The Vampire Prince
Disclaimer:
Dance in the Vampire Bund and Harry Potter are the property of their respective trademark holders. No money is made by the author for this work of fiction.
PROLOGUE
Halloween, 1981
Privet Drive, Surrey
The streets were empty, conversations having long faded away. If hushed whispers of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named falling to Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived, fell from wizarding lips, it did not happen in this one particular street. For Privet Drive had been well shot of its magical quota for the night already.
The most hum-given wizard of recent times, Albus Dumbledore, had already delivered his cargo for the evening. One Harry James Potter, whom even now in the pre-dawn calm, that narrow window where all things living, even the wind, fell hushed. Lay still in his bundle of blankets upon the Number Four steep. This would be the scene onto which in the space of two odd hours, Petunia Dursley would exclaim aloud. At least thus would have been the case, if not for the conspicuous arrival of another of 'their kind' as Mr Dursley would define, to the sleeping suburb.
A young girl, If a girl was really all she were, or for indeed, if one might consider, if she was even young at all, for the girl wore the most outlandish apparel. Garbed in a Victorian dress of a blue so dark it was almost black. Midnight leather boots that reached to knobby knees. Dark velvet hair-ties that kept inappropriately long blonde hair into two bundles, and no shortage of frilly, white, lace. The girl could indeed give the earlier interlopers a run for their money.
One would naturally wonder why one, apparently not a day over twelve, dressed as a 'freak', would be out in the streets so late, even upon Halloween. However, such council was best kept close to ones breast, as this particular femme was not often obliging with her thoughts and drives, thereby explaining why she was here alone. As to her purpose for being there at all, one needn't wonder further as the girl made a slow line towards Number Four.
Despite the choice in heels, no sound was made by her feet as she stepped onto the Dursley porch. Orb-like, crimson eyes looking down upon the sleeping baby.
"Harry Potter, huh," the girl said with none of the usual stilt or stutter that you could expect to find in prepubescent's voice.
"Well, you don't look that special." The girl tilted her head contemplatively, eyes bright and sharp despite the early hour. In a motion, she bent and lifted up the baby. Her poise in retrieving the child was countered by the onset of gravity, young Harry starting to slip through the blankets to the ground.
"Whoa." With inhuman speed, she rearranged the grip. Secure once more, young Harry was nonetheless jostled alert, face beginning to ball up.
"Shhh...there there. Go back to sleep." The child made a face of discontent, but was nevertheless, sleeping like the dead after a moment or two. The red-eyed girl shrugged unconcerned.
"Humans," she muttered, stepping off the porch and onto the street. She glanced at the sky. It would begin to brighten soon. Best to hurry.
Walking to the curb, she turned to face the Dursley's.
"Say goodbye, Harry. I doubt you'll see this place again," the girl said more to herself than to Harry.
"I expect they'll work out you were taken soon enough," she murmured.
"Perhaps sooner than you think."
The girl spun on the spot, posture tense. A man stood alone in the centre of the road. Dressed in a grey-white business suit, he was in his apparent thirties, blonde hair meticulously parted, skin pale, though not unattractively so. A eyepatch rested over one eye.
"Rozenmann," the girl breathed coolly, unconsciously shifting her bundle closer. The man gave a thin smile.
"A pleasure to see you again, Princess Mina."
"That is your highness, Princess Tepes to you, my lord," the girl snarled, baring her teeth. They were unnaturally white, her canines long and sharp. Rozenmann gave a mocking bow in reply.
"Do forgive me your highness. I speak only with the familiarity one would expect to the one whom would be thy bride."
"You presume beyond your stead, Rozenmann," she said, reigning in her sneer, but lacking nothing in contempt.
"And you, your highness, should not question your future." Although the man's expression remained static, his humour raised a notch. "I predicted your arrival here did I not."
The princess sneered.
"Yes, how admirable of you. A child all of the magical world would desire for one reason or another, and you guessed my intent. How profound."
The amusement in the man's eyes dimmed.
"Though perhaps less profound and more that you and your stooges, Li and Ivanovic, are watching me like a prize horse!"
Rozenmann closed his eyes, enjoying himself.
"Whilst I cannot speak for my fellow lords, if there was any such surveillance it would naturally be for your protection. Although, I admit freely that I look forward to seeing you bridled."
"Eugh! You disgust me!"
The princess turned her back on him, walking off, loathing for the man practically radiating off her. Rozenmann, left standing in the road, glared at her, opening his mouth, revealing for the first time his own fangs.
"What do you hope to achieve Princess!" he called after her. "In taking this boy, this wizard."
Mina paused in her motion. She looked down at the sleeping bundle in her arms. Her hand brushed past the boy's hair, to better see his face. For the first time she witnessed the lightning bolt shaped scar that had been secreted away behind raven locks. Resolved she turned to face the man.
"This boy will be a hero to the wizards Rozenmann. Books will be written about him, every child will know his name."
The man scoffed. "There is no guarantee of that."
"Oh yes there is, I will make it thus!" the girl declared, eyes blazing.
"He will be venerated to the highest levels. He will be their saviour, their champion, their 'chosen' one. They shall love him... but he shall not love them."
The princess looked down at the sleeping boy.
"He shall be raised by vampires. And when the time comes, and they call for their hero, it shall not be upon our hearts that the dagger drops."
The girl stared fixedly at the man, head held high, challenging him to speak. Rozenmann for his part, wore a disgruntled expression. He tilted his eye towards the sky. It was starting to turn pink. Time was short. Looking back he saw the princess patiently watching a stretch limousine that was moving up the drive towards them.
"You play a dangerous game, your highness," Rozenmann said in warning.
The vampiress, nodding to a woman with long dark hair stepping out of the limo, turned back to face the man.
"So do you my dear lord. Especially with sunrise so near. You'd best hurry about your business."
The dark haired woman smirked, as the princess made it evident the man was not invited to leave with them behind the shelter of their tinted windows.
Rozenmann's eye twitched in irritation, but after a pause turned, walking off in stoic silence. Both woman were content to ignore his departure.
"Is this him?" the black haired woman enquired, as they entered into the limosine passenger compartment, a driver who looked probably more suited to a rock concert, stepping out to close the door for them.
"Yes, Vera. This is Harry Potter. Though I expect he'll need a new name."
"Such as?"
"I see nothing wrong with Harry Tepes."
The driver shut the door, sealing off sight and sound of the inhabitants within. With a chortled roar, the car started moving down the street out of Privet Drive. The young saviour would not be seen again for more than thirty years.
END CHAPTER
AN: As if I didn't have enough work to keep me busy already. I watched the series 'Dance in the Vampire Bund' a couple weeks ago. It's a pretty short series, only 12 episodes, and not one for the anime novice either. Plenty of blood, guts, breasts defying gravity, shota and slash-worthy protagonists. Naturally, a great idea for a HP crossover. Actually I believe this is the first for these two universes. No pressure. ;)
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Constructive feedback always appreciated.
Edit: November 6th 2012 - