Unofficial Portkey Archive

Disclaimer: The characters of this fiction are borrowed and used as a tribute to the wonderful world created by J.K. Rowling. They're not mine, never were and never will be. No money is being made on this either.

Author's notes:

Finally, finally I got this chapter done - it has taken me a whole lot longer than I anticipated. Unfortunately that is how it can be when you got almost no life of your own, with tough work-hours and crippled relatives who need my help with chores.

Something else that was unanticipated was the length of this chapter - I claimed that it would be short, how wrong I was. But I doubt that that will trouble any of you readers.

As always I want to thank my readers for your reviews. One named nobodyhead hinted to me that the story could use some Lupin/Tonks interaction - well buddy, I'm sorry, I don't want to go there. I think the age-difference is a little too big - Tonks is rather young, she had been an Auror only for a year in OotP, and Lupin is literally old enough to be Harry's father. Who knows how long James and Lily were out of Hogwarts before they had Harry, so Lupin might even be old enough to be Tonks father.

Anyway - on with the story, finally…

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The Hogwarts castle was in turmoil. As soon as the order was out, students were to quickly pack all their belongings and go straight down to the Great Hall and report to a teacher who would check them in on a list - any detouring to other parts of the castle was strictly forbidden. And after they had reported to a staff-member, no one was allowed to leave the area - no teacher or Auror wanted to risk to lose another student after Hermione's disappearance. Everyone was later to be escorted down to the Hogwarts express all at the same time by Teachers and Aurors under a tight security.

Although Harry still looked sick, (no one had any idea what was wrong with him,) he too had packed all his belongings and was now levitating his trunk before him with Hedwig's empty cage standing on top - Ron was walking beside him, levitating his own trunk. A teacher was to later send the private-owned owls down to their respective owners once they had all settled down in the Great Hall.
'I can't believe that it has come to this…' Ron murmured. 'And I still can't believe that they're sending us away! We should be allowed to stay and help to find Hermione…'
'This is a waste of time!' Harry growled. 'Who knows what could be happening to her right now, we don't even know if she's alive or dead…' The thought made Harry's bones chill, and his already slight headache increased its pressure. 'They should be out there right now, looking for her… but instead they herd us around like cattle back here, not even considering the valuable time that goes to waste…'

'And why don't you think that's necessary, Mr. Potter?' asked a silky but cold voice. Harry stopped and turned around; coming face to face with the teacher he liked the least. Severus Snape looked at the two with an expression that gave no hint of any real concern for the current situation.
'Based on the facts we had before, there is for the moment not a top priority to look for Ms. Granger as…'
'Not a top priority?!!' Ron exclaimed.
'Don't interrupt me, Weasley!' snarled Snape. 'Had school not been closed, I would've given you detention! As I was saying: there is no point to look for her because it is most probable that she is already dead. After all, she couldn't be moved from the ward as it could kill her - but as she has been removed now… do any of you two find a reason to think why she should still be alive?'

'She is alive.' Harry said determined.
'So certain are you?' Snape questioned him with an odd, twisted smile. 'Did you plan to sneak away to go looking for her perhaps? That's a strictly no-no, Potter. Our top priority now is to get the ones who are still in good health out of here while we still can - and that includes the two of you. Now move along, both of you. You're going home, and I'm going to keep my eyes on you to make sure that the two of you do just that.'
Snape moved them along the corridor leading to The Great Hall. Harry could imagine the big disappointment upon the Dursley's if he was to come home four months earlier - but Harry had no intention of witnessing that. Not while the girl who meant more for him then he'd earlier realised was in danger out there.

When they came down to The Great hall, Snape left them with a final glance that clearly said: 'I'll be watching you'. Harry held back a scowl as he sat down at the Gryffindor table - Ron also left his side as he spotted Luna and went over to talk with her.
Watching the large crowd of people who had come down so far, Harry was surprised to see Vladislav Malfoy in a conversation with his nephew Draco. He couldn't make out what they were saying, but Harry got the impression of that Vlad was trying to come in better terms with the younger Malfoy now that school was closed - he was after all no longer an active Professor. Draco still had a slight frown creased on his forehead, but he was listening to his older relative.

Harry rather felt then saw somebody sitting down beside him - he turned his head and saw Ginny watching him. She looked a lot calmer now than she had before when she'd found Hermione lying lifeless on her bed - but the sadness and worry were still in her eyes.
'Ginny.' He acknowledged her.
'You're going after her, aren't you?' she asked bluntly. Harry was taken by surprise by her straight-forwardness, but he nodded in confirmation.
'At the first chance I can get.' Harry told her. 'I'm planning to slip away down at the train after they've seen me board it. Why, are you planning to stop me?'
'You know me better than that.' She said without having taken an insult as she put her hand inside her robes and pulled out a long object that she handed it to him. 'This will help you find her.'

'Hermione's wand?' Harry let out in recognition as he took it. 'How will this help me?'
'She never told you of the Scipio Coagmentatio did she?' At Harry's bewildered expression she went on with her explanation. 'It's a Wand-link charm; it connects the wand to the owner with a magical link. And more importantly: this has given the wand the ability to seek out the closest source of its master. Just hold it flat in your palm, like when you use the Four-Point spell and say: Sceptuchus Vestigo - and the wand will point you to the closest source of her.'
'Way to go, Hermione.' Harry whispered as he felt himself being filled with more hope. 'Thanks a lot, Ginny.' He said and pocketed the wand.
'Bring her home, Harry.'
'Ginny!' another voice suddenly called. Colin Creevey walked towards them looking anxious. 'The Gryffindor Tower is now empty and the oldest Prefects has escorted the last ones down here - but there's a First-year missing!'
Ginny instantly stood up, looking alarmed. 'Who?' she asked her fellow Fifth-year Prefect.
'Eloise Mendoza. You know, that Spanish girl.'

