Jon! You're back! And as ever, your reviews had me in hysterics and generally feeling excellent. I have missed you and your wit so I'm very glad to hear you're back and not ill anymore!

I can't decide if your Ingrid-esque reaction or new name for Harry is my favourite part though, I can absolutely hear that in her voice. And with regards to the matching scars - the lightning bolt shape is the wand movement for AK, so it wouldn't make sense for Vlad to have a different scar from surviving the hit, if that makes sense?

I started writing this update September 1st, mostly to distract myself from how sad I will always be that I'm not on the train to Hogwarts!

-YDHP-

Harry stared openly at the mark on Vlad's chest - they had matching scars now? The thought reminded him of the pain trying to eek through his forehead, like Voldemort was chiseling away at the inside of his brain. His hand had barely reached for it before Vlad did, an audible hiss of pain for the movement but as ever, his cool fingers were like ice water on the pain.

"You're bleeding. Your arm, and your mouth."

He had taken healing for long enough that he thought he could at least disinfect and staunch the bleeding wound, but he didn't want to risk his mouth.

"Can you stand? Just so we can get out of here, because nobody else can get in."

Vlad nodded, pulling his t-shirt back down to hide the injuries that all but glowed, stark against his pale chest. He could see the effort it cost Vlad to roll onto his side, then his front to push himself up, tucking his wand in his sleeve and nodding down at the invisibility cloak.

"My backpack is in my pocket. Put your cloak in it, and find me a painkiller. Blue vial."

The words were pushed through gritted teeth, so Harry didn't hold Vlad's sudden lack of manners against him as he reached for the pocket - right side, because Vlad was right handed, he remembered - and pulled out the backpack, enlarging it to shove his cloak in and find the charmed-in side pocket full of little glass vials. Handing the blue one to Vlad, the relief was obvious as his friend swallowed it down.

"Side door. As soon as we show up on the map, someone will be coming to find us. And give me the scolding of my unlife for going after you."

Not even bothering to ask what had transpired between his defence class and Vlad's rescue mission, Harry shrunk his backpack back down and handed it to Vlad, picked his wand up and since he was the less injured, Harry put an arm around Vlad's back to hold him up. Vlad visibly shuddered, and Harry remembered the huge bruises across his chest.

"Sorry."

"It's ok, let's just move before Ingrid finds out and hexes me herself for going off alone."

Chuckling, Harry led him to the side door, hissing to open it and they stumbled through the door, which melted back into the wall the second they were through.

"Necklace."

Harry looked down, remembering the portkey was currently un-glamoured. Quickly changing it back to lion, Vlad pushed himself up against the wall and breathed heavily. Barely five seconds later, a rather irritated but relieved looking Bertrand was 'whooshing' into their corridor, taking stock of them - Harry was bleeding and Vlad could barely stay upright.

"Explain later. Take me to magic painkiller lady now."

Vlad managed to smirk cheekily at his tutor for a second before wincing in pain again, and Bertrand rolled his eyes but grabbed both their arms. It wasn't any more disorientating than a Gringotts cart, and much faster than walking. Even if they spent way too much time in the hospital wing.

"You two. Again. Why am I not surprised?"

"Harry should be fine once you heal his arm and mouth. I just want pain relievers and sleep. Preferably before I get the telling off I know is coming."

Vlad clambered into his 'usual' bed, groaning in pain but keeping his eyes on Harry as Madam Pomfrey healed his injuries properly. Then glared him into a bed, her wand charming his blood-and-mud covered clothes into the hospital issue pyjamas. Watching Vlad, the boy visibly recoiled when anyone tried to check his injuries, and held up a shield charm (Harry had to admire his wandless and wordless magic at a time like this) when Madam Pomfrey tried to change his clothes.

"Mr Dracula, is there a reason you're warding off the nurse?"

Turning to the door, they were joined by Dumbledore, McGonogall, Severus and someone Harry got a jolt of sickening recognition towards.

