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Life Eternal	By : AlectoPerdita Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Snape Views: 10864 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 10
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Life Eternal

By Alecto Perdita

Chapter 10 - Renfield's Madness

Beta'ed by Amanda Saitou

Rating: R

Posted: August 18, 2005

Revised: September 17, 2005

Warnings: Slash, HP/SS

Email: alecto.perdita@gmail.com

Site: http://cocytus.eternity-inc.net

Mailing list: http://groups.yahoo.com/subscribe/cocytus

Disclaimer: Harry Potter is the intellectual property of J.K. Rowling, and is being used in this fanfiction for fan purposes only. All situations, opinions and characters not belonging to J.K. Rowling are the intellectual property of Alecto Perdita.

Severus found it all very odd. He had seen barely more than a shadow of the ghosts that resided at Hogwarts since he returned. Never mind the fact that ghosts didn�t cast shadows in the first place. He caught sight of the wispy trail of the Bloody Baron when he was down in the dungeons just before breakfast. When he had called after the baron, the ghost gave no indication of hearing him and vanished into the nearest wall.

On his way up to the Owlery after breakfast, he saw Sir Nicholas de Mimsy Porpington, or as dubbed by the students, Nearly Headless Nick.

�Sir Nicholas,� Severus called after the ghost, his stern voice bouncing off the walls.

The ghost seemed to stiffen and take a misstep. That alone was enough to tell him something was going on. Nicholas was no Slytherin, and he couldn�t resist the urge to take one look back at Severus before fleeing into the wall.

He stood there with a frown and wondered just what had the ghosts so anxious that they vanished at the first signs of someone living approaching.

~~~

Harry left first thing in the morning, well before Hermione would arrive at the castle. He wasn�t ready to see her again so soon and needed to gather his wits. He Apparated to London and emerged from an alleyway about four blocks away from the Ministry. The building itself had been lucky to have survived the war since it had been proven his Fifth Year that the wards were inadequate against Voldemort�s forces. He was happy to see the old phone booth where it was supposed to be.

He looked up and down the abandoned street before stepping into the booth located by several shabby-looking offices, a pub, and an overflowing dumpster. He picked up the phone from the crooked cradle and dialed in 62442. The dial whirled back into place and a familiar female sounded in the booth, �Welcome to the Ministry of Magic. Please state your name and business.�

�Cedric Remius Wesley, here to see the Department of Mysteries.�

�Thank you. Visitor, please take the badge and attach it to the front of your robes.�

He picked up the badge that dropped out of the coin return and did as he was told.

The female voice continued, �Visitor to the Ministry, you are required to submit to a search and present your wand for registration at the security desk, which is located at the far end of the Atrium. The Ministry of Magic wishes you a pleasant day.�

The floor bucked under him and sank into the ground. When the door sprang open again, he was greeted with the sight of the Atrium as he remembered it. Harry strolled straight past the fountain and its golden statues to the security gate. He offered his wand as requested.

The attendant picked up the piece of parchment spitting out of the base of the instrument and read off it, �Ten and three quarters inches, dragon heartstring core, been in use of the last six years. That correct?�

He just nodded. The attendant thrust the wand back at Harry and waved him off. Harry passed through the golden gates and got onto one of the many lifts on the other side. The lifts were as crowded as the last time he was here, but the riders were even ruder since he no longer wore the identity of Harry Potter, shoving him against the very back wall of the lift. He had to ride up to level three, where everyone else got off, before he could reach the panel to push the nine button.

�Level nine, Department of Mysteries.�

Harry strolled down the bare corridor, lit by seemingly nothing but the white walls. He fingered the Knut in his robe pocket. The coin grew warmer as he came closer to the solitary black door at the end of the hallway. It would give him a one-time admittance into the Department of Mysteries. If he left without his belongings today, he would never be able to retrieve them afterwards.

He pushed back at those horrible memories from the end of his Fifth Year. Those were just the sort of thing one didn�t forget- no matter how hard one tried. The door opened at the presentation of the Knut and there was an Unspeakable waiting on the other side.

The Unspeakable extended a hand forward and Harry dropped the coin onto the open palm held out to him. She then spoke, �Our Seer predicted your arrival today. Password?�

�I will not tell lies.� Harry replied gravely.

�So you won�t.� The Unspeakable nodded her head and indicated for Harry to follow her. She led him into a small empty room just to the left, where a chest was lying on the floor. Harry was just glad he wouldn�t have to see the Veil or the death room. He approached the chest and knelt down by it. He dispelled the personal wards he had placed on it years ago. As soon as he popped open the lid of the chest, the Unspeakable left the room so he could sort through his belongings privately.

Lying on top of the rest of the contents was the wispy silver material of his invisibility cloak. He had done without one for years because it was something too important to risk in the field. The rest of the contents of the trunk were mementos from his school years. At the very bottom of the trunk still laid the broken shards of the mirror Sirius had given him so long ago along with the remaining pieces of his first wand.

He stuffed the cloak back into the trunk and snapped the lid close. He shouldn�t have gone all the way into the bottom of the trunk. There were just things he didn�t want to face unless necessary. He hesitated for a second though. There was a risk of exposure if he brought all this back to Hogwarts. However, he was even more hesitant to relinquish his belongings to the Ministry, no matter what pains they may cause him. True, he could try and get it afterwards, but he would have to raise all kinds of hell to do so. There was only one thing missing now.

He turned to call for the Unspeakable but found she was already waiting there with his Firebolt in hand. Years ago, that broom might have given his identity away but no more. His palms itched as he reached out fro the handle. The Unspeakable let him take it but asked, �Would you like the designated files to be unsealed?�

Harry thought for a moment. �No, if your Department�s Seer is that able, then both she and your Department should know when to unseal it.�

He gripped the broom and turned back to the trunk on the floor. He didn�t want to shrink it and its contents, but he couldn�t go waltzing out of the Ministry with a trunk trailing behind him. He could try and fly back to Scotland, but Harry doubted he would find his way. He would have to settle for the Knight Bus.

The Unspeakable smiled as if reading his mind. �The front desk has already been alerted about your cargo. You shouldn�t have any trouble, but you might still attract some unwanted attention.�

�Thank you.�

The Unspeakable stepped to the side after Harry spelled the trunk to follow him. She stopped him at the main doors and said very simply, �Welcome back, Mister Potter.�

His grip tightened around his broom. He couldn�t say he was surprised that the Unspeakable knew but hearing it still unnerved him. �No, not today. Maybe someday. Maybe never.�

