Author's Note: This chapter is dedicated to Sammy the iguana, who is the original "King of the Mountain".
(Flashback)
Dumbledore sat in his chair and considered himself lucky to see another Christmas Eve. The castle was nearly empty. Only Severus and Minerva had stayed this evening. He stared sadly at the charmed object in front of him. It was flashing. It meant that Professor Trelawney had said something out of the ordinary. A prophecy, most likely. He steeled his nerves and tapped the small silver object with his wand. A cloud of mist rose out of the device and coalesced into a circle. The One is hindered. Seven days of repression and rest will empower the One. His empowerment will lead to the defeat of his enemy. The One is hindered. Repression and rest will set him free.
Dumbledore stared at the circle for a few moments until it disappeared. He blinked and looked over at Fawkes. "Harry doesn't get much of a rest, does he, Fawkes?" Dumbledore asked the phoenix. Fawkes trilled and turned back to pruning his feathers. "Perhaps the boy is just tired. He's had some stressful times lately." Dumbledore mused to himself. "'Seven days of repression and rest' is what he needs to get stronger, according to the prophecy. I've already started..." Dumbledore trailed off and one hand rose to stroke his beard. He lapsed into deep thought and considered his options. The sooner it happened, the sooner Harry could defeat Voldemort. A plan came to his mind. The only missing element was Harry Potter.
(end Flashback)
Harry accepted the folds of parchment from Kreacher and thanked him. The little elf bowed and disappeared with a tiny pop. Harry opened the folds of parchment to find two letters on the top. The first was from his aunt, expressing her worry over Harry and her fight with the Minister of Magic. Nothing was happening on that front, but she was "making a right pest of herself" to the Minister. Harry smiled at the phrase and folded the letter before slipping it into his pocket. The second was a letter from Remus, detailing the fight against the guardianship, Paul's worry for Harry, and Sensei's swearing habits. Harry was almost glad he was at Hogwarts. Sensei in a temper was not a nice thing to see. He put the second letter away and looked at the next sheet. A small note was written at the top.
Harry,
These all accepted you without question. You just have to say the word.
Harry didn't need to see Remus's signature. He looked at the list of schools and smirked. He was holding a list of fifteen different magical schools, plus a list of seven different tutors, all willing to accept him on a moment's notice.
He folded the list away and used a touch of magic to stick it to the inside of his shirt. He wanted no one to find this list. It was his last desperate method of defense. He doubted Dumbledore would be pleased to know that Harry had somehow contacted other schools to ask for admission. In fact, the man would be livid. Harry couldn't wait to use it.
He looked through the rest of the paperwork, things that needed his signature for some of his holdings or approval for the teams Remus had hired to rebuild one of Harry's homes. Harry dried his signatures with a little spell and refolded them into a bundle. He penned a quick note to his aunt and Remus, guessing that they were together, as they often were since Harry had disappeared. Kreacher was always happy to make an extra trip if it was needed.
Harry called Kreacher and gave him the papers, smiling as the little elf gave Harry a million reasons as to why he enjoyed working for him. He sent the elf on his way and turned back to his homework. He missed his other classes. Magic was okay, and it was interesting to read about the theory, but he knew it was different for him. He no longer needed theory; he had instinct.
He felt Zen slither up his arm and come to rest on his head. "I'm King of the Mountain!" Zen had taken to playing the King of the Mountain game by himself, just because he was the only snake allowed to play, which meant he won every time. Harry could only roll his eyes at his antics.
"Harry," Harry closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm himself. He turned and saw Ron standing in the doorway. "Dumbledore wants to see you." Ron said, motioning for Harry to stand.
"Alright." Harry said as he pulled on his outer robes and placed Zen in his special pocket. He didn't feel comfortable in robes any more. They were restrictive and hindered his legs. McGonagall had to threaten points more than once for Harry not dressing properly. "Do you know why?" Harry asked Ron as he started down the stairs.
"No, I don't." Ron answered as he followed Harry down the stairs.
"Oh." Harry fell silent as he left the Protectors dorm and started towards Dumbledore's office. He noticed Ron walking next to him. "You don't have to come with me, you know." Harry told Ron with a smile. "I'm capable of getting there alone." He laughed a bit and turned the corner.
"I know that, mate." Ron answered with a smile of his own. "I just don't get to spend any time with you anymore. Or talk to you. Or see you. Or..."
"Okay, I get it." Harry said as he cut off Ron with a gesture. "You missed me." Harry said calmly. "I didn't know you cared, Ron." Harry batted his eyes at Ron as he would at Bug. Ron didn't appreciate it the same way Bug had.
"You know I care." Ron snapped. "My family calls you their own, Harry." Ron grabbed Harry's arm and stopped him. "My mother worried about you for most of the year and you never bothered to contact her at all. Ginny cried over you. My entire family cares about you Harry, and you act like it doesn't mean anything. You have only moped around here since coming back. You avoid me, Madame Pomfrey got you out of the morning training, training that you need more than anyone else, and you are trying to get away from me now." Ron pushed Harry back against the wall and held him there. "What is wrong with you?" Ron demanded, holding onto Harry's robes.
"Careful, mate. People might think we're doing something." Harry said with a leer. Ron's face grew red. Wrong thing to say, Harry. Good job.
