A/N another chapter down hope you enjoy it don't forget to read and review I am really enjoying this fic I have a general plan for it but I am going to play a bit along the way brace yourself for out of character ness and other oddities.

Chapter three

Learning and discoveries

Harry began to relax more as time went on the boys in his dorm were none the wiser to his current state. The whole of Gryffindor tower just thought this more withdrawn Harry was do to the fact he had lost Ron and Hermione. Which he did still grieve for he just wanted to stay out of the public eye the more he was able to keep to himself the better.

His classes were getting more and more interesting to him although he did still think defense was a joke. Lockhart couldn't teach if his life depended on it and unfortunately it just might for the students.

His real classes were nothing on what he learned with Snape. Harry was almost relieved to find Snape didn't act much different then in Potions class. He didn't know how he would react if Snape was suddenly nice to him. Harry was also grateful for another reason Snape's harsh teaching methods made him learn and learn fast. For now it was just to please Snape but Harry knew in the future his very life could be at stake.

He was learning more and more about the creature he had become. For one he was a lot stronger then a mortal Snape had him running and using muggle weights to develop his strength as far as it would go. His body was lighter much more flexible and agile useful for dodging when dueling. His magic was stronger again he was no god but he was a force to be reckoned with especially when mad. Vampires also had strong mind magic mainly telepathy and mind reading.

Then there was blood, Harry was exclusively a potion drinker for now but he knew one day he would begin to drink blood from the living. Snape taught him how to hunt and feed with out killing and with a few well placed Obliviates would leave the mortal none the wiser.

Harry was still confused over why Snape wanted to teach him in the first place. It was obvious the creature didn't like him much yet he was still teaching him. Harry felt that puzzle piece was never going to fit right.

Harry was also happy when Snape started helping him with other things then Vampires. They both worked together on potions helping to fill Madame Pomfrey stores. They also touched onto the other subjects a little. He was a natural at Charms but Transfiguration was harder for him.

Harry still remembered the first time Snape had helped him with something other then vampires or potions. Harry had been using the time he had after Snape's lesson to do some of his homework in the quiet dungeons away from the noise and bustle of Gryffindor tower.

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Snape just watched as his student groaned for what had to be the hundredth time. The constant low tone of compliant issuing from Harry was beginning to get on his nerves. Finally after two more groans interspersed with moans and what sounded like hisses Snape could stand it no longer.

"What are you working on that you have to break my concentration with those pathetic groans every three seconds?" Snape said slightly acerbic. Harry knew he could be worse it was almost a force of habit that they continue to bait one another.

"Transfiguration, for some reason it just never makes sense to me. I mean why exactly do I need to know how to turn a salt shaker into a keychain?" Harry said with a hint of whine in his voice that he knew set Snape's teeth on edge.

"If you stop whining I might be willing to help you." Harry immediately ceased all noise and fidgeting. "For one I have never understood that particular spell but Transfiguration can help you greatly. I know you are good at charms but what if you don't have something on hand that could work with the charm. I mean if someone is attacking you in a forest you charming a leaf to attack them wont do much, but say your in the same forest with the same person chasing you you could always use transfiguration and turn the leaf into a knife or a staff something that could help you.

However you have to start at the basics before you can do something like that. You have to know how to do each step simultaneously. After all it wouldn't help you to transfigure the leaf into a knife that only had the strength of the leaf. You actually have to change each individual thing to have a useable knife.

I won't help you get the answer but does knowing why you have to know it help?" Snape asked sarcasm dripping from his voice it wouldn't due for anyone to get the impression he enjoyed helping the boy he shuddered at the very thought.

Surprisingly it did help. It didn't help him find the answer but Snape was right, understanding why he needed to know made him look for the answer harder and to his surprise he found it buried in a passage he had read before but skimmed over the important stuff.

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Harry smiled to himself over that particular memory that was the first time he realized the Snape might actually have a heart under the prickly exterer. Granted that heart was buried verryyy deep and entombed in ice but it was there.

He was brought out of his memories by the other boys in his dorm starting to move around. Ever since Harry had begun to work with the Slytherin in Potions and in some other classes tensions in the dorm were a little frosty. Nobody spoke to him as he dressed then went down to the common room.

