Chloe Cullen 5 - A Harry Potter and Twilight Crossover

Chapter 5: Stalking

I train with Liam and his family until it's time for the humans to go to bed. While this room does have a one-way silencing charm on it, I'd much rather be able to protect my sleeping friends during the night (even though this house has more than enough protection spells on it). I'm pretty confident nothing is going to happen though, so I stand in the corner looking like a true vampire, reading this years text books, waiting for sunrise. Nothing interesting interesting happens until 4 A.M. when we hear the door open. I know that anyone who enters this house needs to have certain permission to enter, but I'm still on my guard. Especially when I realize that this newcomer has the scent of a vampire.

I look to see what the others are doing, and the Irish coven doesn't seem to be bothered, but this barely comforts me. I grip my wand in case this turns into a fight. The newcomer comes into view and even in the darkness and through the dust in the air I can clearly see what he looks like. He's not altogether tall. I'm a few inches taller than he is, but I can tell he's very old. It's a sense I get. He has chin length hair that is as black as midnight, but unlike one Professor Snape it doesn't look like an oil slick. He has the type vampire pale skin and his eyes are ruby red, indicating that he has fed very recently.

He greets Liam, Siobhan, and Maggie like old friends and then turns to me. "You must be Chloe. I'm Vladimir. Vladimir Trocar," he says, holding out his hand. I shake it. He sounds friendly enough, and his handshake doesn't indicate hostility. I start to relax a little bit. "It's a pleasure to meet you," he says. I smile politely. "You to," I say. "I've been scouting the house and it seems Dudley doesn't get up until around 9 or 10 A.M., so we have some time. Before we leave, though, there is a spell I would like to teach you. Have you heard of the Disillusionment charm?" he asks. I nod. "Good. We'll be using it so we won't draw suspicion to ourselves if needed.To use it, simply tap your wand on your head and say the incantation," Vladimir instructs.

I get out my wand and practice. I already know the incantation, so I simply twirl my wand around myself and say the incantation under my breath. I look down at my body, and I see myself gradually becoming invisible. Sort of. It's more like I blend into my surroundings. I hold out my hands, and I don't see them! "Very good," Trocar comments. I look up at him. "If you were casting this charm on another person, just tap your wand on their head. For now, just twirl your wand in reverse to lift the charm." I do as he says, and sure enough, the effects of the charm are lifted. "Excellent. I'd like to leave before the rest of the household gets up, so if you could get changed we will be on our way. It is supposed to be warming up, so keep that in mind," Vladimir says. I quietly run up to the room that I share with Hermione and Ginny and change into a red flowy crop top with spaghetti straps with light blue jeans and black and white tennis shoes. Because I might see humans putting on jackets throughout the day (and I need someplace to put my wand) I bring a jacket with me. Once Vladimir declares me ready to go, he apparates with me at his side to number 4 Privet Drive.

When we get there, we both put the disillusionment charm on ourselves, but I have no problems with keeping track of Vladimir because of his scent. If there is one word to describe the Dursley house it would be this: square. The whole neighborhood is square. All of the lawns look the same, all of the houses look the same, even all of the cars look similar! Can't say I'm surprised though. Immediately I listen and smell for residents. The first scent that hits me is Harry's because I'm so familiar with it. I force myself away from Harry to locate Dudley and I find his heartbeat not far from Harry's, but then I go straight back to Harry because I hear his heart rate increase, shortly followed by his breathing increase. Is he waking up? I immediately know he's not when he says "Cedric, not Cedric" in a sleepy voice. He's having a nightmare. I keep listening when I hear a sigh beside me.

"What is it?" I ask quietly. "He's had this nightmare ever since I started watching him" Vladimir says. I have to refrain a gasp. Poor Harry! I had a feeling he might get PTSD, I was just hoping I would be wrong. I have no words. I want to stop listening to Harry, but I can't. It's just so heartbreaking. I feel like I'm with him when Cedric is dying. As his nightmare is progressing, his voice gets louder and traveling throughout the house. I feel as though his aunt, uncle, and cousin can hear him now, although they are doing their best to ignore him. This angers me, although it doesn't surprise me. I wish I could comfort him somehow, but no. I'm forced to stand on the sidelines and watch it all happen like a bystander.

