A/N Wow, it has been a while. i've had no time for fanfic. =( Not promising any quick updates soon though. Exams. ='(

Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I didn't invent the Harry Potter stuff

"Here," said Vamperla a few hours later. She and Harry were in an empty classroom, preparing to practise the spell. Hermione was with Ron, keeping him company.

"What's this?" asked Harry, gesturing at the jar that Vamperla had placed on one of the desks.

"I got them from Professor Moody," she said picking up the jar, and undoing the lid.

"And what are 'them' exactly?"

Vamperla took her hand out of the jar and Harry took a small step backwards.

"Spiders?"

"Yeah, they're the ones we used in DADA, when Moody showed us the unforgivable curses. They're not ideal, as they're not as powerful as dragons, but they're the best thing I could find at the moment," She said placing a spider on the table. "The spell will take longer to wear off from the spider as it is weaker, and it might um, deform it, so we'll practise with these worms first, coz I've got plenty of them.

"Right," nodded Harry nervously.

"Okay, the spell is 'evinco extrahov'," she said slowly.

Harry repeated the incantation a few times until Vamperla was satisfied with his pronunciation.

"Okay, now for the wand work," she flicked her wand around in a fancy yet, powerful way.

"Got that?" she asked turning back to Harry

"Errr…"

"Okay, I'll do it slowly."

They practised the wand movement for a few minutes until Harry could do it comfortably.

"Okay then. Lets put them together," smiled Vamperla pulling out a worm and placing it on the desk. Harry grimaced as it shuffled along the desk pathetically then glanced at Vamperla who nodded at him.

"Okay um, here it goes." Harry cleared his throat. "evinco extrahov!"

The worm shook a little but nothing else happened. Harry stared at it. "Is that all?"

"No, you did everything right but you need to be sure of yourself. You need to sound powerful. Like this-" Vamperla took a step back an pointed her wand at the worm. The voice that came out of her mouth was unexpected. It was deep and hoarse; Nothing like her own. As she finished the spell, a black mist erupted from the wand and shot towards the worm. As it collided with the desk, Harry was pushed a few steps back by a cold wind. As it swept past his ear, he though he heard a small scream but no one else was in the room except Vamperla, the insects an himself. The black mist fell to the floor revealing an empty desk, then floated towards Vamperla. As it reached her, it seemed to seep into her body, and for a moment Harry swore Vamperla's eyes turned completely black, but when he blinked they were back to normal and the black mist had disappeared. She turned around to him and smiled.

"That's about it apart from the whole incineration part. Obviously that won't happen to a dragon as it is way more powerful than a worm but I hope you get the general idea." She said happily.

"Yeah…" croaked Harry staring at the spotless desk.

"Well, um why don't you try it on a spider?" suggested Vamperla, picking up the struggling insect and placing it where only seconds ago, the worm had hopelessly lay.

"Right." Said Harry stepping forward, his wand pointing at the spider. He paused then turned to Vamperla. "What exactly will it do to the dragon?" he asked.

"Well, it sort of stuns it, except a normal stunning spell wouldn't work on a dragon coz it's got such thick skin."

"Right." he muttered turning back to the spider.

"Remember: Powerful and confident."

Powerful and confident. Powerful and confident. Harry thought to himself as he took a deep breath and said the spell. For a second nothing happened, then Harry felt a cold burning sensation rise up inside of him. He wanted to turn and run but all he could do was watch as the black mist erupted from his wand and shot towards the spider. After what seemed like hours, the mist floated to the ground and crawled back towards him. As it touched his body, it dissolved into him and he shuddered as he felt it clawing at his heart. When the mist finally disappeared, Vamperla walked over to the desk and studied the spider.

"Great job!" she said happily turning back to him.

"Is it…gone?"

"Gone? Na, it's still here, but don't worry. It's dead."

"Dead?" Harry choked.

"Yeah!" said Vamperla grinning at him.

Harry stared at the desk behind her, his mind black.

