CHAPTER 46 (Smells like Fudge)

 

It was dark.

Unnaturally so, Harry thought.

He’d landed with a less than graceful stumble on the marble floor. The sound of his dragon hide boots on the floor sounded like an elephants in the silence. It was with an envious grace of someone who had grown up using portkeys, that Draco stepped out onto the marble beside him a second after Harry’s arrival.  Harry held his wand out dutifully in front of him, his knuckles white as he practically choked the wood with his hand.

“Shit this isn’t scary or nothing.” Draco whispered as he too held his wand out in front of him, both boys aiming into the darkness. As the pair adjusted their vision to the lack of light, Harry and Draco began to take in the deserted arrivals hall of the Ministry of Magic. The central fountain of the foyer was silent the water in its base still as ice. The arrival tubes that twisted down from muggle London above were abandoned and unmoving against the walls. The reception desk that usually held the wand security Aurors was vacant and the archways that led into the maze of corridors and elevators of the inner Ministry were like black holes of darkness. Harry couldn’t agree more with Draco’s statement and he swallowed nervously as he continued to glance around the abandoned hall.

“No offence Draco, but you aren’t helping our situation here. For the son of death eater you’d think you’d be used to this crap. I kind of wish Hermione and Ron were here with us.” Draco instinctively stepped up closer to Harry’s side despite the insult. The young wizards found themselves needing the brush of each other’s bodies against their own to steel their nerves. Harry had always been into battle with Hermione and Ron. He knew their moves, knew he could rely on them to pull their weight and protect each other. Draco was an unknown quantity and Harry was nervous about his presence.

“I thought you were a brave Gryffindor and all?” Draco muttered his scared gaze meeting Harry’s in accusation.

“Sorry my Gryffindor bravery seems to have fucked off without its usual backup.” Harry snapped a little bitterly as he bit the side of his mouth in worry. Snape had told them to stay together and that it would be a few minutes before the Vampires would make it through the Ministry’s wards. These few minutes were beginning to feel like an eternity as they stood like sitting ducks in the dark.

“Good job your Gryffindor back up isn’t far away then.” Both Harry and Draco practically jumped out of their skin as a voice addressed them from over by the wand inspection desk.  Harry winced a little as someone whispered a charm and lit the end of their wand. Draco and Harry adjusted their vision to the pin prick of light over by the desk and it was then that Harry recognized the small group peeking out from behind the desk.

“Harry it’s us!” Harry sighed in relief as the faces of his friends popped up from behind the desk. Hermione, Ron, Seamus, Dean, Neville, Luna and the twins beamed at him from across the room

“Fucking hell. Way to give us a heart attack ‘mione.” Draco pushed past Harry and jogged the short distance over to Hermione. The pair shared a brief kiss and Harry smiled sideways at seeing Draco’s bravery suddenly return in front of his girlfriend.

“Where did you guys come from?” Harry accepted the warm embraces from his friends as the small group stood in front of the deserted reception desk.

“Downstairs in the courtrooms.” Ron offered by way of explanation as he nodded to his brothers. “Fred and George overheard what was happening tonight, so we thought we’d sneak out and roll out the welcome mat for you guys.” Harry smiled at the Weasley brothers having missed his friends terribly since Octavia had swept him and Draco out of the castle a few days ago.

“Speaking of that, where are they are?” Draco whispered as he looked across at Harry who shrugged his shoulders. Maybe the vampires had encountered more difficulty breaching The Ministry’s wards than they’d planned. At that very moment Harry felt a shiver of wards and heard a familiar sound of hundreds of pairs of wings fluttering around them.

“Get out of the way, incoming!” Harry declared as he shooed his friends back behind the reception desk as hundreds of bats flooded into the darkened receiving hall.

“There are hundreds of them!” Hermione explained as she watched with wide eyes as the bats began settling upside down on various surfaces around the room. Harry smiled at his friend her appreciation of the situation more than the others due to her research project.

“I thought they’d all died out.” Longbottom whispered in awe as the swarm of bats finally settled having successfully broken through the wards of The Ministry of Magic.

“Yeah apparently the vampires aren’t as rare as The Ministry think or would like to have us think.” Harry muttered as the group of wizards stood up from their crouch behind the desk as seven bats fluttered down from the roof. Seamlessly the bats transformed midflight into the Vampire council, Attila in the front, Snape and Octavia just behind him and the other council members behind them.

“This isn’t exactly the welcoming committee I expected.” Atilla raised an eyebrow as he glanced from the misfit group of young wizards and witches to Snape who laughed with genuine mirth.

“Atilla, allow me to introduce you to just some of the members of Dumbledore’s Army. A small group of stupidly brave students from Hogwarts who find mischief and adventure wherever they go.” Snape gestured to the group as he spoke in the familiar potions professor drawl he’d favored back at Hogwarts. Harry was not surprised at all that Snape knew about Dumbledore’s Army, having had the vampire invade his thoughts countless times in the past. Nothing had been sacred during his failed occlumency lessons

“Merlin! When did Snape get hot?” Fred leant forward onto Harry’s shoulder the red headed twin whispered softly against Harry’s ear.

“Yeah, check out his hair in that warrior braid and those leather pants.” George muttered on Harry’s other shoulder. Harry sighed audibly as he stared at his mate once again truly enjoying the impressive sight the tall vampire made. Harry knew that George and Fred were teasing him the pair undoubtedly privy to what the whole wizarding world would now know, that Harry and Snape were a couple.

“Well Dumbledore’s Army is quite a respectable looking bunch.” Attila smiled warmly at the group, all of whom noted the points of vampires’ incisors that caught the reflected light from Luna’s still glowing wand. The compliment was genuine and Harry was amused as he watched Snape roll his eyes, unamused by Atilla’s approval of the group. “So are you able to show us to where this meeting is to take place?” Atilla inquired of the gathered group.

