Harry Potter and the Vampire's Assistant

Chapter One
"Interlude with the Vampire"

Published beginning September 16, 2011

A/N Summary: A vampire puts the bite on Harry (sorry for the pun), but it's for a good cause - he wants Harry to destroy Voldemort, even if it kills him.

Harry Potter was staring intently at Draco Malfoy.

Malfoy had just tried to ingratiate himself with Professor Slughorn after the Potions teacher had foregone any punishment for Malfoy (to Mr. Filch's outraged disappointment) after the blond-haired Slytherin tried to crash Professor Slughorn's Christmas party. Both Malfoy and Snape, who was standing next to him, looked unhappy about something, but what that might be Harry could not tell.

"It's nothing, nothing," Slughorn was saying, waving away Malfoy's unctuous thanks. "I did know your grandfather, after all…" he hiccupped, then covered his mouth with a beefy hand. "Excuse," he muttered almost inaudibly.

"He always spoke very highly of you, sir," Malfoy said, quickly nodding agreement. "Said you were the best potion-maker he'd ever known..."

Harry continued to stare. He hadn't seen Malfoy up close for quite some time; now he noticed that Malfoy had developed dark shadows beneath his eyes, and his skin had a grayish tinge to it. What might he have been doing for the past few months, since their altercation on the Hogwarts Express?

"I'd like a word with you, Draco," Snape said suddenly.

"Now, Severus," said Slughorn, hiccupping again, "it's Christmas, don't be too hard —"

Snape fixed the Potions Master with an imperious stare. "I am his Head of House, and I shall decide how hard, or otherwise, to be," Snape said curtly. He turned to Malfoy. "Follow me, Draco."

They left, Snape leading the way, Malfoy looking resentful. Harry stood there for a moment, pondering what interesting things they might talk about on their way back to Snape's office, then made a decision. He leaned over to Luna and said, softly, "I'll be back in a bit, Luna…er — bathroom."

Luna gave him a cheerful smile, "All right," she said, and disappeared into the throng of people who'd begun milling about after the business with Malfoy was over. Harry smiled to himself and followed the two Slytherins out into the corridor. It was easy, once out of the party, to pull his Invisibility Cloak out of his pocket and throw it over himself, for the corridor was quite deserted. Now all he had to do was find Snape and Malfoy, a more difficult prospect. Harry ran down the corridor, the noise of his feet masked by the music and loud talk still issuing from Slughorn's office behind him. Perhaps Snape had taken Malfoy to his office in the dungeons ... or perhaps he was escorting him back to the Slytherin common room. . . . Harry pressed his ear against door after door as he dashed down the corridor until, with a great jolt of excitement he crouched down to the keyhole of the last classroom in the corridor and heard voices.

"I hope you are telling the truth," Snape was saying, "Because it was both clumsy and foolish. Already you are suspected of having a hand in it."

"Who suspects me?" Malfoy said, angrily. "For the last time, I didn't do it, okay? That Bell girl must've had an enemy no one knows about — don't look at me like that! I know what you're doing, I'm not stupid, but it won't work — I can stop you!"

There was a pause and then Snape said quietly, "I see… your Aunt Bellatrix has been teaching you Occlumency. What thoughts are you trying to conceal from your master, Draco?"

"I'm not trying to conceal anything from him, I just don't want you butting in!" Harry pressed his ear still more closely against the keyhole. . . . What had happened to make Malfoy speak to Snape like this — Snape, toward whom he had always shown respect, even liking?

There was a touch on Harry's shoulder and he jerked violently, startled. Whirling around, he saw Luna crouched behind him, staring directly at where he was, hidden beneath the Cloak, with her wide, protuberant eyes. Harry quickly threw the Cloak over Luna, to hide her as well. Draco and Snape were still arguing, so they evidently hadn't heard anything.

"What are you doing here?" he whispered furiously in her ear, angry that she had complicated the situation with her unwanted presence.

Luna did not seem discomfited by his anger. "Professor Trelawney went to find some more cooking sherry," she whispered back. "I thought I would follow you, since it was obvious you were going to follow Draco Malfoy and Professor Snape."

"Where'd you get that idea?" Harry challenged her.

"The fact that you wanted to leave the party immediately after they did was a rather glaring clue," Luna answered matter-of-factly. "I thought at first I would leave you to it, but without Professor Trelawney to talk to…you were my next choice." She smiled brightly at him.

Harry shrugged, having nothing to say to that. He put a finger over his mouth, motioning for her to be quiet, and leaned in close to the keyhole once again.

"You'd better stop telling me to come to your office then!" Malfoy was saying.

"Listen to me," said Snape, his voice so low now that Harry had to push his ear very hard against the keyhole to hear. "I am trying to help you. I swore to your mother I would protect you. I made the Unbreakable Vow, Draco —"

"Looks like you'll have to break it, then, because I don't need your protection! It's my job, he —"

"What are they talking about?" Luna suddenly whispered in his ear. "Is it the Rotfang Conspiracy?" Harry spared her an incredulous look before tapping his forefinger furiously on his lips again, signaling her to be quiet. He pressed his ear back against the keyhole.

