Undead Secrets

A/N: Hey all! Sorry this took so long had a bad case of the writers block. Thankfully my wonderous Beta Steve2 helped out and we were able to continue :)

Hope you guys like it :)

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Chapter 17 A Fight or Flight Situation

Harry stared around the room and sighed.

What was he doing?

Even he knew what he was about to do was so fundamentally reckless it was likely to be classified as the world's most idiotic plan. He smiled slightly at that, recalling Mac's favourite expression: "idiocy is my middle name, kid. Yours too."

Yes, that sounded about right. Why? Why because he had no plan to be honest. Nope, no plan. Nada. So far all he had was to go back to that godforsaken alley... and then nothing. He was drawing a blank and he knew it. Damn it all, what he should be doing is going for, dare he say it, help. But for some reason he wasn't. Gods but he didn't want to bring anyone else into his screwed up life.

The dormitory was empty. Everyone in class and Harry figured what better to time to get out of this school then when everyone else was preoccupied.

He went to his trunk. Running his finger over the gold encrusted name H. Potter he blinked and realised that Harry Potter was no more.

Harry Potter was the kid nobody knew, the kid no one cared to know. But now he was being pegged as the Dayshadow, a freak and an abomination. His anonymity at Hogwarts was gone, blown out the window. He snorted; it was a long time coming he supposed.

He opened his trunk and started pulling out various things.

He quickly changed his clothes. He pulled off his robes donned his jeans, black beater and his trusty dragon hide boots. He strapped his wand and his dagger in their perspective holsters and a wooden stake to his ankle. His empty holder for the iron spike he left behind. Snape still hadn't returned his spike, the bastard.

It was the best he could do. Once he got to one of his safe houses he would have access to his arsenal. He didn't bring anymore weapons than what he already had on him to the school. Regardless of what he told people, damn it, he felt at home in this place of all places. For one thing, he didn't have to do his own laundry.

He shook out his worn leather jacket and slipped it on. As he turned he popped the collar and froze.

In hindsight he really should have expected this.

Neville, Ron, and Hermione were standing in the doorway, blocking his exit.

o0o

Kelly Morgan was bored

Well, given the fact that the sun was out she had reason to be bored. She didn't have a lot to do in the daytime. Not since she'd dropped out of school two years ago.

The shady motel room TV had crappy reception and after thoroughly beating the piss out of the stupid useless thing she deduced that she wasn't going to get a better picture. Not that there was much to watch on the BBC anyway. Other than Red Dwarf. That show was funny. When it was on.

Which wasn't now. Stupid useless thing.

Currently she was sitting cross legged on the bed, head bobbing to music blasting into her ears from her Discman. She was flipping through some books and paper and notes. She didn't exactly know what she was looking for but look she did nonetheless. Damn boredom.

Well she wasn't exactly looking. She idly flipped the pages in the book that was sitting in her lap too busy listening to the music blasting in her ears.

Just when one of her favourite songs came on... the darn thing winked out and died.

Morgan blinked at it, shook it, held the on button for about twenty seconds too long and when nothing happened she took a deep calming breathe.

Not that the deep calming breath did anything for her though. She ripped out the now silent headphones and chucked the player across the room with a muffled yelled.

It smashed into the opposite wall with a clatter and fell to the orange carpet.

She sighed and bit into her thumbnail.

Still staring at the busted music player she inexplicably felt tears spring to her eyes and the burn in the back of her throat. Her head fell into her hands and she rubbed roughly at her face.

Ever since coming to this godforsaken county she had this gut wrenching feeling deep in her soul.

Something was going to happen, and soon.

Something bad.

It was a deep seated feeling that she couldn't place and for the life of her she couldn't place it.

And it scared her.

And if there was one thing Kelly Morgan didn't do, it was scared.

With a burst of motion she got up. She was going to go for a walk. Walks were supposed to be therapeutic or some crap. Or so she'd heard anyways.

She grabbed her trusty jacket, threw it on and walked out the door like she was on a mission. When really, she just needed a distraction. A Kelly Morgan left alone to her thoughts was a very grumpy Kelly Morgan.

Just turning the corner of the motel she felt her pocket vibrate.

She pulled out her phone curiously wondering what it was that Mac could want.

Hmmm, two new messages.

Well that's interesting.

In no time she was into her voicemail account and waiting for the stupid lady voice to stop telling her had had two new messages.

Like really, she knew that lady!

Punching the one button and an unfamiliar voice rang in her ear. She stopped dead in her tracks when she listened to the message.

"Hey, uh, Morgan," a rough voice cleared his throat. "This is Sirius. Listen it's, uhh, Harry. He's leaving… where? I couldn't tell you but it's big and he's going alone. I just... if you could call me back."

The message ended and before she could even think about it Mac's deep baritone cut in.

"Hey you insufferable slayer. Got a scrying on a hellhound. You're never going to guess where."

End of Messages for more options please press....

She shut the phone with a click.

o0o

A long silence filled the dormitory.

Harry stared at them.

They stared back.

Harry was used to not saying something first. Or even second.

The other party not sure what to say.

It was finally broken by Neville.

"We can help." It was a whisper.

Harry stared at the boy with a slightly tilted head.

"No, you can't," he said but continued before they could say anything. "You may think you can, but you can't."

"Merlin, Harry...." Ron started but was interrupted by Hermione.

"Stop, Harry! Just stop it," she stated, cheeks turning pink. "Why are you so bound and determined to be this… lone fighter? God, we are not useless and we can fight"

"I know you can fight. I've even seen where you've fought."

Ron asked, "What do you mean?"

"At the end of our first year, Neville fought Voldemort, or so the rumours went. I checked it out since it was a potential threat. I went into the Cerberus' lair, down the chute, got past the plant and keys, and stopped by the chessboard. I wasn't that good at chess so turned back. You made it further. I know you can fight, you've proven it."

"You've just acknowledged we can help you, Harry. We know what we're doing…" Hermione started.

"Oh what do you know about it?" Harry snapped. "Look I get it you want to help but you can't!" he stressed the word. "You three are good at fighting dark wizards, but you don't even know the basics about fighting vampires let alone these three."

