Dracoula: The Vampire Within

Dracoula

By Matt Coggins

The girls of the 6^th year Gryffindor dormitory all watched in fear as a huge beast bit Hermione Granger in the neck. They watched blood run down her neck. They screamed as the animal looked at them and then flew back through the window.

That's when I woke up. Hermione's scream echoed through the school when the creature bit her. I rushed out of bed.

Things like this, well, I thought they'd never happen. Ever since I defeated Voldemort, I thought she would be safe. That's when we started going out, around a year ago. I killed Voldemort with the Avada Kedavra curse. To make revenge even more sweet, I stuck his wand in his temple.

And I'm guessing anyone would. He killed everyone near to me. Mum, Dad, Ron, Reamus... all of them- dead. Hermione would have been next.

And every night I have nightmares of him... coming back. I see him killing Hermione, the Muggle way, if you will, stabbing her over and over. And then laughing. Laughing like he always does. Or did.

When I got to the scene of the crime, it was too late. Hermione had large puncture wounds in her neck. All the staff had been called, and they observed the victim using their own fields of knowledge. Professor Binns, for once, was wide awake and taking mental notes of Hermione.

"Seems sort of vampire like to me," he said.

"If so," said Snape. "Then she needs the Wolfsbane Potion. Mr. Potter can take her to the Hospital Wing, and I'll brew some up."

"Sounds like a brilliant idea," said a familiar misty voice. It was Dumbledore.

"Professor!" I yelled. It seemed like Dumbledore had brought comfort to me like last year, with Voldemort. "Professor, I need to talk to you!"

"Then do so tomorrow! There is too much to deal with right now." He ushered me out the door, conjuring a stretcher for Hermione. I then led her to the infirmary.

***

An hour later, I sat next to her bed, holding her hand. It was weak, and her veins were stiff, meaning much blood flow.

Just then, Professor Snape burst through the doors, carrying Draco Malfoy.

"POPPY!" he screamed.

The two placed Malfoy on a bed, and then Snape left. Poppy told me to go to my dorm, but I turned the offer down. She eventually left, leaving me with Hermione, Colin Creevy (who had a bad case of feather feet), and Malfoy.

***

More hours passed, and it became 9 o'clock, an hour before classes. I looked at Hermione, and she awoke. Her eyes slowly focused on me, and then widened.

"Harry!" she gasped.

"Shh!" I whispered. "You need your sleep!"

With that, Hermione's eyes closed, and she was fast asleep again. I then left the Hospital and carried on to Dumbledore's office.

Albus was already there waiting for me. "Come, Mr. Potter," he said.

He said the password (Fudge Fangs) and let me inside his office. I said hello to Fawkes and then sat down on a nearby chair.

"Now, Harry, you said that you wanted to talk, and now we're talking. What is it you'd like to discuss?"

"Professor," I said uneasily. "I think Voldemort's behind Hermione's attack."

"Do you not remember your defeat of him around a year ago?"

"I do, sir, but I have a feeling that he's too powerful to be killed so easily."

"Harry, I've burned Voldemort, and then locked his ashes up. I've put thousands of charms over the case, and then I threw it in the lake. Voldemort is dead, Harry, deader than a doornail!"

"Then... what did attack Hermione yesterday?"

"That, Harry, I'm-..."

That instant, Professor Snape burst through the doors.

"ALBUS!" he yelled. "Sir, there's been another attack. Poppy Pomfrey is dead, as is Mr. Creevey."

"What about Ms. Granger and Mr. Malfoy?"

"They're missing, sir," Snape whined. "The window was shattered into thousands of pieces. They're gone, s-..."

A scream was heard outside the widow. It was Hermione. I had to find her. I had to save her.

12/11/04