by -{BM}-

This Harry Potter FanFic is copyrighted by the author (me!).

This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

***

I've recieved heaps of emails about this story... Keep 'em coming, I soak praise up like a sponge :-). I'll try and get the next chapter out as soon as I can but due to priorities outside my computer, that might be a while, although hopefully not as long as it took to get this chapter out.

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Chapter 6

***

Cassius yawned as he watched his `student' attempt the Edo Tensus spell for a third time. Cassius was bored, he wanted excitement, but all he could get at this deserted mansion was a few cheap laughs at how weak Tom and his followers were. He eyed the pathetic excuse for a man in front of him whose eyes were glowing red as he attempted the spell. Cassius guessed that Tom's red eyes were a result of some stupid potion he'd taken earlier in his life to increase his power.

"Fuck!" Voldemort screamed as the coffin he was trying to summon out of the green portal stopped half way and started to sink back into the ground.

Cassius sighed, "I told you before Tom, you need to concentrate more, and you're too easily distracted. How can you expect to summon two people from the afterlife when you battle that old codger if you can't even do a basic summoning properly?"

Voldemort just grunted and sat down on the chair opposite Cassius.

"Also remember that you plan on summoning two people whose bodies were completely destroyed when they died," Cassius continued. "That's going to take even more effort. You need more power Tom, that's all it is."

Voldemort looked at the blond vampire with interest, "Any suggestions?" he asked hopefully.

"Well since you don't want to be turned into a vampire; the only other way is to complete the other method of obtaining immortality. It's highly forbidden to even attempt it in any country and requires not only the body you need, but a few more human sacrifices to aid the transfer."

"What is the chance of success?" Voldemort asked seriously.

"Around fifty percent," Cassius answered as the door to the room opened and Lucius Malfoy walked in with a very pissed off look on his face followed by two other death eaters.

"What's wrong Lucius?" Cassius asked with a grin on his face, he was grinning because he already knew what was pissing the man off.

"My son... He's a... a faggot," the man stammered.

Cassius snickered, "Yes, isn't it grand? I bet he's a cutie too."

Lucius glared at the vampire but didn't dare say anything. He hated Cassius but it would be suicide to start a fight with him.

"How can you say that?" one of the death eaters behind Lucius asked Cassius, "All faggots deserve to burn in hell."

Everybody in the room winced, except for the death eater that had spoken and Cassius, who was now rising out of his chair with a big smile on his face. Lucius pitied the young fool of a death eater; he'd only been around for a few weeks and didn't really know when to keep his mouth shut.

"Burn in hell you say?" Cassius asked him as he slowly walked over towards the young death eater who was now just beginning to realize the stupidity of his comment.

"Y... yes," the death eater answered timidly.

"And why is that?" Cassius cooed in the man's ear as he walked around him.

"Because they..." The death eater's sentence was cut short by the fangs sinking into his neck. Nobody dared do or say anything while the death eater screamed as he was drained of his vital fluids. When he let the body drop to the ground Cassius licked the blood off his lips and sat back down on his chair and let out a little burp.

"Oh, excuse me," he said giggling.

"Was that really necessary? I thought you only needed to feed once a month?" Tom asked him with an annoyed expression on his face.

"That's true," Cassius replied, "But I not only require the nourishment of blood, I also need to hear their screams and their pathetic cries for help, so I feed maybe once or twice a day."

Voldemort just sighed, he could have just put the foolish death eater under the torture curse for a few minutes to teach him a lesson but at least with Cassius' way the amount of idiots that surround him was decreasing. "Leave us Lucius, Cassius and I have matters to discuss," he hissed to the glowering blond man.

Lucius nodded to the death eater behind him and they both dragged the body out of the room, leaving Tom and Cassius to talk about attaining immortality.

***

"Just there... Uhhh yeah that feels so good, go slow and be gentle my love," Harry sighed.

Draco just snorted, "If anybody was outside the room they'd be thinking that we are having butt sex Potter."

Harry blushed, having Draco massage his back in the shower felt like heaven. They'd talked briefly about butt sex (what Uncle Vernon calls `Buggery' in a very nasty tone) and both decided not to rush things and take their time. After all they had all the time in the world to get to know each other better.

