The rage is rising again, and I don't even want to control it. But what can I do about it? What can I do to avenge my father, or even try to save others?

The Purpose, Rewritten, Chapter 6 Venom

July 31, 1940

The end of their third year had arrived and Seth wondered if Tom could come to live with him. Tom had approached the headmaster about it, but unless he had permission from the orphanage, the ministry, and also Seth's family, it wasn't possible.

Seth went home alone.

He was lying on his king-size bed like and stared at the ceiling. He wondered where his parents were now. He had always used the time turner as often as he could so his body could keep up with his supposed magical age and he had finally grown taller, standing over five feet tall. He hoped he could be at his maximum power so he could keep up with his parents, even if it meant dropping Hogwarts. It was his birthday, and a slight headache came.

The teachers had assigned homework for the summer and Seth had already done it. Seeing Gellert again had helped his good mood too, playing chess with him again, even though he was losing. He spent his 25th birthday with Kathleen who tried unsuccessfully to cheer him up. She had a silly toy in her mouth that made noise and she had managed to make Seth laugh.

"Thank you, Kathleen." Seth said with a light laugh.

He rubbed his temples: the headache was getting worse. He thought about concocting a potion for the pain.

"Are you okay?" Kathleen asked worriedly.

"Actually, I don't know, I've never had... a headache." Seth said.

Kathleen got up and walked out of the living room telling him she would be back with something. He began to think of Grindelwald, still a prisoner. Since his revelation to Tom last Christmas, he had noticed that he was having more and more trouble controlling himself and Gellert's blood only seemed to calm him temporarily.

Even as he spoke with Kathleen, he noticed all the pulsating veins in her skin. Was he losing control over his true nature? Would biting a servant relieve him of this mental itch? Was that the cause of this sudden headache?

Kathleen had returned with a vial in her hand which she held out to the prince.

"Flamel always made us potions for various ailments. That's one of the reasons we hardly ever get sick… This one's for the pain, do you recognize it?' Kathleen said.

''Yes. Thank you very much, Kathleen.'' Seth said before drinking the contents of the vial. "I had a wonderful day with you." Added the prince.

His pain was gone after a few minutes, but he could hear her heart beating even faster and the desire to draw her blood was strong. He still had this pressure in his head that refused to leave. He excused himself before going to his room and sat on his bed, his hands over his face. What was happening to him? Kathleen had practically raised him and the thought of taking her blood out of control repulsed him. Seth paced around his room; he wished for a moment that his parents were there. He couldn't go back to school if he couldn't control himself.

He thought of the servants of his parents, those who had not accompanied them, and went to press the magic button installed by Flamel next to his bed. His hands had started to shake. He looked out the windows and an icy rain was falling. A knock sounded at the door and Seth ordered entry.

A woman he recognized as Lucy walked in and closed the door behind her. She introduced herself and lowered her head.

"What can I do for you, my lord?" she said.

He could smell her flower scent. He approached her and felt no fear coming from her. It wasn't the same thing to drink to kill, to feed, to breed a new vampire or even…to give pleasure, or so his father had told him. Seth's heart rang in his ears. He cupped Lucy's face with both hands and looked into her grayish eyes. Her curly brown hair was shoulder length and fell lovingly around her face. He caressed her lips with his right thumb and a shiver ran through her.

"How long have you been with us, Lucy?" the prince asked.

"You…you were just a newborn when I first saw you, that first time I served your family, and your mother asked for blood, and I was there." replied Lucy.

Lucy was slightly shorter than Seth, which he liked a lot. It would not be like the that man in the cell, no. He brought his mouth to her neck and smelled her again as he placed his left hand behind her head, twirling his fingers through her hair, and his right hand went to her back.

"And to this day, you still serve us gladly?" he whispered in her ear.

"Y…yes." she stammered.

