Heart's Desire

Draco really did like his king cobra form.

He liked it even more now, considering that he was currently approaching a rather agitated-looking griffin.

Griffin. There was something about that he just had to remember! But what was it?

He glanced up at it, from his vantage point in the thick grass, and looked closer at it. At its head, specifically.

Draco would have fallen over from shock at his own stupidity- except he was already on the ground.

Griffin! Of course!

Hermione! he called in mindspeak. Get down here!

What are you talking about? Is it safe? Hermione fretted.

Of course it's safe! Draco "yelled". You can talk to this thing, remember?

There was a pause.

Oh yes.

Draco sighed mentally as he watched the eagle glide down from the tree. Risked my life, nearly got eaten by a griffin, and for what? Nothing, that's what.

Shut up, Malfoy, intruded another voice into his mind.

You shut up, Weasley. Who asked you?

The griffin's head whipped around as the eagle landed upon a nearby branch with a rustle. Both eyed each other suspiciously with narrowed bird-of-prey eyes.

Hermione resumed human form again, startling the griffin; it leapt agilely back a pace, spreading its clawed front legs and crouching defensively.

I won't hurt you, Hermione said tentatively in Accipitongue.

Ach, and how do ah know that? the griffin retorted, revealing a voice heavy with... a Scottish accent, of all things. Ah know aboot all yeer friends perched up in the trees. They're jist waitin' for yeer signal tae finish me off, are they no'? His eyes flicked around madly- if Hermione hadn't known better, she'd would've labeled him as paranoid.

Then again, why couldn't an animal be paranoid? They had feelings too, after all.

Wait a minute.

My friends? Hermione said, trying to keep up a facade of ignorance.

Aye. The big snake in the grass that was watchin' me. Those two humans sittin' up in that tree over there, pretty as you please. Go ahead, little lass, try and attack me! Ye'll regret it! However, it was clear from the griffin's eyes that he deperately preferred flight to fight.

What an odd griffin. I thought they liked to fight? Hermione thought.

We won't hurt you, she repeated with a touch of impatience. We're all humans. Draco is in snake form, the two humans are Harry and Ron. I'm Hermione. Your name?

The griffin shot a glance at the coiling snake, then looked back at Hermione. He wasn't a stupid beast; he knew that if the humans had wanted to attack, they would have done so already, while they thought him unaware.

Mah name? Kryn. Ah hated it, always have, told mah mother every chance Ah got. It's too girly, Ah said. The other males in th'wing made fun o' me incessantly. But nae, she jist wouldnae change it. Yeer poor dead auntie was named Kryn, she said, and now ye have her name she'll live on through ye. But ma, Ah said, Ah dinnae want auntie Kryn tae live on through me, for the love of the Silver Goddess, why cannae ye have a wee girlie griffin and give her that name? Ye could have named me Skae or something, Ah dinnae care if Auntie was a braw fighter and a bonny griffin lass, Ah dinnae need her fightin' spirit, Ah need a masculine name!

Hermione could tell that this griffin- this Kryn- was more high-strung than an inbred thoroughbred horse. Talkative too; she was still fighting to string together his barrage of words into something coherent.

What on earth is it talking about? Harry asked bemusedly. It hasn't shut its beak for the past thirty seconds.

He's complaining about his name, Hermione said wryly to the others. Evidently his name is too feminine.

Harry, Draco, and Ron were flabbergasted. None of them ventured to speak again.

But what are you doing here, er... Kryn? Hermione asked. I thought griffins lived in Greece? And what is a wing?

A wing? 'Tis a group of griffins tied together by friendship and family bonds. And aye, the majority of the griffins do live in... Greece, as ye humans call it, but mah wing moved north. We live far frae here, actually, on an island far north across the Wide Waters. Ah'm jist here for mah rite o' passage, Kryn finished, shifting his weight from one talon to the other. He looked distinctly uneasy.

Your rite of passage? Hermione queried.

Aye. Kryn was definitely uneasy now; he hung his head dejectedly. When we reach th' age o' twelve seasons, we are given a rite o' passage that we must complete before we are considered adult. Mine was tae come here and kill the Eclipse Serpent. 'Tis defiling the Silver Goddess shrine.

A shrine? The Silver Goddess? Hermione asked.

She has a secret name whom nae one but th' priests or those in prayer may speak. We call her Silver Goddess most often. She rides high in th' sky when the Bright Disc has gone doon.

