Chapter Text
The wind was whistling and he was back again. Back in the hands of those who caused him the worst pain he had ever experienced. The echoes of the past hissing in his ears. He could feel it all.
Harry was in the grave yard, pinned to Tom Riddle Senior’s grave feeling the jagged rocks jabbing into his back again, crying out again, reliving pure fear all over again. Voldemort bit into his wrist and then came the hot horrible pain shot through him and like the venom in his fangs flowed through his body, dread began to follow. His snake like fangs he made Harry feel the worst fear he had ever felt. It was ever present, delusional fear that warped his brain and made him scream. Worse than when he fought Quirrel, worse than the Basilisk, worse than Lupin’s werewolf form. This was the first time he had ever been bitten. Meaning venom had never touched his blood til now. The first time he felt the excruciating pain that only vampire venom laced with dread can make you feel. He could hear two things; the blood rushing in his ears, and the cackling from the death eaters that reveled in his humiliation.
They reveled in his pain, his misery, his fear… they likely could see it in every orifice of his body. When Voldemort stopped he was shaking and crying and unable to stop the way his body jolted with pain. He could compare it to the cruiciatus curse, but he didn’t know which felt worse. This is where death eaters viewed those who were half or muggle born should be… at the end of their fangs and at their mercy. The laughter, the pain, all came swirling about his head and he knew he was screaming again when he awoke.
This is where the dream always ended. When Harry would shoot up in bed in a cold sweat and feel like the world was ending again. The pain would still seem real for a moment, when the land of dreams still sat hazy on the corners of his mind… it was like his skin was on fire for only a second before he realized it was months prior that this occurred. He was shivering hugging himself around his elbows as he slowly looked around… he wasn’t in the grave yard, he wasn’t in a cold dank hell scape, his arm was healed, and he wasn’t being laughed at by death eaters.
He stared at the red curtains that greeted him like home every year. But they felt different…The color was duller than last he remembered and he felt sick. Ron was awake again too he realized and met his eyes, just now realizing he was staring at him. He paused before he spoke, his eyes never leaving Harry’s face, “You alright mate?…” Harry never commented on it, but the way his eyes seemed to reflect light at night like a cat always freaked him out a bit. “Ya… fine.” He tore his own eyes away and buried himself under the covers to regain some of the warmth that he had lost.
“You were screaming,” Ron looked away and Harry knew what he meant. He was thankful that it appeared like the other three roommates were out of the room. “Sorry- “
“Hey… don’t apologize, I just- it sucks to see you like that and I wish I could help.” He muttered these words hurriedly like he felt too awkward to say them louder. But Harry heard him, and despite how prickly he had been since the start of term, he was thankful. Ron was a good friend and he knew he understood that the venom laced with pure fear would have left its mark.
Because Ron also could do the same if he felt like it, just like all purebloods could.
“Thank Ron… I just- I’m fine, nothing that can be done about it.” He muttered and rolled over to try and go back to sleep. It was already a horrible year thus far- but how much worse could it get? Famous last words as he suffered through his first detention with Umbridge.
Harry didn’t fully realize how much worse it could possibly be, until he felt the black quill slicing into his flesh the phrase, “I must not tell lies.” And all he could do now was stare numbly down at the fading letters as he sat in the great hall and listened to Hermione prattle on about how behind he was on his homework. “Hermione… please just drop it, I know I’m behind but there’s nothing that can be done about it alright? Besides, I already feel bad enough about missing quidditch try outs on Friday, you should have seen Angelina’s face when I told her I couldn’t get out of it.” He heaved a heavy sigh running his thumb over the back of his hand.
He felt his mind wandering back to Umbridge’s punishment and felt the deepest loathing he had ever felt for a teacher. It was even worse than how he felt toward Snape, and that was saying something. Harry had applied a healing salve to make his hand stop bleeding and thankfully it had worked almost immediately.
Blood was something students tried to avoid leaving out fresh for obvious reasons. Biting was prohibited but sometimes occurred by accident since well- kids had a hard time controlling themselves. So, most non pureblood students carried some form of healing salve with them to avoid getting wry looks from pureblood students if they got a paper cut in class.
Ron snapped him out of his train of thought.
“Awe come on Harry… can’t all be bad-“ Harry shot Ron a derisive look and it shut him up. “Really mate, it’ll be fine.” He tried to reassure but Harry just shrugged staring at his treacle tart. Usually he’d have eaten three of these easily but he had no appetite.
