BlueAutumn12 - yeah I'm being terribly mean to Vlad! But can't be nice every chapter... or Chosen Two would just be a fluff fest. Y'all might get bored.

You - it's cool, I still appreciate that you make the effort to review every chapter.

Ariana-807 - you just have to wait and see!

Incorrect usage of Levicorpus spell present in chapter. Deal with it.

-YDHP-

"Is our guest feeling more agreeable yet?"

"I can answer you in many ways. Telepathy, throttling... ooh, what about fire? Or just a flat out no."

Riddle glared for a second, then his flat reptilian face turned back to smarmy. The eyes gave him away - full of murderous intent. Vlad had Count Dracula for a dad, he had seen that before. Particularly with the reddish colour. The snakelike slits were difficult to look at - Harry's eyes did that every morning. Vlad checked his Occlumency walls were firm - this psychopath didn't deserve access to any of those thoughts.

"That isn't very hospitable of you Vladimir."

"Stop calling me that. Or I'll start calling you Tom."

That won him the reaction he wanted, wand hand twitching and Vlad itched to rip it from his bony hand and smash the wand that had been lifted to kill Harry's parents into dust.

"Dracula then?"

"Better. I'm not calling you Lord, sir or Voldemort though. How about Tommy? No? Thomas?"

"You are trying my patience."

Vlad could see Snape behind Riddle's back, wide eyed and maybe even a little... panicked? Who could tell, the man was a stone wall. Maybe the strong painkiller plus Replenisher was making Vlad a little dopey... the world was a little wobbly at the edges. He needed to be careful or he could tip right over.

"That's what Dracula's do."

Yep. Definitely dopey. From one angle it even almost looked like Riddle had a nose. Next he would be hallucinating hair. Right now he may even mistake the expression on the serpentine face for 'searching for patience', and it was taking every bit of strength he had not to burst out in slightly manic giggles.

"You don't need to refer to me by name. None of my followers will expect you to be talking to them. Agreeable?"

"What does it matter? I'm not going to be of any use to you even if I had legs that worked right now so let's commence with the fighting and killing. Or let me go. Either works."

"At least come and see the gift I prepared for you. I went to such lengths to get the right one."

I must be high, Vlad thought. Because I'm curious enough to want to know.

"Fine. But first you better find a way for me to get around other than being carried like a newborn babe. I don't trust your minions."

"Surely someone of your powers can find your own solution."

Resigned to being some kind of pale, battered ghost-bat, Vlad sighed and held his hand out.

"Wand?"

"Do you really need it? You conjured a chair and broke your restraints without it."

"Those were one off, low level tricks. Give. Me. My. Wand."

Vlad didn't really need it, but that didn't mean he wanted Riddle getting curious and finding out about his magic-wood dual-core wand that mostly served as decoration. Even so, he felt a little reassured by the familiar warmth of his wand in his hand.

"Levicorpus."

Vlad hovered a couple of inches off the table he was sat on, having to manually use his arms to straighten out his legs and float upright rather than seated.

"Off we go then."

As soon as Riddle turned away, Vlad silently cast a shield charm around himself - he didn't trust anybody not to shoot him in the back. His bruised, still probably bleeding and future-scarred back that bore a lightning bolt practically down his spine.

Manipulating the charm, Vlad lowered himself to only a few centimetres above ground and awkwardly floated behind Riddle, who was obviously very aware of an armed Vlad behind him. Tempting as it was and satisfying as it would be, Vlad wouldn't hex him from behind.

Not to mention it would be virtually useless - there were horcruxes out there yet to be destroyed before Riddle could be killed for good.

"Come on then, where's my gift? Is it food? Actually, scratch that. You would poison me."

"Patience Dracula."

"Heh. You really don't know biters."

They ended up back in the room full of loyal minions, most of whom were masked and arranged in a loose kind of circle. Vlad could feel many eyes on his shirtless torso, wanting to shrink in on himself but he held Harry's soft, whispered words of praise close to his heart and stayed as solid and stoic as he could while levitating in a room full of adult evil.

Wasn't much different from a Dracula Ball back in the old country really.