"If you tell me what you are trying to do, I can assist you ..." Snape began.

Malfoy cut him off angrily. "I have all the assistance I need, thanks, I'm not alone!"

"You were certainly alone tonight," Snape pointed out, inexorably. "Which was foolish in the extreme, wandering the corridors without lookouts or backup, these are elementary mistakes —"

"I would've had Crabbe and Goyle with me if you hadn't put them in detention!" Malfoy said, quite loudly.

"Keep your voice down!" Snape spat. "If your friends Crabbe and Goyle intend to pass their Defense Against the Dark Arts O.W.L. this time around, they will need to work a little harder than they are doing at pres—"

"What does it matter?" Malfoy said, and Harry could hear both excitement and resignation in his voice. "Defense Against the Dark Arts — it's all just a joke, isn't it, an act? Like any of us need protecting against the Dark Arts —"

Luna was tapping Harry urgently on the shoulder. Aggravated, he looked around at her again. "What?" he snapped, his voice just above a whisper.

"I thought I saw someone down the hall," Luna said, pointing back in the direction of Professor Slughorn's office. Harry looked, but saw no one in the corridor with them.

"I don't see anybody," he whispered. A sudden thought occurred to him. "How did you find me, anyway?"

"I was using my set of Spectrespecs to track you," Luna whispered, pulling a pair out of her robe. "Also, I saw your shoes sticking out from beneath your Cloak."

Harry made a mental note to be more careful using the Invisibility Cloak in the future, the pressed his ear to the keyhole once again.

"You are being incautious," Snape was saying. "Wandering around at night, getting yourself caught, and if you are placing your reliance in assistants like Crabbe and Goyle —"

"They're not the only ones, I've got other people on my side, better people!"

"Then why not confide in me, and I can —"

"I know what you're up to! You want to steal my glory!"

There was another pause, then Snape said coldly, "You are speaking like a child. I quite understand that your father's capture and imprisonment has upset you, but —"

The sound of footsteps moving toward the door gave Harry barely a second to pull himself and Luna out of the way before it burst open and Malfoy strode away down the corridor, back the way they'd come. Harry, fearful that Snape might discover them if they remained near the classroom door, tapped Luna on the shoulder and pointed after Malfoy. She nodded and they began moving down the corridor after him.

They were both crouched over, moving as quickly as they could, but it was not fast enough. If Snape came after Malfoy they ran the risk he would hear their footsteps. Harry stopped for a moment, glancing back at the now-open classroom door. He could see a shadow moving in the doorway behind them, as if Snape were approaching the door. Harry looked around frantically for some place they could hide.

Luna suddenly pointed to a nearby open door. "How about there?" she whispered. Harry nodded and the pair of them ducked quickly inside. They found themselves in a spacious balcony area overlooking one of the castle's courtyards. It was at least twice the size of the Potions classroom. Various planters and pots were scattered about the balcony, along with several benches for sitting. It was devoid of snow, however— which was fortunate, for if there had been any their footsteps would have been clearly visible. Harry moved them toward a shadowy area along the wall, hoping Snape hadn't seen anything before they ran into the room.

"I don't think Professor Snape is a part of the Rotfang conspiracy," Luna whispered unexpectedly. "He would have to be a Ministry official. Perhaps he's a spy for Minister Fudge and his Gringotts Takeover conspiracy."

"W-what?" Harry stuttered, almost too loudly. In a quieter voice, he pointed out, "Luna, Fudge isn't even Minister of Magic now — he was replaced by Scrimgeour several months ago!"

"I'm sure that's what he wants everyone to believe," Luna whispered serenely, a knowing smile on her face. "He's — mmph!"

Harry had clamped a hand over her mouth; a shadow had appeared in the doorway of the balcony. Harry's worst fear had come to pass: Snape had heard them!

Or had he? The Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher was scanning the room slowly, his expression unfathomable. Looking into his dark eyes, this was the only time Harry really felt safe from Snape's Legilimency — when he was hidden beneath his Invisibility Cloak. He held an arm protectively across Luna's shoulders, keeping her from moving.

Snape finished his examination of the balcony, and began to turn away, to leave. Suddenly he spun back, drawing his wand and pointing it into the room. "Homenum Revelio!" he canted forcefully. At that same moment there was a sudden gust of air that brushed the side of the Invisibility Cloak, and a flash of light between them and Snape. Harry blinked. Someone was standing between them now, someone he hadn't seen until just this moment. Luna turned to him, her mouth open, and he put his hand quickly across it again, shaking his head.

"Is that you, Potter?" Snape was still holding his wand pointed ahead of him. "Under your Invisibility Cloak, perhaps? You may as well come out — it makes little difference to me whether I give you detention now or when we return from the Christmas break —"

Snape stopped speaking and Harry watched as the person who had stepped in front of them moved from the shadows into the evening light. Tall and thin, he regarded Snape without speaking. Now able to see him from a better angle, Harry recognized who it was immediately.

