Hermione Granger; A Vampire Chapter 6
I'm sorry that this is taking so long guys! Ive been doing a lot lately, as I'm paraplegic and getting treatment so lots to do! I would appreciate if some of you would review. Thanks xx
Over the next few weeks, Hermione learnt to control her urges to kill humans, and she let it all out when she went hunting every few days in the forest. She tried hard to please Dumbledore and not let him down. He had enough things on his mind at the moment, as he and the other teachers of Hogwarts were trying to track down the vampire that had turned Hermione. Dumbledore had seen Hermione's memory through the pensieve, and he recognised the vampire, who went by the name of Stefan Salvator, an Italian vampire who was turned in 1864, and is now working for Voldemort. The teachers were doing all they could to find him, and to make sure they found out why he turned her.
Hermione didn't want anyone to get hurt, not because of her. She knew that a 150 year old vampire was going to be dangerous and the last thing she wanted was for people to get hurt because of her. She had gotten her humanity back and had felt extremely guilty about biting the Ravenclaw girl, who's name was Penelope, and she was even guilty about biting Malfoy. But only a bit.
Harry, Ron, Ginny, Neville and Luna were so kind and thoughtful, and she was so happy to have friends like them…she didn't know what she would do without them. They even offered their blood for her to drink if she was felling weak, but she was determined she wouldn't hurt them, so she made sure they had a lot of vervain in their systems at all times.
Feeding on animals kept her alive, but she wasn't as strong as she could be. Don't be mistaken, she was stronger than anyone in the school, but her compulsion didn't work as well and even being near anyone who had their neck exposed, caused her throat to go up in flames and her eyes crack a little. Normally if anyone saw this they would hurriedly cover themselves up or move away, and Hermione could breath again and her eyes would go back to normal.
One day, she received a letter by Fawkes, Dumbledores phoenix. Inside was scrawled;
Come to my office at eight pm to discuss a matter of great importance.
PS: I hold a great liking for sugar quills.
Hermione guessed that the comment about sugar quills was him telling her the password in disguise. He had done it before.
So at eight pm she went of to his office wondering what could be this matter of great importance that he mentioned. Could it be something to do with the vampire who turned Her? Or maybe more tips on how to keep control of herself.
When she got there Dumbledore was facing the window. Sunlight was streaming in from the window, but Hermione had her locket, so she stepped beside Dumbledore.
"You know, I used to think Hogwarts was the safest place in the world…yet, it was the place I was turned by a vampire." She said this quietly, without looking at him. She could feel his gaze on her but she kept looking outside.
He sighed, a long, and quite sad sigh. "Hogwarts isn't the place it used to be, Miss Granger. Things change"
"The matter of great importance…?" Hermione prompted.
"The matter of great importance…we have the vampire who turned you captured in the forbidden forest. Would you like to accompany me to the forbidden forest to meet your creator?"
Hermione was shocked at his announcement. She had a million questions to ask the vampire, but she also didn't really want to see him. He was the one who had taken her life away from her. Made her into this.
Nevertheless she followed Dumbledore out, and into the forbidden forest. It was after sundown and the moon was up high in the sky, it bright beams shining down on Hermione. She wondered if vampires were weakned by the moon. No thats werewolves.
Hermione's senses were all heightened now that she was a vampire, she could see everything from the leaves on the trees, to the ants crawling in the dark digging holes in the soft soil.
Hermione was so busy testing her new senses that she didn't notice when Dumbledore stopped, and she kept walking unaware.
Dumbledore cleared his throat, and Hermione spun around, taken aback by the distance between them. She was by his side in half a second.
Dumbledore smiled at her.
"You've clearly gotten used to your vampire abilities Miss Granger." he murmured. She smiled back.
"Where are we Professor?" She asked. She looked around her expecting to see a vampire in some sort of captivity. "There's nothing here…where is the vampire?"
"Look again Miss Granger…concentrate…" was all he said.
Concentrate? Concentrate on what? She looked around her, and saw nothing but the trees around her. She turned back to Dumbledore. She noticed his eyes were slightly unfocused…like he saw something she didn't. Then it hit her. There must be a spell hiding the vampire.
