Author's Note:

This is my first attempt at writing any sort of story if I am honest and so any feedback at all would be appreciated.

I only have a general sense of where I will take this story so any suggestions may be helpful later on.

Also, please try to at least read a couple of chapters before giving up, I know that the first chapter is a bit of an information dump which might put some people off. The chapters are not very long and I am pretty sure that they will improve dramatically quite quickly.

Edit:20/10/2016

I have now revamped (he, he, he, get it?) the first few chapters. What was chapter 2 is now part of chapter 1 and so chapter 3 has become chapter 2. I have also made various changes to these chapters and so I strongly encourage anyone who has already read them to re-read them.

I must say thanks once again to mergirl007 on reddit who gave me the feedback that I needed to make some of these changes, hopefully for the better.

This extra a/n will also be in the new chapter 2 and 3 just so that anyone who jumps to there will see it. Therefore, if you have already read it, just skip it.

June 1st1992:

A lone figure stood inside the gates at the end of the long, winding driveway leading to Potter Manor, ancestral home of the Potter family. It examined its surroundings before progressing along the gravel drive with long strides. He could simply have arrived instantly at the manor, indeed, he could have stepped straight into the Potter's main living room and there was nothing that they could have done to stop him.

However, his appearance was about to cause the family a great deal of discomfort as it was and so while doing so might have been amusing, this was not the time for displays of power. This was an occasion which required delicacy and tact. This was the day that Lord James Potter, his wife Lady Lily Potter, and their soon to be twelve years old heir, Zacharias Potter were to be reintroduced to the youngest Potter child, born Harry James Potter.

Reaching the grand double doors or the Manor, the figure took a moment to examine the building up close. He had no need to; he had noticed and assessed every possible detail about it from the end of the driveway, over five hundred metres away. His inhuman eyes had seen the beautifully carved white marble gryphons and lions on the walls. He had appreciated the elegance of the hand crafted oak doors and as every other detail of the impressively large marble building which practically shone in the morning sun. No, he took a moment to collect himself for the task ahead, a rare sense of trepidation sinking in. He was not a man to feel doubt. Indeed, he was not what many wizards would call a man at all. This was however, to be one of the more unnerving moments of his long life and so he paused.

Reminding himself of who he was and the reason for his being here, the man placed the palm of his hand flat against the right hand door before him, alerting those within to his presence. Normally, the ancient wards surrounding the manor would have alerted the occupants to the approach of their visitor. For that matter, they would have prevented anyone from entering the extensive Potter lands without the express permission of the current pater familias or another family member with permission to do so. He was exempt from these however, no wards having been designed as of yet by the wizarding world, which could prevent him or his kind from going where they pleased.

After a few moments, the double doors opened before him and he was shown in by a fearful house elf dressed in a smart red uniform reminiscent of a British 19th century Recoat. Knowing pureblood society's at times outdated knowledge of the muggle world; that was probably exactly what it was a replica of. Once he was inside, the elf bowed low to the ground as it closed the door and disappeared with a pop, relieved to be out of his presence. Apparently, the Potters had felt the need to give their household servants early warning of the nature of their visitor.

The entrance way he stood in was grand to say the least. The light, oak floor complemented the smooth marble of the walls and the soaring, twin mahogany staircases and the room was bathed in the light streaming in from the skylights and the vast stained glass windows that framed the staircases. Personally, he thought that the roaring golden lions stitched into the carpets were too ostentatious.

A man entered the room from a door leading off to the right and paused for a moment, a uneasy creeping spreading across his face before it solidified into resignation. The man had messy black hair sticking out in every direction and large circular glasses sitting half way down his nose. While he was clearly a relatively young man most likely in his early thirties, his face spoke of someone who had seen perhaps a little more of the nastier side of the wizarding world than he would have liked.

Lord James Potter stood in the doorway leading from the Manor's main formal living room into the entrance hall, taking in the appearance of the figure before him with a distinct sense of dread. He had been waiting for this day for six years, ever since his youngest son had been taken away. He pushed his glasses up to the bridge of his nose from where they had slipped to and strengthened his resolve; reminding himself of why the boy had needed to go away in the first place.