Hermione realized he was talking about the moon. She has a shrine here?

We griffins ha' made many shrines to her. This one is being defiled bah th' Eclipse Serpent. He attacks her sometimes, in th' sky, and she goes dark then. But th' Silver Goddess always triumphs. Sometimes he carries his battle 'gainst her tae th' earth, and makes a hame o' her shrine, dirtying it wi' his presence. One may kill his earthly incarnation and banish him back tae th' sky, but he himself is undying. Kryn shifted. Ah don't think Ah kin do it... Ah haven't had enough training, Ah dinnae know how...

Hermione could see that Kryn was horribly afraid. Can't you go back? Couldn't you tell them you're not ready?

Kryn looked indignant- he flared his neck feathers outwards, the fur along his back bristling. Nae griffin runs from a rite o' passage tae complain that he wasn't ready! It would be a matter o' deepest shame for mah family and Ah! Better that Ah die honorably than turn tail and run like a coward!

But even though his words were noble, his eyes still held immense fear.

Just then, Harry's voice interjected into her thoughts. Just a moment, Hermione. Slow down and update the rest of us.

He has to undergo a rite of passage to become an adult in the eyes of his wing. He has to kill a snake that is living in one of the griffins' shrines. But he's not ready... the snake will kill him. Can't we help him?

Harry descended from the tree to stand beside Hermione, figuring it was safe to come down; Ron followed suit. Draco resumed human form, but remained where he was, leaning against a tree.

"Ask him where this shrine is," Harry said. "I mean, we should help him, but we don't have a lot of time..."

We can help you, Hermione said to Kryn.

The griffin looked uneasy. Ah must do this alone. 'Tis mah rite o' passage, not yourn.

Is there anything in the rules that says you can't have a companion? Hermione countered.

Kryn looked even more uncomfortable than before; he scuffed one of his front claws against the ground. It only says, "Th' griffin in question must wholly complete his task before he is considered adult..." it dinnae say he cannae have help. But still...

No one will know. Besides, you'll be hurt badly, or maybe even die, if you don't have help... Hermione protested. Not to insult your competence or anything...

Ah know. Kryn raised his eyes to hers. But elders from mah wing will be watching me. They're probably outside that cave right now, waitin' for me tae get there.

Where is this shrine? Hermione asked.

Over there, not tae far, Kryn responded, pointing his beak north. Ye cannae miss it. There is a gap in th' top that lets th' light o' th' Bright Disc and th' Silver Goddess in. Mah wing tells stories o' th' treasures that lie within; bright silver stones that shine wi' th' power o' th' Silver Goddess herself. They say th' stones have never felt th' cruel light o' the Bright Disc, that they have only ever felt th' touch o' the Silver Goddess, he added, almost reverently. Och, but Ah hear it's a braw treasure tae gaze upon.

Hermione felt her heart leap with excitement. Kryn was describing the moonstone!

The stones you speak of- we need one of them! Hermione said.

Kryn gave her a guarded look. Ye desire tae take a Goddess Stone?

She paused a moment; she could tell from Kryn's reaction that he might not allow this. We need it to help my friend here-

Kryn interruped wryly. Ye mean th' fren' that seems tae be havin' a wee bit o' trouble the noo?

Hermione looked back. What she saw nearly made her heart stop.

Draco was backed against a tree, watching numbly as pearly scales spread up his arms and hands. He returned her dumbfounded gaze with a touch of impatience. "Perhaps we could get moving now? I really do not have a good feeling about this, you know."

"All right, just keep your scales on," Harry muttered.

"I'd really rather not," came the smooth rejoinder.

Tell us exactly where the cave is. We'll go in through the hole in the top of the cave and meet you inside. We'll help you. No arguments, Hermione said firmly.

Kryn gave in. Who could argue with Hermione when she got into one of those moods?

* * * * *

Remus gave Sirius a triumphant look. "See? Nothing happened."

Sirius grumbled as he managed to finally extract himself from Remus's grip. "Yeah, whatever. Bad things could still happen, though."

Sirius's companion gave him a playful clout. It was light by Remus's standards, but it sent Sirius into the dirt. "I'm supposed to be the pessimist around here, not you."

Sirius raised himself from the ground with a groan. "I don't suppose they really need us, do they?"

Remus shook his head. "Dumbledore wouldn't send us if we weren't needed. There are a lot of Dark creatures out there. And most of them seem to have targeted them. Those creatures do need to be cleaned up a little, after all."

