The Bonds That Tie
The months that passed seemed to go slowly, but Harry didn't mind. It's not like he was wasting his life being undead and all. Harry kept up on all his work and did phenomenally in all his classes, especially potions with the help of Severus's old text book. Harry did relay the message to Draco that the book they often looked back on for assistance belonged to Severus and they could continue to use it as long as they never used the spells written throughout the it. Draco obviously agreed and they never told anyone else of the text book. Albus still made small attempts to get Harry under his thumb, but it never worked. However, what was getting to Harry more than Albus's nonsense was Ginny Weasley trying to get close to Harry and he knew better than to think she was just being friendly. Right now, it was December 20th, 1996, and the students who signed up to leave for their holidays would get to leave tomorrow on the 21st and enjoy their two weeks off. Ron still seemed to hate Harry and Hermione always looked to be unsure, or torn on what to do. Most of Gryffindor, with the exception of a few, avoided Harry at all costs. The rest of the houses appeared to be coming around, understanding that Harry might be a vampire, but he was still Harry Potter and meant no harm.
Harry never lost control of his hunger, or anger. Harry appeared the way he always had, except the pale skin and occasional sight of his fangs. No, Harry was pretty much the same. There was no reason to fear or hate him. Harry was still closest to his fellow snakes, but none more than Blaise Theodore, Vincent, Gregory, and Pansy. Of course Draco had a special place in Harry's life; the man was his adoptive brother. Harry kept in contact with Remus, and had random conversations with Sirius through the Black family ring. Things seemed to be alright, but Harry knew better than to hold onto that idea.
"Harry! Just the man I wanted to see," Came Albus Dumbledore's voice.
"I was just on my way back to the dungeons," Harry replied. "Completed the last of my assignments before the break." He added.
"I wanted to speak to you." Albus informed.
"Perhaps later. I need to pack to return home for the holidays." Harry turned from him and kept walking.
"I wasn't requesting, Mr. Potter," Albus grabbed his shoulder and Harry his rings flashed to signal danger, so Harry quickly shrugged the man off and backed away.
"Don't touch me." Harry warned.
"I didn't mean to startle you, Harry. I'm sorry," Albus said, his tone was fake. "Please, let's talk in my office?"
"No, thanks." Harry refused. "You've got nothing on me, Professor Dumbledore. My grades are at the highest they've ever been, and I've kept out of trouble all year. You're also not my guardian, so you cannot order me to do anything you say. There's no reason to speak to one another."
"We need to talk about the prophecy and you training to defeat the dark lord." Albus tried.
"I've done just fine over the years without your help, Headmaster. When and if the day comes that Voldemort and I need to battle; I'll handle it as I have the last five years." Harry replied. "Now, if you don't mind…" Harry went to walk away again.
"Harry Potter, you will cease this behavior in my school. I would like to talk to you, so you will come with me." Albus ordered.
"I will not as we've nothing to discuss. I've done nothing wrong to warrant you needing to speak to me and I do not need you to train me; I'm far stronger than I let on." Harry informed. "Now, good day, sir," He turned again.
"You will be returning to your muggle relatives, Harry." Albus stated.
"You have no say." Harry argued. "The Malfoy's are my guardians and adoptive parents, Professor."
Albus reached into his sleeve and grabbed his wand. Harry's rings warned him of danger as a spell slammed into Harry's chest and knocked him into the wall. Though, the wall took more damage. Harry looked at the man.
"You…Attacked me." Harry stared.
"What the hell?" Came Draco's voice as Harry was down on one knee, still shocked by the fact Albus actually fired an attack at him. "Harry, are you alright?"
"H-He…Attacked me…" Harry said, still beside himself.
"I did not. I was putting up a barrier to keep you from leaving and you stepped into the blast." Albus defended quickly.
Draco glared at the Headmaster pulled a chain out from under his shirt, then kneeling next to Harry. "Subitis!(Means Emergency in Latin.)" Draco vanished with Harry as Albus glared at the place they once were. The Malfoy boy had a portkey? Damn.
. . .
Severus had been reading in his quarters when Draco appeared with Harry. "Uncle Sev, help…Please?" Draco pleaded.
"What's happened?" Severus quickly set the book aside and walked over to the boys.