"Harry?" Vamperla said, her voice said sounding far away. "Are you okay?"

Harry looked into her eyes, unable to focus his vision. "I-" he mumbled before he crumpled to the ground.

"Harry!!!" Vamperla panicked. She got to her knees and shook him by his shoulders. "Harry!!" she called to him desperately shaking him a little harder this time. Looking around, she found nothing to help as there was only desks and chairs in the class and the dead spider. Franticly she turned back to him and slapped him lightly on the face.

Harry mumbled and rolled over.

"Oh Harry!" Vamperla cried, hugging him.

"Vamperla you're strangling me."

"Right, sorry. Let's get you to the hospital wing!" she said letting go.

Harry grabbed her as she stood up. "No."

"What?"

"No, I-We'd have to explain what we were doing and that could lead to how we found out about the dragons."

Vamperla stared at him in disbelief. "Harry who cares about the dragons. You're the most important thing at the moment."

"I'm fine." He said. "I just feel a little groggy that's all."

She looked at him unsure.
"Really." He said managing a small smile.

Vamperla sighed. "Alright. Here. I'll help you up."

Harry stumbled as he stood up, but Vamperla reached out and steadied him.

"I'm fine" he said seeing the look on her face. He turned and took a few shaky steps towards the door. As he reached it, he turned around. "You coming?" he said giving a small smile.

Hermione was waiting for them back in the common room reading a book, which she put down as soon as they came in. By that time the colour had returned to Harry's face and he was walking normally.

"How did it go?"
"Great!" Harry said/.

Hermione looked between them suspiciously but decided not to say anything for the moment.

"So, um how's Ron?" asked Vamperla coming over to join Hermione in front of the fireplace when Harry disappeared into his dorm.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Argh, you know him. Stubborn as ever."

Vamperla laughed while noticing how when Hermione mentioned Ron, she turned slightly pink despite being frustrated with him.

xxxXxxx

The next day they had potions first thing in the morning, so after breakfast, the four of them headed down to the dungeons. Just as they were about to sit down, Snape came in and told them to stand.

"Today's lesson will be in pairs. I have chosen your partners already. When I have called your name, answer with 'yes sir' then gather up your things and join your partner. There will be no talking apart from "yes sir!' Crabbe and Weasley."

"What?" called out Ron.

"What was that Weasley." Spat Snape peering over the roll.

"Yes sir." Said Ron coldly grabbing his things and walking over to Crabbe who looked at him menacingly.

"Goyle and Longbottom."

Neville squeaked at his name and mumbled a "yes sir" before shuffling over to Goyle.

"this is torture.' muttered Harry.

"15 points from Gryffindor Mr Potter!"

Harry started to speak but Vamperla kicked him and mouthed 'he's not worth it.'

"Even though you have gotten away with rule breaking in the past Mr Potter, in my class rules are expected to be obeyed. Did I not state earlier that while I am calling the roll, everyone else shall remain silent."

"Yes sir." Said Harry.

"Then would you care to enlighten us of why you are allowed to speak while everyone else remains silent."

Harry glared at Snape.

"I didn't think so." Snape sneered. "Well does anybody else want to waste my time or shall we get on with the lesson?"

The room stayed silent.
"Let's get on with it then. Granger and Parkinson. Greengrass and Purvomay."

Vamperla looked over to see a girl with sandy blond hair staring at her, her eye's narrowed. Vamperla sighed and picked up her books.

"Potter and Malfoy."

"You're joking!" Harry and Draco said together.

"Ten points from Gryffindor!" spat Snape.

"But-"

"What's that Potter? Your want more precious points taken from your house? All right then. Ten points from Gryffindor!"

Harry glared at him.

"Sir isn't there anyone else I can have?"" asked Draco. Snape looked at his list.

"Alright then. Potter, you're with Greengrass. Draco, you're with Miss Purvomay."

Harry let out a breath as he and Vamperla swapped places.

"Sir, why can't I swap with potter?" whined Astoria.

