Jon - I had begun to wonder if you forgot us over here at Chosen Two! Glad you're all caught up and enjoying it. The human/vampire mix thing isn't my invention, it's canon so if you wanted to see how it affected Vlad's powers I would direct you to S5 of Young Dracula.

Chapter contains death.

-YDHP-

Vlad wasn't sure this was a brilliant idea, but Harry's pleading face and the prospect of spending time in his other form were tough to fight against.

They made it down to the Forest without being seen, the Halloween decorations meaning Hagrid's pumpkin patch was empty for the moment. The grounds were eerily silent save for Harry's breathing, but Vlad was both a vampire and he was uniquely attuned to his mate so that was probably not audible to others, especially humans.

Of course, humans weren't their concern tonight.

Once they were in the line of the trees to blanket them in shadows, Vlad dropped his charm and Harry removed his Cloak, folding it down into his pocket and looking over at Vlad in the dark.

"Ready?"

"Stay close. I can sense you but it only works one way."

Harry nodded, vanishing almost from sight to be replaced by the small black bird that was his animagus form. Vlad copied, shifting to his phoenix form and relishing the completeness of his form. There was something deeply enjoyable about being a symbol of life and healing to counter his death and bloodlust vampirism.

His mate cawed, taking off into the canopy of trees. Vlad took off after him, trilling in warning to slow down before he realised Harry's form wasn't as fast as his. He was glad his colouring was darker than Fawkes, helping him blend into the backdrop rather than stand out in red and gold against the darkness of trees.

Not that it made him invisible.

They flew through the trees for well over an hour - beyond moonrise. If there was any wolves in the woods, they would have surely happened upon them by now. Vlad was just being paranoid.

"What do you know" they stopped for a few minutes, taking stock of how it felt to change back after a long flight "a peaceful Halloween."

"Yeah. We carrying on?"

"Another hour, then back."

Harry pouted, but didn't disagree. They flew some more, ending up back at Hogwarts achey and exhausted but grinning - flying was fun. Vlad woke feeling residual stiffness in his shoulders but otherwise great, feeling like they had escaped a bad Halloween at last. A hot shower eased much of the stiffness in his muscles, stomach growling as a reminder it hadn't been fed since before a long flight and not a lot of sleep.

There was a buzz of chatter in the Great Hall at breakfast, several teachers looking unhappy and more students than usual missing even accounting for the early hour on a Sunday.

"What did I miss?"

Draco pushed the Daily Prophet along the table, usually composed features now an ashen faced boy. Harry leant in - with bacon already on its way to his mouth - as Vlad flipped it open.

"Mass werewolf attacks across Great Britain!"

A group of renegade werewolves ran rampant through Halloween night, attacking several mixed Magic and Muggle areas. Sadly, none of the attacked survived and the Ministry is dispensing Memory Charms and help for grieving families alike..."

Vlad growled, fisting the paper beneath his hands.

"Well, that's probably a lie."

"What is?"

"None survived. It's a cover up. If Greyback was out last night, he gets a kick out of turning people... I have to go."

Harry frowned, plucking the paper from Vlad's hand before it was destroyed beyond readability. He could feel Harry's anger feeding his own, barely containing himself from shaking at the table. Vlad forced himself to look like he ate something, destroying the eggs on his plate until they barely resembled food and making to stand up with his juice. Harry stopped him for a second.

"Be careful."

It was a whisper, but it was a whisper in public.

"I will."

Vlad headed outside, knowing he was drawing attention but too angry to care. He slipped under the Whomping Willow, the morning still dark enough that he should have blended in. There was fresh scent in the Shrieking Shack, not werewolf but someone had been there. He used the portkey to Riddle's stronghold, taking a minute to ensure his emotions weren't interfering with his mental shields.

The low ranking Death Eaters on the door parted on sight of him, knowing Vlad would knock them aside if he had to. The building was relatively empty, but Vlad could smell them. Freshly turned, that blood-and-dog smell of a human who's DNA was being torn in to by the lycanthropy curse.

