(A/N: As promised, the next chapter and the final installment of the first volume. Enjoy.)

The Funeral Bells

Chapter 8

No Living Creature

There was no living creature as foul as I

And all of my poems were false

I could feel my soul,

Dropping down through the mattress

And I'm so alone

Elsewhere on the cold night, one could find a 15-year-old girl with brilliant blonde hair walking down the deserted streets of Hogsmede.

Not another soul was out that night, which was not at all surprising due to the fact that it was Christmas Eve. In fact, Rebecca Howlis wasn't even supposed to be out either; she was supposed to be spending time at her Uncle's house with the rest of her family in Hogsmede. However, earlier that day she fell ill: most likely due to some kind of food poisoning. After taking a potion and a few hours of sleep, she felt good as new; however, it had already been 9 o'clock.

When she found the note on her door from her parents telling her to meet at her Uncle's house, she wasted no time finding her coat and scarf and headed out. She would have much rather taken the floo network or apparated as opposed to walking down the dark empty streets, but she simply was too young to apparate, and there just so happened to be no floo powder left. Besides, her Uncle's house was not to far from hers, so she decided that walking would pose no problem.

However, the occasional eerie sounds of clinking or birds flying away was almost enough to make the girl want to go back home.

I'm almost there, she thought to herself as she began to pick her pace. It wouldn't be long before she would be with her family and friends, eating a wonderful Christmas ham and sipping on hot cocoa.

"Hello."

"Oh, God!" she yelped immediately upon the sound of a male voice behind her.

She turned around to see an older man dressed in black. He looked to be in his early twenties. He wore a grey dress shirt, but the rest of his robes were all black, complete with short-shaggy cut light brown hair and kind blue eyes. She seemed to calm down at the sight of his eyes.

"I'm sorry," he said in a very kind tone. "I didn't mean to frighten you."

She took the time to control her fearful breathing. She didn't know who this man was, but she decided she was thankful that it wasn't anything else.

"Are you okay?" he asked, taking a step forward. "You seem a little lost."

"No, I'm fine," she said immediately as she realized that it was taking a little more time to control her breathing than she thought. "I'm sorry," she apologized with a laugh. "I just-"

"Oh, come off it, Rody," came a thick Irish accent from behind the man in the grey shirt.

Rebecca felt her stomach sink when she saw the "man". He seemed be a bit of a flashier dresser than the other one. He wore what looked like pinstriped dress robes, complete with a vest and neatly-cut hair. She spotted an golden earring on his left ear and a plethora of golden coins hanging down his neck, visible from his opened dress shirt. But what set him apart the most was his seemingly deformed face.

"Why do you enjoy playing with your food so much?" he asked.

Rebecca swallowed her heart.

"I don't know," replied the man in the gray shirt, who's name was supposedly Rody. "I suppose you could call me old fashioned," he continued as he turned his attention to Rebecca.

She wasted no more time. She turned around to run away, but it wasn't a second later before she felt a strong hand take a handful of her blonde hair.

"Besides," Rody continued as he violently pulled the girl closer to his mouth. "She's not for us, is she?"

"Shame, too," the deformed man said as he approached the girl. When she took a good like of the long fangs hanging from the Irish man's mouth, his appearance made sense. Although she didn't actually recognize him as a vampire, she knew he was some kind of monster. "She smells pure…a worthy Christmas feast."

She screamed bloody murder, but it was not to be for too long.

"Silencio!"said Irishman as he quickly withdrew a wand from his cloak.

The girl tried to scream. She tried to talk. She tried to shout. But not a single sound was coming from her mouth.

"Fitz, must you?" asked Rody as he place his arm around the girls neck in attempts to get her to stop struggling so much. "I like it when they scream."

"Oh, I know," began the flashy Irishman known as Fitz. "But as you can imagine, this town might not like it too much. We're not here to pillage…not tonight anyway."

Fitz began to walk out of the middle of the streets and Rody followed dragging the girl. When they got to a dark and damp alley, Rody threw the girl against the wall hard enough to make sure that she won't get up anytime soon. Tears fell down her face, but there was still no sound leaving her mouth.

"That's what I love about this Hogsmede place," Rody said. "Full of these...pure creatures. If we didn't have to give this one to the boy, I know I would have a bit fun with her."

Fitz laughed at his normal-faced counterpart's comment as he took out a cigarette and put it in his mouth.

"Oh don't kid yourself, boyo," he said as he lit up his cigarette. "You don't last 10 seconds with virgins…you always end up eating them before you could get off."

"Well," began Rody after a shrug. "Could you blame me?"

Fitz shook his head in a smile. The two couldn't help but admire the beauty of the girl they had just captured. Most men aren't born with sadism, and these men were no different. Even recently-sired vampires tend to show some signs of emotion. However, after 40-some-odd years with no soul, you quickly run out fresh entertainment.

Fitz had been a vampire for almost 40 years. He had been sired in his homeland of Ireland after his parents and 3 sisters were mauled and murdered right in front of him. What's worse, he was the one who invited the attackers in after they told him that they were from the Irish Auror Department; and since Vampires could not enter a household uninvited, he was practically responsible. He was barely 20 at the time, but he could still remember the looks on his family faces as they were ripped apart. At the time, he was scared beyond compare, but now when he thinks about it, he can't help but crack a smile.