'Shit!' Ginny cursed. 'RON!' Ginny's brother immediately came sprinting.
'W-what?' Ron gasped.
'We must speak to the teachers and organise a search. First-year Eloise Mendoza is missing!' Ginny said in one breath.
'How do I know her?' Harry asked, standing up himself.
'It's the girl you accidentally dropped a goblet of Pumpkin-juice over a couple of weeks back.' Ginny explained. 'But I doubt the teachers will let you participate in the search Harry, so just stay here.'
That did not suit well with Harry. He didn't like sitting down and do nothing, it made him grow restless. But more importantly, this would delay their departure to Hogsmeade station, thereby delaying Harry's chance to slip away to conduct his own search for Hermione. Too much valuable time would be lost. Harry stopped Ron before he went away with Ginny and Colin.

'There's a quicker way to do this.' Harry said to his friend as they slipped into a corner behind one of the open doors. He pulled out a familiar piece of parchment from inside his robes.
'Of course! Brilliant, Harry.' Ron said.
'I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.' Harry said, tapping the parchment with his wand and activated the map of Hogwarts. 'Since everybody is suppose to come straight here, it means that everybody should be trafficking the hallways between the Houses and the Great Hall. Any dot anywhere else in the castle might be the missing girl.' Harry explained to Ron has he scanned the map.
'Probably.' Ron agreed as he too looked over the parchment. 'There, on the fourth floor. Is it… no that's Mrs. Norris. Bloody cat.'
'There's nothing unusual on the third floor either.' Harry said. 'Wait, what's this? There's somebody on the floor under the trapdoor that Fluffy used to guard…'

'No one ever goes there!' Ron said in surprise. 'Sure, Fluffy's not there anymore, but there isn't anything of interest in those dungeons'
'It's her!' Harry exclaimed. 'And someone else too! It's…' Harry's eyes went wide as he read the label. 'Ron, It's Krum!!'
'What?! Is he lurking down there?? But if he's got the girl…'
'Let's go!!' Harry let out and rushed out the door with Ron close behind him.
'But Harry… shouldn't we tell somebody?' Ron panted as he ran after.
'There isn't time!' Harry called back. 'We have to get to them before Krum can escape - or worse: drink the girl's blood!' But inwardly Harry cursed himself for his impulsive reactions - how was the two of them supposed to handle a Vampire? His saving people-thing was someday going to be the death of him.

They soon came to the corridor that was forbidden during their first year and Harry yanked open the door that led to the area where Hagrid's three-headed dog Fluffy once occupied. Hardly with any pause at all, he entered and went straight to the trapdoor that he pulled open.
'Harry.' Ron gasped out of breath, something that Harry found strange. Ron should be in better condition now after all their lessons with Physical Exercise. 'We… (Pant) we can't just go down there… (Pant) without thinking this through. (Pant) Remember…(Pant) we have to get up from there somehow…(Pant) as there are no stairs…'
'There are now.' Harry said as he looked down. 'It must've been magically removed while Dumbledore had the Philosopher's Stone hidden down there - let's go! Lumos!' Harry lit his wand and went down the fastest he could. He didn't tell Ron that he felt a little wobbly.
'B-but what about that killer plant?' Ron objected. 'I don't want to go through that again…'
'You don't have to - I dare to guess that it's been removed, because I can't see it. After all, there's nothing left down here to guard.'

Indeed, there was no Devil's Snare waiting for them when the boys reached the floor. But there was no sign of anything or anyone else either. At the far end of the dark corridor they saw the door that once only could be opened with an enchanted key that was flying around in the high ceiling. There were no winged keys around anymore, but they found the door still locked.
'I hope this works.' Harry muttered, ignoring the sudden dizziness that had come over him. 'Alohomora!' The satisfying sound of the door becoming unlocked was heard and Harry opened the door to enter the room with the giant enchanted Chessboard.
'Reducto!' a voice cried from inside the chamber. Harry and Ron instantly ducked as the door was suddenly blown to pieces.
'Don't come any closer!' Krum's panicked voice was heard. 'You come any closer, the girl vill die!!'

Harry would take action; even give a retort - if only he could. But a wave of nausea had overwhelmed him, he felt so light-headed that he had trouble collect his bearings, he couldn't even get up on his feet. Madam Pomfrey had told him strictly to remain at rest for some days forward after what he'd done - but something just had to happen for him not to follow those orders. Fortunately, Ron did not lack his wits of the current situation - he took charge immediately.
'Give it up, Krum!' Ron called, taking shelter behind the doorframe. 'There's no way out of this!'
'So, it's you two!' Krum called back. 'I should haff known… Hermy-own-ninny once told me of this place in a letter she vrote to me - and you vere vith her that time! You vill not take me!'
'Let the girl go, you coward!' Ron called back.
'Not happen! Leaf here now or she dies!'
'If you sink your bloody teeth in her, I'll swear I'm going to pull them out of your mouth with a pair of tongs!'
'Not me! Not me!' Krum called with a frightened voice.

