Caz231163 - here's... more? Haha

Guest - I'm sorry you feel that way... Might I suggest simply not reading this fic if it distresses you so?

You - 'I feel like there's more to say during the getting together than when the couple is together' could you clarify that? I'm kinda confused. And wrt Harry's immortality, it's tied in to later plot points but you will get an answer eventually.

-YDHP-

Harry swallowed thickly, faced with a room full of people all staring expectantly at him. It was rather terrifying.

"Well, we all know why we're here."

Nobody moved. Hardly anyone even blinked.

"Ok. So... You're here because you want to learn Defense. Actual Defense, not theory of wand movement for two weeks at a time" there were a few little titters "and, well, the Ministry doesn't want us to."

"Prove it."

Harry cocked his head, identifying the student who called out as Ravenclaw but he didnt know her name. Vlad stepped up then, having been quietly at Harry's side until then.

"The Ministry has supplied our teacher two years running. Last year it was an Auror. Now we have someone who starts every class with 'wands away'. Some reticence is to be understood, but you wouldn't have come if you didn't agree on some level. Back to you Harry."

"Thanks Vlad. As my friend says, it's clear their attitude is shifting. And, well, I can't stand idly by and allow that. Not with Voldemort" calling him Riddle made little sense here "out there."

"But you-know-who can't get into Hogwarts!"

Harry took in a deep breath, looking up with a more sombre expression.

"I wish we could guarantee that, but let's not forget Voldemort has been on these grounds before. Maybe not in the flesh, but through various other methods. Vlad was entered into the Triwizard Tournament on his command, just to stage an elaborate kidnap. Death Eaters have walked these halls. This madman is dangerous, and nobody should fear they can't defend themselves against him or his followers."

"And that's forgetting... do you plan to stay at Hogwarts forever?"

Vlad supplemented, and everyone seemed to start to get the severity of their message. Hermione stepped up then, holding up a sheet of paper pointedly. Harry nodded, turning back.

"Nobody is obligated to sign this, but you won't be permitted to stay if you don't."

"Why not?"

Was parroted back at him several times, Vlad taking the tough question again.

"Because that signature is a promise that your house colours don't matter here, and that you won't tell anyone what we do here."

That comment was aimed in particular at the half a dozen students stood near Vlad, five of whom sported green. Ingrid, Blaise, Theo, Jacob and Jason plus Paul Yates were in attendance, though Paul's friendship with Jacob was likely the more surprising aspect of that. Vlad was publicly on friendly or familial terms with everyone else there

There was some hesitation as Harry, Vlad and Ingrid all signed it first; Harry's handwriting looked impossibly messy above the elegant Dracula looping script. Hermione, Draco and the Weasley twins walked up next, but several students still deliberated.

"If you're worried, ask yourself. Are we really going to leave that lying around? Hermione and Draco are prefects and Cedric is Head Boy."

The quieter presence of Hufflepuff students had almost gone unnoticed, but when several students turned around to see Cedric Diggory with his HB badge stood there, the grumbling greatly lessened. Particularly when he stepped up next with a jovial

"I'll sign it."

Eventually, everyone signed it. Hermione whisked it away as soon as the ink dried, and everyone turned back to Harry expectantly.

"Right. So... in order to gauge everyone's current level, you should pair up and practice disarming and shield charms. One uses Expelliarmus, the other Protego. Students fourth year and below pair up with each other. It's not a measure of your skill, merely concern for uneven magical growth spurts."

"Disarming charm? Seriously?"

"If it's not good enough for you Smith, you can go."

Smith didn't move.

Harry didn't take it personally that Vlad wouldn't pair up with him - Vlad couldn't raise a wand to Harry and already said he didn't want to risk wild magical bursts as he came close to majority. Ingrid lingered back with him on the basis that nobody there presented a challenge to her.

Starting with basics was a good idea - there was a lot of shoddy spellwork around the room. Several students were failing to disarm even their friends who couldn't hold a shield charm. Harry called time after ten minutes of scrambling for wands and stumbling steps, turning to where Vlad and Ingrid were quietly observing.

"Vlad, Ingrid. Would you mind doing a demonstration of correct wand technique?"

"We can do that. Ingrid, care to disarm me?"