"You've changed, Harry, and it's not for the better. Everyone sees this kid when they look at you, after you fought to be treated like an adult. You can't have it both ways, mate." Ron ground out. "The Protectors were made to protect you and the school, but we can't protect you if you avoid us. You're in danger, Harry."
Harry had enough of Ron's preaching. He reached up and pushed Ron off of him. "I'm always in danger! Every single second of my screwed up life! Voldemort's attacked me several times, and I'm still standing. Think it's luck? It isn't luck. I've fought him off every single time, and I will fight him again. By myself. Protection doesn't matter. What will come will come. Call it destiny or call it fate. Whatever you call it, just leave me alone!" Harry whirled and started to walk away, knowing he might do something he would regret if he stayed. Ron caught up to him and grabbed his arm again, forcing Harry around to face him. "Quit manhandling me!" Harry snapped as he pulled away from Ron.
"You won't listen to anything else!" Ron shouted. "Perhaps your uncle knew something about you that we don't!" The comment felt like a slap to the face. He couldn't believe that Ron had just said that. Ron, of all people, threw Vernon's abuse into his face. Harry pulled his arm from Ron and backed away from him. "Now stop acting like a spoiled kid and let me do my job." Ron said, taking Harry's arm gently and pulling him towards Dumbledore's office.
Harry tolerated this for a few seconds. He recognized the symptoms of shock and took a deep breath. He pulled away from Ron again and took a step back when Ron reached for him. "Don't touch me." Harry snarled. "No one has any right to touch me." Harry said calmly, remembering Paul's words.
"I'm your Protector. I'm supposed to touch you. Stop messing around." Ron said as he reached for Harry's arm again.
Harry slapped Ron's hand away and took another step back. "You don't need to touch me to protect me." Harry said without emotion.
"You're irrational right now. Just let me do my job and every thing will be fine." Ron reached for him again and Harry backed away. "Stop being difficult." Ron said in a tone he used with the first years. That's it.
"Difficult?" Harry questioned. "Difficult?" Harry said a word he heard Bleys use that he was sure was a swear word. He glared at Ron and wondered if this was hatred he was feeling, or something else. "Sod off." Harry said shortly before stomping away.
"That was uncalled for!" Ron said as he came after Harry. "Stop acting like a child!" Ron barked at Harry.
Harry spun around to face Ron again and brought up his wand. He eyed Ron down its length and saw Ron's body tighten up in reaction to the threat.
"I'm not going to attack you, Harry." Ron said, raising his hands in a slight surrender. "There's no danger here, mate." Ron said slowly.
"Funny. My instincts tell me otherwise." He told Ron, backing away from the Weasley boy again. "Don't touch me. Don't look at me. Don't come near me again. I won't be responsible for my actions if you do."
"I'm not the enemy here, Harry." Ron told him as he tried to approach him. Harry kept him in place with a quick gesture of his wand tip. Ron stopped and resumed the surrender pose. "You can trust me, mate."
"I'm not your mate." Harry told him. "Not as long as you can't think for yourself." Harry watched Ron's face turn red again. "I can't trust you or anyone here." Harry called up his magic and sent a cloud of smoke into the hallway between him and Ron as he ran away. He felt the spell a second before it appeared and dodged. Ron had just tried to stun him! Oh, yes. This friendship is over until Dumbledore stops making his decisions.
Harry ran down the hall and entered the girls' bathroom. He gave Moaning Myrtle a nod and hissed at the sink. The entrance to the Chamber of Secrets opened and he slid down the pipe, his wandless magic making it a clean trip, instead of the slime encrusted one he remembered from his second year. He landed at the bottom on his feet and sighed. He had a feeling that he wouldn't be able to stay down here very long, but he would take what he could get.
He walked past the rotting Basilisk and settled beneath one of the statues. Harry made a small gesture with his hand, and torches he hadn't known were there before flared to life with fire that cast a strange blue light. Hermione would want to study those. Another gesture of his hand banished the dust, debris, and rotting corpse to an unused classroom. Maybe he could give the corpse to Snape.
His eyes roamed about the room and stopped. Salazar Slytherin stared at him and Harry smirked. He found a private place with the Master of the Snakes. He leaned his head back and sighed. He figured he could stay here for a few hours before Dumbledore became impatient and used the bond thing. Probably until dinner. That was about two hours of peace he could have...assuming Ron didn't figure out where he had gone and Moaning Myrtle didn't give him away. Zen curled out of his pocket and looked around. "This man liked snakes." Zen said in an awed voice.
"He could talk to them, just like me." Harry told him with a smile.
Zen looked around him again before slithering towards the tallest statue he could find. Harry watched as the snake climbed up the statue and settled atop Salazar Slytherin's head. He checked for Harry's attention and hissed. "I'm King of the Mountain! I'm King of the Mountain!" Harry collapsed backwards in laughter at the snake's antics. Zen was the only king of the mountain in this hall of snakes.
"So, you can laugh!" Harry started at the voice and leapt to his feet, one of his throwing darts falling into his hand as he shifted into a defensive position. His mind scrambled to identify the voice he had heard, and he relaxed. He shifted his hand so that the dart rested just inside his sleeve. He turned to see the vampire casually sitting against one of the pillars.
"Mr. Haven?" Harry was completely bewildered as to how the vampire had managed access to the Chamber of Secrets. "How did you get down here, sir?" He asked as he discreetly re-sheathed his throwing dart.
