Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter...do I really have to type this up every chapter?

A/N: I'd like to thank the two of you, Single-Black-Rose and rynn, for reviewing...'kay, so far I've gotten reviews for every other chapter, why don't we try something really new and challenging and review two chapters in a row. Gasp! Shall we? I'll give you cookies...

Of Blood And Magic

Chapter 6: Blood Flame

The next morning was Saturday the 31st; Halloween. Tevelle had been up all night, considering what powers she had felt working against the Goblet. Had the charm worked? What was its purpose?

As the first rays of dawn crept up into the sky Tevelle impatiently pushed those unpleasant thoughts out of her mind. It was Halloween, her favorite time of the year. Most of the vampires in her Coven disliked the holiday and found it an "annoying imitation of the true day". Tevelle could not care less whether the rituals were fitting of the original or not, all she knew was that this was the one day a year she could reveal a small bit of her true nature without humans finding it strange. They would simply assume that she was getting into the spirit of the day. Tevelle smirked, a slightly blood thirsty grin, as she left the dormitory for the Great Hall. The halls were deserted and she briefly considered going down to the Lake for a swim. No, she decided. Swimming would be getter for later in the day. Cold did not harm her as it would a human, but it was bothersome and the water would be less frigid later in the day. Tevelle turned her footsteps back to the Dining Hall. Perhaps it was not to early for breakfast.

To her surprise, all of the Durmstrang students were already in the Great Hall eating their breakfast. Tevelle had expected students to be up earlier than usual today, but not this early. Perhaps the Durmstrang students had gotten up early to put their names in the Goblet and had simply decided to have breakfast while they were already nearby.

Walking towards her usual seat, Tevelle found that all of the Durmstrang students had occupied the chairs and benches around hers, but none had sat there. Krum had claimed a chair next to Tevelle's and when he saw her he jumped up to his feet. Those closes to him respectfully followed suit, though those farther down jeered good-naturedly at Krum's awkwardness. As Tevelle got closer he pulled out her chair and offered it to her in such a gentlemanly and serious way that she fought not to laugh. Resisting the impulse, Tevelle arched an eyebrow amusedly and calmly sat. Despite her stoic demeanor, Tevelle was laughing uproariously inside and could tell everyone else was the same.

"I see you got up early," Tevelle remarked politely once everyone was seated again, reaching for her goblet of blood.

"So did you." Was Krum's response.

"Well, I always get up this early." The vampire lied.

"So do I."

"Touche," Tevelle smiled. Krum wasn't as bad as he had first appeared. She still thought he was a tad bit arrogant, but he was entertaining.

"Did you enter?" Krum asked.

"Mmm?"

"The Tournament. Did you enter the Tournament?"

Tevelle swallowed a large bite of toast before answering.

"To young." That was a flat out lie, but Krum didn't need to know that she was as old, if not older than, some of the Professors.

"Really, I vould not have thought."

"I'm only fourteen."

"You seem older."

"Oh,... well..." Tevelle shrugged focusing once again on her meal, this time ladling a heap of eggs onto her plate.

"Vould you enter if you vere of age?"

"Probably not. I'm not really into eternal glory and all that." Tevelle explained.

"Ah," Was Krum's skeptical response

Tevelle took another sip of blood and the two lapsed into an uncomfortable silence.

"Vat is it you are drinking?" Krum asked to break the quiet.

For a second Tevelle was tempted to lie and say ti was pumpkin juice colored to look like blood, or tomato juice, but she changed her mind. It would probably hurt her in the long run, but it was Halloween. She was entitled to a little fun, wasn't she?

"Blood," Tevelle said as if she ware remarking on a passing yet unremarkable test grade.

Krum smiled slowly as if he couldn't tell if she were telling the truth or not.

"You are joking."

It was Tevelle's turn to smile, a secretive, malicious smile. "Perhaps."

The Qudditch player's friendly grin faltered for a second as he considered all the implications of her words. Finally, deciding she was indeed joking, Krum laughed.

"Well, I need to go." Tevelle said after gulping down the rest of her blood and standing.

"Vere?" He asked, rising with her politely.

"I have to meet someone."

"This early?"