Ron looked over at Harry who had now managed to get up in a sitting position, asking a silent question. What do we do?
'Krum!' Harry now called. 'There are Aurors all over Hogwarts; there's no escape! You'll only make it worse for yourself if you harm that girl!'
'She vill not be harmed if I be left alone!'
'This is pointless Krum, your game is up!' Harry shouted impatiently. 'Your secret is out - everybody knows what you are!'
'Not me! Not me!' Krum shouted again.
'What have you done with Hermione?' Harry asked.
'I don't haff her! I didn't do it!'
'Do you expect me to believe that?' Harry raged. 'I saw your trunk and your notebooks! You're the Vampire!!'
'Not me!' Krum cried again. 'I had no choice! I only do Master's bidding - he vos to protect me…!'

'He doesn't make any sense to me.' Ron said to Harry.
'He's desperate.' Harry answered. 'We have to do this differently, or else he might harm the girl. I think I have an idea - be prepared to follow my lead.' Ron nodded an affirmative.
'Krum!' Harry called again. 'This is not getting us anywhere. Everybody knows that the girl you are holding hostage is missing and they wont stop searching until she is found. Let us exchange ourselves for the girl and then we'll talk. Ron and I know several secret passages out of the castle.'
'You think I vill fall for that? You plan to double-cross me!!'
'How can we if you got our wands? Here's mine.' And to Ron's astonishment, Harry threw his wand inside the other room. 'And now Ron will give you his!'
'Harry, are you crazy?' Ron protested.
'Do it! Trust me.' Harry hissed. With great reluctance, Ron threw in his wand as well. 'All right Krum, we're unarmed! We're coming in now!'
'Slowly!' Krum snarled.

Harry stood on his feet, ignoring the dizziness that came over him.
'I hope you know what you're doing.' Ron said as he followed Harry inside the room with the giant chessboard. Krum stood in the middle of the marble-floor, surrounded by the giant chess-pieces that thankfully were no longer active. He was holding the girl Eloise Mendoza to him in a classic hostage-poseur with his left arm holding her tightly around the neck and a wand pressed against her forehead as a weapon. The girl seemed unharmed, but was of course very frightened. Harry approached them with his arms stretched out to show that he carried nothing that would pose as a threat.
'All right Krum, you got us now. Let the girl go and we'll talk.' Harry said calmly.
'You take me for a fool?' Krum spat, tightening his hold of Eloise. 'I let her go and she vill bring others! You said you know other ways out - show me!'

'All right.' Harry said. 'But then you will lead us to Hermione!'
'I told you: I don't haff her!'
'You're lying…' Harry growled.
'Don't push me, Potter!' Krum growled back and made a show of pressing the wand harder against Eloise's head. The girl let out a tiny squeal of fright. 'You vill show me a way out now, or I vill fry her brain!'
'All right, I will! Just don't harm her.'
'That depends on you!' Krum pointed out.
'We will need our wands to open some doors though…' Harry pointed out.
'You still take me for a fool, Potter. I vill do the doors myself! I vill take your wands, they vill be useful…' Krum relinquished his hold slightly on Eloise Mendoza to be able to call Harry and Ron's wands to him - and that was the cue Harry had been waiting for.

Krum pointed his wand to the floor were the dropped wands lay and were about to voice 'Accio' when Harry shouted: 'Eloise! Duck!'
As Harry had hoped, Eloise slipped out Krum's momentarily loose grip and crouched down - at the same time, Harry dropped his arms that he had kept stretched out during the verbal exchange, making Hermione's wand that he had secretly hidden up in his roomy right sleeve of his Hogwarts-robes before surrendering to Krum to fall out, and he caught it in his hand in it's falling motion. Before Krum had time to register what was happening, Harry threw the 'Expelliarmus' hex at him, praying that Krum's Vampire-immortality would not make him immune to it. But Krum was thrown backwards by the hex, his wand flying away.
Ron did not waste a second. As soon as Krum was thrown off his feet, the Weasley dived for the wands and retrieved them. Harry made a grab for Eloise to get her to safety.

Now that he was armed again, Ron was feeling more secure - he pointed his wand at Krum's crumbled form. 'Don't move, Dirtbag! The Aurors will deal with you.'
'NO!' Krum cried in panic. 'No, they vont get me!' Krum sprang to his feet and actually managed to catch Ron by surprise as Krum pushed him away and made a dash for door leading back to the Trapdoor stairs. Doing the first thing that came to his mind, Ron raised his wand again towards the fleeing person.
'STUPEFY!' Ron yelled. The hex caught Krum square in the back and he dropped to the floor with a groan.
'Bloody hell!' Ron said with self-admiration. 'Harry, I did it! I caught him!'
'What?' Harry asked in confusion. He was busy trying to calm the crying girl and regain a straight head as his actions had left him dizzy again.

'I stunned him.' Ron said with pride. 'I guess he wasn't so tough after all.'
'Impossible!' Harry exclaimed. 'You can't have, Vampires are immune to stun-spells!'
'Immune? Still I'm telling you Harry, he's knocked out.' Ron said, his smug smile now gone.
Harry forced himself standing firmly on his feet and made his way over to Krum's motionless form. It went slow, because the still shivering Eloise didn't want to let him go. Once beside the fugitive, Harry checked him over - and could only establish that the Bulgarian Quidditch player had indeed been stunned by the Stupefy-hex.
'Darn it to Hell!' Harry cursed. 'That can only mean one thing - Krum's not the Vampire after all!'
'But if it's not him… who is?' Ron asked looking anxious.
'He was repeating that it was not him…' Harry muttered. 'Said something about only doing his Master's bidding…'
'His Master? Harry, does that mean…?'
'Professor Malfoy!' They both said at the same time.