"Hm. The wards mean little to one who does not have a heartbeat. I'm invisible to them!" He announced, looking extremely pleased with himself. "The only question that remains is why are you here?" He asked Harry.
"I'm just avoiding a few people." Harry answered honestly. "I needed to think." He shrugged and sat back down. The vampire came over to stand next to him. "Why are you here?" Harry asked politely.
"A chance to spend time alone with such an intoxicating young man?" Khalid said slowly. "I couldn't pass it up."
"I'm not quite sure how to take that comment." Harry said calmly. The vampire was very confusing.
"As a compliment." Khalid said. "I have no intentions on your virtue." The vampire said as he descended to sit next to Harry. Harry blushed and decided not to comment. He didn't want to embarrass himself. He pulled out his lines for Dracula and decided that the vampire would do what he wanted. "What is that?" He asked Harry when he saw the book.
"My drama teacher at my other school wants me to perform 'Dracula' in the school play. I'm trying to memorize my lines." Harry told him without looking up from his lines. He didn't see the vampire's eyes light up in glee, but he heard it in his voice.
"You get to play 'Dracula'? A vampire? How wonderful!" Khalid said as he snatched the book away from Harry. "Dracula would be amused by seeing this play."
"You're talking like he's a real person." Harry said, tugging his lines back to him.
"He would be very offended to hear that you think he is nothing more than a fictional character." Khalid told him as he released the notes.
"He's real. And alive?" Harry asked in shock.
"Very much real and very much alive. He's an artist right now, painting landscapes at night. He's quite good." Khalid offered. Harry could only shake his head in bemusement. Only he could learn that Dracula was still alive. "So, how do you act 'Dracula'?" Khalid asked in an excited voice. "He was a prince, you know."
"I don't." Harry admitted. "I don't understand the character, which makes it really hard to act." He explained with a wry look. "My first character came naturally, but this one is not making any sense at all to me. I don't understand his motivations. I guess that I don't really understand vampires." He gave an embarrassed chuckle.
"That is easily remedied." Khalid said as he bared his fangs.
"You're not turning me." Harry told the man sitting next to him.
"I do not plan on it." Khalid said with an amused smile. "I could...what is the word...coach you?" He looked to Harry to see if he had used the correct word.
"Coach me? Really?" Harry asked for verification.
"Yes, really. Would you like to start now, seeing as your snake is occupied up there and we are here?" Harry glanced up at Zen and noticed he was still dancing his "I'm King of the Mountain" dance.
"I would like that." Harry said as he stood up and closed his lines.
"I would, too. First, you need..." Khalid looked Harry over. "Walking lessons." He said decisively.
"Walking lessons?" Harry blurted out. He already knew how to walk!
"Walking lessons." Khalid said, advancing on Harry with a strange gleam in his eyes. "Too many young people tramp around like elephants. You should not. The walk should be light and dignified." Khalid looked at Harry for a few seconds. "You said you played another character. Show me how he walked."
Harry nodded and shut his eyes for a few seconds to bring up Edmund. He paced down the stones, turned, and went back to Khalid.
"Mm. We can work with that." Khalid bent down to Harry's bag. "Take off that...robe, jacket, coat, whatever you call that." Harry followed that direction and waited for the next.
Harry and Khalid worked on his Dracula presentation and his lines for nearly three hours. It helped to have someone who actually knew the Dracula. Khalid turned out to be just as demanding as Bevie when it came to performance. His focus to details made Harry's head hurt. Khalid often turned Harry's head a fraction to the side or demanded phrasing against Harry's instincts. He had to admit that Khalid's instructions and corrections helped to flesh out the character, so he didn't complain too much. There was only one thing he didn't understand.
"Mr. Haven?" Harry said as he shifted his teeth out of the fangs the vampire had requested he produce. Saying the lines became much harder when it came to having pointed teeth in his mouth.
"I told you. Call me Khalid." The vampire corrected gently. Harry kept forgetting.
"Sorry." Harry said as he started to pack up his bag.
"No matter. What is your question?" Khalid asked, smiling as Harry fumbled with his books in nervousness.
"It's sort of a personal question...I think." Harry said. "You might not want to hear it." He said with some trepidation.
"Ask and we shall see." Khalid told him.
"It's about..." Harry wondered how to phrase it. "...drinking blood." He could only watch as the vampire gave an understanding and slightly evil smile.
"You want to know about drinking blood?" he asked.
"More like the motivation behind it. All of the books I have read say that there are two reasons – you need it for nourishment and it's an uncontrollable urge. You seem pretty controlled to me, so I'm guessing the books have the wrong information." Harry waited for an answer.
"Motivation?" Khalid ran his tongue along his top teeth as he smiled. "Hmm. That is difficult to explain. The urge is like any other urge rational creatures have, very like them. It is controllable, but it is much more fun to fulfill it. The best analogy for that is making love." Khalid smiled as Harry blushed. "Still innocent?" he asked Harry in a jesting tone.
"I've been a little busy ensuring my continued existence." Harry said, slightly peevish at the teasing.
"Do not worry over it." Khalid said. "It will happen sooner or later." The vampire seemed to think for a moment. "Later, preferably." Harry only raised an eyebrow. "Hmm. I was going to say that it is like making love, only more intense, but you would have difficulty imagining the first, much less the second." The vampire lapsed into a pensive silence.