Seth felt his body screaming all over the place, wanting only one thing: drink blood. His eyes darkened and his teeth lengthened as his tongue slid down her neck before biting into the flesh. She stiffened and gasped, hugging the prince in reflex. Blood flowed into his mouth, and into his already burning throat. Seth moaned in stifled pleasure, and he tightened his embrace, locking his fingers in his hair. It wasn't for her magic, nor for her powers. He felt his insides scream of joy, as if he had been starving for a long-awaited meal and the pressure in his skull released.

He began to doubt the vials of Gellert's blood, the sensation of drinking directly from a human being was incomparable. His sips were getting smaller and smaller as Lucy's heart was beating slower and he suddenly withdrew from her neck, panting, and blood running down his chin. Lucy took a few steps towards the bed and sat down.

"Forgive me, my prince, I… I will be leaving your room in a few minutes. You can call another servant so I can leave faster if you wish.'' Lucy said weakly holding her neck.

Seth wiped his mouth with the back of his sleeve and licked his lips as he watched the blood trickle between Lucy's fingers. A vampire's vision changes when they have their eyes as black as the abyss, making the colors more vivid and being able to see every detail of the human body. He shook his head to collect himself. He felt his teeth retract and a brief tingle in his eyes which returned to their icy blue color. He was about to answer her when there was a knock on the door before Lazarus entered.

"Ah, my prince..." Lazarus said, looking at Lucy, then Seth. He wore a big smile and seemed to understand something. "Nothing like a first time. How very coincidental with the event that awaits you this evening.''

"What do you mean, Lazarus?" Seth asked.

"I smelled blood and wondered… it's not your habit at all, but then you are never going to stop surprising us. After all, your very life is exceptional and I thought that since you're twenty-five today, and from observations made since birth, you were probably in your young adult phase.'' Lazarus explained as he scrutinized every detail of Seth's body.

Seth arched his eyebrows.

"You mean a teenager, right? We are no longer in the 1700s where men took responsibility at 12 or 13 years old. " Seth said.

Lazarus chuckled lightly as he pulled a handkerchief out of his clothing and approached Seth before wiping his chin elegantly.

"Certainly, but tell me, you have grown a lot since winter and this sudden urge to sink your fangs into this servant did not cross your mind that you were becoming… a man? Did you have a headache that suddenly went away?" Lazarus asked in a smooth voice while fixing Seth with a look filled with desire.

"Do you think it's related? What happened then?' asked Seth.

Lazarus went to the maid and grabbed her wrist before pulling her towards him. She cried out in surprise, being suddenly on her feet and still weak from the lack of blood.

"You know very well that you are in the prince's room, and you are forbidden to touch his bed?" Lazarus said dryly.

"Yes, forgive me! I…'' stammered Lucy.

"Lazarus, it's not…" Seth started, but Lazarus raised his free hand with a sigh.

"Nevertheless, that wasn't my primary goal." Lazarus said before returning his gaze to her. "Lucy, tell Seth how you felt as he took your blood." Lazarus added, letting go of her wrist.

Seth took out his wand and thought of the Latin word for 'Healing', which was 'Cura' and put his intention ahead of his thoughts before pointing his wand at Lucy's neck.

"Cura." Seth said and the wound in Lucy's neck closed.

He smiled in spite of himself, because if this spell existed, it worked as he wanted, without even having to look in a book.

"T…Thank you, my prince…you didn't have to…" Lucy said.

"Answer the question asked!" Lazarus said impatiently and Seth wondered what he was getting at.

"Um, yes, sorry. I… well… a warmth…'' whispered Lucy before her cheeks flushed.

Lazarus lost patience and put the end of his cane between Lucy's legs.

"That's it...pleasure, isn't it?" Lazarus said. Lucy nodded and Lazarus, satisfied, now looked at Seth who still didn't understand. "You have venom, my prince."

"What?" Seth said.

"Venom." repeated Lazarus. ''All vampires have it and if we don't evacuate it by biting a human or an animal, it accumulates and causes headaches that can eventually drive us crazy. I feel like what's causing the Zeliths... isn't so much the lack of blood, but the headache that must be driving us crazy.'' Lazarus explained before chasing Lucy out of the room. "I imagine that your parents had never spoken to you about it, since the need had not arisen. Besides, if you ever feel like creating a vampire, talk about it first, hmm?''