"Yes, this early." Tevelle hardened her voice, fast losing patience with Krum's polite nosiness. "Now, pleasant as our breakfast has been, I really must be going."

Slightly put out, Krum bowed ans returned to his seat. Tevelle smiled as she would if she had just seen a puppy do something adorable. Puppy. The vampire rolled the word around in her head. Yes, that was the appropriate term for the way Krum was acting.

A yawn made her jaw creak and Tevelle changed her direction. She hadn't rested in a while and was still unused to moving about by day. Every muscle in her body screamed for the trance-like state that was a vampire's version of sleep. Perhaps there was time for a nap before her afternoon swim. A short nap. Only a few hours. Tevelle woke in time for lunch. She almost decided to skip it , but her inner beast argued otherwise. Her vampiric nature growled discontentedly at the long time gone without blood. And what would happen to the goblet of the succulent red drink if she did not go down to retrieve it? What if someone else spilled it or picked it up by accident? Being discovered would not be worth the small temporary comfort that lazing about would bring.

Sighing at the inconvenience, Tevelle tore out of the dormitory, earing a few startled glances from her fellow Slytherins, and rushed down the corridors towards the dining hall. She distantly heard Malfoy say something to her as she chugged down the blood and snatched up a roll, but the words became unintelligible buzzing i her disinterested ears. She left a dismayed looking boy behind her, but hardly noticed. Her mind was already on the refreshing swim she was about to have. The sun was shining brightly and she grimaced, extracting a small bottle of potion from her bag. She gulped down the rancid brew hastily noting that she would have to get more soon. Luckily winter was approaching and the days were getting shorter and darker.

Only a few more months of you, Sun, then we'll see who's stronger! Tevelle though cheerfully at the fiery orb that hung high in the sky. It was jibe she made traditionally around this time of year. Her hood sheltered her eyes adequately as she walked down to the lake; she didn't want to wait for the potion to take effect, by the time she had to shed her cloak to swim, the potion would be working its magic and the vampire could move un-pained by the sun.

The water lapped lazily at he feet as she wadded in now clad only in her swimsuit. The water and sir was cold, but not cold enough to be a bother. Smiling, Tevelle began doing lazy circuits of the portion of the lake she was in. Every so often she would dive down to touch the bottom and then back up. Still, as entertaining as this was, it got old after a while. Maybe the Giant Squid would come out to play.

Tevelle allowed her vampiric senses to widen slightly so they covered most of the lake. Hunger stirred in her briefly as the scent of diluted blood filled her mouth along with water. A grindylow had just claimed a fish, but Tevelle shut off her vampire nature before blood-lust could take hold. She already knew where the Squid was and would not need to expose her vampire nature to blood again, no matter how faint the trace was.

She took a deep breath an ducked underwater. There, she could see the Giant Squid several hundred meters off, wrapping its great tentacles around the hull of the Durmstrang ship like some Kraken of legend preparing to snap the ship in half and drag it down. Tevelle smiled. The Squid would never do such a thing in real life, it was to docile, but it wouldn't hurt for the creature to entertain fantasies about being a infamous monster.

Tevelle swam over to it, making sure she wasn't seen. As soon as she got close enough, Tevelle reached out and tickled a huge tentacle. At first the Giant Squid didn't notice, but when it did, the Squid withdrew slightly before snaking out another of its many limbs and attempted to catch her. Tevelle dodged, letting the Squid know she was only playing. The click of beak was all the answer she got, but it was enough to tell that she could tease the creature without angering it.

The game progressed, the Squid shooting out tentacles in attempts to catch her, and Tevelle dodging and tickling the Squid in turn. Every few minutes, Tevelle would swim to the surface for air and the game would pause before beginning again once she was ready. About half an hour into the game, there was a splash above them. It there was the chance on of the other students was crazy enough to go swimming in this cold water, then Tevelle didn't want to be seen doing anything unusual such as holding her breath for minutes at a time.

Her legs moved easily through the water as she kicked her way to the surface leisurely. Tevelle groaned inwardly when she discovered that it was, in fact, another student, but whoever was crazy enough to go swimming when it was nearly winter she couldn't guess.

"What are you doing?" Tevelle demanded the moment her head broke the surface. The other swimmer was faced away from her, but she already had a sinking feeling she knew who it was.

