The Bonds That Tie
Draco, Lucius, and Narcissa Malfoy made it back to their home after getting to the Leaky Cauldron from Diagon Alley, and then using the floo there to return to their manor. The three stepped out one at a time into the main sitting area where Voldemort was with the other death eaters who resides there. Not all of them did, but a good handful never left. Draco immediately took his things to his room and Narcissa set Harry's items in his room for him to put away later. The family returned to the main room and relaxed; Lucius informed those curious that everything went well and many revelations came to light, but he would wait until Harry spoke of them himself. The time passed and Severus did not appear with Harry, which was odd; it shouldn't take long to grab a trunk of items and then leave.
"Rather odd they haven't returned," Narcissa commented.
"Maybe Harry couldn't hold off feeding anymore and Severus let him feed off him so Harry wouldn't go blood-crazed." Draco shrugged. "He had that look in his eyes where he's starting to lose himself to hunger or thirst. Not really sure what to consider it these days. It's called feeding, but he's drinking…" He mentioned.
Just then, Voldemort closed his eyes and remained quiet for a moment. "Interesting." Voldemort said.
"What is it, my lord?" Bellatrix asked calmly.
"I received a message from Severus through his mark," Voldemort informed. "He says Order called and caught with boy. Don't summon me or I'll have to leave him behind."
"That means the Order was searching for Harry and found him with Severus in Surrey. Dumbledore must have called a meeting for the Order and as they were regrouping, Severus was seen with Harry. So Severus had to make it look like he'd been searching and found Harry…" Lucius translated.
"I suppose they'll be late then. Hopefully it's quick…Harry still hasn't fed." Narcissa sighed.
. . .
At Grimmauld, Harry was led into the building behind next to Severus and Remus while Nymphadora was in front. Harry was able to see those gathered in the room, even some he knew weren't of age to even be in the Order. Sirius told him that.
"Harry!" Hagrid beamed, up quickly to hug Harry tightly. "You're alright!"
"It's good to see you, Potter," Minerva greeted.
"You too, Professor," Harry replied calmly. "Hi, Hagrid."
"You gave us a fright, Harry…" Arthur approached slow. "I am so sorry for what happened last month."
"It's fine, Mr. Weasley," Harry said.
"No, it's not, Harry…" Arthur looked down. "We never intended to give you the impression that we're not behind you all the way. This family will always stand with you, no matter what. I want you to know that."
"Speak for yourself, Dad…" Ron scoffed.
"Ronald!" Arthur glared.
"It's alright, Mr. Weasley…I am glad for those in your family who have chosen to accept me. Thank you." Harry stated.
"You know I'm always on your side, cub…" Remus reassured calmly.
"We all are, Harry," The voice of Albus Dumbledore was enough to get Harry fired up. "Never fear. All will be fine."
"You and I have very different definitions of the word fine, Headmaster," Harry retorted.
"I know you're upset about your birthday. That wasn't the time to throw such information-," Albus began.
"Do not start with me. It wasn't the time and it wasn't your place to try and marry me off for whatever reason you think you have." Harry sneered angrily, red started to bleed into his eyes.
"Marry him off?" Remus asked quickly. "He's only sixteen!"
"It was a matter for after graduation, Remus. Not to worry…After graduation and when Voldemort is defeated." Albus smiled. "It's to a good friend, who I'm sure Harry will come to-,"
"Don't you dare put words in my mouth or lie," Harry glared. "It was said in front of you and the Weasley's, and Hermione as witness that I do not like Ginny in that sense and I am gay. I like boys." He reminded. "Stop trying to cover the truth with your inability to accept what is."
"Harry, I don't know where you picked up this newfound defiance, but it needs to stop before you return to school or I'll have to assign detentions or expel you." Albus sighed.
"Go ahead…Expel me." Harry urged. "But you lose me and my ability to destroy Voldemort because I'll take off and you won't find me."
"Harry, that's unfair to the rest of us who have to suffer." Albus informed. "Selfish, don't you think?"