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There was a heated activity back in the Great Hall as the search parties reported back finding no trace of the missing First-year. Every other student who weren't a Prefect or Head Boy/Girl had been ordered to sit down and stay out of the way while the Hogwarts staff along with the Aurors discussed among themselves trying to figure out where Eloise Mendoza might have disappeared. All they had concluded so far was that she had probably disappeared during when everyone was escorted to the lavatories earlier the day.
'Any chance she might've acquired a broomstick from somewhere and just flown off?' Kingsley Shacklebolt presented as a suggestion.
'Highly unlikely!' Madam Hooch cut in. 'First-years are not allowed to have their own brooms, and only I and Mr. Filch has the keys to the broom-sheds and no one here has said anything about missing a broomstick of their own.'

'Are you certain that all the brooms are accounted for then?' the Auror Dawlish asked in a suspicious tone liked he suspected that the Hogwarts staff were in fact sometimes neglecting their duties.
'Off course I am!' Madam Hooch snorted, clearly offended - Professor McGonagall scowled at the insolent agent as well. Dawlish, a tough-looking wizard with short wiry hair was one of Minister Fudge's more eager supporters - he was the other Auror present together with Shacklebolt the day in the year before when Dumbledore took blame for the DA-club. Although he had been a bit taken aback by Dumbledore when he'd been ordered by Fudge to arrest the Headmaster, he was known for always carrying out his duties no matter how wrong the circumstances seemed to be. Dawlish was a bit disliked for that, but that was nothing that he would let concern him.
'It was just a thought…' he said with an uncaring shrug.
'So let's conclude that she did not disappear on a broomstick…' Shacklebolt went on instead. 'Then we can assume for the time being that she's still somewhere in the castle…'

'Off course.' Madam Hooch agreed. 'The question is only where? No one has so far found her…'
'Then we must assume that she took the wrong turn somewhere end got lost in areas that no one use to wander about… otherwise…'
'Otherwise what, Kingsley?' Professor McGonagall asked nervously.
'The only remaining possibility is that she's been snatched!' Shacklebolt said bluntly.
'By… by the Vampire?' Hooch asked white-faced.
'No, not by the Vampire - but close enough!' Everyone turned towards the door to one of the side-corridors from where the voice had come from, and about everyone in the Great Hall let out a gasp - Harry and Ron stood there with Eloise Mendoza who was still clinging to Harry's waist - both of them pointed their wands at a dishevelled and dazed-looking Victor Krum.
'Mr. Potter! Mr. Weasley!' Professor McGonagall gasped out in disbelief - she didn't know whether to be relieved or annoyed. Severus Snape settled with being really annoyed - it angered him that the two of them actually had managed to slip out right under his nose.

'Victor! I'm very disappointed!' Vladislav Malfoy said with his own hint of annoyance.
'I bet you are, Mr. Malfoy!' Harry snarled.
'I beg your pardon?' Vlad asked in his once again monotonous voice, cocking an eyebrow.
'What is the meaning of this, Mr. Potter?' McGonagall asked harshly. 'What kind of a tone is that?'
'The meaning of this Professor, is that we have been manipulated from the start to believe that Krum was the Vampire, while during the whole time it actually was none other than his boss!' Harry spoke loudly. None present in the Great Hall had yet managed to comprehend what was actually going on when the group had entered the scene, and Harry's statement made them all even more confused.
'I take it that you want to insinuate that I am a Vampire, Mr potter?' Vlad asked very calmly.
'Do you deny it?' Harry growled.
'What else would you expect me to do? Your accusations are absurd.'
'They're most certainly are!' Snape shot in angrily. 'You're quite out of line this time, Potter!'

'You dare to accuse my uncle of being a Vampire, Potter?' Draco Malfoy suddenly stepped forward and stood beside the DADA-Professor.
'Stay out of this, Ferret!' Harry snapped.
'Do you know who you're speaking to, Pothead?' Draco snarled and made a grab for his own wand.
'Why do you even care, you don't even like your uncle?' Ron spoke up for the first time.
'No one speaks badly of any member with the name Malfoy and gets away with it!' Draco shouted.
'Still think highly of yourselves, do you?' Ron said smugly. 'You who have a convicted father in prison…'
'You're asking for it, Weasel…' Draco yelled and raised his wand.
'ENOUGH!!' Kingsley Shacklebolt shouted and flashed a barrier of sparks between the two opposing groups to make them back away. 'As it is we who has taken charge of the evacuation, we will not tolerate any outbursts from any of you! As it is, one of the missing girls has been recovered and Victor Krum is captured - it seems to me that all has been settled, although I should have a talk with you boys about putting yourselves in danger like this. The question remains if he is a Vampire or not, and what he's done with Ms. Granger.'
'But I haff nothing to do vith Hermy-own-ninny's disappearance…' Krum whined pitifully as Dawlish came over and took him under his watch. 'Master, help me…'
'You're fired, Victor.' Was Vlad's only reply.