"Vat do you mean vat am I doing? Vat are you doing here?"

Yes, it was Krum. Why did he always turn up where ever she was? At the moment the famous Quidditch player was rather flustered, his hair in disarray from the dive and skin tinged blue from the cold. If Tevelle hadn't been thoroughly exasperated, she would have been amused.

"I'm swimming. Isn't it obvious?" Tevelle answered acidly, "What'd you do, fall off the ship or something?"

Krum scowled at the insult, but he seemed puzzled at her sudden hostility.

"I am svimming, like you."

"Really," Tevelle said, treading water to keep afloat. She was suddenly in a very bad mood. Perhaps she was picking up on the Giant Squid's discontent with her stopping their game so suddenly. "You know, unless you're a die hard fan of mine, Krum, I don't have a fan club, and I really don't want one, so can you stop following me?"

"I am not following you." Krum growled sordidly, reacting to the predator that was surfacing in Tevelle.

"Well, then can you stop turning up where ever I am?"

"Vhy?"

"Because," Tevelle thought for a second, "When I'm around people to much, I tend to get annoyed with them and hate talking to them. That would be bad because you're one of the few people at meals that I could even conceivably have an intelligent conversation with."

Krum looked at a breathless Tevelle in surprise. She was a bit surprised herself at what she said, but quickly regained equilibrium. Deciding she was done swimming, Tevelle turned and ducked under the water to make her way to shore. The feast would begin soon nay way and she wanted to dry off first. :Unsure of whether Krum was still watching, Tevelle was careful to come up for air every thirty seconds or so.

She took her time getting back and ti was nearly dark by the time the castle door closed behind her. When she was dressed in dry clothes and had magicked her hair dry it was nearly time for the feast to begin. Tonight, three champions would emerge. Surprisingly, Malfoy decided not to sit with her, but neither did Krum. The first was welcome, but the latter kind of disappointing.

Guess he took me seriously, Tevelle remarked silently to herself. Still, if he had taken her words to heart he would have realized that at meals she welcomed his presence. Ah well, concluded Tevelle as she gulped down her thrice daily dose of blood.

The meal was unbearably slow and tensions between the houses as well as individual students ran high. This set the vampire on edge and she found her appetite for food diminish and her thirst for blood grow. Tevelle picked at her food, not eating, as she struggled with her inner beast that ha been provoked severely by the shared stress in the hall. Silently, she begged the Goblet to be ready to reveal who it had chosen soon. She reached for her blood to steady herself and drained it dry, guzzling the precious liquid greedily. Not enough, not nearly enough.

The doors opened, there was a slight bang, but that wasn't what startled Tevelle almost enough to distract her from the blood pumping through the veins of every human in the hall. Almost before the incoming figure could be seen, the vampiric side of Tevelle roared to the surface. Every minute detail seemed clearer, the colors brighter, especially red, every sound was magnified.

Vampire! Tevelle's inner beast screamed in territorial fury, urging Tevelle to spring over the table and attack. She held it in check, barely. The figure stepped completely across the threshold and immediately her inner beast calmed, or at least refocused on the need for blood.

"Control!" A commanding, cultured voice said in her mind.

Tevelle looked at the newcomer. His neat black hair nearly brushed his shoulders, framing his unnaturally pale face. Dark eyes with the iris as black as the pupil but with a slightly red tint gave the white face a brooding appearance only enhanced by a stern expression that indicated pursed lips more often than smiles. The aristocratic nose gave his face the classic look like the type of face one would see on some ancient bust of a prince or king. His tall lank frame was clothed in a crisp black shirt and pants covered overall by a long dark red cloak clasped with a silver brooch shaped like a spider. Boot heels clicked purposefully on the floor ass he strode forward towards the teacher's table. Silence followed in his wake.

Tevelle smiled. "Xeven, though you had turned over my education to Dumbledore." She remarked silently. Tevelle had no doubt he would hear. As one of the oldest vampires, perhaps the oldest, Xeven had honed his vampiric powers until they were potent enough for him to speak with others, vampire or not, with his mind. He could also hear the thoughts of most others. Tevelle's skill with telepathy was limited; she could amplify her thoughts for Xeven to hear specific words, but that was it, and only Xeven could hear her.