"We'd better hurry as well Harry, Professor Lupin, Hermione and Ron will leave for Hogsmede without us. But I guess we could make them wait a few more minutes," Draco whispered in Harry's ear as he slowly moved his hands from Harry's back around to his front and them moved them downwards to his cock which was now starting to stand at attention.

Harry moaned as Draco started to suck on his neck and slowly wank him off at the same time. He softly batted Draco's hands away and then turned to face his blond lover and they kissed passionately as they humped and slid their wet bodies against each other.

"God I love you," Draco moaned in Harry's ears between kisses.

"I love you more," Harry replied as he pushed the smaller boy up against the shower wall and started to hump against him at a faster rate. Both boys were in a state of pure bliss and the only thing that could be heard was the running shower, their moans, and the sound of their slick bodies rubbing against each other. Harry nibbled on Draco's earlobe as he felt his orgasm approaching and judging by Draco's uncontrollable whimpering; he guessed that the blond man was close as well. After another thirty seconds of rubbing up against each other both boys cried out as their orgasms blasted out of their bodies and started to kiss again as their they started to come down from cloud nine.

"We'd better hurry," Harry managed to gasp between breaths as he tried to recover.

Draco was too spent to do anything but nod in agreement.

***

Liam sighed, for some reason he always hated Christmas. It reminded him that he was not human and was supposed to remain detached from everybody else. He sat at his desk in his room planning his lessons for the rest of the school year but couldn't concentrate on account of one name that was swirling through his mind... Cassius.

What the hell was he planning? Liam had asked himself this question so many times that he felt like cursing something into the next world every time he came up with no answer. He was distracted from his thoughts by an object that was on his shelf in front of him, the pensive that he bought in Diagon Alley before the school year started. He had already unloaded all of his worst memories of his life in there and never really wanted to look at them. But suddenly he was tempted... He needed to see him again.

He slowly walked over to it and touched the silver liquid swirling around inside and found himself in his first memory, the time they had first met.

He saw the thirteen year old version of himself being escorted to school by his parents. He had lived in a village that didn't even exist anymore; the townsfolk were very superstitious of magic which was why he was taught magic in a cave with a few basic defense wards cast on it. Liam choked back a sob as he looked at the faces of his parents; he missed them terribly and wondered if he would ever see them again, even in the afterlife. But he couldn't stop the tears when he saw another young boy his age walking from the other direction with his mother. Liam looked at his thirteen year old self and smiled when he saw the look of pure adoration that he had given John when they had first met. Liam closed his eyes and remembered how this boy with emerald green eyes and jet black hair had snatched his heart away from him the moment they had become friends. He watched as his former self and his parents walked up to John and his mother and said hello. Liam's parents already knew John's mother as they had been educated together but Liam and John had never met as John lived at the other side of the valley.

The parents said goodbye to their sons and left the two boys to walk into the cave alone. Both boys were too shy to even look at each other and Liam chuckled softy at the obvious tension between the two of them. As they both entered the cave Liam saw them meet their teacher for the first time, Professor Agmare.

"He has the hairiest nostrils I've ever seen," Liam whispered, remembering the first thing he had ever said to John and sure enough, he watched his former self lean over and whisper the exact same comment in John's ear and both boys broke out into a fit of uncontrollable giggles as the teacher looked at them with suspicion. That was the start of their friendship. Then everything disappeared and Liam suddenly found himself standing in John's room. He sighed as his tears started to flow freely now, he knew what this moment was, it was their first kiss.

His former self, now a year older was sitting on the bed next to John and it looked like both were trying to concentrate on their Transfiguration homework but couldn't as they both kept sneaking glances at each other. Liam smiled as remembered the unbelievable tension during their first year of friendship, the subtle touches, the unexplainable giggles and the hidden glances. Suddenly Liam saw his former self lean forward to dip his quill in the ink at the centre of the bed at the exact same time John did and their lips suddenly met. It was nothing more than two pairs of lips brushing against each other but Liam remembered how the brief contact had the effect of making time stand still.

