Time passed with no more incidents. Word got around that the mandrakes were nearly finished and would soon be used to wake up those who were petrified. Lockhart was claiming to have scared off the Heir of Slytherin, much to everyone's annoyance, and I was no closer to figuring out why Ginny had smelled like rooster blood that one evening. When I tried to find her, she wouldn't be around and the few times I did, she would run or fire off a spell. A few times she'd managed to get ahold of her brothers' things and I spent one afternoon washing red pepper powder out of my eyes.

Then, as if a switch had been flipped, I shuddered. That cautious feeling was back, twisting in my stomach and making me take a step back. It was close. Dangerously close. My breath hitched and became shallow instinctually, limiting the amount of noise I was making. I took a slow deep inhale, searching with all my senses for what it was, where it was. It can't be a person. Everyone is at the Quidditch match. Everyone should be anyway.

Still, I cautiously found the will to move and placed a hand against the stone wall, trying to follow the soft sound I could barely hear. I closed my eyes, trailing after it before I suddenly ran into someone.

"Sven, why are you wandering the halls?" McGonagall scolded. "You should be at the Quidditch match."

"I don't care for Quidditch," I blurted out absentmindedly, still looking at the wall and trying to figure out if it was moving faster.

"It doesn't matter if you don't like the sport," she argued. "You should still be there to support other students and—"

Wait. Every time I heard this or Harry heard that voice, someone was petrified. I'm following whatever is petrifying people, which means—

"Professor," I cut her off, earning a glare, but I didn't care at the moment. "I think someone's about to get attacked again."

"Mr. Rydell, if you think making up some story like this is going to get you out of a detention—"

"You don't understand," I countered quickly, hearing it getting further away. "My hearing is better than yours. Every time I've heard something in the walls, someone's gotten attacked. That's why I've been there because I was following the sound. I can tell it's dangerous. It's going to attack again."

She appeared hesitant before drawing her wand and creating a cat of light. "Fetch the headmaster. Tell him we may have another attack."

The cat nodded and took off like a spirit, disappearing through walls as McGonagall touched my shoulder.

"Go. Show me."

I nodded and rushed down the hall, trailing after the last bits of sound I could still hear. It took a moment before we spotted two people further down the corridor. As we neared, my heart dropped. It was Hermione and a Ravenclaw student, and neither was moving. McGonagall reached them first and I couldn't move for a second as a sort of ringing started up in my ears. I couldn't breathe for a moment, staring at Hermione's stunned, frozen expression and feeling as though this were my fault. If I had moved faster… If I had only noticed it sooner…

"—en. Sven. Sven!"

I blinked out of my daze as McGonagall blocked my view and grabbed my shoulders.

"Sven, are you all right?"

I nodded slowly, flexing my hands and trying to calm down as she released me. "W-What can I do?"

She sighed softly. "My Patronus will get the other professors. Once someone else is here, I'll go and stop the Quidditch match and have the prefects escort everyone to their common rooms."

I couldn't even grimace at the thought of having to stay there, my mind kind of hazy still as she continued.

"Do you know why she might have been here?"

I shook my head, watching as she held up a mirror.

"Do you know why she had this?"

Again, I shook my head wondering if maybe I should have paid more attention to what the trio was doing. To the rumors of their mucking about in the castle.

McGonagall sighed softly and I could hear rushed footsteps approaching.

"And you said you've been hearing this… thing that attacks the students?"

"Yes," I breathed. "It's in the walls somehow. I… I don't know what it is. I can only sense it."

The professors rounded the corner with Dumbledore and they spotted me as McGonagall placed a hand on my shoulder and spoke.

"I need to stop the Quidditch match. If you could all handle these students…"

Dumbledore nodded. "We'll take care of it, Minerva."

She bobbed her head and hurried off down the hall as Flitwick sorrowfully helped Snape deal with the two students and Dumbledore stepped up beside me.

"Do you want me in your office again, sir?"

He raised a brow. "Whatever for?"

I shrugged, eyes trailing after the professors as they took Hermione and the other girl away.

"Well, I will escort you to your common room and I do apologize, Sven."

I looked up at him, confused as to why he was apologizing.

"I fear your first year here has gone rather poorly and… I will understand if you choose not to attend next year."

I was surprised by this, pausing briefly before rushing to catch up to him. "Sir?"