His sister smirked, drawing her wand elegantly along with the attentions of most males in the room.

"Do I need an excuse to hex you?"

"I'd let her hex me."

"Heard that."

Fred Weasley grinned cheekily, knowing full well Ingrid could have heard him in a crowded and noisy room. The two Dracula siblings even went to the extent of bowing and taking steps back for standard duelling distance, ensuring everyone could see the way they held their wands. Neither were in the habit of speaking their incantations, but their magical abilities were so similar that they couldn't have done the demonstration silently.

"Expelliarmus!"

"Protego!"

Their timing was flawless - Vlad's shield charm came up just in time to keep his wand in hand, catching Ingrid's with dexterity as the spell rebounded and took her wand away. He held it back out, handle first, then turned to Harry.

"Good eniugh?"

"Yep. Thanks. See the way they didn't flourish too much? You're aiming for the wand, but it only needs to be pointed at the opponent, and the circle you make should be tight. Protego needs more focus on repelling, but absorbing will do too in a pinch. Back in your pairs and try again."

Harry didn't know what was more surreal - ordering a room of fellow students around, or watching them silently and obediently follow his direction. Vlad smiled encouragingly at him, but he went back to discussing the fact two of the students in the room (other than Vlad) were Marked. It meant Vlad needed to come up with a way to explain himself to Riddle for helping train people in defense. That was another reason he hung back slightly.

There was some visible improvement in the room. Watching George duel Ginny was a little frightening - both young girls were frighteningly powerful for their ages. They accidentally knocked each other on their backsides more than once.

"Ok, that'll do for tonight."

"When's the next one?"

Harry looked around the room, humming to himself in thought.

"Here."

Hermione stepped forward with a basket full of galleons, confusing everyone greatly. Harry tilted his head, examining them better and seeing a glow of magic thrumming around each one.

"Um ok? Want to explain Hermione?"

"These coins have a charm on. Normally these numbers tell you which goblin cast the coin, but Harry's one is adjustable - he sets a date and time, and each of yours will change to match."

"What charm did you use?"

Hermione looked over to see a Ravenclaw quizzing her.

"A Proteus charm?"

"But... that's NEWT level isn't it?"

Hermione flushed, shrugging shyly.

"I suppose so. Everyone take one. It will grow warm when the date is changed, but I thought even if you get your pockets searched" that comment was aimed at the Weasley twins, who held their hands up in surrender immediately "carrying a coin isn't suspicious."

To ensure nobody tried to take two - they were incredibly realistic - Hermione physically handed each member their coin until everyone had one.

"Did you do these just now?"

Vlad quizzed as he took his, placing it in the inside pocket of his robes.

"Yep. I had the fake coins ready, but I didn't know how many I would need until now."

"Impressive magic."

She smiled, handing one to each Slytherin student too. There was a mix of easy camaraderie and wary resistance in the room for the snakes, those friends with Vlad, Harry or Ingrid blending them in but those less well-known kept to themselves.

They had no idea Harry was a snake in both blood and in species.

Harry watched everyone back to their dorms on the Marauders Map, leaving only Hermione and Draco alongside Vlad and Harry.

"Ok, spill. This parchment is charmed."

Vlad held up the membership list, and now he knew to look Harry saw tendrils of magic lick at every stripe of ink that had been swept over the page.

"Yes?"

"What's the spell? I can't identify it and it's bothering me."

"Oh, at last! Hermione, you've stumped Vlad. We must mark this momentous occasion!"

Vlad growled in Draco's direction, and the sound had its usual distracting effect on Harry.

"Remember cure-breed, you can't hurt me anymore."

Draco mock-frowned, then stuck his tongue out.

"Spoilsport."

"Leave him alone Draco. We better get going. You two can... clean up."

The two left, and Vlad blinked in surprise.

"Was it something I said?"

"No. I think it was probably to do with Hermione noticing me undressing you with my eyes."

"Lucifer, I'm glad the room can't affect my clothes. That would have been awkward."

Harry tipped his head, focusing on the magic of the room he was beginning to see more clearly now it was near empty. Vlad's chuckle suggested his idea had probably worked.

"Oh look. A convenient bed."

"This is not what the Room is for. Not that I'm complaining."

Vlad was grinning as Harry backed him up toward the bed, reaching out to pull Harry down with him.

