Figured I might as well dump this out too. Not as long as it could be but the end of the book didn't have much left. "Order of the Pheonix" is next and I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do with Sven yet, so updates on this might be a bit slower. Doesn't help I've got a new OC idea in my head for HP either. But hope you enjoy!

I was released once we were safely in Dumbledore's office; Lupin and Sirius eyeing me uneasily and in worry. My face hurt, stinging from the gash across it that had crusted over with dirt and blood. My back ached from whatever spell Voldemort had thrown when we were leaving, and I still couldn't stop thinking about it. My hands tangled in my hair as I paced like a caged animal back and forth in front of Dumbledore's desk, eyes pinched shut and trying to fall back on those tricks I'd been taught to deal with my hunger. But it wasn't working.

I couldn't quiet my thoughts when I could still smell blood. Sirius or Lupin had touched Harry and I could smell blood on them as well as what still coated my own clothes. I brought one of my hands down and bit harshly into the meat of my thumb, not caring at the taste of my own blood against my tongue when Bellatrix's still coated it. It was a far different experience than what I'd had so far with animal blood. It was like only eating bread your whole life, then having someone present you with a five-star meal for the first time. The taste lingered and made me physically ache for more.

No amount of animal blood would stop this now. I didn't have to be told that to know. The thought of having chicken blood or deer blood instead made me feel sick. I was honestly surprised I hadn't thrown up yet and the longer I thought about Bellatrix's lifeless eyes and pale skin drained of life and blood, the more I felt like I was going to. Like I should.

"Sven?" Lupin called quietly when I finally stopped pacing and braced myself on Dumbledore's desk, my other hand still in my mouth slowly dripping blood onto the wood. "Do you need me to get… to ask Madam Pomfrey for…"

"It won't help," I breathed, not knowing if I'd said it loud enough for him to hear and not really caring. "Nothing will help."

I sagged against the desk, my previous energy having faded and pain settling in alongside my dark thoughts. Lupin hurried forward, grabbing my arm to hold me up but I pawed weakly at him to let me go.

"S-Stop. Just… Just leave me alone."

"Sven, I'm just trying to help."

"I don't need your help!" I snapped, sinking to the ground as he slowly let me go, and grabbing at my head once more. "I-I don't… I can't… I-I just need people t-to leave me alone… I-I-I don't want to… I can't forgive myself if I…"

Lupin took a step back before the door opened and I stiffened. Dumbledore was back with Harry, who was soon settled into a chair as Dumbledore eyed me briefly. I had clenched my eyes shut once more, hands digging into my scalp, doing everything to keep from focusing on even more blood being added to the room. If Dumbledore noticed, he said nothing, simply settling behind his desk and questioning Harry.

"What happened? I need to know what happened after you touched the Portkey in the maze, Harry, Sven."

I was fighting to breathe through my mouth and knew I wouldn't be speaking anytime soon. Sirius though attempted to save us both the trouble.

"We can leave that till morning, can't we, Dumbledore? Let them sleep. Let them rest."

Yet, Dumbledore persisted. "If I thought I could help you both by putting you into an enchanted sleep and allowing you to postpone the moment when you would have to think about what has happened tonight, I would do it. But I know better. Numbing the pain for a while will make it worse when you finally feel it. You have shown bravery beyond anything I could have expected of you. I ask you to demonstrate your courage one more time. I ask you to tell us what happened."

There was a soft call from the phoenix who'd flown over to Harry, seeming to give him courage before he explained what had happened. He mentioned us agreeing to take the cup together, having been waiting for Moody with no sign of him showing up. How I did my best to defend him from Bellatrix before Voldemort was revived. Sirius made as though he was going to interrupt, but Lupin kept him quiet as Harry went on. Harry couldn't stop or he might not start again. When he mentioned being cut by the dagger though, the atmosphere in the room changed.

Dumbledore snapped to his feet, Sirius swore and Lupin had to grab a firm hold of him as Dumbledore demanded Harry show him his arm. Having the wound out in the open just made me curl further into myself as Harry attempted to explain.

