Clean air was a blessing. Granted, it was clean air with constant eau de Castle, so there was always a faint scent of mildew and rodent droppings about. Still, the dark corridor just off a main hallway was infinitely better than the room from which Harry'd just escaped. Now if only he knew what the person ghosting after him wanted…
Harry turned to a dark shadow behind the hall pillar.
"What do you want?" Sometimes, there was nothing better than the direct approach. He waited for the other to step forward and supposed it was only his insatiable curiosity that kept him from Flicking off to the safety of Tom's hideaway at that very moment. Harry's best consolation was the thought that at least he didn't have to worry about the vampire that emerged attacking him for blood. Somehow cold blood didn't seem very appetizing to him, so he doubted his own would be any better to the man…though the thought of one vampire drinking another's blood was disconcerting, to the point that he didn't even know if it was possible.
Sanguini's gaze swept down his slight frame once more, and Harry fought the urge to shift around. "You are an Ancient." The statement lacked any hint of uncertainty, and he didn't bother to refute it. Harry figured if he became threatened by the man he could Flick away. Just to be safe, the yew wand was already in his hand and concealed by the drape of a bottle-green sleeve.
"And you're a vampire." The sudden dry humor was not lost on the man, who smiled languidly. "You didn't answer my question."
Sanguini still smiled, white fangs only accenting a sharp contrast in the dark circles under his eyes. "I simply wished to speak to you. It is not every night one such as myself is able to speak with a legendary being while in the company of…wizards," thin lips curled in disgust at the word. "I did not think to see a night when I would meet an Ancient, especially one quite as famous and young as yourself, Harry Potter."
There was a question in the man's face that took Harry a few moments to decipher. Sanguini obviously bore some confusion at his age. "I am recently Turned, if that's what you're wondering."
The vampire nodded. "You are correct in your assumption, but I am still confused. You have been Turned…so why are you here?" At Hogwarts, among humans; ignorant wizards, went unsaid. Harry's hand gradually relaxed around his wand as Sanguini seemed to have no intentions of harm, merely curiosity. But Harry knew he'd still have to choose his words carefully.
"I have…purpose here. I suppose…I'm trying to change the way the Wizarding World does things…and how they view certain issues." Sanguini's eyebrows shot up at the last words.
"Then you are involved in the wizard war?" There was little surprise in the raspy voice now - Harry Potter's reputation as the Chosen One made many assume that he would be actively involved in fighting the Dark Lord. Sanguini obviously knew something of current wizarding events.
"Yes." A simple answer seemed to suit the question best.
"Might I enquire…as to which side?" Though half-expected, the question still shocked Harry. No one had ever outright asked him about his loyalties before, and the question seemed to nurture a tiny quiver of foreboding in his stomach. He shoved it down harshly, knowing this was not the time nor the place to clam up. He glanced down the corridor to the larger main hall, which remained relatively deserted while everyone joined in festivities. He didn't quite want to risk pulling out a wand on the off-chance that Sanguini would react badly. Just out with it then, but quietly.
"Voldemort's," Harry breathed, and once again the name felt strange on his tongue. He'd never actually used it when talking to Tom.
The vampire was silent for several long moments, but the sudden quiet was interrupted as two chattering witches passed by outside their corridor. Harry tensed at the disruption but kept his eyes fixed on Sanguini as the man's nostrils flared and the muscles partially concealed behind a high-collared robe strained. He looked everywhere but at Harry until the pair was long gone. Finally, Sanguini deemed to speak.
"At this very moment, that man is most likely searching for me, afraid that I might've cornered a human somewhere and sucked them dry." Harry needed a moment to comprehend that he was talking about the short man, Eldred Worple. "He thinks I am unable to control my impulses; that the moment he takes his eyes from me I will give in to my cravings and attack the nearest heartbeat. In the way of wizards, he thinks of me and my kin as little more than beasts to be examined, questioned, and guarded against. The mere title of his book is an insult to us, for that human worm is anything but a blood brother…" drawled Sanguini. His black gaze seemed to pierce Harry through, driving his words into the younger's brain.
"Voldemort has approached my clan before, promising equal rights and research to help alleviate the hunger of our curse. The elders refused. He is a wizard, violent and not known for keeping his promises. He did not contact us again, and we were glad for it. But now…you, an Ancient, are on his side," his eyes glittered in not-quite malevolence as he spoke, but his words caused Harry's eyebrows to shoot up to his hairline as he grasped what Sanguini was getting at.
"You would join Voldemort just because I'm on his side?"
The man seemed to hold back a snort. "Ancients are known for their meticulous moral values. The fact that you, even as young as you are, have chosen a side is a great indicator among my kin. If my clan arranges an equality treaty with you, we can be certain that you will uphold your end of the bargain. Though I am not the official representative, I believe I may speak for the whole Sang clan when I say that we will fight with your side," Sanguini smiled again, showing a few more pointed fangs than any normal wizard would be comfortable with.