Sirius sighed. "It isn't Dumbledore's way to try and protect them from things he knows they're going to have to face eventually."

The werewolf shrugged. "All I can say is, I'm sure Dumbledore wants them to be alive to face those things eventually."

* * * * *

The two elders flanking the entrance to the shrine relaxed visibly when they beheld the form of Kryn moving steadily through the forest towards them.

"Ach, Cirryn, but 'tisn't it a relief tae see the young lad made it?" said the male to the female.

"'Tis, Rayn, but 'twill be a greater relief when he cooms home safe, ye ken," replied Cirryn.

The elders had their eyes trained on Kryn, so did not see the four humans who were hidden in the brush a little ways away.

"Ach, Kryn, 'tis a fine day tae do a wee bit o' Serpent slayin' the noo. Good luck and good fortune go wi' ye," Rayn said.

Kryn swallowed nervously as the two elders took to the sky and winged away, leaving him alone.

Then he entered the cave.

* * * * *

"Malfoy, do you think you'd better stay outside? I mean... if you suddenly turn into a dragon while we're in there, it could get nasty." Harry eyed the Slytherin warily. The four had climbed onto the top of the cave, and were now looking past the thick, flowering brush that covered a small hole into the darkness of the cave.

Draco sighed, watching as the scales suddenly began to recede again, one by one. "I don't fancy just sitting here and watching these scales fall off one by one either, so I'll come."

Suddenly, Draco's wings insisted on joining this dimension, almost knocking Ron off the top of the cave.

"That's if I can still fit through this hole."

"I'm sure you will. And if not, we can always cut off your wings," Hermione said brightly.

Draco turned pale. "Do me the service of never ever trying that, Hermione."

"Sure, Draco. Would you like to go first?" she said sweetly.

Draco swallowed. "When fixed with a stare like yours, who wouldn't?"

* * * * *

It was extremely dark in the cave. The opening in the top, shielded with the large, spreading flowers that grew in the brush, let no sunlight in at all. The only light that entered was from the cave entrance, which was very far from their current position.

"How does the moonlight get into this cave?" Hermione wondered, shivering briefly as she attempted to adjust her eyes to the dim cave.

Ach, be that ye humans the noo? 'Tis Kryn. Hold hard, Ah'm cooming over there.

After a moment, Hermione felt smooth feathers brush her arm, and reached out, touching Kryn's soft neck feathers. Kryn? Where's the Serpent?

Ah dinnae, that be the horrible thing. Ah've looked for th' nasty thing, but all Ah could spot was a big lake o'er there, in the middle o' the cave. Trust me, this cave be bigger than it looks frae the outside.

It'll probably be there, then, Hermione said. "Hey... Kryn says the Serpent's probably in the lake over there."

"Alright, then, wands out," Harry said briskly. "Lumos. The sun will be setting soon, and then we'll have even less light."

He would have said more, but at that precise moment the surface of the lake broke, and a cruel head emerged into the air.

It was grotesque, and completely unlike anything Harry had ever seen in his Fantastic Beasts book. The head was serpentine, with flaming yellow eyes and a pair of curving horns. And as the creature heaved more of its body out of the water, Harry could see a pair of fins set just beneath the creature's long, serpentine neck. The thing was as big around as an old oak tree, and must have been at least forty feet long. It hissed at them as it readied its coils for an attack.

"Keeeeer!" Kryn took to the air with a piercing warcry, and shot for the creature's head. The serpent turned with amazing speed and struck at the griffin, who dodged the attack adroitly.

Hermione sifted through her mental list of spells, searching for an appropriate one, but Harry was two steps ahead of her. "Impedimentia," he called. The shaft of magic merely glanced off the serpent's scales.

"It's like the dragon," Draco said briefly as he strode past Harry, unsheathing his blade and flicking his wings open. "You have to break the scales before any of your magic will have any effect, Potter. And don't give me that skeptical look, these blades can cut through the scales. O'Sullivan was wrong about them. Common mistake, but a mistake nonetheless. They're not made of steel and adamantine. They're made of bluemythril and adamantine. Mythril's elfsteel- hardest metallic substance known, can only be cut by elfmagic, and bluemythril's the hardest variation known. Those Heirs must have found elves to make these for them."

