Author's notes: (Finishes reading 'Harry Potter 6' again) Mmm... There's no way there could be a vampire in Hogwarts with Harry looking at the map so much... Guess we'll have to send him out of school to start looking for the horcruxes... Ok! Read, enjoy and review!
Disclaimer: Not a single decent disclaimer so far... (Makes sure there are no stabbing or cutting objects in the room) I'm gonna do it well this time... (Lamp falls from the ceiling two feet to his left) ! Done, done: I've finished disclaiming, I swear! -for now. (Chair breaks and author falls flat on the floor) Fine: ha ha ha, very fun!
"Ahh... I needed that..." I exited the blood pool I had been swimming in and used thaumaturgy to attract all the blood moistening my clothes into my mouth. In just a few seconds, I was completely dry. Three weeks had passed since the first time I had fed in that room and, having an infinite (at least, I thought it was) amount of blood to count on, I had been able to put glyphs nearly everywhere students used to go in Hogwarts: the four houses' common rooms, the Big Hall, the dining room, all the classrooms, the most direct hallways connecting them and, even, on some of the sun protected parts of the school's courtyard.
I closed the door to the room of Requirement letting it disappear, as always. "Ah, Robert. I see you're feeling better now." I didn't need to turn in order to know who's voice it was: only Albus Dumbledore had the powerful and nearly asphyxiating, but soothing aura I felt. Well, it didn't seem that strong, though: it left clear it had once been... But his aura seemed wounded, weakened, decayed. Maybe the age? "I hope you are in traveling condition? We can't afford losing more time."
Dumbledore was provably right: during the short time I had been on school, there had been, at least, seven reported Voldemort sightings. All of them in places where either muggles and wizards were found dead. "I'm good to go, headmaster." He always insisted on me calling him by his name, but, as long as I was a guest in the school, I saw more appropriate not to. "I'd just... Prefer to avoid apparating..." His gaze told me he knew and understood my reasons.
"Of course. You can take the Hogwarts Express on its ride back to King's Cross Station." The Hogwarts Express? Wasn't it the train students came to Hogwarts with? "I suppose you'll be able to enter the Express without being noticed by any student, won't you?" I nodded. "Excellent."
"I've made sure you have control over my enhancements on the defenses..." I handed the wizard a pitch black book. It had no label, no creases, no faded colors and no other distinctive details; it was just that: a black book, created with thaumaturgy. "Page thirteen. The glyph will only open at the school's headmaster's command." Dumbledore took the book without any further commentary or examination from his part. "About what you asked me to do... I've contacted with someone I worked with five years ago. She's the best necromancess I know; and has been studying magical connections with the death for more than two centuries. I believe she'll be helpful."
"Excellent. I'd advise you to try and acquire any information she may have about horcruxes and if they can be destroyed by any mean without suffering any drawback." I unconsciously glanced to the wizard's right hand. It was totally scorched, but not by any physical way. It had to be some sort of evil curse: Dumbledore's aura was much weaker and less calming at the wound, just as if another aura were trying to destroy his from the hand... Were I in his shoes, I'd be so freaked out I'd chop my hand off.
"I'll do that." Dumbledore guided me to the castle's main doors and thanked me for my assistance.
Half an hour later, I was crouching under the relatively uncrowded Express, waiting for the students to get out. One in particular caught my attention; not just because he left the train one of the lasts, but because that tall, blond boy's hand smelled slightly of... Blood? His aura wasn't too weak or too strong, nor too calming or too unnerving, but the guy just had this little something that gives you the creeps... Why?.. Hmm... The feeling didn't come directly from his aura... It came from his right wrist, which he covered with good effort... Interesting, indeed...
Bah, I remembered myself I hadn't been sent to investigate the students, but to neutralize possible threats to their lives. When no one was looking, I entered the train casual-like. Deciding my best chance was to enter a department I had previously noticed had its curtains closed, I walked towards it, but stopped just before the door: a wizard aura, inside. Whose? It had a very good potential and was rather developed for a non-adult; but, then again, it was undoubtedly a teenager's...