Sanguini. The vampire was holding a golden goblet, from Slughorn's party, in one hand. As he and Snape stared at one another, he casually sipped from it.

Snape frowned. "Sanguini, I presume. You should return to Professor Slughorn's party," he told the vampire. "Your master will be wondering where you are."

"I will return shortly," Sanguini answered. His voice was low and hollow, like a kettledrum. "I prefer to finish my blood wine alone."

Snape didn't move. "How is it," he asked, "That you were detected by my Human Revealment Charm? You are a vampire."

Sanguini slowly spread his arms; a gesture of indifference. "Worple does not always wish me to appear in public as a vampire; he has several spells on me that give a false human reading for the Revealment Charm. Apparently he forgot to cancel the spells the last time he cast them."

Snape slowly put his wand away as he turned to leave once again. He turned back, however, at the last moment. "Be sure and remind him to do so," he said. "I will let him know where you are." He walked away up the corridor.

Sanguini turned and sat down on a bench next to where Harry and Luna were crouching. He almost seemed to chuckle to himself as he took another sip from the goblet. A cigarette suddenly popped out of his mouth, and he took a deep drag on it, sighed contentedly, then stubbed it out on the bench and dropped it into a nearby planter. He turned to look at the spot where Harry and Luna were crouched.

"I hope you are grateful that I threw off his suspicions," the vampire said, addressing empty air but looking directly at Harry. "Since you were spying on him, after all — him and that beautiful little blond student of his."

Harry wasn't sure what to think about what had just happened, but Luna was gazing at Sanguini with fascination in her eyes. He threw the Invisibility Cloak off of them. "Thanks," he said, simply. "It would have gone bad if he'd caught us."

"I'm sure," Sanguini drawled, draining the rest of the goblet. He stood, swaying a bit as he straightened his old-fashioned vest. "I should return —"

"Wait," Luna suddenly spoke. "You're a vampire, is that right?"

Sanguini nodded.

"How is it, then," Luna continued. "That your appearance is nothing like Minister Scrimgeour's?" Harry groaned — not this again!

Sanguini regarded her for a long moment, the corner of his pale-lipped mouth twitching in amusement. "Do you think Rufus Scrimgeour is a vampire?" he asked.

"Of course," Luna said, as if it were a fact as certain as the sun rising in the east. "My father wrote an extensive article on him for the Quibbler when he first came into office."

"Sorry to disappoint you, my dear, but Rufus Scrimgeour is no more a vampire than your friend Harry Potter here is," Sanguini pointed out. He looked toward the door.

"What were you doing out here?" Harry asked quickly, hoping to keep him talking for a few more minutes. There was something strange and interesting about this vampire, the first one Harry had ever met or talked to.

"Just having a smoke," Sanguini answered offhandedly.

"I thought vampires didn't smoke," Luna said.

Sanguini looked at her, smiling, though his teeth didn't show. "Most don't," he agreed. "There's no enjoyment in it since vampires have no sense of taste — except for blood," he added, with a grin that did show his teeth this time.

"But you did seem to enjoy it," Harry pointed out. "You looked happy as you took that final puff."

Sanguini chuckled once again. "Very observant of you, Mr. Potter. Would you like to know a secret?" he asked, swaying a bit as he turned to face them. Both Harry and Luna nodded. "I'm only a half-vampire," he said, in a stage whisper.

"A half-vampire?" Harry looked dubious. "What d'you mean?"

"I'm like a vampire's assistant, a helper or servant," Sanguini amplified. "Excuse me," he said as he stifled a hiccup.

"I've never heard of a 'half'-vampire or a vampire's assistant," Harry said, now doubtful.

Luna looked at Harry with eyebrows raised over her bulging eyes. "That's hardly proof that they don't exist, is it?" she pointed out.

Sanguini waved a pale hand dismissively. "It's not something we tell the Wizarding community. That's why it's called a secret, you know. The only other known half-vampire is Lorcan d'Eath, but he is little more than a glory hound. No one really believes he is 'part-vampire' — they think he's a human vamping as if he were one." Sanguini chuckled at his own joke.

"So why tell us?" Harry asked. He didn't understand why Sanguini was doing this, unless the blood wine was making him drunk, somehow.

"I admired the way you stood up to Eldred Worple earlier, when he was pressuring you for a book deal," Sanguini answered. "You didn't give in to him in spite of all the gold he suggested you would gain. That shows true strength of character." Harry said nothing; gold didn't mean anything to him one way or the other — his concern was with the shabby way he'd been treated by the press the last few years, first by Rita Skeeter, and later by the Prophet. Both had pilloried him, calling into question his actions, his motives, even his sanity at times. The only publication that had given him a fair shake was The Quibbler, and only because Hermione had forced Skeeter into writing a sympathetic article for Xenophilius Lovegood to publish.