Both boys looked at each other and then both came to the realization that they both wanted the same thing. John suddenly leapt on top of Liam's former self and they started to kiss passionately, however John didn't notice that he spilled the ink all over his bed. Liam snickered when he remembered how John's mother had given him the longest lecture that night when she found the ink stain. It was a good thing that she didn't notice any other stains on the sheet from their first afternoon as a couple. The room disappeared and Liam prepared himself for another memory...

Liam then found himself in a dark street and watched his former self and John stumble out of the village tavern. Liam shuddered when he came to the realization that this was the night he was turned. The Liam in front of him was nineteen and looked exactly the same as he did today. Liam watched himself pin John, who was giggling uncontrollably up against a wall in a dark street and start to kiss his neck.

"Stop it, that tickles," John giggled.

Liam closed his eyes to try and stop the tears; the sound of John's voice brought back so much happiness, and so much sadness. He looked up and saw the dark figure of Cassius approach John and his former self from the shadows with a smile on his face.

"You bastard!" Liam yelled, even though he knew that this was a memory and he couldn't do anything. He watched Cassius snatch Liam's former self and take off, leaving John calling his name. Liam slowly approached the crying boy and reached out to touch him. He hand went right through him,

"I'm sorry my love," Liam whispered as he saw John break down in a fit of tears in the street. Liam broke down in tears right next to him.

Then the scenery changed and Liam found himself in a dimly lit cellar. He saw his former self pressed against the wall, terrified of the mysterious blond stranger that was approaching him with a smile.

"W-what do you want?" his former self managed to stutter.

"You're so beautiful," Cassius said in reply. "I can't bear to dwell on the fact that one as beautiful as you will one day age and die."

"Please... Just leave me alone," Liam's former self pleaded.

"Oh no, I'm in love with you Liam. I've followed you for weeks and have become addicted."

"I love John, no-one else," Liam's former self answered defiantly.

"I'll change that," Cassius retorted as he closed the gap between them and sank his fangs into Liam's former self's neck.

Liam watched in anger from the corner of the room as Cassius reached inside his former self's robes, laughed out loud when he found what he wanted and quickly brought him to an orgasm. When Cassius was finished he moved backwards and smiled as Liam passed out. Liam remembered the weeks that had followed after that moment and knew what memory he was going to visit next. The one moment of his life when he truly lost his soul.

The dimly lit dungeon disappeared and Liam found himself back in John's room. John was on his bed crying into his hands. Liam sighed as he saw John's shiny black hair fall over his face, just once... he would give anything to touch his hair just one more time. He noticed his former self and Cassius enter silently though the window, Liam remembered how Cassius had locked him up and starved him. At this moment his former self was feeling the thirst in a big way and the only thing that was making him move was the desire to quench the thirst.

"L-Liam?" John whispered as he looked up from his hands.

At this stage Liam's former self was drooling with hunger and didn't even recognize the one man who made him feel complete.

"Do it! Kill him!" Cassius yelled.

"NOOO!!!" Liam yelled as he watched his former self jump on John and sink his fangs into his neck. Liam ran over and tried to pull him off John but his hands went right through both of them. Suddenly the door to John's room opened and his mother screamed when she saw the scene in front of her eyes. Cassius was on her in an instant and she stopped screaming after a few moments. Just after John died Liam saw his former self come to his senses and start to cry in agony when he realized what he had done, Liam found himself right next to him also crying over the body of his dead lover. The tears kept coming and coming and Liam's body heaved with every sob. Suddenly he looked up when he felt a hand on his shoulder and was shocked to see Dumbledore looking at him with a somber look on his face.

"Take my hand old friend," Dumbledore said in a somber tone, "It is time to leave the past behind."

***

Harry walked with Professor Lupin on his left and Draco on his right on the way to Hogsmeade. Ron and Hermione were walking behind them and appeared to be arguing about something trivial. Harry and Draco listened intently to the Professor as he told them about his experiences as a werewolf and were horrified at how unfair the wizarding world seemed to those who were different. Harry hadn't had many chances to talk to Lupin during the year and enjoyed talking to Moony, one of the marauders who had been in his father's close circle of friends.