"And you do?" It was Ron. "Last time you came against these three vampires you froze up."

"Shut up, Ron," Harry bit back. "You don't know anything about that."

"No, Harry," It was Hermione. "Ron's right, you can't do this alone, you need us."

Harry growled and ran a hand through his hair. This was all so pointless, he needed to leave. He wasn't about to drag these three along with him. Sure he got that their intentions were good but at the same time he wasn't running off to go fight Deatheaters. This was an up close and personal fight; magic wasn't about to save him and these three relied on their magic to help them out in a pinch. They didn't know the first thing about hand-to-hand combat.

"Look," Harry sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. "I get it, I really do but this is not a fight you can win. I don't want to sound conceited about this but I'm the only one that has even a chance against these vampires; you don't. So don't ask me to take you with me." He stopped there but there was still that unsaid word hanging in the air. Please.

Hermione's face turned a shade to match that of Ron's and Harry had an inkling that they weren't about to let this go but surprisingly he got a hand from an unexpected source. It was Neville, who up until now stayed strangely silent.

"Guys, let it go." His voice was low, his head hung, arms crossed over his chest as he adamantly stared at the carpet.

"Neville?"

"He's right you know," he said looking up at Hermione. "This isn't our fight. We've got enough to deal with right now. Besides," he shrugged and looked over at Harry as he stared back. "If Harry says he can handle it then I believe him."

Harry felt a small smile tug at his lips as he stared at the brown haired boy. Well would you look at that, something he said must have gotten through to the boy.

"Thanks, Neville," was all he said before he walked past him.

o0o

"Neville!" Hermione hissed at him when the door shut.

Neville sighed there was even a moment of silence as soon as Harry walked out that door Hermione and Ron rounded on him even before the click of the door shutting.

"You just let him leave?" Ron asked slight bemused expression on his face, kind of like he wasn't all that sure what just happened.

Neville stayed silent for a moment, hands stuffed into his jeans pockets as he continued to stare at the door. He wasn't entirely sure how to explain it, and he knew that these two wouldn't entirely understand anyway.

"I saw him fight," he finally settled with. "Down in Hogsmead, I saw what he was capable of. To be honest guys we couldn't even hope to be at his skill level in a hundred years." He smiled a wistful sort of smile and turned and went to his bed.

"Neville! That doesn't mean he can't die!" Hermione shouted, her voice betraying the fear she felt for Harry.

"This is true," he conceded as he flopped on his bed, put his hands behind his head and stared up at the ceiling. "I know he's not invincible Hermione, but I think what you're not getting is that neither are we."

There was a long pause as the three companions sat in an oppressive silence.

Neville thought over what Harry had said to him and right now couldn't help but agree. These past couple of years he'd been willing to rush head first into things without a second thought and damn it all he was lucky to be alive today. Sure he still had that damn prophecy hanging over his head at every waking moment but maybe Harry was correct. He still had the right to live and he was going to make the most of it.

He could understand it was different for Harry. Different circumstances and all that. But what he got from Harry was that he did make the most of it. When he was here at Hogwarts he was the normal, albeit a strange boy that no one talked to but still, Hogwarts was Harry's place to just live.

Out there in the world for Harry, it wasn't living; it was surviving. It made Neville feel a pang of overwhelming sadness for the boy.

It was also Harry's life and he didn't chose for it to turn out the way it did but it did nonetheless and Neville marvelled at the fact that Harry took everything in stride and accepted that. Maybe it was Neville's turn to take a leaf out of his book.

"We've been really lucky these past couple years Hermione," Neville finally broke the silence. "Let's not test that luck out on something that we are not a part of. Let's help Harry out in a different arena and get rid of Voldemort and that sun block potion."

o0o

Harry made it out onto the grounds without further interruption.

As Harry pushed the creaky front gates open and slipped past the opening, he noticed something.

There was someone leaning against the other gate door, hands stuffed deep into the front jackets of her coat one foot up and braced against the gate.

It was Morgan, Harry almost groaned.

"Ray," was all she said in greeting, flicking her smoke away.

"What are you doing here?" there was no surprise in his voice.

"What's the plan?" she fired back, pushing herself off the gates.

"What do you mean 'what's the plan?' There is no plan." Harry snapped back, he wasn't about to drag Morgan into this. The H3 were too dangerous. They were too dangerous even for him.

She grinned. Harry didn't reply he didn't have to as she continued before he could.

"Of course there's a plan. You got that I got a plan look." Harry raised an eyebrow at her. "Alright fine. Mac called me. Wanna know what it was about? Of course you do. He told me he got a reading on a Hellhound. And guess where the signals lead him to? Yup, here.

"So I figured well that can't be right, Hellhounds never leave their little haunts. Unless…" she raised her finger with a spark in her eye. "Unless some crazy fool out there tried to train a hound. Then I thought well who in the world would be crazy enough to try that? Then it struck me. This thing was here, at your school. Well now that only leaves one answer." She smirked. "So I'll ask again what's the plan?"

"Morgan." Harry growled walking past her. "You're not part of the plan."

"Hello!" she yelled catching up to him. "This is big. I'm always part of the big plans." It was almost a pout. Almost

"Not this one," Harry bit back. "Look," he stopped and faced her "I can't let you come. They will kill you! You understand?"

Morgan looked up at him, grin wiped off and a sudden serious expression on her face.

"Don't you think I know that!" she yelled back pushing him in the chest forcing him a couple steps back. "I live with that every day of my life, Ray! I know you do too. So what? They could kill you too!"

Harry, eyes downcast, couldn't find anything to say surprised by her outburst. I'm not so sure they want to kill me, he almost said.

"Look," she started again voice softer. "This is what we do Ray, whether by some freaky experiment or some higher calling. This is what we do. We kill vampires and all the other crap. Say what you want, but I'm going. Besides, you need me," she finished with a sad smile on her face.

Harry looked at her and couldn't help but smile back.

"Nice pep talk, May." He laughed at the disgruntled look that passed over her face.

Morgan Laughed back, punching him on the arm.

"Shut up," she smiled.

"Seriously, you been working on that?" Harry smirked.

"Hey! Well..." she blustered for a comeback. " Well... it worked didn' it!?" a bright smile on her face.