Harry sat down on the floor and waited. He started running through his lines to pass the time. Khalid was obviously thinking, and he didn't want to disturb that. He had almost reached act two when Khalid spoke his name. Harry looked up to see the vampire smiling at him.
"There is a way I could show you exactly what the blood lust feels like." Khalid said as he stood and came over to Harry. "A way to let you feel what it is like."
"Okay." Harry said, standing from his own place on the floor. "What do we do?" Harry asked.
"You need to trust me." Khalid told him. Harry took a step back and stared. That statement made no sense at all. "Lower those impressive shields of yours." Khalid told him. "Allow me inside. Let me show you what it is like." Khalid whispered the last part of it.
Harry continued staring. That had to be the most absurd idea he had ever heard. Lower my shields? He's got to be kidding.
"Your secrets are safe. I am unconcerned with them. I'll be going to a different part of your mind." He said with a dismissive shrug.
Harry believed him. He actually believed him. One tiny part of his mind screamed not to trust Khalid. Harry ignored it. He dropped his first ring of shields and looked up from his shoes. "Okay. Show me what it's like." Harry said.
Khalid smiled at him as he stepped closer to Harry. "Relax." He instructed. "Put away your secrets. Lock them up, if you wish." Harry nodded and layered a few shields over them. "Take a few deep breaths. Relax as much as possible." Khalid rested a hand on Harry's shoulders, and Harry felt his body start to relax.
Harry dropped into deep meditation, something he had only achieved with Paul's assistance. "Good." He heard Khalid praise. He felt the vampire move behind him and stand close to him. "I must hold you. You will act on the lust otherwise." Khalid said as Harry felt a thin but strong arm wrap around in front of him, pinning his arms to his sides. "Relax." Khalid said in his ear when Harry had started to fight. Harry's muscles listened to the command before he was aware of it, and Khalid made an approving noise. A cold hand settled on Harry's forehead.
He was suddenly and desperately thirsty. Parched. He could hear things above and around him. Sounds. Heartbeats. Hundreds of heartbeats, and he somehow knew that those heartbeats would sate his thirst. He felt his teeth elongate in preparation to drink. The smell itself was enthralling, tangy and salty as well as sweet and cloying, all at once. He surged forward to find the source, only to feel a strong arm pull him back. It constricted his chest, and he couldn't breathe. He panicked for only a moment until he didn't need to breathe anymore. Power ran through him, and his thirst increased. He felt confined in his own skin, and then he didn't. He was himself.
He opened his eyes and found he was curled in a ball on the floor. Khalid was sitting next to him. The vampire reached out a hand and rested it on Harry's back. "Are you alright?" He asked in a worried voice.
Harry tried to sit up. Khalid frowned as he pulled Harry up to rest against his side. Harry allowed himself to rest on the vampire and sighed. It felt like Bleys was holding him. "I'm fine." Harry told him.
"Sure you are." Khalid said with a knowing smile on his face. Harry thought about everything he had learned. He understood it now, the draw towards blood.
"Yeah." He said tiredly. "How long was I out?" He asked.
"A few minutes. Perhaps five? No more than that." Khalid said as he ran a hand over Harry's head.
"It certainly helped me to understand vampires a little better." He told Khalid. "Thank you. I don't think I could have acted as a vampire without that."
"No permanent damage then?" Khalid asked with a smile.
"I don't think so." Harry told him. "I just have an odd craving for some very rare steak." He admitted with a sheepish grin.
Khalid chuckled and stood, pulling Harry up with him. He put an arm around Harry's shoulders. "Come. You must be tired and you obviously need to eat."
"I'm not arguing with that." Harry said, leaning against Khalid. He was exhausted.
"Are you going to leave me up here?" Zen demanded from a spot on the roof.
"How did you get up there?" Harry asked. He looked up and found Zen hanging from a beam.
"I'm King of the Mountain!" He told Harry, as though that statement explained everything.
"I see." Harry lifted up a hand and called Zen to him. "Into your pocket. I don't feel like explaining you to Dumbledore just yet." Harry said to the snake. Zen hissed something that sounded like 'bring him on', but he wasn't sure. He hated when Zen mumbled like that.
Khalid led Harry out of the Chamber. Harry blinked and found himself in the girls' bathroom. "How...?"
"You are not the only one with gifts." Khalid told him with a satisfied air. He pulled Harry along and left the bathroom. Harry forgot everything in his efforts to stay awake. He blinked again and found himself in what was obviously Khalid's quarters. "Welcome to my rooms." He told Harry as he lowered Harry onto the edge of the bed.
"They're nice." Harry told him, slumping as the exhaustion started to make itself known.
"Mm. They are." Khalid reached out and plucked Harry's glasses from his face. Harry's eyes followed the glasses, and he felt the vampire's hands at his neck, undoing his tie.
"What are you doing?" Harry asked as he reached up to stop Khalid. His hands never made it. They dropped back into his lap.
"Putting you to bed, silly boy." Khalid told him.
"Oh." Harry couldn't find any more strength for speech. He lifted his feet obediently as the vampire untied his shoes and slipped them off. He found himself in undershirt and pants about three minutes later. Khalid pulled down the blankets and gestured for Harry to crawl under them. He pulled the blankets over Harry and smoothed down his hair. "You are safe to sleep here, child. No one can enter these rooms without my express permission. I'm going to hunt. You sleep." He told Harry.