"So you can't find a job anywhere outside of Hogwarts?" Draco asked.

"No," Lupin sighed in reply, "What you both have to realize is that wizards and witches are still human. And it is the nature of a human to fear anything that they cannot understand, and now that you two are in the same boat as me it will be very difficult for you to lead a normal life."

"I've known that since I first entered the wizarding world," Harry grumbled as he remembered all of the things he'd been though during his first four and a half years at Hogwarts.

"True," Lupin chucked, "But you two had better be careful. People know what I am and I can still live a somewhat normal life, if they found out about you two then there would be petitions all over Briton to have you locked up."

"That's not fair," Draco hissed, "We haven't bitten anyone."

"That may be true Mr. Malfoy," Lupin replied, "But the fact is that there is always a chance. What if you were caught in a situation where you could not drink the blood that Dumbledore provides you? From what I've read of vampires you will loose your mind and only care about feeding, just like me when I am without my Wolfsbane Potion at a full moon."

"What are you going to get me for Christmas Draco?" Harry asked suddenly, wanting to change the subject.

Draco just gave his boyfriend an evil smirk, "I don't know yet Harry, I'll have to see what's on sale."

Harry knew he was only kidding but wished he knew what Draco was going to get him because he had no idea what to buy one's boyfriend and needed some ideas.

***

Liam kept to himself at the Staff Christmas party that night. The only reason why he was attending was because Dumbledore had practically dragged him here, the headmaster not wanting his Dueling Professor to spend Christmas Eve wallowing in his own self pity. Albus had tried to consol him by telling him that he was under the influence of the thirst when he had killed John but Liam didn't listen, he had killed John, not the thirst.

"Looks like I'm not the only one who isn't in the mood to party tonight," a voice from beside him said. Liam glanced over to see Lupin, the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor standing beside him nursing his drink. Liam smiled at the werewolf, out of everybody in Hogwarts he believed that only Remus Lupin could come close to knowing what the loneliness of feeling so detached from the human race could really do to a person. From what he understood Remus was bitten when he was just a boy, and has been shunned for what he became ever since.

"Remus," Liam said in greeting, "Why the glum face?" he asked.

"Oh many things," Lupin sighed. "The fact that there is a full moon approaching is at the forefront of my mind. Also the fact that three days ago an eleven year old boy was bitten by a renegade werewolf near London."

"Did they manage to treat the bite in time?" Liam asked.

The werewolf sighed, "No, he was found a few hours after the bite so I'm afraid it was too late. He comes from a wizarding family and they are all very distraught. The boy is still in St. Mungo's under close observation."

"That's no good. But at least he can still maintain the level of secrecy that you enjoyed when you were young," Liam added.

"I'm afraid it's too late for that," Lupin replied as he face turned into a scowl. Liam gave him a confused look and he continued to explain, "Fudge found out about it and put an article in the Daily Prophet about it and even put the boy's name in print."

Liam frowned, what a prick! "Why did he do that?" he asked, trying to disguise the disgust in his voice.

"He stated that the public had a right to know. And now he's trying to prevent the boy from entering Hogwarts."

"Bastard," Liam hissed.

"Yes I agree," Lupin said smiling for the first time, "I tried to go around to the home of the boy and counsel his parents but they wouldn't let me in the door. They were talking of putting their child up for adoption. Dumbledore has already issued a statement saying that the boy is welcome at Hogwarts as long as he drinks the Wolfsbane potion at every full moon. Looks like I might have some company next year," Lupin added with a sad smile.

Liam just shook his head. Sometimes he could understand why Cassius liked to hurt humans, they were such silly creatures. More concerned about hurting and hindering those who are different than they are about enriching their own lives.

Both Liam's and Lupin's attention was diverted by a very drunk Professor Snape stumbling over to them,

"Lupin, Varslier, how is we both tonight," he asked with a silly grin on his face.

Liam looked at Remus with raised eyebrows before answering,

"Very good Severus, and how is your night going?"

"Oh good, good," he answered simply before stumbling away. Liam sniggered to himself as he saw Snape saunter over to Professor Kettleburn and started to annoy her.