The first class of the day was double charms with the Slytherins. Harry enjoyed himself immensely in the class and as what usually happened now he got the incantation correct before the class was over. He was even good enough that Flitwick often asked him to help sort out the others mistakes.

As a reprieve he only had to do a foot essay on the topic the others were assigned two. He went silently to lunch not noticing that two pairs of eyes watched him one full of revenge the other concern at seeing the other boy's no so friendly glare.

Harry sat alone at lunch not speaking and finishing quickly. As he rose to leave to get down to the dungeons early like he always did. Seamus bumped into him going the other direction. Harry was confused because even as the other boy was apologizing Harry felt a strange strand of glee on his surface thoughts. He narrowed his eyes but otherwise didn't say anything.

It wasn't until he got down to the dungeons that he realized what had happened. Seamus bumping into him had caused him to be later then normal so when he discovered his flask of potion gone he didn't have time to ask Snape for some. So he settled for telling him telepathically.

"Professor I should warn you someone stole my flask I haven't had my potion in a few hours."

"I can't get you some with everyone watching can you make it untill the end of class?"

"I don't know I never let myself go that long. You know what to do if something bad happens so I don't have to tell you."

"Hold on I will try to come up with something, otherwise stick next to Draco he knows about me so I know he won't flip out. He also carries blood replenisher with him because he likes to visit me after hours."

"Alright do you want me to tell him now or wait untill I have to feed?"

"Better to tell him now when you're coherent. I take it you have never been in a full blood rage it is intoxicating you won't be yourself."

"No I haven't I came close once but I got to my potion first."

"Tell Draco now while you have Blaise get your ingredients I still think the less people know the better."

"Alright." With that Harry broke the connection and Snape started class. When everyone was busy getting ingredients Harry turned to Draco.

"Draco it's time you learned a few things." Harry started.

"Like what, and why now?" he asked.

"It has to do with the potions I take and the why now is because today somebody took my flask I haven't had my potion." Harry answered.

"Why do you need them?" Draco asked for what he hoped would be the last time.

"Please don't flip out but long story short I am a vampire." Harry said as quickly as he could with the words still being coherent.

"That makes a lot of sense. You do know that Snape is one right?" Draco asked.

"Yes I did as he is the one that has been teaching me since my Sire abandoned me. Look Blaise is coming back we will talk later meet me down here tonight after curfew that's when Snape and I meet so we don't get caught this is the only room in the castle that doesn't have portraits that report back to Dumbledore." Harry said quickly before the young black boy could hear them.

Draco nodded to Harry letting him know he would be there. Then the three of them set to work on the potion this time Draco and Blaise actually had to do most of the work. Harry felt really strange he couldn't concentrate and his mind would periodically go fuzzy then black then back to normal. His senses heightened he could hear each individual heart beat feel the pulse of the sweet blood beneath the skin. His fangs slowly lengthened out of his control and only Draco and Snape who were watching him like a hawk noticed the fangs and the slowly widening ring of red around the irises of his eyes. About half an hour before class was to end he couldn't hold on anymore. He barely managed to whisper.

"Draco help please." His voice had faded to nothing at the end of his sentence.

Snape hearing the plea with his sensitive ears went to draw attention away from the two of them by yelling at one of the Gryffindors abysmal potions.

It worked so they thought Draco slowly rose his wrist to the hungry vampire making sure there backs were facing everyone else and his robes covered the feeding vampire.

Harry was in ecstasy Snape was not exaggerating when he said it was intoxicating. Draco's blood was sweet and pure with a slight coppery after taste it was like liquid heaven.

Unfortunately one brooding red head saw the interaction and slowly brought out Harry's silver flask. He yelled out "Hey Potter thought you might need this." Then he launched the precious potion into the air.

Harry surprising everyone caught it. No him catching it wasn't the surprise he was an absolutely brilliant seeker no the surprise came when they saw the two fangs and twin trails of deep crimson liquid leaking from the corners of his mouth. They also saw an exceptionally pale Draco Malfoy gulping down a watery red blood replenishing potion.