Harry was thrown for a loop. Then another. It took him a full minute gather enough thoughts to piece together a coherent sentence. Some part of him felt like he was acting as Tom or Noir's mouthpiece again. "I appreciate your offer…but the Dark side is working on tactics that require as little bloodshed as possible, so fighting won't be necessary. However, a few of your kin for the intimidation factor wouldn't go amiss," he had to fight not to grin when he spoke the first part, for with "the Dark side is working" he meant "Ron and Tom are arguing over everything." The rest came out surprisingly smooth and the emaciated man looked down with a glint of approval.
"I shall speak to my clan to finalize matters. Expect a confirmation within a few days if that is acceptable."
Harry nodded. "That's just fine." They both stood still for a moment before the man spoke.
"It was a pleasure, Harry Potter, but I must go before the…Worple sends Aurors after me," Sanguini said, bowing this time in a low sweep. Harry curtly bowed back, then checked his watch and cursed.
"I'll see you later, then. I also have somewhere I need to be," he said, sending the vampire an apologetic look for his abruptness and quickly Flicking into nothingness. The vampire stared for a moment at the spot where the Ancient had been, positively dumfounded, before shaking himself harshly and turning to skulk away in the shadows.
---
"You're late. I thought you weren't going to make it," Tom said, not looking up when Harry entered. The room was spacious with a cavernous ceiling and windows open to the night air that breezed through causing candles to flicker. The Dark Lord was bent over, his wand directing a piece of chalk in a wide and perfect circle around him.
"Sorry, Tom, I got waylaid for a bit. You know I wouldn't miss this." It didn't escape Harry's attention how the tension seeped from Tom's shoulders as he relaxed slightly. Harry didn't quite understand how Tom could've believed that he might not show up, but he knew something that would cheer the man up.
"I've gained an alliance with the Sang clan."
The chalk snapped as his concentration broke and Tom whipped around, red eyes wide with disbelief. "You what?!"
Harry eyed the circle, an innate part of him knowing better than to cross it simply to be closer to Tom. "I met a vampire named Sanguini who recognized what I was. We talked and he agreed with an alliance now the I'm with you to 'uphold our end of the bargain,'" he smirked, amused at the stunned expression on Tom's face. But then the Dark Lord frowned.
"Our end of the bargain? And what would that be? I hope that you did not agree to something…foolish."
This time it was Harry's turn to frown. "And I hope that you don't think equal rights for the vampire race foolish, or this whole campaign to overturn the Ministry for the equality of the Dark is rubbish! And if it's foolish, you understand my own motivations much less than we both believed." Harry crossed his arms, glaring at the shadow of a man that was his life's love. He could admit that many things he'd done in the past were both thoughtless and naïve, but if Tom couldn't trust him to make a decision that would benefit their side, Harry was going to have to seriously rethink his life's direction.
Tom and Harry exchanged glares for a moment and he could see rage welling up in the man's red eyes. But then Tom reigned it back and banished all traces from his body.
"Forgive me, Assspen. I'm merely anxiousss about the ritual and I ssshouldn't releassse my anger onto you," the apology snuck through a sibilant hiss and Harry could tell it was a difficult admission. He stared at Tom for a moment, then sighed.
"Forgiven - it's my fault for provoking you," before Tom could protest Harry plowed on, moving closer so the he stood a mere foot from the circle's outer rim. "So…what goes into this ritual?"
--
Fingernails black as obsidian tapped impatiently on polished pine as narrow brown eyes scanned yet another article.
"The childe is causing quite a stir…again," he said, still fixed on the picture the frowning green-eyed wizard. A lock of blonde hair fell over his shoulder and he caught the faintest whiff of perfume. "I think it's worth looking into. You never know…"
"Noir knew what he was doing." He heard the frown in her voice without seeing her face.
"Hai…yes, but times have changed. We still have no contact with Zane or Dvorak, the evasive bastards. The childe could be up to his teeth in trouble and we wouldn't know. We need to meet with him soon, with or without them."
"You know Zane will have your jewels if we accept the childe without his presence."
"Screw Zane! If he shakes that baka shaman stick at me one more time, I'm going to break it over his damn head!"
She sighed and moved away. "I suppose there is no helping it. We shall have to arrange a conference very soon."
"My thoughts exactly."
---
As Harry watched Tom painstakingly draw runes along the outer edges of the ritual circle, he was suddenly struck by the thought that he was looking at a man far older then he, whom was insanely intelligent and possessed much more knowledge about the ways of magic than Harry would be able to learn for many, many years. In that single instant Harry felt indescribably small. How could he possibly measure up to such a man, Lord of the Dark that he was? What did he offer that Tom did not already have? The unbidden thought tried to overrun him, making him uncomfortable with its sincerity…
But then Tom met his eyes for just a moment before finishing the final character, drawing an unfeigned smile. Of course, he had the power the Dark Lord had known not. As appallingly sappy as the thought was, Harry offered the lord his love. Perhaps that made up for his own shortcomings.
