Taking a day off from trawling the lands for Pokemon, so lets do some writing!
-YDHP-
The phoenix that burst from his wand chased the Boggart-dementor around the whole classroom, eventually guided by Harry's wand to stalk it back into the trunk, and Remus slammed the trunk lid closed, beaming.
"Fantastic Harry!"
Smiling, Harry felt a little strung out even as Remus handed him more chocolate. He ate it mechanically, feeling shaken by the memories that had raced through his mind and the energy it took to conjure the spell - definitely beyond a normal third year. Still, he did note dimly that for once, his magic hadn't jumped straight to snake and was somewhat relieved, unsure Remus would have understood.
"Let's go again."
His teacher looked unsure, but opened the trunk again when Harry raised his wand, facing the dementor that rose out and pulling Vlad and Hermione to the forefront of his mind again.
"Expecto Patronum!"
The phoenix shot out again, and with less surprise Harry could observe it more. It wasn't totally identical to Fawkes, but close enough that he was certain it was definitely a phoenix. It was white through and through, but he could see the shades of white where it would be deep red or shimmering gold. It turned beady eyes to Harry, still holding off the dementor with it's long, graceful wings as though waiting for instructions. Guiding it to force the dementor back in it's prison, safely locked away, Harry ended the spell and stumbled slightly.
"I think that's enough for tonight. That was truly remarkable, astounding even."
Harry lacked the energy to argue, feeling heavy with chocolate when he swallowed the honeydukes pressed into his hand.
"Also, a phoenix? I can't help but wonder, you see an immortal creature as your protector perhaps?"
For some reason, that comment struck a chord in Harry, but he couldn't place why. Shrugging, he licked chocolate residue off his teeth and wiped his mouth on his sleeve.
"Is the shape of a patronus important? I mean, yours was just a ball of light on the train according to the others."
"It's usually symbolic, though not important to the actual defence the spell offers. A hummingbird would be as effective as a wolf in that regard."
This left Harry's mind whirring as he walked back to the tower, clutching a note from Professor Lupin incase he was seen out after curfew. He was thinking of Vlad for happy memories, but Hermione too and she wasn't going to become an immortal creature on her sixteenth birthday. He was no closer to working it out when he found Sir Cadagon picking a fight with a first year who hadn't heard the latest password.
"Lancelot!"
"At last, a true member! Go in, fine young lion."
Rolling his eyes, Harry let the little boy clamber into the portrait hole first before following, taking a cursory glance to see no Vlad or Hermione in the common room before he headed for the stairs, waving at George and her friends as he went. None of the other third year boys were in the dorm, potentially catching up on their homework last minute in the library (again). Stood under the shower, Harry let the hot water run over his cold skin, not quite painful but he couldn't take it for too long.
Switching it off, he checked nobody else was in the bathroom, enjoying a few moments without his glasses on but very aware of his elongated pupils. Vlad had said he may be able to get them to gp back, but in the midst of everything happening, Harry hadn't even tried. Squinting at his reflection, he pictured his 'human' looking eyes, the ones glamoured onto his glasses. All he achieved was a headache, and when he heard footsteps outside the bathroom door he shoved his glasses back on, picked up his dirty laundry and exited the bathroom.
"Harry! You would think you remembered to magic your hair dry by now!"
Glaring at Seamus and shaking his messy, dripping hair in that direction like a dog, Harry picked up his wand from his bedside table. Quickly whispering the spell to dry his damp hair, he turned back and bowed to a scowling, water-flecked Seamus.
"Satisfied?"
He only got another glare, and a laughing hiss from Lily behind him as he finished getting ready for bed while the other boys bustled around him, various possessions scattered around as they rooted through trunks, exchanged sweets and chattered away about things Harry didn't quite keep track of. He did notice Vlad coming back, looking tired but smiling at Harry all the same before he vanished into the bathroom to change.
Hissing absently back and forth to his familiar, Harry felt the evening catching up with him and laid down, drawing the bedcurtains enough to shadow his face and hide his eyes when he took his glamoured glasses off.
