This chapter has now been updated following advice given in reviews. I hope that it is now easier to read.
DISCLAIMER - I do not own Harry Potter or Darren Shan the only thing I own here is the plot.
Chapter 1 Hagrid's Plan
Minerva McGonagall was sitting in the headmistress's office at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry which had recently been rebuilt and was due to re-open in two months. It had taken a full year to rebuild after the defeat of Lord Voldemort for he had caused that much damage to the ancient school. At last the time had come for her to appoint new staff to replace those who had retired or were lost in the war. She was having a hard time planning the new curriculum and day to day running of the school and was mildly irritated that Dumbledore had not left any sort of paper work, or written structure as to how he ran the school. So why was Rubius Hagrid, the care of magical creature's professor, making her life so hard by insisting on his ridiculous ideas for the curriculum for his class? Furthermore he wanted to only teach NEWT students this year and was bumbling on about some fantastic project he had for them. She had decided earlier that day to call Hagrid to her office to discuss whatever preposterous idea he had this time and to begin the unenviable task of persuading the half giant to just do his job! There was knock at the door and Minerva called
"Come in Hagrid."
The door opened and Hagrid entered but he was not alone. He was accompanied by someone she knew very well but also trusted deeply. If Harry Potter had decided to come and help Hagrid pitch his idea maybe it wasn't so bad after all.
A few days previously.
Harry Potter was sitting at his desk rifling through reports on the rounding up of the remaining death eaters. It was dull work and he longed to be back out in the field. He had had to remind himself that he was an Auror now, and keeping up with his paper work was part of the job. All the same it was a relief when the memo came through the door. Harry reached up and grabbed the little blue paper aeroplane out of the air and unfolded it taking in what it said.
To Auror H Potter and Head of the department for the Regulation and Control of Magical creatures.
Please report immediately to the office of Mr P Weasley head of the Department of Magical Law enforcement and Hogwarts Liaison. This matter is of the utmost importance and requires your immediate attendance.
Harry chuckled despite coming back to his senses a year ago, during the Battle of Hogwarts; Percy Weasley had still lost none of his pompous manner. The two of them had known each other for 8 years now, yet Percy still referred to Harry as Auror Potter, and to himself as Mr P Weasley. Harry hastily scribbled a reply on the back of the memo that he was on his way and lobbed it through the open door. It whizzed away out of sight as Harry made his way to Percy's office.
"Mr Potter please take a seat we have much to discuss and little time to do so" Percy barked the minute Harry entered his office.
Harry looked at the other people in the room and was surprised to see Hagrid beaming up at me from his seat and sitting next to him was Luna. So it was Luna that had managed to get that vacancy as the head of the department for the regulation and control of magical creatures. This meeting promised to be nice and interesting.
"Professor Hagrid here has had an idea for a project for his NEWT students which I feel the ministry needs to oversee in order to ensure it works properly. I have already given my support to Hagrid's plan as it is my view that if his idea works correctly it would be greatly beneficial to all of wizard kind and this is the reason I have called you all here. Hagrid would you please outline your proposal." Percy asked
"We'd be going to do a case study of Vampires in their home like, study their feeding habits, and their customs and perhaps make contact with 'em."
Harry frowned, oh dear he thought was this really such a good idea. Vampires were dangerous creatures that the ministry new little to nothing about. Knowing Hagrid as Harry did he knew full well that Hagrid would be studying vampires with his students whether the ministry approved or not.
"I don't like this Hagrid" Harry stated "We know very little of vampires only that they are incredibly strong, resistant to magic and drink blood plea. I know nothing I say will stop you but I must insist that you are accompanied by trained aurors when studying these Vampires."
Hagrid replied "No Harry ya can't send lots of aurors you'd scare 'em, make 'em all suspicious and we wouldn't get accurate results."
This was the one thing about Hagrid that really annoyed Harry. Hagrid saw all monsters as misunderstood cuddly creatures when in fact they were deadly dangerous, surely Hagrid realised that vampires drank human blood and often killed those they drank from! Harry sighed knowing he would never convince Hagrid that this wasn't a good idea but at least he had tried.
"Then please Hagrid at least let me and Luna join you" he said.
Hagrid beamed at him. "Great idea Harry, it'll be just like old times."