"Our esteemed guest, Vladimir Dracula. I expect you all to remain well behaved... or face my displeasure."

"Yes my lord." was parroted back to them several times over, and Vlad could feel the contempt the others had for him. But they were too cowardly and compliant to argue with their lunatic master. He could smell the werewolf in the room, scanning the crowd and spying the bulkiest one with robes stretched tight over a broad body. They were hooded but not masked, so Vlad expected he would see Fenrir Greyback face to face soon.

"Still waiting on this gift. Getting bored."

Vlad drawled, channelling bored-Ingrid for the necessary attitude and watching Riddle tense up slightly. He was uncomfortable with someone who didn't bow down to him, who wasn't cowering at the thought of annoying him. That was the problem with ruling only with fear... you couldn't scare everyone.

"Bring him out."

Pale, clearly beaten and bound and terrified, Ron Weasley was shoved out into the middle of the circle to slam to the ground in front of Vlad. Mind connecting the dots - Crouch had been murdered and Weasley told to dispose of his body, which had gotten him in trouble and removed from Hogwarts... it was all part of this ridiculous plan.

"You brought me here for this waste of air? If you wanted to impress me, his corpse would have been far better. Can I go now?"

In hindsight, Vlad probably shouldn't have said that to a room full of people who didn't think twice of ending a life.

"I thought perhaps you would enjoy the rights to that yourself."

"I'm not wasting magic on this rat."

There was no denying how badly Vlad wanted the Weasley traitor dead, but even if he did want to kill the boy, he wasn't a performing monkey and they wouldn't get the satisfaction of his protective brother instincts. Nor his Dracula thirst for revenge.

Vlad didn't need to look to know the werewolf had come closer - he could smell him.

"Hades hellfire, don't you ever bathe your pet dog?"

"Greyback?"

Vlad found a huge amount of amused pleasure in the burn scars littered across the man's face when he lowered his hood, even a wolf healing process not enough to keep up with when Vlad set him on fire. He reeked of stale sweat, blood and werewolf, which Draco kept far better suppressed by bathing daily. Clearly Greyback had no care for personal hygiene.

"My Lord. I do hunger so."

"Well Dracula? Do you want to kill him or should I let the dog have a chew toy?"

"So long as he stops breathing I don't care how he gets there. Just take it away from me, I'm going to be sick from the smell. Don't make me set him on fire again."

He hoped he appeared not to care, but Vlad had known the second he saw the boy on the ground Weasley wasn't getting out alive. He couldn't appear rattled. Riddle waved Greyback off, who threw Vlad a scowl - probably for his scars, or Vlad's comments - but picked up the petrified-looking Weasley and carried him out of the room like the obedient dog he was being fed a treat.

"Greyback does so love the taste of children."

Fighting to keep his stomach contents where they were, Vlad grimaced.

"That's disgusting. Then again, he is just a bitten mongrel."

Voldemort frowned slightly, likely trying to work out what his next move would be since Vlad wasn't cheering for the scream he could hear next door. A bitten wolf eating human when it wasn't even the full... Greyback was beyond even Vlad's usual experience of the feral animals.

"I didn't have you pegged for specieism."

"At least born wolves have some control, some decorum. And immortality. Bittens are just beasts. Granted, that Wolfsbane potion helps, but I sense you are easily amused enough to want to watch a feral animal."

"Your opinion of me is not nearly high enough."

Vlad raised an eyebrow, feeling his pain relief potion already starting to wear off and he wasn't even using any muscles other than his head properly. Channelling the pain into a harsh tone, Vlad looked over the room coldly. Dracula ice expressions were an art form.

"Seriously? You tried to kill my best friend, your pet lizard petrified my sister and you kidnapped me. Keeping your furry plaything around is hardly going to endear you to me."

He sent a silent apology to Harry for insulting Samael and a mental promise to take the basilisk a cow or something if he ever got out of this captivity. He still felt utterly bizarre floating above the ground like a vampire ghost while he couldn't feel his lower body and could feel too much in his upper body.