"Sunny, stop levitating your dolls please!" They were only flimsy material things, but mother and daughter had made them together - without magic - and Solace treasured them. Her magic was apparent at a very early age, barely three months old before her crib rocked itself, six months by the time she was already making unintelligible hissing sounds and not yet a year old before she could amuse herself making things float. Even now, she could still make things move around the air with her mind alone.
"Sorry, I don't always notice I'm doing it!" Focusing, Solace brought her toys back down. It was a struggle, but now she and her father had managed to adjust to her name being "Sunny", though she still referred to herself as Solace in her own head, and her father sometimes whispered it at night when he comforted her after her nightmares.
She was taking an experimental potion for them, supposed to suppress any dreams at all but the formula wasn't perfect yet. But the things she saw at night, Solace was happy to be the test subject. Their school physician, Nurse Greta, was a wizened old witch who looked far more dangerous than she was, and had taken a special liking to 'Sunny', who was prone to accidental bursts of magic and scraps with students who agreed with 'pureblood only' practices. When she confided in the nurse about her nightmares, she had offered the chance to test the potion.
Tonight was one of the nights it didn't work, back home for one of the school holidays and she had woken her father with pained sounds. He made soothing noises as he had since she was a little girl, and they sat by the fire drinking warmed milk and cocoa powder. "What was it tonight?" He wouldn't push if she didn't want to talk about it, but there was nothing Solace couldn't talk to her father about.
"The muggles. The wizards do such terrible things to them, treat them like animals to be slaughtered, toys to be played with." Whenever the torture curses were used in her nightmares, Solace would feel ghosts of pain in her own body, though nothing like the sheer agony she could see twisting the muggles faces. Her muggle father listened as Solace talked, brushing a kiss over her temple and sweeping her long black hair away when she went back to bed. Even at fourteen, a young woman nearly old enough to marry, Solace would always be his little girl - he still told her that every night she was home.
Sammy, the Runespoor snake she had had since she was eight, flicked his tongue out against Artan's wrist in his usual sign of affection, then slithered up to rest along Solace's bed frame, a guardian as she slept. Before long, it was time for her to return to the school she learnt magic at, and leaving was always a tearful affair. Clutching her father close, Solace picked up her trunk by one handle and then picked up the 'tele-port-key' - an object spelled to take students with non-magical parents to and from their schools for holidays.
After dropping off her things to be carried back to the dormitory, her next stop was the nurses office - to discuss with Nurse Greta the ups and downs of the potion over the holidays. "I see it's improving the infrequency, but not the severity?" Solace nodded - she had them less often, but it did nothing for the actual nightmares that got through. "Well, there's a new batch on it's way. You can start it tomorrow if you like, but no potion tonight so it's out of your system."
Steely blue eyes twinkled with genuine affection as the nurse smiled, sending her on her way for dinner. Having grown up on simple foods, she and her father mostly self sufficient with their own cow and vegetable patch, plus a nearby river to fish in, Solace always stuck to the basic meals - she didn't need anything else.
"So Sunny, how was your holiday?" the translation spells were automatic, though her French was hugely improved by now. "Good. I do hate leaving my father alone so much, but he's so proud of me I owe him doing the best I can. Yours?" The French girl, with her tanned skin, long blonde hair and shimmering green eyes, looked very different to Solace, who was pale, with silver-grey eyes and dark hair, but 'Sunny' and Gabriella were the best of friends, and Solace was genuinely happy to see her again. Gabriella also came from half muggle, half magic parents and Solace hoped that one day, she would be someone to trust with the truth of who she was.
Shaking his head to clear the haze, Harry fumbled in the dark for his wand, quill and paper. Lighting the wand, he scrawled down the details of the dream he remembered. This one was more... homely, he supposed, than he was used to, but Solace seemed to have been an exceptionally bright, friendly and fierce girl in spite of so many things. And if he wasn't mistaken, reminded Harry of himself a fair bit. Strange dreams, strange magic, parseltongue and picking fights with people who believed blood was more important than heart.
He wasn't sure what this dream was actually supposed to show him, but perhaps it would all come together one day. Until then, Harry supposed unless he too, wanted to take a dreamless sleep potion constantly, he couldn't do a great deal about the dreams.