~~~

�What are you doing?�

Severus suppressed a flinch when Siobhan appeared by his side and peered over his shoulder. He drew the parchment out of her sight and scowled, �I would appreciate it if you didn�t sneak about in order to read my missives.�

She fell back on the heel of her feet and smirked, �I was wondering why you were in the Owlery of all places.�

Severus walked over to the feed and took an owl treat to offer to the bird that had delivered his letter. He watched as the owl accepted the treat and took off into the sky. When he turned around, Siobhan was still waiting for him. �Don�t you have some scheme to plot with Albus?�

�Not until you tell me what that letter�s about.� She crossed her arms over her chest.

�It�s none of your concern,� he sneered.

�I recognize Prentice�s owl and you don�t owl Prentice for anything less than the rapture.�

Severus made a disgusted expression, �Refrain from using such Muggle expressions.�

Siobhan brushed off his words and narrowed her eyes in suspicions. �Now tell me what you�re sneaking around with. Don�t tell me you were-� Her jaws shut with a click and she glared at him.

�I�ll do what I must.�

�You have absolutely no regard for other people�s privacy.�

Severus smirked and dangled the unopened letter in Siobhan�s face. �However, you can�t say you�re not the least bit curious about what Prentice found about our Cedric.�

Her scowl deepened. �I hate you.�

His smirk widened as he broke the wax seal on back of the envelope. �Of course,� he pulled out a few sheets of parchment and quickly scanned the contents.

�Well?�

Severus passed the first sheet to Siobhan. �Nothing extraordinary, born and raised in Surrey, both his parents died in an automobile accident when he was one. He was raised by his aunt and uncle and attended Durmstrang when his uncle was transferred to Berlin. � His lips suddenly dipped down in a frown.

She rolled her eyes. �What have you found fault with now? It�s exactly what Cedric told us about himself. You�ve only confirmed the fact he hasn�t lied to us.�

He passed the last two sheets to her. �But don�t you find it odd? Why would Wesley attend Durmstrang of all places? Why didn�t he attend Hogwarts?�

�It�s not unusual for children to receive invitations to attend other schools. If I recall correctly, Draco was invited to attend Durmstrang as a child. Both Sinclair and Shavonne were both invited to attend Hogwarts.� Siobhan scanned down the list of information Prentice had complied for him.

Severus folded his arms across his chest and leaned back against the wall. He brushed away an owl that was perched too close for comfort. �Draco is a Malfoy, with all the standings and privileges of his birthright. From what we have seen, Wesley is most likely a half-blood or even a full Muggle-born. Durmstrang would have never accepted him. Durmstrang isn�t Hogwarts.�

�You don�t know that though. You�re just making unwarranted accusations,� she flipped over to the next sheet with all of Wesley�s accounts and muttered in dismay, �His savings are abysmal. Is his income that low?�

�Anyone�s income pales in comparison with yours.� He deadpanned. His annual teaching salary was comparable to about two months of her earnings from the shop.

She ignored him and continued, �I just can�t imagine how he can live off these meager earnings or how Prentice manages to get his hand on this information.�

�Enough,� Severus growled. �You�re circumventing the point of this discussion.�

She waved the pages of parchment at him. �And you have yet to show me anything noteworthy of my suspicions. What has Cedric done to you?�

�You must be becoming senile. You couldn�t possibly forget about what Wesley did to myself or Lupin.�

�We know that was because of his curse. Everyone makes mistakes.�

He narrowed his eyes. �Don�t you dare use that against me. You�re too quick to trust, Siobhan.� He wanted to shake her right now. Why did she have to be so blasted unreasonable at all the wrong times? Did Wesley really look that much the stray pup? Did she even know what the Lifelust Curse was?

�And you�re too quick to judge,� she turned her nose away. �Give it up, I doubt Cedric is hiding anything more than his curse from us. If he is, it�s his right to privacy.�

�I beg to differ.�

~~~

After Harry Apparated into Hogsmeade, he bumped into Hermione on the path to Hogwarts. His trunk, trailing behind him, faltered for a second.

She greeted him with a bright smile, �Hello, Cedric.�

Harry could only manage a weak one in return, �Hi, Hermione.�

�Are you heading up to the castle?�

He nodded.

�Great, we can walk together.�

He hesitated before following Hermione. They walked side by side up the beaten path to Hogwarts. The first few minutes of their journey were spent in silence and Harry was tore between the desires to strike up a conversation and to remain silent. She relieved him from having to choose.

�Headmaster Dumbledore tells me you�re having trouble at the castle,� she frowned. �But he wasn�t very specific?�

�There�s a vampire in the area and Shavonne fell prey to his powers.�

�That�s terrible. I hope she�s alright.�

�Shavonne�s fine after a look-over from Madame Pomfrey.�

�Incredible,� she muttered. �Vampires are extremely rare in Britain.�

�I was under the impression they�re rare all over.�

�Actually, there are only 23 vampires registered with the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures in all of England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Vampires have the least rights out of all sentient magical Beings. Compared with werewolves, vampires are treated like fourth class citizens.�

Harry stopped to gawk at her. �Vampires have rights?�

She gave him a sharp glare. �Yes, vampires have rights as well. They�re not allowed to work and must depend solely on the Ministry for support. They limited to consuming animal�s blood and though they have been promised the right to register a consenting human donor with the Ministry, it is often denied to them. When there are cuts in the Ministry budget, funding to the vampire division are among the first cuts. They�re kept in virtual isolation, malnourished, and mistreated.�

�You almost sound indignant for them.� He muttered.

�Of course,� Hermione exclaimed. �How is anyone supposed to live like that?�

�They�re vampires,� Harry couldn�t resist the urge to point that out. �They don�t need the same things we do.�

Her glower intensified. �That�s no excuse for such inhumane treatment. That can�t be acceptable. I suppose you feel the same way about werewolves then.�

�Werewolves are different than vampires. Werewolves are dangerous one night out of a month and the Wolfsbane Potion has gone a long way in rendering them harmless on that night. Vampires have nothing of that sort. They�re dangerous to others all the time. It�s hard for people to treat others, who are such a constant threat, fairly.� He muttered.

�That�s rubbish.�

�Would you rather they be at full strength, and we have no preventive measures against them? Would you rather live in a world where there�s a perpetual war between the living and the undead?�

�You�re being ridiculous. Vampires can live off animal blood too. There are also human donors-�

He cut her off. �If that really worked, do you think the vampire population would be so small? Twenty-three doesn�t even constitute a population. My guess is that most vampires changed in this country leave England soon afterwards. Either that or they slip under the Ministry�s radar and live as their nature dictates, feeding on us anyway.�

�I refuse to believe there can never be peaceful relations between vampires and wizardkind.� She was as stubborn as he always remembered.

�I�m not saying it�s right, Hermione,� he sighed. �But that�s the reality of the situation now. We�re talking about very morally ambiguous areas. No matter how you look at it, a creature�s first instinct is to protect itself.�

She stared long and hard at him. He was afraid she might never forgive him for expressing the opinions he did. She sighed, �I know you mean well, but you should look into your heart of hearts.�

They walked the rest of the way to the castle in silence. Hermione�s expression was tight all the way up to the castle.

~~~

Severus took inventory of the evidence he had against Wesley. The fact that Abraham was actually a vampire served only to explain a few things about Wesley�s behavior. It had still yet to explain why Wesley had one of Severus� cloaks. The curse Wesley claimed to be under didn�t explain why Wesley was dying his hair the Muggle way.

A small part of his mind whispered to him, Maybe Wesley�s just vain. Plenty of women waste hours dying their hair like that. Does it really make a difference if he�s a man?

He shoved those words to the back of his mind. He was sure the dubiously blond-haired man was hiding a bigger secret than his curse. Wesley had to be.

The Lifelust Curse was supposed to be a quick-acting and detrimental curse aimed at breaking down normal cognitive and emotional processes while inducing symptoms of delusions and hallucinations. It was nothing short of a one-way ticket to a psychotic breakdown. Yet Wesley claimed to have been cursed with it years ago. Severus had been unable to find any other previous recorded case where that happened. Most victims were known to fall completely under the influence of the curse after just few weeks.

Surely the blond man knew what kind of statement he was making by claiming to have been able to resist the curse for so long. There was no doubt in Severus� mind that Wesley was an extremely powerful wizard. Yet this magical strength only rendered him more dangerous when taken in conjunction with this curse.

�He, your best beloved one, is now to me, flesh of my flesh, blood of my blood�� Severus muttered to himself. Abraham had given that entire speech for a reason but to what end? He stared at the shelf of books and tried to remember the rest of the vampire�s little speech.

�Kin of my kin, my bountiful wine-press for a while, and shall become later on my companion and my helper.� A soft voice finished behind him.

Severus quickly turned to glare at the speaker and deadpanned, �It�s you.�

�I didn�t know you enjoyed Victorian literature, Professor.� Granger said.

�It�s none of your business.� He snarled and turned away.

�Cedric told me about the vampire. I would like to help if possible.� She said quietly.

Crossing his arms over his chest, he snarled again. It was always that damn Wesley. �Fine, you may help me research the Lifelust Curse.�

�Why the Lifelust Curse? That has nothing to do with the vampire.� She furrowed her eyebrows in deep thought.

�I�m tempted to say I�m less worried about the vampire than I am about Wesley. I know I will be able to handle the vampire, but Wesley has become an entirely different story.�

�Cedric�s been cursed?�

�He has been for years now.�

Granger didn�t appear a bit disturbed upon learning that fact so Severus concluded she had no idea what the Lifelust Curse was. That was fine. It would only inspire her to be more in-depth in her research. It pained him to admit it, but Granger�s ability to unearth information was rivaled by no one else.

~~~

Dinner was an unspectacular affair, but nerve-grating as well. Severus glared at Wesley all throughout dinner, but the younger man just did his best to ignore him. During the course of the meal, both Jessica and Siobhan kicked him under the table to dissuade him from continuing except Siobhan was a bit off and kicked her son instead.

Wesley led the way out of the Great Hall after dinner. As soon as the blond man stepped over the threshold of the door, something came crashing down. Sinclair grabbed a hold of Jessica's arm and pulled her back. Everyone stared as Wesley stood in the doorway drenched with red paint.

A familiar cackle drew all of their attention upwards, where Peeves looped through the air before throwing the empty pail at Wesley. Severus wondered how the poltergeist even got his hand on a bucket of paint.

�Peeves!� Granger screeched.

Peeves swooped down on Wesley, but the man quickly ducked. The poltergeist flew upwards and sat on the arch of the doorway.

Albus stepped out of the Great Hall and carefully around the puddle of paint at Wesley�s feet. The headmaster buried his arms into his sleeves and looked up at Peeves over the edge of his half-moon glasses. �Peeves,� Albus said with a warning tone.

Granger went to Wesley�s side and began casting a variety of cleaning spells. Wesley shook off his sleeves but spilled drops of paint- like fresh blood- onto Granger�s robes instead. He then sighed and said, �Forget it. I�ll just wash it off as soon as I get back to my room.�

�And drip all over the castle in the meanwhile?� Severus sneered.

Wesley sighed again and passed his wand up and down his body while muttering more cleaning spells.

Peeves burst out into laughter again, despite the warning looks both Albus and Minerva were giving him. The poltergeist grabbed his stomach and laughed as if Wesley was the funniest sight he had ever seen. Lifting one quivering finger, Peeves pointed to Wesley and exclaimed, �Now the inside matches the outside and the unseen comes to light. Unholy and Dark you are, with a mountain of deaths piled onto your shoulders.�

Severus watched as Wesley�s jaws tightened but remained close as he refused to reply to Peeves. Minerva waved her wand about and cast a few spells that were usually enough to deter Peeves. The poltergeist dodged all of them as he continued to cackle. He grabbed another bucket near the door and dumped the questionable water over Wesley�s head.

�Haha, wash away the blood!� Peeves shouted and flung the bucket at Granger.

Granger jumped back and the bucket cracked as it impacted with the floor. �Stop that now, Peeves, and leave Cedric alone.�

Peeves ignored Granger and continued to taunt Wesley. �Wily Wesley, you�ll start to stink if you keep carrying that serpent�s corpse around.�

It was unlike Peeves to act so outrageously while the headmaster was around. It was even more unlike it to continue its behavior after both Albus and Minerva had shown their disapproval. Peeves continued to dance around Wesley, as he continued to look like a drowned rat.

�Cease, Peeves, or I shall retrieve the Bloody Baron.� Severus ordered.

Peeves dropped back in mid-air as he continued to laughed, �Even the good Baron will not approach the Wesley here for there is life to be had in him still yet. The serpent�s venom still flows in this one�s veins. No, too dangerous for those with life to be around this one. A life eternal comes at the price of others�. Be warned! Be warned!�

Wesley narrowed his eyes as he flicked water off his drooping bangs. �Peeves, is it? I�m sorry if I have offended you in some manner.�

The poltergeist cackled as he flew away, �There�s no life to be had here. There�s nothing to satiate you here.�

�Are you alright?� Siobhan drew a handkerchief from her pocket and wiped some paint from Wesley�s cheeks.

�I�m fine.�

Minerva turned to Albus, �What could make Peeves act in that way? He�s never disobeyed us like that before and in front of guests no less.�

�Worry not, Minerva. It�s just Peeves. I�m sure he means nothing by it. What do you say, Mister Wesley, since you are the party wronged by this incident?� Albus gave Wesley a pacifying look.

Wesley opened his mouth to say something but closed it and looked away before finally grumbling, �I think nothing of it. It�s just a simple poltergeist.�

�Very well, I�m sure Mister Wesley is eager to return to his room and clean up. Shall I send a house elf to check on you?� Albus asked kindly.

Severus watched as Wesley clenched his fists tightly and snapped, �No. I�ll be fine on my own. Good night, everyone.� The young man gave them all a curt nod and stormed away like a bloody specter.

�I think your manners are becoming contagious.� Siobhan remarked as she watched Wesley go.

�What just happened? I don�t think I get it.� Jessica muttered.

�Perhaps it was his curse acting up again.� Severus started to move forward.

�What? What curse?! Don�t tell me you did something to him!� Jessica exclaimed.

He ignored her and stopped at Granger�s side. �I require your assistance, Miss Granger. Would you be so kind as to lend me your assistance?�

Granger quickly nodded and assented. The chit knew a bit of tact, unlike the rest of her House. He ignored Jessica as she called out questions after him. He had made up his mind to check the book tonight.

~~~

Stumbling up the stairs and cursing as they moved, Harry watched hopelessly as the stairs shifted away from the path to his room in one of the towers. He gave up and sat down on the steps as he waited for the stairs to revert to its original path. He buried his face in his hands and wished the world would fade away.

Who would have guessed that Peeves of all people and creatures would be the one closest to knowing who he really was? Harry hoped that the poltergeist�s words sounded like pure nonsense to those who didn�t know where to look for the hidden meanings. He had heard them loud and clear though. It was no wonder that none of the ghosts had approached him so far. Peeves spoke of the serpent�s corpse and Harry knew he was referring to Voldemort. Harry stank of death, murder, and Voldemort.

There was the ugly blackness that crept under his skin. He didn�t know what Abraham had done to him, but there was a perpetual itch to� Harry refused to commit the notion to a full-fledged thought, much less action. He found his hands trembling at odd moments when he was hit by an overwhelming craving- looking across the table during a meal or stumbling on the stairs after catching the tail end of trailing black robe.

He wished a hole would open up and swallow him whole. He lifted his head out of his hand and threw himself back against the steps. Staring up at the distant ceiling, Harry was struck by how silent the castle was. He had seen the castle in the dead of the night during the various school holidays, but it never seemed this desolate. As he listened carefully, he could almost catch the whisper of some conversation between portraits.

�What are you doing there, lad?�

Harry turned his head to the side and stared at one of the portrait residents peering down at him. It wasn�t one of the portraits Harry was familiar with or remembered from his school days. �I�m just waiting for the stairs to move again.�

�Maybe you should see Madame Pomfrey.� The subject of the portrait furrowed his brow in concern.

Harry glanced down. He still looked horrendous. �Peeves did this to me.�

�That Peeves again. I don�t see why Dumbledore just doesn�t rid the castle of that menace. Why yesterday, that beast tried to slash up my canvas.� The portrait huffed indignantly.

Just as Harry was about to reply, the stairs started moving back into its previous position. He stood and dusted off his robes before climbing up to his isolated room. As he was moved away from the portrait, he could hear the portrait still ranting. Harry shook his head. It was good to know that not everything had changed. In fact, it seemed as if Hogwarts hadn�t changed at all since he left years ago.

The portrait guarding his door gave Harry a disgusted look and snorted with contempt before asking for the password.

�Vita,� Harry grumbled and it swung open. He ran his hand down the canvas just to irk the painting.

The room Dumbledore had provided for him was spacious. Needless to say, he received a few strange glances when he requested his current accommodations so far from everyone else, but Snape had insisted as well. Harry snorted. Of course, Snape wouldn�t want him anywhere near anybody else after he found out about the curse.