"All but those who have been given assignment are to leave. Those who have know better than to leave. Come Dracula... let us talk."

"I'm not a dog."

Grim satisfaction was his when Riddle grit his teeth, muscle in his narrow jaw twitching with suppressed rage. Whatever Riddle wanted with Vlad, he was really set on or else he would have cursed him again by now.

"Would you accompany me somewhere more comfortable?"

"That had better mean comfy chairs... you aren't my type."

Skin crawling, Vlad followed along bobbing through the air like a crude cartoon. They went down several winding corridors, telling him that Riddle liked his lairs to be confusing, warren-like. It reminded him of beneath their old castle back in Transylvania. The underground part at least.

"No... you prefer the rugged, silent and sporty type I hear. Wormtail!"

"Y-y-yes my lord?"

"Stand still."

Vlad's order obviously surprised Wormtail, little squinting eyes flicking between Vlad and Voldemort. He didn't move otherwise. Riddle sneered in amusement, watching as Vlad maneuvered his useless aching body into a plush armchair.

"Sorry, did you want to play with the servant?"

"No. Just seeing if it's you he obeys or he's just an obedient submissive rat. Carry on."

More muscle twitching in anger, Riddle almost - almost - raised his wand and blasted Vlad in the face. But he mastered it, and turned to shout at his servants instead.

"Is there anything you would like? Poison free, I guarantee it."

"And you are totally trustworthy."

"I would not go to all this trouble simply to poison your tea."

Vlad thought on it. He agreed to an extent, but that didn't mean nobody else would poison his drink. However, weakening through dehydration or starvation wasn't going to help.

"I don't know about that. But... fine. Pumpkin juice. Sealed. And something light and sweet to go with it. These bruises make a heavy meal unappealing."

Riddle sent his squirming rat away, and Vlad felt nauseated by the lipless smile, yellowed teeth stretching into existence on the colourless, inhuman face. The supposed expression of happiness didn't reach the red slitted eyes, but served to stretch his cheeks around the flattened nose. He wondered about the process, how each Horcrux had stripped him of more humanity. It was odd to see an external shell of a shattered soul.

Rather... Dorian Grey really.

"This will be your room... until you agree to my terms or I get bored of you..."

"Yeah... no. You haven't even given me your 'terms' so I can turn them down. Just... tried to win me over. It's kind of creepy, makes me feel like you're grooming me."

"As you said, you are not my 'type' Dracula. Nor do I lower myself to such... base, human rutting. My desires are considerably different."

Vlad knew that couldn't have always been the case - he was Lily Evans' father.

"And predictable. You want Harry, and because you know he would never give you the time of day, you went through all of this to get me here, thinking I would be impressed. Then you can convince me to hand over Harry without a fight so you can kill him to soothe your ego."

"I'm afraid you are wrong on some things. Ah, Wormtail. Do come in."

The glass bottle was still sealed, Vlad noticed. He still ran a silent scanning charm over it, pushed every sense he could at the bottle as he popped the lid. Taking a casual sip... nothing happened except his dry mouth alleviated. There was a plate of sweet cakes and pastries on the tray, accompanied by a dark grey stone goblet, inlaid with precious stones and Vlad spied the Malfoy crest on. Even now, Riddle was stealing grandeur to make himself look better.

"Y-your wine my lord."

"Yes Wormtail, I can see that. Nor did I ask for you to tell me."

Riddle raised his wand, but Vlad snorted just loud enough to be heard.

"Problem?"

"You're going to torture him right? Like you do all the time... either he likes it or you do and I would rather you keep your foreplay out of my room."

Vlad couldn't risk Riddle using Cruciatus if he could stop it - not when Harry would be hurt by it. He felt the scratching on his barriers, nudging the intrusion out gently at first. Riddle pushed harder, so Vlad did too and he scowled when the push-back made his chair rattle. Vlad sipped his drink again, trying to maintain his bored expression as his back pulsed with pain. Proximity to the spells caster was making it worse.

"Nice try. Wormtail, you can leave now. The important ones are talking."

Wormtail scurried off, obviously hoping to avoid the torture he was bound to get later anyway.

