MarieDiAngelo97 - thank you! I'm so glad you're enjoying this story! As to the question about Vlad - yes! There will be. Just not when he's not so in control of himself.

As you know (because I told you) chapter 30 is the last of Year Five, so the chapter will possibly be late as I have the first of Year Six to write, which will be uploaded right after. You guys know the drill by now.

Also there's sexy times in this chapter.

-YDHP-

Vlad bolted upright, panting and sweaty with his dying heart trying to thunder out it's last few beats. Harry grumbled next to him, stirring and pushing himself up to look at Vlad.

"Are you ok? Transformation thing?"

He nodded, clutching his chest as he lingered between life and death. Harry rubbed his back, soothing to an extent but they were on the final stretch now. All he could do was try to hold out.

"Nightmares. Normal, but horrific. Time is it?"

"About three."

Vlad flopped back down on the bed, groaning.

"Three hours to go. Bloody sunrise."

"Is that when you..."

"Die? Sort of. Everything in me will slow right down. I'm not dead til I face the Blood Mirror."

And his vampire family for the first time in a while. He hadn't seen his father since the finding out he was Dimidius. Found out his unlife was a lie and that Count Dracula had known why his son was 'different', penalised him anyway.

"Come on love, try to sleep."

Harry burrowed in against Vlad sleepily, slinging an arm over his waist to help the twitchy vampire feel safe, swaddled in his mates embrace. It didn't fix the problem, but it helped. Vlad closed his eyes and tried to settle, tried to sleep away the final few hours of his humanity.

"Harry?"

"Yeah?"

"I want to go see my mother."

Harry yawned, sat back up rubbing at his eyes.

"I'm coming with you."

That was probably a good idea; Vlad didn't want to risk his bloodlust surging while alone with Sally. Assuming she didn't smack or stake him for turning up at three in the morning. He and Harry grabbed clothes and changed in the bathroom, Harry holding tight so Vlad's phoenix apparition could bring him along.

"Vlad?"

Apparently, sleep wasn't being kind to his mother either. Vlad stumbled over to his mother, seeking comfort in her arms and she offered it.

"What's wrong son?"

"I just... wanted to see you again. With a heartbeat."

Never again would he have the chance to see her through human eyes. His mother hugged him tight, petted his hair and when he glanced over, Harry was smiling tiredly at the two.

"Why are you awake?"

"I was worried about you. I knew what today was after all. Oh, and happy birthday by the way."

Vlad smiled, soothed by her caring for him. He always expected to be rejected as the monster started to show within her son.

"Thanks. Technically it's my death day. The castle bells will toll for me soon."

"Are you scared?"

"Terrified. I don't know if I'm going to come out... me afterwards."

Harry sat nearby, mostly quiet but his presence alone eased the vampires concerns as he talked with his mother.

"Is Harry going with you?"

"Absolutely not. It could take all day, I'm not leaving him with a room full of vampires while me and my reflection get to know each other."

Sally quirked an eyebrow, confused.

"Your... reflection?"

"Yeah. It's why we stop showing up in mirrors. Our vampire powers and everything else grow within the clans Blood Mirror, until we turn sixteen. Then we have to merge with it, it literally comes out of the Mirror and becomes part of us. Hence, no more reflections."

"That doesn't sound so bad."

His mother commented. Vlad shrugged, fiddling with the hem of his t-shirt and feeling his heart stutter and speed in unpredictable loops.

"It's not that simple. We have to... I suppose fight is the word. It's a battle between which side rules. Before you, or reflection you. Reflection you is a concentrated dose of vampirism. My cousin Boris went from shy, asthmatic nerd to serial killer in ten minutes flat."

"What about your sister?"

"Ingrid? She's always been callous and irritable and slightly murderous... she still cares about some things, but Ingrid was always born to be a vampire. Or rather, unborn. I don't know why we call it that... I think it's to match that we're 'undead'. Or vampires just like to be tedious and difficult."

Five am claimed them with the faintest signs of dawn, faint streaks of pink and orange before the sun would even break the horizon. Vlad's chest started to ache as his lungs resisted oxygen, the potion Ingrid gave him to manage his pre-transformation symptoms wearing off.

"I better get him back, see if he can get a little more rest. It was nice to see you Mrs Giles."

"Oh, Sally, please. From what I understand, we're future in-laws."

Harry chuckled as Vlad hugged his mother tight, looked at her for the last time through human eyes.

