumbledore controls Harry…
Batsutousai: Fudge will die! I agree with you entirely…the officials of the world are entirely too protective of Sop-ho-mores…like I tried to Spork one at school and they wanted to suspend me!
Shadowed Rains: Coffee is bad for you…well, I did write Rockabye so I'm bound to be the only person to write something as entertaining as it is. All other chapters are hidden in my mind waiting to be dug out…sorry, here's a new chapter if it's any consolation.
Snuffles-dog25: Harry's eyes were silvery-red…bloodlust colors mixed together, I've seen red and I've seen silver/gold and I've seen a couple of others, but I just took my tow favorites
Silver Angel 7: I'm glad you liked the prologue—it gives me guidance in the romance department…and I'm glad you like my fic so much.
KORNfused Pyro: I thought I was crazy too! Being the only one to suspect Dumbledore of doing that, I mean some people don't like him and point him out as being controlling, but they don't really have something to back it up, beyond Harry's years at the Dursleys…and as for the couple I have been misleading—in fact during this chapter, I kept thinking that Sin and Harry were going to get together…but no, it's Harry/Voldie, but I'm getting tempted with Sin…Sevy and Remy are on the road to getting together, and they have nothing to do with Harry, beyond sitting behind the scenes and helping everything go along.
Dead feather: hmm, well, that's fine that you think it happened after second year—it's really just lacking in the whole time thing, you know? I've always doubted Dumbledore's intelligence. Honestly, I don't miss the connection with canon /grins and nudges…moves on to next review/ Whoa, you're definitely a thinker or at least an observer, okay /cracks knuckles/ this fic is pretty much a clean start, I didn't really like OotP and prefer to act like it didn't happen and just leave Sirius out of the fic to appease people. This fic is an extreme AU, it's like you're reading HP but it's set in my world, my plot. And…Dumbledore stops worrying about Harry because if Voldemort doesn't want to kill him then that means Voldemort is after someone else. /next review/ Harry locked himself in his room, because Sin told Harry that he was a vampire and was turning him, and Harry, since he couldn't escape locked himself in his room…just to continue from before, I've always seen fanfiction as a way to take my favorite book/series and have what I want to happen, happen…it also takes out character development (which is a bitch) in any idea I get.
Kimpatsu no Hoseki: I'm working on who sent the lady, this chapter is what happens next, and Ron will find out /snickers/
Daxi: I make a business of doing what no one else does (I actually wanted to read a vampire, voldie/harry, dark side of the force—STAR WARS, May 19!—and no one had one, so I wrote it) /nods/
Becky: Don't worry Fudge will die.
BipolarGirl: You can write about the scenario in Auntie Carrie's class should you choose to, but send it to me before you post it anywhere.
Elvishpheonix: you know I get that a lot in a review /grins/ here's another chapter and I'm glad you like my fic.
Ghellie: Worry not Fudge and Dumbledore will die /laughs maniacally/
Sivy: Harry is emotionally weak…that'd be awesome for Harry to just bust out and know all about the game like that…/thinks/ and once again—Harry is innocent and weak! He has to outgrow it, you know.
j752572: I put the vampire thing up to draw in more readers/sighs/ oh, well…I hate the sudden power fics too, it's really a phase I think—everybody goes through one of those super Harry phases. And I'm glad you like it.
Lanku: Don't worry Dumbledore and Fudge will die eventually.
Sani the wolf: Harry had to be a GOOSE, because I like geese! It's not my fault that Harry's inner animal was a goose…
x-KawaiiCherry-x: I'm hoping to finish this one, I've only abandoned one story so far and that's because it had a bit too much plot for my writing skills….number 1 fan…?
Cat: No, Fudge is not going to lock Harry up, but not for lack of trying…not mentioned in this chapter. Snape? What exactly are we asking about him? And actually—I don't do cliff hangers, that's just where the chapter ends. I'm glad you like my story so far.
Foxychibi: Harry/Voldie action won't happen for a while yet—this story has a plot and the sex will happen when the plot says so…but thank you for offering to help me write them…the sex scenes that is.
Irihi Safaia: /eats blueberry muffin/ mmm…as for the rest of your review—read above. Thank you as well.
Chapter Eighteen
Harry's mind swam in darkness, he was warm and comfortable and happy. His pillow was soft and so were his blankets—all was well and perfect in the world.
"I can take him back to Aquarius Mansion with me," Sin suggested, smirk apparent in his voice.
"You will do no such thing," Dumbledore hissed back. "He belongs here with his friends."
"Who lie to him?" Sin asked curiously, "Who are paid to be friends with him and never let him have the chance to be influenced by anyone else? Those are some very good friends he's got, hmm?"
All was not right in the world; Harry was supposed to be sleeping not privy to some argument over his fate.
"You have no right to judge me," Dumbledore told Sin in offense.