"Nobody interrupts my punishments."

"I just did. You've been interrupting my life. Now enough with the niceties, I'm growing bored. What do you want?"

"I want Harry Potter."

"No dice. Kill me and be done with it."

Vlad would literally die before he handed anyone over to this lunatic. His mate... he would do anything to protect.

"You haven't even heard what I want."

"I'm not letting you near my best friend. No matter what you offer."

"Even if it's guaranteed safety for you, him and your friends from my followers?"

"You- what?"

Vlad didn't trust a word, but he would let Riddle finish his sales pitch before denying him again.

"With you being the good guard dog- sorry, bat that you are, killing Harry Potter is becoming a tiresome chore. I would rather ensure he simply will never move against me."

"You want to recruit him? Are you insane? Harry would never follow you."

"But he would follow you."

It all clicked into place - if Mouldy-shorts here got Vlad on side, he would have Harry by default as everyone knew Harry and Vlad were a package deal when it came to watching each others backs, and their loyalty to the other.

"So you buddy up to me, you get Harry. The biggest threat to your whole magic supremacy movement removed... hell, we may even come in handy. That's not your most illogical plan. That honour goes to putting me in the Tournament. I would have died first task if not for Charlie Weasley. Then you had the Merfolk try to murder me."

"And yet here we are. You passed every test."

Throwing caution to the wind, Vlad swallowed half a vial of pain reliever. He didn't want to go dopey again but Riddle was painful company.

"Friendship hint - intentionally putting people in life or death situations is not how to win people over."

"Oh come now. You can't say it wasn't a challenge."

"Plus, entry into the Tournament excluded me from this years exams. If you were paying attention to me, you would know I actually like studying."

"Surely you don't need exams."

"What do you mean by that?"

Vlad wasn't quite prepared for Riddle's next words. He tried not to think of it, and he wasn't strictly aware anybody else knew.

"Well, you are the Chosen One. I don't think becoming head of the Vampire High Council requires high OWLs."

Fighting not to appear as shaken as he felt. Vlad hummed as though he was considering the thought calmly.

"So that's what you came after me for."

"Your friendship with Potter is the main draw. Your future power is another."

"And in return for me taking Harry off your back?"

"You guarantee no threat or interference from my followers for you, Mr Potter and your nearest and dearest."

"There's a flaw in your plan. Well, actually there are several but one hole in particular I could wal- crawl through."

"Oh? And what would that be?"

"That I don't believe a single word coming out of your lying mouth."

Vlad had reached the end of his patience apparently, as Riddle rose to his feet in a flurry of irritation and robes, scowling.

"We'll see if some alone time teaches you some manners."

He swept from the room, locking charms clicking into place behind him and leaving Vlad full of relief for his peace. He added his own locking charm to the door - just in case - before twisting his upper body best he could to survey 'his' room. He couldn't escape like this, but there was no way to heal a dark curse attack.

Oh bats.

No way.

He was stuck this way. Unless there was some secret healing magic he and everyone else were as yet unaware of... Vlad was stuck. Best case scenario for him was making it to his transformation the next year and hoping the Blood Mirror would fix him. For now... all he could do was reinforce his shield charms, add a couple of alarm charms and float himself awkwardly over to the bed Voldemort had 'kindly' given him. He swallowed the second half of the painkiller from earlier, forcing himself to accept that he needed rest if he would be strong enough to leave, to escape.

Even if sleeping without Harry sounded impossible.

Hopefully Harry wouldn't leave his now-crippled boyfriend. If that happened... then Vlad probably wouldn't even bother trying to get as far as the Mirror.

"So... if he's maybe alive... how do we find him?"

Ingrid bit her lip, thinking before her mouth turned up at the side in a smirk.

"We ask someone who knows. Know somewhere private?"

"The Chamber? Only I can get in or out without help."

"Meet you on the second floor. Stay hidden."

Ingrid 'flitted' off, leaving Harry shaking his head and feeling the faint sparks of hope that Vlad was still out there. Getting up to Hogwarts with the chaos wasn't easy, especially invisible, but eventually he was outside Moaning Myrtle's bathroom beneath his cloak, searching for Ingrid. He didn't expect Bertrand, who was holding his left arm in a strange position and silently indicated the door.