Harry smiled back.

"If you're going to do this... we do this together. Besides", she smiled that crooked grin of hers. "You need the backup." A playful punch to the shoulder made him grin.

"We're going to need weapons."

With that Harry grabbed her arm just above her elbow and apparated away.

It would be a long time before he questioned just how exactly Morgan got there in the first place.

o0o

The silence was only broken by the hurried scattered sounds of shuffling and faint clinking.

"What're these, Ray?"

Harry looked over to her holding a bag of metallic marbles. "Oh, I forgot about these." He pulled one out of the canvass bag. It was wrapped in foam to keep it from banging into other marbles in the bag. The part visible was black and metallic, about the size of a large marble. "Mac made it for me a couple years ago. Compressed magnesium."

"Sounds like you could have fun with it."

"Meh. It's a big of overkill but the biggest problem was the time delay Mac built into it. It was practical. Sure I got out of harm's way, but so did the vamps."

"Fuse delay?"
"Yup."

"Why don't you make it voice activated?"

Harry looked at her with wide eyes. "I can't believe I didn't think of that."

"You're a wizard, right? So mumbo jumbo something up already."

Harry waved his wand and a quick spell later the marble was primed.

"What the activation word?" Morgan said.

"Phrase. Here," Harry wrote it on a piece of paper. "First time said means instant activation."

Morgan read it and laughed. "I love it."

They pair rushed to finish packing as many weapons and things they might need into a duffle as fast as they could.

It was sundown.

Harry only had a short time before he was to meet Katherine and he really, really didn't want to be late.

Morgan zipped up the bag and threw it over her shoulder. Quickly throwing her hair back up in its usual ponytail, she met Harry's eyes.

"Ready?" was all he asked.

She gave a jerk of her head as a nod. She was ready to leave sure. Ready to face what was to come? Well that was a whole new matter. But she made herself. She wasn't about to leave Ray to his fate not now at any rate. It was easy for her to understand the basic need he needed to face these vampires but she was worried. Worried about what he was going to do. He could very well be about to explode for all she knew. A ticking time bomb. These vampires are the reason he is the way he is, the reason he is what he so desperately doesn't want to be. And to be about to face that reason up close and so very personal, well like that dumb saying if she were in his shoes.

She didn't tell him about the call to Sirius. She wasn't planning on it either. He didn't need to be thinking about that part of his life right now and to be frank it was a part that would never fully be anything else then a close acquaintance. Sirius understood that and that was why he came to her for help. He couldn't do anything but he did the next best thing by telling her his suspicions.

She wouldn't lie and say she was okay with everything. No she wasn't and when she thought too long about it, yes that ugly green monster reared its great head and forced the frustrated feeling on her. Ray had someone out there, someone unconditional and so very trusting and willing to do unspeakable things for him.

God it made her miss the normal life. The hugs her mother would give her.

She even remembered Thomas Doomas, her last boyfriend. She had been a slayer for just over a year when she met this great guy. They go along. He made her laugh. Then he had to play macho and tail her on a vamp raid and got turned for his troubles. She'd had to stake him, a feeling she hadn't wanted to remember ever again. Not to do that to someone she cared about.

She'd like to think she had a stable person in Ray but she couldn't fool herself for long. Her and Ray weren't close by any means. Sure they had the whole close companion thing going on but they weren't great friends – they were great fighters. They could read each other when in a fight but when it came down to it, they couldn't have what everyone else had.

She shook her head and tied her hair back up in a tight ponytail.

Looking back up at Ray, he reached for her hand and she braced herself for that horrible feeling of apparition.

They were gone with the sharp sound of the crack of a whip leaving the room ringing in silence.

Empty.

o0o

They landed in a dark street. Barren and quiet.

The houses and buildings on the street were dark, empty, and decrepit. Roadside lights burnt out, all but one that blinked rapidly and buzzed with such noise in the quiet. The street looked like a dump. Wherever Morgan was, the place had a run down, old feeling.

Harry did a quick survey. There was nothing, nothing in their immediate surroundings.

His eyes landed at the opening of an alleyway just ten steps to his front. It was swallowed up in the dark; one could almost walk right by and not know there was a back alley there. But Harry knew it was there, knew it and despised it. For this was the same alley he had ran down when he was a child, hiding. Only to be attacked. No, Harry never in a million years thought he would take that particular walk again.

He wasn't looking forward to it.

"What're you thinking Ray?" whispered his partner. Morgan stood, body facing him but she too was staring down in the direction he was.

Continuing to stare to his destination he addressed the unobtrusive slayer beside him.

"Take to the roofs, Morgan. I'll walk in alone. Jump down when it gets too hot."

A simple nod from her and she trotted silently across the street. When she reached the nearest building she nimbly started climbing up using anything and everything to make her way to the roof.

Harry closed his eyes and breathed in deeply through his nose. This was it; there was no turning back now.

He shook himself and berated his morose thoughts. No, if they wanted him, they got him.

They made him this way and he was going to show them exceedingly just what they made.

Opening his eyes he made his way towards the alley without a second thought. They weren't down there, not yet. His heart pumped just a little faster with ever step he took.

He entered the opening of the alley and took a good fifteen steps into it.

That was when he stopped.

That was when he waited.

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Closing his eyes he concentrated with all of his senses. The smell, the feel, the taste of the dusty air and most importantly the sound.

There was no sound. It was dead quiet other than a few oofs and poofs from the building down the street. The tenants in the buildings were quiet. Harry hoped they were sleeping and didn't do a foolish thing like invite a vamp inside to get out of the cold.

The small rush of a shiver ran up his spine.

A warm breeze of wind flowed down around him.

There.

Harry grabbed his knife and whipped around letting it go in the blink of an eye.

The sliver glint of the dagger flew through the night. A half a second later it came to an abrupt halt.

Long pale fingers closed around the hilt. An arm bent at an odd angle. The blade had stopped inches from the heart.

Harry's eyes travelled up the arms to the white smirking face of Edmund Crowfield. The tips of two fangs were just noticeable in the pale light.

"Nice try," he whispered at Harry. A whisper it was but it carried through the stillness of the night nonetheless.

Harry clenched his jaw, ready for what was to come.