"I have every right to judge when it is my childe and heir you are claiming responsibility over," Sin told Dumbledore his voice becoming acidic, "you are very lucky that you have not caused any irreversible damage to him or I would be after your blood. As it is, you've done enough and he finally deserves the chance to think for himself, something every other child has had the chance to do since they were born."
At that a cool hand was placed on Harry's forehead, lovingly brushing his hair off of it, and pulling a lock of hair away from his mouth. His hair was getting long enough that it could reach his mouth and Harry had taken to chewing on it in his sleep.
"So therefore, neither of us will tell him what he will do," Sin told Dumbledore decisively, "we will let him decide what he wants, and that will be that."
"Harry would like to bloody well go back to sleep, thank you muchly," Harry mumbled sleepily. "Go 'way, please."
Sin chuckled and smiled saying, "well, you heard him."
Shortly after, everything went quiet again and Harry dozed back off to sleep…all was well in the world, the bed was warm, and the pillow was soft.
"All right, Harry," Sin murmured brushing hair out of his face, "It's time to wake up. You've been sleeping for weeks now." His voice then trailed off into a grumble about Hogwart's blankets not being enchanted.
"Don' wanna," Harry mumbled into his pillow, curling up into a ball and rubbing his face into warm groove his head had made, "comfy."
"Yes, I do imagine you've got a lovely little nest all ripe for sex and raising children in, but in case you hadn't realized you're swimming in dead skin cells, sweat, and dried blood—"
"Blood's yummy," Harry informed Sin as he smiled dreamily.
Sin all but rolled his eyes and decided to go for threats, "Harry James Potter if you don't get up right now, I will pull you right off that bed and dump a bucket of dead fish on you."
Harry immediately sat up and stared at Sin in shocked disgust. He was most definitely awake now.
Sin smiled wryly and said, "Well, now, that I've gotten your attention…"
"You could have just pulled the covers off," Harry pouted dejectedly, as he pulled the covers around him, the air outside of his cocoon chilling him.
Sin shrugged and replied, "I didn't think about it. I'm used to them doing it for me. You're murder to wake up when you're not cold, do know how long I've been trying to wake you up?"
Harry pursed his lips into a pout and crossed his arms causing the blankets to fall, Sin snickered. Harry grabbed his blankets again.
"What am I doing up here anyway?" Harry asked as he curled back up in his blankets. Then he blinked at Sin and asked, "What are you doing here?"
"I'm playing knight in shining armor," Sin replied, "and you're playing the damsel not so in distress, that made himself pass out by using powers he's not supposed to have yet."
Harry's brow scrunched in confusion as he asked, "What are you talking about?"
"Well," Sin replied, "about three weeks ago, a vampire assassin found you and tried to kill you; however, you have some kind of mad self defense skills and you went and killed her, using…" Sin dug into his pockets and then pulled out what appeared to be a plastic bag with a tiny little sliver of metal in it, Sin waved the bag in front of Harry, "this." Sin tucked the little baggie back in his pocket, "I did manage to get here just in time to save you from the minister of magic's stupidity."
Harry was staring incredulously at him.
"I also managed to deter Mr. Dumbledore's unfounded attempts at your well-being," Sin added, "but only for so long, and Mr. Dumbledore is becoming impatient."
"What about?" Harry asked.
"About you," Sin replied, "I got him to let you choose where and with whom you would like to remain with. He seems quite inclined to believe that you should like to remain here, under even more tightened security measures, but I somehow believe that to you this decision will be more like choosing the lesser of two evils."
"What do you mean?" Harry asked carefully straightening out his blankets.
"Well," Sin replied with a smile, "you don't want to go back into seclusion with me, nor do you want to remain here, manipulated by Dumbledore."
"I liked staying at your house," Harry murmured almost inaudibly, and then louder, "I liked playing those games."
"I somehow suspect that you'd like more than that," Sin told Harry, "we'll discuss things properly though, soon."
Harry nodded.
"Now," Sin sighed moving over to Harry's bed and sitting down on it carefully, treating it like the contaminated substance it was. "We need to discuss something very serious."
"What?" Harry asked curiously, bouncing over to sit next to Sin.
"You've unleashed a large amount of your vampiric powers," Sin told him, "and they will need to be honed, soon and quickly. I've also received a summons…you will be required to attend."
Harry grimaced and fell back onto the bed.
"Also, your etiquette lessons will need to start up again, while you're being trained to use your newly awakened powers," Sin told him, rolling his eyes, "that will help the lessons stick."
"How did I even do that?" Harry asked, referring to his suddenly awakened powers,sitting back up, "Jumper cables?"
Sin grinned, ruffled Harry's hair and replied, "Not quite…it was more that you were too slow and too weak to survive the encounter with your assassin, so you subconsciously awoke your powers to defend yourself. Of course, in the process you ended up nearly killing yourself from exhaustion," Sin sent Harry a pointed look, "…but I guess that can be overlooked in the great scheme of things."