"You wanna talk about selfish, how about we talk about you trying to make me follow your carefully laid plans to be the weapon against Voldemort. I am a person, not your personal use weapon to kill the dark lord. You're so powerful, how about you go risk your life?" Harry challenged. "I told you a month ago…I refuse to be controlled or manipulated, or even lied to by you any further."
"I've never lied to or manipulated you." Albus stated.
"Funny, you left out controlling me. You didn't deny that." Harry argued.
"I haven't done that either, now let's settle down and talk…" Albus tried.
"There's nothing left to talk about." Harry countered.
"There is if you wish to return to school with your current situation." Albus remarked. "You're a vampire, I need to ensure the students are safe."
"I went all year without attacking anyone at school. I'm fine." Harry told him.
"Albus," Minerva settled him down.
"Cub, we're just concerned for you and would like to understand more about what happened?" Remus hoped Harry would talk to him. "How did it happen? When?"
"Day after my fifteenth birthday, I was running from my oaf of a cousin and his friends. I hid out close to the house in a tunnel and didn't sense something sneaking up behind me. My body ended up paralyzed after my neck was bit. I couldn't move and the person told me to drink if I wanted to live. Then they left, whispering that if I didn't drink human blood within twenty-four hours, I wouldn't survive the transition. I made it to twenty-three hours and couldn't resist so I found some teenaged muggle to feed off. My vampire abilities made it so they just healed and didn't remember the event." Harry informed.
"And you never saw who bit you?" Kingsley asked.
"No. I know it was a male, but his face was always behind, or in the shadows." Harry replied.
"So you've been a vampire for a year now, over, rather?" Nymphadora questioned.
"Yes," Harry responded.
"So you have survived off animal blood last year at school, if you didn't attack anymore?" Albus pushed.
"Would you have preferred I attack instead?" Harry glared at him.
"So you can survive off it?" Albus urged.
"It works for a little while, as in that day…But no, it's not what I need to drink to keep the hunger satiated to going longer between feedings." Harry remarked. "Yes, if you're asking, I need human blood."
"That's going to be a problem…Your friends aren't willing to help you given the nature and fear of being turned, and I can't let you go after someone random." Kingsley sighed.
"I've got-," Harry started.
"I was helping Harry last year, Headmaster," Severus spoke up.
"You have human blood in stock?" Albus asked.
"No…I was allowing him to feed from me." Severus lied. "When animal blood wasn't sustaining him and he felt on the verge of losing himself to blood-rage; he came to me and asked if there was any way for me to help him with a potion. He looked distressed and scared to end up hurting someone, so I gave him permission to feed off me."
"So you knew all year that Harry was a vampire?" Minerva asked quickly.
"Not all year, just over Easter holiday to current." Severus informed. "I let Harry come down to the dungeons once or twice a week to feed. They were under the rouse of detentions."
"That's why you were stressing to me that I needed to ensure what his blood diet was." Albus commented.
"Correct," Severus nodded. "I was going to speak with you at term's start, Minerva, about the possibility of relocating Potter to the dungeons to sleep. The sunny tower isn't ideal…" He continued. "I planned to reveal start of this year that Harry was a vampire. We were waiting until he got his thirst under control. Last year, he was still quite…New to it all."
"And is his thirst under control, Severus?" Albus inquired.
"For the most part; he know when it's too unbearable to ignore and he knows to come find me." Severus stated calmly, not giving anything away.
"It seems like Potter is handling it just fine, Albus," Minerva informed. "Harry, is the tower's light too much for you?"
"It is, Professor." Harry admitted.
"Then I will permit you to reside in the dungeons after dinner ends. You can go out with the Slytherin's and pass by the extra rooms. Severus can make the arrangements and show you where." Minerva informed.
"Thank you," Harry said gratefully.
"Come see me tomorrow night after the feast, Potter," Severus told him.
Harry nodded, trying to ignore the pain from his beating earlier and the urge to drink was starting to take over.
"Wonderful, then all is settled." Remus sighed in relief.
"This year, Harry…I'd like to start training you in my office for the bat-," Albus began.
"I don't need to be trained." Harry cut him off firmly.
