Fledgling

If you looked through the window to 12 Grimmauld Place, you would see a young boy, around fourteen years of age, standing with his arms crossed defiantly, his feet slightly apart and a tall man standing across from each other. The boy was called Sirius and though he didn't know it, his fate was to be decided that night. He had ebony hair that fell elegantly across his face, partly obscuring his grey eyes that were blazing with rage. His face was angular and set in an angry scowl, his teeth clenched tightly together. The man had exactly the same shade of black hair, and the same shaped face, but that was where the similarities stopped. The man's eyes were of a toxic green colour, and he stood with his wand pointing at Sirius, his face also set into a furious glower.

"You disobedient, ungrateful little blood – traitor," Orion yelled, his voice constricted partly, his hatred was so great.

"I have done nothing wrong!" Sirius bellowed, his voice, too, betraying unimaginable rage. "You sit up here in your cobwebby old house that's crumbling around you, with your hag of a wife and mouse of a son, ordering people about, insulting muggle–borns and half–bloods and thinking you're so special, just because the fools who gave birth to this wretched family were wizards when you actually know nothing!" Sirius's hands were shaking with barely suppressed fury and the fire dancing in his eyes was brighter than ever.

"How dare you-" Orion hissed, his face pale.

"When are you going to realise that blood means nothing?" There was a hint of desperation in Sirius's voice as his glared into his father's eyes, his voice quieting slightly.

"Blood is everything you brat, and it's about time you realised that, Crucio!"

Sirius's eyes widened as the curse hit him and a scream tore his throat as he crumpled to the floor, writhing and yelling as the terrible curse ripped through his body, setting fire to his organs and stabbing through his very soul. When the pain left him, Sirius lay on the floor breathing heavily, his eyes closed so he did not have to look at the man standing over him. That was the not the first time he had been subject to the Cruciatus curse, but it seemed to get worse every time his parents used it. Sirius dragged himself to his feet, knowing it would anger Orion further if he stayed on the floor and forced himself to meet the hate filled gaze.

"How important is blood now, Traitor?"

"It is unimportant, you will never understand because you are too selfish and vain to see past the end of your own nose!" Sirius was shocked to hear the words coming so strongly out of his own mouth, from inside his own being.

Orion's eyes flashed. "You will never be a Black," he roared, shoving Sirius out of his way as he strode across the room.

Sirius somehow kept his balance and began to laugh, an empty, humourless laugh that echoed throughout the room.

"That is supposed to be an insult, Father?" he asked, his face becoming serious as he faced the angry man once more.

"It would be to anyone with sense or nobility!" Orion answered, unable to hide his anger as well as Sirius.

"Of which you have none!" Sirius yelled. "I do not wish to be a Black, I wish for all of you to leave and never come back so I can no longer be burdened or humiliated by you!"

A flash of dangerous looking blue light lit up the room but Sirius repelled it with the wand that had been hidden up his sleeve.

Orion looked furious but kept his temper in check as he walked towards his first born son. "I have a guest I wish for you to meet," he said, smiling grimly.

"I do not wish to meet them," Sirius replied, stepping out of his father's reach.

"I do not care what you want, you will meet our guest and you will treat him with polite respect if you know what's good for you," Orion said meaningfully, glaring at Sirius.

"Who-" Sirius cut himself off mid–sentence as he felt breath across the back of his neck. He turned slowly on the spot to take in the man standing behind him. He was tall and towered over Sirius's shorter form, his bright yellow eyes alive with malice, his mouth curled into a sly smile as he observed Sirius rather as a spider would observe its prey.

"Well, well, well, this is the great Sirius Black. So unobservant, so weak," the man sneered, looking down on Sirius as though he were grime on the floor. He was twirling a wand in his fingers, looking triumphant and Sirius lifted his hand up so it was in front of his eyes– his wand was not held in it, it was in the man's hand and Sirius hadn't even realised it had been taken. He made a grab for it but the man moved to the other side of the room with such speed Sirius did not see him move.

"Give it back," Sirius said quietly, striding confidently towards the man, unknowing of the danger he was in.

The man smiled widely. "Do you think you can overpower me?" he asked.

Sirius shrugged nonchalantly. "I do not know," he replied. "But I have nothing to lose." And he leapt towards the man with the intent of wresting the wand from him. The man gestured and Sirius found himself flying through the air. He landed on the floor with a painful thump. He groaned –of all the things he had been expecting, that had not even been on the list. Sirius rolled over and scrambled to his feet wondering how to get his wand. He walked towards the man again and got closer this time before being pushed away by a mysterious force. He glared at the man.

