Disclaimer: Anything you recognise belongs to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing, make no money from anything, and am writing this purely for personal enjoyment.

AU. The story starts at the beginning of Harry's seventh year, but ignores the events of HBP. No parings, Snape mentors Harry. OC's, but they will not be the focus of the story.

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Snape had taken advantage of the disruption in school life to press forward with training as fast as possible. It didn't take much until Harry was ready to take the training. He held a rat in one hand and a knife in the other, but couldn't bring himself to start. Now that the day had finally arrived, he wished it hadn't. He was learning to destroy something's soul. Had it been possible for wizards to do it, it most certainly would have been an unforgivable. Voldemort deserved it without doubt, but this little creature had done nothing wrong.

The rat started to struggle in his grasp, and with ease of long practice he magically soothed it. It lay calm. Calm, peaceful and trusting. Like it had been when he'd fed it that nutrient potion, or when he checked it over for illness. He brought the knife to its throat, trying to steady his shaking hand. After a long moment, he put down the knife and returned the rat to its cage.

"I can't do it."

"You had no problems killing earlier."

Harry frowned. He hated having to kill the little things, and Snape knew that. "I was starving," he excused faintly. "And besides, that's just killing it, not destroying its very existence."

"It is a rat, Harry. The loss of its soul is of no great import to the universe. I am starting to think you do not wish to learn this. Do you not wish to kill the Dark Lord? Perhaps you are simply waiting until he kills all the other people you do not have the conviction to kill yourself? Waiting for him to kill little Hermione. Waiting for him to kill the Headmaster. Waiting for him to kill me?"

"No! I want to do this. I'm just upset about the rat. You don't have to be so hateful about it."

"Yes, Harry, I do. I did not ask for this, you did. I did make you a vampire. You went out with your wide-eyed Gryffindor stupidity and did that all by yourself. And now I am left to try and fix the mess you made and give some point to this insanity, while you waste my time because you are 'upset about the rat'!" Snape was screaming by the time he reached the end.

Harry tried to muster up some indignation, but he couldn't. Snape was right. He was the one who had asked for this, and it was entirely too late to be having cold feet.

"I know. I'm sorry."

"Feeling sorry for yourself isn't going to get you anywhere either. Try again."

Bastard.

Harry collected the rat and the knife. Avoiding looking at the rat's face, he slit cautiously. He didn't want to kill the rat before he had a chance to practice. He shifted his hand around until it was in contact with the blood and shuddered at the slimy feel.

"Now separate your mind out."

Harry relaxed and ran through the exercise. After a minute, he found he was no longer so upset about the rat. Instinctively he strengthened that part of him that was actually quite excited about this new challenge to his abilities. Instantly appalled, he returned to himself. He turned to face Snape.

"I… I was enjoying the prospect of doing it."

"Good."

"No! That's what Voldemort feels when he kills things. It's bad! What's the point of killing him if I'm going to be just as bad as him?"

"Because that way you will be the person left standing."

Harry stared at him in open mouthed astonishment.

"Were you expecting moral platitudes from me? Do you want me to tell you that you will never be as bad as him, and this is all for the best? Perhaps that this is a sacrifice that is required of you for the good of all humanity? Grow up, Harry. If you believe that you aren't doing this for your own benefit, then you are lying to yourself. That is far more dangerous in the long run than a little academic curiosity."

Harry shifted uncomfortably. What was his motivation? To kill Voldemort, sure, but why? Because he's trying to kill me. Because he killed my parents. Because I disagree with his plans. Because.. because I want to win?

"Since you have wasted that rat, you will have to fetch another."

Harry looked down to see that the rat had indeed bled to death in his hands. He gently laid the rat in the box that had been prepared for it. His robes and the table had been spelled to repel the blood, but the blood on his hands was starting to clot.

He lifted his hands in Snape's direction. "Can I…"

"Oh, for… all right, go clean up. Actually, take a break. Walk around the school, have a bath, whatever. But be back here in forty five minutes ready to actually do some work. Is that understood?"

"Yes Magister, thank you, Magister."

XXX

Before he had time to blink, it seemed, it was time for Ron's funeral. Immediately after the port key deposited him, he was pulled out of the way and into someone's arms.

"Oh Harry," said Hermione, clinging to his robes. "I'm so sorry."

"That's okay," said Harry, patting her back awkwardly. "We were all angry and upset."

She made no sound, but Harry could feel her body shaking.

"I just can't believe this is real."

"Me neither."

They stood for a long while until Hermione recovered her composure. Once she nodded that she was alright, Harry walked them across the lawn to the Weasleys, still keeping a hand on Hermione's arm. Molly Weasley wrapped Harry in a hug and passed him along Arthur as she turned to Hermione. Arthur petted them both absentmindedly..

