Chapter One

"Ron, wake up!"

I felt something land on me. I suddenly opened my eyes and realized it was Hermione. What did she want? I looked at the clock on the side of me. Two-Thirty p.m. Whoa, I slept all that time! No wonder why she was waking me up. But what for?"

"Ron, wake up!" She said once more.

I sighed. "I'm up, Hermione. Now. What do you want?"

"Don't you remember?" She asked. I shook my head. "New Moroi's are coming. Your getting assigned! Aren't you excited?"

"Sure," I said.

Moroi's are a mortal vampire with an unbreakable bond to the earth's magic. They must be protected at all times from Strigoi; the fiercest and most dangerous vampires- the ones who never die (well, only if you put a stake through them). Yes, I had to admit I was excited. I mean, I'm a Dhampir. It was my job to protect the Moroi to whoever I was assigned to.

I quickly got up, took a shower, and got ready. Everytime anyone was assigned to a new Moroi, or new Moroi's come to the school, there was a big ceremony. You would have to stand up on the stage- facing everyone -then wait until your Moroi was called. Once they are, the Moroi would walk up to their Dhampir's and stand on the side of them until all of the Moroi are assigned.

After, everyone in the school would have to go to the Dining Room. Thats where you would eat dinner, socialize, then the Dhampir's are responsible to give their assigned Moroi a tour of the school.

Hermione was a Moroi. She was being protected by a Dhampir named Jayne Walks. Jayne was a very, very well trained Dhampir. Her whole neck was covered by molnija marks. Molnija marks are tattoos that you get after you have killed a Strigoi (I've heard that that is never fun). I have never killed one before, though.

I followed Hermione to the big ceremony room which had a million people sitting down, waiting for it to begin. I was guessing they were waiting for all Dhampir's to arrive. I walked down the aisle to Janine Hathaway. Janine Hathaway was my friend Rose Hathaway's mother. Rose has a very complicated life; but I won't get into too much detail about it now.

"Since all Dhampir's have arrived, I think it is time to start the ceremony," Janine announced over the microphone. "I would like to welcome all new Moroi's."

Everyone clapped. I looked around the room to find people who I knew. Way in the back, I could see Rose sitting next to Dimitri. Rose had to protect the Moroi, Vasilisa Dragomir. Since Vasilisa doesn't like to be called that, we call her by the name Lissa. Rose has told me about the time when they ran away from the academy. I had understood the reason.

They have had freedom for two years. During those two years I felt worried, considering I had gotten no letter from any of them. St. Vladimir's Academy, was hidden in the deep forests of Montana. Being captured, Rose and Lissa felt very unsafe here again. Both of them has lost trust in everybody. But me.

If it wasn't for me, they were going to run away from here again. I had told Rose how scared I was for them. I made Rose think that people cared about her here at the academy. After days and days of convincing, she finally gave in and decided to stay.

I snapped out of daydreaming. I noticed Rose, from way in the back, give me a smile. I smiled back at her. She was very pretty. Her pale face made her light green eyes sparkle. Her light brown hair looks like it has just been washed. I loved how when Rose walks by me I can smell the scent of strawberries from her hair. Dimitri was so lucky!

"Ronald Weasley."

I snapped out of daydreaming and looked at Janine. Janine nodded once and I stood up, looking at the group of Moroi who were sitting patiently in the audience waiting to be assigned. I gave a smile to all of them, wondering who I was going to be assigned to.

"Would, Cassandra Marianez, please come up to the stage?" Janine asked.

I looked over to where the Moroi were sitting and saw a very pretty, young girl stand up. She looked very nervous (but, that will change). Cassandra was a little shorter than me, but not by much. She had tan skin, blue eyes, a heart-shaped face, and black hair. Her hair looked very soft. It was cut into side-bangs, and the back of her hair was cut so that it made it look like a bottom of a heart. Cassandra slowly walked up and stood next to me. I could sense the nervousness inside her. I gave a warm smile to her. Looking at one, she gave a smile back.

--

We were assigned seats in the Dining Room. Cassandra sat on the side of me, not making a plate. Wasn't she hungry? I was thinking that I should start a conversation with her - we were going to have to eventually.