"Is there a reason the man who got my parents killed is here, Headmaster Dumbledore?"

He hadn't realised the words had come out until he had six adults staring incredulously at him. Sirius Black was standing right there. Looking over at Vlad, his friend fixed him with a strange look, then shook his head.

"I wouldn't have known you were missing until it was too late if it wasn't for him. Though I was still very close to too late, so don't feel too good about it. That time you spent hanging around? Wormtail resurrected Voldemort."

Vlad spat the words, clutching at his chest and Harry was torn between punching Sirius Black and going to try and help Vlad.

"Could you repeat that? I think there was something crazy in my ear." Both teen boys snorted at Bertrand, earning them glares from the adults.

"Vlad's right. Pettigrew needed my blood for a ritual. We were seconds from death when we got away. Vlad. Show them?"

Everyone looked between Vlad and Harry for a moment, and Harry suddenly felt guilty when Vlad looked sad but acquiesced, lifting his shirt to display the marks.

"I know you can't heal a dark curse wound, so that's why I just want some pain relievers."

He yanked the fabric back down, and Madam Pomfrey huffed and made annoyed sounds but handed Vlad a black vial, which he made look like the worst tasting liquid gold as the potion spread through him, making the vampire all but melt into his bed.

"I'm sorry, the Dark Lord is back? And Vladimir survived a killing curse? Someone please tell me I've sustained a serious head injury, and I'll wake up without Black near me and all of this will be an unpleasant hallucination."

"I wish Professor. This is painful."

Dumbledore and McGonogall both vanished off - thankfully with Black in tow which relaxed every other person, though Harry didn't miss the look of longing Black sent him. Feeling a little unsettled, the minute Madam Pomfrey turned her back Harry slid from his bed, dropping into the chair next to Vlad's. Severus and Bertrand knew considerably more about them both than most, but until the nurse vanished they didn't have much they could say.

"The drugs kicking in yet bat boy?"

His friend made a sound Harry thought was agreement, cracking one eye open to peer at Harry. They were going to have to talk about Vlad's insane decision to take the curse, and how on earth he found him. And the whole return of the crazed killer that wanted Harry dead, whilst simultaneously being his grandfather. And Harry needed something for his headache before he started biting his cheek again.

Something in his face must have given him away, because even in his drugged-up state Vlad noticed and touched his scar again. If Bertrand - the closest they had to an expert on magical vampires he supposed - had any ideas about why that worked, he wasn't sharing them. Frankly, Harry had stopped caring so long as it worked.

Madam Pomfrey had spotted them by then, and as soon as Vlad was done touching Harry she shooed him back to his bed, both having dreamless sleep pushed at them. They shared a look, and Vlad lifted the vial like he was toasting Harry with a wry smile before they both swallowed the purple liquid.

Even asleep, the dull ache continued in his head and Harry was looking for Madam Pomfrey as his eyes opened. His glasses had been removed - he could still see but the frames were on his bedside. Pulling the glamoured glass back on quickly, he sat up. Vlad was already awake - still in last nights dirty clothes and fending off the nurse - and pointed Madam Pomfrey at Harry a second later.

"Mr Potter. How are you feeling? Hopefully less obtuse than your friend here."

"Ok. Can I have something for my headache please?"

Never more thankful for magical remedies that were much faster than muggle paracetamol, he felt some of the pain recede. Potions would never clear the entirety of it, because it wasn't normal pain, but it was a start.

"Why won't you let the nurse near you? You're rarely a difficult patient."

"Because every single cell in my body hurts, and every time someone comes at me with a wand I tense up. Which, unsurprisingly, hurts."

Vlad explained to Bertrand, who didn't look to have slept though Professor Snape was nowhere to be seen, and then reached for the next dose of pain relievers.

"Can you at least allow someone to look? We have to see if you're healing at all, you won't be able to take the pain potions indefinitely."