Edmund slowly lowered his arms, eyes never leaving Harry's own.

"Ah, Harry," It was a new voice. The illustrious voice of Katherine Potter.

The click-clack of her heels on the cobblestones echoed down the alley. She walked up stopping beside her companion. Running her hand down Edmund's arms, she came to a stop at his hand and took the dagger still clenched there.

"So good of you to join us." She smiled looking back at Harry.

Harry stayed silent. Hundreds of possibilities of how this could end ran through his head. Clenching his fists, Harry steeled himself for the inevitable fight.

He looked Katherine Potter dead straight in her violet eyes.

In that instant her smile grew wider and his vision fussed around the edges. He could feel her almost instantly pushing.

He braced his feet and slammed every mental defence he could think of at her.

Still she smiled.

Handing his dagger back to the waiting hand of Edmund she took slow deliberate steps closer to Harry.

"You shouldn't fight it." Her voice rang sweet whispers through his mind. Flowers. Nice. Let me in.

Still Harry kept his wall in place.

He wasn't about to budge. Even as she moved closer, ever so closer to him, as if her physical presence aided her mental one.

Harry thought this quite accurate, for with every step she took the pressure on his mind doubled in magnitude.

"I could make all this go away Harry." She was speaking in his mind.

She stopped right in front of him now, head tilted to the side, eyes sparkling.

"No," Harry managed between clenched teeth. His voice wasn't strong and his clenched hands at his side were starting to shake.

Katherine straightened out then, never breaking eye contact. Chin dipped down, a vicious glare deformed her flawless features.

"Do not fight me, Harry. You'll only make this harder on yourself."

A sudden snap filled his head and a deep hollow crack ran up his defence.

His vision went completely fuzzy until Katherine's face was nothing but a blur.

"You see I don't really want to hurt you Harry, but I will if you force my hand."

Harry held tight as she continued her assault on his mind. He was going to let up and he wasn't going to let her in.

"I need you, Harry."

Her voice kept whispering through his mind but he was only listening with half an ear. His concentration solely on keeping her out.

"I know you don't think we made you what you are just to see what would happen, and you're right, we didn't." Her soft voice was getting louder, angrier.

"So just let me in, Harry! And I can show you a new way of living!"

Another great crack ran up his defences.

She was slipping through fast and slick.

Harry reacted and did the thing he should have done in the first place.

He did what he does best.

He went on the offence and pushed back.

His wall came down in a rain of rocks and rubble.

o0o

When the dust cleared he was standing in large meadow.

Harry stumbled and took a few much needed breathes before looking around. The grass was knee high and yellowed. The sky clear; amazingly blue. The sun shined down warm and tingly. A soft cool breeze rustled the tall grass.

Harry frowned. What the hell just happened? He didn't die he knew that much. This wasn't exactly his idea of Heaven... or Hell for that matter.

A tinkling, musical laugh broke through the silence and Harry spun in the direction it came from.

He saw a large ancient looking tree in the middle of the meadow type field he was standing in.

The tree was alive, lush healthy green leaves bloomed out of every possible growing point on the wide reaching branches.

Just then another laugh echoed across the field, this time deep and baritone. Harry didn't have time to puzzle where exactly the sounds were coming from. Somebody came running from the other side of the giant tree trunk.

It was a girl, Harry realised dressed in one of those old fashioned peasant-like dresses, her dark hair was pinned back and curled tightly. Her tinkling laughed let loose again and her head turned to face Harry as she ran forward again.

The woman's face was young, quite plain, cheeks flushed with happiness, eyes dancing with mirth.

With a startled yell Harry stumbled back.

It was her. Katherine Potter.

The vampire didn't break into Harry's mind, he broke into hers.

The light golden hue of the memory darkened at a rapid pace. Lightning suddenly bloomed across the sky, thunder cracked drowning out all else. The vision of Katherine blinked out with the flash of lightning and when Harry looked up he saw, that along with the flash, the tree was dead. A massive ensemble of dried, cracked and blackened wood.

Another flash.

A harbour. Ships with sails on them. A young woman and two young men embracing in friendship. One horse waiting at the docks, three more loaded with packs and cargo, two more brought riding horses brought down on a ramp from the ship. The three mount up and the shorter man took the reins of the three pack animals and started the group away from the ships, moving toward the rest of the city.

Another flash.

A forest. Mountains around them. A valley. The trio still on horseback. Dirtier. They've been moving for days if not weeks. Snow on the peaks. They have their cloaks around them. Summer or early fall. It is growing twilight. They stop.

"This would be so much easier and faster if we could use our carpets to fly," groused the taller man.

"True," agreed the woman. "But you know we are obligated to keep the statute of secrecy. We swore an oath upon graduation. So no magic unless absolutely necessary while travelling the non magical lands."

"Look at it this way, Edmund," the shorter man said while putting a feedbag on his horse. "We haven't spent this much time together since Hogwarts three years ago. We'll be near a magical village in another week, then two more after that and we'll be in Venice. We'll sail home from there."

"I still say we should have sailed there to begin with," Edmund complained while using his wand to start a campfire.

"Edmund! Not before I've checked the area for non-magicals!" Katherine admonished.

"So we good?"

"Area's secure," Katherine finished incanting. "Etienne, your turn to get dinner."

"As you wish, Katherine. Accio rabbit!"

Another flash.

Darkness. Night. Partial moon in the distance. Horses tied to trees seem skittish.

"Hssst. Katherine, Edmund, wake up. Something's breached our wards."

"Another traveler?" asked Katherine, slipping her cloak around her shoulders.

"Possibly. The wards indicated five people, but no animals."

"Locals?" Edmund inquired.

"What would locals be doing traveling in the middle of the night?" Katherine responded. "Expect trouble."

"Good advice," came a gravely voice that just as quick turned into two hands around Edmund's throat and a mouth attached to his neck.

"Aaaarrgh!" he shouted for a moment, arching his back before another set of arms restrained him.

"Vampires!" Katherine shouted.

"Aaaarrrggghhh!!"

Katherine reached for her wand, brandishing it in front of her as she moved backwards to the horses who were in turn bucking from the nocturnal threat. She noticed from the limited light there were two vampires on each of her friends. Oh, Edmund… Etienne. But where was the….