She closed her eyes and visualised the vampire the best she could. When she opened them, the vampire was there, tied to a tall wooden post. He looked the same, dark eyes, dark hair…and he was wearing the same jeans and jacket he had on last time. The ropes around him were sizzling overtime he moved, and when they did, the vampire let out a hiss of pain.
"Vervain" Dumbledore answered the unsaid question she was about to ask.
Vervain was the one weakness of a vampire. It was a very rare herb that given in a small dose, into the blood stream, would cause the vampire to weaken, and a large dose would knock one out for several hours. If touched, it would cause the vampire burns and blisters.
Dumbledore slowly walked over to the vampire. It was very dark, but the vampires pale skin glowed in the darkness, so even Dumbledores weak human eyes could see him clearly.
"Now, Mr Salvator…we may do this the easy way….or the hard way. It is your choice." Dumbledore held a tiny vile, and inside was a clear liquid. Hermione was sure it was Veritaserum, the most powerful truth telling serum. No one could fight against it, and if you tried, it caused the most horrific pain.
The vampire hissed loudly again, as a Vervained rope touched the bare skin, where is jacket had ridden up. "I cannot tell you anything! The dark lord threatened to kill me and my mate, if I was so much to as told an owl!" He said.
"If you tell us, I will make sure you and your mate are safe from Voldemort and his followers. You have my word." Hermione flinched when Dumbledore said the dark lords name. So did Stefan, the vampire.
The vampire looked mockingly at Dumbledore. "You? Keep US safe?" He laughed humourlessly. "You can't keep anyone safe! Your own pupil was bitten by a vampire in the school grounds, right infront of your eyes!" He sneered.
Dumbledore remind quiet. He then spoke again.
"I am actually quite good at what I do, and I'm fairly good at keeping people safe…if you tell me what I need to know, you will have protection. If you do not wish to tell, we will get it out of you."
The vampire hesitated before he spoke again.
"Fine. I'll tell you, but me and my mate must have protection. When the dark lord finds out I have told you, the death eaters will come after me."
Hermione didn't understand what Dumbledore wanted Stefan to tell them exactly, but Stefan seems to.
He hesitated before speaking. "The dark lord asked me to turn the girl, so she could compel information out of the members of the order, no one was meant to know she was a vampire, she wasn't meant to be found in the forrest. When I heard people coming I fled, for I knew I would be found if I stuck around." He stopped and peered at Dumbledore and Hermione, as though waiting for a reaction.
"I was to take her back with me to Malfoy Manor, so The Dark Lord could put the imperious curse on her, so she would do our bidding willingly. No one would know she was a vampire, so no one would be on Vervain."
Dumbledore peered at the vampire, as though trying to see into his mind, checking if he was telling the truth. Hermione was sure that Dumbledore really WAS in his mind. She had heard he was very good at occlumsency.
"And you really expected this plan to work?" Hermione interrupted rudely. "The teachers here aren't stupid you know, I wouldn't have my locket, so in the sun I'd burn to a crisp! And how would I feed without them noticing?"
"I don't know! The dark lord said I was too turn you! That is it, I wasn't told anything else." the vampire hissed again, as anther rope touched his bare skin.
Dumbledore seemed to be processing the information. Then, with a wave of his wand, the vervained ropes fell away from Stefan. He had blisters on his hands and stomach. He examined them closely before they disappeared completely.
"What? Why are you letting him go? I thought you were joking when you said you were going to protect him!" Hermione said furiously. Why would Dumbledore trust this vampire? This could be part of Voldemort's plan for all they knew!
"Miss Granger, calm down. I trust this…young…man is telling the truth. I'm not easily fooled you know." Dumbledore replied. Hermione felt embarrassed.
"Sorry" She muttered, her head down.
"Thats quite alright." He said, smiling.
He turned to Stefan the vampire, and said; "Mr Salvator, you will follow us the castle. I will lead you to a comfortable place for you to rest, while I send for your mate. Do you have any idea where she is?"
"I'm afraid not sir-"
Dumbledore raised his hand, indicating for him to stop talking."
"It does not matter. We will find her. Follow me.
Dumbledore then began to walk back to the castle, with Hermione and Stefan the vampire following close behind.