'Krum's involved, but he's not the Vampire! Professor Malfoy is!' Harry persisted, now being released from Eloise Mendoza as Madam Pomfrey came over to check on her.
'Honestly Harry.' Said Nymphadora Tonks whom had arrived to the scene from somewhere. 'How can you prove something like that?'
'With the help of an excellent spell Hermione has prepared…' Harry said confidently as he once again turned to Vladislav Malfoy. 'Did you know that Hermione has performed a little ritual called the Scipio Coagmentatio - the Wand-link Charm?'
'The Wand-link Charm?' piped Professor Flitwick sounding astonished. 'Is that possible?'
'How very good of Hermione Granger.' Vlad said calmly. 'But what has that got to do with your accusations of me being a Vampire?'
'Because that gives her wand the ability to seek out the closest source of her - in this case her blood, which you has drunk from her!'
'You are out of line, Mr. Potter.' Vlad just said, but with a little more edge on his voice.

'Am I?' Harry quickly held up his palm with Hermione's wand resting on it. 'Sceptuchus Vestigo!' He then said and the wand immediately turned in his hand, it even lit up and pointed straight at Vladislav Malfoy's stomach with a narrow light-beam like a laser-scope. 'I told you so!' Harry yelled.
Vlad Malfoy looked down at the light-spot on his stomach, and then he spoke again with his same irritating monotonous calm: 'Your point is, Mr. Potter?'
'My point?' Harry exclaimed in disbelief - it was all so bloody clear, wasn't it? 'You're a Vampire!!'
'I'm warning you, Potter…!' Draco Malfoy growled again and was about to step forward, but his uncle shushed him.
'And you think that you can prove that by shining a small beam of light on me? I admit that I am not familiar with that particular spell that I take it has something to do with that Wand-link Charm - but it does sound to me from Professor Flitwick's point that it's way too advanced for students of your year to practice. While I have no doubts of Ms. Granger's brilliance, what's to say that that charm works properly?'
'He's right, Mr. Potter.' Said Kingsley Shacklebolt. 'That does not prove anything, nor does it support your accusations. And I'd like you to take my advice and don't do anything more rashly that might result your expulsion from the Wizard-world.'

Harry was now starting to get very angry, and that did nothing good to his already pounding head. Isn't there anybody here who believes me? But as he looked around for support, it clicked in his mind that he couldn't expect any. Both staff and students just stood where they were, looking somewhat passive - like if nothing made any sense to them.
It's the Vampire's doing. It basically blocks the reasonable part of people's brains and makes them kind of absent-minded… they can't comprehend the logic behind the presented evidences of the culprit. That means that they still believe it is Krum who is the main suspect - Heck, even Ron still look like having doubts.
But what about the Auror's then? They haven't been around for long - surely Vladislav Malfoy can't have any control over them? But to Harry's dismay, it did seem like it was actually the case. Kingsley Shacklebolt and Tonks stood and watched him curiously while the tough-looking guy: Dawlish, were watching him impassively.

It was the fourth Auror: Berger, which tipped Harry off on what really was happening. He was a squat and balding man over his fifties with overweight - how he could still be allowed to remain in the Auror-service was a mystery. During his whole stay in Hogwarts he had been quiet and kept to himself - but now he stood and repeatedly rubbed the back of his skull and gazing around, like he was looking for an annoying insect.
Harry instantly made a connection to his previous experiences with Vampires - Berger must be feeling a strange buzzing in the back of his mind! That means that Vlad was using a more powerful mind-control to divert the truth from not just him, but the other three Auror's as well. None of the other three gave a hint of any uncomforting - but Harry was certain that it was there, in the back of their minds as well!
There was no way Harry would be able to convince them now - unless he tried something more drastic!

'You need more solid proof, is that it?' Harry said sounding mysterious. 'Try this!! Stupefy!!' Harry shot a curse straight at the DADA-professor.
'Protego!' Vlad had in a quick motion pulled out his own crooked wand and made the standard jab to conjure a shield against the incoming hex. All the students took a step back away from them to avoid being hit by mistake.
Harry saw exactly what happened. There was no power emitting from the wand at all, (in fact he doubted that it was a real wand to begin with), the hex had hit Vlad Malfoy with full force - but there was no visible reaction from him at all, his body had dispersed the magic energy completely. Vladislav only looked back at him with a questioning look that seemed like saying: What are you going to do now?
'Ron, did you see what happened?' Harry asked without averting his eyes from the Professor.
'Yes. He blocked your spell.' Ron said uncertainly. Harry inwardly cursed - the power the Vampire held over the staff and students were too powerful - they saw what the Vampire wanted them to see. Harry's only hope was for the Aurors to snap out of it.