"Boo, my lady," came a saccharine voice behind her.

She turned, a spell on her lip.

"You don't want to fight me," he gazed at her.

"Yes I do," she managed. What was that damnable spell to drive off vampires? Lumos? No…

"No you don't," he purred, his gaze never wavering.

"I… I…" she stammered.

"Come to me, lovely."

She stepped closer to him. He gently pushed her hand down with the wand in it.

"All will be well in a few moments, my lovely."

He stepped in front of her, his incisors lengthening.

He bit.

Another flash.

Darkness. Awareness. Others around.

"… but will she be able to help us, Marcus?"

"She is strong, Vassey. She will do as I command. As will the other two. It was my will that turned them."

"They must be of some nobility," said a new voice. "They are in much better shape than the half-starved peasants around here."

"Aye, I think the same," Marcus replied. "It will make her role easier to lure men away from their homes. Ah, you're awake, madam."

"Who are you? Where…"

"I am Marcus Aerilies, your master. I turned you and by right of conquest you are mine. As are your two companions."

"I'm a vampire?" nervous was her voice.

"Indeed."

"Why?"

"Three question," he stated.

"I don't understand."

"I give you leave to ask three questions and then it is time to learn your new role. There is much to do."

"Just command her, Marcus," whined a new voice.

"She is the first woman I've turned, Dominic. A little patience is called for." He turned back to an undead Katherine.

"Why was I turned and not killed outright?" Katherine said with determination.

"Ah, the ever elusive 'why', only there is a 'why' in this story. A pack of werewolves has our scent. The last full moon resulted in the destruction of five of the brethren here. We need to augment our strength to resist them and ultimately destroy them before they do us."

"How did you get through the wards?"

"Actually, I wasn't aware you had wards. You must have acquired them from a fairly simple wizard then. Or these living amulets we have that mask our undead signage actually do the trick on wards as well. We made a deal with a witch to gain these amulets, but apparently werewolves are not fooled by them during the full moon. Come now, you have one more question."

"Did you know I was a witch when you attacked?"

"…no… but I am still your master. You will do my bidding."

"I think not! Reducto! Diffindo!"

"Katherine?"

"Edmund, Etienne! Destroy these vampires! Now!"

Another flash.

Harry sucked in a deep breath and opened his eyes to find himself looking directly at present day Katherine.

"You really shouldn't have done that." She punched him hard in the face.

The world went white.

o0o

Harry's vision brought him back to the hazy present.

His ears were still ringing as he blinked the blurriness out of his eyes. His mind was a void of numbness. His nose was a mess and the blood had run down to his chin.

He had watched Katherine Potter's memories, her human memories.

He shook his head, black hair falling into his eyes. It was a lot to take in. He didn't want to anyway. Seeing Katherine as a human, oddly enough sparked a note inside of him that unwillingly made him see her as, well, humanized. It was not something that he could stomach, not given the present state of things; it gave him hesitance. And when one got right down to it, in a fight, when one hesitated it got them killed.

When his vision cleared, he watched as Katherine ripped away from him with a snarl knowing she too got caught in her memories as well.

The other two were staring at her as well, not quite sure what had just occurred and not quite sure what to do.

It was Edmund that went forward towards Katherine who was standing stock still, her back facing everyone, eyes skittering.

Etienne on the other hand had no qualms about coming forward and roughly backhanding a still reeling Harry sending him sprawling.

Harry rolled and shot to his feet ready, a stake in his hand and determination in his eyes.

But has it turns out, this was the moment Morgan decided to make her presence known.

She leaped down from her perch on the roof to the left of Harry landing in a crouch just beside him.

She straightened out and sent a sweet smile Etienne's way before lashing out quick as a snake and punching him squarely in the jaw.

Harry wasted no time.

Edmund headed straight for him so Harry headed for him meeting him halfway with a kick to the chest.

o0o

Morgan went up. The buildings were old and close together. Fire traps. Tenements. Easy to move from one to another. There were only a couple houses at the block corners, not in the direction she was heading.

"Looks like we got a runner, mates," said a voice roughly 20 feet from her as she made it to the rooftop.

"Kinda cute. Reckon she's a screamer?" said a second voice.

Oh good. Opposition.

"Oh, I'm sure she's a screamer. All girls are," replied the first voice with assurance.

Ah. Dumb opposition.

"Oh goodness me, what is ever to happen being around these two strong vampires," Morgan started, putting her bag down and reaching inside for some equalization tools.

"Five vampires, pretty lady. This won't take too long. Cormer, your turn."

"Right. One dead woman coming up."

A blond vampire roughly her own age when he died advanced on her. "Come here, pretty," he grinned, fang visible.

"Okay. Say, have you ever heard what kind of dinners vampires don't like?" she met he halfway.

He looked at her neck trying to figure which side looked more appealing. "No. What kind of dinner?" Ah, the right side. Definitely.

"A stake dinner," she quipped, ramming a stake into his dead heart. He didn't dust out but instead went down for the count for the last time.

"Oh crap, she's a…" started voice #1 but before he could finish it was dusted.

"Say it, say it," snarled Morgan, staking another vamp. Two left.

"Slayer?" offered a third voice who was looking to flee.

"Right in one," Morgan commended him right before flinging a stake into his back, dusting him as well.

"Please don't kill me," whimpered the final voice; a man in his early 20's when he was turned. Starting to bald, he wore a cap.

"Okay."

"Really?"

"No." Stab.

Morgan went back to the first vamp. Freshly turned, his skin and bones hadn't dried out yet. She reached in her bag and pulled out a vial of holy water and poured it on the body, then recited the Lord's prayer.

Finished, she moved to the alley where Ray had gone to.

o0o

Morgan had watched everything from the rooftops.

She figured the vampires should have spotted her by now but then again maybe they did and just didn't let her know they knew.

She shook her head; either way it was about time she joined the fight.

Not much of a fight going on in the first place. She noticed Ray was all caught up in the freaky mind crap with the female vampire and she really didn't want to jump down when that was going on. No use fighting one against two, well not that two against three was any better but she deduced it was a whole lot better to have Ray in the fight then just her.