Sanguini covered another hiccup. "I must be going," he said, swaying slightly as he walked to the door. "Eldred will be worried I'm off having a snack." He smiled broadly, showing his teeth again, in obvious implication of what was meant by "snack."

Harry unconsciously reached for his neck, and the half-vampire laughed. "Don't worry, Harry. I don't drink human blood — yet. But I do enjoy a good blood pudding."

"I do too!" Luna said, nodding eagerly. "Daddy makes it with bloodfruit plants."

Sanguini merely smiled, but the look on his face as he stared at Luna reminded Harry of the look he'd given the group of teenage girls standing nearby the vampire at Slughorn's party, whispering curiously to one another. Sanguini had appeared ready to slip away with them until Eldred Worple stopped him, handing Sanguini a pasty instead.

"I must be going," Sanguini said again. He nodded to Luna. "Farewell, Miss," then turned to Harry. "Farewell, Harry Potter. We may meet again sometime." A moment later he was gone, before Harry could say anything.

"That was interesting," Luna said, sounding unusually pensive, at least for Luna. "I wonder if he would like to be interviewed by Daddy — I'm sure he would be very interested to hear his ideas about Minister Scrimgeour."

"I don't know," Harry said, but privately he sincerely doubted it. "We'd better get back to our common rooms," he said, pulling the Invisibility Cloak over the two of them.

"Don't you want to make sure Hermione managed to stay away from Cormac McLaggen?" she asked, curiously. "She seemed quite unhappy with her choice of date for attending the party — as did you," she added, with her penchant for speaking uncomfortable truths bluntly.

"Er — I'm sure she's already back in the common room," Harry hedged. Truthfully, he didn't want to go back to Slughorn's party, especially if Eldred Worple was still there. The man had seemed quite determined to rope him into some kind of book deal. In addition, Ginny was there with Dean Thomas, though Harry had not had so much as a chance to wave at her across Slughorn's office. She had seemed quite attentive to Dean, which frustrated Harry in some vague way. He did hope Hermione managed to avoid McLaggen for the rest of the evening.

They walked up to the fifth floor, where the entrance to Ravenclaw's common room was located: a long, winding spiral staircase leading upwards into the tower. After making sure no one else was present, Harry took the Invisibility Cloak off them. Luna smiled at him but made no move to leave. Harry, who still half-regretted that he'd asked her to go the Slughorn's party with him, fidgeted awkwardly for several moments. "Er, well, thanks again for going with me, Luna," he finally said, feeling stupid. "I am happy you went with me."

"I was happy to go with you as a friend, Harry," Luna replied. It was the third time she had mentioned "as a friend" to him; Harry was beginning to wonder why she kept saying that. "Well, I'll see you next year," she said at last, turning toward the door to Ravenclaw Tower.

"Uh, Luna…" Harry didn't know why he called her back. There were a lot of ideas jumbled up in his mind from just the past few hours: Malfoy and Snape's discussion about what Malfoy was doing; Snape making an Unbreakable Vow with his mother; the conversation with Sanguini and what he meant by saying he was a "half-vampire." In spite of Luna's comment, Harry was pretty sure there was no such thing. He remembered one of the Chocolate Frog Cards he'd seen, the one with Lorcan d'Eath on it. D'Eath had been identified as a "part-vampire," though it was very vague on just what a part-vampire was. He had never heard of anyone else being identified as a "half-vampire." "I'm — I'm really glad we had a chance to, to spend some time together."

"I am, too," Luna said, beaming at him. An idea seemed to occur to her. "If you're going to the Burrow, do you think you might come over to visit Daddy and me during the Christmas break? We're only a few miles from Ottery St. Catchpole, you know."

Harry found himself nodding, though he was not too sure what he thought about that idea. "I'll try," he said, hoping that wasn't too much of a promise.

Luna nodded, still smiling. "I can make a Dirigible Plum pudding — it's quite tasty, and Daddy says it helps one's ability to accept the extraordinary."

"That — that would be fine," Harry agreed, haltingly.

"Have a Happy Christmas, then," Luna said, and put a hand lightly on his shoulder, then leaning up to give him a peck on the cheek. She smiled at him once more, then turned and skipped through the doorway to Ravenclaw Tower.

Harry blinked, then put a hand over his cheek where Luna had kissed him. Just a friend? he wondered. He wasn't so sure, anymore. He threw the Invisibility Cloak back over himself and headed up to the Gryffindor common room.

=ooo=

When Harry woke up the next morning, he found Ron's bed empty, though he'd been there, asleep and snoring, when Harry entered their dorm room after leaving Luna at Ravenclaw Tower. Harry had been anticipating talking with Ron about some of what he'd seen and heard last night, both about the date with Luna and his eavesdropping on Snape and Malfoy's conversation, but he would have to save that for later, perhaps when they were on the Hogwarts Express later today.