"Oh. It's you."

"Bellatrix. Where's your boss? Given that you're dressed, he's not using you."

Sneering, Bellatrix Lestrange advanced on him with what could only be described as the smell of death on her. Wolfsbane lingered, leaving Vlad to wonder if she had worn deterrent to go on the kills last night.

"You act so high and mighty, pretending you-"

"Enough Bella."

She fell silent, stepped back and bowed her head. Riddle swanned into view, reeking of Wolfsbane himself.

"You wanna talk about this in front of her?"

Vlad didn't specify a thing, feeling Riddle nudge at his mental barriers and making no progress.

"Leave us."

"My Lord-"

"Leave!"

The woman didn't dare argue with her boss, scuttling away as she was told. Riddle gestured toward a staircase, frowning but complying when Vlad insisted he go first. Of the two, Vlad knew who he trusted not to stake the other in the back.

"You got a new pet."

"For now. He's skilled, but doesn't work as well under pressure."

Vlad leant against the doorway, watching the fat, balding man in a smoking jacket tremble near a cauldron as Riddle slithered around the room.

"Have you considered, oh I don't know... not threatening someone who needs to make exact measurements?"

"No. I hadn't."

Vlad rolled his eyes, waited for the man to stop stirring and walked over to him.

"Hi. I'm Vladimir Dracula."

"My goodness! A vampire!"

Vlad felt bad for necessitating the kidnap of this man, but he didn't need his species yelled at him in a high pitched voice.

"Yep. You are?"

"Horace Slughorn."

"I know that name... you used to be a professor at Hogwarts. Head of Slytherin House?"

"Y-yes!"

Riddle watched the two converse, flat white forehead creasing slightly.

"My sisters a Slytherin. You would probably like her. Anyway... Riddle, care to explain what last night was about?"

He visibly seethed at Vlad using that name, wiping away any thoughts of how Vlad got a better response by talking to Slughorn like a human, not an annoying flobberworm.

"I never let Halloween go unmarked."

"We agreed. No big stuff. You vowed none. And yet you made the front page! Any struggles?"

Riddle scowled, raising his wand. Breaking an Unbreakable Vow killed the breaker, but nudging at the boundaries damaged their magic in warning.

"You want to see my magic is unaffected?"

"No. I'd hate to embarrass you when there isn't enough of a crowd. I want you to explain why you thought a pack of werewolves killing people would appease me. And by me I mean Harry. He knows how much I hate werewolves."

"Prove it."

Vlad stopped for a second.

"Prove what?"

"Prove your dislike of werewolves."

His heart rate picked up a little.

"How?"

Riddle sneered, removing a silver blade from his robes and holding it out to Vlad. Vlad sniffed it first, ensuring it wasn't well-disguised argentalium or coated in wolfsbane. Finally, he took it.

"Do I get to pick my werewolf?"

"If you must."

Vlad gestured for him to lead them away, turning back to the unfortunate victim who had overheard things.

"Nice to meet you Slughorn. Sorry about him."

Following the man who kept twitching back, Vlad began to grow nervous. He knew it was inevitable, but he hadn't come here to kill. He didn't seem to be getting a choice though.

"Take your pick."

Riddle opened a door that let out the stench of wolves, several to one side in the process of turning. The others were sleeping like a wolf pack in the middle, snoring and healing and stinking. Vlad counted them in his head, totting up two dozen.

"Greyback. But no big production. Show off his corpse afterward if you must but you aren't turning me into entertainment again."

"I will be observing. I wish to admire the kill."

Vlad felt in his pocket for his pumpkin juice flask, pulling it out and taking a swig to appear far more nonchalant than he felt.

"On one condition. These guys stay put for the next month. No more wolf attacks."

Silently, he vanished the contents of the flask and pocketed it again. He would need it.

"Very well."

"Alright. Not here. I'm not being mauled by his pack."