"Dumbledore attacked Harry in the hallway. I-I didn't see it, but Harry said he did." Draco reported quickly. "I didn't want him getting any ideas to attack again, so I used the emergency portkey to get us here…"
"Potter, what did he hit you with…" Severus asked as he helped Draco get him on the couch.
"I don't…Know. He didn't say anything, but it was a white blast…Hit me in the chest and sent me into the wall." Harry informed.
"Can you tell me how this happened?" Severus asked.
Before Harry could talk, there was pounding on his door. "Severus, I know the Malfoy boy escaped here; he wouldn't go to anyone other than his godfather. You open this door, right now. I need to speak to Harry." The old man called.
"Harry, can you get you us to Malfoy Manor on your own power. The floo network is locked here to only travel within the school or to the ministry, which is only accessible through Minerva or Albus's fireplaces." Severus asked.
"Hang on…" Harry said weakly. Severus and Draco held on tightly as the door burst open and Albus came in, wand drawn. Harry glared at the man before he apparated them away.
. . .
Harry landed unceremoniously in the main room of Malfoy Manor where Lucius, Narcissa, Voldemort, and the death eaters had been sitting and talking.
"Harry?" Narcissa asked quickly.
"Draco…" Lucius stood. "Severus? What has happened?"
"Albus attacked Harry, Draco found him and brought him to me in my private quarters via the emergency portkey I gave him. Albus showed up demanding to talk to Harry and he apparated us here." Severus got up. "Potter, you alright?"
"Bloody strong whatever he hit me with, but yes…I think I'm fine." Harry checked his chest.
"Let me see, sweetheart," Narcissa moved closer to Harry as he got his robe unclipped then some of the buttons and pulled his shirt and vest down to reveal his chest and show that it was only slightly burned and scratched. "Lucius, you contact whoever you have to at the ministry and report this right away. That meddling old fool attacked one of our boys!" Narcissa screeched. "It should be more than enough to get Albus removed from the school."
"Cissy, relax…" Bellatrix tried.
"I thought magic couldn't hurt you…" Draco said gently.
"Most can't…But whatever he used must be something that could do damage. But even with how powerful as this was, it's not as bad as it could be. If he'd done it multiple times, might have been worse." Harry stated.
"Let's be grateful for that," Narcissa sighed.
"Harry, you need to tell me what happened…" Lucius inquired.
"He wanted to talk to me in his office, and I told him it wasn't needed because I've done nothing to warrant being talked to. My grades are highest they could be and I haven't gotten into trouble. Then he tried to tell me he needed to train me to fight the dark lord, and then he told me I would return to the Dursley's. When I refused, he drew his wand and hit me with some white blast. It was in the shape of an arrow or maybe a stake. I think the brightness of it did more damage than the attack itself…It knocked me back into the wall, that's when Draco came." Harry informed.
"He claimed he was only putting up a barrier to keep Harry from leaving, but that Harry walked in the way of the blast." Draco added.
"The attack must have had properties of the light the sun gives off," Voldemort stated. "It's the only thing that would cause Harry to have gotten burned by the attack."
"Taking in blood should help you to heal, Potter," Severus suggested.
"I got it," Draco sat next to Harry on the couch and rolled up his robe and shirt sleeve before giving his arm to Harry. "You're due to feed anyway, it's been about several weeks since the last time." He stated. Harry held his brother's wrist and brought it to his lips before his fangs pierced the skin, but then Harry saw the rings on his hand react and he immediately pulled back. "What's wrong?"
"Danger…" Harry told him.
"F-From me?" Draco asked, surprised.
"The minute my fangs broke the skin, my rings reacted the same way they did before Dumbledore attacked me." Harry said.
"B-But I'd never hurt you, Harry…You know that." Draco frowned.
"No, but if Dumbledore gave you anything in your food or drink during breakfast or lunch today; it's in your blood and that's why my rings are warning me not to feed from you." Harry informed.
"Y-You think he gave me something to hurt you?" Draco looked slightly afraid.
"Yes…" Harry nodded. "You wouldn't know if anything was off, Dray…You don't have the added protection I get from my rings. You'd never have known if he slipped something into your meals to hurt me, especially knowing that I feed from you." Harry reassured.