"When will I see you again?"

"I'll try to come see you tonight. If I'm in control enough. I want you to keep this."

Vlad handed over a thin metal band made of argentalium, knowing she wouldn't take a weapon he'd gotten hold of a repellent. It already made his skin hurt to handle.

"What is it?"

"Argentalium. A mix of garlic and silver. Repels and drains power from both vampire and werewolf. That alone won't drain me, but it'll keep me at arms length if I start acting... off. Promise me you'll wear it if I come over?"

Sally baulked at using something that could repel her son, but Vlad begged her with his face and she eventually conceded. He left with Harry, knowing he'd not sleep again and opting instead to sort out his things - he would be expected to dress appropriately for the 'change', and so naturally Vlad intended to wear his most casual attire, barely above the class of pyjamas.

It was to be his last moments alive; Vlad was damned well going to be comfortable

The dormitory was eerily quiet, still forty minutes to go until Vlad's body would reset, ready for the new system to take over, supernaturally supporting his brainwaves and preventing muscular atrophy so long as it was regularly fed with blood - or a close substitute like soya blood. Hellfire, Vlad would drink soya for eternity if it stopped him hurting humans.

"Hey" Harry's fingers brushed Vlad's back "what are you thinking about?"

"Blood. Or rather, what I'm going to do for food over the next few months. Ingrid drinks donated, and is allowed to go off grounds at night to hunt animals. And by 'allowed' I mean she told them she was either going or she was going to eat students."

Harry chuckled, leant over and kissed his cheek.

"I have considered that myself. Samael said your bite won't hurt me, so if you need to, you can feed on me. However" he held up a hand "wait, wait! However, I know you probably aren't thrilled with that idea. You can live on animals. Samael is going to need feeding. Drain a cow, toss him the body. Better?"

Vlad nodded, thankful yet again that his mate was such a brilliant person. He turned to embrace Harry properly, curled his body against cool muscles and felt strong arms circle him. It was awesome that Harry was built to match him, almost-cold-blooded and stronger than even his broad body suggested. Also non-turnable, and obviously the main one - immortal.

Harry kissed his hair, loosened his arms to let Vlad lean up to kiss him properly. His body, in all its turmoil, demanded the attentions of his mate and Vlad crawled into Harry's lap wantonly. Harry allowed it at first, hands settling on his hips before trying to push him away gently.

"Easy now. You're not well."

"I'm fine. I mean I might have to stop because I feel like my heart will come out of my chest, but you've had that effect on me for years."

Harry wavered but didn't immediately cave, though Vlad could taste his arousal on the air, feel Harry's erection swelling against his own.

"Please? It will be different when I change."

Sighing, Harry stroked his fingers over the shape of Vlad's hipbones.

"Are you sure you're up to this?"

Vlad nodded, kissing Harry again and the vampire calmed slightly in the show of desire from their mate. It was his favourite kind of praise, proof he was what Harry wanted. He knew it, really, but the mate bond thrilled in every reminder it got.

Harry rolled him over to his back, pressing Vlad's wrists down to indicate he wasn't to magic off his clothes in haste. He wanted to undress him, it seemed. Vlad squirmed and tried to move helpfully as his bottoms were removed, t-shirt pulled off leaving Vlad in his underwear, straining fabric over his erection. Hands scrabbled at Harry's waistband, wanting the impeding fabric over his legs even if Harry was already bare on his top half.

Clothes made his skin hurt, so really Harry needed to undress them both faster so their skin could meet. When they were both bare at last, Harry leant across him to press their mouths together softly, felt a hard cock drag against his own and Vlad bucked, whimpering at the sensations inspired as Harry's shaft rubbed along the underside of his until he shook. Harry touched hands to his trembling thighs, looking up at Vlad to ascertain if he was as capable as his cock was eager.

"Are you ok?"

"Uh-huh."

Harry prepped him with gentle, insistent fingers, working Vlad open and stroking up at his prostate until he was a trembling wreck. He no longer knew if it was Harry or vampirism making his heart pound. He didn't care, desperate to have this last 'human' moment with Harry before his body changed. They'd gotten plenty of practice at this already, and Harry seemed to take great enjoyment from reducing the vampire to incoherent babbles and needy writhing movements.

He was very good at that.

By the time Harry got inside him Vlad could barely breathe. It could be the closing in of sunrise, it could be the pressure easing to allow mind-numbing pleasure. It could be Harry's weight against him making Vlad feel safe and secure until he was ready to burst with the feelings swelling inside his chest.