He hummed. "I won't force you to attend. It is everyone's choice whether to stay home or return to Hogwarts every term. And while you are a special case, I will not hold it against you should you decide to stay at the coven after your experiences."

I wanted to argue immediately but then reconsidered. He wasn't wrong. The whole year I'd been attacked by other students and my own housemates. It wasn't even for what I was, but for something they had started to believe I was. Then, these attacks happened and I got blamed further still. I wondered repeatedly why I'd bothered to come to this school when I didn't care about wizards and vampires getting along. I came for my own improvement and instead, was beaten down day after day and considered the coven safer than the school.

"You don't have to respond now," Dumbledore mused, stopping before the entrance to the Slytherin common room and lightly placing a hand on my head. "A lot has happened and I'm sure you need to think about it. I would like to know before the end of term though, so I know whether to send you an escort or not."

I nodded and he let me go as I muttered the password to get in, only for him to stop me.

"And I wish to let you know that there was nothing you could have done for your friend."

I stiffened, but offered him a nod and stepped in, scooping up my cat and retreating to sit by the fire until the other Slytherins would enter and our new restrictions were announced.

The restrictions were tight and with it came the frustrations of those placed under them. I'd grown to learn quickly how to defend myself without my wand and when in close quarters, as well as how to start casting small, enclosed shielded areas. The last one was hard. More than hard and took forever to get even partially completed. I couldn't form a full circle around me or enclose a room, but I could cast a shielding spell strong enough to block a few good hits if I was in a corner—using the walls to protect a majority of my body and the spell to protect the rest. It was the only thing I could do, given that the Slytherins couldn't go out and do their usual tormenting of the rest of the student body.

The plus side was that they couldn't do anything outside of the common room. We were escorted to and from classes, had a curfew at six in the evening, and couldn't even go to the restroom without a professor accompanying us. It also meant that I had no way of checking in with any of the others though. I wasn't sure how Harry and Ron were handling Hermione getting petrified and Madam Pomfrey wasn't allowing visitors. Then, rumor got out that Hagrid had been taken to a wizarding prison by Malfoy's father.

He had no connection to the attacks. I knew that. I was still debating as to whether I should mention smelling rooster blood on Ginny to someone, but the thought of Ginny doing anything made me feel even worse. Dumbledore getting removed added to that. People were thrilled in the Slytherin house, praising Malfoy for his father's deeds and everything else. The other houses were the exact opposite—fearful, angry, upset.

I needed to get away though. I was still working on limiting my blood supply and it had been going all right so far, but I was also usually avoiding large groups of people. Now, I was being trapped in the common room with all the Slytherins, being escorted from class to class with all the first years, eating in the Great Hall every meal with the entire school. It made dealing with my hunger more than difficult. It was getting to the point that I was breaking out in a sweat and gasping for air when I couldn't handle it any longer and had to step out with a professor for a restroom break.

Whoever was in charge of getting the blood had been slacking off as well—I suspected Snape as he'd gotten it for me before. Decent quality beef and pork blood had turned into chicken, reptile, and rat. I could handle it all the same but it felt like I was back at the coven digging through the garbage in the alley and catching anything that moved. Then, end-of-term tests were announced and that only added to everyone's stress. I was semi-confident I'd pass most subjects, but still reviewed properly and studied hard on the classes I was lacking in. Three days before exams though, everything changed.

I needed a break yet again and Lockhart had just waved me off out of the class, not looking eager to go out and deal with me. I moved into Moaning Myrtle's bathroom—not willing to risk getting jumped in the nearby boy's room or questioned about my mild panic—and felt my stomach churn. The scent of blood was sharp and decidedly human. My hand clasped around my mouth and nose as I doubled over the sink only to look near the faucet and see red. My hand shook as I reached out, brushing my fingers over the snake etched into the side of it and hesitantly drawing the red liquid on my fingers forward.

Human… T-This is human blood. I need to go… I need to tell someone. I jerked away from the sink, turning and very nearly running into someone. I came to a stop as quick as I could, very nearly plowing over Ginny.

"G-Ginny, what…" The words were cut off in my throat, which was quick to dry as I heard the steady staccato of liquid dripping onto the floor.

My eyes drifted to her hand as blood slipped off her fingers achingly slow. I struggled to take only shallow breaths through my mouth, but I could still taste it in the air. It was taking everything in me to not grasp her hand and just—My eyes snapped up to movement just over her shoulder and my body stiffened at the smirking student grinning from ear to ear.