"He said my blood would make him stronger than if he'd used someone else's. He said the protection my mother left in me, he'd have it too. And he was right. He could touch me without hurting himself, he touched my face."

Dumbledore hummed, sounding tired as he started to move back to his desk. "Very well. Voldemort has overcome that particular barrier. Harry, continue, please. Remus, if you wouldn't mind getting something for Sven from Madam Pomfrey."

He didn't argue and I heard Sirius shift closer to Harry before he continued. He explained the speech Voldemort gave his followers, the duel they'd had, and the odd occurrence of their wands connecting.

"Priori Incantatem," Dumbledore called it.

"The Reverse Spell effect?"

"Exactly. Harry's wand and Voldemort's wand share cores. Each of them contains a feather from the tail of the same phoenix. This phoenix, in fact."

Harry stared at Fawkes in amazement as I peered at the bird through my arms. The thought of wands with the same core causing such a reaction was something interesting enough to draw my attention, though it didn't last as my gaze was quick to turn to Harry's sleeve covering his arm. I wasn't able to focus on their discussion of ghosts as the scent permeated my nose, then, Harry's eyes caught mine. There was a hint of unease in them, a bit of fear, then I realized they were all looking at me.

Dumbledore had risen once more to come around his desk and see me. Lupin had returned with blood—deer, my mind idly supplied—and Sirius was standing by Harry looking uncertain. I hadn't heard what was said, and I forced myself to loosen the hold I had on my head and turn away from Harry to peer up at Dumbledore uneasily.

"Sven, would you like to explain your side of things now?" He asked, watching me calmly. "Harry has mentioned something may have occurred that you should explain yourself."

He didn't tell them… I idly noted, glancing once more at Harry before closing my eyes and pressing my forehead to my knees for a moment. Something lightly touched my arm and I peered back up to see the vial Lupin had brought being offered. I eyed it for a moment before hesitantly taking it. I downed the vial and only just resisted a grimace. It did nothing to stop the scent of blood emanating from Harry from smelling way more appetizing. I needed to speak though. The longer I put it off, the harder it was going to be for me to tell them.

"I-I… I was caught as Harry said. He was going to kill me but I defended myself, tried to get us back to the cup until that woman, Bellatrix, caught me. I keep a dagger on me and was trying to cut through the ropes. I thought… I thought I could escape, grab Harry and run, but then more of them showed up. I wanted to help but we couldn't get away like that…" I glanced at Harry apologetically, having wanted to do something earlier on but not being strong enough or having the skills to. I lowered my gaze then, hands tightening on my knees. "I had to wait for a chance. Voldemort knew what I was. He asked me to join him and when I refused he left me to Bellatrix. He and Harry started dueling and Voldemort threatened me to drag him out. When their wands connected it was my only chance. I… I had no other choice. I-I didn't… I couldn't get out of the bonds and her grip without her stopping me. I-I had to…"

It was a struggle to get the words out. Just the thought of what I'd done to her brought my bitten hand back up to my mouth. They waited patiently though; silent and uncertain.

"I-I killed her," I choked out, shaking once more and grabbing at my hair. "I-I turned around and bit her. I didn't know what else to do. S-She was going to torture me a-and Harry was in trouble. I couldn't stop her wand unless I was cut free but she had me in a chokehold and a-all I could do was turn around a-and—"

They were all silent as I curled into myself, trying to hide away from them and not look at whatever expressions of shame or disappointment they had. Finally, Dumbledore spoke up.

"Sven, raise your head," he said, though I curled even tighter. "Sven, no one here is upset with you. No one is disappointed or frightened."

"—lying," I murmured.

"I am not lying to you," he pressed, his hand resting lightly on my shoulder as he knelt by my side. "Sven, you defended yourself in the only way you could, and through all of that, your only thoughts were how to save yourself and save Harry, and that is a commendable feat."

"I killed someone."

"Yes, and I'm terribly sorry it came down to that, but if it's anyone's fault, it is mine for not taking action against Barty Crouch Jr. sooner."

That caught my attention and I lifted my head.