"Because Miss Greengrass, I was hoping this lesson that you would actually do some work rather than flutter your eyelids and giggle pathetically at Draco."

Astoria turned pink but didn't say anything as Snape finished calling the roll.

Vamperla sat down beside Draco and took her books out.

"Hey," he said quietly. Vamperla glanced at him but didn't say anything, Mr Weasley's words going over in her head. And turned back to setting out her things.

"The sleeping Draught." Said Snape writing as he spoke. That is your task today. The instructions are in your book."

The class bustled around all at once, flipping through the pages of their textbook to find the instructions.

"So, the sleeping draught.." said Draco, smoothing out the pages. Still Vamperla didn't say anything. He looked at her as she sorted through her bag looking for ingredients. Carefully, she laid them on their table and started to thinly slice up the pafritson stalks.

"so, um, how's the year been so far.?" He asked, staring the fire under the cauldron.

Vamperla continued chopping in silence.

"Is it true that Krum is related to you?" he tried again.

She pushed the stalks aside and moved onto grinding up the rizzolick roots. When she finished, she reached for the silver knife but so did Draco. His hand touched the top of hers and she quickly pulled it away and stood up, grabbing the roots and walking around Draco to the cauldron.

"Sorry," said Draco hurriedly. "Here, you can have it."

Vamperla glanced at the knife in his hand, but walked back around him to her seat, ignoring how her heart was beating quicker than normal.

Draco let out a small groan. "Okay Vamperla, why are you ignoring me?"

"I'm trying to concentrate." She said flatly, still not looking at him.

Draco sighed and turned to the cauldron to stir it. After a few stirs, her turned back to her." Are you angry at me?"

"No."

"Then why aren't you talking to me?"

"I'm trying to concentrate." She repeated.

"Right. Of course. I guess your concentrating so hard that you completely ignore me when I offer your something that you actually need."

Vamperla stared at the textbook.

"Is it something I've said?"

Silence.

"Something I've done?"

She grabbed the silver knife and started slicing the batil leaf.

"Vamperla talking to me.?"

She slowly put her things down to face him. "It's not exactly what you've said, or done. It's just that…It's just…you."

"Me? So you just don't like me?"

"no that's not what I meant." She said quickly. "It's just…the fact that you're a Malfoy, and things people I trust have told me."

"So you're not talking to me because of my last name and what other people who don't even know me have told you." He said bluntly.

"No, it's just I don't know what to think. I mean everything seems to fit with what they've told me."

"Why. What have they told you."

Vamperla hesitated. "That if you do any favours for me, that you'll turn it against me and that all you know is evil and harshness so that's what you think is right and that I have to be careful around you." She blurted out all at once. She glanced up to look at his expression. His face was calm but his eyes tumbled in a storm of fury.

"And you believe them."

Before she could answer, the door opened and Colin Creevy walked in.

"Please sir, I'm sir, I'm supposed to take Harry Potter to have his photograph taken. Mr Bagman wants him." He squeaked.

"Very well," said Snape coldly. "But Harry, I expect a 6 paragraph essay on the effects of the sleeping draught on my desk by Thursday."

Harry nodded before almost running out the door.

"1 minute till the bell so everyone fill up a flask, label it with your names and place it on my desk."

As soon as the bell rang, Vamperla grabbed her bag and swept past Draco, not looking at him.

"Vamperla," he called after her but she had already gone. Giving a small groan, he sat down on his chair to pick up his books as a shadow fell over his face. He looked up to see Astoria.

"Well that's was dreadful," she moaned. Draco straightened up and she draped her arms around his neck. "But I think I know how you can make me feel better." She leaded in to kiss him but he turned his head away, pushing her arms off him.

"Astoria, not now."

"But Dracy baby-"

"Please don't call me that."

"-You've been saying 'not now' for weeks. We've hardly even kissed at all this year."

"I have to go." He said walking past her.

"Dracy!" she called pathetically after him but he was already gone.