"Severus…Check over my son," Lucius stated. "If that old fool did anything to him; I'll have his head for attacking both my boys."
Severus approached Draco and waved his wand over Draco's form. "Plena Corpus Examen(Full Body Examination in Latin)…" His wand gave a dim blue glow before a sheet appeared next to Severus and he grabbed hold of it. "Potter was right. Your blood is toxic right now, nothing that will hurt you…But could have definitely hurt Harry, possibly killed him." Severus informed.
"What is it?" Voldemort asked.
"I can't tell what was used to make his blood toxic, but I will research and get an answer. It's of no harm you, Draco, and assuming, will work out of your system. I may take some of your blood to examine, if you consent?" Severus said.
"Yeah, sure…Go ahead, but…What's gonna happen to Harry? He has to feed and I'm the only one who has been doing it for almost a year now." Draco inquired, worried for his brother.
"Fret not, Draco…There are plenty of people who would probably step up to assist." Narcissa reassured.
"I could call my friends over…" Draco suggested.
"There's too much risk in everyone having been poisoned to give Potter no alternative in feeding from you or anyone close to you." Severus informed. "What's worse, this only proves you were given something to make your blood toxic…We can't prove it was Albus."
"Damn that bastard…" Lucius growled.
"In the meantime, then…Who is going to feed my brother?" Draco questioned. "He needs to feed both normal schedule and over a couple days to heal…"
"I suppose I could…" Narcissa offered as she raised her sleeve and moved her arm to Harry. "It's alright, sweetie," She smiled to him that it was okay to go ahead. Harry neared her wrist and his rings flashed again, so he pulled back. "What is it?"
"There's still danger…" Harry showed his rings.
"B-But how could I be danger to you?" Narcissa asked.
Severus repeated the diagnostic spell on Narcissa, but also Lucius and Bellatrix. "Same results, all three of you are infected with the same blood as Draco." He informed.
"B-But how? We didn't eat anything at Hogwarts," Lucius stated.
"I believe what Severus is saying is that this isn't just something slipped into a meal or drink; it targets the original intake's entire bloodline. Draco is connected to his parents, and his aunt. He's infected, then all four of them are." Rodolphus claimed.
"It's fine," Harry stated. "I'll be fine…I can survive on animal blood for a while." He stood up.
"Harry, that's not enough and you know it." Draco said instantly.
"We don't have much of a choice right now. I can't feed from you, or anyone in your family, Dray." Harry stated. "I'll be okay."
"No you won't!" Draco argued. "The last time you tried this, Harry, I found you about to go into a blood-crazed state in the room of requirement. We don't know how long this is gonna last, and I know you refuse to go find a random muggle to feed from."
"If I have no choice, then I have no choice…For now, animal blood will suffice." Harry informed. "I'm going upstairs to rest." He walked away to get to the stairs and then to his room.
"We need to catch Dumbledore in the act of this, make him admit to it…" Draco stated. "Harry's gonna suffer."
"Unless that's his entire plan. Make Harry desperate for blood that he goes into a blood-craze and attacks someone, which gets the ministry on his case. Or making Harry weak enough to control him…We know he doesn't want Harry dead." Voldemort stated calmly.
"And we don't know how long this toxicity thing will last, so the real problem is how long can Harry go without human blood before the animal doesn't cut it anymore?" Bellatrix asked.
"I don't know," Draco informed when he saw them looking at him. "When I found Harry last April; he was dangerously close to completely losing it to blood-rage. I can't say for sure how much longer he would have made it, but I know by how he was acting that it wasn't far off. Like I said, he had immediately pinned me when I touched him and had my neck exposed. He barely held himself back from attacking and continued on telling me that I needed to leave before he couldn't control it. Safe to say, that control was already slipping." He explained. "Even when I offered him blood, he refused it once. He won't admit it, but he hates what he's become…" He frowned and looked down some.
"But how long since he'd fed from a human, Draco. When you found him in April, how long had it been?" Rabastan Lestrange, Rodolphus's brother, asked.
"He got turned the day after his 15th birthday, so that was August 1st of 95. And he had to feed before the twenty-four hours were up to survive, so August 2nd. He'd been either not eating, or going for animal blood until I found him in April of 1996. That long…" Draco replied.