"Crouch?"

He nodded, giving Harry a look as well as he explained. "Snape and myself took care of who we all assumed was Alastor Moody, however, it was Crouch's son—an avid follower of Voldemort—under the guise of a polyjuice potion. The actual man was under a curse and locked in a trunk. He's been released into Madam Pomfrey's care and Minerva, Professor McGonagall, is guarding Barty Crouch Jr. until the Minister can deal with him. Should I have taken action sooner, this could have all been avoided and you, in particular, Sven, would have been saved a lot of pain. For that, I apologize." He gave my shoulder a squeeze. "However, what you did to Bellatrix is understandable. It is not ideal, but it is the outcome of this that we will have to deal with."

"H-He knew what I was," I reminded him. "The Death Eaters… There were parents o-of Slytherin there. They found out what I am."

"And we will take care of that," he pressed. "The fortunate thing is, they learned this at a meeting of Death Eaters and, unfortunately, despite two witnesses, I doubt the Ministry will act against them. This means, though, that revealing your secret to others would incriminate them. We can come up with something should word get out. The bigger issue we need to deal with is how to handle this change with you going forward. You're struggling, as we're all seeing. The blood did nothing, I assume?"

I looked away, shamefully, and shook my head.

"Yes, I assumed not. I will have to get into contact with Cain or one of the elder vampires, though I doubt they will cooperate given their relationship with Voldemort. I will look into getting a source of human blood for you later. As much as you refused it before, we have no other choice now."

"Sorry," I murmured, but he shook his head and stood once more.

"Do not apologize for acting in defense of your friends. I fear this would've been inevitable either way, though I do wish things had occurred in a more favorable manner. Still, I will say it again to you both. You have shown bravery beyond anything I could have expected of you tonight. You have shown bravery equal to those who died fighting Voldemort at the height of his powers. You have shouldered a grown wizard's burden and found yourself equal to it, and you have now given us all we have a right to expect. You will both come with me to the hospital wing. I do not want you returning to the dormitory or anywhere else tonight. A Sleeping Potion, and some peace. Sirius, Remus, would you like to stay with them?"

Sirius nodded and stood as Lupin approached and offered me a hand. I hesitated once more, but soon accepted it, cringing as the action pulled on my injuries until Lupin steadied me. The action felt kind and it took everything in me to hold back my emotions. I feared even emotions of relief would just allow my mind the freedom to turn attention back to the scent of blood following us. We reached the infirmary where Dumbledore had to stop Molly Weasley and our friends from clinging to Harry and demanding answers. Madam Pomfrey gave me a glance as well and I turned shamefully away as Dumbledore addressed her too.

"If you could provide the bag that we had for him in emergencies please, I'm sure he would appreciate it."

She nodded and scuttled off while Dumbledore gestured to the beds awaiting us, letting us know that Harry at least would have to stay until tomorrow. I was allowed to return home as soon as I felt ready to move given the unknown nature of my newest problem. Harry was the first to spot Moody on a bed in the distance and while a trill of unease went through me at the sight of the man who'd tormented me all year, it wasn't near as bad as it had been when it was Barty Crouch Jr. in disguise.

Harry was given privacy to change while the others gathered around him—Lupin and Sirius between his bed and mine as the curtains were pulled shut for me as well. Madam Pomfrey sighed softly, offering a goblet that smelled tantalizingly sweet. My hands were reaching for it quickly but I held back on drinking. It felt wrong to want human blood so eagerly. I didn't even know how they got this or where it came from. Who it may have been from and how willingly they'd given it knowing it would be for a vampire. Or if they were even told. My jaw ached and my hands clenched tightly around it, but I just stared at the deep red liquid in guilt until Madam Pomfrey spoke.

"It's from the Headmaster himself," she said solemnly, drawing my uneasy gaze to hers. "He offered to give blood for you should anything happen. Drink."