"S-still ok?"

Harry gasped, muscles taut and Vlad could feel his effort to hold back, to know Vlad was still willing and able to enjoy what they were doing. Vlad rocked his hips to encourage Harry to move, faint ache of penetration long gone as he thrilled in their connection. He didn't have the control to drop his mental barriers at will, but he could feel Harry's pleasure and undoubtedly showed his own.

The low, guttural groans that rumbled in Harry's chest before leaving his mouth sent heat through Vlad almost as thoroughly as the feel of Harry moving inside him. He twisted and clutched at solid shoulders, growled when Harry bit him and shuddered more violently when the serpent tongue fell from his lips. He could hear the hisses, the translation happening a second later and Lucifer he loved when Harry showed his non-human side.

They fit. Matched. Strange creatures even in a sea of magic, darkness as much a part of them as light. Harry thrust a little harder, one hand bracing him by Vlad's head while the other curled around his hip. His own stocky hips met the back of Vlad's thighs as they lifted to hook behind Harry's back, clutching the other teen tighter to his body in every way he could.

Harry's knees widened and it shifted his angle, turning Vlad's pleasured moans into barely-audible gasps as his breath left his body, back arching as he grasped the sheets, fists clenching as he wound tighter and tighter. Harry didn't have to touch his cock to make him come, but when he did the electric sensations certainly made it a faster job. Vlad's body as his blood pumped hotter for the last time, Harry's touch cool and erotic against his swollen shaft and he bucked, trembling as he came with a soundless cry and spilled over Harry's fist.

"Love you."

His body quaked with aftershocks as Harry came muttering that against his neck, cool weight against hot skin while a last few thrusts sustained their shared high, the come down slow and warm.

Really, really warm.

"Vlad" Harry's hand pressed to his forehead, the side of his chest not marked by Riddle "you're burning up."

Ironically, he began shivering like he was plagued by fever. The tickle of cleaning charms made his skin prickle, but his mates magic melded effortlessly with his own.

"I-it's almost time. Think o-of it as m-my body expelling h-heat."

He tried to stop the shakes, cursing his body and the hour upon them. Most vampires slept through this part, woke up after sunrise to meet the Mirror. Not that Vlad would have chosen that over his last human time with Harry.

"Y-you should g-go."

"No chance."

Harry wound his fingers through Vlad's, using his cool scales to soothe Vlad's burning skin as the sun started to flicker through the gap in the curtained tower window. When it was over, Vlad fell limp with a deep sigh. The pain was gone. Shakes stopped.

Skin cooled, pulse slowed. Breath felt alien in his lungs. His jaw finally stopped aching, knowing it was almost time. His body finally cooperating, ready to face the Mirror.

"Vlad? Are you ok?"

"Fine. C'mon. Breakfast. I want to see George."

Harry thankfully complied without argument, downing a Pepper-up to keep himself alert as Vlad crawled into his comfiest clothes, walked to the bathroom to stare at the mirror for a minute. A perfectly ordinary mirror with no hidden vampire powers. Before the others woke in the dorm, Vlad stood next to the sunbeam entering the tower. Unclenching his fist, Vlad let his hand sit in the sun.

Smoke and burning and crackling soon made him regret it, recoiling and clutching the burned skin to his chest. It was mild, the burn healing over quickly but it was absolute.

He was a vampire.

Harry waved his wand over Vlad silently, and Vlad felt the coating of a Sun Protection charm settle over his skin. He put his hand back beneath the sun; it smouldered and smoked and hissed, but he felt no pain. Only an insistent itch that eased when he left the glare.

Ingrid was already up, came and sat at the Gryffindor table - after flicking Vlad's ear with a sarcastic 'happy birthday' comment. George appeared almost the second they sat down, perched next to Vlad with a beaming smile and hugged him.

"Happy birthday!"

"Thanks George."

Her friendly nature was common knowledge - it was no true peculiarity for her to hug Vlad. He felt something slip into his jumper pocket, which he resolved to look at later. Else it defeated the point of George giving it to him secretly.

"I saw mum last night. She misses you."

Vlad, Harry and both of Vlad's sisters were the only ones sat there at that minute, so they could talk fairly freely, if quietly.

"I miss her too. But terms nearly over."

"That's true."