"Who said anything about teaching, Little Bat? I am here to see the Tournament." Xeven's cultured voice sounded amused in her head.

"Really," She thought wryly at him as he approached Dumbledore. He glanced at the Goblet of Fire. Tevelle could sense his amusement.

"Greetings Headmaster Dumbledore," His voice was accented heavily but precise so that every syllable was clear, and it was difficult to tell exactly where the accent had come from. If Tevelle guessed she would say Romania, or one of the countries near, still, it was very hard to be sure.

"It has been a long time, Xeven." The headmaster said, standing and bowing from the waist.

Xeven nodded in return and projected his mind's voice into Dumbledore's mind.

"About a century I believe." Tevelle overheard the silent comment.

"You are rounding up again, my friend." Dumbledore said, his blue eyes twinkling with mirth.

In answer to Dumbledore Xeven merely nodded again, a slight smile touching his marble lips.

"Would you like to join the feast? The Goblet will choose its champions soon." The headmaster offered, conjuring a chair in the space between him and the Madame Maxime.

"I would be grateful, I have had a tiering journey, but first, if I could speak with my daughter?"

"Daughter?" Tevelle asked silently, skeptical.

"Well our relationship is more akin to parent and child than brother and sister, and certainly more believable."

"Yeah, I'm your apprentice, and you're my mentor, definitely my dad."

"The correct phrasing is 'I am' and 'you are'."

Tevelle laughed quietly to herself and the small sound carried farther in the dead silent hall than it would normally. Those closest to her glanced her way, probably worried for her sanity.

"Of course, you will have to hurry, however, if you wish to speak before the Goblet chooses." Dumbledore said.

Xeven bowed politely before turning and walking back down the middle of the hall. Hew motioned to Tvelle no more than a flick of the eyes and a fluttering of the hand, but Tevelle knew he meant for her to make a show of her going to him.

"Why?" Tevelle questioned him silently.

"If they know you are my daughter, they will not question me visiting you often."

"How often is 'often'?"

There was only silence from him and Tevelle knew she would not get an answer out of him until she did as he said. She paused for a moment, breaking into a smile. She would make a scene like Xeven asked, but it would not be how he intended.

"Daddy!" Tevelle called, standing up in her chair. "Over here!"

The wave of exasperation that rippled outward from Xevan was palpable as the heads of every student in the hall turned to look at her.

"Tevelle, come. I must have a word with you."

She smiled and made her way over to where he waited by the large doors. "Can't it wait until after the Goblet chooses? I don't want to miss it."

"Very well," Xeven took her hands, no doubt doing his very best imitation of a parent greeting his child warmly. Tevelle felt something smooth and hard press into her hand. The vampire in her smelled blood.

"A blood candy. You need it if you are to last through the feast."

"Thanks."

"Thanks Dad, would you like to sit with me?"

"It is 'thank you'."

"No," Xeven said aloud. "I will sit with Headmaster Dumbledore, we have a lot to catch up on."

Tevelle smiled, gave him a quick hug, which Xeven returned stiffly, and went back to her seat. Silence persisted in the air until Xeven sat and began speaking to Dumbledore. Once the silence broke, all the students began speaking at once. The uproar was deafening, though both Xeven and Dumbledore appeared oblivious.

"Is that really your father?" An arrogant voice asked behind her, startling Tevelle. The vampire in her growled violently; she popped the blood candy in her mouth to pacify it before turning.

"No, he's an impostor." Tevelle said tersely to Malfoy, wondering why he cared.

"Yes, he's my father." She added when she saw the blond-haired boy's confused expression.

"Is he one of the pureblood families?" Malfoy asked.

"I honestly don't know," Tevelle growled, "Quiet now, the Goblet's almost ready." Thankfully, Malfoy sat, albeit sulkily, and stopped talking.

Tevelle took a few bites of her meal, then reached for her goblet before remembering that it was empty. Uncomfortably, she reached for a pitcher filled with water. The liquid was tasteless in her mouth and felt strangely thin going down her throat. It had been a while since she had had anything other than blood to drink. Discontent, Tevelle settled in o wait, forestalling any attempts at conversation by Malfoy with an impatient glare.

