Dark Serpent Cat - No need to apologise! I'm always happy to hear reviews, I just like to answer them fully too. I'm trying not to go too hard on Vlad's jealousy thing. At least while they are still so young.
Chosen Two is six months old, thank you all of you - the ones who have been here from the start, and the ones still joining me now!
-YDHP-
"Tell me about it. I feel like I should have signed a danger waiver for being friends with Harry." Harry glared at his friend, Vlad wasn't helping. "So boys, care to explain two things? How did you rescue Miss Weasley, and what on earth possessed you to feed basilisk venom to anybody?" Vlad, with his bizarre study-voice, explained part of it. "Basilisk venom is only dangerous injected directly to the blood stream, its an offensive not defensive poison. Phoenix ash is the natural opposite ingredient, phoenix being the only creature that can cure that venom." "And you just had this idea all by yourself?"
Vlad looked to be a little nervous, but nodded. "I've been studying creatures that can petrify, to help Ingrid. Bertrand found some old, obscure texts on basilisks and I thought that was the best bet, since it lives for so long and then we met it in the chamber." His friend was trying to protect Harry, that much was obvious. "Mr Potter?" Harry searched for words, trying to look as exhausted as he should feel. "When we beat Riddle, the basilisk disappeared. So we got Ginny and got out of there. I don't really remember much, it was all so terrifying." "Riddle?" They both nodded in sync then. "Tom Marvolo Riddle, future Lord Voldemort. It was him before, not Hagrid!" Ah, they probably shouldn't have brought that up.
"I already knew you were there boys, Mr Malfoy visited that night." Oh, that was true. So they hopefully weren't in trouble for that. "Right. So we had to try and work out who it really was because it wasn't Hagrid. We did, and we beat him." Vlad pulled out the trashed diary, which Harry hadn't noticed he had picked up. "This was how he was doing it, this diary was... I don't know, cursed or something and he used it to control Ginny, drain her even." Bertrand was the one who took it, inhaling the book cover for a moment. "Soul bond, powerful magic. It's dead now, but such things linger." Dumbledore took the book, flipping it over and opening it. "I see. Well Miss Weasley appears unharmed considering everything, and if the threat is presently neutralized we shouldn't have to close the school. Though we should work out a way to ensure the... basilisk, you say? Cannot hurt anyone else."
"He's the heir of Slytherins property, unless Voldemort gets in to the school it won't be able to do anything. Otherwise it wouldn't have stopped when Riddle left Hogwarts right?" "That is a very good point. I will mail release papers to Azkaban immediately." Harry quickly volunteered Hedwig. "She could do with a job, she doesn't like Lily, Phantom or Vlad much so she is probably lonely." "Thank you Mr Potter. Minerva, would you and the other heads of houses inform the students we shall not be closing the school. Madam Pomfrey, perhaps you could get hold of Mr and Mrs Weasley, inform them their daughter is safe and well." Snape, McGonogall and the nurse all disappeared, and Dumbledore stood looking closely at the two boys. "Well done boys, it was foolhardy but brave and noble to save Miss Weasley. Particularly given your feelings toward her brother."
Ingrid had not yet been informed of that, so that would be a fun chat. "I do hope you are both aware you broke perhaps a dozen school rules each in the last twelve hours? And there is sufficient evidence to have you both expelled?" Harry and Vlad both nodded stiffly. "Therefore I think it is only suitable" Harry held his breath, he couldn't be expelled now or he would be stuck with the Dursleys forever "you both receive one hundred points apiece for Gryffindor. Mr Du Fortunesa, I trust you can keep an eye on them until everything is in order?" "Of course headmaster." As the door closed behind Dumbledore, they all heaved a sigh of relief. "I have the distinct feeling I am missing a lot." "Me too, why did you all look at me when he mentioned Weasley?"
"While you were petrified" Vlad was still feeling brave if he was taking this bullet and telling her "you were kept in that back room, and only a few of us knew you were in there. Weasley caught Bertrand leaving, and went to see. I put a kind of jinx in you so anyone I didn't think of having permission would get a stain on their hands if they touched you. When I saw Ron's hand, I knew where he had got that mark. I had to break his wrist to get an answer." Vlad took a deep breath, but Ingrid was getting there on her own "but he admitted he 'copped a feel'." Ingrid looked horrifed, and slightly murderous. "Like I said. I broke his wrist, and almost fed him to a giant spider or ten. And he got expelled."
