Dark Legacy
I don't like the daylight. Let's say… it's not very good for my complexion. In a matter of fact, when I'm not very careful it might actually kill me. I guess now you got the idea. Yes, I'm a real vampire. But some ideas how to kill a vampire are somewhat ridiculous… honestly, everyone dies if you stab him or her with a stake through the heart, don't you agree? And I actually really like garlic. I think it's tasty... and the story with "dead-through-silver-poisoning" might probably work with a werewolf, but not with a vampire. Many of those people who would like to think of themselves as "Vampire Hunters", or whatever they call themselves, make some of those mistakes – but only once. No real vampire waits until the hunters have figured out what they did wrong – anything else would be horribly stupid.
Now my parents made an interesting decision related to my education. They want me to attend Hogwarts. As if it weren't bad enough to have a very sensitive skin – no! Now they want me to waste my time with those vampire-hating witches-and-wizards-in-training... in my opinion they are nothing more than my food, a tasty snack at the best. Now I shall consider them "friends"... what a charming idea.
All that fuss started, when our high prince, Kynan McAlpin, started to like humans and wanted all of us to accept them too. Something which was easier said than done, as he should notice later. Some of the Elders started to spread rumours of Kynan being crazy. Unluckily, no one believed them (except for me, of course...), and now I have to get ready for my first (and hopefully last) year at Hogwarts.
My trunk is awfully heavy with all those useless books inside. I even needed a cauldron... how annoying is this? With an angry gesture I throw my long raven hair behind me, my grey eyes glittering with fury. What for should an eleven years old vampire attend Hogwarts? For forming a bond between the wizarding society and us vampires – there won't be any hunters in some time, dear., my mother would tell me if she would have heard my thoughts.
This experiment would go awfully wrong and Kynan would lose all his followers. He would stand there perfectly alone and in the end the council would once for all take over.
"Avalinn, dear, are you done packing?" my mother dared to ask. "You know quite well that I have finished three days ago, mother." I said coldly. She could have refused to send her oldest daughter into such a farce – but no, she thought it would be a very good idea. Just perfect.
"Wonderful, Sweetie!" mother warbled away – as if thinking I would listen... I've got better things to do, really. "Atgas, get here at once!" I shouted loudly. Only a few seconds latter my pitch black female bat fluttered through my chamber and landed on my outstretched arm. "I'm so very sorry, Atgas, but I have to put you in this nasty cage..." I murmured softly while scratching her little head. She squeaked once but I could manage to put her in the cage... and how I hated our high prince for that!
"Ava!" my father called from downstairs. "We have to take our leave now – otherwise you'll miss your train!" I grunted. As if I would weep when I missed that fucking train... I would be happy!
"I'm on the way!" I called back, grabbed Atgas' cage and levitated my heavy trunk behind me.
Xxx
I really had to take one of those nasty potions. Now the sunlight wasn't burning me and I could get in the train without any problems. I could have tried to act a little and tell the sun would still hurt terribly. But they would see through it... and then they wouldn't completely trust me anymore. So I just accepted my fate (even if I cursed it at least a hundred times) and went to platform 9 ¾ without as much as a single word towards my parents. They told me a few minutes ago, that, from now on, I would have to take this dreadful potion every day... and, which was even worse, that I wouldn't be allowed to drink as much as a single drop of blood from any of the students without asking and getting their permission. That really made my day. So much to free snacks walking around everywhere... I snorted unladylike by the afterthought. My mother stared at me, one eyebrow raised.
"You'll get awful wrinkles in your beautiful face. You should relax a little, Sweetie." She said absently and manoeuvred me towards the steaming red train. "I shall try to do this, mother." I said in a venomous tone. She glared at me. "I'm sure you'll enjoy your stay at the school. You'll make a lot of friends in no time, you'll see, Avalinn, dear." "Sure." "That's my little girl!" mother said cheerfully. "And next year you can show your little sister around..." father mentioned. What a mistake... by now he should know how much I hated my sister Eirween. She stood next to him, clinging to his arm as if she would die the moment she let go – and smiled sardonically towards me as long as our parents couldn't see it.
"Oh yes... the dark dungeons first – perhaps I can manage to lose her accidentally." I murmured low enough that mother and father missed my comment. But I had to smile at the thought of getting rid of my sister – they misinterpreted it completely and thought that I would probably miss Eirween or something weird like that, because suddenly they started to hug me for dear life. A bit flabbergasted I managed to enter the train and find myself an empty compartment. I opened the window just in time to wave my good-byes as expected of a good daughter; then I sat down and waited for the annoying train ride to end. Yeah, I know that's somewhat ridiculous, for the train had just departed a few moments ago, but I couldn't help it.