By the aura's appearance, it seemed as if its owner were lying down... Careful not to make any noise, I leaned against the door. That smell... Blood? Again? Just where was I in? Wasn't it a scholar express? Then, why were two students smelling of blood? Wait a minute... The aura... That scent... Harry Potter? I returned to a standing stance on the corridor's center. The boy Dumbledore wanted safe? The geezer was, obviously, doing a veeery 'good job'. I passed the door and entered the third to the right.
Without losing any time, I closed the curtains and the door. Then, I cut my wrist and painted a glyph on the floor with my blood. Afterwards, I let a blood drop fall on its center which expanded in a circular motion, filling the whole glyph in red. "Hogwarts, Dumbledore."
The glyph's surface started to darken and darken, until it got pitch black: the book I had given the wizard was closed. "Dumbledore?" I could hear the sounds of someone stopping to write and leaving the feather on its place. The book opened and I was looking straight at Hogwarts' headmaster. "Potter's here. I believe he's got a beating and has been paralyzed; but I can't help him without being seen."
"Thank you, Robert. I'll send a witch to retrieve young Harry at once." That 'don't be noticed' policy was starting to be frustrating: I was already here, but I could do nothing... Lucky me it wouldn't be always the same... "Please, keep him safe until then." And he closed the book.
What was I going to go? The train would be leaving soon... The conductor! Had he passed yet? I started looking for any aura... There he was, making sure no one was left... Damn! Using ignem, I destroyed the glyph so it wouldn't be noticed. The aura was approaching... Technically, I wasn't here... What could I do?
If I were a Nosferatu or a Malkavian, I'd just Obfuscate and no one would see me as long as I were in the shadows... Damn it! The aura was just in front of the door... Wait a second: he was bored and lazy... He really didn't expect to find anybody. Maybe... I was very poor at it, but Domination was the only way... I stayed at the department's very center, focusing.
The man was going to open the door, but even before he do so, I started using my Domination on him: "Why look here? There's nothing relevant: this room's just like the last one." He opened the door? Maybe his mind was stronger than I thought... Ok, now he was looking at me awkwardly: the shock of something unexpected, the point where the mind's defense drops the lowest just before getting on guard. He had seen me. I had to make him think it was normal. "Hello, may I help you, sir?"
"Ehh..." He looked at me expressionlessly, like if he was a bit idiot... Gotcha! It was working! "Yes, may I see your ticked, sir?" Damn it! I should have expected him to do that on a 'normal meeting'...
I had to think fast... "But, if you have already seen it: it says clearly I go to King Cross Station, platform 9 3/4. Don't you remember?" It was the best I could think about... I just hoped it'd be enough... I increased my concentration, using more blood.
The poor guy's expression returned to a normal one once again. Ups. Screwed up... "Oh, yes, I remember now. Have a nice night, sir." With that, he closed the door and I sat on the nearest seat, exhausted from the tension. It had worked! I had Dominated someone! Wow... THAT was cool: why hide if you're always allowed?
Now I understood why Max always congratulated me on my improvements on thaumaturgy but insisted that I should learn some Domination... Any kindred can do blood magic (although only Tremere know how to, and we keep it that way), but Domination... It was a natural power for Tremere, along with some other clans. Why not learn to use it well, if it was rightfully mine?
Some dominators could even make a whole bunch of humans do as they said, even suicide... Why hadn't I trained myself more on this discipline? A mistake that nearly got me busted out of the train. It wouldn't happen again: I'd enhance my knowledge on Domination. I should be able to use it better than I shoot my ACPs...
A slapping sound on the corridor woke me up from my musings: someone was there... Potter's aura was still on his place... The conductor hadn't seen him? Who was out there? I grabbed my wand and got out of my compartment, only to find a female human looking for something through the doors' windows.