"The Mudblood from Slytherin," he breathed, body transparent and almost ghost-like, but he was none of the Hogwarts ghosts that I knew. "And a clever one at that. You figured out about the roosters, didn't you? How did you manage that?"

It was hard keeping my focus on him and not the taste of iron teasing my senses, but I could tell he was dangerous. There was something sinister about him and I didn't like how close he was to Ginny, who'd yet to even react to his presence.

"She smelled like blood," I breathed. "Hagrid said he was missing roosters."

"That's it? No. There's something else. No one would just smell that little blood. Not after she'd tried so hard to clean herself up."

My eyes flickered down to her hands again, mind racing and fingers twitching with everything I was dealing with. I didn't know who this guy was. If he'd hurt Ginny. Why Ginny wasn't doing anything. What was actually going on. Nothing made sense and the hunger clawing its way up my throat wasn't helping, pulling my thoughts back and forth between concern for the Weasley's younger sister and how easily I could just reach out and take a bite.

"Ah. I see it now," the student purred as I clenched my fists tight enough for my nails to dig into the flesh of my palm in order to keep control. "How did that old man manage to convince them to let one of your kind into this school?"

I launched myself forward to grasp at the boy, unable to think of anything other than the fact that he knew, and Ginny and I were both in danger. Expectedly, I passed right through him and just as I turned to try something else, a wand flicked across my vision and everything went dark. The last thing I heard before I collapsed from Ginny's spell was the mad laughter of that ghostly student and a wail from Moaning Myrtle.

Harry stood in the vast cavern that was the school's plumbing system with a growing sense of unease. Having been separated from Ron and the—now obliviated—Professor Lockhart, he was on his own. He was standing before the door to the Chamber of Secrets, eyeing the carved snakes and hating that he was about to step into such a place alone. I have to save Ginny though. Ron's counting on me. He took a deep breath and let the Parseltongue flow from his mouth, making the snake carvings twist and shift out of the way to allow him entrance into the chamber itself.

Large carved snakes curled up to support the ceiling high above his head and hidden in the dark. Concerned that the basilisk could be tucked around any corner, he drew his wand and moved further in. Then, he came upon a tall statue, barely visible in the dark, revealing a wizard with a monkey-like face, and at his feet lay two bodies cloaked in black robes.

"Ginny!" Harry shouted, abandoning caution and rushing to her side. "Ginny. Don't be dead. Please don't be dead."

He glanced at the other figure then and stared in shock.

"Sven? But how…"

No one had even realized the Slytherin was missing. Given his quiet nature, it wasn't entirely a surprise but Harry wondered how no one could have noticed. Then, he remembered how Sven was treated in the Slytherin house. How he was tormented and bullied, and suddenly his disappearance made sense. They simply didn't care. The thought made Harry's blood boil, especially since even the professors hadn't mentioned he was missing. Still, it meant that Harry wasn't entirely alone.

He shifted to kneel between him and Ginny, shaking the boy's shoulder and calling his name in the hopes that he too was more responsive than Ginny. He grimaced when his fingers brushed over the blood on his head, worrying that the injury might mean he wasn't about to get up anytime soon. Then, he shifted with a groan and Harry felt hope.

"Sven. Sven, wake up."

Dark almost red eyes blinked open and Sven pushed himself up only to bring a hand to his head.

"You were hit, I think," Harry said, drawing the boy's gaze away from the blood on his fingers. "Do you know what happened? How did you get here?"

"G-Ginny."

"Ginny's right here. She's okay, I think but she's not waking up."

"No… Ginny did it," Sven explained, surprising Harry. "S-She brought me here. A-Attacked me."

"What? But she…"

Harry couldn't figure it out. It didn't make sense.

"She was k-killing the roosters. I smelled blood and there was this… spirit."

Now, he was even more lost and looked at Ginny.

"We have to get her back. The professors can help, but she won't wake up."

"She won't wake."

Sven stiffened as Harry's gaze snapped to a familiar face.

"Tom… Tom Riddle?"