Of course he could tell Harry was there.

Harry opened the door slowly, carefully and stepped in, hoping Myrtle wasn't about to get involved in vampiric kidnap.

"Where's Ingrid?"

"Right here. Finite."

Invisibility spells dropped twice, Ingrid came into view and so did the reason Bertrand looked odd - he had an unconscious Karkaroff beneath his arm.

"Come on, they'll be looking for him soon so get opening."

"Bossy biters. Open."

The Chamber entrance began to reveal itself as Harry did, and a moment later all four of them were down in the depths of Harry's birthright - technically the Chamber belonged to Slytherin's heir. Against his will, that was Harry. Though... he had his familiars for it, which was pretty cool. Life would be duller without Lily hissing sarcastically at him, or Samael helping him teach Vlad to swim.

"He's coming around. Is this place warded?"

"No, the parselmouth protection is enough really. So if you know how to make sure he can't apparate out..."

Ingrid rolled her eyes, tossed Karkaroff unceremoniously onto the ground and muttered under her breath as she stalked about the place. Harry could feel the charms being put in place, wondered if it were even possible to do so without his permission. Salazar Slytherin had missed his calling as a teacher... he should have been a magical builder.

"Done. Outgoing portkeys blocked too just in case. Didn't want to block incoming in case Vlad makes it here."

Harry's hand automatically went to his necklace, the one Vlad made to keep him safe and that had saved their lives - sort of - in Little Hangleton. He grit his teeth, feeling that base instinct to bite Karkaroff and let his venom cause unbearable agony... but then they wouldn't learn anything and the man would get off too easy.

"Right then. Ingrid, can you do the honours of producing chairs? We might be here a while."

"Can I wake him up too?"

Knowing Ingrid liked a good hex or ten, Harry nodded and sat back in the comfortable seat she provided as she pocketed her wand, eyes glinting with danger as she snapped her fingers. Harry didn't hear or see anything happen, but Karkaroff bolted upright, spluttering loudly.

"Ice water hex. Feels like ice water thrown in your face but zero mess."

"You'll have to teach me that one. For now . bindus."

Ropes shot from Harry's wand and wrapped themselves around Karkaroff as he tried to crawl away unnoticed - as though one could escape two vampires and the Chamber Of Secrets.

"You're on my turf now Karkaroff. You get one chance to do this easy... where is Vlad?"

"I don't know what you're-"

His lie was cut off by Bertrand, using the same hand-choke thing Vlad had done. Although Vlad's had been magical, a copy of the vampiric power Bertrand had control over until Vlad gained his own vampire half.

"Stop! He needs to breathe to talk."

Bertrand dropped him, fangs bared and anger showing. Of all the people for Voldemort to kidnap, he had picked someone who had both human and vampire willing to back him and fight for him. Bad choice. Karkaroff wheezed, limp on the ground as they waited.

"I'll ask again, and think very carefully before lying to us again. Where is Vlad?"

"I don't know! I swear! I only knew to make the plans from this side."

Ingrid stood up, pacing with her heeled boots clicking almost dangerously near to Karkaroff's face.

"I want to believe him, but the problem is" Ingrid flicked her finger, the way Vlad often did for dramatic effect and it pulled Karkaroff to hover upright and six inches off the ground "you made that portkey. You have to know where it's going for that."

"I-I can't talk. The Dark Lord will kill me."

Bertrand stood, taking Karkaroff's other side so no matter where he looked, there was someone in his eyeline.

"You're labouring under the misapprehension you will leave here alive Karkaroff."

All the colour drained out of Karkaroff's face. Harry picked up from the older vampire, letting his basilisk side rule his instincts now.

"The only question now is what happens to you before you die. As Ingrid here is quite fond of causing pain. Bertrand is an expert in human anatomy. Or both of them could drink you for days and you would slowly die in pain and weakness. If you talk, we'll make it quick."