On his way to the bathroom, he looked at the Marauder�s Map spread out on the table and did a quick check of where everyone was in the castle. Siobhan, Jessica, and Sinclair were all in the hospital wing with Shavonne. Madame Pomfrey was in her office, as were Dumbledore and McGonagall in their own respective ones. He did a double take when he noticed Snape and Hermione lingering in the vicinity of McGonagall�s office.

Were the two of them up to something?

~~~

As luck would have it, Minerva was in the process of taking down names from the Book of Names to send owls to the children that were to be admitted into Hogwarts in September. The Book of Names was far from a misnomer. The name of every child from England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales that would be eligible to attend Hogwarts was magically recorded in the book within a week after birth. While it was the child�s- or more accurately, the parents�- prerogative whether the child would attend Hogwarts or not, the name would be recorded in the book nonetheless [1].

The book had been passed down from the time of the four Founders along with the Sorting Hat and was currently stored in Minerva�s office since she was the deputy headmistress. Severus couldn�t just waltz in and ask for a peek in the book. It would be far too suspicious and he didn�t need anyone asking questions. Yet� No, he was going to have to draw Minerva away from her office first.

�You want me to lie to Professor McGonagall?� Granger asked with slack jaws.

Perhaps Granger wasn�t the best accomplice for this task. He pinched the bridge of his nose. �I�m not asking you to kill the blasted old cow. I simply need you to keep Minerva from her office for about ten minutes.�

�But why? What are you going to do in her office?�

Severus wanted to knock the chit upside her head. He hated it when people questioned him and little Miss-Know-It-All was no different. If he didn�t know better, he would have thought she was accusing him of something sullied.

�You need not concern yourself with that.�

�You�re asking me for a favor and I need not grant you it.� She hissed in return.

Severus cursed the day Granger grew a spine. �I need to know once and for all if Wesley is lying or not.�

She stared at him. �It�s all because of Cedric again? Why are you so obsessed with uncovering his past?�

�That is none of your business,� he snarled. �Stop wasting my time, Granger.�

�Fine, I�ll help you.� Granger said and walked down the corridor toward Minerva's office. He watched as she ran her hand through her frizzy hair to gain a more disheveled appearance. She rapped twice on Minerva�s door and fell back on the heel of her feet. The door opened immediately afterwards and Granger rushed in.

�Professor, it�s Peeves again! I couldn�t find Headmaster Dumbledore so I don�t know what to do! He was acting so strangely before, but it�s even worse now!�

Severus was impressed with Granger�s acting skills. He supposed she must have picked up something after spending so many years bailing out both Potter and Weasley. A few seconds later, Granger dragged Minerva out of the door and down the corridor away from him. He would leave Granger to explain for herself.

He dashed down half the length of the corridor and managed to catch the door before it shut. He slipped into Minerva's office and closed the door behind him. While he had asked for Granger to occupy Minerva for about ten minutes, he was likely to have much less. The Book wasn�t on Minerva�s desk. The parchments spread out on her desk were all invitations to the incoming class, so the Book shouldn�t be far from reach.

Severus opened each of the drawers in the desk and rummaged carefully through all of them. He still couldn�t find the book. There weren�t that many places to hide it. Severus had seen the book once before. It was a tome thicker than the width of Hagrid�s arm and one that would continue to grow with time.

He turned to face the bookcase with only a few minutes left at most. Minerva didn�t seem like the type to hide it in plain sight. Yet he spotted the thick tome without a title on its spine wedged between a worn copy of A Beginner�s Guide to Transfiguration and From Water to Wine: The Limits of the Alchemic Theorem toward the end of the second shelf from the bottom.

The tome was lighter than expected when he pulled it off the shelves. He should have had some difficulty in carrying it, but he doubted that Minerva would have been able to lift it otherwise. He placed it on her desk and flipped open to the entering class of 1992. Wesley was born on October 31, 1980 so he wouldn�t have been of age to enter Hogwarts until the year after Potter.

The entering class of 1992 had a total number of 56, sixteen more than Potter�s year. Minerva�s markings indicated that all 56 invited to attend Hogwarts had done so. Looking down the list, Severus couldn�t find Wesley�s name anywhere in that year. He double-checked and still couldn�t find it. He looked up at the clock hanging on Minerva�s wall and found he had already been in the room for about four minutes.

He slammed the book shut and squeezed it back into its place on the shelf. He slipped out of Minerva�s office and started towards the main staircase. As he reached the top of staircase, Granger and Minerva were making their way up the stairs. He swept by without acknowledging either of them. There was a lot to think about, but Severus was becoming more and more convinced of one fact.

There never was a Cedric Remius Wesley to begin with.

~~~

Severus secured the letter and the small pouch containing two gold galleons to the owl�s talon. He watched as the owl, one of the school�s, took off and hoped it would be able to make its way around Prentice�s defenses. His investigations the night before had confirmed one thing for him. Wesley was a complete and utter liar. If Prentice couldn�t find any of Wesley�s school records from his days at Durmstrang, Severus would know for sure that everything about Wesley had been falsified.

The Owlery was nearly empty compared to yesterday. Almost all the owls had been sent out to deliver the invitations to attend Hogwarts. Severus had been lucky enough to get to the last owl before Minerva. The only other owl left was Potter�s old owl.

Severus glared at the white bird. She turned up at Hogwarts not long after Potter�s disappearance and hadn�t left since. The bird refused to deliver letters and was generally so ill-tempered that most people didn�t dare to approach it. It was one of Potter�s last remaining legacies at Hogwarts and was one of the �relics� shown to every First Year. The owl lifted her head from her chest and stared at Severus with sleepy amber eyes.

He found the owl to be as impudent as her former keeper. �Your master is never going to return.� He growled.