"I'm just going to go shower for a decade or two." "I will retrieve your clothing, Slytherin is one place I can go freely. You two, do not move." Ingrid left, Bertrand close behind and he and Vlad heaved a sigh of relief. "I think we got away with that? Though you should talk to Snape and Bertrand when everything has settled?" Harry agreed. "Yeah, we both will. Explain everything, get some adult perspective on it all. Not to mention, whatever this is." Harry indicated the scar, which Vlad seemed to automatically reach out and touch. Harry noted a faint... tickly, almost tingly sensation as he did so, wondering if that was because he was a vampire. "It feels kind of scaly. And you know, should have killed you." "Yeah, but" Harry indicated Vlad should silence the door before he continued "Samael said it was going to change me over time. And I have no idea how or why, or what it'll do. He did say it'll be slow and subtle." "There was one change. Down in the chamber."
Raising an eyebrow in query, Harry waited. "You spoke parseltongue without a snake in front of you, that's how you opened the doorway for us. Try now? Just think of Samael." Harry didn't know when his speech changed, so he wasn't aware of that at the time. Picturing Samael in his head, Harry opened his mouth and Vlad's eyes widened as he said "did it work?" "I don't know what you just said, I'm not a snake." "Wow. I had better get a handle on it so I don't accidentally out myself as a parselmouth." Vlad nodded, offering Harry the last bacon sandwich. "You always want more bacon." Chuckling, Harry took it with thanks. Bertrand was back then, watching the two strangely for a second but then he was sitting back down. "I had to get the nurse to take Ingrids clothes in, lest I be on the receiving end of a very irate vampiress."
"Four hundred years old and scared of Ingrid Dracula?" "I would be concerned if he wasn't, Ingrid is pretty terrifying. I almost pity Ron if he ever runs into her again. Especially after she gets her fangs." The door rattled then, and Vlad promptly shut up as it opened. "Ah, you're still here. The Weasleys would like to see you." Sharing a sideways glance with Vlad, they both stood up and walked out. "Thank you so much!" They were both enveloped in a tight, almost crushing hug from Mrs Weasley the second they cleared the doorway. "Yeah, we hear you two saved our sister." "So mum and dad wanted to thank you." The Weasley twins clapped them on the back as their mother released them, both clearly pale with worry for Ginny but elated she was alright now. "No trouble. Really. I'm just glad she's ok." "Me too."
"And Ingrid, we are so sorry for what the little weasel did." Ingrid looked highly uncomfortable about it being brought up again as she exited the bathroom, surrounded by freckly red heads galore. "So long as he never comes within hexing distance of me, I really would rather never hear about it again." "Is Bulgaria far enough?" The three young students looked very confused. "We couldn't very well have him around Ginny, she's so young!" Mrs Weasley was a little hysterical, and Harry could see Bertrand cringing slightly at the volume of her voice. "Uh, Bulgaria?" "Yes, we had him enrolled at Durmstrang. Only school that would take him. He's living with a distant uncle, who has no children and no tolerance for any sort of shenanigans. He will learn his lesson tenfold." Harry wasn't sure shenanigans was the right word, but didn't correct Mr Weasley.
"Bulgaria works, I have no plans to visit there." Ingrid disappeared back into the side room they had been in, clearly wanting to avoid any further conversation. "Oh, how can we ever thank you both?" "You got rid of Ron and made Christmas jumpers for people you hardly knew just to cheer us up. I'm more than happy to call that even." Harry nodded his agreement with Vlad, and the Weasleys all turned when Madam Pomfrey said Ginny could see them now. "We'll catch you later, thanks guys." "Anytime. Gred and Forge." The twins chuckled, following their parents in to Ginnys room. "Is it just me, or is this a long day already and it's early morning?" "Don't forget we haven't been to sleep." "Good point. You wouldn't have any pepper up in that backpack of yours would you?"
