Disclaimer: see ch.1

A/N: My reviewers as always kick ass, as do my betas, Goddess Fanta and bookworm941. Now for the poll results ………… Harry will be ……….straight. Sorry if you didn't get the sexuality you voted for, if you didn't vote you can kiss my ass you where warned. That's more or less it, updates will still be screwy until my finals are done.

6: The Blood that Binds

Even in my towering rage, I felt a twinge of respect for this creature, because he did not cower or even start begging for mercy (not that that would save him). He was scared, that much was written plainly across his face, but apart from taking a few steps back, he made no move to attack or flee. As I started to stalk towards him, he seemed to find his voice. "If you attack me, this room will be swarmed with hundreds of armed guards and the Aurors will be summoned," he said in a gravelly voice. "Self-deception will not change the facts," I responded. "That door and these stone walls, ever so excellent for eliminating eavesdroppers, will muffle any cries for help." This time his voice was bordering on terrified, "I am not responsible for the method that your summons took."

I stopped moving towards him. "Explain" I said in the same malicious voice. If anything, this made him more uncomfortable. Just as I decided that he needed more encouragement to loosen his tongue, he found his spine. He straightened up and looked squarely into my glowing eyes. "It is not my place to tell you. If you would have a seat, we must wait for the other party to arrive. It is his job to explain this whole situation to you." "If that is true, then you are of no use to me and that means I can kill you for your duplicity in my abduction."

Just as I was about to start an "aggressive" game of 20 questions (using IT, his head, and the ornate table) the door opened. I turned halfway around and took two steps back, so that my back was to the wall. I saw the outline of a medium sized man standing in the entrance to the room. He paused for a second in the doorway. Then he quickly stepped into the pitch dark room, closing the door behind him. "Telling ghost stories, are we?" he asked in an amused voice.

He had a larger than average amount of IT, nothing truly shocking, just upper end of the spectrum I had encountered so far. No, it wasn't the amount that got my attention; it was the feel of IT. His IT had a colder feel than the others I had felt. His IT was like a bright fire that gave off waves of soothing cold instead of heat. It was, somehow, more comforting than the heat the others had given off.

Even more unusual was the web of IT wrapped around his wrists, ankles, and neck. All three bands where connected by thin strands of IT to a family crest, different from the one on the door, about the size of a fist over his heart. They were even colder than his own IT, the coldest thing I had ever felt or heard of. The web on the pub had been warmer and a lot less tangible. The pub's web had strands that felt like ropes, but this man's web felt like metal bands that were inches thick.

Tearing myself away from my inspection of his web I asked, "Who the hell are you?" He responded, "My name is Bryce, if that is of any help. Now I know that you are confused and probably angry. We will answer your questions, but it would go a lot quicker, not to mention we would be more comfortable, if we had some light and sit down to talk. "When I just narrowed my eyes at him, he went on, "I am aware, considering that you grew up with muggles, that you are most likely at a complete loss as to what is going on. If you will permit us, we are here to help you."

I weighed my options: I could take their word and cooperate, or I could kill them, leave, and go back to the Dursleys. Oh well, I could always kill them later. I flicked my gaze to the nearest candle and sent a jolt of IT around the room. The candles lit one after another, starting with the one I glanced at. At the same time, the air stopped whipping about like a cyclone. I calmly strode to the largest and most comfortable chair, the one behind the desk, sat, and steepled my fingers and waiting for the others to be seated.

The creature, noticeably bolder now that he was not alone and I had calmed down, cleared his throat with a noise like gravel being crunched under foot. "I am sorry, but that is my seat. Please take one of the others and we can get this meeting back on a profitable track." I simply glared at him, allowed my eyes to flash green again, and said, "You are either a very slow learner or you actually wish to die violently." He hastily sat down in a smaller chair across the table from me, trying valiantly to keep a calm demeanor. Bryce on the other hand had a pleased, almost hopeful look on his face, as he crossed the room to the other chair.

"Now this is the way this is going to work. I am going to start with asking a question. Then, one of you will answer as succinctly as possible. If I want clarification, I will ask for it. After my questions are answered and only after, you will be allowed to talk." I paused here to see if they still thought they had a say in this; they didn't. "The first thing you will tell me is, what was it that forced me to come here and who is responsible?"

The creature looked at Bryce, who ignored its fidgeting masterfully, keeping his eyes locked on me. He said, "You were bought here by what is known as the Blood Summons. Your ancestors placed it upon their bloodlines so as to ensure that the family will always have a head. Following the death of the head of the family, the next in line for the title is brought here. Once here, you my turn down the position, but that is rarely done."

Of the millions of questions flying around in my head, the first one to come out was, "Why is it that he" I nodded at the creature "could not tell me this before you got here? Why are you even involved at all?" I asked. Was it possible he was somehow related to me? Bryce replied, "Well you see, that is where this gets complicated."

A/N: So how was it? Tell me what you think. review