His stomach wouldn't accept food right now, so Vlad stuck to a cup of tea that his taste buds barely registered, numb to anything but blood really now as the nutrition his body needed began to change. It would shift back when he transformed properly, but he was stuck in limbo right now. Draco and Hermione were next up, both giving Vlad birthday greetings and more openly presenting him with presents.

Vlad opened them at the table - with assuring nods that it was safe - and thanked Hermione for the books (naturally) on magical creatures - one Dark, one Light. For the vampire and the phoenix inside him. Draco had gotten him a jacket, a really nice black dragonhide jacket with the label clearly marked as a Dragon Heart production. The company exclusively and explicitly only worked from dragons dead of natural causes, which could hurt their profits as it potentially left them without stock. Yet they donated part of said profits to dragon protection reserves every year.

"Wow. Thank you."

Harry liked it too, Vlad could tell by the appreciative gaze he got when trying it on. Dragonhide didn't take magic well, being naturally resistant to most types of magic but there was a thin velvety lining with charmed pockets in, which Draco said were custom made for Vlad, who liked to carry everything everywhere.

"I'm not wearing it to my birthday... tradition thing, because my outfit is designed to annoy the relatives and they would like this. But honestly, it's gorgeous."

Draco waved off his concerns with a smile, then pulled a box from his pocket and handed it over silently. Vlad knew who it was from, opened it to find a couple of books on warding and runes, a note of birthday congratulations that masked a photo of Raven, and something in Romanian that roughly translated to "I wish you a swift and painless death". Possibly an odd sentiment, but in reality Bertrand was wishing Vlad to not have problems with the Mirror. It was heartfelt, really.

Peering around to check they weren't being watched, Vlad showed the picture to Harry, who passed it on to Draco while Vlad distracted George with the books he'd received. Then the photo was whisked away before anyone who didn't know of her could see the girl who looked suspiciously like a blend of two previous tutors at Hogwarts.

He eyed Professor McGonogall as she came in, equally attracted to searching for Vlad. She knew what today was bringing to him. The eternal curse of bloodlust and light sensitivity.

"I better get going. It's easier to escape when half the schools sleeping in."

With exams finished the previous day for all but first years, much of the student body was taking well-deserved lie-ins. Harry squeezed his hand beneath the table, and those around him murmured sentiments of luck.

"Stay safe."

"You too."

Vlad drew in a deep breath, his lungs unsure why they needed to expand for a second as he stood up with a touch of dizziness. His equilibrium was a little off.

"Professor."

"Vladimir. Come this way."

Vlad followed her into a side room, not realising until it stopped that the throbbing in his ears were a couple dozen pulses beating around him.

"Happy Birthday."

"Thanks. You have my portkey? I'd like to get this over with."

McGonogall handed him a Rubiks Cube, though bats knew where it came from. Probably confiscated from a Muggle-born student who was playing with it in class.

"Thank you. tell Professor Dumbledore I need to see him when I get back?"

"I shall. The password home is Red, the one back is Blue."

"Got it. See you on the other side professor. Red."

The cube jerked Vlad along; his portkeys were smoother, his apparition barely disorienting at all unless he rushed so the hurtling throw was unpleasant. Vlad pocketed the portkey, shaking off the pounding headache as castle bells tolled for him.

"Vladdy!"

Apparently, his father intended to act as though nothing had changed. He wasn't surprised, given the reasons they parted sourly being an imminent and to both their unlives if it should come out. Not to mention the likely elimination of the human proof.

"Dad. Granny. Grandpa. And Ma- mum?"

Vlad only just caught himself. He hadn't seen Madga Westenra in person since before he discovered Sally and George. She regarded him with the same cold indifference as ever, perhaps even more now she probably knew he knew.

"What on earth are you wearing?"

His grandmothers sour look out-ranked any lemon, glaring at his outfit with utter disdain. Harry had promised to take good care of Vlad's new jacket, to take his gifts to the tower.

"Suit and cape would raise eyebrows at breakfast. It doesn't matter what I'm wearing, only what I do."

There were gifts on the table, swathed in black paper and red ribbon, yards of black lace to give it an air of refined elegance. His heart stammered out some of its final beats as he was marched to the Mirror room by the Dracula patriarch, the trio of Westenra. They'd fight like bats and slayers while he was in there, Vlad was certain.

"This is it Vladdy! Your destiny!"

Dracula grabbed his shoulders, leaning in close with excitement carved onto his six-centuries-old face.

"If you say so. Now get off me."