She was young, but her aura didn't reflect the optimistic and energetic behavior she should have: it emitted unnerving sensations... Sorrow? Loss? Anger? I wasn't sure. Her heart rate was either heavy and tired, or steadily calculated so she wouldn't attract attention, I didn't know: it wasn't easy do distinguish. Was she the one Dumbledore had to send... Or someone else? Was she friend or foe? I couldn't take any risks: I'd have to play safe.
I stalked behind the woman, grabbed her wand with my left hand and put my own wand on her throat with the right one. I pocketed her wand and used my free hand to twist her am behind her back, immobilizing the human. The wandless witch struggled faintly, but realized my grip was too strong and decided to wait for me to speak.
I needed to know her identity, and to make sure she told me the truth... Maybe I should mix a normal interrogatory with dominance? "Who are you and why are you here?", I whispered to her ear, trying Potter not to hear us. The witch's mind was ready for a mental attack: I could feel my efforts being rebuked. Well, you can always try harder.
My grip on her arm tightened and I lifted her wrist a little bit, giving her a warning about me being able to break her arm easily. The wand on her throat was pointed towards her jugular, dangerously but carefully pressing to the point it menaced to stab into her. Fear and the shock caused by a suddenly dangerous situation you expected to be easy can lower one's defenses.
Also, I concentrated as much as I could, incremented the use of blood and formulated a simpler command: the simpler, the easier. "Answer me." This time, though my Dominance still found the same resistance and I was sure the witch's mind wasn't in my control, she relaxed a little bit (not too much: my grip wasn't very comfortable) and whispered a response to my questions.
"I'm Nymphadora Tonks, Dumbledore sent me." Neither her aura or heart rate betrayed any sign of deception, or even hostile intentions. "You Kellehan, right? He said you contacted him with a... Gleef? He asked me to take Harry to Hogwarts." Well, her story was completely believable, and it wasn't as if I could double-check everyone: I'd have to trust the woman.
"Sorry." I let her go and returned the stolen wand to its owner. "Potter is in that compartment over there. I believe he may be wounded or incapacitated: he hasn't even called for help." The train started moving. Damn it! Why did matters always get worse on me... "You should apparate him out at once."
The witch looked at me strangely... "Then, why haven't you done it yourself?" Oh! She thought I was a 'normal' wizard...
Then, I didn't have time to start that 'boooh, Vampire!' crap all over again. "I'm just following my orders: technically, I'm not here. Not a single student must see me." Her aura showed she was now at a defensive state: she didn't buy my story? But I had said the truth... "Dumbledore's orders. Ask him if you don't believe me."
It's difficult to apparate while being on a moving platform, and impossible to apparate to Hogwarts." It was obvious she had planned to pick Potter up and leave before the train started. "Any advise?"
I shrugged, "You can always jump. I'll try to levitate both of you a little so you don't get too hurt; but don't expect much."
"Ok, something's better than nothing, I suppose." While she walked to the boy's door, I returned to the compartment where I had previously been and closed the door. Next, I sat on the floor, crossed my legs and closed my eyes.
Neither Potter or Tonks' auras showed any sign of hostility or wariness to each other: excellent. They were nearing a lateral door that would lead them outside the Hogwarts Express... I concentrated on what I wanted to happen and felt some of my blood disappeared form my veins: my motus was ready for them to jump.
When they did so, I used motus to try and make them float safely to the ground... My efforts only managed to avoid them a few scratches: using motus over an unseen target is more difficult than what I was used to. I'd have to train more. The humans, though, were alright and disappearing from my sensorial range, so I reopened my eyes, got up and picked up a book I hadn't noticed earlier from under the front seat: The Spells I Use The Most, by someone called Gilderoy Lockhart.
"Never heard the name." The whole front cover was, in truth, a moving picture of some Hollywood movie hero- like guy posing as if he was going to cast a very powerful spell. Pure exaggeration... Well, I've never judged a book for its cover, so I wasn't gonna pass the opportunity to get my hands on some good info just because I didn't like the front picture.