'Assaulting a wizard unprovoked.' Kingsley Shacklebolt said. 'I don't know what's the matter with you Mr. Potter, but we're taking you into custody and set up a hearing at the ministry to…'
'Don't come near me!' Harry growled at them. 'I'll prove to you that Professor Malfoy is a Vampire if that's the last thing I do! Petrificus Totalus!!'
'Protego!' was all Vlad said, again jabbing his wand.
'Impedimenta!'
'Protego!'
'Tarantallegra!'
'Protego!'
'Rictusempra!!'
'Protego!'
'Why aren't you fighting back?!!' Harry barked angrily.
'It would be dishonourable for me to do so Mr. Potter.' Vlad said in his usual irritating monotone voice. 'Don't you think I see that you are ill? You are most probably delusional since you see me as an enemy…'
'I am not delusional!!' Harry screamed.
'Harry, I don't think this is such a good idea…' Ron said weakly behind him. 'Maybe we're wrong about this, he's blocking all your spells…'

'He's bluffing!' Harry raged on. 'He won't do anything else because he can't - because he's a Vampire who can't do magic!! Expelliarmus!!'
'Protego!' Vlad countered again. 'Mr. Potter, this is pointless…'
'Harry, please…' Ron now said with a hint of a beginning panic…
'That is enough!!' Severus Snape now shouted. 'Don't just stand there with your mouths hanging you fools! If you're going to arrest Potter then arrest him, before he hurts somebody!!'
'Err… right, right.' Shacklebolt shook his head to collect his bearings. He raised his wand against Harry. 'That's enough, Potter! One more move and I'll stun you. Tonks, Berger, seize him!'
The two Aurors moved in towards Harry who now knew that the game was over, save for one last possibility - his last chance to prove that he is right. But if he was wrong… then his next action will earn him a one-way ticket into Azkaban where the key will be thrown away. But he had got to take that chance - it was either win or lose. Wincing slightly for what he was about to do, he raised his wand against Vladislav Malfoy again and called the curse he never thought he would perform in his life.

'Avada Kedavra!'
'Prote…?' Vlad started to say before the green energy hit him square on his chest.
'MR. POTTER!!!' Professor McGonagall screeched.
'Harry?' Ron shuddered in disbelief.
'Are you mad?!' Tonks screamed.
'He… he killed my Uncle!!' Draco Malfoy also shrieked. The rest of the crowd of students also began to cry now in horror.
'You've done it now, Potter!!' Snape said in rage.
'Using an unforgivable curse in front of Aurors?' Dawlish stepped forward, momentarily forgetting to watch Krum. 'We got two to transport to Azkaban tonight.'
'Hold it.' Harry quickly said. 'I didn't kill anyone.'
'What kind of nonsense is that? We all saw you…'
'But does he look dead to you?' Harry said with a strange triumphant smile.

'Doesn't he look dead to y…?' Here Dawlish lost his words. He had half turned around to point a finger towards the subject of Harry's crime, and saw something that caught not only him but all the others as well by surprise.
Vladislav Malfoy was still standing, looking anything but dead.
'B-but… that was a fully-performed curse…?' Kingsley Shacklebolt said wide-eyed.
'There is no form of protection against the Killing-curse of any kind.' Snape said in shock.
Vladislav smiled at Harry, but his otherwise lifeless eyes showed his true emotion: absolute rage.
'Touché, Mr. Potter.' Vlad said as he dusted off his robes where the curse had hit, although it wasn't dirty. 'I didn't think you had it in you, but clearly I have underestimated you - and that has led to my exposure.'
Vlad turned to the now stunned mass of people, flashing them a special grin - a grin that was filled with monstrous teeth.
'I suppose that there is no point of denying it anymore, as I have survived the unstoppable killing-curse?' He spoke to everybody. 'The fact is that I actually didn't survive, because I'm already dead! Yes, Mr. Potter is right, the game is up - I am indeed a Vampire!'

There was a collective shriek of terror from about every student present as the words sank in, but no one screamed louder than Draco Malfoy - and suddenly the already stressed order in the Great Hall turned into chaos, the children turned tail and rushed for the exits in order to get away from the undead being that had taught them Defence Against the Dark Arts for the past months. The only student who didn't run was Harry, he was more trying to advance closer to the Dark Creature - but the panicked crowd pushed him backwards. Ron on the other hand could not hold his spot; he was herded along with the flow of escaping children.
The teachers also took some steps back, but stayed in the hall to protect the students - it was the Aurors who had the misfortunate duty to stay their ground to deal with the menace.
'Hold it right there, Vampire!' Dawlish said with a commanding tone, pointing his wand at Vlad - but the fear was evident in his face.
'And how are you thinking of holding me right here, if I may ask?' Vlad countered humorously and took some steps forward - his monotonous character had been completely abandoned.

Dawlish lost his ability to think rationally and began to throw several attack-hexes at the advancing figure. It was futile - the hexes that were meant for living persons had no effect what-so-ever on the undead being.
Before anyone had time to react, Vlad was upon the Auror and gave him a powerful Karate-hit in the neck that sent Dawlish flying into the tables where he remained motionless with his head dangling in an unnatural position - Dawlish was dead. Vlad then turned towards Shacklebolt - when suddenly he himself was jumped by some kind of giant creature that had some kind of resemblance to a Werewolf.
Harry was still watching from afar, astonished by the sudden appearance of the furry creature. 'Remus?' was his first thought, but knew that that was impossible as it was not a full moon tonight - a quick headcount made him realise that it actually was Tonks who had used her Metamorphing ability to increase her mass and strength - she had simply changed into a powerful creature to take the Vampire head-on.

'Harry, get out of here!' yelled Shacklebolt. He and his remaining colleague Berger were standing close to the combatants, waiting for an opening to make a strike. The Hogwarts teachers were still herding the last students out, but Harry caught a glimpse of Snape who huddled in an empty doorway, muttering something as he kept his eyes on the scene.
But although Tonks' form was ordinarily powerful enough to handle a great amount of physical pressure - either by muscle-power or by external abusive force - she was no match for the Vampire's inhuman strength. Even though he had been taken by surprise when the Metamorphmagus had jumped him, Vladislav Malfoy had not lost his equilibrium. He grabbed the altered form of Tonks and lifted her over his head. Kingsley Shacklebolt and Berger, endeavoured to assist their fellow law-agent had done the mistake of standing next to each other - Vlad threw Tonks on them, knocking the breath out of all three as they were sprawled on the floor.