"The battle is upon us, you need to be ready," Albus stated. "It won't be non-stop training. Just some things here and there, we can have tea and biscuits too." He offered.
"I'll pass," Harry remarked.
"Harry," Albus started.
"Would you quit already. It's not happening, Headmaster." Harry told him. "I don't trust you."
"I've never given you a reason not to trust me, Harry…" Albus told him. "I've only tried to protect you."
"Protect me? That's rich." Harry challenged, his eyes flashing to red. "For someone who is unhealthily obsessed with Voldemort, you never seemed to be aware that he was attached to the back of Quirrell in first year, dropping oh so many hints to an eleven year old's curiosity and driving him and his friends to face off against a three-headed dog, a room full of keys, Devil's Snare, and a massive real-life wizard's chess game. Then leave the boy to fend for himself against the wizard who killed his parents with no training at all." Harry commented now. "In second year, you knew Ron and I were at Hagrid's trying to find out more about what petrified Hermione, and instead of laying down some warning to not seek trouble, you encouraged us to find the chamber of secrets before you got hauled off. It wasn't you down there fighting a sixty-foot snake while saving your best friend's little sister from being killed to revive Voldemort. It wasn't you who nearly died down there after being bitten by said monster."
"Harry," Albus tried again.
"And where the hell were you third year when Sirius Black was after me, to PROTECT ME because he saw Pettigrew in rat form on the front of the daily prophet when the Weasley's went to Egypt. Where were you when Remus forgot his potion to help Sirius uncover the truth about who sold my parents out to Voldemort, the reason they're dead is because that damn rat couldn't shut his mouth." Harry's eyes were full on red now, glowing, in fact. "Where were you in fourth year when I didn't put my name in the Goblet. When I didn't want to bloody complete in the tournament. When I got port-keyed to the Little Hangleton graveyard and watched as Cedric got killed and Pettigrew perform some major dark magic ritual to bring Voldemort back to his physical body. Where the hell were you last year when Umbridge was using a dark magic blood quill for me to write lines with? When she took over this school, and almost used the Cruciatus Curse on me when I was trying to make sure my godfather was alright because I saw Voldemort torturing him."
Albus was quiet. The whole room was.
"Where were you when my godfather showed up to protect me and ended up killed? If you had done your damn job to protect your students, and not left the school…Maybe. Just maybe Sirius wouldn't have died because you would have been at the school for me to ask if I could check in and make sure he was okay! And now he's dead and I blame you entirely. For not being there for me like you claim to Merlin that you have been." He growled. "You protect me, don't make me laugh…" Harry seethed. "You haven't protected me from anything. You have openly, happily…Led me to danger. You have left me in danger…You've done more to almost kill me than Voldemort ever has."
"You will not talk speak such lies, Harry. I forbid it…You're obviously frustrated and-," Albus said gently.
"And there you go again, denying my feelings and acting like I'm just making it up to comfort myself. No, Albus…It's all real and I can submit memory proof of it to whoever would like to see such for verification." Harry told him.
"You dare call me by my first name." Albus eyed him, his blue eyes losing the twinkle in them.
"I dare indeed." Harry said. "What are you gonna do? Ground me?"
"Yes, I just might." Albus told him.
"You can't do anything to me. You have no power over me." Harry told him.
"Yes I do. I am your guardian!" Albus stood up.
"You are not anything to me other than my headmaster, and even that's a far stretch. You're never at the school to manage it, always taking off for Merlin only knows what. Professor McGonagall has run the school more than you have. And she actually cares for the students, where as you only care what they can do for you. Like me, the famous Harry Potter. The boy who lived. The one you've left to fend for himself all in the name of the greater good. Right? All I'm good for is killing Voldemort to you."
"That's not true." Albus said. "Stop lying, Mr. Potter."
"I can't lie." Harry told him. "Umbridge's detentions and quill have been carved into my hand," He showed the tops of his hands where both had an old scar reading I Must Not Tell Lies. "What she made me write when I claimed Voldemort was back and the ministry refused to hear it. So I can't lie, Dumbledore, and I wouldn't anyway. You can't tell me what do to, or how to live. You have no right and no power."