Harry didn't really want to be responsible for a murder, but Karkaroff already knew too much - if they let him go and he told Riddle about the Chamber... Riddle would know he was a parselmouth. And that wouldn't sate any of their appetites for revenge after Karkaroff had almost gotten Vlad killed twice now. No, the Durmstrang Head wasn't going to see tomorrow.

"I-i-it was a temporary location. Just designed to get him out of Hogwarts."

"We'll take temporary. Vampires are hunters."

"You won't find him. And the Dark Lord doesn't want the Dracula boy dead. He wants him as an ally."

"Vladdy wouldn't ally with Voldy if he covered himself in pumpkin juice and asked nicely."

Ingrid really had a way with words... Harry tried to shake off the traumatic mental image she painted.

"Oh, I am sure he will find a way. Assuming the boy has even survived this long. That little half breed Veela said she saw him die."

Anger bubbled under Harry's skin as he saw the thin face stretch into a smirk - he knew he was dead but wanted to have his fun first. That feeling his skin was too tight began to intensify, his fang teeth dripping as venom pooled in his mouth and Harry experienced the most overwhelming, otherworldly sensation as his body shifted and stretched beyond any human's capabilities.

"Ok. That's new."

"Cover your eyes!"

Harry turned his head to the sounds, finding only blank walls and stone sculptures. It took a moment to adjust his perception and realise his new height, looking down to see an endless stream of scales and reptilian coils. His body didn't move right anymore... but the new patterns felt natural anyway.

Well, at least he had found out how to shift to both forms.

His senses were so ramped up Harry could scarcely cope - there were smells that he couldn't identify and colours he had no name for. He opened his mouth to tell Ingrid and Bertrand they could look, that his eyes were safe but all that came out were hisses. Turning to Karkaroff, he saw the floating, bound man had fainted cold.

"While I'm sure this is very fun for you... any chance you can turn back and wait to be a sixty foot snake after we find Vlad?"

Harry tried to agree with Ingrid, but again found he couldn't talk to her. He wanted to explore his new form, but Ingrid was right - now was not the time. Trying to recall how he shifted back after his animagus changes, Harry sought the sensations of four limbs and opposable thumbs. It was easy, natural - his basilisk form was his 'other', rather than an additional. Harry didn't know how he knew that... he just did.

"Ok. Back now."

Met with twin expressions of sheer surprise, the vampires composed themselves quickly while Harry tried to stop his limbs feeling all floaty and stretchy. He hoped he didn't start itching again.

"Well. If he didn't die of fright, I reckon that will have scared him into talking."

"Can you not just... I don't know what you call it, but the thing you did to Fleur?"

"Forced Legilimency is a crime... though so is kidnapping and the whole murder thing we have planned. So yeah, screw illegality. How are you planning on getting rid of him by the way?"

Harry quirked an eyebrow, watching Ingrid circle the man.

"I assumed you two wouldn't mind draining him."

"No no, I'm all for it. I meant the corpse."

"I have a large snake who could use him as a snack."

"You're going to feed him to your basilisk?"

"Got a better way to dispose of his body?"

Ingrid shrugged, fangs already descending as she contemplated her soon to be meal. Harry looked at Bertrand, then back to Ingrid as he remembered something before she went searching Karkaroff's mind.

"See if he knows what happened to Severus."

Something flashed across Ingrid's eyes then, gone before Harry could be certain. But he might have called it pain.

"Alright. Keep an eye on him, I haven't mastered awareness during this."

Harry nodded, keeping eyes fixed on the man while Ingrid rampaged through his memories. Eventually she stumbled backwards, face an absolute kaleidoscope of emotions that almost didn't suit her usual cold-mask face.

"Well, now I know what they had over him."

-YDHP-

I feel this is OOC for Harry, but only in canonical terms. My Harry could never be all light side, I'm always aiming for grey.

I'm going to do my absolute best not to, but this is an advance notice there is a slight chance of a late chapter next week, I have to have some emergency dental work done and I don't know how lucid I'll be after Novacain and potent pain relievers... we'll see. As I said, hopefully I'll be on time but there's your warning.