It's hours before something more interesting happens. Residents start leaving for work, and we hear the sound of popping, which we know is Order members changing shifts, watching Harry. It takes longer before we see any movement outside the house, though. The first person out of the house is Vernon, who I assume is heading for work. Then it's Harry. It takes all of my willpower to not follow him. Still, though, I follow his movement with my eyes and listen for anything he's saying. He's completely silent. He looks brooding, though. Deep in thought. "Chloe," Vladimir says quietly, knocking me out of my concentration. "We are here for Dudley. Harry is well protected. Let's focus on the task at hand." I growl instinctively, but he ignores me.

At that moment, a group of teenagers I've never seen before walks up to 4 Privet Drive and knocks on the door. They look like a group of delinquents. "Those are Dudley's friends. Dudley should be leaving with them soon," Vladimir says. All of the teenagers are dressed very poorly, like the put on the first things they grabbed. All of them are wearing various baggy shirts and capris. It's only about five minutes later when Dudley comes out, and I do a double take when I see him. He's no longer bigger than he is round. He's still big, but he's muscled instead of fat. I wonder what the change is for? As I start to ponder the reasons why, Dudley and his group of minions start to move, and Vladimir and I start to follow.

The boys' conversation is not very interesting as we make our way to God knows where. It's a lot of laughing and talking about people who I have never heard of. There aren't any mentions of Harry for now, and for that I'm grateful. I don't know if I could restrain my anger. The group is smoking quite a bit, though. Even though Vladimir and I are following them at a distance, the stench of the cigarettes drifts back to us and it takes everything in me to not stop breathing. If it wasn't for the fact that I have to keep track of Vladimir's scent, I would stop breathing.

Eventually, we are lead to a park. This is odd, I think to myself. This seems like a children's park with lots of playground equipment for children of varying ages. Trees are planted everywhere providing large amounts of shade as well as tables, benches, and water fountains placed sporadically throughout the area. There are already young children with parents and older children playing without their parents. There are a few teens, but they are staying clear of the playground area, and sticking more to the shades, or skateboarding on the sidewalk. Vladimir and I follow Dudley's group, and they go to a shady tree closest to the playground, where the group continues to smoke, talk, and generally be annoying not only to me, but to the public as well. I can see parents of young children glare at their backs, but don't say anything to them.

Edward says high school is boring. Try following an idiot human around all day! When lunch time comes, the boys decide to go to lunch at some fast food place. The smell at that place is nauseating. What's worse, is there was a group of girls and I had to listen to the boys' sleazy comments about - how do I put this in the least gross way possible - what they thought of them. Of course, Dudley has to get more cigarettes as well, along with other forms of tobacco as well. This is around the time I decide on burning the clothes I'm wearing as they smell of fast food, Dudley, tobacco, and generally everything disgusting. I am ready to punch someone when we are finally following Dudley home around 10:00 p.m. when we come across a couple of preteen boys. I'm not sure what they are doing out this late, but I immediately know something is not right. "Well, what do we have here," Dudley says, approaching the boys. The boys seem to be just walking in the street, in the opposite direction. "You two seem a bit young to be out this late," one of Dudley's thugs said in a mocking tone. "We were just out with some friends," one of the boys says, clearly scared by the group. I don't blame him. I would be to if I were him. Good thing I'm not. "Well then you won't mind if we hold you up for a couple more minutes, would you?" Dudley says, him and his group surrounding the boys. I can't take this anymore. Since I'm still blended in to my surroundings, I growl lowly in my chest, making all the boys turn their heads in my direction. "What the..." one of the thugs says. "You got of easy this time. Don't let us catch you around here again." Dudley says as him and his group run of into the night. Vladimir puts his hand on my shoulder so I don't attack. As soon as the bully is safe at home, we apparate back to headquarters.

Author's note: *Awkward hello*. Long time no type. I'm sorry for being gone for so long. These last few months truly have been hectic. Family members with health problems, me wanting to pull out my hair for various reasons that I won't go into. Also, I just haven't had inspiration to write and that wouldn't have given you guys decent chapters. So, with that being said, sorry if this chapter is bad. I'll try to make future chapters better.