Her eyes stared down at the scene below her. Intensity spiked. She was alert and she wasn't going to let anything slip by her. Blood pumped through her veins; excitement and adrenaline made her head buzz.

Just then the female let loose a snarl and stumbled away from Ray.

Alright she thought. Time to party.

She got up and jumped down the two story roof and landed beside Ray.

Morgan smiled at the vampire before her and lashed out. The thrill of satisfaction hummed in her as she hit him squarely in the jaw.

She didn't let the upper hand she had gained from charging forward lapse. The tall dude vampire took one on the chin, leaving the shorter vamp dude in the fight. The female was a little ways back.

Morgan pulled out an oak stake and attacked, a couple of swipes. Etienne smiled and pulled out a knife and parried her attack, blow for blow. He'd been in knife fights over the centuries. It was a fun activity, he recalled. Just before he feasted on the attacker. It certainly added a bit of spice to the blood. Seeing the stalemate, she pulled a second stake and knocked his knife away.

Etienne, enjoying himself, let his knife go and just as quickly punched her in the chest; she went flying back into a brick wall.

Harry jumped into the fray. He kicked Etienne back away from Morgan. She worked at getting the buzzing out of her head.

"Dayshadow," he greeted with a grin. Etienne pitted his gaze against Harry.

Harry pulled his wand. "Santo hydro!" he shouted.

Water sprayed from the wand tip, burning Etienne. Within seconds, the spray was finished.

"That the best you can do?" Etienne said, smoke hazing from his body, his concentration slipping to the point where he took on his classical vampire look. Canine mouth. Large bat-like ears. Hair receding. Large eyes. Your basic monster incarnate.

"I'll make sure to bring enough next time to finish the job." Harry knew this vamp had power to spare. That much holy water should have been like an acid bath, but here he was still kicking.

Etienne jumped the distance between them and started throwing punches. Harry parried with as much speed as he could muster.

Damn, this guy was fast. Yep, this wasn't his day.

Morgan, finally back to fighting form, reached for her steak. It was somewhere else in the alley. Dammit! What else did she have? What the? Mac?…

She grabbed the small weapon and a two by four and joined the fray.

Etienne's large clawed feet swung at Harry and missed as he jumped back out of the way.

"Yo, ugly!" Morgan demanded, swinging the beam against Etienne's back, snapping the wood, but doing what she hoped and getting his attention.

"Your turn is next, slayer," he hissed, turning towards her.

That was all she needed. With speed surprising even herself she punched Etienne directly in the mouth. Not a glancing punch on the side of the mouth, a blow that went into his large maw.

He gagged.

She punched him in the solar plexus and extracted her now empty hand before he started sucking in air.

He swiped at her and missed as she jumped back to her partner, Ray.

Etienne looked at them and hissed, his vampire features even more pronounced. "You are so dead, slayer!"

"I am? Do I get something to say before you kill me?"

"I won't help you."

"That remains to be seen," grinned Morgan. "Bite me, you big piece of crap."

Nothing happened other than Etienne coming closer. "And you kiss your parents with that mouth?"

Harry put his wand down. "I think what she meant to say was, 'Bite me, you bloody piece of crap!'"

"Heh, heh, that's the general idea. You and… what's goi… aaaarrrrrggggghhhhh!!!"

The magnesium marble exploded inside the vampire, flash frying him from the inside out.

The two friends looked on appreciation of Mac's handiwork. He was such a good weapons-smith. If only he'd made three of them for them.

As one, they turned their attention from the burning mass of bones and ash to the two remaining vamps.

o0o

"Ah, the slayer," she purred looking the girl up and down. "So good of you to join us."

It was perturbing to see she didn't even flinch as her lifelong partner turned into a mass of wreaking, burning debris, bones, and ash.

Morgan sent her the same sweet smile. "Good to finally meet you as well," she replied.

"I assure you the pleasures all mine," Katherine smiled back before blurring into motion. Her hand snatched out and took hold of Morgan's, she yanked the arm pulling Morgan close and roughly head butted her. As Morgan let out a pained, surprised grunt from the contact, Katherine's other hand took hold of the back of her neck and pulling her down, kneed her in the face with enough force to send her sprawling on the cold cement ground.

Katherine didn't spare the slayer a second glance she moved forward and lashed out grabbing a hold of Harry's neck.

He let out a surprised choke. Merlin he didn't even see her move.

"Alright," she said voice like a poison. "I grow tired of this," she hissed at Harry. "I'll give you a choice and you better damn well make the right one." Her face was close to his, he could feel the cold radiating off her ancient skin.

The vice like grip around his throat left no room for argument. He could vaguely hear the sound of Morgan and Edmund fighting through the great rush of blood pounding in his ears.

He had both hands gripping Katherine's arm. He was really getting sick of this particular situation he kept finding himself in.

Having no choice at the present but to listen to what she had to say to him he gave a quick jerk of his assent.

"Good boy," she cooed loosening her deadly grip. "Now, I want you to leave Hogwarts. That is what I want you to do, but let's be honest shall we, and I can see in your eyes you're going to say no. So in light of this lovely little fact here's some incentive." She let go of him.

Harry stumbled back rubbing his throat and sending a wary glance at the vampire.

Katherine leaned her weight on one foot and examined her nails.

"We both know how much sway I have over all those idiots who call themselves vampires." She continued to examine her perfect fingernails. "So let's just say that if you were to leave Hogwarts and never go back." She glanced up then, coy and slight pucker to her lips. "That you along with every other vampire here never so much as touches the school."

She fell silent watching, waiting.

Harry blinked.

"That's bull," he stated letting out a dark chuckle.

Katherine raised an eyebrow at him.

But Harry was done with this he had heard enough. He took two steps and jumped at her. He caught her in her midriff and sent them both sprawling to the ground. Being that he had just grabbed the element of surprise he just as easily grabbed the upper hand.

He had her pinned underneath him and sent shot after powerfully shot to her face.

The force of his blows was enough to draw blood, which sent a wave of unadulterated satisfaction through his veins.

That satisfaction was short lived though. Katherine had brought up her leg and slipped it around Harry's head.