I didn't know how Harry knew this… Tom person and I didn't care. The spirit was dangerous and everything in me wanted to grab Harry and run. Yet, my head was pounding, vision spinning. Whatever spell Ginny had cast hit me hard and while the cut on my forehead had crusted over and stopped bleeding, the pain was still there. Harry was talking with Tom about how all this had happened. How Tom was a collection of memories from a diary—the book that Ginny had thrown at Moaning Myrtle in an attempt to get away. All because Tom was taking control over her, possessing her, and forcing her to do things like kill Hagrid's roosters and summon a basilisk to petrify muggle-borns.

My head hurt though. I still didn't understand what was going on. Tom—Voldemort—was apparently someone dangerous enough to have Harry's heart racing in a way that made my teeth ache. I could still smell Ginny's blood and the scent of my own brought back a number of unwanted memories of my time in the coven. Then, music. A bird song came to my ears, drawing my gaze away from Ginny's cut palm and towards a vibrant red bird that just flew into the chamber. I recognized Fawkes from Dumbledore's office, though the bird was far younger than the old creature I'd watch burst into flames. The bird swooped down and dropped a bundle of cloth at Harry's feet before landing on his shoulder, folding its wings and letting out a whistle in my direction before settling its gaze on Tom.

"It's a phoenix," the spirit realized, glancing at the fabric on the floor. "And that's the old school sorting hat."

I was more than confused by the delivery of the bird and the hat, picking up said object and staring down at the stitched seams as though it would once again come to life and call out the name of the house I'd been trapped in since the start of term. Tom was laughing though, finding the situation amusing as I rose to my feet to stand beside Harry.

"This is what Dumbledore sends his defender! A songbird and an old hat! Do you feel brave, Harry Potter? Do you feel safe now?"

Surprisingly, Harry straightened his shoulders and looked confident, heart calming as he looked at me.

"Do you have your wand?" He breathed, and I checked my robe to find that I did, somehow, still have my wand.

"Yes, but I don't know any spells that can harm ghosts," I muttered back, giving Tom a glance and wondering if I was imagining that he was starting to look less and less ghost-like.

"Just… Just know that if the basilisk comes out, you can't look it in the eyes. Swear you'll keep your eyes shut."

"Basilisk?"

"Giant snake," he said briefly, finally turning his eyes away from Tom. "Promise me."

I nodded, agreeing to close my eyes but worried about how either of us was expected to fight a spirit and a giant snake with our eyes shut.

"To business, Harry," Tom said, forcing Harry's attention back to him. "Twice—in your past, in my future—we have met. And twice I failed to kill you. How did you survive? Tell me everything. The longer you talk, the longer you stay alive."

I didn't understand the dynamic between these two—how they knew each other or what their history was. It had something to do with Harry's mother dying to protect him, according to what was being said now, but that didn't matter to me when my entire body was on edge. The thing I'd been sensing before was near. My assumption was it was the basilisk Harry had mentioned and it being close enough for me to notice only made me want to leave more.

"Now, Harry, I'm going to teach you a little lesson. Let's match the powers of Lord Voldemort, Heir of Salazar Slytherin, against famous Harry Potter, and the best weapons Dumbledore can give him." Tom glanced at me as I scowled. "And Dumbledore's little pet."

I bared my teeth in a snarl but he ignored me and stepped over to the large statue of Salazar Slytherin, hissing at it. The statue's mouth began to open and something shifted within, making my heart skip.

"Harry," I breathed. "We need to go. Now."

Even Fawkes took off as Harry backed away to the chamber wall and I snapped my eyes shut as the giant snake slipped out of the statue's mouth, hitting the floor of the chamber as I shifted between it and Harry. There was a hiss from Tom and I could hear the snake sliding for us. I pushed Harry to the side, shouting for him to run and firing off what spells I could think of in its direction. This made it angrier, of course, but it was also managing to push the snake back somewhat with the powerful exploding charms I was throwing at it.

Harry tripped then and I stumbled over him, cursing as I caught the scent of his blood. I groaned loudly, frustrated with the gnawing hunger, and in our stumble, I'd lost my grip on my wand. The snake was just inches from us and I felt the beast lunge and haphazardly swung a fist out in desperation. The hit was solid, my knuckles scraping against rock-hard scales and sending a ripple of white-hot pain through me. I'd broken my hand, probably, but the snake had faltered back with a roar of anger. I couldn't tell if I'd done damage to it, this being the first time I'd allowed myself to relax my usual control of my strength.