Harry watched and felt bad for his friend as Vlad grimaced, then managed to lift his hand and vanish his dirty clothes from his top half, appearing neatly folded next to his bed. The bruises looked worse in the stark light of day and hospital wing, covering the entirety of Vlad's narrow chest and the lightning bolt looking deeply etched into his skin. He still recoiled when anyone got too close, but apparently the adults thought there were signs of healing.

"Doesn't feel it. Anyone suggests rubbing a bruise salve on me and I'll hex you. I need a shower."

"Vladimir, you can barely stand up! I insist-"

"Fine, I'll take a bath. Just let me clean the smell of dark magic and graveyard off me."

Madam Pomfrey threw her hands in the air, sighing and bustling over to check on Harry. He decided to just let her work, because he was less injured and more likely to get her head of steam unleashed. Aside from the scar-pain/headache, he was essentially unharmed now his arm and mouth were healed.

He took a quick shower, looking at the faint circular scar left by Samael and hoping against hope Voldemort hadn't gotten that too. Harry had claimed the basilisk, in his heart at least. And they had those... horcrux things to find. If Samael was lost to them? They were screwed.

Feeling infinitely better for being washed and in clean clothes, he went back out and sat back on his bed. Harry wasn't sure what to do. Voldemort was back. And killing Harry was definitely number one on his to do list, especially when he had been seen to dodge the curse in front of those followers of his, then vanished seconds later. The dementor guards hadn't stopped Pettigrew, or Black. He highly doubted they were going to slow down Voldemort.

Vlad took longer to appear, ambling from the bathroom in hospital-issue pyjama bottoms and nothing else. He fell back onto his own bed, eyes seeking out Harry almost instantly.

"Are you alright?"

Vlad was bruised, probably permanently scarred and lucky to be alive - and he was asking if Harry was alright? He didn't understand the vampire boy.

"Fine. Bit of a headache, but I've had worse. And I'm alive. That's all thanks to you Vlad. You could have died out there. You could have a massive target on you now. What were you thinking?"

He looked shocked by the tangent, but Vlad just shrugged and shifted into a more comfortable - or perhaps less painful - position on his bed.

"You were in trouble. I knew I could die, but that's been par for the course every school year. Not usually so early, but we got out. We're both alive, and according to the grown ups glaring at me from over there, I'm going to heal up fine. We have bigger issues than me with a few bruises."

Rolling his eyes, Harry noticed breakfast arriving. Vlad looked like he was going to argue, but a glare from Harry convinced him to sit up and work through some scrambled eggs. Setting in on his own food, suddenly ravenous, he swallowed down a mouthful of bacon and spent the quiet time mentally thanking the school elves for their amazing cooking. It was a surreal moment in it's normality.

Vlad had charmed a jumper back on as soon as he finished eating, hiding the injuries he sustained before Dumbledore, McGonogall and Black returned, Remus in tow.

"Harry! I'm relieved to see you're alright.".

Eyeing Remus stood next to Black, Harry felt like backing away. Not that he could, the only thing behind him was a bedboard and a wall.

"Why is he anywhere near me? I've had to tolerate those vile things since the school train, precisely to keep Sirius Black away from me!"

The adults all shared a look, and Harry noticed Vlad had his wand next to his hand, lying on the bed and eyes on Black.

"We may have made... errors in judgement."

"I'm happy to explain, though perhaps not here."

Harry shook his head, gesturing to the vampires.

"Anything you have to say to me, can be said in front of Vlad. And Bertrand would eat you himself before he left Vlad and I alone with a serial killer."

Remus knew what Bertrand was, and Harry suspected Black knew by now - he may have seen Bertrand speeding off or been on the receiving end of his fanged glares. And the man did not look happy at the prospect, but Harry was quick to move over to Vlad's bed and sit next to it. Vlad smiled at him, then returned to glaring at Black.