Riddle hexed Greyback, winning a raw animalistic growl from the woken wolf before he realised where he was, submitting to the 'alpha' with a bow.

"My Lord?"

Vlad waited, knowing Greyback knew he was in trouble again by the sight of the teen vampire. Not being the full moon anymore, Greybacks bite wouldn't necessarily kill him but it would depend on the severity of Vlad's bodily response. Pain and infections were guaranteed, and with his human half Vlad didn't know what could happen.

"Come."

Like a trained dog, Greyback did as he was told. Hulking and huge, he made Vlad hold his breath as they were 'escorted' by Riddle to yet another room. The place was like a rabbit warren.

"Begin."

Vlad wasn't surprised at the lack of preamble, but he felt bad attacking Greyback when the beasts back was turned. A little. Greyback spotted the silver dagger, dropping to the ground in a prowling stance and crawling on his legs in a non-human manner, lips pulled back over his teeth in a snarl.

They circled each other, both at a disadvantage that their species demanded the clash neither were transformed for. Greyback had brawn and bloodlust on Vlad, but Vlad had magic and motivation that went beyond the simple kill.

"I'm growing bored."

"It's not my fault he smells bad."

Hoping to get out alive, Greyback pounced. Vlad let him, knowing he could draw it out for much longer but opting for quick and clean.

Ish.

As Greyback slammed into him, Vlad gripped the blade handle and rammed it upwards. He managed to get between the ribs, silver cutting through even Greyback's thick muscles like butter to slice clean into the heart. Vlad heard the beat stutter and stop, felt rancid-smelling blood run down onto him and managed to use their bodies to block the view, filling the flask messily to his side. That had to be enough. It was their last shot at curing any Greyback turned.

Wriggling the flask back into his pocket, Vlad shoved the body off him with a groan. The blade stuck out, corking much of the mess. Unfortunately, werewolf blood clogged his senses all the same as it dampened his clothes, stained his hands and saturated the air with its scent.

"A little fast."

"I had a shot. I took it. Is there somewhere I can clean up? I can't go back to Hogwarts like this."

"Not yet. I must connect the kill to the killer."

"Whatever. Hurry. This reeks."

Vlad was doing his best to keep it together. He had resisted the bait to kill before. Yet he'd done it anyway. Vampire instincts sang within for the death of a werewolf, darkening the human soul beneath. He was a killer.

Riddle summoned the Death Eaters via Mark - Vlad could feel it burn, deciding he deserved the pain for the blood on his hands. He had to go and face his mate like this. Soon the room was full of robed, masked lunatics, swarming to see Greybacks corpse and whispering about the blood-stained teenager.

One was a Hogwarts student. They would return to the same place with the same knowledge - Vlad was capable of stabbing a man in the heart.

"So. Can I go now?"

"Certainly clean up, but you'll stay a while."

Riddle sent Bellatrix Lestrange to show him to a bathroom, telling Vlad she was being punished as she silently fumed but said nothing to him. Vlad washed his hands to ensure they heard running water, then magically removed the blood from his clothes. They were ruined, the smell would never wash out but he looked unsullied.

He hadn't been asking when he said Vlad should stay a while, leaving him to loiter in his blood-heavy clothes while Riddle parroted about the joys of murder and Halloween. Escaping as soon as Riddle wasn't looking - for dramatic effect as much as anything when the madman turned to find him gone - Vlad portkeyed back to the Shack, deciding his phoenix form needed a test run. Shifting forms, the smell of blood lessened and Vlad focused more intently.

The flames flashed across his vision, masking everything as the world tilted. When the flames cleared, he was in Bertrand's old quarters.

Well.. apparition classes ought to be simple enough. Vlad only hoped Ingrid could too, else she would resent his animagus form and his apparition as things she couldn't manage. Right now she was accepting of his half-human status... best not to rock that coffin.