Harry was about to move in then, without really having any plan on how to confront the Vampire, when Snape suddenly took action himself. He rushed off from the doorway out to the middle of the Great Hall, (Harry could almost swear he caught a glimpse of a house-elf lurking in said doorway,) clutching something in one hand and holding a broken-off wooden stick from one of Filch's brooms in his other.
Vlad turned around to face the Potions-master when the latter threw the contents in his hand in the face of the Dark Being. From Harry's point of view, it looked like Snape had thrown a handful of crumbs in the other's eyes - and the Vampire suddenly screamed as if he was in pain. Harry understood then that Snape had thrown tiny pieces of chopped garlic in Vlad's face - probably provided from the kitchen by that House-elf Harry had spotted.
Vlad howled in agony as he was clutching his hands on his face - Snape took a firm hold on the wooden stick and lashed out with the pointy end first to stab the Vampire in his chest. During that second it looked like Snape was going to be a hero - but Vlad caught the other's hand before the stick could make contact - his other hand caught Snape's throat in a tight grip.

'Nice try, Severus.' Vlad said with malice. 'Unfortunately for you, Ms. Granger's blood - the purest I have ever drunk - is still fresh in my systems. My flesh has been renewed into as close to living standard as it can get - therefore your garlic isn't as acidic to me as it otherwise could be. So as you can see, I am not that easily killed…'
Vlad wrenched the wooden stick out of Snape's hand.
'- unlike you!'
Vlad stabbed the wooden stick in Snape's chest. The potions-master made nearly no sound at all as the weapon intended for the Vampire entered him, he merely groaned and stiffened - and then he slumped onto the floor and remained there motionless, while a dark-red puddle of blood flowed around him.
'Severus!' the remaining teachers gasped. Although Snape was teaching Potions, his knowledge with Dark-arts was greater than any student realised. If he was no match for the Vampire, what could the rest of the staff do? Unbeknownst to them, they could do nothing anyway as their minds were still subdued by the Dark Being's manipulations - they couldn't even make the idea of interfering so they stayed where they were. Snape's knowledge with Occlumency had simply made him a different case.

Again, Harry was about to move in, but now Ron had detangled himself from the running students and had double-backed for his friend together with Ginny - they both grabbed each of Harry's arms and struggled to get him away from there.
'C'mon Harry…' Ron whimpered, watching affrightedly for the Vampire.
'Please, let's get out of here…' Ginny pleaded to him.
'Let go off me!' Harry snapped at the Weasley's as he struggled to free himself. 'He has taken Hermione - he will tell me what he's done to her!'
'Oh, she's still alive…'
The three students froze - the Vampire was now addressing them.
'However that won't be for much longer.' Vlad went on. 'It won't be much longer before I drink the rest of her blood and make her an undead - an undead bride! She will be my new Cleanser, her purifying systems will give me the health of a living being - and make me more powerful than ever.'
'NEVER!!' Harry screamed in rage, still struggling in the two Weasley's grip. 'I won't let you destroy her!!'

'Do you really think that you can stop me?' Vlad said humorously.
Those words called up a memory in Harry: it was something that was said in his very last meeting with Firenze. 'Be warned Harry. Do not confront the Menace… the Vampire!'
'Why not?'
'Because you will not win.'
'I won't win?'
'No.'
'Lumos Solem!' A flash of bright light bathed the students a bit from behind, catching the Vampire full in his face. With his eyes already a bit sore after Snape's attack with the garlic - and had therefore failed to notice Tonks who had sneaked around being blended in with rest of the environment like a Chameleon - the Vampire once again threw his arms over his head.
Harry remembered when he himself had done that to Cho during Christmas - and saw a course of action. 'Tonks! Tie him up - quickly!' Harry would have done it himself had his arms not been pinned by the Weasley's.

'Incarcerous!' Tonks yelled and thick ropes shot out of her wand and wrapped themselves around the Dark Creature's torso.
'Now - transfigurate them into steel-wire!' Harry called further. Tonks caught on quickly and did as Harry had instructed. Meanwhile Kingsley Shacklebolt had got back on his feet and repeated the actions, trapping the arms even more and also the legs - the Vampire bellowed with rage like a caged animal.
'Great idea!' said Tonks. 'Now why didn't I think of that?'
'The Vampire began taking control of your minds a soon as you came here.' Harry explained, now finally released from the Weasley's. 'He planted subliminal barriers in your subconsciousness so that you wouldn't get those ideas.'
'Typical behaviour of Vampires.' Kingsley said. 'But at least now we got him.'
'But now, what do we do with him?' Berger asked.
'Arrogant mortals!' Vlad spat. 'Do you really think you can hold me?' The Vampires facial lines creased as he began to flex every muscle in his body.