Finally, Dumbledore finished his meal and the plates cleared. As the silver-haired headmaster stood, a hush fell over the assemblage.

In the short space of time between Dumbledore finishing his meal and standing, Tevelle studied the people seated at the staff table. Many were eying Xeven uncertainly. Moody and the Ministry officials along with Snape were glaring at him openly. Madame Maxime was surreptitiously leaning away from him. Towards all of this, Xeven remained carefully oblivious though he could not have missed the general feeling of hostility the adults felt towards him. Of them all, besides Dumbledore, Karkaroff appeared the most comfortable but that was probably from the week he had spent visiting Tevelle and Xeven's Coven.

"Well, the Goblet is almost ready to make its decision," said Dumbledore. "I estimate that it requires one more minute. Now, when the champions' names are called, I would ask them please to come up to the top of the Hall, walk along the staff table, and go through into the next chamber where they will be receiving their first instructions."

With a sweeping wave of his wand, the candles in the hall except for the ones in the pumpkins that floated above extinguished, dimming the light to reflect the level of suspense in the room.

The Goblet flickered, its flames bright and growing brighter. Tevelle squinted her eyes against the painful glare. Suddenly, the flames turned a bright blood red. The vampire in Tevelle quieted suddenly, entranced by the flames licking at the air. Tevelle leaned forward towards the Goblet; ti was enchanting and she couldn't seem to tear her eyes off it. A single flame shot a charred slip of parchment upward and all eyes by hers followed it. Tevelle couldn't look away, didn't want to look away, until the fire turned back to a blue-white color.

"The Champion for Durmstrang," Tevelle heard Dumbledore say in a clear voice, "Will be Viktor Krum."

The applause that followed the announcement was tumultuous, and Tevelle clapped along politely, impatient for the Goblet to turn red again.

"Bravo, Viktor!" Karkaroff boomed, "Knew you had it in you!"

If Krum shared in the elation of those around him, he didn't show it; he sullenly slouched up to the staff table and disappeared into the room indicated beyond.

The chanting died down and once again the flames in the Goblet turned a bright blood red. This time Tevelle didn't even note the piece of charred parchment that floated up into the air, so entranced was she by the fire.

"The Champion of Beauxbatons is Fleur Delacour!" Dumbledore announced as the flames turned blue-white once again. The vampire in Tevelle, no longer distracted by the blood-colored flame, clamored for blood. Tevelle, to distracted by her inner beast's pleas for the creamy taste of part-veela blood, forgot even to clap as the Beauxbatons Champion swept up between the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables to follow where Krum went.

The Hogwarts Champion was next, and as the flame turned red again, Tevelle's vampire nature fell silent, enthralled.

"The Hogwarts Champion," Dumbledore read from the scrap of parchment "is Cedric Diggory!"

Cedric smiled as he made his way up to the Staff table amid the uprear form the Hufflepuff table. Tevelle tried to clap, but instead ended up gripping the table so tightly the wood creaked. Her inner beast knew the flame would no turn red again, and could not now be pacified. Terrified she would slip and reveal herself, Tevelle grasped desperately for any way to control the blood lust that was rising inside her. Dumbledore was speaking, but Tevelle did not hear. Still, she noticed when he suddenly stopped.

Almost as suddenly, the vampire could no longer think. The fire in the Goblet had turned red again and Tevelle could not tear her gaze away.

Dumbledore reached out with a long hand and grabbed the parchment fluttering up from the flames as if by reflex. There was silence in which everyone waited expectantly. Tevelle's vampire nature roared inside her as the fire in the Goblet faded back to blue-white for the last time. Tevelle could feel her control slipping and began to panic.

"Hush, you are making a racket. I want to hear this," Xeven' commanding voice pierced through the fog surrounding her mind like an arrow shaft. The vampire in her quieted in response to a direct order from the head of her Coven. Tevelle was about to thank him when Dumbledore's voice cut through her thoughts.

"Harry Potter."

A/N: Sorry that took so long to update, the chapter was written, I just had to get my lazy ass to type it up. REVIEW PLEASE I NEED TO KNOW WHAT YOU THINK!