"It's time dear," said Mrs Weasely.

Arthur nodded jerkily, and climbed the few steps up to the empty platform. With a visible breath, he withdrew Ron's wand and laid it reverently in the centre of the pyre. His footsteps sounded eerily loud in the sudden silence as everyone turned to watch him. He stepped back to the edge and cast sonoros on himself.

"Ronald Bilius Weasley, son and friend, we call to you."

"We call to you," echoed the group. With a crackle of magic, Ron's body rose up through the wood of the pyre and stopped with his wand now lying vertically in the middle of his chest. Harry gasped at the sight of it. They had cleaned and preserved the body of course, but that didn't change the obvious fact that he was dead. Never in life had Ron been that still, that calm.

"On this day, for one final time, hear us."

"Hear us."

"You are loved. You are missed. Your memory will always be with us. You are loved."

"You are loved."

"As we commend your body to the fire and return your magic to the earth, may your spirit find swift wings for the journey onwards. Go free."

"Go free."

After another breathless silence, Arthur stepped back down, and the wood ignited. Ron's wand rose slowly rose above the flames until it was suspended twenty meters above thee ground. Harry and Hermione huddled to the side of the Weasley family as one by one everyone came over to pay their respects. Harry wished he knew how he was supposed to react because then he would have been able to fake it. He watched the sparks carried by stray air currents rise high above their heads. Little glowing spirits to carry Ron's soul home, he thought fancifully. When the heat became oppressive to his more sensitive Vampire nature, he let go of Hermione and turned to make his way to where the other seventh years were standing. But something felt wrong. Something felt very immediately wrong.

Trusting the sudden instinct he yelled "get down!" as he flung himself to the ground.

The funeral party scurried to follow his example, but it was chaos. Harry watched in horror as a little girl was looking around in confusion as the wash of curses reached them. Her mouth opened and she swayed gently for a minute before slowly collapsing. Looking away from her, he crawled around to the other side of the pyre, dragging Hermione with him. They were soon joined by the rest of the party, standing in the wedge that was protected from spells by the pyre itself.

"The portal archway is on the other side of the fire," someone realised in horror.

"We'll have to make a run for it!"

"Don't be stupid, we'll never make it."

"We can't just wait here, they'll be on us in no time!"

"Nothing for it. We'll have to fight!"

"Yeah, we're only outnumbered ten to one! Honestly."

Hermione had opened her mouth a few times, but every time she had been overridden by the anxious adults. Harry shrugged, and used the same trick he had in the common room.

"SILENCE!"

Everyone stared at him, dumbfounded.

"Hermione has a plan. Hermione?"

She gulped when everyone turned to look at her, but straightened her shoulders and spoke up.

"We have enough people trained in casting a rune shield. The seven of us keep it faced towards the Death Eaters while we all make it to the portal."

"It'll take too long to put up – we'll be dead before it's half way finished!"

"That's were I come in," Harry took up smoothly.

"What, because You-Know-Who will run away when he sees you?"

"No, because Voldemort likes to gloat. I can easily keep him talking for long enough for you to finish. As fast as you can, people," before anyone had a chance to stop him, Harry cast shields on himself and stepped out into the field. If Voldemort doesn't kill me, Snape will, he thought gloomily. To his relief, the tide of Death Eaters slowed and stopped. Harry locked his knees to prevent himself from falling as Voldemort came to the fore of the group. I hope you know what you're doing, Hermione.

"Look who we have here. Come to surrender to your true master?"

"Never!"

"You've come to die, then, Harry Potter. Die like that demented Godfather of yours. Die like that little red-headed puppy that used to follow you around."

Harry flushed with fury, but stopped himself from reacting. He had a job to do, and starting a duel wasn't it.

"I don't think so, Tom."

"Don't call me that!"

"Ah, sorry, I forgot your sensitivities about your..."

Voldemort fired off a crucio. It was a minute or so before the pain retreated enough for Harry to think again. Not the brightest thing he could have said then. Still, he was alive, he hadn't revealed his true nature, and the Death Eaters hadn't come any closer while he'd writhed on the ground. Success, of sorts. He stood up carefully, running through possibly replies in his head, Voldemort lifted his wand again. Harry dived to one side just at that moment the barrier went up. Voldemort howled in fury and Harry shivered involuntarily at the sound.

"You may be able to run this time, Potter, but soon I will find my way into that castle!"

Harry rose to his feet again, not bothering to reply. The others were now all around him, rushing towards the portal.

"Ron's wand --"

"I've got it."

"Gideon, where's Gideon?"

The chaos abruptly cut off as Harry was pushed forwards through the archway into safety.

XXX