I begrudgingly did, downing the goblet quickly and feeling a hint of that hunger from earlier fade. The relief was so sudden and immediate that I bowed over the goblet and shuddered, tears falling into it as I finally couldn't hold it in anymore. Madam Pomfrey said nothing other than asking me to remove my robes so she could work on healing my back, and then lightly took the goblet as I calmed and changed to the offered pajamas. She wiped the tears from my face as she cleaned up the gash sliced across it. Still, she held her tongue and worked in silence, healing it as much as she could for the moment.

"It may scar, dear," she finally muttered, checking it over once more. "It will need another round of healing in the morning as will the one on your back. I am sorry I cannot do more for you."

It felt wrong to have no one upset with me for what happened. For no one to be frightened or disgusted. I wondered how the others will act once they know. If Ginny will keep her distance; if Hermione and Ron would cower with Harry; if Luna would take back everything she'd said and hide among the other students. The thought made me want to run back to the coven and hide from everyone who'd once been close. Not knowing the nature of being a human-drinking vampire made me worry about how easy it would be to lose control and hurt them. I'd already tried to bite Harry in my daze. Who else would fall? Who else would I hurt or try to hurt? What could I possibly do when I couldn't even control myself before this?

These thoughts and more ran rampant through my mind. I kept the curtains closed, afraid to face the others and knowing they weren't here for me. I curled under my blankets with my back facing them until Madam Pomfrey brought one more goblet of dreamless sleep. It was the only reason I rested that night and would continue to be the only reason for some nights to come.

Harry woke up the next morning still feeling very sleepy until he heard arguing voices and hushed whispering. Mrs. Weasley and Bill were muttering to themselves about people waking him up and he sat up and put his glasses on when he heard the infirmary doors burst open. Bill opened the screens and Harry could see past him that McGonagall and Snape were rushing up behind Fudge as he stormed forward and spoke to Mrs. Weasley.

"Where's Dumbledore?"

"He's not here," she bit out. "This is a hospital wing. Minister, don't you think you'd do better to—"

Dumbledore was quick to enter then though, someone walking in with him that Harry had never seen before. He couldn't make out his features or appearance with the hooded cloak he wore, but something about the dark figure sent a shiver down his spine.

"What has happened?" Dumbledore asked calmly, shooting a scolding look at Fudge. "Why are you disturbing these people? Minerva, I'm surprised at you. I asked you to stand guard over Barty Crouch—"

"There is no need to stand guard over him anymore, Dumbledore!" She shouted. "The Minister has seen to that!"

Harry was surprised she was yelling. Even when students acted up in class, she never rose her voice and she was trembling with barely-controlled rage right now. What happened? Snape was the one to explain.

"When we told Mr. Fudge that we had caught the Death Eater responsible for tonight's events, he seemed to feel his personal safety was in question. He insisted on summoning a dementor to accompany him into the castle. He brought it up to the office where Bary Crouch—"

"I told him you would not agree, Dumbledore!" McGonagall snapped. "I told him you would never allow dementors to set foot inside the castle, but—"

"My dear woman!" Fudge shouted, looking just as angry as she was. "As Minister of Magic, it is my decision whether I wish to bring protection with me when interviewing a possibly dangerous—"

McGonagall shouted over him though, sending a tendril of fear roll through Harry as she tried to explain that a dementor had been used to kill Barty Crouch Jr. While Fudge did not see any harm in this, Dumbeldore did.

"But he cannot now give testimony, Cornelius. He cannot give evidence about why he killed those people."

"Why he killed them? Well, that's no mystery, is it?" Fudge huffed, not bothering to look at the obvious. "He was a raving lunatic! From what Minerva and Severus have told me, he seems to have thought he was doing it all on You-Know-Who's instructions!"

"Lord Voldemort was giving him instructions, Cornelius," Dumbeldore pressed. "Those people's deaths were mere by-products of a plan to restore Voldemort to full strength again. The plan succeeded. Voldemort has been restored to his body."

Fudge looked dumbfounded, sputtering, and unable to comprehend the weight of what was just thrown at him. Dumbledore remained calm and explained a few of the things he'd been told by Harry and Sven the previous evening and offered to discuss it in his office when he spotted Harry watching him.

"I am afraid I cannot permit you to question Harry tonight."