“Of course.” Ron spoke confidently as he stepped forward and offered his hand out to Atilla in friendship. Harry knew the gesture was a large one, as the Weasley’s had been brought up to fear vampires. Atilla shook Ron’s hand softly and Harry smiled widely as Ron turned to lead the way into The Ministry.

“Oh but don’t tell them we were up here. We’ll get into so much trouble.” Neville offered nervously over his shoulder at the group of elder vampires, all of whom chuckled at the declaration.

“Indeed Longbottom, you can be assured of our secrecy.” Snape muttered as he joined Harry and followed the group down into the darkness towards a very important meeting, leaving the army of vampires back in the entrance hall waiting for the next set of instructions.

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“I’m not even a vampire and that smells like bullshit.” Ron muttered tiredly from where he was slumped on the floor, one end of the Weasley Twin’s Extendedable ears attached to his head. Dumbledore’s Army had been shut in a little room just down the hall from where the Vampires, The Order and The Ministry of Magic were heatedly discussing the terms of the agreement. The group had taken turns listening to the meeting through the extendable ears that the twins had snuck into the main room when they’d first arrived at The Ministry.

“Are they still arguing?” Draco yawned as he shifted in the chair careful not to dislodge Hermione who was fast asleep on his lap. Ron nodded sleepily from over by the door the drone of the elder wizards and vampires arguing in his ear. Harry glanced around at the gathered group of his friends in the room. It was clear the group had been prepared to fight, most wearing dueling robes, with their brooms, leather protectors and cloaks. Yet here they were half of them asleep as they listened to the politics of their elders while Voldemort ran circles around them. Anger bubbled up quickly in Harry as he stood up abruptly and strode over to Ron. With a firm yank Harry snapped the extendable ears from Ron’s head causing his best friend to stand up with a loud yelp. Ron’s yelp woke up Hermione and the few others that had fallen asleep over the past three hours.

“Fuck this.” Harry declared angrily as he stalked across the room to where Draco was sat. Draco raised an eyebrow at how very similar Harry looked to Snape as he swept across the room, his vampire robe swirling around him like the potions professor used to. “Do you fear me?” Harry stopped in front of Draco and stared down at the blonde in question. Confused by what he was being asked Draco shrugged his shoulders unsure. Harry rolled his eyes and turned to Hermione instead. “Have I changed at all since I became a vampire?” Harry asked of Hermione who slowly shook her head.

“Not in the important aspects no.” Hermione yawned sleepily as she glanced across at Draco who nodded in agreement.

“Then why are they arguing when we’re no different from wizards and witches.” Harry looked around the group of his friends who all lowered their eyes, almost embarrassed by what they were thinking. Harry knew what they were thinking and sighed heavily. “I don’t drink blood.” Harry whispered as he looked around at his friends. “I’m not a pureblood and I’ll never inherit that trait from Severus.” Harry trailed off as he watched the group turn towards Hermione for confirmation. 

“True.” Hermione confirmed as she smiled at Harry warmly. “And even Purebloods only need meager amounts of blood to survive.” She continued as the gathered group nodded in understanding.

“Then what’s stopping wizard’s and witches donating blood like they do in the muggle world, so that the Vampires don’t have to hunt.” Longbottom spoke up from across the room and the gathered group muttered their agreement.

“So that’s the solution? How come the idiots next door can’t work it out?” George sat up from where he’d been leaning against his twin.

“Pride and prejudices.” Luna whispered softly.

“Then let’s show them how it’s done.” Harry straightened his cloak and unsheathed his wand from the folds of his robe.  “I trust you all with my life. Do you still trust me, despite me being a vampire?” Harry addressed the group and was rewarded as the group verbally called their agreement.

“Bloody hell yes.” Ron stood up beside Harry, his own wand in his hand as he reached across to clap his best friend on the shoulder in comradery. The rest of the group stood up with their wands out, a new determination sweeping across their previously glum mood.

“Good because we know Hogwarts better than all of them together. We can make this work and we can fucking kick Tom Riddle’s arse.” Harry declared as the gathered group shouted their enthusiastic agreement. 

“Uncle Severus is going to be pissed.” Draco spoke as he stood up beside Hermione. Harry shrugged his shoulders uncaringly.

“If we don’t finish this, they’ll be fighting among themselves until Riddle wins by default. Besides if I’m already involved in the war the vampires can’t say no. They’ve got a duty to their own.” Harry smiled conspiratorially as he watched Draco smile in return and shake his head.



“Blackmail? You’re a Slytherin after all.” Draco smiled as he unsheathed his own wand and took Hermione’s hand in his own, squeezing in comfort.

“So you’re coming with us?” Ron inquired as he looked between Hermione and Draco carefully.

“I’m pretty sure Snape said that we weren’t supposed to spilt up, so where you go, I go.” Draco smiled confidently at Ron before glancing at Harry.

“A Gryffindor in the making.” Fred laughed as he rustled Draco’s blonde mop in friendship, causing the blonde to blush self-consciously.

“Right then, let’s blow this joint.” George declared as he pulled out a small innocent looking watch from his pocket. “Portkey anyone?” He laughed as the group of misfit young wizards and witches all gathered around the portkey.

“Stay together and pray to Merlin we all come home.” Harry whispered seriously as with a confident nod, George activated the portkey and the group disappeared from the room. 

A/N And off we go to war................*waves at the return reviewers* I missed you guys, such lovely things to say. Hope you're still enjoying reading it, we're nearly at the end I can almost touch it.