Percy took this to mean he could get on with the next point of the meeting it was obvious that unlike Harry Percy really wanted to be getting on with his paperwork rather than be sitting in meetings with his colleagues
"Yes Harry and Luna can accompany you I agree that is probably for the best. Harry Professor McGonagall has not approved this plan yet I want you to go with Hagrid and convince her to allow it. Dumbledore would have wanted us to do this think what would have happened had the vampires sided with you know who during the war. We can't risk that happening again so we must learn about them. Anyway I see nothing else to discuss Harry accompany Hagrid to Hogwarts I must get on with my reports" Percy finished and with that the meeting was concluded.
Harry turned to Luna he thought that perhaps she would be accompanying him to Hogwarts but Luna showed her uncanny ability to know exactly what someone was thinking.
"No Harry, I'll be coming with you for the study but I can't come now I have to catalogue all the Nargles in that meeting, they are why Percy was so short."
Harry repressed a snort and accompanied Hagrid to the Atrium where they would be able to apparate to Hogwarts.
Harry took a seat in front of the head teacher's desk at Hogwarts, he couldn't help but think of all the times he had sat in this very seat. It seemed so strange to see Professor McGonagall behind that desk and not Albus Dumbledore.
"Harry it is good to see you although I must say I did not expect you but I'm sure once Hagrid has explained his proposal it will become clear to me why you are here and not rounding up death eaters." Professor McGonagall said.
Hagrid shifted in his seat and it creaked ominously he was obviously very nervous so Harry decided it would be best if he outlined what he knew and then Hagrid could elaborate.
"Hagrid came to the Ministry because his proposal required the approval of the department for the regulation and control of magical creatures as well as approval from magical law enforcement. The proposal he put to us was this. Hagrid would be teaching a research project off campus with his NEWT students studying a magical creature that the ministry has little knowledge of, for this reason I and Luna Lovegood have been asked to take an active role if you approve his idea."
Harry hadn't wanted to steal Hagrid's thunder and that is why he hadn't mentioned what the magical creature was that was Hagrid's job talking of which it looked like Hagrid had finally gained his confidence enough to speak.
"See Professor, I want to take me kids to study Vampires." "With Harry there to provide protection of course," he added quickly seeing McGonagall's look of horror.
It took a few moments for Minerva McGonagall to calm down and process what Hagrid had said. He had asked her if he could take student to study Vampires, Minerva had liked the proposal of an in depth study of a magical creature but why did Hagrid have to choose something so dangerous? She was about to refuse him outright but Hagrid had gained somehow gained ministry approval for this hair brained scheme and she had to know why. So she turned to Harry and asked
"Harry please tell me why the ministry wishes to support this?"
Harry looked worried he himself wasn't very keen on the idea but Percy, his boss, had given clear instructions so he replied to the headmistress.
"Ministry approval has been given because of the opportunity this proposal represents. My department feels that it is about time the wizarding world knew more about those they share the earth with especially intelligent creatures such as Vampires. Can you imagine Professor how many more people would have died had Voldemort had vampires backing him. Thankfully he didn't but it could easily have happened as we know so little about them. We simply feel that we cannot risk them allying themselves with dark wizards if that is avoidable but also this is an opportunity to improve inter species relations."
Harry had said his piece and Minerva McGonagall approved the proposal she could see the benefits and had told herself the Dumbledore would most definitely have approved of this. Minerva McGonagall had held the late headmaster in very high regard despite the flaws that had recently been revealed.
"Very well Hagrid. You may teach only NEWT classes this year and I grant permission for off Campus study. But I am going to put some safety conditions in place. You may only study a maximum of three Vampires to start with until you have ascertained more about their kind. You are to stay hidden from the Vampires as much as possible but if your research goes such that you must interact with them then the student's safety must be your first priority! Do you understand that Hagrid if any student is in danger you are to abort and come straight to me no ifs and no buts, understood?" She fixed Hagrid with a fierce gaze and Hagrid replied
"It's all right professor Harry's with me and he'll keep me in check."
"I'm sure he will now you two have a lot of preparation to do and so do I."
Hagrid and Harry left the office and had an in depth discussion back in Hagrid's hut. It was agreed then that the study would initially focus on the vampire and cub that had been noted by the ministry to be travelling Cirque du Freak. Hagrid thought this was a brilliant idea as he had never heard off a vampire cub before. A few days after the start of term the research group of Hagrid's NEWT class travelled to the Cirque du Freak to begin their study of vampire behaviour. But before that the three adults left to do a preliminary study without the students.