Seth realized the magnitude of what Lazarus had just told him.

"It'll make school times a bit difficult." Seth said quietly.

"Anyway, you're expected in the ballroom, my prince." Lazarus said curtsying before leaving the room.

Seth sighed and looked in his wardrobe to change. He took black pants embroidered with gold threads and a long wine-red shirt. He looked at himself in the mirror and saw that Lazarus had wiped the blood from his face, since there was more. Satisfied with his appearance, he made his way to the ballroom. He passed a few servants who seemed to be hurrying with various objects in their hands like instruments, food, beverages, and wrapped packages.

He entered the ballroom which was nicely decorated in silver and green colors. Lazarus bowed again, more pronounced this time, imitated by all the servants and vampires present in the room. Seth smirked: who wouldn't like to be worshiped so much?

He was surprised to see women dressed, or rather, undressed, whom he did not know at all. Lazarus led him to a couch.

"These women are not from here. If you don't like them, we can dispose of them.'' Lazarus said.

Seth raised his eyebrows, not preferring to know how he intended to dispose of it. He shook his head negatively in response. The three women danced to the music, and he still enjoyed what he saw. Lazarus came to sit beside him.

"Do you like the view?" Lazarus asked as he took the last sip of wine he had left.

A servant quickly took his empty glass and retired.

"And, these women, do they know what we are?" Seth asked as one of the women was now in front of him and her scent filled his nostrils.

Lazarus licked his teeth.

''Yes and no. Take them as fanatics, my prince. For my part, I have a present that will please you. I want to give you a kiss.'' Lazarus said.

Seth turned his gaze to Lazarus.

"What?" Seth said, unsure if he heard correctly.

Lazarus pushed the woman aside and sat on top of him.

"A kiss, my prince. Why would you want to give your future partner your first kiss without knowing how to do it?'' said Lazarus as if what he had just said was natural.

Seth felt his heartbeat faster in his chest. Lazarus was a very handsome man, and his physique was only perfection under the vampiric features he wore with such elegance. He couldn't refuse his advances, and besides, it was already too late for his lips met his. Light at first, then insistent, he surrendered to the kiss thus given as warm hands touched his cheeks and slid down his hair.

Lazarus slid his tongue over his lips, inviting him to open his mouth, which he gladly did. Seth didn't understand how a being without a heartbeat could exude such warmth and such an intoxicating scent. Vampires were able to mimic breathing as an innate habit from their previous lives, but Seth needed air after a few moments and Lazarus released his lips to stroke his jaw with his tongue and towards his ear. Chills ran through him, and he couldn't help but be aroused, which made him freeze. Lazarus stopped and stepped back.

"You're uncomfortable... now then, dance with me." Lazarus said as he pulled away from Seth.

He bowed before taking Seth's arm and pulling him closer. The music changed and Lazarus took steps which Seth awkwardly followed. Lazarus smirked and showed Seth the steps in time to the music. Other vampires had taken various partners, including the three unknown women. Seth had a lot of fun dancing with Lazarus. It allowed him to forget, for a moment, his worries, and live in the present moment, hearing only the music, his racing heart, and seeing the satisfied look of Lazarus.

He didn't count the minutes that passed until he was told to open his presents. He received various jewelry and handmade items. The three muggle women were at his side and giggled almost nonstop, which began to seriously irritate him. The vampires had noticed this, and they looked at Seth as if waiting for a word from him. Did he want to go in this direction? He thought that Lazarus had taken advantage of the absence of the Flamels to do as in the days when he indulged in the multiple murders of muggles in which his own father unscrupulously participated.

''Cericin reallui ind cín adar dár belth-firen?'' said Lazarus in Venthyr as if reading his thoughts. "Na-ceri-cin ind ho na-ceri-foeir hi?" he continued.