Vlad always seemed to have half a potions cupboard in his bag, handing Harry a vial and downing one himself. Steam poured out of both their ears, dwindling down until it stopped and Harry felt much better. Before they had chance to say anything, Professor McGonogall reappeared carrying Phantom and Lily. Well, she was carrying Lily coiled around her wrist, Phantom was sat on top of her hat mewling. "I expect your dorm mates will be along fairly soon, but these two were insistent I deliver you. At least, I assume that's why they wouldn't let go of me." Phantom leapt straight in to Vlad's arms, and Lily was hissing happily at the sight of Harry. Holding his arm out to retrieve his familiar, Harry rubbed her scaly head. "You smell different wizard." "I will explain later." "Very well. I am glad you are unharmed." "Aww, did you worry about me Lily?" "Do not imply such things."
Chuckling, Harry felt her slither up his arm and curl around his neck loosely, keeping beady eyes on everything going on around her. Phantom was all over Vlad, licking his face and pawing at his cheeks like they had been gone for days, not one night. "Think she missed me?" "Quite possibly." Ingrid was next on both familiars lists, Lily hissing that "her favourite female" was alright now. "I think they missed you too." Ingrid tried not to smile, but against both familiars she was powerless to stop herself. "Irritating furball." Phantom just kept mewing until Ingrid stroked her, looking victorious as she curled up on her lap. "Phantom one, Ingrid nil." "Shut up maggot face."
True to McGonogalls observation, the other Gryffindor boys appeared in the Hospital Wing searching for Harry and Vlad. "You're alright! We thought you were goners for sure." "Thanks Seamus. Yes, we are fine. And Hogwarts is saved. All in all, a good nights work." "You two have all the adventures. Hermione! You're alright too!" Harry watched on in amusement as Neville went to their friend, the other boys having noticed Ingrid behind them and grinning stupidly. "You guys coming to the feast? Dumbledore is celebrating Hogwarts being saved!" "Uh, if Madam Pomfrey clears Ingrid to go. Otherwise no." Some powerful pleading eyes at the nurse later, Ingrid was allowed to go down to the feast so long as she came straight back. Vlad didn't even hesitate before dragging his sister to the Gryffindor table, much to the joy of almost every other boy at Gryffindor and against Ingrids complaining.
"If I let you go sit at Slytherin, you won't go back to the Hospital Wing and I will get in trouble. So sit, I saved your life. Kind of. With Harry's help. Just sit down." Harry made sure to sit her other side, so Ingrid at least had room to eat without boys leaning in to look more closely at her. "It is a day to celebrate! Hogwarts is safe, and we shall continue to cultivate the brightest young minds into amazing wizards and witches. Let the feast begin!" Endlessly happy Dumbledore didn't draw attention to Harry and Vlad in particular, Harry and Vlad fended off questions about it all and Ingrid glared at the Great Hall as a whole, but Harry caught her smiling at her brother on occasion.
They both escorted her back to the Hospital Wing, much to her chagrin, and Madam Pomfrey shooed off her fan club of followers. "I'm fine, why do I have to stay?" "Because I say so, as does everyone else petrified and cured today." Ingrid glared, but perked up when Vlad dropped her Christmas gifts on the end of her bed. "That's from the twins, it's pretty cool. Not that we've had chance to use them but handy to have around." Vlad ran through the spells to work the 'joy buzzer' with Ingrid, then explained how the journal he had gotten her worked. Hermione had given Ingrid perfume, but the vampire girl seemed entirely accepting of the gift and even (very quietly) mumbled a thank you to the human girl.
"We have to go talk to Bertrand, find out more about this soul bond stuff. I'll come visit for dinner. " Ingrid nodded, already having company in the form of Phantom keeping vigil at her bedside. Lily was still wrapped around Harry's neck, refusing to move except for when they were in the Great Hall, when she hid under his jumper but that was it. His heart rate was starting to creep up as they went along to Bertrands quarters - Vlad had checked with him where to find the man earlier. Knocking at the door, they were let in and offered the usual seat and drinks. Clutching at a cup of tea, Harry was a little nervous. It was one thing for them to know he was a parselmouth, Voldemorts grandson. It was another thing entirely to tell them he apparently had a pet basilisk and was the true heir of Slytherin.