Between the hunger, my head injury, and the overwhelming danger hovering right in front of me, I could feel my control slipping even further. I was breathing hard now, a hand wrapped tightly in the fabric of my robes as my heart raced and ached for blood. Proper blood. It had been a long time since I'd gotten to this point of desperation. The point where even a rat wouldn't quell the fire that was clawing its way up my throat.

"Sven? Sven, where—"

"Stay back," I snapped, feeling his hand brush against my shoes and taking a step away. "I just need you to give me space for a minute," I panted out before the creature who was hissing in front of me began to spit angrily.

Even I couldn't help but crack an eye open to see what was going on and watched in surprise as the snake snapped at Fawkes as the bird circled its head before diving. Harry sucked in a gasp behind me as the snake swung wildly, Fawkes having clawed and pecked its eyes out. I was hit hard then by its tail, getting thrown across the room as Harry called out for me. My back slammed against a pillar and all my breath left me at once as the snake was commanded to head for Harry once more.

I could hear Harry crying out, begging for help not far away as the snake continued to spit at Fawkes before something slid towards me. I choked, still trying to breathe properly as I grasped at the sorting hat with desperate fingers. It had to be of some use. But not to me. Fawkes brought it to Harry. I-I need to get it to him. I spat out a curse, heaving myself to my feet and making a mad dash for Harry.

"Harry!"

He turned to me as I threw the hat, catching it in confusion but my shout had drawn the attention of the snake. I cursed as it lunged for me, fangs barely missing my arm as I twisted and slammed a foot upward. Its head jerked away and hit a pillar as I slid across the stone, grimacing as the stone crumbled and my broken hand throbbed. The snake turned and lunged again, but for Harry this time and I ran for them desperately.

Pain laced through my shoulder as I slammed into the beast the same instant Harry jerked a sword up through the roof of its mouth. Warm blood poured from the wound, soaking into us both as the snake started to fall over, dead. The scent alone had me on my knees, grabbing at my throat as I choked on air. It was hard to think, my mind was foggy and my throat drier than the desert. Harry touched my shoulder, calling my name as I sagged into his arm.

I hadn't realized my actions earlier had caused a fang to drag over my shoulder before breaking off. The pain from the basilisk's poison was hardly important when blood was right here in front of me. Sagging against Harry had put my teeth right near his neck. I would only take a moment, just a quick bite and—

I jerked away from Harry, startling him as I faltered and sank to the ground. "S-Stay back. S-Stay away," I pleaded, confusing him. "I-I don't… I don't want to hurt y-you too."

"Sven, what—"

A soft, sad song cut him off, Fawkes landing near me with tears in his eyes. Not wanting to risk anything living being near me in my lack of control, I weakly swatted at the bird as my vision grew worse and I lay on the ground struggling.

"He's dead, Harry Potter," Tom said, earning a heated glare from the boy. "Dead. Even Dumbledore's bird knows it. Do you see what he's doing, Potter? He's crying and soon, you will join him."

I saw the wand and used my last bit of strength to lunge at the spirit. My teeth tore into his shoulder as he fell back, pushing at me and soon swinging a fist at my temple. I spat out ink as I was forced to release him, getting no satisfaction in anything other than the fact that Harry had retrieved his wand and could now defend himself from Tom.

"Damn monster," Tom spat, grasping at his shoulder and sneering. "You see now, Harry? You see what your so-called friend truly is? You look up to Dumbledore so much, but what now? What do you have to say now that you realize the Headmaster let a vampire into the school!"

I looked up at Harry from the ground, tears in my own eyes because now he knew. Fawkes cooed over my shoulder and the pain in my body eased, but the pain in my heart persisted with the look Harry was giving me. Cautious, uncertain, scared. Then, he turned to face Tom confidently.

"He's still a better person than you could ever be," he declared and thrust the broken basilisk fang he'd picked up into the diary.

There was a long and painful scream before silence reigned over us. Harry immediately went to my side even as I tried to move away.

"Sven. Sven, are you alright? The venom…"

The burning in my shoulder had subsided, Fawkes tears being the cause apparently.

"C-Check on Ginny," I told him, avoiding eye contact out of fear of what I might see now that he knew what I was.