She hooted and turned her head away. He suddenly felt the urge to kill the bloody bird. He gave one last ineffective glare at the bird before turning away. As he passed one of the open windows facing the north side of the castle grounds, he noticed a lone figure prostrated at memorial dedicated to those who died in the struggle against Voldemort. Severus wondered who it could be.

~~~

Harry hadn�t expected there to be a memorial at the school. It was a large stone slab balanced on its side. There were a few bouquets of flowers and since they were only a bit dried, Harry concluded some student had visited the memorial not long before the school year ended.

His hands shook as he reached out to touch the slab. A multitude of names were engraved onto the stone. There almost seemed to be too many to count. He never realized how many of his classmates had perished in the aftermath of the war. Many had died in the final battle, but even more had been grievously injured and suffered painful curses. It was heart-breaking to see how many had never recovered.

Harry found it hard to breathe as he approached the end of the list. His hand lingered over the name of Ron Weasley chiseled into the rock. Ron had died before his time. Ron shouldn�t have died in the final battle but should have lived to marry Hermione and�

His legs gave out under him and he slid to the ground. Ignoring the mud and dirt smeared over his robes, he leaned his head against the cold slab. A cloud moved across the sky to obscure the sun, changing the blue sky into a dreary gray.

He wondered how the rest of the Weasley were doing now. Percy died early in the war as a neutral bystander, stubbornly placing his faith on Fudge and his administration all the way up to his death. Harry clenched his fist against the rough granite as he remembered how devastated Ron had been when he first learned of Percy�s death. When he left, the other Weasleys had survived despite the many scrapes and bruises, but Ginny was still in critical condition at St. Mungo�s.

Harry ran his fingers across Ron�s name once more.

�They all died so young and ahead of their time.�

Harry stiffened at the sound of Dumbledore�s voice. He lifted his head back and forced a smile. �Afternoon, Headmaster.�

�Good afternoon, Mister Wesley. I hope you�re enjoying your visit to Hogwarts, despite the unfortunate circumstances that has brought you here. Severus tells me you attended Durmstrang.� Dumbledore smiled in the way that always made Harry nervous.

He nodded, �My uncle�s company transferred him to Berlin when I was young so I didn�t have a chance to attend Hogwarts. A pity, I suppose.�

�I see you�ve found Mister Weasley�s name.� The headmaster said with a strange light in his eyes.

He forced himself to pry his hand away from the stone. �Hermione told me about her fianc�. It just seemed like such a sad story. It doesn�t seem fair that he died so young.�

�Life is rarely fair and war is even less so. Many brave young people lost their lives in the fight against Voldemort and even more sacrificed their youths. If only I could have carried those burden for them��

�No one lives forever, right?� Harry asked.

�That is correct.�

A minute passed in silence before Dumbledore spoke again. �My friend in the Ministry returned my owl today. You should know that there is no vampire named Abraham registered to that area. As a matter of fact, a vampire hasn�t registered residence in that area of Yorkshire in over fifty years.�

Harry froze.

�I thought it would be best if you knew.�

His hand fell limply to his side as he listened to the sound of Dumbledore tread through the mud back to the castle.

~~~

Harry peered curiously into the hospital wing. Pomfrey was nowhere in sight so she must still be in her adjoined office. At the moment, he wasn�t Shavonne�s only visitor. From the door, he could make out Draco Malfoy�s platinum blond hair seat by Shavonne�s bed. He took a deep breath before entering and approaching the bed.

He stopped for a second to observe both of them. It was strange to see Malfoy fussing over someone. He had never seen Malfoy act this way, not even towards Hermione. Then again, Hermione would have never allowed it. Was this the answer to his question? It did not seem like Malfoy was with Hermione. It wasn�t that Harry particularly wanted that to happen, but Malfoy had turned from Voldemort for Hermione. Were feelings strong enough to drive someone to go against everything they�ve known that easily forgotten? But Hermione had made it clear from the start she would love no one but Ron.

Turning his attention to Shavonne instead, he breathed a sigh of relief after seeing she was finally up and conscious. She looked lost among the pile of pillows propping her up but she looked far healthier than she did yesterday.

�You�re recovering well.� Harry said very quietly. He almost felt bad for breaking up their intimate conversation.

�Cedric, you�re such a dear to visit me.� She battered her eyelashes flirtatiously.

�Wesley,� Malfoy inclined his head in greeting.

�Malfoy,� Harry returned just as casually. �I don�t mean to interrupt you��

�Not at all,� she clapped her hands together and gave him a pleased smile. �Just pull up a chair.�

He shook his head. �No thank you, I was just stopping by to see how you were doing.�

�I�ve been better.� Shavonne sighed and sank back into the pillows.

�You�re lucky, that�s what you are.� Malfoy said.

�I�m going to have to agree with Malfoy here. Why did you invite Abraham into the castle? Even if he wasn�t a vampire, he still could have been dangerous.� Harry scowled. It would have also made his life a whole lot easier. �You�re lucky that Snape and I figured it out quickly. Who knows what could have happened if we didn�t.�

�Listen, the both of you,� she snapped in annoyance. �I�ve told Severus this many times and I�ll tell you now too. I didn�t invite Abraham into the castle. I never did. I don�t know who did, but it wasn�t me.�

�If it wasn�t you, then who?� Harry stared at the sheets. It couldn�t have been Snape. Siobhan, perhaps?

�Someone must have invited him in. Vampires can�t just waltz into a wizard�s home. You�re not bloody Muggles.� Malfoy snapped.

Harry wanted to hit Malfoy for his derisive tone and the way he spat the word �Muggle,� but the other man did have a point. Wizard homes were conscious to the threat certain creatures posed to its owners and barred them from entering without a formal invitation. Muggle homes were not the case, since they were rarely sentinel or warded. The only other way a vampire could have gained entrance into a home without permission was if he had some legitimate claim of ownership to the land.

�Don�t talk as if you know me.�

�But I do,� Abraham gave them a toothy grin. �I know far more about you and your family than you could ever imagine.�

�That�s it!� Harry exclaimed.

�What?� Shavonne asked.