Compare to most, Rody is a fairly new-reborn, although it had been a little less than 15 years. He himself was a Hogwarts student; a Ravenclaw, in fact. He had the makings of one of the best aurors the Wizarding world has ever seen. However, as fate would have it, a routine vampire-execution mission granted his soul a one-way ticket out of his body as he took his first sip of blood just before death. Fitz attended this event, but he was not his sire.

"Is this our lovely volunteer?" asked a blonde woman - who went by the name of Kezia - as she, as well as another, approached the two vampires and their prey. She walked closer to the broken girl until they were face to face. She sniffed the young girl's neck as she felt her silent warm cries caress her face, and couldn't help but notice her scarf. It was yellow and had the crest of a Badger. "A Hufflepuff, are you?" asked the blonde Irishwoman, not expecting an answer. "Lovely, indeed."

"Even in death, the boy is bloody spoiled," spoke the other tall person that had just arrived. He was known in the underground as Ville-Carlo, but Rody had the pleasure of knowing him as his sire. "I had to cut my way through a hundred people before I could get to a virgin.

"Luck of the catch, I'm afraid," Rody admitted as he tossed his hands up in defeat. "She was the only one outside as far as the eye could see."

"I wonder if he deserves such a treat," Ville-Carlo continued to speak as he slowly approached the petrified girl. "He's a Malfoy, isn't he? Blood traitors, of the worst kind! I'm surprised he wanted us to turn him…his father betrayed The Dar-"

"Can't you see past 5 feet in front of you, Ville?" Kezia interrupted. "This is the ultimate spit in the face of those scum."

"The son become one of us," Fitz said. "And he will be the one to do in his father."

Ville-Carlo scoffed at the idea. He's been undead longer than the rest of them, but he has never been much of a leader or a thinker. In his 63-year-career of pillaging and torturing, he has always been a firm believer of the purity of the kill. He never cared who did it or how it was done, as long as it was. Besides, for as long as he could remember, he had always answered to a higher master.

"Here we are," came a female voice from behind the party.

Everyone turned around to see a familiar face, except for Rebecca. She tried to cry out in fear again, but it was only met in silence. This newcomer was just as strange to her as the rest of them. She was followed by yet another. He was dressed in black, just like the rest of them, only he had a hood over his head, making his face invisible.

"A real beauty," spoke Faye as she approached the petrified blonde girl. She gave her a sniff. "A virgin?" she asked the former Ravenclaw with surprise in her voice. "Rody, your too kind."

He gave the youngest vampire a wink.

"Now, my darling," Faye turned to the hooded man. "I know your first kill won't be the easiest thing in the world…"

As if on cue, Fitz and Kezia grabbed the Hufflepuff with force and made her stand up. She tried to scream once again with out a bit of luck.

"…But all you have to do is give her a good smell," Faye insisted as she guided the hooded man towards the terrified blonde. "And everything will make sense."

The hooded man approached until he was less the a foot away from the girl and the two demons holding her up. He slowly lifted his hood from his head, revealing his face.

Rebecca's eyes widened upon the sight of him. She didn't know him personally, but she certainly knew of him. Not a whole lot of Hogwarts students didn't know about the descendants of the Malfoy family. However, something was entirely different about him. The platinum-blonde hair was still intact, but his silver eyes were know gold and his face looked hellacious.

She heard him take a smell, and from the looks of in his demon-like eyes, he was intrigued. He slowly opened his mouth, revealing his razor sharp teeth - especially the two brilliant fangs.

"Oh hurry it up, will you?" shouted Ville-Carlo in a fit of impatience.

"Shut up, Ville," Fitz shouted back as he gripped the girl tighter. "Do it, boyo," he said softly to Scorpius. "You'll like it, I promise."

"Just let your instincts take over," Kezia instructed as she too gripped the girl. "You're starving, aren't you? You want it. You crave it."

Scorpius felt his stomach rumbling as he slowly closed the distance between him and his pray.

"TAKE IT!"

He let out a frightening growl as he snapped forward and buried his head into her neck.

The girl let out a silent scream.

The spectators smirked with entertainment.

The Slytherin kept his head buried in her soft, pure neck.

They knew it was only a matter of time before here eyes become wide with pain.

They knew in just seconds, Scorpius would have fed on innocent blood.

They knew in mere moments she would drop dead to the floor.

But she didn't.

"What are you doing!?" asked Fitz, as he began to loose patience as well.

"What?" asked the youngest vampire of the group. "What's wrong?"

"He's not biting her," Kezia turned to Faye as she held the girl.

"Bite her damn it!" Fitz shouted to Scorpius.

Scorpius did not do as he was told. He pulled back from the terrified girl as if she shoved him back, his face no-longer devilish.

Ville-Carlo rolled his eyes as Rody couldn't help but look on puzzled.

"What the bloody hell do you think you're doing!?" Faye yelled.

He looked at her in fear.

"Take her! Eat her!"

