Once a month... yeah I didn't stick to that for very long. Anyway enjoy the chapter! (My beta is on vacation...)
"Paskovich", Harry called. The vampire looked up from his book.
"Yes little human", he answered in his usual playful voice. Harry could barely believe that just a week ago some hellhounds had returned with Paskovichs ashes and now he was sitting here like nothing had happened. Harry shook his head. That was not why he was here.
"When you give someone your heart, what happens?" Paskovich frowned a Harrys question.
"Who in the city of death asked for your heart?"
"Sandro", Paskovich put his book away and looked intensely at Harry.
"Hmm, you will lose the ability to feel love, passion and other traits related to the heart. Traits like logic and reason will become stronger. Your body will die but your soul can live on", he explained slowly. Making sure Harry understood.
"I don't want a life like that", Harry whispered.
"It is not a life", Paskovich answered and looked down. He hated being a living dead, it was not something he wished upon anyone.
Harry bit his lip, he was at loss of what to do, he needed to figure out how to stop Voldemort and still live. It seemed like an impossible task.
"Young one", Sandros voice brought shrills down Harrys back. He quickly stood and turned to face the lich.
"I want you as my apprentice", Sandro said casually. Harry frowned.
"Why?" he demanded. Sandro brought his fingertips together.
"I won't force you to give me your heart, I promise, but I will try to persuade you to become a lich", he explained slowly. He had already decided that he would have Harrys heart in one way or another. And when Sandro wanted something he got it.
Harry bit his lip and looked down. Sandro crept him out but this may be the only chance he would get to learn about horocruxes.
"… Are there any terms I need to know before I agree?" Harry asked. He wasn't stupid enough to agree to Sandro without knowing what it meant to be his apprentice. Sandros magic wiped in annoyance. He had hoped the human was too stupid to ask. Now he had to make up agreeable terms.
"The apprenticeship is ten years, you will study under me every day until you mastered Death magic", Harry shook his head.
"I don't have ten years, the dark lord from my realm will have won by then", Harry said. Sandros magic wiped again. Annoying little human.
"Fine… when the time comes and you have to return to your own realm I will give you three days", Sandro said slowly and stepped closer. His skeleton hand almost touched Harry's chest making him shudder.
"And if you haven't returned by then… I will come after you and rip that beautiful heart out"
"You became Sandros apprentice?" Paskovich stepped into Harrys room. Harry turned to him and nodded, he was still pale after the encounter. He could not believe what he had agreed to.
"Harry, liches are selfish, arrogant and do not stop for anything when they want something. Sandro is only binding his time to get your heart."
"I know! But I need him!.. or his knowledge of horocruxes. I just need a way to resist him", Harry sighed and leaned against the wall. Paskovich sat down on Harry's bed.
"Then I will tell you some things you will need to know…"
"Drink this", Sandro handed Harry a vile. Harry looked at the yellow liquid inside.
"What is it?" Sandro's magic sparked.
"Don't question your master", he responded in annoyance. Harry put the vile down.
"I'm not going to drink an unknown liquid", he said simply. Harry flinched as Sandros magic sparked again. He was very grateful for Paskovich, already Sandro was trying to manipulate him.
Someone had told the little human how to evade manipulation, Sandros mood grew worse every time Harry questioned him. He would have to eliminate Harrys contact, and he had a hunch on who it was…
Paskovich felt Sandros magic approaching long before the lich appered in his lab, but he didn't worry. He was a powerful hero and Sandro knew better than to stir up a fight when they were at war. Sandor entered, he was one of the few liches not to be clouded by insanity. The whole realm knew that if liches weren't so insane and unstable they would be able to rule the realm, but luckily for all other races they were insane and many only lasted for a century before releasing the soul to the afterlife.
Sandro was different, he kept his sanity (most of it), and had resisted death for over a millennium. He was the oldest and probably the most powerful hero of all.
"Paskovich… you have talked to my new apprentice", Sandro was not happy. Paskovich could feel his annoyed magic trying to suffocate him. Maybe he misjudge the danger he was in.
"I only wanted him to be prepared", Paskovich explained. Trying to stay calm in Sandros raging magic. Sandro chuckled humorless.
"Yes… he was well prepared", he stated and reached into his robe.
"But you should know better than to stand in my way", Paskovich backed away as Sandro presented a little trinket.
"As thanks for preparing my apprentice you shall be the first test subject for my new experiment", Sandro explained and turned on the trinket. Sunlight filled the room and Paskovich screamed as he turned to ashes. Sandro closed his trinket and put it away.
"It seems I have succeeded, I have made artificial sunlight", Sandro chuckled and summoned Paskovich ashes. He put them in a box and rose.
"Don't worry, I will revive you when I have Harrys heart."
Hope you liked it! The next chapter or the one after that will be the last. See you next time! :P