Fudge also glanced at Harry. "You are, uh, prepared to take Harry's word on this, are you Dumbledore?"

Sirius growled, taking a step forward but was grabbed by Lupin who muttered something in his ear to keep him quiet as Dumbledore stared back at him, eyes blazing.

"Certainly, I believe Harry. I heard Crouch's confession, and I heard Harry and Sven's account of what happened after they touched the Triwizard Cup; the stories make sense, they explain everything that has happened since Bertha Jorkins disappeared last summer."

Fudge had a strange smirk on his face now. "You are prepared to believe that Lord Voldemort has returned, on the word of a lunatic murderer, a child of a monster, and a boy who… well…"

"You've been reading Rita Skeeter, Mr. Fudge," Harry said, startling the other adults in the room who hadn't noticed he was awake.

Fudge flushed but huffed. "And if I have? If I have discovered that you've been keeping certain facts about the boy very quiet? A Parselmouth, eh? And having funny turns all over the place—"

"I assume that you are referring to the pains Harry has been experiencing in his scar?" Dumbledore said coldly.

"You admit that he has been having these pains, then? Headaches? Nightmares? Possibly hallucinations?"

Dumbledore took a frightening step toward him. "Listen to me, Cornelius. Harry is as sane as you or I. That scar upon his forehead has not addled his brains. I believe it hurts him when Lord Voldemort is close by, or feeling particularly murderous."

"You'll forgive me, Dumbledore, but I've never heard of a curse scar acting as an alarm bell before." Fudge argued and Harry finally shouted.

"Look, I saw Voldemort come back! I saw the Death Eaters! I can give you their names!"

Fudge argued every one he named and even with McGonagall backing him up, Fudge continued to pretend that the obvious threat wasn't hovering over them all. That Voldemort wasn't back at all and it was the imagination of Harry, Sven, and a lunatic. Dumbledore pressed on though, urging the Minister to take action.

"Voldemort has returned. If you accept that fact straightaway, Fudge, and take the necessary measures, we may still be able to save the situation. The first and most essential step is to remove Azkaban from the control of the dementors—"

"Preposterous! Remove the dementors? I'd be kicked out of office for suggesting it! Half of us only feel safe in our beds at night because we know the dementors are standing guard at Azkaban!" Fudge argued.

"The rest of us sleep less soundly in our beds, Cornelius, knowing that you have put Lord Voldemort's most dangerous supporters in the care of creatures who will join him the instant he asks them!" Dumbledore snapped in return. "They will not remain loyal to you, Fudge! Voldemort can offer them much more scope for their powers and their pleasures than you can! With the dementors behind him, and his old supporters returned to him, you will be hard-pressed to stop him regaining the sort of power he had thirteen years ago!"

Fudge just stood there, unable to say anything as his mouth stayed open in shocking disbelief.

"The second step you must take—and at once—is to send envoys to the giants and the vampires."

"Envoys to the giants and vampires? What madness is this!"

"Extend them the hand of friendship, now, before it is too late," Dumbledore urged, "or Voldemort will persuade them, as he did before, that he alone among wizards will give them their rights and their freedom!"

"Y-You cannot be serious! If the magical community got wind that I had approached the giants and the vampires—people hate them, Dumbledore—end of my career—"

"You are blinded, by the love of the office you hold, Cornelius!" Dumbledore bellowed. "You place too much importance, and you always have done, on the so-called purity of blood! You fail to recognize that it matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be! Your dementor has just destroyed the last remaining member of a pure-blood family as old as any, and see what that man chose to make of his life! We agreed to take Sven in because of his ability to bring peace between his kind and ours! To prevent this from happening again!"

"And he's gone and done exactly what I said would happen!" Fudge argued, swinging an arm towards Sven's own bed where the boy sat quietly, watching everything with the most solemn gaze Harry had ever seen on his face. "He murdered someone just like all the rest! Tore them apart like an animal and—"

"He did it to save me!" Harry shouted back, barely resisting the urge to get to his feet and defend his friend.