As it is, I can still barely focus. I grasped at my broken wrist, trying to use the pain to help clear my head. Just focus on breathing. Who cares that there's blood? Not me. Nope. I can't care because the moment I care—

"Harry! Oh, Harry!" Ginny suddenly spoke up, apparently awake and perfectly fine other than the guilt of what she'd done. "I tried to tell you at b-breakfast, but I c-couldn't say it in front of Percy. It was me, Harry, but I-I s-swear I d-didn't mean to! R-Riddle made me, he t-took me over and—How did you kill t-that thing? W-Where's Riddle? The last thing I r-remember is him coming out of the diary and that Slytherin—"

She'd spotted me then, and I glanced away as I pushed myself unsteadily onto my feet.

"Oh, no. No. What's he doing here?" She asked Harry, making me wince.

"He was here when I got here," Harry explained. "He helped me save you."

Ginny eyed me back in uncertainty but I needed to get out of the chamber before the overwhelming scent of blood caused more trouble.

"We should go," I said, heading for the doors of the chamber. "If the professors haven't found out already, they'll know we're all missing soon."

"W-Wait!" Ginny called out, grabbing my arm and making me flinch, shoulders hunching up towards my ears.

I suddenly felt disgusting. I'd lost control and attacked someone—strange spirit person or otherwise. I attacked with the full intent of bleeding him dry and still had ink smeared down to my chin. I could still feel my teeth sinking into his shoulder and the ink spilling over my tongue. I swallowed hard, stomach churning at the memory and desperately wishing Ginny would let me go because I wasn't sure how close I was to toppling over the edge and losing all sense of myself.

"I… D-Did I…"

I knew what she was asking, and I didn't want to tell her. Her attacking me while under Tom's control was nothing compared to the damage I could have done.

"It's fine," I muttered, not facing her.

"No. No! If I-I hurt you—"

"You didn't."

"Don't lie!" She shouted angrily. "What is it with Slytherins and their pride?"

That made me whip around with a snarl.

"Don't call me that. I'm not—" I cut myself short, grimacing as I saw her slight fear and lowering my voice as she released me. "I-I'm not like them."

We were silent for a moment before she breathed out an apology.

"I'm sorry."

The words felt wasted on me and I turned away, more than ready to leave and breathe air that wasn't tainted with the iron scent of blood. The other two followed behind me, settled in awkward silence. We reached another tunnel and followed it back to where rocks had caved in, the sound of someone on the other side attempting to move them echoing through the air.

"Who's on the other side?" I asked Harry.

"Um, Ron and Lockhart, except… Well, there was a spell Lockhart tried to do to make us forget that he stole other people's stuff for his books. He used Ron's wand though and… it kind of backfired."

There was a lot packed into the sentence and I rubbed at my face tiredly before calling out.

"Ron, move away from the rocks."

"Huh? Who's that?" He called back.

"It's Sven. Just move. I'll take care of it."

"Sven? Um, if you're sure."

"Do you want me to help?" Harry offered, but I shook my head.

"I'm… stronger than I look."

He hesitated but stepped back with Ginny as I moved forward and lightly pushed at some of the rocks. When I found some that would budge, I reached out and gave them a hard shove. Stone tumbled down as I quickly moved back to avoid it, but a path was cleared out with a few more pushes and the three of us clambered through.

"Ginny!" Ron grinned. "You're alive! I don't believe it! What happened? How—What—Where did that bird come from?" He asked as Fawkes swooped through and circled above us.

"He's Dumbledore's," Harry explained.

"How come you've got a sword?"

Harry glanced at the sword he was still holding, realizing that Ron wasn't about to stop asking questions. "I'll explain when we get out of here."

"But—"

"Ron," I silenced him. "I'd like to get to the infirmary before I pass out."

He winced, seeing now that I wasn't exactly in the best shape, and neither was Harry or even Ginny. Begrudgingly, he stopped questioning what happened and led us to Lockhart, who was only moderately better without his memories. As we eyed the tunnel we'd come through though, we were presented with a problem.

"Have you thought how we're going to get back up this?"

Fawkes flew down and hovered in front of us, tail feathers dangling within reach. Ron seemed to believe we were to grab hold and the bird would pull us out. I wasn't as certain but Harry must have known something I didn't and before I knew it, we were holding onto one another as Fawkes carried us up and out of the pipes. Myrtle was staring at us in shock as the sink we'd come up from shifted to hide the passageway once more.

"You're alive."

"There's no need to sound so disappointed," Harry grumbled, but Myrtle floated up to me as he flicked blood off his glasses.