Harry felt that moment of surprise before the leg jerked him back and onto the ground.

Katherine slipped back onto her feet easily and kicked him harshly in the stomach send the breath from his lungs.

"I can and will raze that school to the ground, Dayshadow!" she hissed at him as he coughed sending another great kick to his stomach.

"Screw you!" Harry bit back. "You're not touching that school!"

Not Hogwarts. He wasn't going to trust her word on this. As soon as he left the school it would be open season. He couldn't do that.

"That's right," she laughed as Harry stood covering his stomach.

Harry just barely blocked the heavy punch she sent his way. He sent one her way but she blocked it just as easily.

"Do as we say and we won't," she growled at him but before she could continue Harry took a step forward and head butted her making them both take hasty steps away from each other.

Harry grabbed his head and groaned. Damn that hurt. That felt like head butting stone wall for Merlin's sake.

Katherine shook out her head and growled deep within her throat. When she looked back at him her eyes were tinted red.

"What makes you think I'm just going to trust you, huh?" Harry bit out at her as they circled each other. "I'm not playing into your games you blood sucking bitch."

They continued circling each other matching step for step.

"Oh you will, Harry Potter," she sneered at him then lunged.

What happened next would always be a haze of blurry moments to Harry. Katherine was a dangerous snake and she moved like one too. Harry was immediately put on the defence. And no matter how hard he fought back he couldn't get the upper hand. She knew his every move even before he knew it himself.

She broke through his defence sending a well-aimed blow to his left side, cracking three of his ribs.

The shock in that split second opened him up wider and she took advantage. A sharp blow bruised his kidneys, another his spine and another his diaphragm for good measure.

One solid blow right to his temple sent him reeling. His senses went fuzzy but he didn't have the time to get his ducks in a row just then for his attacker didn't let up for a second.

"The choice is yours, Dayshadow. Leave the school and never return and we in turn won't touch it. Of that you have my word," she whispered. "But stay and we will see it destroyed. And know this; if you so much as step one foot in that school we will know and this arrangement is void and Hogwarts is up for grabs."

Harry sent his elbow up and out and with luck it hit her squarely just above the cheekbone. It was enough to send her back and out of his face for a second.

But that second wasn't nearly long enough; she came back with roundhouse kick to his head. The heel of her shoe cutting deep along his cheek.

He hit the ground, his hands just barely catching his fall. Merlin he couldn't concentrate. His body couldn't keep up with the damage that was being inflicted upon it. He couldn't heal fast enough with all the damage she kept inflicting.

All that was running through his head was this choice he had to make. This deal.

Stay at Hogwarts and he would bring a war right to its front door step.

Leave Hogwarts and it would be safe.

About as safe as Katherine's word.

Either way neither looked like the better choice in his books and he didn't know what to do. One thing he did know for sure, the people at Hogwarts did not deserve to be pulled into his war he wouldn't do that and he wouldn't ask that.

He could feel blood rushing from his face. The cut on his cheek obviously worse then was he had originally thought.

He tried to move but as far as he got was moving his outstretched arm closer to himself.

The ringing of his ears was broken then. By something even worse.

It was a scream. A horrible, ear splitting scream that came from Morgan's mouth.

With great effort Harry got up on his hands and knees. He didn't get as far as he would have liked for when he got up, all his weight now on his knees, all his effort got him a knee right to his face.

o0o

"Ray!" Morgan yelled, voice cracking, as she struggled against the hold the vampire had on her.

She struggled and deep down she knew she was on the verge of panicking. She couldn't do anything, she was trapped and she knew and well, she did not like that feeling one bit.

Her ribs, being already cracked from a previous hit, made her breathing come in short gasps. It was not helping her near panic at the moment.

She watched as that bitch got another solid kick to Ray's face.

No, no, no, no!

She couldn't watch this she had to do something.

Struggling against the hold on her with new vigour, she finally managed to get a lucky hit on the disgusting guy. She threw her head back right when she had both feet off the ground leaving the vampire to momentarily hold her entire weight up. The back of her head hit his face was a distinct crunch. Out of more surprise than pain he let her go.

Not wasting a moment Morgan scrambled away, intent on getting to Ray.

She could still see him and he needed help, he was on the ground, twenty feet from her own position, Katherine standing over him back to Morgan.

It was perfect. Too perfect an opportunity to pass up in her wise opinion. As Morgan got to her feet she grabbed the stray stake not two feet from her.

She pushed all the pain coursing through her body to the back of her mind and starting running full out towards her target.

Five feet from Katherine Potter she leaped into the air.

Two feet from the vampire something went wrong.

She was ripped away in mid air and thrown backwards with and invisible force.

She had forgotten about the other.

Morgan hit the ground hard and rolled into it to stop most of the damage. She kept rolling until she was slowed down enough to stop. But when she did she wished she hadn't. She was dizzy and damn it, she hurt everywhere. Getting up on her hands and knees, she had to resist the urge to hurl.

God she couldn't focus. Damn Creepy Crow guy sure knew how to kick a girl's ass.

The sharp pain of someone grabbing her hair and ripping her head back brought her back to clarity.

Cold breath of the vampire ghosted her ear and sent painful prickles all over her broken body. The vampire was directly behind her again so she didn't have to see his despised face but what she could see was right in front of her. She wanted to close her eyes but she was stronger than that.

Katherine Potter had turned around, she had a deadly look in her fiery violet eyes but Morgan's eyes were glued to the equally broken form of Ray.

"Get up," she whispered hoarsely.

"Shhhhh." It was Edmund.

The whisper sent her mind on the brink.

Ray moved, only a little but it was enough.

Crystalline tears pooled into her eyes.

"Ray! Get up!" her voice betrayed her pleading she knew.

Morgan let out a grunt as Edmund pulled at her hair roughly sending her closer to his body behind her. A cold hand snaked around her throat, cutting off her voice box effectively.

The last thing she saw was a ghastly smile on Katherine's face before she turned back around and knelt next to the struggling form of Harry.

The last thing she felt was the piercing fangs digging into her neck.

Kelly Morgan screamed.

o0o

Pain exploded all around him, wiring his senses to the point of no recognition.

