Darkest Before Dawn

Abby Ebon

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Disclaimer: I do not own anyone (as that would be slavery) or claim to have created the original works (as that would get me in jail) in which this fan fiction is based upon. Thus, this drivel is to be taken as is – for my amusements sake.

Note; so, everyone else is reading and writing Twilight/Harry Potter crossovers, so, I got bored of it and decided to try it myself - with a twist – or two. For example….

Did'ya happen to know/remember that Rowling had a vampire in one of her books, only, you see, he was kind of glossed over and forgotten by the end of the chapter. I mean, all that really happened in the encounter was his over-enthusiastic human "brother" babbling about writing the biography of the Boy-Who-Lived, I mean, blah, who wants to read about more wizards swooning over Harry?

So, yeah, the forgotten vampire….until now, the poor sod….

Beta; Kuro Ookami Hatake, (as of 10/29/09) who really did a great job working with this chapter.

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"Harry, I'd like you to meet Eldred Worple, and old student of mine, author of Blood Brothers: My Life Amongst the Vampires – and, of course, his friend Sanguini." –Slughorn, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince"

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Between A Rock And A Hard Place

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"This isn't going well." Sanguini murmured silkily, bloody eyes roving over the humans clustered about like so many sheep. He seemed tired with the shadows that lingered beneath his narrowed eyes. His wizard companion shifted uneasily. Eldred knew differently - Sanguini was as alert as he had ever been, and just as powerful. He was only now growing impatient toward their task.

"Sanguini, you must see that I've tried – if he was a little more interested in a biography, maybe we could do it-but he isn't, you have to face facts ,this is not going to work." Eldred muttered sulkily, chewing on his bottom lip in thought, his gaze never straying far from Slughorn and the boy he tottered about like a trophy.

"That isn't good enough. We'll have to try some other way." Sanguini watched more discretely then Eldred, though his gaze lingered on the pale girl with copper hair and silvery eyes that Harry clutched to his side like a life line. It was curious that Harry Potter had brought her instead of one or both of his two other more well known friends; Ron and Hermione. Perhaps it was merely that they were elsewhere in this gathering, perhaps not.

"What does the girl mean to him…?" Sanguini directed toward their host, for only a moment Slughorn seemed surprised that the vampire had known he was listening in. He thought he had been discreet with slipping away from Potter. He wanted to make sure Eldred wouldn't make a scene at being brushed aside as he had.

"I'm not sure, though it is curious." Slughorn found himself saying, as he felt it would be rude to ignore such a blunt question from a guest. He had intended to say something entirely different until Sanguini had caught his eyes.

"Unusual isn't it…?" Eldred trailed off, glancing to the empty seat beside him with a resigned expression. Slughorn stood dazed beside him, blinking blankly, with a sigh Eldred glanced about for someone Slughorn would know and totter over to, as if he were drunk. He wasn't though. Only a fool, as even he had known better then to meet Sanguini's gaze. Did not one wizard or witch read his book?

"Over there, Slughorn, isn't that Severus Snape?" Eldred pointed out with a wave of his hand – the gesture caught Slughorn's attention, his eyes following it until staring bemusedly at the tall darkly dressed former Potions professor.

"Oh it is, I must go…do excuse me…." Slughorn trailed off, walking toward Severus only to cling to him a moment later when his balance almost failed him. Severus looked disgusted, but Eldred chuckled, only lowering his eyes. Everyone would think only that their host had had a little too much to drink, for whom in his right mind would drag about Severus Snape like some great stuffed bat?

Eldred stood up, pressing his lips together as he looked for Harry Potter and did not find him. Sanguini was no where to be seen either. It was time to go.

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Harry felt cold. Things – not very important, he mused – but still vivid and more real to him fluttered though his mind. He remembered Luna asking him if he wanted something to drink and then skipping off to fetch something. He remembered Snape glaring down at him while an almost drunken Slughorn praised his potion and brewing skills. He remembered the stranger – the vampire – that he hadn't taken notice of before, approaching him.

Helping him…

He'd only asked that Harry come with him, to talk to Eldred Worple about writing his biography. Maybe something could be worked out. Harry remembered agreeing, it was the least he could do. He remembered Luna looking at him worriedly as he left – someone…Ron –or Hermione…both? -had asked about going to the Burrow, but at that moment in time, it hadn't been important. Nothing was as important as repaying Sanguini for getting him away from Snape's suspicious glare.

He'd told them he'd meet them later.

Was it later? How much later?

Why was he cold? It felt as if he was settled in snow, but it was hard – pressed up against him, smothering. He could breathe though, so he did not panic. He heard footsteps, not the careful rhythmic movements he had grown used to – was he being carried…? - but a rushed shuffle.