"You know, I would have never picked Severus to be such a party animal," Liam noted with amusement.

"That's nothing," Lupin replied, "You should have seen him last year."

"Oh do tell," Liam said with a smile on his face, suddenly forgetting about his past.

***

Harry woke up as someone sucked the air out of him with a good morning kiss. He opened his eyes to see his blond bombshell smiling at him.

"Morning beautiful," he whispered.

"Merry Christmas Harry," Draco said as he moved down and got another kiss for his trouble.

"Mmm... Merry Christmas Draco," Harry said when they finished their kiss.

"Well? What are we waiting for? Presents," Draco said impatiently as he jumped up out of bed. Harry followed him into the common room and to the small Christmas tree that the house elves had erected at their request.

As they started to open their presents they heard someone outside their portrait yelling out Merry Christmas, they opened it to find Ron and Hermione smiling at them and the four of them ended up sitting around the fire talking and laughing while Draco and Harry opened their presents. Of course everyone including Draco had received a Weasley sweater (Draco's was green) and while Ron and Hermione were wearing theirs, Harry and Draco didn't want to for some reason.

Hermione had received books from everybody except for Ron, who had given her a very pretty golden necklace. She gave a blushing Draco a kiss when she saw that the book he gave her was very rare, in fact there were only twenty in print. Harry knew that Draco had obtained it from his library at home by contacting the house elves that were still loyal to him and having them send it by owl.

Ron received a joint present from Harry, Draco, Ron and Hermione, a very expensive broom, it wasn't a nimbus but Ron didn't seem to care so long as it was fast, and according to the label it was very fast. Harry and Draco both received a book on vampires from Hermione who said that they needed to know more about what they were. Ron gave Harry another broom cleaning kit, which was good as his old one was starting to give way and gave Draco a potion refill kit which was useful as some of his supplies were starting to wane. Harry and Draco were both speechless when they opened their presents from each other, Harry had given Draco a bracelet with his initials engraved on it and Draco had given him a necklace with a gold lion on it. As they both put their presents on they looked into each others eyes and it wasn't long before they were locked in a passionate kiss and it took Hermione clearing her throat to remind them that there were other people in the room. It was at that moment that Dobby the house elf appeared,

"Harry Potter sir," he squeaked, obviously happy with all of the old socks he had received from the many students he had helped out during the year.

"Yes Dobby?"

"Headmaster Dumbledore has asked me to remind you and your friends that lunch is being served in an hour."

"Thanks Dobby, we'll be there." Harry replied, "And merry Christmas," he added.

"Merry Christmas to you and your friend's sir, and Dobby thanks you for the socks," it answered as it disappeared with a crack.

***

Dudley Dursley grumbled all the way back up to his room. He had only received twenty four presents this year! Dudley missed the days when he would have cried and mum would have gone out and bought him more, but since he was growing up and was becoming a boxing sensation he wasn't allowed to act like a little kid anymore. In fact as soon as he turned eighteen he could enter the elite boxing ranks and then everybody would know how good he is!

He slammed his door and slumped down on his bed, immediately sitting up when he heard a scream from downstairs. He jumped off his bed and ran down the stairs to find a blond guy who looked to be around twenty holding his dad by the neck.

"So do you know him?" he hissed.

"Sir, I have never heard the name Harry Potter in my life now leave this house before I call the police."

The attacker paused and reached over and picked up a piece of mail from the table. "Hmmm... Well this is the right house at any rate, the Dursley's."

Dudley then watched in horror as the mysterious stranger threw his dad up against the wall with no effort at all.

"I would kill you the normal way Vernon, but personally I think fat people taste like shit," he said with a smirk on his face.

Dudley rushed him and started to land blows all over his face and chest. He unleashed combo after combo but drew back breathless to find that his punches hadn't fazed this weirdo at all. The stranger just looked at him with a huge grin on his face,

"Ahhh... now here's a strapping young lad, I'm sure he tastes divine, all that adrenaline... What a bear!" he added with glee.

Dudley had no time to react as the stranger jumped on him and he felt a sharp pain in his neck. He started to sob with helplessness as he felt everything going black...