Bertrand's quarters had a bathroom, and more importantly a shower, which Vlad spent a good twenty minutes just slowly burning under as he tried to cleanse the smell of blood and death. He called Dobby to bring him fresh clothes, skin tingling with the rough scrubbing and a powerful cleaning charm or two.

"I reckon he'll want to be away from everyone else, so this is likely where he'll go when he gets back."

"He is back. I can smell him."

"Anybody else and that would be weird."

Vlad listened as Harry, Ingrid and Draco spoke in succession. They were some of the only people allowed in the room he'd secured. Harry was the only one to brave letting himself in the bathroom, finding Vlad staring at his reflection in clothes from Malfoy Manor.

"Vlad! Are you- why can I smell blood?"

"Not mine."

He all but leapt on Harry, needing the comfort of those strong arms around him. Breathing in Harry's scent washed away anything else, burying his face in Harry's cool neck and holding him tight. Harry let him, holding him in return and waiting until Vlad relaxed a little.

"Feel better?"

"Mhmm. Thanks."

Harry slowly pulled back, keeping his hands on Vlad's bare forearms.

"So. Can you tell us what happened? Why does it smell like blood in here?"

"Where's Hermione?"

Draco answered.

"Prefect patrols. We trade with other houses, she's off with a Ravenclaw prefect. I'm trading this evening."

Ingrid rolled her eyes, growing impatient.

"Why do you have clothes that smell like werewolf blood?"

"They were mine. I gotta burn them now. Firstly..."

Vlad cringed as he dug through the pockets, producing the juice flask.

"He's dead now, but thats Greyback's blood."

Harry frowned as he took it, taking Vlad's hand and leading him out to the seating area. There were snacks and drinks on the table in the middle, mostly Halloween themed which told him there had been a kitchen raid. It meant there was spiced pumpkin juice, which was even still magically warmed. Vlad was sure many problems in his unlife could be solved by hot spiced pumpkin juice and being around Harry.

"I'll try and brew the cure in time... I need the Wolfsbane though and that doesn't keep so nobody stores it."

Vlad nodded.

"I can get hold of some. I'll regret touching it but I can. Anyway... I killed Greyback. Riddle insisted I prove my anger was because of werewolves rather than death. Had a silver blade ready and everything... he's been waiting to get a kill out of me."

Harry reached for his hand, soothing Vlad as he worried he would scare his mate off.

"I fed Karkaroff to two vampires and a Basilisk. You killed a werewolf who hunts children for fun."

"And who tried to kill me."

"Didn't think you had it in you little brother."

Vlad couldn't help but be a bit relieved that the others weren't judging him. He knew the war would bring bloodshed, but he had at least hoped to contain it to the time after his heart stopped. Riddle had taken that from him.

"I made him agree to keep the wolves in until the next moon. With any luck they'll stay there after too. Most werewolves have nowhere to go. And pushing the Vow definitely got to him, I only saw him use one minor hex the whole time I was there. Normally he's trigger happy with powerful magic. Ought to stop him pushing boundaries again for a while."

Taking a hearty swig of juice, Vlad crammed a cauldron cake with red filling in his mouth. He was hungry and nauseous, so he went for a happy medium of putting something in his system without trying to eat anything heavier.

"So where do we go from here?"

"Going by the time... lunch. Although honestly, I'm not feeling it. Do we know how many died according to the Daily Liar?"

"They put it about fifty."

"So at least a hundred, more in Muggles since they can't survive bitten wolf bites. Minus the handful I saw changing at the evil headquarters. That explains the missing students, probably lost family. I'll have to get a list of names, see if anyone has survivors in the wolf pack. Then they can be reunited if we cure them."

If he tried to think of better things, Vlad might just be able to ignore the crippling guilt. For a while. He really needed to consider all the dead and turned Greyback left in his wake... the animal needed putting down. He would have to keep telling himself that.

And burn his clothes.

-YDHP-

All Vlad chapter... I might do an all Harry one next for balance. We'll see.

Uploaded a few hours early to make sure I don't forget tomorrow/later today as I'm busy.