Draco leapt into the air, and, while Kryn kept the creature busy, flitted in behind the creature. As the great Serpent snapped at Kryn, it exposed the back of its neck. A single swipe of Draco's blade laid the creature's back open to the bone. Almost simultaneously, Draco spilled air from his wings and dove with lightning speed.

The creature shrieked in agony and lashed out blindly behind it; but of course, Draco wasn't there anymore.

"Somebody hit the damn thing with a spell!" Draco snarled as he plunged for the ground, miscalculated, and half-skidded, half-rolled to a stop.

It was Ron who took the cue; raising his wand, he cried, "Impedimentia."

The spell struck the creature in its wound; it screamed and wavered, and that single moment was enough for Kryn to dive furiously for its throat. The speed from his dive allowed him to tear straight through the serpent's neck, severing the spinal column and tearing the windpipe to shreds.

It gurgled, the sound of a creature choking on its own blood, and slid back beneath the surface. Its head fell in a graceful, bloody arc, and landed heavily on the wet sand by the lake.

Kryn came in to land beside the four humans, and all of them stared at the creature for a few minutes. It didn't move.

"That was what we humans call a moonwyrm," Hermione finally said. "They like to inhabit places where the power from the moon is particularly strong. I think that's why the griffins put it in their legends- it always likes to infest their moonshrines."

Thank ye for yer help, fren's. Is there any service Ah kin do ye in return? Kryn finally said.

We need a moonstone... Hermione said, looking around.

Ah've heard there's many Goddess Stones here, if that be whit ye're talking aboot, Kryn offered. Ah couldnae begrudge ye one now, after whit ye done fer me.

It's just that I can't seem to see them anywhere, Hermione said.

"You know, Hermione, I really hope it's a moonstone you're talking about. I'm somehow getting this feeling like I don't have much time left. Like an instinct, you know?" Draco interrupted.

"I know," Hermione snapped.

Ach, but doesn't everyone say that a Goddess Stone doesn't appear 'til the Goddess herself has coom up. There she is now, Kryn said. Ah. Go check o'er there. Ah think Ah kin see something glitterin' o'er there. There must be moonlight shinin' through the hole in the ceilin'.

Hermione wandered to the spot he had indicated, which was under the hole in the cave ceiling, and looked up skeptically, not expecting to see anything but brush and flowers.

To her surprise, she saw that most of the large flowers that had blocked the sunlight had closed for the night, and now there were faint rays of moonlight streaming between the leaves in the dense foilage. The rays shone on a small patch of stones, which suddenly began to glow silver.

If those aren't Goddess Stones, Ah'll tear oot me own wings meself, so Ah will, Kryn said reverently, coming to stand near her.

She picked one up, and removed it from the moonlight. It glowed even brighter for a moment, before it faded and became a normal stone grey color again.

"We have everything now, Draco," she called back.

"And thank God for that," he said wryly.

* * * * *

Hermione poured out all the ingredients onto the ground outside the cave, and sat sorting through them idly. They'd said their goodbyes to Kryn, and he had taken off to return to his wing.

"Okay... we have moonstone, dragon blood, dragon wingskin, hair of a veela, dragonfire ashes, and powdered unicorn horn. We still need-"

"We still need? I thought you said we were done!" Draco interrupted.

Hermione gave him an agitated look. "All we need now is some of your blood and the blood of another human."

"Okay..." Draco picked out another crystal vial from the bag, raised his swordblade, and slit a small wound on the side of his arm. He caught some of the blood in the vial, and then sealed it. He then poked the wound with his wand, healing it.

Hermione took the vial. "Well, at least you don't waste any time," she remarked. "I'll give my blood."

"Wait, Hermione, are you sure-" Harry and Ron began, but Hermione had already slit her own arm with her blade, and was now catching the blood in a vial. She narrowed her eyes at them.

"What, you think I can't take a little pain?"

Both Harry and Ron drew back a little, out of sword range, muttering, "Oh no, what made you think we thought that? Of course you can take it..."

Hermione looked approvingly at the full vial, then stoppered it and healed her slit. She then perused the contents of the bag, found the cauldron, and resized it.

"It says... to fill the cauldron with water, and drop the powdered unicorn horn in to purify the cauldron and water for the potion. Wait five minutes." Hermione proceeded to follow the instructions, magically filling the cauldron with water. During the time needed for purification, Hermione read ahead through the rest of the instructions, Draco reading over her shoulder. Harry and Ron remained on guard, though for some reason the monster attacks had diminished somewhat.