"Aren't you hungry?" I asked, gently.

She shook her head. "No. Not really."

I've never heard such a sweet voice in my life. "Maybe you should have an apple or something. Our next meal isn't until dinner time, which is in six hours."

Cassandra bit her lip, thinking. "I don't really eat that much..."

I grabbed an apple from the basket infront of us and handed it to her. She smiled weakly and took it. I would be too nervous to eat to if it was my first day here and was surrounded by a bunch of people who I don't even know. She took a bite, eating slowly.

"Cassandra-"

"Cassie."

I corrected myself. "Cassie, I have to give you a tour of the academy after the dinner. Then I'll explain the rules to you."

She nodded. "Okay..."

"The school isn't really that hard to memorize. I got the hang of this school in the matter of four days," I explained. "Every hallway leads somewhere."

Cassie sat there and listened.

"Yes," A new voice said. "That's absolutely right."

Cassie must have jumped five feet in the air. I turned around and noticed that Rose was standing behind us, smiling. I smiled back at her. "Hey, Rose."

"Hello," Rose said. "So this is your, Moroi?"

I nodded. "Her name is-"

"Cassandra."

"Cassie."

Rose looked at Cassie when she said that. "Sorry, Cassie. I'm Rose Hathaway. Remember that girl on the microphone who assigned you to Ron?"

Cassie nodded.

"That's Janine Hathaway. My mother. I'm just giving you a warning not to trust her at all! She's not what she seems. She may seem friendly, but trsut me. I had to spend my whole lifetime with her-"

"Okay, thank you, Rose." I said. "You've done enought of welcoming. I think Lissa and Dimitri are getting worried."

Rose looked over to where she was sitting before. "Oh, right. I'll leave you two alone then. I'm going to welcome the other Moroi."

When she walekd away, I gave a warm smile to Cassie. "Don't mind her. She can be crazy sometimes."

"Who's Lissa?" Cassie asked.

"Her real name is Vasilisa, but never call her that. Lissa is Rose's Moroi. Just like your my Moroi," I explained. "I have to protect you."

Cassie thought for a minute. "Protect me from what?"

"Strigoi."

"W-what are they?"

Mmm. New Moroi didn't know that vampire's are after them. I didn't want to scare her, but she was going to find out the truth anyway. "They are vampires, that never die... and they go after Moroi."

"Someone's after me?"

"I promise I won't let them get you," I tried to soothe her.

But her fear controlled her. Cassie got up from her seat and started to run. I immediatly got up from my seat and ran after her. I remembered my first day. Not fun! New Moroi never knew what was going to happen to them. Also the fear of someone wanting to kill them? That didn't help at all.

I ran after her down the hallway. She was heading torward the door that said Exit. Biggest rule here was to never runaway. "Cassie!"

Cassie didn't stop. She turned the doorknob and ran out into the freezing cold. Since Cassie wasn't wearing a sweater, she could get frostbitten. I ran out the door and saw her grabbing the academy's gate poles. I saw her pull back with all of her strength. Suddenly, a group of guards started to grab her arms and yank her away.

Cassie struggled, trying to make them let go of her. They didn't. The guards grabbed her arms tighter. "Let go of me!"

"Let her go. She's with me," I said to the guards.

The guards looked up at me. The one who had grabbed her arm nodded once then let her go. He gave me a warning. "Young, Dhampir. You should watch your Moroi more often."

I stared at him. "I was keeping an eye on her. If I wasn't, I wouldn't have chased her."

The guard stared back. "Well, then. I think you should control her better."

"I'm not going to control her," I snapped. "Maybe that's what you do. But I protect my Moroi differently."

"Didn't your mother raise you well," the guard said, sarcastically. "If we haven't grabbed your Moroi she could have ranaway from the academy into the world where Strigoi are more likely to go after her, than they are here."

"I know that," I said. "I'm not stupid. This is her first day, give her a break!"

The guard sighed. "Alright, I'll leave her off with a warning. If not, I will report her to Janine Hathaway, and she will be in big trouble."