His father let go like Vlad was holding garlic, the big door opening once Vlad was alone before it. The Mirror hissed in a language all its own, summoning him closer. Once Vlad stepped in, the weight of what was happening seemed to press down like darkness cast over light. There were no candles in the room, the only light from the Illumini spell Vlad cast to take a better look at the Mirror.

It was huge, bigger than the Mirror of Erised and far more... intimidating, seeming to loom over him like a towering giant that held all his worst fears. Twin faun statutes flanked it, as golden as the gilded frame and equally ornate despite their ugly, twisted faces. They stood stock still, merely there for decoration.

The last vestiges of life left him as he stood before the glass. Even if he didn't merge, Vlad was now officially undead. All that his reflection could offer him now was his powers, the residual supernatural energy in him enough to fake life signs to breathers but not vampires. Placing a hand on his chest, Vlad's fingers flexed as his heartbeat no longer thrummed. If he stood still for four hours without taking a breath, he wouldn't feel any different.

Maybe a bit weird for standing still for four hours. Stiff legs perhaps.

Finally, he focused on the Mirror. The glass showed him his last reflection, the last time glass would display pale cheeks and blue eyes, tell Vlad he ought to have practiced doing his hair more while he could see. He tugged his jumper and t-shirt off, stretching to look at the scar on his back before looking down at his chest. Scar and brand resided there, the certainty of whether it would survive the transformation or not non-existent.

He was about to find out. Vlad stepped right up to the Mirror, knowing he needed to be close enough to be recognised by the slice of family power waiting for him - this one Mirror supplied the entire Dracula clan.

Strangely, his reflection faded as he got closer, the glass almost seeming to turn completely black as it blanked. He turned his head, could have sworn the statue moved in the corner of his eye but when he looked, he thought himself insane for even considering it.

Then the light went out.

Stone hands grabbed his upper arms with a grip fierce enough to bruise, then physically lifted and hurled him toward the Mirror. Bracing himself as he heard glass shatter all around him, Vlad opened his eyes to find an empty room, dark and dim and stone all around.

"Ok... This is not supposed to happen."

Looking down at the floor, there was no broken glass, no injuries of shattered shards ripping him to pieces. Vlad straightened up, looking around. The scant available light seemed to come from nowhere at all, illuminating the clear plane of glass that Vlad suspected was the Mirror. He was in the Mirror. It was possible to enter ones Blood Mirror, but not like this. The Dracula Mirror-world was a boggy lake. Vlad wasn't sure how it was picked.

This strange stone room was not it. It was too empty, too... eerie. Not that most vampires thought eerie was a bad thing. Nothing indicated how any of it was to do with his transformation. Not until the whispers began.

"Vlad... Vlad... Vlad..."

At first that was all it was. Just his name, over and over from every direction. It was strange to feel surrounded by ones own name. Every whisper was his own voice, which made it seem like an obtrusive echo he had never started.

"It's about time."

That voice was more solid, and most definitely his own. Vlad turned around, found... his reflection. They weren't identical, but mirror images. The brands, the scars, even the stray strands of hair. All there, all on the opposite side of 'his' body.

"It's my sixteenth birthday. It's only just time."

"For you maybe. For me... for us, even, it's been a long sixteen years waiting."

"Us?"

"Oh. We'll get to that. Lucifer knows it's been tedious... you ever spent your time with a thousand baby wraiths?"

Vlad frowned. There hadn't been that many Dracula's, only a handful of generations and each one with two or three children at most.

"What do you mean?"

It was surreal to ask himself questions like this. It wasn't quite the usual mental conversation one could have with themselves. Reflection-Vlad smirked, lips pulling back to reveal fangs.

"I was made as I am now, like... the end goal for the others. Always wondered what caused these weird marks." Mirror-Vlad gestured to the Dark Mark, the AK scar "However, the others... they had to grow like the average reflection would. It was Hell. And not the fun kind."

"I'm still lost. Who are all these 'others' you keep going on about?"

Mirror-Vlad threw his head back, his mirthful laughing leaving Vlad ice cold.

"Oh, that is priceless. We wait sixteen years and you are clueless. You're no ordinary vampire Vlad. You're special. The Chosen One" he waved a dismissive hand "and all that. You don't have one evil reflection" the air all around them began to chitter restlessly "you have a thousand."

Vlad took a step back, felt the glass against his back as the scant light became burning bright. He covered his eyes, turned to try and get out of the Mirror but it was fruitless.