Seth looked at him for a moment before nodding. He went back to thinking about the mark that vampires all now had on their hands, and it didn't take much to convince the prince: they had the right to follow their primal and savage needs.

"Ladies." Lazarus said extending his hand to one of them.

Steven and Galea, the two vampires who normally took care of the marina, took the hands of the other two who stood up cheerfully, but each of the three vampires turned them to face Seth and stroked their faces brushing their hair away from their necks. Knowing what was about to happen before his eyes made the prince's heartbeat with sudden apprehension. An urge to join them overwhelmed him like he had never felt before. Without warning, the eyes of the three vampires turned black and they sunk their now long teeth into the women's necks.

These muggles didn't scream. They moaned in pleasure as venom coursed through their veins and they very much unknowingly were bleeding to death. Seth was in a trance, staring at the women who lost consciousness after a moment and heard their hearts beating one last time. A shiver ran through him as three lives had just vanished before him.

''Michael!'' shouted Lazarus who startled the servant in question. "Get rid of this, yes?" he asked her, dropping the woman's body on the ground.

Young Michael took a moment to come out of his fright before curtsying and asking the others for help to get them out of the room.

"When the cats go away, the mice dance." Said Galea, licking her finger before taking Steven's hand and bringing it with her. "We'll make sure they dispose of them properly." She added before following the servants.

Lazarus came to sit next to Seth again, taking a small box out of his trouser pocket and handing it to the prince.

"Grindelwald had a gift idea that he asked me to pick up at Diagon Alley. He said you'd understand.'' Lazarus said.

Seth, who wasn't quite recovered from his emotions as he watched the servants exit the room with the bodies, turned his attention to the box with interest.

"Really?" Seth said as he opened the box.

There was a mandrake leaf inside and he immediately understood the meaning. Their Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher had talked about it briefly and Seth had, of course, already read all about the Animagus. He had slipped a word to Gellert since they often talked about everything and nothing. The very first step was to take a mandrake leaf and place it in his mouth for an entire month, starting with a full moon.

"So, what's the use of this leaf?" Lazarus asked.

"Finding out what animal or creature I could transform into...but that's just one of the many steps to take." Seth explained.

"Hn, as long as it's not one of those horrible spiders." Lazarus said in disgust.

Seth laughed and wondered when the next full moon would be. They continued to feast so late that even the servants either fell asleep on the sofas in the ballroom or retired for the night.

OoOoO

August 23, 1940

Father mother,

How I would love to be by your side and defend our nation as you do. I turned 25 and you know it very well, I know it. I discovered, after a headache, that I now had venom. Like everything else about me, I had to learn to control myself and find a solution. Lazarus is, and always will be, the resource person when you are away, there is no doubt.

If the mere fact of being a wizard means that I have to hide from the world and prevent me from being with you, know that I learn with all the possible knowledge available to me in this case. Rest assured that if a war should come, I will be there, ready for battle. There is no question that our nation shall not bend under the good leisure of wizards. I will do everything to have this unsightly mark removed.

Seth

Nathaniel read the letter as his queen did over his shoulder before burning it with the torch in front of him. He watched the dozen Zeliths crossing a snowy plain, gritting his teeth.

"A dozen more." Elena muttered.

"Surely there's someone or something behind this." The king replied before sighing and drawing his sword, for he didn't know how many times he had already done it.

The two Aurors, who were with them, exchanged a tired look before taking their wand. A short battle ensued which disgusted the vampires. When the last Zelith fell to the ground, Nathaniel sheathed his sword and walked towards Felipe, one of the aurors.

"Are you finally going to tell us where the reports you receive come from? It's not normal that we're still killing so many vam… Zeliths!'' Asked the king dryly.

The wizard was about to answer when an owl passed by and dropped a letter into the auror's hands. Nathaniel sighed again and waited for him to finish his letter. He hadn't expected the wizard to suddenly point his wand at him and the next moment, a searing pain appeared on his right hand, now marked like all other vampires. Elena cried out as she, too, received the mark. The king used his speed to take the auror from behind and end his life, but he was seized with extreme pain in the head and doubled over.