"Potter, you need to calm down." Severus told Harry. He was getting too worked up; he'd either become very upset or very angry and it was leaning towards angry right now. Harry couldn't hear him right now; he was in his rage. "Lupin…Go to the fireplace and floo-call Malfoy Manor. Tell them Severus is calling on behalf of a very angry Harry and need help. Don't ask questions, just do it. If you don't want to see Harry lose it; you'll do it." Severus whispered.
Remus got up and went to a fireplace in the other room. Tossing some powder in, Remus waited until it was set before sticking his head in. "Malfoy Manor,"
At the manor, Lucius was first to notice the flames. "That must be Harry and Severus." Lucius said.
"Hello? Anyone there?" Came a voice.
"This is Lucius Malfoy with family. Who are you?" Lucius asked.
"Remus Lupin. Severus asked me to call. Said he was asking on behalf of Harry, who is losing control of his anger with Dumbledore. That's what he told me to say. Destination name, Twelve Grimmauld Place Main."
"Step back, we're on our way." Lucius stood. The flames disappeared as Narcissa and Draco were up. "Let Draco through first." He said to Narcissa.
"Twelve Grimmauld Place, Main!" Draco called after grabbing a handful of floo powder and throwing it down. Narcissa and Lucius followed right behind.
As they came out, they were met by Remus Lupin, who led them to where Harry and everyone else were.
"Harry there is a dark lord you are prophesied to destroy and you have two more years of school to complete. Beyond that, what you choose to do is your decision. But under the age of seventeen…You will do as you're told. Now you will cease this behavior or so help me, boy-,"
And that was the comment that did it. Harry's eyes darkened in full anger as he stood up. "YOU ARE NOT MY GODDAMN FATHER." Harry yelled, his power spiking. "You are not my father. Not my godfather, Albus. You're nothing but a lying, manipulative bastard and if that's the last thing I do even over destroying Voldemort; I will take you down so you can suffer for your crimes as I've suffered my entire life because you couldn't butt the hell out of my life!" He raged.
"Harry Potter!" Albus warned. "I saved you, and this is the thanks I get?"
"You have no power over me. NOTHING." Harry told him. "Save me? Is that a joke?" Harry asked now. "You are the sole reason I didn't get to live with Sirius and have years with him. You are the reason I've almost died every year since coming here. You are the reason for everything."
"Sirius was in Azkaban; he couldn't take you. I left you with the only family you had left and they didn't have to take you in." Albus said.
"That's actually not true, sir…Sirius Black was one of the first to the house after James and Lily Potter were killed and had come to claim Harry as his godfather. You told me not to give Harry to him…Then Sirius said he was going after the one who betrayed his friends." Hagrid interjected.
Harry glared. "So you kidnapped me and left me with people who hated me." Harry growled.
"They are your family." Albus reminded.
"SIRIUS IS MY FAMILY; he adopted me as his son. Blood Adopted. Remus is my family. My muggle relatives would have preferred I died the night my parents did! And they've told me that to my face, along with calling me a freak and being worthless. Along with being made a slave, having to cook, clean and do whatever they said or they'd beat me." Harry revealed. "You didn't save me…You left me there, year after year to be abused by them. And not once did you ever check in and ensure your savior was still alive."
"Harry, you were never beaten," Albus sighed.
"How would you know if you just left me on the door step as a baby in bloody November?" Harry asked. "Did you know they kept me in a cupboard under the stairs. You had to of, because that's where my Hogwarts letter was addressed to. Did you know they starved and beat me?" Harry pushed.
"It was for your own good to stay inside the wards and you will be returning next summer. I'm sure it wasn't as bad as you say; children need punishment to stay in line." Albus said. Harry's power spiked, forcing the man to sit back down. "You let me up right now, young man. I'm ordering it as your-," He started.
"YOU ARE NOT MY GUARDIAN!" Harry glared. "You aren't and never have been at any time and I can bloody well prove you've been doing whatever you please and lying to me."