"You won't get out without us Vlad!"

His voice had never sounded quite so callous before, and Vlad heard the rhythmic pattern of many, many footsteps. Swallowing thickly, he turned around. Never had he expected to see such a thing, dozens upon dozens of Vlad-copies, going so far back he couldn't see the end of the crowd.

"What if I don't? What if I refuse to merge?"

"You would have to resist each of us individually. Forever. You're powerful Vlad" the first one, the only one with fangs, stepped closer, ghostly fingers sliding over Vlad's jaw and he recoiled from his own touch "but even you aren't that powerful. Don't fight us. It'll be so much easier."

They rushed him. Vlad couldn't straighten up without another reflection leaping into him. He tried to resist but the pain was unbelievable, rewriting his body with the new powers like flames, the disconnection of every atom to become a wisp of smoke. The skin of his palms changed slightly, now enabling him to scale a wall like a spider. The blinding pain of his fangs coming through was the easiest part, the burning in his wrists taking over as it spread down each finger.

Again and again, these Mirror-hims merged with him against his will, tearing into his soul each time to settle there until they made up the whole. It stopped at last, left Vlad limp and sweaty, hair damp as he gasped for breath and straightened up. He was left with only one. The first one again.

"I know you. Or me, should I say? Semantics. You think you'll walk out of here, go back to being Mr Goody Two Fangs. Just remember, wherever you go... we'll be with you."

The last one stepped forward, almost seeming to walk right through Vlad but he felt the way this final one merged the rest together, coalescing low in his gut and now he understood. His Chosen One powers came from this. He had a thousand reflections worth of power. He could be a tenth the vampire anybody else was, but it was a thousand times over.

Vlad lifted his hand, trying to summon a fireball and he was almost blinded by the brightness on his freshly changed eyes. The faintest crackle of burning air tickled his ears, and when Vlad ran a tongue over his upper teeth, he felt four razor sharp points. Dracula double fangs again, just like Ingrid and their father.

Stumbling through the glass, Vlad was permitted to leave the Blood Mirror at last. As he slid through the barrier, the sweat and aching vanished to leave him feeling oddly refreshed. Energised. He looked down, seeing that while his AK scars had faded, they lingered. Fingers ran over his neck, relieved to find Harry's claiming bite stayed.

The Dark Mark hadn't vanished either. Vlad scowled at it, picking up his clothes to put back on before the group waiting outside burst in and found the secret brand. All the while, he ignored the voices yelling inside his head, his reflections clamouring for attention and control. He ought to ask Bertrand if he could learn to hush them permanently. For now, he clamped his Occlumency and Telepathy barriers iron-tight around his mind, which quieted if not silenced them.

Power sang incessantly beneath his skin, desperately demanding to be used by Vlad. He held out his hands, conjured a fireball in each and rolled it between his fingers, extinguished them and stretched his arms at his sides. Licking at his fangs again, Vlad retracted them and felt better to have his teeth flat again.

The door swung open, Count Dracula practically falling through it in his haste to get in and see Vlad transformed. When Vlad refused to display his fangs, Dracula grew irate as did his grandparents.

"I don't care what you want. What I want is for all of you to stay out of my unlife. Flap off to Transylvania and never return."

He wanted them gone so Riddle didn't go after them, but he also didn't really care for their company. Vlad faced the door to the Mirror room, closed his eyes and focused on locking it securely. Nobody would be able to get in there, to get near the Mirror. It was too dangerous. Should someone smash it, every Dracula would crumble to ashes. Except Olga, his untransformed cousin. She would become human.

"What are you doing?"

"Protecting myself. And now I'm leaving."

Vlad pulled the cube from his pocket, watched the surrounding biters grow angrier with his dismissive behaviour and lack of obedience. He wanted them to think him insolent and childish - it made them less likely to try and follow him immediately. Vlad wasn't explaining a horde of angry biters outside Hogwarts that night.

"Blue."

He was jerked along by the portkey roughly, feet slamming down on the ground in what he recognised as Dumbledore's office.

"Ah, Vladimir. You wished to speak to me?"

Biting back an irate retort - he was right but Vlad didn't like the implications of predictability in the portkey bringing him to the office - he nodded, seeing Fawkes' perch empty he resigned himself to sitting opposite Dumbledores desk.

"We should talk."

-YD-

longest chapter for a while I imagine. Let's hope it continues.