***

Liam sighed as he made his way down to the Great Hall for lunch. He didn't even know why he had to be there, after all it wasn't like he was going to eat anything or even be great company at the moment. The images he had seen in the pensive had haunted his dreams last night and he had to bother a very annoyed Madame Pomfrey at one in the morning for a dreamless sleep draught.

After he had killed John that night he stayed around with Cassius for fifty years, hunting and learning from him. He never gave into the man's advances, not once and there was always a silent tension between them whenever they were around each other. Liam knew what Cassius wanted, but he was too pissed off with him to even consider it. Liam never knew why it took him so long to rebel against Cassius, maybe it was because he was afraid of being lonely, or maybe he was just scared of him.

After he gained his freedom from the blond madman he wondered the earth, only feeding when he had too and dueling vampire hunters with amusement. He used to love the look on their face when they came to the horrid realization that they were absolutely no match for him. However there was one wizard that he met centuries later that actually caused him harm. Liam remembered his first meeting with Albus Dumbledore, the funny and slightly odd wizard who hid his immense power behind a veil of quirkiness. His tomfoolery and stupid comments had fooled Liam, who immediately moved in for the kill but then found himself wounded and bound on the floor. Liam spat obscenities at the man as he approached him, but to his surprise the man sought to reason with him and gave him an alternative to killing which Liam accepted wholeheartedly, very glad for a reason to feel good about himself for a change.

It was the start of a weird friendship that lasted for twenty years until Liam could bear consciousness no more, and decided to sleep under the earth until he felt the need to rise again.

"Hello Professor," Liam was broken from his thoughts by Harry, Draco, Ron and Hermione joining him on the way to the Great Hall.

"Hello you four," Liam replied with a smile, "Ready to eat some Christmas lunch?" he asked. Ron and Hermione nodded while Draco and Harry just ignored the question.

"So what did you get for Christmas Professor?" Ron asked.

Liam smiled; he had received a few small gifts from Albus, Remus and a few others and told Ron that. Their goodwill and senseless chatter seemed to lighten his mood and as they arrived at the Hall he was smiling. They entered and looked at the enchanted ceiling which was a little overcast. The Professors and remaining students were seated around a large table at the centre of the room and for some reason that stupid Umbridge woman was there too, her smile made Liam shudder. Liam chuckled to himself when he saw Professor Snape with his head in his hands, obviously hung over from his drinking last night.

He sat next to the Umbridge woman and Harry sat on his other side followed by Draco and then Ron and Hermione. There were around thirty people sitting at the table including the Professors and as usual Albus was spreading the cheer by handing out wizard crackers. Liam offered to crack one with Umbridge but she refused so he cracked it with Harry instead. The loud booms shook the table and Liam was actually starting to enjoy the dinner until she started talking to him.

"...And so with this new legislation I've put forward I will make the world a safer place. It will require compulsory werewolf registration so we can make sure we know how many of the beasts are out there."

Liam noticed a few people at the table glaring at her. Lupin was just staring down at his plate, not daring to look up at her. Liam felt a sudden urge of rage flow through him and had to concentrate for a few moments to gain control of himself, then he leaned over and whispered in her ear,

"Honestly Umbridge, I don't really care about whatever stupid legislation you or your foolish administration is trying to approve, just leave me alone."

She gasped in shock and never looked his way again. She instead turned to the Professor on the other side of her, Professor McGonagall and started to boast to her about how her long term goal was putting every werewolf away. Of course Minerva got in a heated argument and they both started to debate on how dangerous werewolves really were until Dumbledore managed to abruptly change the subject before it came to blows... or hexes. Once it was over the dratted woman turned to Liam again,

"Why Professor Varslier, I can't help but notice that you never eat anything, aren't you feeling well?" she asked in her annoying sing song voice.

Liam initially thought that it would be wise not to upset the witch just in case she investigated him out of spite but he couldn't help himself,

"No Dolores," he replied with a smile, "It's just that seeing your toad like face has really busted my appetite. Although I must thank you, I have managed to loose a few pounds while you've been here."