Surely he doesn't think he can escape from that? Harry thought. Cho had not been able to break her bonds - but then, she had been weakened by starvation. Vlad had eaten recently but these were twice as much wire. To break them must be impossible, even with inhuman stre…
K-TING!!
No! No, it's not possible! Harry thought with disbelief. It definitely sounded like one of the steel-wires had broken. Vlad grimaced, took a new leverage and…
SKRR-LLRANG!!
Everyone that was still remaining in the Great Hall couldn't believe what they just witnessed - as impossible as it should have been, the Creature of the Night had broken every wire by sheer inhuman muscle-power. All right, so Vampires has no direct sense of pain, and that gives them the ability to push themselves harder, much harder than an ordinary man - but there must still be some kind of limit to their strength, mustn't it?

But neither Aurors, teachers or the three remaining students had time to ponder on it because they all took an involuntarily step backwards when they saw the expression on Vlad's face - the Vampire was now angry… really angry! He took hold on one of the sections of the closest house-tables and lifted it over his head - the tables were built with thick pieces of massive Oak, it was nothing you could move by a lonely pair of hands. The Vampire glared at the Aurors…
'Take cover!' Kingsley Shacklebolt yelled as he realised what the Vampire was up to, but it was too late - Vlad hurled the heavy section of the table at the three Ministry-employees. Berger had managed to dive out of the way, but Kingsley and Tonks did not have that space. 'Reducto!' the older Auror cried in an attempt to stop the incoming obstacle - he actually did manage to splinter the table and that was what saved their lives - but some big pieces was still coming at them and those hit them both hard, knocking them unconscious.

Berger was now the only Auror left. The only thing he felt at the moment was the striving wish to run away and save his own life, as one single man was no match for this monster. But he was an Auror, and his duty compelled him to stand and fight. He knew that most of the spells were useless against him, but Kingsley's last spell gave him an inspiration - the Reductor Curse was meant to blast solid objects away, surely it could work against a Vampire's dead body?
'Reducto!' Berger yelled with his wand pointed at the Vampire. Vlad staggered upon hit, but remained on his feet.
'Reducto!' Berger yelled again, hoping to break Vlad's body apart. But the Vampire growled and moved towards his adversary.
'Reducto! Reducto! REDUCTO!!' Berger now cried in panic. Each curse hit and made the Vampire to stagger, but he still kept coming with an expression that wanted to murder.
'NO!' Berger yelled when Vlad had reached him and knocked the wand away from him - Vlad's hand gripped tightly at the other's throat.

'Impudent wretch!' Vlad snarled, and then he hurled Berger way up towards the roof, aiming for one of the high-mounted windows that Hogwarts owls usually flew in through - it had been closed and sealed. With an anguished death-cry, Berger's body crashed through the boarded window and he disappeared out of sight.
Satisfied, the vampire turned to the remaining occupants yet again. 'Anyone else who'd like to take a crack on taking me on?' he challenged. Ron and Ginny scrambled backwards in fright, and the staff trembled. Only Harry defiantly stood on his spot.
'Really Potter. Either you're incredibly brave or incredibly foolish!' Vladislav commented.
Harry had nothing to retort with - instead he repeated that which had been primarily on his mind from the start. 'Where's Hermione?' he demanded to know.
'Do you want her?' Vlad smiled. 'Very well. Follow - if you can keep up with me!' Vlad started to levitate - he was rising upwards towards the broken window he had hurled Berger through.

'Master!' a voice yelled. Victor Krum was crawling out from under another table where he'd been hiding. 'Master, wait for me! Take me with you!' Vlad broke his rising and headed for his servant. Back on human level, Vladislav grabbed Krum's clothing and quickly resumed course, but now in a faster speed - his cloak spread outwards as he was flying towards the broken window making him look like a monstrous bat, even though Vampires could not alter their forms into those kinds of creatures.
Harry could no longer think straight as he watched the two making their escape - he could now only act on instincts: 'Accio Firebolt!' he bellowed, and thanks to the fact that every student had packed and their luggage had been brought down, it only took some short few seconds before his trusted Broomstick had made a halt beside him. Wasting no time, he mounted it while he murmured loudly to no one particular: 'You won't get away. I won't let you!'
Determined, not thinking of anything except for following the running culprits, he took off and headed straight for the same window they had escaped through.

'MR. POTTER!!' shouted Professor McGonagall who had finally shaken herself out of her stupor. 'POTTER, COME BACK AT ONCE!! MR. POTTER!!'
Ron and Ginny also shouted for Harry, trying to tell him that it was too dangerous - but Harry heard nothing of it. He was only aware of the blood pounding in his ears as he flew out through the window and into the cold evening, and aware of the warning words that both Remus Lupin and Firenze had given him.
Harry, do not confront the Vampire! Lupin's words told him over and over again.
You will not win. Said the words of Firenze.
And yet here he was, doing exactly the same thing he had been told not to do - because he needed to do it for his dear friend - for Hermione.
It certainly looked like his saving people-thing was finally going to be the death of him.

Author's notes:

I hope you don't mind the sounds I described when Vlad broke the Steel-wires. Mind you: such things can make a lot of noise when broken.

For the one's who are curious:

Sceptuchus: means Wand-bearer.
Vestigo: is simply track or trace.

I hope you guys remember the Scipio Coagmentatio, the Wand-link Charm I invented some time ago? You can backtrack it to Chapter 8, that's where it was first mentioned.

I'm not going to give any promise now when the next chapter will be done, I probably will only end up disappointing you lot - but there isn't that much left now. I hope that no matter how long it might take, it will be worth the wait.

See ya.