"What about you?" Harry managed to ask as Khalid reached up to pull the curtains shut.
"Silly child. Vampires sleep in coffins." He told Harry with a smile. "Sweet dreams." He said as he shut the curtains. Harry's eyes drifted shut as he heard the outer door close.
"It is time to wake up." Harry heard a short while later. He pulled the blankets over his head and heard a chuckle. "You must wake up now." He heard.
"No." He said shortly. The annoying alarm clock of a person shouldn't be waking him up. He had just fallen asleep.
"You've been asleep for almost thirty hours." The voice said calmly. Harry recognized the lilt of the voice. Was that Khalid? "It is time to wake up."
Thirty hours? Harry kicked at the heavy blankets covering him and tried to open his eyes. Bleargh. A warm cloth was pressed into his hand and he used it to wipe his eyes. He opened them and squinted at the bright light. "Why's the sun so bright?" He croaked.
"Those are candles." Khalid said.
Harry blinked a couple more times and sighed. "Oh." He rubbed his eyes as he held out the cloth. "Thank you." He pulled himself into a sitting position and looked around. "Have I really been asleep that long?" He asked as he ran a hand over his hair.
"Yes. Perhaps longer, had I not decided to wake you." Khalid pulled the covers off him and pulled him to his feet. "The shower is running, and there are some clothes for you." He told Harry as he pushed the boy into the bathroom. Harry allowed the vampire to direct him and shut the door to the bathroom. He pulled off his shirt and wondered why he had worn such a tight one. He decided to ignore the underwear. He stepped into the shower and let the hot water beat down on him. He shook his head under the spray and sighed as he felt his muscles relax.
A sharp knock on the door woke him up, and he hurried through his shower before he fell asleep again. He stepped out and wrapped the waiting towel around him. He looked around through the steam in the air and found a pile of clothing waiting on a shelf. He looked at it and decided that it was not his, but no other clothing existed in the bathroom. Khalid had said clothing was waiting for him. Harry pulled on the clothing and decided that Khalid had some great taste. The shirt brought out his eyes and the trousers fit perfectly. He also wondered if he could get away with the pants. What would Aunt Petunia say when she found him with silk underwear?
He stepped out of the bathroom and looked down at the floor. "Now you look normal." Khalid said. "Like the prince you are supposed to play." Khalid said as he stepped up to Harry and handed him his glasses. Harry put them on and looked Khalid in the eye. Wait a moment? In the eye?
"When did I grow?" He asked, hearing the deeper version of his voice.
"Directly after I showed you what it's like to be a vampire." Khalid said. "I'm afraid that your uniform was ruined, though one of the house elves promised he could fix it."
"Did anyone see me?" He asked Khalid.
"Just me." Khalid answered. "Come sit down. You must be hungry."
Yes, he was...ravenous! Harry sat down in the chair Khalid offered and accepted a steaming plate of breakfast food. He nodded his thanks to the vampire when the man poured a large mug of coffee. Harry ate so much that morning that he was sure Mrs. Weasley would have been amazed, and she had several bottomless pits to deal with on a daily basis. Khalid only smiled and offered more food once Harry's plate emptied. Harry surprised himself by continuing to eat. "I can't figure out why I'm so hungry." He told Khalid as he slowed down.
"What we did was a bit of magic common to vampires." He told Harry. "It is not really meant to be used on normal wizards." He told Harry as he sipped at tea. "Then again, you are not a normal wizard." He told Harry. "Magus, am I correct?" he asked.
Harry choked on a bit of pastry and gulped some coffee to help him swallow. "How did you know that?" He gasped.
"I can tell. One of my little abilities. I haven't seen one like you in many years." He told Harry with a reminiscent tone. "It is nice to see one such as yourself. The old ways have not died completely, have they? Do you require a wand?"
Harry raised a hand and made a stack of books float as an answer.
"You'll do." Khalid said. "I had thought you used your wand to call your snake to you." Khalid said. "I was mistaken." He said with a shrug.
"Where is he?" Harry asked, looking around for Zen.
"He slithered out about six hours ago. I'm sure he said something, but I couldn't understand it. I'm sorry." Khalid said.
"That's alright." Harry closed his eyes and concentrated on his snake. He felt Zen two floors away and smiled. "He's curled up in a helmet." He told Khalid. "I'll get him later today."
"Ah. Good." Khalid said, refilling Harry's mug of coffee.
Harry finally finished eating and pushed back from the table with a satisfied smile. "That was wonderful, thank you." He said happily.
"I'm glad you ate. You were looking thin, but now..." He merely gestured at Harry.
Harry reached up and ran a hand through his hair in embarrassment. "It's a part of my persona. It makes me seem harmless." He told Khalid.
"Harmless? You?" Khalid laughed a bit as he stood and the dishes vanished. "You might want to make yourself harmless again. It is time I returned you to the halls. The headmaster is quite frantic."
"I almost forgot about him." Harry said as he stood and concentrated on his shape.
"It's been interesting to see the panic." Khalid told him with a smirk worthy of the Malfoy family.