Nicholas and Perenelle came running seeing the situation while the other vampires also tried to attack the aurors, but they were also taken by intense pains in the head. The mark on their hands was sharp, blazing as if branded with iron.

"But what did you do?" Nicholas asked Felipe.

With a mischievous grin, he pointed at the vampires.

"These bloodthirsty beings are now under the control of the ministry. This was the last place the Zeliths harmed Muggles. Now they can't attack any humans or even think of attacking us without feeling a headache.'' Said Felipe with his head held high.

Nicholas and Perenelle were horrified. Daniel, the other auror, began to laugh darkly.

"They can't feed on humans anymore either, heh." Daniel said.

''What? But… don't you even think about the repercussions this is going to have on the vampire nation?'' asked Perenelle.

Felipe approached her.

"Why would I even care, hm?" Asked Felipe.

''I'll kill you, that's for sure.'' Nathaniel assured, holding his head. "I'll give your tongue to the dogs, filthy wizard."

"Ah, ah ah! Come on, that's no way to talk to those above you, you little junk king.'' Said Felipe.

Nicholas stepped between the two.

"You put wizards to shame, Felipe. The Wizengamot will hear about it, you won't get away with it.'' Said the alchemist.

Daniel and Felipe laughed louder and gave the letter to Nathaniel, who took it abruptly.

Felipe, Daniel,

We have completed the orb. You can now mark the last vampires and put the control enchantment. We will no longer have a problem with these evil creatures who will only be able to feed on animals. You can go home. Tell the Flamels to urge caution with these vampires if they stay with them.

Gregor Wood, Director of Magical International Security

Nathaniel gave the letter to Flamel who read it at his turn.

"Evil creatures? Caution? The Flamels have been with us for over one hundred and fifty years! BUT WHAT KIND OF MINISTRY DO YOU HAVE? TWO VAMPIRES WORK WITH YOU! FOR MORE THAN THREE YEARS YOU…'' Nathaniel stopped short and made a face of disgust before turning to Flamel who had finished the letter. "I need to speak with Seth, let's go home."

''Pathetic. It wasn't the Wizengamot who made the decision.'' Said Felipe as the Vampires and Flamels gathered to Apparate.

OoOoO

Seth was playing chess with Gellert when he heard shouting in the distance with his heightened hearing. He had turned his head towards the exit and stood up when Lazarus came at the speed of light in front of him. Lazarus pointed to the mark on his hand which was bright red.

"They did it!" Lazarus said dryly.

"Who did what?" Gellert asked.

Seth looked at Gellert for a moment, then walked out of the cell before closing the door, then out of the prison, Lazarus behind him.

"Tell me." Seth said as they made their way to the living room.

"We can no longer eat without feeling incomparable pain in the head. Can you imagine what that means?'' said Lazarus in an irritated voice.

''Yes. Send Michael to change the provisions and the animal merchandise that comes from the marina. Notify Steven and Galea of upcoming changes. My father will surely come back very soon. I think something bad must have happened if that's the way it is." Seth said.

Lazarus' nostrils flared, showing his displeasure and he nodded before hurrying off, ordering the passing vampires to follow him.

As he had predicted, a few minutes later, sounds of apparitions echoed in the living room. The vampires were stained with blood and the servants who had accompanied them remained silent.

"Return to your domain." Nathaniel ordered the servants, then turned to one of the women. "Elisabeth, don't tell anyone, can I count on you?" asked the King.

"Of course, your highness. I may have an idea that will please you.'' She replied, tilting her head before leaving the living room towards the human domain.

Nathaniel nodded and turned to Seth.

"Seth..." began Nathaniel looking at the hands of his son, the only one who was unmarked. He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. ''We need you.''

"I know." Seth replied with his head held high.

Venthyr translation

''Cericin reallui ind cín adar dár belthfiren?''

"Do you really think your father stopped killing humans?"

"Na-ceri-cin ind ho na-ceri-foeir hi?"

"What do you think he's doing now?"