"Be grateful," her sultry voice sang into his ears. Whispers of sweet nothings. The only thing he was able to focus on and he hated himself for it. "That we don't just kill you now!"

A vicious snap and he was sent sprawling ten feet across the barren desolate cracked pavement of the back alley.

His head hit the pavement hard and he saw stars for one brief glorious moment. He rolled onto his stomach and attempted to pull himself up. But to no avail. He was weak, drained. He rested his forehead on the cold cruel pavement in defeat. Gasping for breath, clouded eyes shut tight in a vain attempt to block out the pain.

'There's nothing wrong with me!'

His own voice danced in his head. It was said with such conviction that he almost believed himself for a moment. Almost.

'I'm sorry.'

"I'm giving you a choice, Harry Potter," that same voice sang, stabbing through the fog.

Blood dripped out from his lips as he let out a choking cough. Why was he fighting? Fighting for people that didn't care if he lived? After all he was a freak, looked at with fear and curiosity. So why was he protected them?

'Thank you... for saving me.'

This voice was not his own. His head was cloudy and muggy, he couldn't think straight. Images were running scattered through his vision.

The small red headed girl with a great power that both scared and enlightened her, sitting up in a crisp hospital bed... thanking him.

'I owe you my thanks young man.'

A flash of the redhead's mother played across his vision. He remembered the hug, the glistening gratitude in her eyes. He had saved her daughter and for that she could care less about what he was.

'Take care kid.'

The deep rumble of the old man's voice. The man with the hard cold face but kind eyes, gripping his shoulder and looked him in the eyes with concern. He didn't want to see him dead anytime soon.

'I remember a boy walking into my classroom willing to give me a chance, least I can do is give that boy the same chance.'

Sirius Black's face came into view, a brief flash but he still saw the man looking at him with so much sincerity that he smiled. Actually smiled.

He couldn't remember the last time he did that.

His fingers dug into the ground. Is this what it felt like to die? No... It couldn't be.

'If you're going to do this... we do this together. Besides' she smiled that crooked grin of hers. 'You need the backup.' A playful punch to the shoulder made him grin.

Where was Morgan? He heard her scream. Was she dead?

He opened his eyes and stared trying his damnedest to focus on something, anything at that moment.

"It is your decision now, Dayshadow." Again that voice cut through all his senses. That power and beauty.

But he couldn't.

No, he wouldn't.

With a low growl that rumbled deep his from his chest, he pushed himself up onto his knees. He looked up at the entity that stood above him.

If anything, he was not a coward.

Her dark hair flowed freely in loose waves down your shoulders. That alluring smirk on her flawless features. She stared, stared right into his very soul.

With the strength he didn't think he possessed at that crunching moment, he forced himself to stand up and face her. Eye to eye.

So he stared right back into those deep violet eyes and he knew, even as he couldn't bear to rip his eyes away that she knew what his answer was going to be even before he voiced it himself.

"Alright," he said voice deep and cracked holding an almost defeated air to it, "we have a deal."

Katherine Potter's laughter pierced through the dead night. A laughter that could wake the dead and slaughter the living to insanity.

And Harry Potter knew he had played right into her hands again.

o0o

He fell hard on his knees stumbling as he reached her.

She was pale, really pale. Dark circles under her eyes, lips slightly blue. Gods she looked... she looked...

No, no, no, no.

"Morgan?" it was a cracked whisper. He moved his hand forward with bated breath to check the pulse.

He hissed out loud when he noticed the ghastly bite mark there. Moving her head gently he pressed his fingers to the unmarked side of her neck.

Pause.

Harry didn't breath.

There!

It was faint and sporadic but her pulse was there.

A flutter of wings and a distinct clang to his left sent a new wave of adrenaline through his veins.

A crow had landed on the dumpster there.

It stared at him through glassy beady eyes. For a second Harry couldn't move. The thing shuffled its feet and let out a hair raising caw.

That did it. Harry let out a shaky breath and without pause scooped up the slayer, stood up and turning into it, apparated away.

He landed in the middle of the parking lot. It was the parking lot of the local Hospital. Not the nicest looking of heath care facilities but it was going to have to do. He ran forward when he spotted the entrance.

Turning sideways to slip through the too slow automatic doors, he rushed into the main lobby were a few people sat in various chairs waiting.

"I need a Doctor!" he yelled when the receptionist didn't look up when he entered.

The lady looked up at his voice eyes widening at the sight of a bloody girl in the arms of an equally bloody boy.

The next few minutes rushed by with sounds and flurry of movements.

Questions were flying left right and centre. Before Harry knew it he was directed to lay Morgan on a gurney.

He set her down gently and was immediately pushed out of the way by the many white coats.

"Yes sir. A car hit us. We were running away from a dog."

Something unintelligible to him mixed with other questions. He focused on Morgan. They were working on her. Pulse, IV, drip lines.

"No sir. The car didn't stop to render aid. And my sister was bitten by the dog. A pit bull if I'm not mistaken. Yes sir, my ribs are pretty sore and it hurts to breathe now and then, but just look after my sister, okay."

They started to take her away.

Harry reached into his fanny pack and withdrew a vial. "Please, doctor, pour this vial into her bite marks on the neck."

"Son, we use sterile equipment here."

"I know that, sir. But it's holy water. We're religious and our beliefs are pretty strict. You can use all the methods you need to in order to save her, use as many antibiotics as you need even, but we require holy water sprinkling over any wound first, and if possible, could you recite the Lord's prayer? I'm sure she will hear it and be strengthened by it."

"I understand the importance of faith, son," replied the doctor, absently caressing his holy cross necklace. "I will make sure it gets done."

The last thing he saw was of her being rushed through the double doors to the ER surrounded by people.

The receptionist behind the counter and a doctor approached him.

They talked and asked more questions that Harry didn't remember. He answered on autopilot, refused to be treated and wouldn't go further than that. He needed to contact Mac.

The doctor had left and the receptionist lady was giving him an odd look. She told him to sit tight she needed to go grab some papers that he needed to fill out.

She turned her back for a second and when she turned back around he was gone.

o0o

I know I'm a horrible person. Don't worry though it shouldn't take that long for the next chappie.

Anyways please review! I love hearing your thoughts :)

Peace.