He couldn�t tell her just yet. He had to confirm it for himself first. �Nothing, I just remembered where I placed that�thing��

�You shouldn�t hold back anything you know.� Malfoy narrowed his eyes.

�I�m not.� Harry�s eyes flickered briefly to the other man. �Don�t worry, Shavonne. I�m going to make sure he hurts no one else. I�m going to get him out of your home.�

�Cedric,� she reached out for his hand but he stepped just out of the way. �Don�t do anything stupid or unnecessary. The whole family really cares about you. Even Severus.�

Harry fought the urge to scoff at the idea of Snape being concerned for his wellbeing. �I won�t.�

With a final nod to both Malfoy and Shavonne, Harry crossed the room and closed the doors behind him. He began the trek back to his room to retrieve his invisibility cloak and the Marauder�s Map.

�Wesley.�

He took a deep breath before turning to face Malfoy, �Yes?�

�If you know something, you shouldn�t keep it to yourself.� The blonde said with narrowed eyes.

Harry shrugged. �I don�t know what you�re talking about.�

�You lie.�

�Believe what you like,� he smirked. �I don�t have to answer to you.�

Malfoy raised his wand and leveled it with Harry�s face. �You should have prevented this in the first place. What good are you as a Dark creature exterminator if a vampire got to Shavonne right under your nose? I hold you responsible for her condition.�

�As do I. I will get rid of that vampire, but it�s not because of your threat. I owe you nothing.� Harry turned away.

�Don�t ever turn your back on my wand, Wesley.� Malfoy called after him.

He waved a hand over his shoulder. �I doubt you could do anything to me anyway, Malfoy.�

~~~

�This is such a fascinating curse,� Granger muttered in awe from behind her giant tome. Unlike him, she had no previous knowledge of the curse and felt compelled to absorb everything she could find. �Do you really mean to tell me that Cedric has had this curse for six years? I don�t even see how that�s possible.�

Severus crossed his arms over his chest and continued to glare at the books. Even with her help, he had still yet to understand Wesley�s situation. �I have a theory as to why. Wesley�s job as an exterminator is just a cover. He does what he does simply to satisfy the demands of the curse.�

Granger allowed the book to fall back on the table. �Similar to how vampires stave off their blood-lust with animal blood? I can�t believe Cedric would be willing to do something like that though.�

He snorted at her naivety. �Would you rather Wesley goes mad and slaughters those closest to him like in all the other cases recorded?�

�Of course not,� Granger protested weakly. �But a life is still a life.�

Severus looked away in disgust, �Gryffindor sentiments.�

�Not everyone is blessed with Slytherin sensibilities like we are.�

He couldn�t say he was surprised to see Draco standing at the head of the table. �You�ve returned already?�

�Draco!� she exclaimed. �You�re here.�

Draco rolled his eyes. �Where else would I be?�

It was always interesting to watch Granger and Draco interact. Even after all these years, there was something so fundamentally awkward about their exchanges. It could be frustrating to witness too and made Severus want to shake both of them at times. He wondered when Draco would finally get over Granger, if ever. Though he and Draco may joke privately about the blonde�s relationship with Shavonne, Severus knew Draco wasn�t ready to pursue any real romantic relationship with his cousin.

�You said you were staying with your cousin for a bit this summer.�

�A bit,� Draco deadpanned in return.

�Do the two of you mind?� Severus snapped. �I would like to concentrate on the subject at hand.�

Draco picked up a book from the table and flipped through a few pages. �So this is about Wesley?�

Severus glared at his former student and now present colleague. �Spare me, you were listening for the last few minutes before you even approached us. Just tell me what you know.�

�The Lifelust Curse was created in 1902. The creator, Harker Helmdag, was a pioneer in the field of blood curses, particularly the vampiric Bloodlust Curse. He also had a penchant for human testing. Helmdag was trying to recreate the original vampiric blood curse but ended up with a derivative, the Lifelust Curse, instead. In many ways, the Lifelust Curse inspires vampiric tendencies, but a life must be taken by the hands of the cursed to satiate the curse. It became very popular among certain circles because the curse was not only subtle, but self-incriminating as well. There�s no known cure or countercurse for it. May have tried and failed. Not the mention the fact those cursed are put down like rabid dogs, even if the authorities realize it�s the curse in the works. Its original name was �Renfield�s Madness�.�

Granger interrupted, �As in the character from Bram Stoker�s novel?�

Draco nodded.

Her face lit up and she turned to him with a notable bounce in her movements. �Professor, that quote you were reciting earlier is also from Dracula.�

�What is the significance of this Renfield character and this novel?� His patience was quickly wearing thin.

�You don�t know?� she looked surprise. �Haven�t you read it?�

�I have no interest in Muggle literature.�

�Renfield is one of the characters from the Victorian Gothic novel, Dracula, by a Muggle author named Bram Stoker. The story is based around the vampire, Count Dracula. It was one of the earlier stories about vampires and helped made vampires into an icon of the modern horror genre. Renfield is a mental patient under Dracula�s thrall and is obsessed with the idea of obtaining eternal life. He believes that by cultivating smaller creatures, feeding them to subsequently larger animals, and finally devouring the animal himself would lengthen his life span. The dichotomy of Renfield�s character is the most interesting part because at times, he seems very much sane and other times completely nutters.�

Severus narrowed his eyes. �So Renfield was the vampire�s servant?�

She nodded. Severus stood but before he could clear the table, Granger grabbed a hold of his robes.

�Wait,� she exclaimed. �It�s not as simple as you think.�

�What�s not so simple? The vampire as good as told me that Wesley�s his servant.� Severus snapped. He didn�t need this now. Wesley was going to pay for all he did.

�The passage you quoted isn�t about Renfield. Dracula was referencing to Mina in that passage.�

�What difference does that make?� Severus raised his wand at her face. �Unhand me now or you leave me no choice.�

�She�s right,� Draco piqued.

Severus looked from one to another and back. He crossed his arms over his chest and hissed, �Explain. Now.�

Draco exchanged a glance with Granger before starting, �Mina Harker is another character from Dracula. She�s the wife of Jonathan Harker, one of the men battling Dracula. She was best friends with Dracula�s first English victim and later becomes Dracula�s prey herself.�

�So Wesley�s a woman and a victim?� Severus sneered.

�No, Mina represented something more in the story. She�s the epitome of the Good Woman and the battle against Dracula becomes the battle to save her soul. She�s the countermeasure that Dracula took because the men were careless and didn�t guard her closely enough. Mina becomes the unifying factor between all four men after Lucy�s death.� Granger paused to consider what she had said so far before continuing in a very quiet voice. �If the vampire�s words are meant to be taken in that context, Cedric is someone very important to you.�

~~~

�Ridiculous,� Severus muttered darkly as he stormed down the corridor. �Absolute rubbish.�

He glared darkly at the stone floor. The nerve of Granger to suggest something like that. He would be lying if he claimed he wasn�t tempted to eviscerate her for her gall. Important indeed. Wesley meant nothing to him. Wesley was even less than an employee since Siobhan was the one paying for his services. The only reason he was interested in Wesley was because Severus knew the man was keeping some additional dark secret from all of them. He was doing it to protect Siobhan and the others since they were too daft to notice a suspicious person until an Avada Kedavra was cast their way.

It was not paranoia. It wasn�t.

Severus stopped in the middle of the corridor and turned around. He reached into one of his hidden pockets and fingered the vial of Veritaserum he always kept on his person. He was going to get his answers today, even if he had to douse Wesley in Veritaserum. He reckoned Wesley wouldn�t look much different from his occasional crazed state with the potion in his system. Severus pictured Wesley�s eyes dilating, not with the slack expression characteristic of Veritaserum, but with hungry expression Severus had seen a few times before. His breath quickened as he recalled how Wesley�s lithe tongue would dart out to wet his lips.

Severus turned toward the wall and slammed his fist into the stone. What was he doing thinking about something like that? Had he developed a less than appropriate interest in Wesley? In an enemy?

�Is something wrong, Severus?�

He took a deep breath and rose to his full height before turning to face Jessica. The woman squinted as her eyes tried to focus on him. She reached out and planted a hand against the wall to steady herself.

He frowned. �Are you hurt?�

Rubbing her eyes, she shook her head. �No, I ran out of contact lens solution and I can�t find my spare glasses. Have you seen Cedric around? I was hoping to borrow some solution from him, but he wasn�t in his room.�

He nearly snarled at the mere mention of Wesley�s name.

�What did Cedric do to piss you off now?�

�Merely existing.�

�Remind me to stay out of your hair today.� She said as she stumbled past.

Watching her careful progress down the hallway, he frowned. �You shouldn�t walk around like that. Allow me to cast a vision spell for you at least. Sinclair would never forgive me if anything happened to you.�

Jessica stopped to look back and gave him the biggest smile he had seen from her in a long while. �Thanks for your concern, Severus. Always knew you weren�t as big a bastard as you tried to act. I�ll be fine.�

�Why do you continue to use those contact lenses if they can be such a bother? There are potions and spells that can fix your vision.�

�Those spells can be so unstable and the potions are expensive. Cedric feels the same way too.�

�Is that why?� Severus muttered with no real interest in the reason why Wesley did anything.

�Yeah, but he wears colored ones. I don�t see why though. His eyes are really pretty on their own. Gray�s kind of dull compared to his green. They�re almost like emeralds.�

Something froze inside him. �Green�like Avada Kedavra.�

�Uh, I guess.�

Severus clenched his fist and pushed off from the wall. Without another word to her, he took off down the corridor in the direction of the stairs.

�Wait! What happened?�

It couldn�t be. After all, Potter wasn�t the only person in the world to have green eyes. Yet this was the only answer that made any sense but no sense at the same time. It explained Wesley�s attachment to Lupin despite him being a werewolf. It explained why Wesley was such an incredibly strong wizard. It explained why Wesley had held out against the curse for so long. It might even explain why Wesley was cursed with it in the first place.

The stairs gave him no trouble, but he doubted they would have been able to stand against his ire. He stood in front of the portrait entrance to Wesley�s room, rapping against the guardian painting and shouting, �Wesley, let me in now. You�re not getting away today. I�ll blast my way in if I have to.�

�You will do no such thing!� the portrait huffed indignantly. �He can�t hear you anyways since he left about half an hour ago carrying a silver cloak.�

Severus swore under his breath. Why was he always one step behind Potter?

*To Be Continued*

[1] Actually, it's not a book. When I wrote that part, I was sure it was a book, but it's really a magic quill that records all the names of children to enter Hogwarts. I like the book idea better so I just stuck with it. You can find the information in a interview transcript at http://www.scholastic.com/harrypotter/author/transcript1.htm. It is answered in the question: "How can two Muggles have a kid with magical powers? Also how does the Ministry of Magic find out these kids have powers?"

Unlike the Bloody Baron, Peeves is a poltergeist, not a ghost. A ghost is the lingering soul of someone who had once lived. Poltergeists are more of a manifestation from the agitated energy of someone who had been to the place the poltergeist haunts. That someone doesn't even have to be dead for a poltergeist to manifest. Peeves just has more of a personality than most poltergeists I've read or heard of. Peeves still falls under the spirit category and shares many characteristics with ghosts. Since Peeves was never a living entity like the Bloody Baron, he doesn't have to fear the Lifelust Curse in the same way a ghost has to.

Jo brought this to my attention in her review so I want to clear this up before there are more misunderstanding. Draco is not actually engaged to Shavonne. It's sort of a joke between Snape and Draco, though Siobhan really would like for it to come true.

So there you have it. Harry's cover comes apart completely. I feel like JKR for using Hermione for pure exposition like I did in this chapter. Hope you all enjoyed this extra long chapter.

As always, please R/R and thanks for all your reviews. See you next week!
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Life Eternal