"Didn't think you would."

"There will be no need to talk!"

Vlad cringed at her voice, but he was grinning to himself as Umbridge limped slightly. Fred and George had finished their Fever Fudge, which gave one a huge fever plus the unfortunate side effect of boils somewhere very uncomfortable. In his last detention, Vlad had slipped a box of beautifully wrapped fudge into her desk.

He really owed Harry for that inspiration. And the twins for their inventions.

"Professor Umbridge?"

Everyone turned around, finding a young Hufflepuff at the door looking a little shaky.

"What do you want?"

"I n-need to get Vladimir Dracula?"

That was news to Vlad.

"What on earth for?"

"I don't know miss, I was just sent with this note."

He held out the parchment, Umbridge sweeping across the room to tear it from his small hand.

"What are you still doing here?"

The boy squeaked and ran off, leaving Umbridge glaring at the parchment in hand. Vlad half-expected it to catch fire from the intensity of her glare. She all but threw it at Vlad, a quick scan of the page telling him she was only obeying it for one reason; Dumbledore's signature at the bottom. It was a request for him to go see Dumbledore now.

He left the parchment on the desk so Harry could surreptitiously see it while Vlad leant down to pick up his bag and put his book in it. Umbridge glowered silently as Vlad stood up equally silently, unhappy about leaving his mate but inherently curious about what in Hell the headmaster could want with him mid-class.

Bertrand was in the Headmasters office when he got there, holding a cloth to his face with a frown.

"What's going on? Are you ok?"

"A run in with the Aurors. It is nothing."

Vlad waited for the cloth to come away, spying a burn that he could smell the cause of. If he told Ingrid, she would slaughter the Auror responsible on instinct. And maybe get expelled.

"That's an argentalium burn. That's no casual incident. Hang on a sec" Vlad dug in his pocket, pulling out a jar "use this on it."

Bertrand took it in confusion, opening the lid and taking a sniff.

"Where did you get phoenix tears?"

He lied. Quickly.

"Swiped them from Riddles lab. Rarest ingredient there is."

The headmaster watched their exchange silently, not even reacting when Fawkes swooped down and settled on Vlad's shoulder.

"I'm sure you would have volunteered if you could explain it, right?"

Fawkes trilled, ruffling his feathers as Bertrand dabbed the cloth damp with Vlad's tears on his face, leaving freshly healed skin in its wake.

"Did you call me here to say it's probably not safe to have Bertrand here any longer? Sir."

"Indeed. With your final exam only a short while away, I do not wish to leave you short a tutor but-"

Vlad turned back to his tutor, already knowing what to say.

"Get out of here. I'm ready for my test. Don't stay here at risk on my account."

Bertrand nodded.

"Thank you. You obviously know how to get hold of me should you require advice?"

"I do. But if you're at risk, you need to go. Are the Ministry going to make difficulties when the VHC come to administer my tests?"

"I should be able to shield that particular event for you. You are excused Mr du Fortunesa. Consider yourself always permissible on Hogwarts grounds."

"Thank you Headmaster. Please stop by my quarters when your classes are over Vlad. I shall not be leaving before nightfall."

"Sure."

Bertrand zipped off, leaving Vlad with the headmaster.

"Was that all sir?"

"No. Have a seat would you Vladimir? I fear this will be a difficult conversation."

Fawkes sat himself on the arm of Vlad's chair, practically demanding Vlad stroke his feathers gently as he awkwardly put himself in front of Dumbledore's desk.

"Now, I suspect there is more to your... alliance with Voldemort than you let on."

"Such as?"

"Your keen interest in my injury suggests that I am not to survive the year."

Vlad wrinkled his nose in distaste - that was a rather blatant way to put it.

"He wants me to prove I can turn Harry by having him kill you. Honestly, I was rather hoping you would do me a favour and die some other way so Harry's soul stays intact."

He wasn't going to dance around the issue. If Dumbledore wanted to be helpful, he could die quicker. The headmasters eyes deepened in thought, and Fawkes bumped his head against Vlad's shoulder in an attempt to cheer him.

"I concur. Harry's soul must be protected. I was going to request you do it in his place."

-YDHP-

Dun dun dunnnn.

Or maybe it's not dramatic. Who knows.