There was a collective gasp and one small girl actually screamed then before Snape could do anything they had left. Leaving a weak Draco Malfoy a smug looking Seamus Finnegan and one totally irate fledgling vampire.

"100 points from Gryffindor for thievery and another 100 for the taunting of a class mate. Plus two months detention alternating between myself and Filch now leave us Mr. Finnegan." Seamus looked like he was going to protest then seeing the murderous look on his Professors face only to be mirrored on Harry's he left and if he was a dog his tall would have been between his legs.

"Draco are you alright?" Snape asked concerned.

"Yes he took more then you usually do but I am alright all together." Draco replied.

"Good come on then lets go to my quarters the Headmaster will know within the hour I suspect and the Prophet by morning. We need to get Harry out of here it was his first blood rage it might take him awhile to come back down from it." Snape explained as they led the still fuming and slightly bemused vampire away from the potions classroom.

Snape forced a calming then a sleeping potion onto Harry and told him to go lay on the couch. Harry knew better then to argue when he was in one of his moods so with a hint of defiance in his eyes he went off to the couch. Leaving Draco and Snape to talk things out.

"Uncle Severus why are you doing this, Harry told me you were teaching him yet you told me what his father and the marauders did to you. Last year you hated him what changed what made you want to help him of all people?" Draco asked.

"Well for one I am beginning to realize Harry is not his father. James potter would never have liked potions and would never have excepted help from a Slytherin in the first place. There is another reason that is slightly more personal." Severus explained.

"Are you going to tell me or what?" Draco said whining slightly.

"Fine but you must know that Harry doesn't know about this part yet. I wanted to teach him the basics before we went on to the harder stuff. Well in vampire society the rules are slightly deferent. The blood you are born with means little only the blood you have after turning is important. That first time I let Harry feed off me I realized are blood was connected. In vampire society we are basically brothers his sire was the same as mine and we were both abandoned by him to be raised and taught by others." Severus explained patiently.

"I see now you aren't doing it because of obligation you're doing it because he is family." Draco said and it looked like he wanted to add more but was interrupted by the fireplace turning green. The headmaster stepped out from it wiping soot off the front of his periwinkle robes.

"Ah Severus I do believe you have some explaining to do." Dumbledore said with a twinkle in his eye.

"What do you want to know?" Severus asked playing along for now with the headmaster.

"I just heard some rather strange rumors that Mr. Potter was a vampire and is currently in your quarters. I thought we agreed when you became a teacher you wouldn't turn a student. I must say I never expected you to break the rules for this particular student." Dumbledore said the twinkle getting brighter.

"Well two out of three isn't bad Albus. One yes Harry is now Vampiric and yes he is here he is currently asleep on the couch I gave him some potions so he could sleep off the lingering affects of his blood rage, and three yes we share a blood connection but not the one you think I am his blood brother we share the same Sire and same story." Severus explained.

"Was any student injured I have reports that Mr. Malfoy was bitten?" Dumbledore asked.

Draco answered for himself. "Yes I was bitten but I was a willing donor so Harry can't get in trouble."

"As long as no harm is done I don't see why Harry cant stay in school I trust another incident like today will be avoided. I trust you will direct Harry back to Gryffindor tower after he wakes." With that Dumbledore left and anyone with half a brain cell could see he had some major plans involving Harry that he didn't want ruined thanks to the vampirism. Snape hoped Albus could keep this out of the Prophet while Draco was more worried about the reaction within Hogwarts itself he had a feeling Harry was in for a very bad time. Luckily he knew the young vampire was strong but one creature can only take so much he wondered who would be there for Harry to pick up the pieces.

He was surprised when he realized the truce he and Harry made in the summer was slowly developing into a friendship he made a promise to himself that he would help Harry with anything he asked.

Little did he know his thoughts were being echoed by his godfather. Snape was not blind he knew his brother was in for a world of trouble. He had to remain in the shadows hopefully he could catch his brother before he fell into the same shadows.

Harry himself slept on in the trance like state of vampire sleep he had missed the fact his life and good name were on the line soon to be dragged through the mud.

A/N well there it is and now you know why Severus is helping Harry if you know me at all you can probably tell where this is going.

Please review a few words mean a whole heck of a lot