"If you had died, you'd have been welcome to share my toilet," she offered, shyly as Ron mimed a gagging motion.

"I don't think the Baron would let me leave the dungeon," I countered, expecting that said ghost would haunt me even in death.

"Where do we go now?" Ron asked, and Fawkes flew out to lead the way.

Not knowing what else to do but follow, I trailed along with the others. We stepped into McGonagall's office and a voice immediately cried out for Ginny, who went rushing towards a set of red-headed adults. Her parents, I noted just as Harry and Ron were also grabbed by the couple, leaving me to stand in awkward shame by Lockhart. Dumbledore had returned apparently as well, standing near McGonagall as the woman fought to breathe properly after the shock of us walking in covered in blood and grime.

"You saved her! You saved her! How did you do it?" Mrs. Weasley asked and, having caught her breath, McGonagall cleared her throat.

"I think we'd all like to know that."

Finally released, Harry deposited the sorting hat and the sword on the desk before explaining his side of everything that had happened. It was interesting to find out how they'd come to the conclusion that there was a basilisk in a secret chamber in the Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. Yet, the longer I stood there, the weaker I felt.

My head still ached terribly from Ginny's initial attack, adding to the pain in my jaw from having been gritting my teeth since I first smelled blood hours ago. My wrist was still very much broken as well, hanging limply at my side and I could tell now that I may have bruised my ribs after getting hit by the basilisk tail earlier. It hurt to breathe.

I closed my eyes, taking in a ragged breath of air and wishing I could just curl up in my tent and be alone for a moment. I was beginning to consider Dumbledore's offer now. Harry knew what I was. Luna knew what I was. One of them would tell others and word would get out. I was already being tormented by students and, while things had mildly improved, it was only thanks to my own struggling that people had started to back off. Another year of torture suddenly seemed like too much.

I didn't even register Ginny and her parents being sent to the infirmary, nor McGonagall going to prepare the kitchens for a celebratory feast. The distribution of house points to Harry and Ron fell on deaf ears as well. Then, Ron escorted Lockhart to the infirmary and I was finally drawn from my daze when a hand rested on my shoulder. I jolted, jerking away instinctually only to flinch and shrink under Dumbledore's kind smile.

"Would you like to sit, Sven?" He offered, gesturing to a chair.

I hesitated as he went on.

"I'll give you a drink as well, seeing as you missed dinner earlier."

My eyes caught onto Harry and again, I grimaced, sitting in the chair and only feeling mildly better getting off my feet. Dumbledore hummed as he moved to settle in the chair at the desk and offered Harry one as well.

"Sven, would you mind explaining your side of this tale now?"

I glanced up at him tiredly. "There's not much else to explain."

"Still, I would like to hear from you any differences or experiences Harry did not have to go through."

"I…" I paused, knowing that I was probably in trouble for more than one reason.

Though, I don't even know if I'll be coming back next term anyway…

"I bumped into Ginny a few days ago and she smelled like blood," I explained simply. "I wasn't able to place it at first, but then recognized it after I'd met Hagrid with his rooster. It… didn't make sense to me, so I didn't mention it to anyone. I wished to… ask first. I know how easily rumors can get out of hand."

He nodded and waited patiently for me to continue.

"Then, I… stepped away to take a break in Myrtle's restroom."

"Not the boy's?"

I gave him a bland look. "I've found that others in the restrooms don't care for me and Myrtle's is usually empty."

He hummed as though it were an everyday occurrence and gestured for me to go on.

"She… had this spirit with her. Tom, I guess. He was… dangerous and figured out what I was. I ended up knocked out by Ginny under his control. When I woke up, I was already in the chamber and everything is as Harry said it was."

"I see. So, Harry has discovered what you are then?"

Harry glanced at me, but I refused to look once more. "He really is a…"

"A vampire, yes," Dumbledore replied. "I offered to have him stay at Hogwarts as a way to try and mend the relationship between their kind and wizards. He was very highly recommended by a good friend of mine and has proven himself more than capable of handling far more than I expected."

A hint of disgust rolled through me. For both, his words of praise towards my person after I'd attacked someone, and at how nonchalant he was about the torment I'd been receiving all term.

"But, I thought vampires couldn't be out in the sun and drink blood," Harry said, and Dumbledore looked to me to explain the facts behind my species.