Harry nodded and concentrated on his body, returning it to "small and harmless" stage. Khalid only gestured at the clothes and Harry shrank them to fit him. "Thank you for the clothes. I can re-size them and return them to you." Harry told him.
"Not necessary. I picked them out for you." Khalid said happily. "They look wonderful." He said as Harry found his satchel and put on his shoes. "Let us go." He told Harry. Harry followed the vampire out of the rooms and down a hallway he hadn't seen before. "Remember where I am. You're welcome anytime." He told Harry.
"Thank you, sir." Harry said. That was great. He now had somewhere else to go besides the Chamber of Secrets.
"Yes. You still have your second act to master." Khalid told him with a smile Harry secretly thought was sort of sadistic.
"Thank you again. I don't think I would have been able to play Dracula without your help." He told the vampire as they started down the stairs.
"You would have managed." He told Harry as he put an arm around Harry's reduced shoulders. Harry smiled at the compliment and allowed himself to fall silent. Would he have managed? Would he have been able to figure out vampires on his own without help? He doubted it.
"Harry." Both Khalid and Harry stopped when they heard Dumbledore's voice. "Where have you been, young man?" Dumbledore asked as he stepped out of the shadows.
"Hello, Headmaster. I've been with Mr. Haven. He was helping me with my homework." That's not a total lie. My lines are homework.
"Ah, I see. Well, thank you, Mr. Haven, for helping Harry. He has a lot of work he missed." Dumbledore said with a warm smile.
I do not like the way he said that. It wasn't my fault my aunt put me in St. Jude's...it's just my fault that I wanted to stay there. It took everything in his power not to scowl.
"Harry." Harry looked up at the headmaster. "Come with me. There's something I need to tell you." He smiled at Harry as though to drive worry away. Is it my aunt? Hermione? Something else? I hate when he gets mysterious!
"Thank you for your help, Mr. Haven." Harry told the vampire, releasing his top level of shields so the vampire knew he really meant to call him Khalid, but didn't want to do so around Dumbledore.
"Any time." Khalid said just before he vanished.
"I hate when he does that." Dumbledore said with a tired sigh. "It hurts my eyes trying to watch him." Harry smiled at Dumbledore and followed the man to his office. "Lemon drops." Of course. His favorite candy.
Harry entered the office just behind Dumbledore and looked around. Nothing had really changed since the last time he had been here. Just hear what he has to say and then leave. You can relax after this.
"We've missed you in the Great Hall last night and today." Dumbledore started. "No one knows where you disappeared to. Miss Granger was quite beside herself, as well as the rest of your friends." Dumbledore said as he poured out tea. He passed a cup to Harry and poured one for himself. Well, if he's drinking from the same pot, this should be safe. I'll just wait until he drinks first. You're paranoid, Harry. Completely and utterly paranoid.
"I lost track of the time, sir. This is Saturday, right? I didn't realize I was obligated to spend my free time in the Great Hall, sir." He told Dumbledore.
"Well, you being who you are, we were worried. Especially when I couldn't find you. I can usually tell where you are. You just disappeared. We thought Voldemort had sent someone to find you."
"Nope." Harry said as he watched the headmaster sip at his tea. "No one to find me. Mr. Haven let me kip with him last night. We had been studying, and I lost track of the time." Harry accepted a biscuit from the plate and smiled. Chocolate chip was always good for what ailed him.
"He didn't touch you, did he?" Dumbledore asked sharply.
"Touch me?" Harry nearly dropped his cup in surprise. "No." he told Dumbledore.
"Are you sure?" Dumbledore asked. "He seemed awfully familiar with you in the hallway, Harry. You are young and fairly inexperienced..."
"He didn't touch me in any way like that. The most he did was mess up my hair...which didn't help the bird's nest up there." Harry said with a smile as he ran his free hand through his hair. "Relax, Headmaster. I know the difference of 'good touch' and 'bad touch'." Harry told him. "I'd report anyone who tried that right away, not spend the night with them."
"Alright, dear boy." Dumbledore said, floating a silver object over to his desk. "This is what I wanted to show you." Dumbledore said.
Harry eyed the tiny silver object and wondered what that could possibly be. "I set up some selective listening charms in Professor Trelawney's quarters when you told me about the prophecy she made to you in third year." Harry ignored the possible legal problems surveillance charms like that posed and waited for Dumbledore to get to the point.
"Ah, here we are." Dumbledore said as he tapped the object. Harry watched as a small misty cloud appeared and turned into a ring. He listened in shock to Trelawney's creepy prophecy voice talk about "the One". He figured out that this was another prophecy about him. That, or there was another "One" out there. He figured that his luck had hit the jackpot twice.
"It's about me?" Harry asked shakily, knowing it was. Dumbledore nodded gravely while Harry stared to one side. He noticed that his hands were shaking. What did 'repression and rest' mean? Had it already happened? He did spend a lot of time with Bleys...could that be 'seven days'?
"Try some tea, Harry. It will calm you." Dumbledore's voice sounded very far away, as though he was speaking through a wall.
Harry raised his tea cup to his lips and swallowed half the cup in one go, only to start choking on the overly sweet taste. Several things clicked into place at once as he dropped his cup and lurched from the chair. His wand appeared in his hand and he brought it up to face Dumbledore. "What are you doing to me?" he demanded.
Dumbledore gave him a benevolent look. "Sit down, Harry. I have a few things to explain to you." Dumbledore said calmly as though Harry was not threatening him with unknown spells.