"Okay," Hermione said after the five minutes was up. "Next, the dragon blood, dragon wingskin, and dragonfire ashes, to help the potion orient on the originator of the curse. Let sit ten minutes."

"Bloody dragons," Draco moaned in a muffled voice- he'd curled up, bringing his knees in to his chest, wrapping his arms around them, and burying his face in the crooks of his arms. His wings had made yet another departure to the Dimension of Acessories to Draco's Curse, where they joined the scales and claws and fangs and the other slightly annoying things he manifested occasionally.

There was an awkward moment of silence. It stretched into minutes. Ron sighed deeply once, and began, "What d'you think will happen after this? Will we... just go back to class or something?"

"Seems very anticlimactic to me," Harry grumbled.

"I'm sure Dumbledore has other plans," Hermione said from her position beside the cauldron with her nose in the book.

"Yes, I'm sure your wonderful headmaster has some sort of a kamikaze attack against Lord Voldemort planned, with us as central attack figures," Draco drawled in his muffled voice.

Hermione and Ron flinched slightly at the mention of Voldemort's name. Harry, however, was unaffected, and he shot Draco's back a nasty look. "Well, I'm sure none of us wanted to hear an opinion like that, Malfoy. If you haven't got something good to say, then stuff it."

"What's the use of being optimistic? Comes as even more of a shock when you're in paroxysms on the ground, dying of pain and shock," Draco sighed, eloquently morbid.

"If you think you'll lose, then you will," Hermione said firmly.

Draco remained silent, effectively closing the conversation. He wondered idly why his father hadn't owled him already. Oh yes. Father had said he would wait until this curse was disappated.

Well then, Father, I think I will be hearing from you soon. Whether or not that's a good thing.

He glanced over at Hermione, suddenly remembering what she'd said.

How can you be certain he's not just doing all this so he can gain a competent heir and a little status in You-Know-Who's inner circle?

It certainly seemed like something his father would be capable of.

But there is a possibility?

Hermione's question- the one he had not answered at the time- echoed persistently in his mind.

Which one can I trust? My father, whom I've followed all my life? Or her? She's the first person who ever seemed to care.

Seemed to. Seemed to are the key words here...

Draco let his head settle further into his arms. His head hurt. For some odd reason, he felt compelled to trust Hermione. Something deep within him urged him to, told him it was safe to.

Nonsense. He'd never trusted anyone in his life. It was dangerous to trust.

And yet he knew a sense of respect for Hermione was growing. Somehow, they were now both on a first-name basis. But there was something about Hermione... something undefinable.

But there is a possibility?

Yes. Yes, there is a possibility.

Hermione's voice interrupted his reverie. "Done. Now add Draco's blood, and my blood. Draco's blood, to help the potion recognize the victim... mine, to help the potion cure the bloodlust itself. Then immediately, we add the moonstone and the veela hair; the moonstone, to give the potion raw magical power, and the veela hair, to focus all that power into a common goal- the elimination of the curse."

Draco looked up, intrigued despite himself. "And then?"

Hermione shrugged. "And then we wait. Once the potion changes color, it is ready. The book says, 'The potion will change color within a day. The colors reflect the colors that define the affected individual's soul."

Draco stiffened, as Ron laughed softly. "I will die of laughter if it turns pink and white," Ron announced.

"Shut up, Weasley."

* * * * *

Severus Snape was having a bad time of it.

For two years he had been forced to be constantly amongst Voldemort's followers, and with Voldemort himself. Yet none of the information he'd been able to leak to Dumbledore- which was minimal- seemed to be anything useful. Voldemort was purposely keeping him at arm's length.

He wasn't as constant a companion as Wormtail, certainly- he had a small, lonely house on the border of Scotland and England- but he wasn't permitted to let anything into the house save himself and fellow Death Eaters, and he wasn't permitted to go to other places save the residences and associated buildings of the other Death Eaters. Consequently he found himself in the company of Lucius Malfoy a great deal.

Lucius Malfoy was not exactly the most reassuring company, however. Severus had a feeling that Lucius had been assigned to keep watch over him. Lucius relished this position, evidently- the two had never been close, and Lucius evidently enjoyed lording it over Severus.

"Have you been told? My son is Heir of Slytherin," Lucius remarked. The two were in the library. Snape was on one side of a bookshelf, perusing through the Potions section. Lucius was on the other side, perusing the Dark Arts section. They spoke through the bookshelf.