"I can be in the sun, but I am really weak during the day and even worse if I'm in sunlight for too long," I muttered. "I also drink blood."

"Human blood?"

I shook my head, regretting it as my head throbbed, and brought a hand up. "No. No, I wouldn't. I-I can't even stomach the thought… but if left without for too long…"

"Sven is given animal blood during meals," Dumbledore informed him. "While he's cut back quite a bit as to when he first came, he's still getting blood every few days, once or twice a meal. Attacks on students are, of course, prohibited, and only under very rare circumstances would I ever consider his consumption of human blood acceptable while attending Hogwarts. Just having others know of his circumstances is a risk, however. So, I do hope you understand when I say this has to be kept between us, Harry."

Harry looked at me and I glanced at him out of the corner of my eyes, concerned he'd argue the point. "Okay."

That was it. A simple agreement to keep quiet about what I was and I couldn't quite believe it. Luna had been the only one I was certain of, who wouldn't tell a soul. Hermione was nearing that point but Harry was still a new friend and I worried about Ron or the other Gryffindors finding out. Dumbledore was smiling though as if that was the only answer he needed and I knew the subject would be dropped—with or without my concern.

"Ah, here we are."

My eyes snapped to Dumbledore as he stood and brought a goblet with him—the scent of its contents driving me to my feet before he even reached me. I took the cup greedily and tipped it back, soothing the ache that had been persisting all day even as Dumbledore sighed.

"As you can see, Harry, it requires great strength of will to be able to hold back one's own hunger for blood as a vampire. One meal missed, and Sven is forced to fight it the rest of the day until the next opportunity. It is not an easy task and I regrettably feel responsible for the suffering he's been forced to go through while here at Hogwarts. As headmaster, I can put rules in place and attempt to have professors enforce those rules, but I cannot be witness to everything and today was one of those unfortunate times where I feel I have to apologize, Sven."

The goblet was lowered hesitantly as he bowed deeply to me, startling me.

"I am so sorry that in my absence you were forced to this point of hunger and fear, and that while I've been here, that you have been tormented relentlessly by your peers."

I wasn't sure how to take this apology, because that's all it really was. His words wouldn't stop anything more from happening. They were just that. Just words. Words of regret—that despite his power and his position, he would still be unable to help me and I was going to be on my own. So, I put the goblet down—now empty of all its contents—and hummed.

"Okay."

He rose from his bow, eyes saddened by his powerlessness and my single word acceptance to his apology. "Despite what you are, you are still a child and I am responsible for you while you are here. I do hope that you consider returning next term, despite your grievances."

"You're not coming back?" Harry questioned, making me glance away.

"I… don't know yet."

"But you're like… like representing everyone, aren't you? All the vampires."

Bitterness crept up on me like a poison and I turned away.

"That doesn't matter. Not to me."

"But—"

"They didn't want me, Harry!" I finally shouted, raising my voice for the first time in a long while. "Nobody did! Not wizards, not vampires, no one! I have no one, Harry, and I'd much rather be out there in my tent surviving on my own without having to run and hide and fight every day just to learn a bit of magic! So, why should I come back! There is nothing here worth coming back for, especially if it means I'm stuck being attacked for not even doing anything except existing!"

"I'm here!" Harry roared in return, hands shaking at his sides. "Aren't we friends! Hermione too! And Luna! All the ghosts and Fred and George! Ron and maybe even Ginny too! We're here with you and if someone tries something, then we'll stop them!"

I was a little taken aback by this declaration, uncertain as to the truth of it, but the look in his eyes made me think that perhaps it might not be so bad. If I returned, stronger and smarter than ever, with actual friends beside me then maybe…

Dumbledore cleared his throat then, turning attention back to him as he offered us both a soft smile. "As wonderful as this conversation is, I do believe you need some rest and food as well. Sven, be sure to get your wrist looked at properly. No hiding it from Madam Pomfrey."

I glanced away awkwardly at that.

"Now, hurry along. Someone will fetch you when the feast is prepared… Oh, and Sven?"

I paused in the doorway as he smiled.

"Five points to Slytherin for your resilience when faced with all your hardships. I'd offer more except I'm sure you'd rather your house lose some of that pride it's built up thus far."

I cracked the smallest hint of a smile at that and walked out to the infirmary, forced again to think as to whether I would return next term or abandon what few friends I'd somehow ended up with.