You know... I am embarrassed to admit that when I first started this story, I initially meant for there to be a heartfelt karaoke party at this part. –facepalm-

In wanting to understand the Saga better, I watched the movie on youtube. And I NEVER imagined such a wimpy Darren. I mean really now. Must he be so squeaky? Geez... To even further my attempts, I tried to read the series again. Guess what? Got stuck at the exact same place that this story is at now. –dies a little- Like ramming my head into a brick wall...

Chapter 23

"Hey guys!" the group heard Ginny call from the top of the ridge, her fiery red hair practically glowing in the moonlight.

"Ow!" Harry rubbed the back of his head.

"Stop ogling my sister, mate." Ron grinned as Harry blushed.

Darren quickly darted up the path to where Ginny was waiting, growing eager as he began to remember his surroundings. Gavner had tripped on that rock. The moon had been hiding behind those branches as they passed under it. Larten had just about smiled when Gavner hopped off cursing just over there. Darren couldn't help a wistful smile as it all came back to him, those peaceful times when he was just new. He was almost home.

"Hurry up!" Ginny yelled down to the struggling wizards. The boulders Darren had scaled with ease were a bit harder for them without their magic.

"Shut it Gin!" Ron retorted.

Ginny made a face, "Oh, grow some you wimp!"

She ignored Ron's angry answer and turned to Darren who had seemingly lost touch with reality again. She looked up to where he was staring at the huge mountain in front of them, "So, this is where you used to live?"

Darren nodded, "Yeah." He said simply

Ginny watched him from the corner of her eye. There was something off about the way he had said it. As though he were happy, but something was stopping him from jumping around like a small child on Christmas day. It made her curious, but she wasn't about to pry...

... at least not obviously.

"You know... I will always love Hogwarts. It is my home. But so many bad things happen there that sometimes I am afraid to come back, you know?"

Darren was silent. Ginny wasn't even sure if he had been listening to her at all, giving her no clue as to how close she had hit his thoughts. She sighed and looked back to where the rest of them were helping Draco climb up the last ledge.

"You're ruining my robes!"

"Maybe if you weren't so fat this would be easier!"

"I'M NOT FAT!" the blonde screeched and Ginny snickered. The wilderness seemed to be getting to Draco.

The irate blonde stormed past them up the bare mountainside and Darren raised an eyebrow.

'Wait for it...'

The blonde stopped, looking uncertain for a moment before throwing a cold look over his shoulder. "Are you dweebs coming?"

"Aw. You're just saying that because you'd miss us if you fell down a cliff." Ron cooed, quickly catching up with his long strides.

"That. And the fact that he hasn't a clue where he's going." Harry said under his breath.

"I'm glad we brought Draco along. Comic relief." Hermione sighed. "Well, let's get going. Darren?"

The vampire nodded and started up the mountain. They weren't very far now.

Following Darren, the group found their way to a small opening in a cliff face. Ron stuck his head in and looked up. "It goes straight up!" he exclaimed incredulously.

"Yes. It does." Darren said dully, knowing that the feat seemed impossible for them, but knowing that it wasn't. They had ropes for each other after all. "I'll do most of the climbing, as long as you all don't drop at the same time we shouldn't die." He finished with a peppy smile, reaching into one of the bags for the rope.

"You're insane!" Draco yelled. "There's no way I'm getting in that tiny space!"

"I have to agree with Draco, Darren." Hermione said, a twisted look on her face after she looked into the tunnel. "I know you're strong, but how long is this tunnel? Can you pull all the weight for that long?"

"Is there another way?" Ginny asked, also a bit worried.

"Sure, but it's basically the same except we have a waterfall gushing over our heads." The wizards blanched. "I thought this would be the better way."

"Y-yeah. I think you're right." Ron stuttered, taking the end of the rope that was offered to him and wrapping it around his waist as Darren had done.

"You know, now that I think of it, this must be some kind of defense against vampire hunters. No human could make this journey or find this entranceway." Hermione lectured as she too tied herself into the line.

Darren shrugged. "Maybe. I think vampires are just masochistic bastards, personally."

Making their way over to the tunnel, Darren climbed in first; sinking his nails into the stone as though it was cheese. Pulling up, he was grateful to feel that there was slack in the rope. Maybe they could make it-

"AH!"

"Shut UP Draco!" someone yelled as Darren had to strain to keep them up. Someone had slipped, and only one person came to mind. "Pull yourself up!"

"I can't!"

"If you don't, I'll wait until we're a significant distance up and cut the rope, do you hear me?"

"You're a sick mudblood, Granger- OW! You kicked me!"

"Shut up and climb."

There was some scrabbling before Darren felt the weight lessen from around his middle. With a sigh, he started climbing again. Maybe they were going to make it. Or maybe they were all going to fall to their deaths, hopefully squishing the irritating pureblood in the process.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

The tunnel slowly leveled out, and not a moment too soon. Harry could tell that Darren was tiring from supporting them every time someone slipped and brought the whole line down. If it weren't for him, they would have died many times. Harry gave a quick thank you to any deity that was listening for convincing Darren to take the human blood.