"Fine. But not here, I should probably not be spotted anytime soon."

Wondering just how much time they spent in the office/side rooms of the Hospital Wing, Harry held out a hand for Vlad to balance himself on as he got up gingerly, feeling the same odd warmth he often got from Vlad. Or perhaps it was his skin recognising vampires - he didn't touch Ingrid or Bertrand often enough to know.

"Master Vlad! Master Harry! What can Jumpsy do for you?"

The two teens grinned at each other, then ducked their heads - they knew they weren't supposed to know where the kitchens were.

"Just tea for me please."

"Me too."

The two non-vampire adults asked for coffee, and Bertrand didn't have to say anything - a goblet of what Harry could smell was blood rested on the tray when their tea appeared.

"Don't worry, it's donated."

Both Black and Remus still looked exceptionally uncomfortable, so Harry drew their attention back to the matter at hand. Aside from Voldemort that was. Vlad sipped his tea next to Harry, silent and protective as usual.

"You said you would explain. I have a madman after me now, again, so I kind of have other things to be worrying about. So, explain."

Vlad's fingers slid around his wrist, squeezing reassuringly until he calmed down.

"It's like seeing you and James all over again."

Harry looked back up at Black and Remus, then over at Vlad.

"Huh?"

Remus reached into his cardigan, pulling out a somewhat crumpled, clearly old photograph and slid it across the table. It contained two boys, about thirteen he supposed, captured in the same ten second loop of laughter at something out of camera shot. Tears built at the back of his eyes, even though Harry hadn't seen a picture of him this young, he knew he was looking at his father. The boy next to him had black hair, neater than James' and blue eyes that sparkled with life and mirth even through the photo.

Vlad was a little less overwhelmed, but he could clearly see Harry was struck by emotions right now.

"What was it you two were laughing at?"

"I think it must have been the Defence Against The Dark Arts teacher, we had accidentally set off some hilarious spells and he wasn't happy with the mermaid tail."

"Or the hands that stuck to everything."

"Or maybe it was the bright blue bubbles that came out of his mouth when he tried to speak. My personal favourite."

He couldn't help laughing a little, imagining his dad running amok at Hogwarts and causing such chaos - just like Vlad and Harry did now. The boy in the picture did look like Vlad, and with Harry's resemblance to his father, he could see what Remus meant.

"This doesn't change that he handed my mom and dad to Voldemort."

They flinched a little at the name, but he ignored it, sipping his rapidly cooling tea for something to do, to focus on other than wanting to hex Black.

"I would never have done that. I would have died first, James saved me. My life, my soul, everything. It was Peter."

Harry wanted to hear more about his father, but he was more desperate to know what had happened that night his whole life was torn apart.

"Pettigrew? How? You were their secret keeper right? Only you could have told on them."

"I thought so too" Remus interjected, looking a little wounded as he spoke "but I was wrong."

"My family were dark. My little brother joined you-know-who. When I started at Hogwarts and got sorted into Gryffindor, it did not go well for me at home. James and Remus here befriended me almost instantly, and Peter was the only other Gryffindor in our year. We were the best of friends" Black stopped to wipe a tear away, and Harry almost felt bad, but he needed more information "but that isn't what you wanted to know. Yes, I was their secret keeper, but I was sure I was being followed, that they were after me. We didn't know Peter had been turned over to the dark side then, and figured nobody would suspect little old Peter. He was always shy, quiet and not that powerful. We only knew it was too late when they were dead - Peter had turned them in. That's why I went after him that night. He knew nobody but I knew they changed secret keeper. All he had to do was run. And he did. I was laughing when they found me, because for the first time ever, Peter had gotten one over on me."

Harry's first instinct was to turn to Vlad, to check he had heard all the same things. Vlad chewed on the words for a moment, downed the rest of his tea and rubbed at his chest.

"He cut off his finger, blew up the street, transformed into a rat and left you there to take the fall out. That's the measure of it, right?"

