Maxy looked up at the castle. Stars from the sky reflected in his large eyes. His mouth made a small O as he sighed in awe. Hogwarts was everything he had hoped. Now all he had to do was get in somehow.

Maxy licked his dry lips. He caught his bottom lip between his teeth and started to chew. A bad habit he had picked up from his baby sister. His Mother and Father were furious when 'Alex' turned out to be a girl. Poor Eleanor. She would lead a hard life now. Maxy moved forwards. Fingering the wrought iron gate affectionately. He had waited eleven years for this moment.

Maxy wasn't usually excepted into magic schools. His father had had to pay a great sum for him to get into Durmstrang. But Maxy didn't want to go there. He had heard a tale of a werewolf going to Hogwarts. If half dogs could get an education a vampire surly could?

He pushed open the gate. It groaned at him. Not wanting to be shifted. The magic that locked it was not pleased to be moved. But Maxy was strong. Very strong.

Maxy trudged up the long path. Gazing at the wondrous castle before him. Knowing this was where he would make his future. The windows were alight with candles. It gave the looming castle a cozy look. Maxy couldn't wait to get inside. He paused behind a bush. Waiting for the other first years to catch up. He would tag along the back. Hitching a ride on one of the boats.

The moon was like a large firefly caught in a web of stars. Bats darted across the skies. Maxy felt at home already. He would make an effort to visit the attics of the castle and meet the bats. Maybe he would know some of them.

He came back out from behind the bush. Walking next to a brown haired boy.

'Hello,' Maxy said.

The boy jumped in surprise. Max hid a chuckle. He was good at scaring people and creeping up on them.

'Um hi,'

'I'm Maxwold. But you can call me…' Maxy hesitated. His elder sister always called him Maxy. His father was always scolding her saying it was a sissy name and that Maxy would end up being a woopsy if she kept calling him that. Maxy's parents had always wanted a boy to take over the family business. Instead they got two daughters and a boy who liked hanging out with his sisters far to much.

'Max,' Maxy finished. Thinking that new school, new start why not new nickname?

'Um I'm Charles.'

Charles turned away from Max. Catching up with his friends. Max scowled. This was not a good start.

'Al'right fir's years in'a the boats!' A very large man shouted to the children who clustered into a tight group. Max sniffed. He was halve giant. The air smelled strongly of bird, human and a tiny bit of wolf. Darn furballs always leave a stink! Max growled in his head.

Max jumped into a boat. It slid easily into the lake. An oil lamp swung silently at the front of the boat.

Max closed his eyes and lay back in his boat. Letting it carry him across the water. Faintly he could hear the song of mermaids. Maybe even the soft whoosh of giant squids tentacles.

Soon the boat pulled up onto the bank. Max followed the crowd into Hogwarts. As they passed through the large oak doors Max held his breath. This was his moment. He let out his breath with everyone else as they all took in the castle. A cat passed giving him a suspicious look. Max sniffed but didn't have to worry. It was all cat not an animagus. The cat passed with narrowed eyes. Max snarled just loud enough for only the cat to hear. The cat ran off to a shabby looking man who was walking towards the door of the great hall. Squib. Max realised immediately. He was surprised that Hogwarts had a squib as a caretaker.

An older witch with a pointed green hat was talking to the group. Max wasn't listening. He was listening to the conversations going on in the great hall. He liked the one being spoken by three Gryffindor boys best. They were talking about a prank they were planning to play on one of the teachers.

Suddenly the group moved through the doors of the great hall. Max let out a breath he didn't need to hold nor realised he was holding. The ceiling was enchanted to look like the night sky. Candles were floating in the sky letting of a soft rosy glow. Hundreds of students sat on four tables. One table for each house. Max spotted the Slytherines and Gryffindors. Vampires were more likely to get into the serpent house. But Max wished that he could break from his species and be a Gryffindor.

Now. He thought. This is the time to find out whether Professor Dumbledore is as magical as he is said to be. The witch in the green hat was named Professor McGonagall. Max could tell her magic was strong. McGonagall got out a stall, and the sorting hat. If Max was on her list of names he would find out now.

'Alfry, Tera' A tall girl with long blonde hair got up. She had large eyes that made her resemble a fish.

'GRYFFINDOR!" The sorting hat yelled.

'Amietross, Seri'

The sorting hat paused for a second. Max listened to what it was whispering to Seri. It was debating whether to put her into Gryffindor or Ravenclaw. After a couple of seconds it concluded that Seri would be best in Ravenclaw.

'Balakov, Maxwold'

YES!

So the great Albus Dumbledore was great!

It wasn't just a tale. Max gleefully trotted up onto the stage like platform in front the teachers table. He sat down on the stall and placed on the sorting hat.

'Mmmm, A vampire's mind. I've always wanted to look into one of those. Very interesting. Very interesting indeed. Your control over bloodlust does you credit Max. Your bravery strong. I think I'll put you into

GRYFFINDOR!" Max flinched as the sorting hat screamed out his house. He had been zooming in his hearing so he could hear the sort hats muttering as it rummaged in his mind. The sudden yell left a ringing in his ears.

But then the realization dawned. He had gotten into Gryffindor. With the whole house clapping and a smug smile on his face, he headed towards his new family. He sat down next to redhead boy. A pure blood. Max could tell by his smell. Max listened to the redheads conversation. He was talking to a girl called Hermione. Hermione had a mane of brown hair and was muggle born. They were arguing about something. Max looked at the boy who was also listening to the argument. The boy had jet black hair and startling green eyes. The smell of Death, Destruction, Leadership and love was thick on this boy. The boy had a scar going down his forehead. Max looked closer at it. It was in the shape of a lightening bolt.

This boy was Harry Potter.

Suddenly another smell caught Max's nose. It was dark. And Dangerous. It was originated somewhere in the roof. Max looked up. His mouth dropped open as his eyes locked with blood red ones. They looked like they were just floating there on one of the beams of the roof. But if Max looked closer he could see a long, thin body coiled in a thick pile.

A loud gasp made Max turn round. Harry was clutching his forehead. Hermione and the red head had stopped bickering. A metallic smell set of a time bomb in Max's brain. He swallowed. Hard. A bead of blood seeped through Harry's scar. Max's mouth seemed suddenly parched. He licked his lips nervously. He felt a jolt of pain as his fangs burst through his gums. Max licked his lips again. This time in hunger and desire. The blood sat on Harry's forehead. Tormenting Max. Laughing at him. Max groaned and clutched his stomach. It churned in protest. His brain telling him to feed his starving stomach.

Suddenly something fell onto the table. Some Gryffindors started screaming. Max looked up. The snake in the ceiling had fallen to the table. Max watched as the snake writhed and hissed. Suddenly its shape started to change. The table snapped. Food falling everywhere. A loud bang exploded in everyone's ears. All attention was now focused on the snake. The snake blurred.

Suddenly everyone found themselves in the presence of a pale wizard. His cloak made of the dark magic he cast. Glowing red cats eyes pierced the crowd. Max's bloodlust dissolved as the wizard even vampires feared appeared before him.

Lord Voldemort.