“Ey Potty, is it true you got yourself detention in the first week? Really , how pathetic and attention seeking can you be?” The pompous snide tones of Malfoy came from his left and Harry managed the most vicious glare he could. “Yeah? seems like you’re still wanting my attention then ey Malfoy? What does that make you?” Hermione jammed her elbow in Harry’s side aggressively shaking her head. But Harry continued to glare - that was until he saw the points of Malfoy’s canines and his face screwed up as he bared his fangs at him. All fight left him in that moment and he felt the color leave his face.
He had gone rigid his eyes wide and horrified until Ron shoved Harry behind him doing the same back at Malfoy much to Harry’s shock. Ron had never bared his fangs at another person in front of Harry before, and now Malfoy seemed thoroughly amused. “Awe protecting your little meal Weasleby? Shame, thought you were more interested in tasty mudbloods like Granger.” He mused and Crabbe and Goyle hooted as they strode off to the Slytherin table.
“Ron! You’re a prefect-!”
“Yeah- well so is he-“
“That doesn’t mean you should stoop to his level!”
“Hermione shut it! Harry are you alright mate?” Ron had never looked so concerned before until now. “That was bang out of order mate-“
“S’ fine Ron,” Harry shook his head hard feeling that icy fear still creeping up the back of his neck, he nonchalantly waved Ron off. “He just did what Malfoy normally does it’s fine.”
“But Harry-“
“RON, please… just drop it.” Harry raked his fingers through his hair and took off his glasses to pinch the bridge of his nose. The ache in his head from his scar getting to him in a way that made it feel like he was hearing colors again.
The sharp ache was making his head pound and he wished he could do something to get it stop. And the more emotion he felt the worse it seemed to get.
Did Draco know what Voldemort did to him? Did he revel in his fear? Is that why he bore his fangs at him? He knew vampires would sometimes illicit strong emotions out of humans to get a particular flavor, but he was pretty certain that half bloods were considered the last possible dinner option for most pure blood participants. Anyways, most purebloods didn’t really drink blood anyways. They didn’t need to… not like they needed it to survive. From what Ron had explained it was more like tradition to sometimes have a glass of it during a feast or holiday.
Much to his disgust of course, but Ron apparently never had tasted human blood before. Not even animal blood really. He didn’t have the stomach for it and his family preferred human food anyways thanks to the fantastic meals Molly could conjure up.
He felt the color drain from his face at the idea of Draco and his parents laughing at his agony, at the murder, the desire to see him suffer more. It made his veins run cold and he blinked slowly to press down any sign of vulnerability.
“Listen, I’m alright. Please just don’t fuss over me, I feel pathetic as is.” Ron gaped at him. “Harry we didn’t mean to-“
“Save it.” He chewed on his cheek and then his teeth migrated to his lips as he dug his teeth in until it bled, enjoying the tang of copper against his tongue until he noticed Ron was leaning away from him cringing.
“Sorry.” He wasn’t really, he didn’t mind seeing others grimace for once. Fred was the one who admonished him this time. “Harry please for the love of merlin stop digging your teeth into your lip you are driving me up the wall!” He hissed out from behind his hands and Harry smirked a bit. “Yeah, yeah, sure you’re live once you get a nose bleed nougat going.” George huffed at him next. “Harry seriously the Slytherins are staring and frankly I find them creepy enough as is!” But George regretted these words quickly when he saw the effect they had on Harry. He went all rigid again and seemed to stop digging his teeth into his lip immediately.
Harry felt that familiar chill return and he glanced over his shoulder at Draco. Not at all enjoying the way the taller boy glared at him from across the great hall. “I doubt that’s why they’re staring, your brother barred his fangs earlier probably pissed him off.”
“Ickle Ronikins bore his fangs? Oh my word! Did you hear Fred? Ickle baby Ronikins used his big boy fangs!” Fred reached across the table pinching Ron’s cheeks and pulling at him. “Aweeee look at the little guy! He’s all grown up!” Fred sniffed hard and began to dab away fake tears. “He’s ready to attack muggleborns now, aren’t you proud George?”
“Ha ha ha,” Ron batted away the hands of his older brothers but couldn’t help but grin a bit. “It sure surprised Malfoy though, don’t think he’s ever had anyone do it back.”
“Course not, he normally wouldn’t have the guts to do it anyways now would he? Hes too much of a prissy baby to risk getting in trouble… but with someone like Umbridge running around I think he’s getting a little too big for his britches don’t you agree Fred?” George had an evil glint in his eyes.
“Aye…” Fred now shared this look and Hermione groaned. “Whatever you do, just don’t do it in front of me.” She sighed and took a long pull from her coffee mug setting it down hard.