Black nodded, clutching at his coffee mug and looking more haggard than ever. Bertrand was quiet in the corner, observing over the rim of his goblet like it was a mildly dull television show.

"So, you were locked up for a crime you didn't commit. You get out of Azkaban... somehow, and you can go anywhere, hide somewhere and live. Instead, you come all the way to Scotland, sneak past the dementors again, and it's not to kill Harry? So, what is it all for?"

"Peter. I knew wherever Harry was, he would be. So if you-know-who ever came back, he would be able to hand Harry over like a prize to lessen his chances of being killed off. Sorry for the painting, I liked that portrait. Is she alright?"

"Traumatised. Maybe don't cut up guardian portraits who literally cannot open without the password?"

Black shrugged, and Bertrand summoned Jumpsy for more tea in the silence, maybe to distract from the obvious discomfort at the adult vampires presence.

"Vlad!"

Ingrid's voice sounded, irate - likely at Vlad getting himself hurt again - as it rang through the hospital wing. Vlad rolled his eyes but smiled fondly, flicking eyes to Bertrand, then Harry. The message was clear - don't leave Harry alone with Black. He grumbled as he stood and left, and Harry took about three seconds to follow him, watching Ingrid smack her brother around the head. Hermione was there too, throwing herself at Harry in a flurry of hugs and crazy hair.

"You two were missing all night! Fred and George were a mess this morning but wouldn't say anything, and then McGonogall called me out of Arithmancy and now you two are here! What happened? Is that Sirius Black?"

Hermione finally stopped for breath, looking tempted to hug Vlad but he held his hands up in defence, mumbling he was still healing under his older sisters glare. He looked sufficiently drained by the minimal effort, dropping heavily onto the bed again and talking quietly to Ingrid.

"Yes, that's Sirius Black. No, he's not here to kill me. I think. Yes, we were here most of the night, and Fred and George were probably told not to say anything. McGonogall probably knew you were going out of your mind, and so she brought you here to see we were fine. Now calm down."

Hermione drew a deep breath, then sat on the chair next to Harry's bed and looked over at Vlad in concern.

"What happened?"

"A lot. Vlad will be fine, he just took a nasty curse and it'll take time to heal up. But I swear, both here, alive and safe."

Hermione smiled, nodded and then whacked him with the closest thing to hand - a pillow.

"Disappearing on us like that! How could you?"

"If it helps, wasn't by choice. I was knocked out and kidnapped, Vlad was the rescue man."

Something in her face gave Harry pause, he couldn't figure out why but felt like there was something he didn't know. Before he could think further, Hermione put a hand in her pocket, lifting it out a minute later to show a scaly body.

"Lily!"

Forgetting not everyone in the room knew he was a parselmouth with a snake familiar, Harry hissed happily to the snake, who gave him a similar remonstration as Hermione. Apologising for worrying her, he got the usual affectionate tongue flick against his cheek.

"Harry?"

Remus and Black were both looking very concerned, perhaps even more so because nobody else seemed perturbed in the slightest.

"Oh, right. Yeah, hi. I'm a parselmouth, this is Lily, my familiar. Totally harmless, except being a pain in the scales. Right Lily?"

"You are not as amusing as you think wizard." Harry chuckled, stroking over her cool, scaled head. "I'm hilarious and you know it."

She coiled up around his neck, apparently quite comfortable keeping an eye on the teacher and escaped convict still staring at them in confusion. And perhaps a little fear?

"You're a... what? How?"

Vlad shook his head, just a little, reminding Harry to keep some things a secret.

"I don't know. Lily picked me, I had no clue before that."

He was lying, sort of. He hadn't known before, not really, but he did know how and why he was able to do it now. Thanks to the skeletal, evil, twisted creature that had been resurrected in a graveyard last night.

-YDHP-

I'm not happy with how this chapter turned out, but I tried to rewrite it and it just got worse!