Harry grinned and asked, "You guess? What are you? Master of the Universe?"
Sin tilted his head, thoughtfully and then nodded, "Yes, I guess I could deign to be called that."
Harry blew Sin a raspberry.
"Now, now," Sin teased, "as honorary Mistress of the Universe there's no need to be bitter."
Harry drew himself up in offense and stared at Sin in outrage.
"Well," Sin added grinning, "there isn't."
"You've insulted my masculinity," Harry yelled in outrage.
"Because apparently there's plenty of it," Sin muttered.
Harry gaped and glared at Sin, looking at a loss for words and then he exclaimed, "You have no right!"
Sin raised an eyebrow and asked curiously, lightly, "And just what are you going to do about it, Mr. Potter?"
Harry pounced.
Severus tossed the final letter onto the pile and he looked at the list of runes he and Remus had picked out of the letters and drawn.
"I guess we need to hit the books, hmm, Severus?" Remus asked, pushing all the letters into a neat pile.
Severus nodded and then shook his head saying, "Not tonight."
"Tired?" Remus asked as he surrendered to a yawn.
"Utterly exhausted," Severus corrected, rubbing his temples and closing his eyes. "I've been developing a migraine for the past hour."
Remus smiled and stood up saying, "I guess I'll be leaving you then."
Severus looked up and studied Remus' eyes.
"Yes, Severus?" Remus asked, softly.
"Nothing," Severus replied, closing his eyes again. "Au bientôt."
"Yes," Remus replied, smiling, "I'll see you soon."
Severus listened to Remus' quiet footsteps, and opened his eyes just in time to see Remus floo away.
Sin and Harry were sitting in time out as Madame Pomfrey lectured and disciplined the two of them, while remaking Harry's bed.
"Engaging a newly awakened comatose victim in a fight," She exclaimed in anger, "I do hope you're happy with yourself," she sent a pointed look to an extremely chastised looking Sin; "you could have caused extreme bodily harm!"
"And you Mr. Potter!" She added in outrage, "Allowing yourself to become provoked! …And at this hour of the morning!" She finished with a huff.
She ran a hand over the finished bed and nodded at its clean, trim look before turning to look at Sin and Harry. "Well," she demanded fists on hips, "what do you have to say for yourself?"
"I'm terribly, terribly sorry," Sin said, it was more of a question than an actual apology though…It seemed to pacify Madame Pomfrey though.
She nodded and said, "Now, both of you need to go to sleep right away…or at least Harry does, I don't allow patients of mine to go without a proper amount of sleep under my watch."
She pulled a corner of the blankets, on the bed she'd just made, back and finished, "So you, Mr. Potter need to go to sleep once your time out is over. And you," She glared at Sin, "will not disturb him for at least twelve hours."
"Yes, Ma'am," they both murmured meekly.
"Ten more minutes, boys," She reminded them cheerfully before bustling off to tend to her other patients.
After a moment Sin began laughing at himself, earning a terse look from Madame Pomfrey, and an exasperated one from Harry which, naturally, only added to Sin's mirth.
At the end of the ten minutes, Dumbledore opened the door and saw Harry being ushered to bed by Sin, who was being encouraged by Madame Pomfrey.
"What on earth is going on here?" Dumbledore asked good-naturedly.
"Now, now, Mister Dumbledore," Sin said as though he were speaking to a child, "Harry is not to be disturbed for at least twelve hours."
Harry nodded and added, "Lamentably."
"Indubitably," Sin agreed, nodding solemnly.
"Get Harry in bed, immediately," Madame Pomfrey commanded, "you can finish your silly behavior tomorrow."
Sin grinned and swiped Harry into his arms and dropped Harry into the bed unceremoniously.
Madame Pomfrey drew herself up and prepared to go back into another tirade when Sin shrugged and said, "You said immediately."
She pursed her lips and her cheeks began flushing with anger.
"I think," Sin announced, "that I will leave and come back tomorrow—after twelve hours."
Then without further ado, Sin ran out of the Hospital Wing.
"So, Harry," Dumbledore asked with kind, twinkling eyes, "where would you like to stay."
"I think he will require at least a twenty-four hour consideration period—you know how these young people are," Sin said to Dumbledore, "you might not, but I do. Children these days don't think anything through, not that they ever did—I just like to think they did when I was young…"
"When the earth was made?" Harry teased a look of incredulous innocence on his face.
Sin swatted at Harry and replied, "I may be old, but I'm not that old. The world was created at least three months before I was born."
"Well, that just makes all the difference in the world, doesn't it?" Harry asked, grinning.
"You'd be surprised," Sin replied sounding a though he were speaking from experience, and he may very well have been.