When Harry had last seen Ron, at dinner last night, he'd seemed stunned by the news that Hermione was going to the Christmas party with Cormac McLaggen; he probably hadn't heard yet that she'd had an absolutely dreadful time with him. But then, Harry had watched as Hermione rubbed Ron's nose in it last night at dinner, so he might not be on speaking terms with her right now.

Harry dressed and went down to the Great Hall, where breakfast was already in progress. Ron, Dean Thomas, and Seamus Finnigan were sitting together, discussing Quidditch, notably Britain's leading teams for that year. Further down the table Harry saw Hermione sitting with Parvati Patil and Ginny. Ginny glanced up and nodded at Harry, and he nodded back, but decided not to intrude. He sat down next to Dean and Seamus, across from Ron.

"All right there, Harry?" Dean grinned, giving him a clap on the back. "How was your date with Loony Lovegood?"

"Don't call her that, Dean," Harry replied, coolly. "Luna's — well, she's nice. We had a good time at the party last night."

"Oh re-e-e-ally…" Dean and Seamus exchanged knowing glances. "So cough up, then," Dean said, coaxingly. "What happened after?"

"Nothing happened!" Harry snapped, more sharply than he'd intended. He'd noticed that Ron was staring at him as well, though his look was more penetrating than Dean or Seamus's. "We just went to the party, then walked around the castle for a while before I took her back to Ravenclaw Tower!"

Seamus and Dean both looked as if they imagined much more had happened on that "walk" than Harry was letting on. Since Peeves had spread the news yesterday that Harry was taking Luna Lovegood to Slughorn's party, he'd noticed that an awful lot of girls start to whisper with one another whenever he walked by them, and the male students had begun grinning at him like idiots. It was almost worse than when everyone in school had hated him for something or another, whether it had been his use of Parseltongue in the first Dueling Club, in second year, or when his name had come out of the Goblet of Fire in fourth year. Fifth year wasn't even worth thinking about.

Dean bolted down the rest of his breakfast. "Well, gotta go," he said, as he and Seamus stood to leave. "Keep up the good work, mate," he said happily, again clapping Harry heartily on the back. "See you after the break." They both walked out of the Great Hall.

Harry stared down at his breakfast. Quite unconsciously, he'd piled it full, almost overflowing, with fried eggs, bacon and sausages, and fried potatoes; a large goblet of pumpkin juice was next to his plate. Looking up, he caught Ron staring at him. "Work up an appetite last night, Harry?" Ron asked, a tinge of irony in his voice. "I thought you'd be full from dinner and all the food you had at Slughorn's party last night."

"Don't start," Harry muttered. He jabbed at his eggs, not really hungry anymore.

"'Don't start?'" Ron echoed, mockingly. "What, aren't you going to tell me what a bloody wonderful time you an' Hermione had at Slughorn's party last night?"

"Whyn't you ask her?" Harry replied, sullenly. He was tired of Ron always acting like such a git this year: first, Harry had to trick him into believing he was a good Keeper for their first Quidditch match by pretending to give him a dose of Felix Felicis; then, after the match, he began snogging Lavender Brown, right in front of Hermione, making her cry and run away from the celebration; later, she attacked Ron with a flock of conjured birds.

"I tried!" Ron jerked his head down the table, toward where Hermione and Ginny were sitting. "I went down there this morning and tried to sit by them, but Ginny just shook her head and waved me away, like I had spattergroit or something."

"That reminds me," Harry pretended to look around the room searchingly. "Where's your girlfriend Lavender? I thought you and her would be saying your 'goodbyes' by now." He made a snogging noise with his lips.

"Don't start on that," Ron said, warningly, pointing his fork at Harry.

"Then don't try to get me to spill about Hermione or me at the party," Harry fired back. The two stared angrily at one another, then Harry looked away and went back to pushing food around his plate, saying nothing. Ron stared at him for another long moment, then went back to eating; evidently being in a foul mood didn't affect his appetite, Harry silently observed.

The next time Harry glanced down the table, Hermione, Parvati and Ginny were gone. He hadn't seen them leave; they must not have walked past him and Ron on their way out. He pushed his nearly-full plate away, then stood. "I'm going to get ready for the train," he announced to Ron.

"Fine," Ron muttered. "See you later, then." He didn't look up at Harry this time.

"Fine, then," Harry answered, after a moment. He walked away, through the Entrance Hall and up to Gryffindor Tower, to his dorm room, to pack up a rucksack with clothes and his book Advanced Potion-Making, for further study while on holiday. He was just finishing packing when Neville Longbottom walked into the dormitory.

"Hi, Harry," Neville said, walking over to his own bed. "Getting ready for the Hogwarts Express?"

Harry nodded, fastening the clasp on his rucksack.

"Er — how was the Christmas party?" Neville asked, in a rushed tone, as if he could hardly wait to get the question out.

Harry looked up at him. "It was okay," he shrugged. "Met a vampire there, someone named Sanguini." Neville's eyes widened.

"A real vampire?" he breathed, excitement in his voice. "Did — did you see him drink anyone's b-blood?"