"I'm fine standing, thanks." Harry snapped. "Make that explanation quick." Harry could barely keep the malice from his voice. "Or I'll do something you'll regret." He warned Dumbledore.
"Now I see how familial traits are passed. You're very like your aunt, Harry." Dumbledore said.
"Explanation. Now. Or I leave you to fight your own damn war." Harry snarled.
"Now, Harry. There is no need for vulgar language." Dumbledore saw that his statement did not bring an apology from the teenager. "Very well. You remember London?" Dumbledore asked. Harry gave a fraction of a nod and Dumbledore continued. "Your heart stopped, Harry. Your heart stopped because you did too much magic in that space of time. This is rarely heard of, much less witnessed. The last case was well before I was born, if you can imagine that." Dumbledore chuckled.
"Forgive me, Headmaster, but I have little patience for this. Get to the point. Now." Harry snapped as he began to feel odd.
"Oh, the point, eh?" Dumbledore asked. Harry couldn't believe it. Dumbledore was stalling! "Very well." He said after seeing Harry's grip tighten around the holly. "Your magic was obviously out of control." Dumbledore said as he poured himself another cup of tea. "I arranged an old ritual to allow you to return to magical learning with your magic firmly under control...my control, since you could not control it yourself." That's what you think. "It's a part of the magical guardianship."
"Imagine my surprise, yes, my surprise and my pride, that I could not control your magic. You were far too powerful for me to control. I'm so very proud of you, my boy, of you and your abilities. I knew you wouldn't want to be spending time isolated from your friends or your schoolwork. So, I did what was best for you and slipped you a bit of potion that...uh, dampened, your magic, shall we say?" Harry nearly snapped his wand in fury. "Indeed, the guardianship was not finalized until you had your first sip of pumpkin juice in the Hospital Wing when you woke up." Potter taken out by pumpkin juice. Potter: 0 Dumbledore: 1
"You suppressed my magic?" Harry spat at the Headmaster. He had never felt this angry at anyone before...not even Voldemort.
"Not 'suppressed', Harry. Dampened. Full suppression hasn't happened yet." Dumbledore said as he lifted a lemon drop from a tin and popped it into his mouth.
Yet? YET?? Oh, no. Not good. "Yet? Do you mean to say that the tea..?"
"Was a full dose? Yes, it was." Dumbledore said happily. "Just seven days, Harry. Seven days and you will become more powerful. This is the power he 'knows not', Harry. This will allow you to defeat the Dark Lord. Then you'll be free." Dumbledore smiled at Harry. "You might want to sit down. I imagine you're feeling a mite off." Dumbledore told Harry.
"Are you mad?" Harry shouted. Fawkes disappeared in a cloud of flames. Good. Harry didn't want the phoenix to witness the demise of Albus Dumbledore. "You've just given Voldemort the best chance he'll have at defeating me!" Harry pointed out to the insane wizard sitting behind the desk.
"Don't be silly, Harry. You'll be staying in my quarters here. He won't be able to get to you." Dumbledore informed him. "I have a specially made Draught of Living Death for you. It will only last seven days. You'll sleep the entire time." Dumbledore droned on about Harry's safety and how nice it would be for him to have a little vacation like this, but Harry couldn't hear it. His hearing was muffled by the sound of blood rushing through his ears. Fury built in him as Dumbledore continued to speak, oblivious to Harry's condition. The world tipped and Harry fought to stand without swaying.
He looked up in time to see Dumbledore raise his wand at him. Harry did the only thing he could think of. He dropped to the ground and burst into tears. Nice distraction, Potter. Now all you need to do is curl your hair and you can be a proper girl. Harry told himself. The distraction worked. Dumbledore dropped his wand. Harry leapt to his feet and threw a chair in Dumbledore's way as he dashed for the door. He threw it open so quickly that he nearly took it off its hinges.
Get away, get away, get away. He chanted his mantra in his mind as he took the stairs two at a time. He dove through the closing doorway, neatly scraping his arm on the gargoyle. Stupid statue. Harry didn't pause long enough to make a decision as to direction. He ran to his right and started down the staircases. Please don't move. Please don't move. He begged the staircases as he was even more daring on the straight staircases.
He heard Dumbledore coming up behind him and he did a very foolish, very Gryffindor thing: he jumped over the railing. Dumbledore gasped behind him as he dropped. Harry landed on his feet, rolled to kill the momentum of the fall, and popped back up to his feet, thanking Sensei for making him learn how to roll out of falls. His shoulder would bruise later, but he was still moving for now.
He dodged around a corner and hit the floor when he noticed a stunning spell coming at him. "Casting spells on the defenseless, Dumbledore?" He snarled as he regained his feet and pelted down a hallway. "Bad form, old man." Harry muttered to himself. The doors to the grounds were directly in front of him. Freedom was his. He hit the doors at top speed and they exploded outward. He missed the stairs completely and tumbled onto the hard turf. The still frozen grass only exacerbated his bruised shoulder, but he found that his feet could still move. He dashed forward and felt like he had been yanked back as he stomach flipped. Stupid bond. Harry thought as he ignored the feeling and pushed himself onwards.