Because in the end, whatever Sven was, he'd done it to help him get away from Voldemort. Harry wasn't about to let someone like Fudge make him feel like what he did was the act of a monster.

"Sven did what he did to protect me! How can you blame him for that after you just killed someone equally as bad for nothing more than your own selfish protection?"

Fudge flushed at that, but the others in the room looked almost proud of him. Dumbledore himself had calmed and before Fudge could say anything further, drew his attention once more.

"I tell you now, take the steps I have suggested and you will be remembered, in office or out, as one of the bravest and greatest Ministers of Magic we have ever known. Fail to act, and history will remember you as the man who stepped aside and allowed Voldemort a second chance to destroy the world we have tried to rebuild."

"Insane. Mad," Fudge whispered as Sirius placed a hand on Harry's shoulder with a small smile.

"If your determination to shut your eyes will carry you as far as this, Cornelius," Dumbledore went on, "we have reached a parting of the ways. You must act as you see fit. And I… I shall act as I see fit."

It wasn't a threat, but Fudge certainly treated it like one.

"Now, see here, Dumbledore. I've given you free rein, always. I've had a lot of respect for you. I might not have agreed with some of your decisions, but I've kept quiet. There aren't many who'd have let you hire werewolves, or keep Hagrid, or decide what to teach your students without reference to the Ministry, o-or keep some vampire in with the rest of the students… but if you're going to work against me—"

"The only one against whom I intend to work is Lord Voldemort. If you are against him, then we remain, Cornelius, on the same side," Dumbledore pressed, and Fudge was silent for a minute before wringing his bowler hat in his hands.

"He can't be back, Dumbledore, he just can't be…"

Snape stepped forward, surprisingly enough, and showed Fudge the Dark Mark etched into his forearm, making the Minister recoil. "There. The Dark Mark. It is not as clear as it was an hour or so ago, when it burned black, but you can still see it. Every Death Eater had the sign burned into him by the Dark Lord. It was a means of distinguishing one another, and his means of summoning us to him. When he touched the Mark of any Death Eater, we were to Disapparate, and Apparate, instantly, at his side. This Mark has been growing clearer all year. Karkaroff's too. Why do you think Karkaroff fled tonight? We both felt the Mark burn. We both knew he had returned. Karkaroff fears the Dark Lord's vengeance. He betrayed too many of his fellow Death Eaters to be sure of a welcome back into the fold."

Fudge shook his head, refusing to even listen before looking at Dumbledore. "I don't know what you and your staff are playing at, Dumbledore, but I have heard enough. I have no more to add. I will be in touch with you tomorrow, Dumbledore, to discuss the running of this school. I must return to the Ministry." He went for the door but paused before heading over to Harry and dropping a bag of gold onto the bedside table. "Your winnings. One thousand Galleons. There should have been a presentation ceremony but under the circumstances… Do with it what you wish. I won't be handing anything over to that thing."

Harry bristled but Sirius's grip on his shoulder tightening in his own rage helped keep Harry quiet as the man left the room. It was then that Harry realized something as Dumbledore turned to Mrs. Weasley.

"There is work to be done. Molly, am I right in thinking that I can count on you and Arthur? As well as to keep this secret about Sven quiet?"

The Weasleys hadn't known what Sven was. Harry glanced at the boy who held his hands in his lap silently, head bowed.

"Of course, you can," Mrs. Weasley said though, looking pale and slightly uncertain but holding confidence in her words. "We know what Fudge is. It's Arthur's fondness for Muggles that has held him back at the Ministry all these years. Fudge thinks he lacks proper wizarding pride, and… Well, Harry said it best. If that boy helped save him, then he's not like the others. I will keep his secret safe."

"Then, I need to send a message to Arthur. All those that we can persuade of the truth must be notified immediately, and he is well placed to contact those at the Ministry who are not as shortsighted as Cornelius."

Bill stood. "I'll go to dad. I'll go now."

"Excellent. Tell him what has happened. Tell him I will be in direct contact with him shortly. He will need to be discreet, however. If Fudge thinks I am interfering at the Ministry—"

"Leave it to me," he said with a nod, patting Harry and giving his mother a kiss on the cheek before hurrying from the room as well.