I must admit, that the world looked amazingly good in the bright sunlight, something I hadn't expected. But I liked it much better at night, when everything looked as if someone had enchanted it, when it seemed to be silvered.
Oh yes... I'm a vampire through and through.
The compartment door opened and a young girl my age looked through the door and glanced around. "Uhm... can I take a seat here?" she asked me shyly, her face getting red all over. I could hear her blood rushing through her veins. Too bad I wasn't allowed to try it...
"Sure, make yourself comfortable wherever you like." I answered and rummaged through my hand luggage. This was so ridiculous! To interdict a vampire to suck blood! When I found the book I was searching for (The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1) and started to read it once more. I read every single one of my school books over the holidays – except the Defence against the Dark Arts book. I wouldn't have liked to find my own kind described as "evil" or something similar in one of my school books.
"My name is Sorcha. Pleased to meet you." The girl right opposite me said with an absent tone in her voice. I sighed. That would mean, that I wouldn't be able to go through the book again – not that it would have been necessary for my memory is quite well developed. I only need to see something once – I wouldn't forget it anymore. But it was still going on my nerves that I would have to deal with mortals. I sighed once more before saying: "I'm Avalinn." Why should I make her hate me? She was, after all a potential snack, at least if she would allow me to take a sip; which she definitively wouldn't do when I made her hate me now. So I once more accepted my fate of having to interact with mortals in order to get some blood. "Are you a newbie too?" I asked as polite as possible. "Yes..." she answered tentatively und started to stare at her hands. "So am I. At least now I know one of my future peers. Let's be friends then." Not that I really meant it by then... but this was just the beginning of my story.
Little by little Sorcha told me about herself and her family. Her father seemed to be pretty popular, being Harry Potter. Her three older brothers started their third year at Hogwarts – the poor girl really had triplets with "prankster genes", as Sorcha called it, and was one of their main targets as well. Her mother was working at the Ministry of Magic in a very secret department – she'd had the highest grades of her generation at Hogwarts.
Then, after some time on the train, I told her about my family. Up 'til now I don't know why I trusted her that fast, but I told her I was a vampire. I really don't know why.
"I know. I saw your fangs." Sorcha admitted. "I think it's quite cool." she added after a moment in which I just stared at her. Then I started laughing. I was relieved that this human accepted me. And this was exactly the moment in which I realised, that I was just scared. I never really hated going to the school in particular; I dreaded the pupils and their reaction towards us vampires. Now I had at least one friend...
The compartment door opened once more and some other pupil stuck her head inside Sorcha's and my compartment. Perhaps because of my laughter? I got a hold on myself and sat up straight, expecting some scornful looks (I could have disturbed someone...). They never came... "Sorcha! There you are!" a red-haired boy said happily. "I told you we could sit together – but then I couldn't find you... But as I see you found someone... Hi, by the way! I'm Kenneth Weasley. Nice to meet you!" he held out his hand towards me. At first I could do nothing but stare at the boy named Kenneth. He was so naive and innocent – but in a cute kind of way. I thought that he might be around my age and later I found out that I my suspicion was correct.
"I'm Avalinn Barclay. Pleased to meet you, Kenneth..." I managed to smile. That was horrible! I wasn't even away for more than half a day and had already stopped seeing mortals as only a meal. I liked those two children from the very instant I met them. And that was indeed something I swore myself would never happen. As it seemed now it had already happened. Disturbing... if they were all like that I would be in some kind of trouble in no time!
Kenneth joined Sorcha and me in our little compartment and soon we chatted away. All too soon we reached our final destination.
Xxx
The castle was indeed stunning by night. Luckily it didn't rain for otherwise the boats trip over the lake would have been disastrous. But as it was we were able to enjoy an amazing view of castle Hogwarts, my school-to-be for the next years. Perhaps it really would be a great time... I could imagine quite a lot by now. Even better was, that my sister, Eirween wouldn't be here before the next year and it was quite likely, that she would be sorted into another house.
Before boarding the train I'd read everything about the school. There were four houses: Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. At the beginning of each school year all of the newbies would be sorted in those houses during the Sorting Ceremony. Silently I wondered what house I would be in after this Ceremony. At least not Slytherin – I would never want to have to stay seven years in that house – green just isn't my colour. I hate it.
One of the Professors awaited us in front of a large door. She told us, that the Sorting would begin in no time and led us through the door and into the Great Hall of Hogwarts. The ceiling was indeed impressive... over a hundred candles were hovering in the air and instead of a normal ceiling one could see the outer sky due to some very old and mighty enchantments. It was a wonderful sight.