"Harry?"
Vlad's voice sounded from across the room, and Harry realised his lit wand was visible from that bed - the blue eyes were reflecting light back at him as Vlad yawned and rubbed his face.
"Sorry, did I wake you?"
"It's fine, I gotta pee."
Vlad ambled over to the bathroom, steps quiet and careful even half asleep so he wouldn't disturb any nearby sleepers. When he came back out, Harry had extinguished his wand light but Vlad still seemed to be able to see him. Oh right. Vampire. Night creature.
"You alright?"
Harry knew innately that Vlad wouldn't go back to sleep until he was sure Harry was ok, the boy was a worrier, especially about his best friend. His dream hadn't been that bad, so he nodded and watched as Vlad padded back to his own bed, the sound of bedsprings squeaking as he settled down and murmured a goodnight to Harry.
Their day started with yet another argument with the guardian portrait, who had started wandering around to challenge the other paintings to duels. Between that and his frequent password changes, half the time they couldn't actually get in the tower.
"Why was Godric the only one not to have any secret passages into his spot?"
"Because it's a tower, how do you get into a tower secretly idiot?"
"You're the idiot!"
Harry listened as Gred and Forge bickered good naturedly about such things, knowing they had shown Vlad more of the secret passages than they had Harry, but that was probably because they had been his new best friends while Harry was... contemplating the future vampire. Still, Vlad was happy to share the knowledge whenever they came across one on their travels now, but Harry wondered where the twins learnt them all.
He brought that up with them a couple of days later, while Vlad and Hermione were buried in some Arithmancy reading (not even homework - for fun!) and he was losing horribly to the twins at exploding snap in the courtyard.
"How do you know all these secret tunnels? I know you've been here longer, but I'm curious."
They shared identical questioning glances with each other, then smiled at the same time. A little eerie.
"You'll find out. Sometime around Christmas eh Gred?"
"Definitely Forge."
The cards blew up again then, singing hair and eyebrows and fingers and jumper sleeves. Some nearby Hufflepuffs burst out laughing, watching the Weasley twins go totally over the top in reactions while Harry patted out the sparks calmly.
"No no, if you go into runic warding you can't use those calculations, they aren't flexible enough."
"I see your point, but not many equations work in both numerical and runic warding, I was just using it as an example."
Harry zoned back out of their conversation, rooting through Vlad's backpack for his book on broomsticks - he still needed to replace his broken Nimbus, as much as he enjoyed flying on Draco's Firebolt it wasn't his, and Harry wanted a broom all his own. With Draco forcing the gold on them in return for their help with his parents, his vaults and the occasional saving his life, Harry could easily afford a brand new broom, but he wanted to research which was best for quick turns and speed, not just something that went fast. He was a seeker after all.
He did raise an eyebrow in query at Vlad and Hermione when they greeted two third year Slytherin students - he wasn't sure of their names, just that they weren't Crabbe and Goyle.
"The pale one with grey eyes is Theodore Nott, and the boy with almost no hair is Blaise Zabini. They are in Arithmancy with us, and perfectly cordial. You know us, working for interhouse co-operation."
Nodding agreeably, Harry showed Vlad where he was reading - he could use a second opinion and Vlad had his own books on the magic and math that went into broom making.
"The Firebolt probably is your best bet, for the speed it goes at the turning capabilities are better than say, a Twister, and the new Comet is for keepers, can only go fast for short bursts. Though the Nimbus 2001 is only a little slower than a Firebolt, and turns just as well. And you fly like a lunatic."
He was a little surprised at the thought out answer, though not at all surprised by Vlad complaining about how he flew.
"Thanks Vlad. Geek."
His friend shoved his arm, grinning and his eyes flicked down to Harry's neck for a second. He almost worried, but then remembered he had the necklace Vlad gave him on and smiled in return. He hadn't had any use for the emergency portkey, but that didn't mean he never would, and he knew Vlad had given him the snake shaped pendant as a sign of acceptance too - proof Vlad didn't care where he came from, only who he was.