"Yes, I have been told," Severus replied shortly. "I was expecting as much."

"Lord Voldemort has plans for the boy," Lucius said, equally blunt. Severus pricked his ears. Lucius had never ventured into this sort of conversation before. Political intrigue was one of Severus's strong points. He was interested in matching wits with Lucius.

"Plans?" Severus kept his voice noncommittal. "Plans are to be expected where Lord Voldemort is concerned. Surely the plans he has for your son are no more important than the others he has?" Severus ventured sweetly, playing on Lucius's pride. C'mon, Lucius. Be a show-off like you usually are.

Lucius's voice, when it came, was slightly colder than it had been before. "Important, yes. So important I cannot divulge the details to a low-ranking Death Eater like yourself."

Ouch! That stung.

Severus allowed himself a wry smile. "Either that, or it is so unimportant you would be ashamed to tell me," Severus remarked teasingly. He knew Lucius wouldn't find this teasing out of the ordinary. Back when Severus had been a Death Eater- even way back to when they were in school together- they had been constantly sparring with one another, each testing the other's limits.

"I assure you, it is important. You have heard of the prophecy?" Lucius remarked condescendingly.

Now they were getting somewhere. "I have heard some things, but only from unreliable sources," Severus replied glibly, playing along with Lucius's condescension. "When one is ranked such as I am, about the only tidbits of information that come are rumor and superstition. Perhaps you would like to enlighten me?"

"The prophecy says only that the four Heirs together may defeat evil. Take away one, and evil triumphs." Lucius fell silent after that, the only sound coming from his side of the bookcase being the flip of parchment. After a pause, Severus took it upon himself to initiate conversation once more.

"That one being your son?"

There was the violent sound of a book being slammed shut. "That one being my son."

Severus shook his head in disappointment. Such a conclusion could have been reached by conjecture alone- he'd hoped to have uncovered more substantial information. "How will this be done? The removal of your son from their ranks, I mean?"

A sharp noise of contempt issued from through the bookshelf. "You think I cannot control my own son?"

Severus shrugged, even though he knew Lucius could not see the gesture. "Draco has a strong will."

Lucius laughed. The sound was halfway between a snarl and a contemptuous snicker. "The boy has a strong will, 'tis true- a strong will to serve me. But enough of this. You must have a dry throat from so much banter. Seek out Narcissa, or a house-elf. They will refresh you."

Severus knew the conversation was closed. "Your hospitality is truly boundless," he murmured as he exited the library.

He realized then, once he'd exited the library, that he had never once heard Lucius call his son by name.

* * * * *

Dumbledore was dozing at his desk, when he heard someone call.

"Headmaster? I don't have much time. Wake up."

Dumbledore came awake immediately, mentally thanking the fates yet again that Voldemort didn't put Tracking spells on Severus himself, and replied. "Severus? Where are you?"

"Snuck into someone's house to use the fireplace. Couldn't get much information out of Lucius today. Tight-jawed, as usual- mentioned things like my son is the Heir, I can control him and make him come back to me, we'll shatter the prophecy by taking Draco out of the group. The usual."

Dumbledore shook his head. "We need some solid information. I think, however, that Voldemort is not being truthful with you. He is feeding you false information. I kept you in because I thought he might come to trust you again. That doesn't seem to be happening."

"No, it does not," Severus remarked sourly. "The only thing these two years have taught me is the exact sensation one derives from the Cruciatus Curse. And I think I already knew that."

Dumbledore shook his head. "I'm sorry about that, Severus."

Severus looked a little uncomfortable, as well most men will look when they think they are being pitied. "I can handle that," he said roughly.

Dumbledore shook his head. "No. I want you to come back right now. There's no use in keeping you in. Voldemort only kept you as amusement. He thought we would run in circles using the information he gave you."

Severus shrugged. "As you say, Headmaster."

Dumbledore nodded. "I do say so. Arabella visited me again yesterday. She says Sirius and Remus are close to your location. Meet up with them. Professor Ishida is handling the class quite competently, you have nothing to concern yourself about."

"As he should be," Severus grumbled. "I was the one who recommended him."

Dumbledore smiled faintly. "I think I need you in the field right now more than I do in the classroom," he admitted.

"Unfortunately true," Severus sighed. "Only accurate information I got was on Dark creature movement patterns, and the plans for them."