"Sanguini…this, this isn't what we agreed…what have your people done to him?" He knew this voice, had heard it before, raving at him. Asking a question he hadn't liked. He made a soft disquieted noise in the back of his throat; he wanted to ask what was going on…why was he so cold? Suddenly there was movement, shifting – breathing, speaking. Someone was holding him against a cold chest with cold muscles and stone like skin.

"You are dismissed, Eldred." That was the name of the voice he had recognized (Eldred Worple, who had wanted to tell the world about who he really was)…and this voice – this was Sanguini. Harry blinked open his eyes, wanting to see though he hadn't known his eyes were closed.

"Sanguini…?" Eldred was looking at him, then to Sanguini. There was something like panic creeping into his eyes.

"All debts between us have been settled." Sanguini murmured reassuringly to Eldred, who did not meet the vampire's eyes. Instead he looked at Harry, he was torn, and it was as if he finally realized what it was he had done. Harry wished someone would tell him what was going on.

"I…why…?" Eldred pleaded, voiceless.

"Leave." Sanguini's voice was cold now, as cold as his body. There was nothing of kindness or humanity within it. Eldred took a step back – and then another – and then he ran. Harry remembered looking around to see the outside of Hogwarts, then there was movement – there were too many things too see, they were playing tag with the wind and winning. Sanguini was running; it was like being on a broomstick – moving quickly and near the ground.

Harry didn't remember when they had stopped.

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"So, you are awake little wizard…" Sanguini did not sound surprised. Indeed, it seemed to Harry that he was expected to wake. Sanguini was waiting for him to wake up. It did nothing to dispel the uneasy knot that squirmed within his stomach-something about this was wrong. So very wrong.

Harry looked about himself, he was in a bed, – the sheets were green, he absently noticed – in a room that could have fit the Gryffindor dorm. He saw no windows, though there were paintings; all along the wall was an unbroken painting of a garden in very strange taste, or, rather, a taste that was plainly not human.

The images were of people who should have been in pain – a crown of thorns, sliced wrists, bites bleeding freely. All those very human eyes were dazed and fading with life ,yet their bodies were writhing in pleasure. There were impressions of creatures –shapes, and eyes - that watched these people, in the shadows. Somehow Harry thought he knew their expression would be hungry.

"Wh-where am I?" Harry stammered though he could not take his eyes from the painting. It was just as well, for he remembered what had happened the last time he had met Sanguini's eyes. Harry did learn from his mistakes, no matter what had been implied otherwise in recent days.

"Italy, beneath the city of Volterra…city of the Volturi." Harry knew the significance of that claim. He swallowed, feeling his mouth go dry. He remembered the one day he had bothered to stay awake during History of Magic. Vampires-who were normally solitary individuals – had started to gather in a coven at about the time Hogwarts was created. They had made themselves into the law of the vampires, and so long as a vampire followed those laws, the Volturi were content. They were the biggest coven ever recorded; to cross them meant death.

"Why have you…taken me?" Harry tried not to look at the disturbing imagery along the walls – or at Sanguini. Instead he looked at his hands. His wand was gone.

"That is not for me to say." Sanguini told him firmly, though his tone was kind. Harry heard him start to get up, and looked up quickly – Sanguini had his back turned to him. Here, he was not a threat to anyone. He was helpless. He hated it.

"Please…" Harry did not know what to ask first – Sanguini had paused, frozen and listening. He wanted to know how long he was going to be kept here. He wanted to know what they were going to do with him. Could a wizard become a vampire? It bothered him that he did not know even that.

"We mean you no harm, Harry Potter. Indeed, quite the opposite. It will all be explained to you. Until then, rest – make yourself at home, you are our guest." Sanguini had not turned to face him throughout his little speech. Harry wondered if there was that much of a difference between a prisoner and a guest. He was aware, though, that the Volturi held to the same sort of old high-handed honor codes that the Ministry clung to.

By the time Harry had thought that, Sanguini had fled though the door, though he had been so swift Harry had not seen or heard him move this time. Obviously, he felt he had done his duty by staying by Harry's bedside until he woke. Harry inhaled, somewhat bemused and annoyed, and smelt something he hadn't noticed until then. His stomach rumbled hungrily.

By his bedside there was a table, upon that a tray, with a fork. There was a glass of milk, pancakes (though no butter or syrup) and a banana. At least they knew they had to feed him human-food. Though not, apparently,caring to add anything that was supposed to add flavor to the food.

Harry felt an odd sort of relief in that knowledge. They – the Volturi – made mistakes.

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Note; Sanguini has the power to make a person dazed or "dazzled" with his gaze (…-giggles- …"Look into my eyes, lovely….") something like hypnotism though others would perceive it to be like drunkenness or the person having been drugged. So it's easy for him to kidnap someone, when they are all to willing to be kidnapped by him. Perfect sort the Volturi would send, wouldn't you think?