It was almost always glamoured to look like a roughly carved lions head, and just long enough to be hidden by most of his clothes, but like his glasses, Harry didn't hide it when it was just the two of them. He didn't have to hide much with Vlad, it was freeing. Unlike with Remus, who knew many things about his life, but not nearly as much about Harry himself. Waving Vlad off to tutoring, Harry re-glamoured his necklace and headed to his dementor-fighting class with the defence teacher.
"Ready?"
Harry nodded, watching as the lid of the trunk creaked open, the room growing cold enough that he could see Remus' breath, but not his own as a chill ran through him. Closing his eyes, Harry pulled the image of his two best friends up and focused on the Patronus charm. What surprised them both was the bright light that filled the room - Harry hadn't yet spoken.
The phoenix flew straight for the dementor-boggart this time, all but knocking it straight back into the trunk, which locked automatically.
"Harry. Did you just perform an incredibly complicated, powerful charm silently?"
Turning to face his teacher, Harry shrugged.
"I've never tried silent magic before, but if you say so?"
He swallowed the chocolate dutifully, knowing he wouldn't be allowed to try again until he did so and this time, he focused on doing the spell without speaking the incantation. It worked, perfectly so, and Harry couldn't quite believe his eyes.
"Well, I have to say, I'm immensely impressed. How do you feel? Drained or low at all?"
"Not at all. I feel amazing, actually."
It was true, Harry felt like liquid heat rushed through his veins, like he could do anything right now. A little overwhelmed, but in a good way.
"Right. Let's try something simpler. Levitate this chair, silently?"
Pointing his wand there, Harry wondered if this was how Vlad felt, discovering strange talents out of nowhere as he thought 'wingardium leviosa' and they both stepped back as the chair flew upwards, smashing into the ceiling a full twenty feet above their heads.
"Good job there's no vampires here."
The joke was perhaps a little tactless, but Harry couldn't help snorting in amusement as they dodged a few splintered pieces of wood that rained down. Guiding the remnants of the broken chair to the ground, Harry grinned.
"I have to go find Vlad, he understands magic better than me. Thanks Remus!"
Harry dashed off, checking his watch - seven thirty, half an hour until curfew, he could make it to Bertrand's quarters by then. Catching sight of one of the secret passages Vlad had already shown him, and noting the empty corridors, he quickly mumbled the password to the portrait, getting a drunken hiccup from the portly wizard with an eternally full glass of wine as it swung open, revealing a dark tunnel.
Figuring he could try again, Harry thought 'lumos' and watched in amazement as his wand tip sparked, flooding the tunnel with light. He was doing magic wordlessly, and easily - that was sixth year at least, according to Hermione when talking about Vlad. The portrait closed behind him, leaving Harry alone in the passage that bore marks of previous generations. There were singe marks on walls, empty cauldrons with unrecognizable, congealed and probably illicit potions in them. There was a strange scratching noise, but when he looked around the floor Harry couldn't see a thing.
Old parchment littered the floor, faded books stacked in cobweb filled corners and Harry thought he saw a cat. Maybe Phantom was around here too. It wouldn't surprise him - the Bastion was a mischievous critter. Heading for the stairs that would take him a few floors up - faster than the Grand Staircase and no moving or trick steps.
There was a dull thud, then another, and another and Harry was now fairly certain something was wrong. Turning around quickly, he lifted his wand to cast the wandlight further and wished he had thought to carry his invisibility cloak. What with that Black guy after him, he realised he shouldn't be wandering empty tunnels alone and quickened his pace.
"Harry."
The whisper sent an unpleasant chill down his spine, and he didn't recognize the voice. Swallowing thickly, Harry clutched his wand tighter and turned towards the sound. He didn't see a thing, but something hit the back of his head heavily and Harry saw nothing but blackness.
Vlad couldn't put his fang on it, but something was making him unsettled. It wasn't just that Harry was with the werewolf, there was something else. It made it hard to focus on his studying - poisons and antidotes tonight, Bertrand and Snape both present.
Neither vampire could miss the potions teacher scratching his arm absent mindedly, especially as it went on for at least an hour. When the clock struck ten, tired and the negative feeling growing, they were just packing up for the night when Snape yelped in pain, clutching his forearm like it was about to fall off if he dared let go.