"I'm guessing the headmaster did not get the full story?" "Not by a long shot, but that's because I don't want him locking me up or dissecting me." Bertrands interest was already peaked at that, so Harry had to continue. Vlad was quiet next to him, but Harry knew he wouldn't turn on him - he had already been there through everything. "So we got into the chamber - it needs parselmouth to do it. That's why you guys couldn't get in the bathroom, Vlad locked you out so we didn't get caught. And then we found Riddle and Ginny, and panicked a great deal." Bertrand didn't ask anything yet, so Harry ploughed on. "Riddle said the basilisk would only obey the heir of Slytherin, and Vlad pointed out that was technically me - If Riddle is Voldemort, I'm his heir. So given we were seconds from death either way, I told the basilisk to close it's eyes. And he did." "He?" "I'll get to that." Bertrand nodded, falling silent and surveying Harry sagely.
"I figured we had nothing to lose, so I asked him how to stop Riddle draining Ginny's life force. He said we had to destroy the link, and Riddle was freaking out spitting angry when he realised I controlled the basilisk. Rather than tell me how to break it, the basilisk literally dropped. Precision aim, I have to say for a sixty foot snake." Vlad chuckled next to him, amused by Harry's tangent. "It hit the diary and me with it's fangs and damn that hurt." Bertrand now looked exceptionally surprised - he knew Harry should be dead. "The diary sort of bled ink and Riddle kind of faded away, but I was mostly distracted by how much that venom hurt. Then out of nowhere, the pain kind of stopped and my arm healed. Look." Holding out the scarred arm, Bertrand asked permission before he touched it. "Scaly. Intriguing. Do continue."
Downing the last of his now-cold tea, Harry tried to summarise Samael and the conversation we had. "Vlad didn't want to leave him alive, but he offered us a cure for Ingrid and suddenly he was much happier." "And you say this... Samael, is no longer a threat?" "As long as I don't tell him to do evil stuff, and make sure anyone going near him has the charm on their eyes? Yeah. Might have to figure out what to do with him, I can't leave him in the chamber in case Voldemort does come back, get in and take control." Bertrands brow creased in thought for a minute or two. "I will converse with Severus on the matter. Between the two of us I expect we can come up with a solution on what to do with your new... Pet." "Yeah, I don't think they make tanks big enough for him. Nor would the others appreciate Samael taking up our whole dorm and then some."
"Are there any changes? Samael said they would be slow, yes?" "Yeah, because I'm so young apparently. Of course, compared to him I am. So far all that seems to have changed is I can slip to parseltongue easier, but that may not be a good thing if I can't control it. I don't know I'm speaking a different language without someone telling me." "Well we can work on that, have you go back and forth until you feel its controlled, contained." Harry sort of sagged with relief internally, Bertrand was calm and listened and had solutions or at least ideas for most of what had happened.
"What's this soul bond stuff you talked about?" Vlad held up the mangled diary. "There was a fragment of a human soul in that diary - Riddles would be my best guess. If you form an attachment to such an item, it can feed off that persons soul too. Ginny used the diary, not thinking about why it could answer her back?" Vlad nodded, and Harry remembered Riddle mocking her for it. "Yeah. So she got emotionally attached and Riddle used that to possess her?"
"Indeed. Still, the basilisk venom was powerful enough to separate soul from book, making both vulnerable. Handy to know I suppose, should you run in to any other such items." Harry wouldn't be surprised if they came across more funky cursed items, he and Vlad just seemed to attract weird situations. "Hang on, how do you put a piece of soul in something else? You can't just hack a bit of soul off, surely?"
"No, it's not that simple. Murder. Murder tears the soul in two. Which is why it's a commonly held belief vampires do not have one. Nobody has been able to say definitively, they aren't exactly visible on a medical scan. As for how specifically to bond that torn soul to something, I have no idea." Feeling a little sick at the thought Riddle had murdered someone and stuck a bit of himself in a diary just to kill muggleborns, and later Harry himself, he shook away the thoughts. "Still half the school year to go, think we can finish it without more adventure?" Vlad grinned. "Don't hold your breath."
-YDHP-
All Harry chapter! Because it was him who got chomped on by Samael.
I must confess, I was surprised the last chapter only cost me two followers, I wonder what it was that put them off specifically though? Alas, I shall never know!