"Nonetheless, Harry must choose where he would like to stay," Dumbledore said gazing firmly at Harry who squirmed from nervousness as well as from the decision he was to make. "I feel as though I must inform you that you would be better off here."
Sin made a subtle gagging noise and Harry smiled.
"I feel as though I must inform you," Sin repeated, "that you most certainly would not be better off here. Not to say you'd be better off with me—no human contact, just games and puppets for company—excluding little old dead me."
Harry sighed and replied, "Sin's right, I'd be much better off in China or Paris or Tasmania—especially Tasmania now that I think about it—or somewhere else similarly exotic."
"I'm rather partial to Tasmania myself," Sin agreed looking as though he seriously was considering it.
"Have you ever been to Tasmania?" Harry asked leaning over the arm of his chair and staring curiously at Sin.
"No," Sin replied with a shrug and a smile, "but I've watched a documentary on it."
"Did you see the crab migration?" Harry asked excitedly, his eyes widening in childish wonder, "that was cool."
"I wasn't all that impressed with that part of it," Sin replied frowning, his brow furrowing as Harry beamed, kicking his feet at the memory of the crabs. "I imagine it's a nuisance."
Dumbledore waited a few moments to see if they were finished, in the thirty minutes he'd been alone with them, he'd discovered they were rather prone to carrying on most unusual conversations even after the subject was dropped. He decided it was safe to try to speak again, and when he opened his mouth…
"You can't kill them though," Harry added sending a grin to Sin.
"Well, darn," He sighed and gave Harry a particularly pained look, "and I was so hoping to."
Harry laughed and said, "I would like to go, though."
"Perhaps on vacation," Sin murmured, more to himself than Harry.
Harry beamed and said, all but bouncing in his chair, "I'm going with Sin!"
Sin burst into laughter, "And here I thought you actually liked me," Sin leaned over and tapped Harry's nose, "little floozy, after my money and rugged good looks."
Harry snorted and leaned back into his chair a giant grin on his face, "Yeah, right."
"Little monkey," Sin muttered.
"At least I wasn't alive when they were evolving into humans," Harry retorted.
"Ooh," Sin said, looking impressed, "good one. But you're starting to lose ground with the old cracks. But maybe if you try one on him," Sin nodded to Dumbledore, "they might become amusing again."
"I'll call you old any time I want," Harry told Sin petulantly.
"And so you do," Sin said affectionately, and then he turned to Dumbledore, his face serious, "You were going to say something?"
"Yes, I would just like to once again reiterate that it would be in Harry's best interest for him to remain in an area where he is, and shall remain, safe."
"Harry," Sin said turning to look at the boy, "no one is ever completely safe when they are alive."
"So that's why you want me to stay," Harry said looking at Dumbledore suspiciously and nodding, "you have wicked designs upon my safety."
"Nonetheless," Sin added, regally, "should you choose to go with me I will promptly send you to an American boarding school."
"I'm going with Sin!" Harry declared again.
"You've got all day to think about it, and if you need more I'll get you more," Sin told Harry, his voice soft and loving.
Harry nodded soberly…but he didn't really need time to think about it.
Voldemort stood outside in the cool air, a crisp breeze grabbing his hair (Whoo! Hair!) and pulling it away from his face, the chilled air bringing a flush to his cheeks.
"Are you thinking about something, my lord?"
Voldemort turned to look at whoever was speaking to him.
"I have never been your lord, Severus," Voldemort replied, his hair swirling into his face and pasting to his lips.
"No," Severus agreed, "but you may very well be soon."
"You're the seer here," Voldemort reminded him offhandedly…there was a potion or spell or ritual that required the blood of a seer, he recalled dimly.
"So I am," Severus sighed, walking up to Voldemort. "I'm here to offer you a business proposition."
"Where have I heard that before?" Voldemort asked, remembering an earlier meeting.
"Nothing of that sort—I'm here to sell you a secret of the war," Severus replied, holding out a sealed envelope.
Voldemort didn't even look at the envelope and asked, somewhat curiously, "Sell?"
Severus nodded and placed the envelope back in his robe, continuing, "There's someone I don't want interfering…he'll be admitted into the ranks of the Light soon—I need him watched and should he strive to influence anyone," Here a pointed look was placed on Voldemort, "I would like for him to be removed."
"Who?" Voldemort asked, the wind brushing against the back of his neck sending shivers down his spine.
"Ronald Weasley."
Voldemort held out his hand and the warm envelope was placed in his hand.
Severus turned to walk away, but before he began his trek to the edge of the wards he said, an almost smile pulling at his face, "It's not all the information, mind you."
"I expected as much," Voldemort replied, his voice spilt between being sardonic and exasperated.
"Good night, my lord."
The next morning Ron Weasley received a perfectly bleached white letter, which had his name printed across it in neat, loopy light green letters.