Bertrand yanked the fabric back and Vlad couldn't help gasping at the tattoo - Voldemorts mark on his followers, faded before but now it looked burned anew, the snake protruding from the skull moving.
"That can't be good. What does it mean?"
Anxiety mounting, Vlad struggled for patience as the teacher struggled for words through the pain.
"Dark Lord. Only he can activate it this way."
Sharing a scared look with Bertrand, Vlad hoped he was hallucinating or having a nightmare of some sort.
"I'll go to Albus. Get him to the tower. Find Harry."
Harry. Instinct to protect his mate surging, Vlad barely waited for Bertrand to grab his arm to flit them along before he took off running. He growled angrily when he saw the portrait empty, Sir Cadagon off again at the worst possible time.
Seconds away from tearing the portrait from the wall, Vlad jumped in surprise when Bertrand tapped his shoulder and pointed to the Weasley twins behind him.
"Tell me you have that map."
His expression must have shown he was in no mood for games, Fred pulling the map from his jumper and tapping his wand on it.
"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good. I presume you want us to find Harry?"
Nodding frantically and watching as the ink lines filled their magical map, the four of them spread the map across the corridor floor and scanned it for Harry's name. His heart racing and cold, fearful sweat prickling on his skin, Vlad couldn't find it. Nor could he feel Harry, which he normally could if he focused hard enough on the bond always, always locked inside him.
"Any luck?"
"No."
"Me neither."
Bertrand shook his head too, and Vlad was counting on his senses to be accurate.
"Not a word to anyone you two. If Harry turns up on the map, go straight to the headmasters office and tell whoever is there where you saw him. The password is Licorice Snaps. Come on Vlad."
The twins barely had time to nod before Vlad and Bertrand dashed off, clearing a corner before they could slip into a secret passage that cut down to the third floor faster - the headmasters office.
Snape was already there, the wizened old headmaster leant over his arm and peering at it closely. Remus Lupin was there too, but the smell of werewolf barely registered in Vlad's panic.
"Harry's missing. You better not have anything to do with this!"
Uncaring that he shouldn't be threatening a teacher, Vlad's instincts were burning higher and higher as nobody was telling him where Harry could be or why the 'dark mark' was active, and there was absolutely zero chance the two weren't connected.
"He left me at seven thirty, to find you. I'm guessing he didn't?"
"No, I finished tutoring at ten and that's when everything started happening. Why was he coming to find me?"
It warmed Vlad a little to hear Harry was coming to him, but that faded almost instantly beneath the terror of his missing mate.
"He uh, discovered he could do a few spells silently. His first thought was that you would understand, and he ran off to find you. He was happy and healthy when he left my classroom, I swear."
Vlad didn't want to trust the wolf after what he had done, but he didn't think the teacher was lying. And by the sounds of it, Harry was getting one of his power spurts, which hopefully would help.
"He has an emergency portkey from me, but he hasn't used it yet which worries me because it means he's restrained somehow."
He wasn't even going to explain why or how Harry had it, nor how he would know Harry had used it. The portkey could take Harry to Stokely Castle, Malfoy Manor, Bertrand's home and the Chamber of Secrets - there were wards that would set off if someone portkeyed in to the three homes, and he would feel if Harry was in Hogwarts, he was certain. Nobody seemed to be giving Vlad answers, and he was growing angry at this... this inactivity. His mate was missing! Magic thrumming beneath his skin, they all turned to the sound of the door opening, multiple angry sounds aimed at the newcomer.
"I know who has Harry. Just hear me out."
He looked even more haggard than the newspaper photos, but Vlad was sure it was Sirius Black stood before them. Snape had his wand aimed at the man, Bertrand's shoulders set defensively and Vlad was prepared to tear the mans throat out for what he had done to Harry's parents, what he was trying to do to Harry.
"Wait. Let's hear what he has to say."
Dumbledore voiced possibly the most unpopular opinion Vlad had ever heard, but if there was the slightest chance this bastard knew where Harry was, he owed it to his mate to listen.
"One minute. Talk."
-YDHP-
Oooooo. I think this is a day early, hopefully that makes up for last weeks late update!