A brief silence.

"I think you need some quality time with Sirius and Remus anyway."

"I don't think so. Lupin is halfway tolerable occassionally, but Black is a walking nightmare."

"All the more reason for you to spend time with them," Dumbledore said pleasantly. "Get going now, Severus."

* * * * *

The woman walked down the spiralling black onyx staircase, her long blue skirts trailing behind her. She shuddered once- the corridor was cold and damp- but continued doggedly.

A door loomed before her, obsidian black ebony traced with elaborate designs, all of them long, thin, and twisted, all of them sinister. She laid a single delicate hand on the door, and felt an insidious cold seep through her hand and into her flesh, blood and bones.

Then she pushed the door open.

She had a single glimpse of a mirror set in the room, and, for a split second, she viewed herself, all slender in blue robes, brown hair falling into solemn chestnut-brown eyes, delicate high cheekbones set into an expression of unsure certainty, alabaster neck arched high and proud.

A flutter registered in the farthest corners of her peripheral vision, a flutter of something silver and black, deadly silent and ethereal.

She turned then, into the waiting, cold embrace of a man all in black, a man who had been waiting long days in the room for her to come. His flowing black cloak swept over them both, as her blue skirts swept back in the silent wind he created, obscuring the silver-blonde hair and laughing grey eyes of her unseen stalker.

Hermione woke in a cold sweat. For a moment, it took her to reorient- she hadn't even been aware that she'd fallen asleep in the first place. To calm her nerves- God, but that dream had been so vivid!- she got up shakily to check on the potion. Who had those dream figures been, anyway...? Their facial features were now mere blurs in her memory.

"It's changing!"

Harry, Draco, and Ron had fallen asleep- and as well they should, it was midnight- but at this announcement from Hermione, they all came awake, Draco the swiftest of all.

They made they way gingerly over to the cauldron, which was glowing faintly with the light of its contents. Draco peeked in.

The potion was predominantly silver, with shades of green and black sifting through.

"Typical," Ron said. "Cold colors. Worst colors in the spectrum."

"Hey, those are the colors of my family crest," Draco observed.

"Wait... something else is happening," Hermione interjected.

Something was appearing in the center of the cauldron. After a moment, it lengthened into a crimson red ribbon of color, which diffused through the potion.

There was a stunned moment of silence. Finally, Draco spoke.

"Now, that totally ruins the family crest effect."

"I don't think so," Harry remarked wryly. "Red for the blood your family's spilled."

"Hey. Not my fault," Draco replied.

"Yeah, exactly. Red for blood, silver for coldness and malice, green for jealousy and deceit, and black for just plain evil," Ron announced.

"Now that's a biased interpretation. Perhaps someone should offer a different interpretation," Draco said in a hurt tone. A nearby patch of grass burst into flame.

"Nah, it's the opinion everyone holds. Majority rules- the Gryffindor opinion stays," Harry said airily, putting out the flame with a jet of water.

"Shut up, you two, and let him drink it," Hermione said. She was holding a beakerful of the stuff, and a hefty-looking ladle.

Harry and Ron backed down. When faced with Hermione armed with a ladle, what else could they do?

Draco accepted the ladle, sniffed the contents dubiously, and made a face. "Burnt my nose."

"Not surprised. It's probably an acid of some sort," Ron couldn't resist saying.

Draco gave him a dark look before sipping the contents.

"So, how does 'your essence' taste?" Harry remarked wryly.

Draco's nose was wrinkled with distaste. "Bitter. Very bitter. Like some of that Fordun's Fabulous Fever Fighting Powder Mum made me take when I was five."

"Pity you didn't die from that fever," Ron said.

"A pity," Draco agreed. "If I had died, I would never have had to meet you."

"Try your fire power, Draco," Hermione said, with a nasty look at Ron and Harry.

Draco closed his eyes.

Nothing happened.

"The hell...?" Draco looked at his surroundings. "I can't do it."

"Oh no, I just remembered!" Hermione exclaimed. "Magical Theory, Edition Three, Chapter Five, paragraph two! It explains it all very clearly!"

Harry and Ron exchanged incredulous looks. Edition Three? Chapter Five? Paragraph two??