At first I didn't even notice all the students around me who were sitting on their house tables and kept staring at us, the first years. In front of us all our professors were sitting at the staff table facing the students. The man in the middle would be Professor Dumbledore, I thought. He had a long white beard and half-moon glasses. This should be our headmaster... wow. I could sense all the other vampires. They were all older than me and due to that fact would be sorted after us first years. I sighed once more this day.
We stopped in front of a three-legged chair with a shabby looking old hat on top of it. After a short time in which every single living being in the Great Hall was totally silent the hat actually began to sing. First I thought it as a joke... then I realised, that the hat was enchanted too, just like the ceiling. So this filthy thing would sort us into the houses... That was interesting!
Kenneth and Sorcha were standing at my sides, ready to get sorted into our future houses. I sensed the other vampires who would attend the school from now on. But because of the different in our ages they wouldn't be in my peer group, most likely not even in the same house than me. I could easily imagine all of them in Slytherin and me as a stark example in Gryffindor. That would be typical me.
Professor McGonagall took out a large parchment with all the names of the first years on it. Then she said: "When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted!" We nodded, and she started to call out our names. After a small boy she called my name – dear heavens! I really was the second in the alphabetical order! – and I stumbled forward. When I turned and faced the crowd some of the older students noticed my blood heritage and started to hiss angrily at me. I closed my eyes and focused all my thoughts on my wish not to get sorted into Slytherin. Then I put the hat on and sat down.
A small voice whispered in my ear. "Oh! Look at that! What a funny thing – actually I never sorted one of your kin before! This is going to be an interesting year, I guess... Well. Let's see what we can find in the brain of yours..." the hat murmured. "You've got some brains but you are a bit lazy as it seems. And you got some guts... to try and stand up against your high prince... really... that sounds for me like I should make you a GRYFFINDOR!" the last word the hat shouted out really loud. Everyone heard it.
At one of the tables some people (the younger ones) started applauding for me but stopped really fast when they noticed the grim looks on the faces of their upperclassmen. I managed not to snort when I went to the table of my new house members and took a seat. I'd expected something like this... Most of this mortal were scared of my kind. For them we were nothing more than beasts, bloodsucking monsters. Why would you cheer for someone like this?
I sighed once more before sitting down next to a second year girl. I couldn't prevent an evil grin when she flinched slightly. How pathetic...
I leaned back in my chair and watched the sorting for my peers. Naturally there were new students in each house at the end of The Sorting – Sorcha and Kenneth were both sitting at the Gryffindor table by now. Until now I felt perfectly happy (something I would never have dared to think this morning). Only the other vampires would have to go through the ceremony of The Sorting, then the other students would get something to eat.
The witch who led The Sorting – I think her name was Professor McGonagall but I always seem to forget names quite easily – now reached for another parchment. I looked away. I was sure our high prince would manage to kill me with one of his angry glances when he finally would step out of the shadows. The thought of Kynan McAlpin made me shiver violently. He was a hundred times more powerful than I ever would be...
"Now the Sorting Hat will have to send some new students to their future houses. Please give all of them a warm welcome." the Professor insisted to all students. Then she started to call the others in front of the school.
Avalinn knew that there were six of them waiting. All powerful. The first of the older vampires to be sorted was Mary-Rose Swann.
Avalinn could hear half of the students gasp audible. Oh yes... Mary-Rose was indeed breathtakingly beautiful. But so were all the other vampires too. For me it was nothing special... really.
It went as I had expected. Mary-Rose became a Slytherin... Then Edward McKenzie joined her only a few moments later. I frowned and stared at them. As it seemed they weren't sorted in an alphabetical order but after their age. The younger ones came first... that meant that the high prince would be sorted last. I wondered how those kids would react towards him.
The next was Alice Callaghen. She became a Slytherin too... The two others, Meghan McAllister and Rhys, the high prince's knight, were sorted into Slytherin as well. I swallowed hard. As it seemed now I would end up as the outsider. The complete outsider for all of my housemates (except Sorcha and Kenneth) tried to get as far away from me as possible. I felt unwanted tears moisten my eyes. And I really never cried before. But now I was scared. Kynan always thought of me as a weirdo because I always acted different than all other vampires.
I didn't dare to look up, when the prince went towards the old shabby hat. The professor took it up (at least that's what she did with the others, you know, I really kept my eyes fixed on the golden plate in front of me...) and placed it upon his head. I know everyone was speechless because of Kynan... even for an eleven years old girl he was... fascinating. Every normal being was attracted by him... I knew quite well that it was as if Kynan would shine from the inside. I let out a quiet sigh.
It's no joke... I could feel his furious gaze upon me. From his side of view I guess it was just justified. I was the only member of his kin which was send directly to the Gryffindor table.