He risked a glance behind him and noticed that Dumbledore was just starting to descend the stairs with Professor Zareh behind him "William, you traitor." Harry muttered as he put on a burst of speed and disregarded the very real need to be horizontal. Rest later. Run now. He told himself. Pretend Sensei is chasing you because he caught you kissing his daughter. The thought actually worked and Harry's speed increased again. Hahahaha. He laughed in his head as he saved his breath for running.
He stopped suddenly as he retched and nearly fell over from the angle at which the earth was tipping. Stupid world. Stay straight. He thought as he pushed himself to his feet and started to move again. He didn't get much further. The bond only grew stronger and he fell to his knees. It's not fair. It's just not fair. He tried to stem the flow of tears as the injustice of the situation caught up to him. I want to go home! Please, just let me go home!
He pushed himself up again and took a few steps forward only to collapse on the ground when his strength gave out and his stomach threatened to come up itself. He felt the ring on his finger. "Home!" He hissed miserably. "Home!" He could feel the portkey trying to work. He inched himself closer to the gates. They were right there! Only a few more yards. He rolled up to his knees and tried again, hoping that he could make it, hoping that he could go home, hoping that he could avoid...
"Easy, son." Zareh said in his ear as strong arms wrapped around him and pulled him back. "I've got you."
"No!' Harry fought against the arms, feeling his magic surge very far away from where he could use it. "Let me go!" He pried at the hands and struggled to be freed.
"You're right, Headmaster. He does seem Confounded." Zareh said.
"I'm not Confounded." Harry said weakly as Zareh's grip tightened in response to Harry's fight.
"He's been acting that way for some time. Ever since Mr. Haven returned him to us." Dumbledore's voice said. Harry struggled even harder when he heard how close Dumbledore was to him.
"Easy, lad." Zareh said. "I've got you. It's okay now." Zareh adjusted his grip on Harry, freeing up one of Harry's arms. Harry took advantage of this and drove his elbow into Zareh's stomach. Zareh dropped him and Harry scrambled forward, overlooking his vision blacking out.
He hissed his password every other second, hoping that he would make it close enough to the gates for the wards to let him through. Dumbledore snatched at him once, but Harry gave a quick slap to his hand and scuttled forward. He felt Zareh raise his wand. "No magic, William. I'm not sure what happened to him." Dumbledore said as Harry dropped to the ground again. Well, at least he's not letting anyone cast spells at me.
"It's going to be okay, Harry." Dumbledore told Harry as he stepped up next to him. Harry shook his head, denying the headmaster's claim. It wasn't alright. It wouldn't be okay. Nothing was okay.
Dumbledore put a light hand on his shoulder and rolled him over. Harry's wand appeared in his hand as he faced Dumbledore. "Why don't you give me that for now?" Dumbledore asked as Zareh came up on the other side of Harry. The old wizard reached out and plucked Harry's wand from his grasp. "I have a potion for you, Harry." Dumbledore said as Harry tried to move away. Harry shook his head. "It'll just make you sleep." Dumbledore's hands were stronger than he looked. He pinned Harry down on one side and Zareh held the other.
"I just want to go home." He said desperately, looking around for some kind of help.
"Poor boy doesn't know where he is." Dumbledore said to Zareh.
"Yes, I do." Harry said. "Hell. Also known as Hogwarts." He snapped tiredly as he turned his head away from the potion.
"He certainly doesn't seem himself." Zareh commented. They've all gone mad. I'm the only sane one here! Harry thought as he ignored Dumbledore's attempt to get him to drink.
"Harry, just cooperate." Dumbledore said sternly. "This will be a lot easier if you do." Dumbledore's patience was wearing out. Good. Harry fought against the hands pinning him to the ground.
"Is that Harry?" Harry's heart leapt up. Hagrid! Hagrid would save him!
"Hag-!" Harry coughed and spluttered as some of the potion made its way into his mouth.
"Yes, it is, Hagrid. He's not himself. Come give us a hand." Dumbledore said to the half-giant. Harry gasped for air and shook his head. "Hold his arms and we'll do the rest." Dumbledore said.
"Poor Harry. Who did this?" Hagrid said as his hands pinned Harry to the ground.
"We are investigating it, Hagrid. Perfect, thank you." He said. "William, hold his head, if you will." This is assault! Kidnapping! And a bunch of other...oh, my head. His tears were unfeigned at this point. He felt horrible, he was freezing in the weather, and he was exhausted from fighting the bond. "Harry, open up, child." Dumbledore said. "It's going to be okay."
"I'll be happy to do summat abou' it meself." Hagrid grumbled as Dumbledore forced Harry's mouth opened and poured the potion down his throat.
Harry gagged and choked on it, but it all went down. His vision was just starting to blur as they released his arms. "It'll be alright, Harry." Hagrid said as he dropped a heavy hand on Harry's shoulder. "You jus' trust Dumbledore."
Harry looked up at Hagrid and shook his head. He fought against the lethargy spreading in his body as it dragged him down into darkness. "Want..." he said quietly. "to go home." He finished as his eyes drifted shut.
Harry felt Hagrid lift him from the ground. "Dear boy, I keep telling you that you are home." Dumbledore said as Harry succumbed to the Draught of Living Death.
Author's Note: Well, there it is. All twenty annoying pages of it. I hope you all enjoyed it. Please give me a few weeks before you expect another chapter. I'm exhausted! Thanks for reading!