A few people around the table, including Dumbledore snorted into their food. Harry and Draco broke out in a fit of giggles and Liam winked to a few first years that were snickering at the other side of the table. Before the red-headed woman could reply Liam got up and excused himself from the table. He was feeling really down and knew that if he had to sit down next to that toad any longer he might kill again for the first time in nearly a hundred years.

***

Harry and Draco were about to leave the table before they attracted any questions from Umbridge about their eating habits. It was when he was getting up that Harry felt it, a sudden jolt of pain in his scar. He hesitated for a second to see if it was something to do with Voldemort, but no visions came.

"Is something wrong Harry?" Draco asked in a worried tone.

Then he felt the sharp jolt again... And suddenly he fell on the table, banging his head on the side of it before hitting the floor. Gasps and screams sounded around the table and Dumbledore immediately conjured a stretcher to take him to the hospital wing.

***

Draco was in hysterics as he sat in his common room with Ron and Hermione who were trying to convince him that everything would be alright. Draco appreciated them trying to help but he really didn't care right now. Suddenly the portrait opened and Professor Snape walked in bearing good news for a change.

"Potter is waking up and the headmaster has requested that you three join him at his bedside."

Draco jumped up and ran towards the portrait but Snape put his hand up to stop him.

"Draco, I may not approve of your... relationship with Potter. However we have just received some very worrying news that will shock you all and I need to tell you that Harry will need you in these times ahead."

Draco merely nodded at the potions professor and made his way out the door, followed closely by Ron and Hermione.

***

Harry turned his head from side to side, not able to make any sense out of the haze of colors or the many voices sounding around him. Suddenly everything came into focus and he saw Dumbledore, McGonagall, Lupin, Snape, Draco, Ron and Hermione all standing around him.

"What happened?" he managed to gasp.

Dumbledore sighed, "Harry... I'm afraid that the Dursley's were killed earlier today. In fact we believe that they were killed around the same time that you collapsed."

"So... so why did I collapse?" Harry asked, tears welling in his eyes. He never really loved the Dursley's, but he did care about them in a way, even after all of the stuff they had done to him.

"I believe it is the severing of the link between you and your aunt. You remember that I told you about the charm your mother left behind as she died to protect you? Well since there are no more immediate blood relatives from her side of the family living that charm was broken. And as a result you felt pain from your scar and collapsed."

Tears started to pour out of Harry's eyes... "Who... who killed them?" he asked.

"We have reason to believe it was Cassius. Your aunt and uncle were beaten to death, however your cousin died suffering a heart attack due to loss of blood. We are confused though as we have found no fang marks on his neck and are still investigating why..."

"He covered them up," came a voice from the doorway, it was Liam who rushed up from his quarters once he had heard the news.

"Liam, how did he cover the marks up?" Dumbledore asked.

"It's an old vampire trick. You bite your tongue to release some of your own blood into the wound. The vampire's blood has special healing properties and heals the fang marks, making the reason of death a mystery."

Harry tried to ignore the fact that Liam was grinning as he said this. Dudley... Aunt Petunia... Uncle Vernon... All dead. During the beatings that seemed to last for hours at a time, the taunts that hurt all the way to his very soul, he idly wished for their deaths but now it actually happened, he felt contented but saddened at the same time.

"I think it's time to let Mr. Potter have some rest," Dumbledore said as he signaled for everybody to leave. Draco didn't move and Dumbledore saw this, "However Mr. Malfoy you may stay with Mr. Potter and make sure to inform Madame Pomfrey if he experiences any further problems.

Everybody trooped out, Ron and Hermione gave Harry worrying looks as they walked and once the room was emptied Draco sat down on the chair next to Harry's bed.

"Are you alright?" he asked with a look of apprehension on his face.

"I don't know," Harry answered honestly. "I hated them; they beat me all the time, made me feel like shit. But I still feel bad about what happened to them. For some reason, after all the pain they put me through, I still loved them." He looked up at Draco, "Do you know what I mean?" Harry asked.

Draco just smiled, "Harry, I know exactly how you feel. I feel the same way about my father."

Harry sighed; it seemed that the war was just starting to kick into high gear. And he'd already lost three people he cared about.

***

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