In his mind, though he would forever feel guilty for his inaction, he had had no choice. The magic of his entire family had been placed against the value of the life of one child and had emerged on top. The first Lord Potter had, in his opinion, had an unforgivable moment of weakness. While travelling in Transylvania and Wallachia in the mid-15th century with his family, he was captured by Wallachian troops Loyal to the then Prince, Vlad III Dracula, who recognising him as a nobleman, had brought him before their ruler.

They had no knowledge of the Wizarding world. They did they know that the true Prince had been, killed and that the man they served was actually the first Vampire in existence, by then already thousands of years old and seeking a new source of entertainment in a new world.

Lord Potter had been terrified, for he feared being turned into a vampire and so he had made a deal with the imposter. Vlad had agreed to spare him on the condition that one of his sons, and from then on every thirtieth child born to the Potter family was given up to him. Potter's third son was dutifully given to the vampire later that day. Explaining to his wife what he had done had been a, difficult task to say the least and afterwards, there was no longer a possibility of him having any more children. By that point however, he had no choice but to carry through on the deal and so Vlad took the child and he remained in Wallachia as the rest of the family fled. Vlad had forced him to form a pact with him, written in his own blood which would forfeit the magic of the Potter family forever more if the deal was not followed through on.

The vampire, while perceived as evil by the wizarding world at large, was not heartless. He had children of his own although only one was known to his Wallachian subjects. He understood the love a parent felt for their child as he himself cared for his. Because of this, certain conditions were in place.

Firstly, the Potter children would be taken on their fifth birthday, having spent their infancy years with their biological family. They would then not have contact with said family until they were about to turn eleven. The age had no particular significance for vampires, but Vlad understood its significance to wizards and had felt it to be an appropriate age for a reunion to take place. After this, the children would be allowed to spent certain time with their birth family.

The King of the vampires had no intention or hurting the child, at least not unnecessarily. Indeed, they would have a place among his own children and be treated as such. He had his own motives behind the arrangement with the most ancient and noble house of Potter. Motives which he did not reveal to the family.

Over five hundred years later in 1981, the thirtieth child after that first one was taken was born to James and Lily Potter and they had dutifully given him up, with much lamentation, to a vampire sent by Vlad, King of the vampires, on the 31st July 1986.

The same man who had taken their son away from him now stood before Lord James Potter for a second time and although he had seen him before, he was still taken aback by the figure standing in his house.

Lord Chamberlain Ivan Komorov was a tall but slender man, standing at a little less than seven foot in height with an obsidian black longsword slung at his hip. He was clad in smooth, elegant black plate armour that was clearly not formed out of metal. There was nothing extravagant about it, nothing was in excess. Not a single scrap of flesh was visible and the armour by itself made for an intimidating sight. What made it terrifying however, was the helm. It was utterly smooth apart from a crease which protruded slightly from the material from where the helm met the gorget. It had no air holes and no slits for the wearer to see out and James could only assume that it was enchanted or charmed internally to allow the man beneath to see and breath. The armour left the person inside totally dehumanised. An emotionless, expressionless mass which emanated a sense of cold, calculating menace. Not even the sound of the vampire sniffing the air around him escaped.

Steeling himself, James Potter strode towards the Lord Chamberlain a hand held out in greeting, his face now held in a warm but perfectly calm, pureblood expression.

"Good morning, it is a pleasure to see you again."

As far as the Lord Chamberlain was concerned, his meeting with the Potters was going rather well. Having interacted with Wizarding society very little, he had been a little unsure of what to expect.

Other than the mild look of shock on Lily Potter's face when he had been led into the living room by her husband and the unnerved expression on the face of the Boy-Who-Lived, he had been greeted cordially and had responded in kind, at least, as far as he was able to do so. He had however refused the proffered seat in preference for standing and, unwilling to unhelm, he had refused the offer of a drink.