"No," Harry answered, matter-of-factly. "But he did put away a bit of blood wine." Quite a bit, Harry added to himself, if Sanguini's behavior on the balcony had been any indication.

"I thought vampires could only drink blood," Neville looked confused. "They don't eat, do they? Except blood-flavored lollypops, I guess."

"I dunno," Harry said, hoisting his rucksack over his shoulder and grabbing his coat off his bed. "Well, see you later, Neville — I'm going down to the Entrance Hall to wait for the carriages to Hogsmeade Station."

"Okay, Harry," Neville nodded. He looked like he wanted to say more, but only added, "Happy Christmas, Harry."

"Happy Christmas, Neville," Harry replied, not really feeling the sentiment, and left the room. There was no one in the common room he felt like saying goodbye to, so Harry stepped through the portrait hole and slouched along the corridors and down the staircases until he came to the main staircase leading to the Entrance Hall.

He glanced at his watch. It would be several minutes before the carriages would begin taking students to the Hogwarts Express, so he dropped his rucksack and coat on the bottom step and sat down. A few other students were in the Entrance Hall already, talking amongst themselves. Harry didn't feel much like talking, however. It was beginning to feel like most people were avoiding him; Neville was the only person he'd talked to this morning, other than the awkward conversation with Ron and Dean and Seamus taking the mickey out of him about Luna.

Well, it didn't matter much, Harry decided. He and Ron would probably patch things up on the train ride home. Maybe he could even squeeze in a conversation with Hermione, tell her what happened after he and Luna left the party, meeting Sanguini in the courtyard balcony and that business with Malfoy and Snape. She would know something about vampires, after all, even if she didn't think Draco had become a Death Eater, like Harry did.

"Hi, Harry." Harry looked up, surprised that someone was speaking to him. He almost flinched when he realized it was Lavender Brown. "Ready for Christmas break?" Lavender asked.

"Yeah," Harry nodded, trying to be more pleasant than he felt. "How about you?"

"Oh yes, I can use it!" Lavender nodded fervently. To Harry's dismay, she sat down on the step next to him, placing her coat and bag next to his. She smiled at him, a bit awkwardly it seemed to Harry, and asked, trying to sound casual, "I'm sending a Christmas present to Won-Won… would you like to know what it is?"

Not really, Harry thought, but he didn't want to hurt Lavender's feelings. "What is it?" he asked.

"It's a gold chain with — well, with something hanging from it," she said, suddenly demur. "I'm just sure he'll love it, though!"

Harry nodded, hoping that she'd take that as him being the least bit interested.

"So, how was your date with Luna Lovegood?" Lavender asked, curiously. "I heard you two left the party early," she added, with a questioning look on her face that nevertheless reminded him of the looks he'd seen on Dean and Seamus.

"It went fine," Harry said, curtly, beginning to wish he had made sure Peeves wasn't around before asking Luna to the party. "We left early so we could get ready for the train ride home and get some sleep."

Lavender nodded, seemingly happy to get that question out of the way and go back to her primary concern. "Are you staying with Won-Won over Christmas?" she asked.

"Yeah," Harry nodded, happy to be off the subject of him and Luna.

"Is…she…going to be there?" The way Lavender said "she" made it clear to Harry who she meant.

Harry was silent for several seconds. Was Hermione coming to the Burrow? Harry wasn't entirely sure, though he would have guessed she was if he hadn't been asked just now. "Um, I don't know," he answered, honestly. "I haven't heard one way or another."

Lavender put on a pouting expression. "I just know she wants to steal him back, now that I have him," she muttered, more to herself than Harry. "But she can't please him the way I can — she's nothing but a cold fish, a bookworm!" She caught Harry's expression and added, "Oh, I know she's your friend too, Harry — but she doesn't think of you that way. You're more of a, well, like a brother to her than anything else, you know. She talked about you way more than she ever did about Won-Won!"

Lavender suddenly looked up and waved. "Oh, there's Parvati! Hi, Parvati!" she exclaimed, grabbing her bag and coat off the steps. "Harry, I'll see you next year, have a Happy Christmas! Tell Won-Won Happy Christmas, too, and tell him I already miss him!" She stood and was gone before Harry could reply.

Harry stood; the room, almost empty before he and Lavender began talking, had filled with students making ready for the train ride home. Harry scanned the crowd, looking for Ron, Hermione, Ginny, or anyone else he knew. Even Luna would — at that moment Harry caught sight of her, talking to Neville. Over the noise of dozens of people talking at once, he had no chance of hearing what they were saying, but they both looked eager to talk with one another.

At that moment Professor McGonagall and Mr. Filch emerged from the Great Hall, moving toward the doors that led out of the castle and toward Hogsmeade. "May I have your attention, everyone," she said, loudly, and the conversations quickly faded away. "We will be transporting students to Hogsmeade Station alphabetically. Will students and prefects whose last names begin with A to G please line up and give your name to Mr. Filch, then wait outside for the carriages."