Scorpius remained silent. He looked at his sire with dreadful silver eyes. She stared back at him as if trying to understand what he was doing. Rody continued to stare. Ville-Carlo began to take an interest. The two Irish vampire held the girl as they, too, stared on puzzled.

"I can't," Scorpius whispered, which could have been stakes to the hearts of the vampires.

"What do you mean you can't!?" spat out Ville-Carlo, but Scorpius paid no attention to him.

Faye was the only one of the group not loosing her patience. Although she knows what it's like to be a recently sired demon, she also shares a connection with Scorpius since she was the one to 'give birth' to him. She has been down the same Scorpius is treading not very long ago. But even so, she though, no matter how self righteous a vampire was in his previous life, the smell of fresh, pure blood on an empty belly is much to tempting.

"I…" he let out softly to his sire, he continued to stare into his eyes. "I can't…she's innocent…"

Faye suddenly noticed something. His eyes were fearful…too fearful. He was feeling for the girl. He was feeling remorse. He was feeling sorry for her. He didn't want to kill her. He wanted her to live.

At first, Faye tried to cast the thought out of her mind, but something wouldn't let her. It was the special connection she had with Scorpius that forced her to realize something was horribly wrong. Something that was once unheard of, but became a possibility with very strong magic.

"You have a soul…" Faye whispered softly, yet the rest of the pack heard it loud and clear.

"What!?" Rody asked.

"Not possible!" exclaimed Ville-Carlo.

But Faye was sure of it: she could feel it in her cold-dead blood. But how could that be? The only way a vampire could have a soul is through an Ensoulment Ritual, but Faye was positive that nothing of the sort happened to Scorpius: she had been watching him since she sired him. Besides, preparations for the ritual normally took weeks. Faye had not an inkling of how this could happen; but she knew it did.

"It's true," said Faye softly as she took a step back. She looked as if a child was shunned by her own parents: eyes looking downward and completely ashamed of herself.

Ville-Carlo, Rody, and Faye stared at the young vampire as if he were the monster and they weren't. The other two, however, were otherwise occupied.

"Well, to bloody fuck with this!" yelled Fitz as he turned and bit the Rebecca swiftly in her neck and began to feast.

Scorpius face cringed upon the sight of the vampire feeding on the innocent girl.

"You see!" Faye shouted as she pointed to Scorpius face. She didn't have to explain; the others saw. His face was filled with sadness upon the sight of death.

Kezia tried to contain herself, but she was no match for the smell of pure blood. She turned and bit into the girl as well.

Scorpius cringed once again.

"There it is again!" shouted Faye, still pointing to the young Malfoy's face.

"By the damned, she's right," whispered Ville-Carlo.

Suddenly, Faye reached into her pocket, grabbed her wand, and pointed it straight at Scorpius. He focused his vision at the tip of her wand, not quite remembering that barely any spells can kill him.

"He's nothing!" Ville-Carlo shouted at Faye. Rody continued to stare as if he didn't believe what was happening. The other two continued to feast. "He's neither demon or human! Get rid of him!"

"He's right," Faye whispered to Scorpius. "Incendio!"

Any normal human would not be able to dodge the flame at such short range, but as Scorpius constantly forgot, he was no longer human.

He dropped to the floor, dodging the flame. He quickly reached into his robe in search of his wand.

"Incendio!" Faye yelled one more time to Scorpius.

D.A. training quickly surfaced.

"Protego!" Scorpius shouted.

A magical shield projected itself out of Scorpius' wand, causing the flamed to shoot back and catch Faye's arms on fire.

As one of the few things that could kill a vampire, she shrieked in terror and immediately attempted to put it out (even though she could have used the Aguamenti charm)

Scorpius took this opportunity to escape. He quickly got to his feet and began to run in the other direction as fast as his legs could carry him; which, to his surprise, was preternaturally fast.

Ville-Carlo withdrew a wand of his own.

"Reducto!" he shouted as his wand firmly pointed to the running Slytherin.

However, the spell missed his target. The young Slytherin continued to run and was somewhat shocked to see that his legs showed no signs of giving out. In fact, he feel that his legs can carry him all the way across the world. However, his empty stomach soon began to prove to be a more effective road block.

Inspiration - "Bone Palace Ballet" By Chiodos

Ch. 1 - Two Years ..................................................................................................... "Lexington"

Ch. 2 - Romantic Speculations ..................... "I Never Said I Was Powerful, I Said I Was A Wizard"

Ch. 3 - The Tale Of Terror....................................... "Is It Progression If A Cannibal Uses A Fork?"

Ch. 4 - Worlds Are Ruined....................... "The Undertaker's Thirst For Revenge Is Unquenchable"

Ch. 5 - In Ten Cities............................................................................. "Intensities In Ten Cities"

Ch. 6 - Special Interest................... "Bulls Make Money, Bears Make Money, Pigs Get Slaughtered"

Ch. 7 - The Darker Things Get....................................................... "Teeth The Size Of Piano Keys"

Ch. 8 - No Living Creature............................................................. "Teeth The Size Of Piano Keys"

(A/N: This is the end of the first volume. The volume II will be posted very soon. I know I kinda put this story on hold for a while, but please Review! Thanks)