Scrambling out onto the level ground, Harry stretched with a sigh. Upright at last! He rubbed his sore neck as he looked around the cavern. Glowing lichen that had started to grow as they climbed, illuminated the dank, dark walls of the cave. On the far end, he could see light shining from underneath a doorway, lighting the humanoid figure in front of it. Harry couldn't help but stare at the pale person, their lank hair and creepy, white eyes glowing in the warm light. Was that a vampire? It didn't look anything like Darren...

Harry looked uncertainly back at Darren, to find the vampire with a stern face. Harry frowned. Why did he look so serious? Was the pale guy not supposed to be there? He gripped his wand a bit tighter despite its current uselessness.

Striding forward, Darren nodded to the figure who, upon seeing the teen, moved to the side. He turned. "Come on."

Harry watched the guard warily as he walked by tensely and into the dim hallway. The white eyes of the man followed the wizards, making an already frizzled Draco skitter past.

"What was that?" Ron muttered as they made their way down the tunnel, their steps making barely any noise on the packed dirt.

"A Guardian." Darren said absently, seemingly distracted as he walked the empty hall, turning down one way, then another, seemingly without noticing that every hallway looked the same.

The wizards carefully followed after their guide, watching the corners for any surprises. If they were to come across another vampire, what would they do? Would Darren protect them? Their magic didn't work here, and with no formal combat experience, they were just walking dinner plates.

They came up to a set of huge double doors to an obviously important room surprisingly without seeing any other vampires. Maybe the mountain was deserted, despite what Darren had been telling them?

Their friend stopped in front of these doors, staring them down with a suddenly serious expression, his body a symbol of stress. Hermione looked to him in concern. "Darren?"

The vampire shook his head and looked down to give her a forced, no teeth smile. He couldn't bring himself to struggle with a real one when his past was right on the other side of the doors. All his responsibility, guilt, expectations were waiting, and he didn't know if he was strong enough.

"What's this?" Draco asked, eyeing the doors with that of an experienced artifact salesman.

"Right now, I'm not sure." Darren admitted. Sighing in defeat, he brought his hand up and pushed against the doors. He wasn't ready now, but he didn't think he ever would be.

As the doors to the throne room swung open and Darren's eyes were drawn to the shining, empty throne something in him snapped. That elated feeling of temporary acceptance fled him, the hollow feeling from before flooding back into his heart as the fog re-entered his mind no matter how much he fought.

'No! I won't feel like this! I don't want to, never ever again! Please no...' Darren's eyes couldn't be drawn away from the shining beacon of his misery. It signified all that he must do, all that he had earned and lost to get it, and it burned. Burned his very essence of self.

This is your destiny.

Your fate.

Accept it.

'Stop. Please, just stop.' Darren pleaded in his mind, feeling that familiar black cloak draw over his mind that he had thought he had hidden away on the mountain. He had thought it was gone, but as stood there, all the eyes of the vampires present watching and expecting, it enveloped his mind in its dark embrace, making him feel warm. 'Stop stop stop...'

"Stop." The word slithered from his lips, barely a breath in the air, yet sharp green eyes darted towards him, full of confusion and worry, but unnoticed.

"Darren..."

Darren's eyes ripped away from the empty throne to the old Paris Skyle, looking at him with the expression of a proud grandfather. The smile wavered slightly and his icy blue eyes glinted as his took in the boys suddenly tense form, though to the expert eye it would not show. But Darren noticed, like the predator he had suddenly become.

"...please take your seat." The old vampire finished, voice slightly less young than it had been a mere moment before.

The surrounding vampires cheered as Darren's body mechanically made its way up to the throne through the gap in the crowd. Their young Prince was back. They would win this war now that he was back. The prophecy had guaranteed it!

Darren ignored the panel of Princes, gracefully taking his seat and looking out over the crowd with dead eyes that were hardened like steel.

Harry shivered, not noticing when the others did the same.

This transformation from their friend to the harsh ruler (ruler!) was sudden, as though a switch was flicked and any guises had been dropped. Like he had been pretending this whole time to be friendly, to gain their trust as any being that fed on humans did.

'But that's not right! Darren would never do that!' Harry thought with conviction, his eyes narrowing into slits as he stared steadfast at the boy. But Darren didn't seem to notice that he existed and a slice of hurt made him clench his fists at the rejection. Something was very wrong here.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Yeesh. I still don't know why all you guys like this story so much. I wouldn't read it, myself (In fact, I just tried to, and the terrible grammar and punctuation and ooc-ness and spelling and- well, I could go on forever but that wouldn't help anyone. Just know, the entire time, I was thinking 'Oh God, just burn me to a crisp right here and now and end my embarrassment!').

So to end my suffering, I did a bit of a re-write that, once it catches up to this story, will be continuing instead of this one. It's called 'Revamped Revolution'. Feel free to read it. I think it's much better, and has less of the 11 year old me in it lol

Also, I get endless emails about people wanting to adopt this story. I'M NOT GIVING IT AWAY SO SKIDOODLE! –shooing motions-