"What are you?" he asked angrily.

The man didn't reply but instead glanced up at the chandelier. Instantly, all of the candles went out and the room was plunged into darkness. Sirius gasped and backed away, into a wall, squinting into the blackness trying to define a figure. He heard footsteps on the opposite side of the room to he, but they were too heavy to belong to the man with the odd powers, it was Orion. Sirius had forgotten about him and forgot once again as he sensed somebody standing in front of him. He reached out blindly but felt only air. Then something grabbed him by the shoulders with an extraordinarily firm grip and he saw the man's face in front of him, grinning like a maniac.

Only then did he register the unusually sharp canines that curved slightly to form a deadly point and then it clicked into place.

"You're a vampire," he gasped, struggling to free himself of the vice like grip.

"Very good." The man was leaning towards Sirius now; his mouth was close to the soft flesh of the young boy's neck. Sirius yelled out, thrashing wildly as he fought to throw the man off. It was no use though – he was too strong. Then Sirius remembered the wand. Craning his head as far back as it would go so the vampire would not be near it, Sirius groped in the dark for his wand until he realised that the man had dropped it. In desperation, he grabbed the man's face and shoved him away with all the strength he could muster. The vampire stumbled, caught off guard and Sirius took his cue and ran towards where he knew the door was. He burst into a hallway, knocked over the umbrella stand and pelted out of the front door, into the heavy rain of the night.

The rain made his knees buckle as it fell onto his head, soaking him within seconds but Sirius did not stop running. He tore down the street, a black figure silhouetted against the full moon shining innocently in the background, his feet flying across the ground faster than they had ever carried him before, splashing in puddles and stumbling on the uneven paths. He sprinted down an alleyway, the breath stinging as it rushed into his lungs. Sirius outstretched his hand to brush against the alley wall – the darkness was so dense he could not see two feet in front of him. He stopped running now and instead walked through the empty passage, gasping for breath and constantly looking over his shoulder, eyes wide with terror. Sirius could have sworn he heard another pair of footsteps but brushed it away as his mind being over active due to fear.

When he was about halfway through the alley, Sirius could ignore it no longer – there was someone in the alley with him and he had no doubts as to who it was.

"What do you want?" he called, turning around and trying not to let his voice shake. The shout echoed through the alley, leaving no doubt that the vampire had heard.

A laugh answered Sirius's question. A cold laugh, filled with malice and Sirius knew immediately that there was no point in running. A single laugh had told him exactly what was going to happen tonight and that there was no way he could stop it. But that didn't mean he wasn't going to try. Turning round again, he began running towards the exit, spurred on by fear. The cackle sounded out again as the beast gave chase and Sirius crashed into something in front of him that was both invisible and extremely solid. A barrier. He swore and looked round, sensing that the vampire was behind him and he was right; the evilly sharp fangs glinted mysteriously in the darkness and the putrid breath engulfed Sirius once more. He was paralysed with fear now, his body wouldn't obey his commands to fight or run- he was far too tired. The vampire stepped closer so he was practically nose to nose with Sirius and he smiled maliciously.

"You know you cannot run, Sirius Black. It would be better to surrender," he hissed, his pointy tongue running over shockingly red lips in anticipation of the blood he was soon to drink.

"I will never surrender," Sirius declared, pushing his back against the barrier. It stayed whole and functional however and Sirius felt his determination ebbing away. "Please," he said, "Don't do it."

"I am on strict orders, fledgling. I have to do this." He was grinning evilly, clearly enjoying himself as he drew out the moment Sirius knew was coming.

"I am not a fledgling," said Sirius, narrowing his eyes.

The vampire chuckled but didn't say anything. He merely lent forwards and rested his fangs against the skin of his prey's neck. Sirius stiffened in fear as he tried to struggle away but the vampire held him in a strong grip again; he was risking nothing this time. Sirius felt the fangs pierce his skin and immediately came over sleepy and weak. There was no point in struggling, it was done now anyway and besides, Sirius didn't think he could move if he wanted to. The vampire slowly drained him of blood, savouring every mouthful, but left just enough to keep Sirius alive until he was found by someone who would help him. He drew away and licked his lips again, allowing Sirius to crumple to the floor now he was no longer being supported. Then the vampire lent over him and Sirius saw the yellow eyes staring into his own once again.

"Fledgling," the man hissed, and he was gone.

Sirius soon lost the will to keep conscious and succumbed to the darkness that had been tempting him since the vampire's bite.