Tom straightened out of his hunch, rolling his shoulders to relax them. With a lazy wave of his gaunt hand, the six Horcruxes sailed to their positions in the sextagram.
---
Ron heaved a large, gusty sigh and set the quill down. Finally, finally, his masterpiece was complete. Ron snorted, the thought sending him into a fit of laughter he didn't even try to stifle. He had to admit, that stack of parchment, filled to the brim with his cramped, messy handwriting, contained the greatest work he'd ever done.
He knew Harry would argue that that wasn't saying much, but he didn't have to deal with a bloody infuriating Dark Lord arguing with him at every and shooting down his ideas at every turn, proclaiming them "utterly immature and poorly constructed." In addition, Ron had to deal with the aftermath of the brain…
He hadn't noticed at first, too relieved by the sudden absence of those creepy murderous voices and homicidal urges, but the brain left behind…residue. Memories, knowledge that he couldn't quite grasp. Ron often jerked into sudden awareness over his parchment, lost until that moment in a memory that he could never recall. It was maddening. Voldemort didn't seem overly concerned after he'd discovered it while reinforcing the blocks in his mind, but that hardly comforted Ron. He knew he was of very little importance to the Lord. The only reason he still breathed was because of Harry, and Ron'd been milking that for all it was worth. Still, it grew tiring and lonely here, trapped with only his convoluted mind and books and parchment.
Not even mentioning the bloody snake.
As if sensing his thoughts it let out a long slow hiss and shifted on his lap. He'd thought it was asleep, but it was hard to tell when it had no eyelids. Letalis seemed to have taken a liking to him after they first met, and slowly Ron had been able to overcome his instinctive fear. He became even more willing to be near it when he discovered Letalis kept Voldemort's huge boa constrictor away. He suspected that one would have no qualms whatsoever about eating him for an afternoon snack.
But now the planning was complete, and he was bored. The Lord-High-and-Mighty-Big-Shot-Told-You-So-Boss-of-the-World had explicitly ordered him not to bother him even if he finished "The Plan," so that left the restless teenager with very few options. He was sick of books and even playing chess against himself. The only option that sounded remotely appealing was to stroll around the manor, and perhaps taking a quick fly around the yard.
Ron grinned, poking the deadly white snake in his lap. "Wake up, let's go!"
---
The pain of remorse. As the words echoed through his mind, Harry decided they didn't come close to describing the sheer agony Tom was in.
He'd been warned, Tom had stressed the need to not interfere with the spell, no matter how much pain he was in.
"If you intervene, I will die." His words were simple, and the only thing holding Harry back as the circle glowed the same sickly green as the Killing Curse and Tom began to scream. The Dementor Blood applied to each Horcrux hissed undetectably, separating the shattered soul from its receptacles. The glow strengthened and the cries of the Lord in the center reached a new high.
Tom…Tom… Harry shuddered, claws digging into his arms as he held himself back. He could not feel Tom's pain, as the man had blocked their connection before the commencement of the ritual, but he felt tortured nonetheless. Tom was suffering for them both, and it was all Harry could to keep from crossing over the line. He cast a sticky charm on his feet to still his involuntary steps and looked forward, already resolved to watch and wait until the bitter end.
Harry could hardly see the man through the dark smoke and the ethereal glow, but he made out a writhing form on the stone floor. He smelled magic, death and blood overwhelming his senses as Tom's screams reached a horrid climax and the room grew to bright for Harry's sensitive eyes. Tears escaped, eyes slid shut.
There was a flash, a series of cracks, a shudder that would have sent Harry to his feet if not for the charm, then horrid silence.
And for a moment, there was nothing.
---
Omake:
Voldemort sighed where he stood in the middle of the circle then pulled out his wand and with a slight twirl just to show off, he jabbed it into thin air.
"Accio Horcruxi."
Harry raised a surprised eyebrow.
"What's to stop other wizards from just summoning them if you can do it?"
Voldemort looked insulted, "Do think me so daft as to not put a specialized Anti-Summoning ward on them?"
Harry shrugged and smirked, not trusting himself to say a word.
---
Omake, Chapter 15:
"It's like watching Mum yell, 'Do you know how much trouble you're in, mister?!' then kissing my dad silly… just disturbing," Ron shuddered with a pained face.
Harry and Voldemort blinked, then the vampire grinned.
"You realize he just called you his mum, don't you?"
----
A/N: So yes, I'm back from NaNoWriMo. No, I didn't win because I am a slow writer and easily distracted by other, shiny stories. This chapter is not yet betaed, and dedicated to Isabelle Eir, who pointed out that the last chapter came out a year after I started the story. Thanks so much dear! I promise your HP/Twilight oneshot is coming soon!
I'm looking for translators that are somewhat proficient in French, Japanese, and Chinese. Preferably people who can translate a few sentences for me without using an online translator like I've been doing. :D Help would be most appreciated! Those good at the art of insulting others are also valued highly.