The niceties satisfied, James Potter had taken a seat next to his red haired wife on a luxurious, deep red sofa and after having lent across to place a reassuring hand on his son's shoulder where he was reclining in a plush crimson and gold armchair sitting at a right angle to the sofa, said "So, what happens now?"

The vampire had explained to them that he would be reintroducing them to their son soon, but that it had been decided that before then, the family should have the opportunity to ask him any questions they might have. Better that they get such matters out of the way early on than to have 'Harry' in the room with them at time. He had been faced with the most of the questions he had expected and a few that he had not from Lily and James.

Naturally they had been worried about his well being and his desire to consume the blood of others among other things and it had taken no small effort on his part to reassure Lily that there would be no incidents of a young, vampire tearing through nearby Godric's Hollow in a crazed search for blood. He could not actually guarantee that that would not happen, but knowing their son as he did, he found it very unlikely, well, fairly unlikely.

As to the boy's health, he had decided to let them discover that for themselves, he had no desire to upset the humans sitting before him overly much. In truth, he was also unsure as to what he would tell them. Physically, their younger son was in near perfect condition as far as he was concerned apart from one minor point... Psychologically however, well, even for a vampire, 'Harry' had a few, concerning points.

"There are two things that you should be aware of" he announced, having answered James' final question. "Firstly, 'Harry' has not gone by his birth name since he arrived at my King's castle. It was felt that as he has become part of the Royal family, it was best for him to adopt a name more like those given to the King's other children. To help him to be more at home you understand."

This was met with frowns and uncertainty from the Potters, with Zacharias leaning forward in his seat. Ivan was unsure of what to make of the boy; he had sat quietly in his chair since the vampire had entered the room, seemingly unwilling or unable to ask any questions with an indecipherable expression on his face. He was the spitting image of his father from the uncontrollable hair to the glass perched on his nose. The only difference was his eyes. He had his mother's emerald green eyes. 'Harry' would have been an almost identical, younger, copy of him had he grown up with his birth family for the past few years

"Harry' was given a choice of traditional names to choose from and he chose to honour the King by taking a lengthened version of his name as well as a new middle name. While he respects the name you gave him, he has asked me to request that you refrain as far as possible from addressing him as Harry. Harry James ceased to exist six years ago on July 31st, Vladimir Constantin rose in his place."

(A/N Name change will be in effect from here onwards).

Needless to say, this was not especially welcome news but after five minutes of lamentation from Lily Potter and poorly hidden anger from her husband. The two adult Potters had calmed down. Hopefully the change in name would not be held against the boy though it had in truth, been entirely his choice.

After over an hour of mostly one way back and forth conversation and the delivery of a number of shrunken items which the Lord Chamberlain had drawn from various seemingly non-existent spaces around his armour, it was time for the Potter family to be reintroduced to its second son.

The vampire moved from where he was standing before the family and moved over to a clear area besides the seating. As he did so, the Potters rose form their seats and moved to stand as a group slightly away from both him and the seating. James Potter was clearly anxious, shuffling from one foot to another slightly, hands clasped behind his back in an attempt to hide the slight whitening of the knuckles with an expression that was caught between a smile and a frown. Standing beside him, his wife was in contrast making no such effort to hide her emotions; with a similar expression she wrung her hands together before her and blinked far more than normal. Their eldest son stood before them, hands by his sides, a look of anxiety and eager anticipation on his face, his teeth gently worrying at his bottom lip. Behind his visor, the Lord Chamberlain took a brief moment to consider how starkly the boy contrasted with his returning brother.

One of the many gifts that Royal vampires possessed that their weaker kin did not was a talent for communicating via thought, in what might be described as a weak hive mind by humans though in truth it was far more graceful and effective than anything developed by other species. Sending a brief burst of thought to the returning child who was awaiting his signal back in his King's fortress, he began his introduction.

"Presenting his Royal Highness, Prince Vladimir Constantin Dracula, Baron of the Blood Keep, sixth in line to the throne of Sylvania."

...