"Minerva, I want to see Hagrid in my office as soon as possible. Also, if she will consent to come, Madame Maxime." He took a breath then. "Now, it is time to explain things. This is Cain Newark," Dumbledore introduced as the previously forgotten cloaked figure stepped forward and lowered his hood.

Instantly, a number of people in the room stiffened. Mrs. Weasley out of concern at the vampire in the room, but Lupin and Sirius in hesitation.

"Cain is a vampire I trust to take care of Sven over the summer. Given Sven has unfortunately been forced to take the life of someone and drink human blood, I felt an expert would be best to handle what may come up."

"The first month is the hardest for a newly adjusting vampire," Cain said, his voice sending a shiver up Harry's spine.

The man felt cold, indifferent almost. Very much different from socially awkward Sven.

"I trust you will attempt to speak with the elders as well?" Dumbledore asked, getting a shrug from Cain as he pulled out a cigarette only for Madam Pomfrey to clear her throat.

He gave her a glance but begrudgingly put it away once more. "They won't listen but a chance will be offered."

"That is all I ask. Sirius, Remus, I need you to set off at once. You are to alert Figg, Mundungus Fletcher—the old crowd. Lie low at Grimmauld Place. I will contact you there."

Sirius nodded giving Harry a fond smile before he and Lupin headed off. Dumbledore gave instructions to Snape as well before leaving himself to make preparations. This left Harry, Mrs. Weasley, Ron, and Hermione alone with Sven and Cain. Cain headed over to Sven's bed and muttered something to him quietly, but Harry spoke up.

"Are you leaving too?"

Cain glanced back at Harry but moved aside so Sven could be seen, slowly nodding his head.

"It's not safe for me to… to stay. I… I'm sorry for what happened. I-I'd do anything to…"

Harry knew what he meant and seeing how downtrodden he'd become, Harry knew he had to say something. "Sven, I don't blame you for what happened. I'm not scared of you or anything either. I just… Thanks, I guess. Without you, I… I don't know what would've happened and vampire or whatever… Well, you're our friend."

Sven's shoulders hunched though. "I-I killed someone."

"Yeah," Ron piped up bluntly but also looking unbothered. "But she was tryin' ta kill ya, wasn't she?"

"Ronald!" Mrs. Weasly scolded.

"What? I'm just saying that he had no choice. Long as he doesn't go around biting whoever, I don't see what the problem is."

Hermione sighed and rolled her eyes before looking back at Sven. "What he's saying is, we're still friends, Sven. We're… We're sorry about what you had to do, but we're not going to stop being your friends just because you lost control for a minute."

"He won't be biting whoever though, right?" Ron asked, yelping when the back of his head was smacked by his mother.

"As I said," Cain spoke up with a sigh, "the first month is tricky but afterward he should be fine. This is why I told you it'd be easier if you switched to human blood before."

Sven muttered something under his breath about not hurting people before Cain sighed and pulled out a pocket watch.

"We need to go if we're to leave in time to meet with the elders."

"Wait," Hermione called out, making Cain stop pulling the curtains closed so Sven could change. "Does… I mean, does Luna know that you're…"

Sven nodded, glancing at her uneasily.

"Do you want me to tell her about… about this?" Hermione asked, seeing Sven look uneasily away. "Because I don't think she'll be upset, Sven. I really think that she… that she likes you enough to… well…"

Sven was quiet for a moment before taking a breath and letting it out. "I'll tell her."

Hermione nodded and Harry tossed the bag of gold towards Cain, who grabbed it deftly. Sven looked surprised but Harry smiled.

"Take half. We tied, remember? You deserve it."

Cain sighed, dug out half, and put it into another small pouch before tossing it back to Harry and pulling the curtains closed. Once Sven was dressed and ready to go, the trio said their goodbyes, and the vampires walked out, leaving Harry to drink the rest of his sleeping potion and hope the next term would bring something better to think about than Voldemort's inevitable return.