"So…" Bellatrix counted on her fingers. "September, October, November, December, which ended 1995, to January, February, March, and April of 96. Eight months." She mentioned.
"Eight months without human blood, but managed on animal or nothing at all." Severus remarked.
"I assume that he went nothing at all as long as he could, then gave into animal blood." Voldemort theorized. "But when everyone was on Easter holiday in April, Harry was unable to just sneak away in an empty castle to feed."
Draco glanced out the back doors and saw Harry land in a crouch. "What the hell?..." Draco got up and went to the doors.
"What is it?" Narcissa questioned.
"Harry just landed in the backyard…" Draco pointed.
The group went over to look as Harry darted into the woods behind the manor. "Where is he going?" Lucius asked.
"He's hunting," Voldemort informed.
"We should follow him. Ensure he doesn't go outside the wards perimeter where Albus can find him; he's got his wand. Even if he doesn't use it, there's a an active trace." Severus suggested.
"We're never gonna keep up with him," Draco remarked.
"He's not going far," Voldemort said. "I'm looking through his eyes; he's by the river…"
"We can apparate there," Lucius stated.
Without wasting more time, Draco latched to his mother and they were all gone in a flash.
Out by the lake, Harry was wearing something simple and loose for clothing, and entirely all black. It looked like black jeans, boots, a t-shirt, but a black jean jacket over that. Harry remained completely still to focus on what he was doing, even though he knew he was being watched. Through the red haze, Harry reached into his heightened senses and listened around him. The group remained quiet as Harry only moved to avoid standing in a spot where the sun was coming through the trees. Harry refocused himself to listen around him until he picked up the sound of a deer coming out of the thicker trees and brush, approaching the lake for a drink. Harry shifted to a closer spot across from the deer and prepared himself to attack when a roar got his attention and he looked over to see a large wildcat also stalking the deer. The wildcat was far more bold, and making no attempt to be quiet as the deer was beginning to retreat. Harry watched the wildcat leap off from its perch at the group and Harry shot from his to intercept the wildcat and grab hold of it. The giant cat roared as it and Harry rolled to a stop and Harry held it down firmly. It was still wriggling and trying to attack Harry, but he had it in place with one hand over the front shoulder, then another at the top of the neck. Harry smirked almost before leaning in with a fast speed and hungry growl to bite down on the wildcat's neck and start feeding. The wildcat gave a strangled cry before it went still.
As the jungle cat was dead, Harry didn't feel bad about draining to get his fill. It had been a couple weeks since he last fed, and this wouldn't last him more than a day or perhaps less; it was enough to calm the building rage he felt over not feeding and it being Albus Dumbledore's fault. When Harry finished, he stood slowly and grabbed the cat's neck to drag it into the forest where some other creature was sure to come along and feed on the corpse. Harry was never seen walking back, but they did see a shadow go across the grass and when looking up; Harry was levitating himself in flight to return to the manor and go right through his balcony window, which closed and the shades were drawn.
"I think he knew we were here," Bellatrix mentioned.
"I don't think he liked us being here…" Draco commented. "I don't think he likes anyone seeing him hunt."
"Because it's violent and he was obviously desperate to feed." Lucius remarked. "You said the very same, Draco. Harry had you pinned as soon as you touched him and your neck exposed. That's what he just did to that cat."
"I agree with Draco that Harry doesn't like hunting with an audience. I don't believe he likes anyone seeing him in that state and then wondering if they're afraid of just how powerful he is." Narcissa frowned.
"I don't think differently of him for it." Draco huffed. "Dumbledore did this to him and he's angry, while also hungry. That cat isn't gonna hold him for long."
"None of us think of Harry differently for doing what he did, Draco. We understand he needed to feed; it's survival." Severus assured. "We should get back to the manor. I assume Harry will be locked up in his room for the night."
"What about school? Our things are still there?" Draco asked.
"You were both going home tomorrow anyway. I'll retrieve your things." Severus nodded.
"And we'll deal with submitting a report about Albus's actions in attacking Harry. We'll add about the poisoning; it will get investigated, if nothing else." Lucius informed.
"And I'll work on identifying the poison, and then curing it." Severus added.
With their plans set, the group apparated back to the manor and went about their night, Severus, though, did immediately head back to the school with the promise of returning later with Draco and Harry's belongings.