This was a new wrinkle, Harry thought, watching as students began forming a line in front of the hunched, cantankerous caretaker. The room was noisy again as conversations picked up where they'd left off. Running his eyes up and down that line, Harry finally caught sight of Hermione giving her name to Filch. "Hermione!" he called. "Save me a seat!" But if Hermione heard she gave no indication; Hermione nodded at Filch and walked outside. Harry almost reached for his wand, wanting to send her a message, perhaps with his Patronus. But he wasn't really sure how the Patronus messenger spell differed from the Patronus Charm — he would look foolish if he conjured a Patronus and it just stood around doing nothing. Harry took his hand off his wand.

When all the students who'd first lined up were outside, McGonagall spoke again. "Students whose last names begin with H to P please line up in front of Mr. Filch." Harry shrugged into his coat and threw the rucksack over his shoulder again, then got into line behind Ernie Macmillian, who turned around with an air of self-importance surrounding himself.

"All right there, Harry?" he asked, then added, "How'd your date with Luna go last night?"

"Just swell," Harry muttered, almost rudely. "How'd yours go?"

Ernie looked surprised and a trifle discomfited. "Actually, I didn't have a date last ni—" he caught himself, chuckling. "Ha! Pretty sneaky there, Harry!"

He started to say something else, but they had reached Filch. Ernie gave his name, then walked out through the double doors.

"Name?" Filch grunted, as Harry stepped in front of him.

"Harry Potter," Harry said, thinking As if you didn't recognize me.

"Go on, then," Filch growled, jerking a thumb at the door, and Harry slipped past him and down the steps outside the castle, where only a few carriages were left. Harry looked around, trying to find an empty one.

"Over here, Harry!" he heard someone call. It was Neville and Luna, sitting alone in a carriage. Neville was waving at him; apparently no one else wanted to ride with them. Harry jogged over to their carriage and tossed his rucksack in.

"Hope you don't mind riding with us cool students," Neville asked, a grin on his round face.

"Thanks," Harry said, truly grateful for that moment to ride with someone he actually knew and liked.

"Hello Harry," Luna said, as he hoisted himself into the carriage. "I was wrong, wasn't I?"

The question caught Harry off-guard. "What do you mean?" he asked, blankly.

"It's not next year yet," she explained, then turned to Neville. "When Harry took me back to Ravenclaw Tower, I told him I'd see him next year. But it's not next year yet, and here we are." Neville laughed and nodded, understanding.

"I guess you're right," Harry smiled, glad that was all she was referring to. It wasn't always easy to follow what Luna was talking about.

"I was telling Neville about the Christmas party," Luna went on, as the carriage began moving, the last one of the second wave of students bound for the Hogwarts Express. "He was quite interested in hearing about Mr. Sanguini."

"Harry told me all about him earlier," Neville hastened to add. "When we were getting ready for the train."

Harry had only volunteered one thing to Neville about Sanguini, as he recalled, that he seemed to be full of blood wine. But he wasn't going to disagree with Neville, if that's what his fellow Gryffindor wanted to tell Luna. He listened in silence as Luna described finding Harry beneath his Invisibility Cloak, how they had run into the courtyard balcony to escape Snape, and how Sanguini had kept the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher from discovering their presence. It wasn't something Harry would have volunteered on his own, but it was Luna's story as much as his; he wasn't going to disagree with her, either.

At Hogsmeade Station, the three of them jumped down from the carriage. Harry watched as the thestral turned slowly around, heading back to the castle. Most people couldn't see thestrals — Harry had first seen them on the trip from Hogsmeade Station at the beginning of his fifth year. This was after he'd witnessed the death of Cedric Diggory at the hands of Wormtail — Peter Pettigrew — who had hidden in plain sight for a dozen years, first as Percy Weasley's pet rat, then with his younger brother Ron, until he was exposed as an Animagus by one of his teachers, Remus Lupin and Harry's godfather, Sirius Black. Thinking about Sirius brought a pang of loss to his chest, and Harry turned away from the departing thestral, shaking the image of Sirius falling through the Veil from his head.

Luna, Neville and Harry walked onto the platform at Hogsmeade Station, until Neville stopped, taking hold of Harry's arm. "I — I want to talk to Luna for a few minutes, b-before we go," he said, looking at Harry apprehensively. "Unless you don't want me to…" he faltered. "…Do you mind?"

Neville had evidently taken the "date" between Harry more seriously than Harry himself had. "No, I don't mind, Neville," he said, shaking his head. "I'll find us a compartment."

"Okay, but —" Neville still looked uneasy. "Uh, Luna said that she's been invited to sit with some of the other Ravenclaw students."

"Really? Good for her!" Harry was impressed by this. Luna was apparently making more friends at the school now. "That's brilliant, Neville."

"Well," Neville leaned in close, speaking conspiratorially. "I think they want to hear how things went with you and her."

That amused Harry, the first time he'd felt happy today. "Well, they're going to be disappointed in that story, because there's nothing much to tell, unless they want to hear about Luna and me meeting a vampire." Harry just hoped she wouldn't spread around what they'd been doing before that: spying on Snape and Malfoy.