"It says that one wizard or witch may only have one element they can control consciously. They may have one or more elements within that are uncontrollable, however. if two elements lie inherent within a wizard, with one controllable by the wizard and one uncontrollable, the elements are able to coexist- like in your case, Draco. But if both elements come under the conscious control of the wizard they lie dormant in, one element is forced out- a wizard only has enough ability and magical capacity to control one element. I guess that applies for Heirs too. So, in short, Draco, you have to keep your water element- you don't have the capacity to handle the control of two elements."

Draco sighed. "Whatever."

"On the bright side," Hermione said, "you should have kept some of that dragonish essence, meaning you can still summon wings, or claws, or scales, or suchlike."

Draco grimaced. "Don't know if I want to have scales again."

"And, your vampire blood isn't any diminished, meaning you still have the vampiric tendencies of retractable fangs, and the ability to lick your fang wounds closed," Hermione said, sounding as if she was quoting directly from the vampire books.

"Hey... I've been wondering this for a while, but... aren't vampires clinically dead? How are they supposed to procreate?" Harry asked suddenly.

"That is a Muggle misconception," Draco took up. "Vampires are not dead; they are cursed souls, in a way. They have practiced a certain series of Hell Magic spells- very difficult, very dangerous; in most cases it goes wrong, fatally- and made a pact with hell. They swap their human souls for powerful demon souls. They are helldemons in human skin, in a sense. But to sustain their human appearance, they must consume human blood, using fangs that fold back when not in use. Vampires are still human in a way, making them able to procreate, but few ever do- they become mostly concerned with affairs of gaining dark power. As such, they retain human appearance, except in moments of agitation, where their demon souls show through their skin in the form of demonic features. Also contrary to Muggle belief, they can come out into the sun, but vampires cannot stand fire or excessive heat, and will burn into ashes if they come too close to flame or heat. Consequently, they rarely come out into sunlight unless necessary, as in the summer, when the days are hottest, the heat becomes painful. Most spend their days holed up in their crypts, sleeping through the daylight hours."

"......oh," Harry said. "Uh... Hell Magic?"

"Much stronger variant of Dark Magic. Dark Magic is your common malevolent magic- one can practice that without true taint. Hell Magic puts you straight in the grasp of the devil- you're calling on the powers of Hell. Often, those who practice Hell Magic too much suffer consequences- their faces get a fraction inhuman, maybe. Then you have your Light Magic, your normal everyday magic that every wizard practices; Charms and Hexes and Trasfiguration Magic. And then there's Heaven Magic, total polar opposite of Hell Magic. Anything else you need enlightening about, Potter?" Draco asked, evidently enjoying the fact that he knew so much more than Harry on the topic of magic.

"Uh... no," Harry said, looking a bit staggered at the information overload.

"Vampiric traits... dragon traits... elemental loss... I think that's about it," Hermione said.

"How cheerful," Ron remarked. "I'd somehow managed to forget you were vampirespawn."

"I'm not directly vampirespawn," Draco retorted.

"You're still part vampire. And part veela," Ron said, a look of distaste crossing his features. "You're more Dark creature than you are human. Not a surprise, but..."

"It's not my fault my grandmother took a shine to my grandfather and decided to procreate," Draco snapped.

"Oh, leave him alone, Ron. We have to get back to Hogwarts, anyway," Hermione said flatly.

"Wait... are those broomsticks coming towards us?" Harry said suddenly, throwing out an arm to stop the progress of the others.

"Yeah... wait... is that Ginny?!" Ron said. He backed up slightly, craned his neck back, and was rewarded with a glimpse of the fire-red Weasley hair.

"Oh no, more Weasleys?" Draco muttered under his breath. Ron didn't hear him; he was busy fussing.

"What is Ginny doing out here? And who's that with her?"

Hermione peered upwards. "Looks like Lavender," she announced.

"Lavender?" Ron looked confused. "I know they've been hanging out ever since last year, but I didn't know they were that close..."

Ginny and Lavender landed without a hitch, and ran over to meet the four. There was a sense of urgency about them.

"Professor Dumbledore sent us to get you," Ginny panted. "He says You-Know-Who is coming to attack Hogwarts."

* * * * *

er..... yeah. that's the end of this chapter, everyone. kinda a cliffhanger, but not really. yeah. finally finished. it's kinda short, but that's okay. longer chapter next time, i'm hoping. next chapter, you find out lots of stuff, like what happened with sirius, remus, and severus, and other nifty stuff. and perhaps there is a different interpretation of the colors in that cauldron... review please.

- celeste