A student forgetting his text book here was something to expect: this was a school train, after all. This one's last page, in particular, advised its reading for third year students... "Well, as long as I leave it just where it was, nobody's gonna get harmed." I sat down and started doing the one thing nobody has never told me I don't do well enough: read.
It turned out the author had a great ego problem, and it was a little difficult to find the actual information from between all those side anecdotes that filled the book up like if its was My Most Boring And Senseless Stories, by Gilderoy Lockhart. There were, though, good explanations of every spell and curse's effects, as long as good illustrations... From G.L.'s immaculately broad smile.
I summoned a piece of paper and wrote down my own notes of the ones which attracted my attention the most: I'd have to study them later, but I wouldn't have the book to do so.
Lumos: light, like a lamp. Must do a half moon movement with the wand. No similar thaumaturgy:useless to me.
Alohomora: to unlock doors. Must do a keyhole motion; lower left to up towards right. I could try using motus on the keyhole mechanism... Hard.
Wingardum leviosa: to levitate objects towards the desired direction. Must do an horizontal feather movement: left, right, left. It only required motus as it is: extremely easy for me.
Protego: a simple magical shield that protects from simple curses. Must do a medieval shield motion; from left and up to right and then down. Thaumaturgy had something very similar: protego; but it was more like a full blood armor: I'd have to be careful. Not a resource to rely on.
Reparo: to fix things, if they aren't too difficult. Must do a spiraling movement, like if screwing up. I would have to use alchemy to turn the broken part into a still liquid, use motus to put the pieces together and alchemy to solidify them again; very fast: technically, it was considered a very easy and fast spell... Extremely hard.
Anapneo: to clear a person's airways. Not needed motion. It could be faked by using motus to pull everything blocking them out. Hard: I'd have to be careful with what I was pulling.
Obliviate: to make someone forget something. Must do a spiraling movement: down, left , up, right, down, left and up; outwards. I'd have to learn Domination if I wanted to do that... For an average dominator, easy. For me, very hard.
Incendio: to create fire. Must draw a fire symbol on the air. Easy to fake with basic ignem. Easy.
Aguamenti: to do the same with water. No necessary wand motion. Could be faked with basic tempestas, but I'd have to be careful not to let anyone see the rain cloud. Moderate difficulty.
Flagrate: to draw lines of fire with the wand. Must wave the direction the lines have to follow. Easy to fake with ignem; but I'd have to make sure I waved properly. Average difficulty.
Homorphus: to force a werewolf to revert to human form. No further explanation. Oh, I wished I could do that.
Expelliarmus: to disarm someone. The sight movement done with the wand indicates where the foe's wand will jump to. I could use real fast motus. Not too hard.
Stupefy: to knock someone out. No needed motion. A good telekinetic blow should do the trick, but I'd have to make sure it was well placed. Hard.
The Express continued its journey while I examined those spells carefully. It was true: not a single of them was close to any other clan's disciplines. Only a Tremere could fake as a wizard... If said Tremere was actually capable of remembering everything: it seemed rather comical to me to go everywhere using flashy wand movements whenever I used blood magic.
Lucky me: I wouldn't have to fake as a wizard for a while, yet. I continued studying the book's contents until the train came to a stop.
Then, I left it where I had first found it and put the piece of paper on an inside pocket of my coat. I left the Hogwarts Express and King Cross Station, heading towards the district where the Nagaraja had invited me to.
So, how did you like it? Good? Bad? -"No, it's not bad at all: it's excellent, an awesome chapter."- (Glances around.) Ok, ok, I'm not a Tremere: I can't dominate anyone... I know this chapter may be a little boring, but theory always is and a trip on the Hogwarts Express can't have much action, either.
All the spells are truly from the HP series -see mugglenet-, so everyone can borrow them for their own fanfics.
For next chapter... I've got something creepy in stock... Want to know what BEFORE I post it? Jejeje... Try and find out what is a Nagaraja. R&R!