As if he'd read Harry's mind, Neville said, "I told her she probably shouldn't mention that you were both under your Invisibility Cloak before you met Sanguini. That's not something that needs to get back to Snape."

Or at all, Harry thought; other students, especially Slytherins, would make something unsavory out of it. "Agreed." Harry sighed, relieved and grateful for Neville giving Luna a head's up. "I'll save you a seat, then." Neville nodded and went over to Luna, while Harry, after scanning the platform for Hermione and not finding her, boarded the train.

He though he would find her in a compartment, waiting for them, but she was nowhere to be found on the train. He finally found Ginny sitting in a compartment with a few of her friends. "D'you know where Hermione's at, Ginny?"

"Up in the prefects' car," Ginny told him. "She told me they're having a meeting on the way home, to prepare for next term."

Harry nodded, unhappy, but there was little he could do about it. It would be interesting, however, to see where Ron would go when he finally got the station — would he sit with Harry, in the regular compartments, or with Hermione and the other prefects, where he belonged?

He made his way back, but most of the compartments were already full. Romilda Vane smiled and beckoned for him to join her and her friends in their compartment, but Harry wisely begged off, saying he already had a seat saved for him.

There was a small lurch as the train began to move. Harry glanced at his watch; it was 11 a.m. exactly, the train had left on schedule, as usual. He continued peering into compartments, but they all seemed to be full; curious, that, Harry mused, given that the train could hold the entire Hogwarts student body and that not everyone was going home over the Christmas break.

He was nearly to the back of the train when a couple of third years pushed past him, heading for the last compartment. "Oi!" Harry said loudly, but the students just grinned at him before trying the last compartment door. It wouldn't open for them, however, and they turned and stalked away, giving Harry sullen looks as they passed.

Curious who was in the last compartment, Harry walked slowly toward it, expecting to see Neville or maybe even Ron inside; that would be the most reasonable explanation why the third-years were turned away. But when he reached the closed door, he was surprised to read a piece of parchment that was stuck to the window:

Reserved Especially for
Harry Potter

What was this about? Harry wondered. Who would put up a sign reserving a compartment for him? He put his face up to the compartment glass, but it was dark inside and Harry could make out no one and nothing within the compartment. He reached for the compartment door's handle, attempting to slide the door open. It was locked. Was he supposed to use Alohomra or something like that on it, Harry wondered.

The door suddenly slid open, yanking itself free of Harry's grasp. A long-fingered hand reached from the darkness and grasped him by the wrist. Before Harry could react, he was pulled inside. His momentum carried him onto one of the compartment's seats; the hand that had pulled him inside was still gripping his wrist. His free hand went instinctively to his wand, but a deep, measured voice made him freeze.

"Welcome, Harry Potter. I have been waiting to talk to you."

Harry kept his hand on his wand, though he didn't draw it. "Who — who are you?" he asked, half-expecting a trap of some sort.

The darkness in the compartment seemed to dissipate. Sitting across from Harry was a tall, gaunt man, staring at Harry with the blackest, most unfathomable eyes he had ever seen. The stranger was dressed in a well-tailored but very out-dated suit, with a flowing black cloak draped about him. "Good morning, Mr. Potter," the man spoke quietly, in spite of the deepness of his voice. "I am very pleased to meet you at last." He sat back, releasing Harry's arm.

"Who are you?" Harry asked again bluntly, suspicious of the way this stranger chose to introduce himself. His accent was similar to the way Viktor Krum spoke, Harry noticed.

"We have a mutual acquaintance, Mr. Potter," the stranger continued. "Mr. Sanguini."

"So?" Harry's retort was rude, but he was in no mood for banter. This had the feel of a trap, and his eyes flickered left and right, trying to figure out a way to escape. "What do you want, then?"

"For now, merely to talk," the tall figure assured him. "Sanguini has told me that you and he had a — shall we say — an interesting conversation the other night."

Harry shrugged. "We talked," he admitted. "But I don't know what that's got to do with —"

"Well, I should speak plainly, then," the man interrupted. "I am here to discuss a matter of some importance to both of us, and to make you an offer that it would be in your best interests to accept."

Harry edged fractionally closer to the compartment door, trying to make it appear he was merely getting comfortable. "Why come to me like this?" he asked. "Sneaking onto the Hogwarts Express to talk to me? And what's your acquaintance with Sanguini?"

"Sanguini is my servant," the tall stranger replied.

Harry shook his head. "I thought he was Eldred Worple's friend," he argued.

A thin smile came to the man's lips. "Worple thinks that, too. He labors under the impression that Sanguini is a true vampire — in fact, the whole Wizarding community harbors that impression as well. But they are wrong."

The man leaned forward slightly, looking directly into Harry's eyes. "I am a true vampire, Harry Potter."

Author's Note: And off we go into the wonderful world of vampires, Harry Potter style. Please review, if you're so inclined, and let me know what you think.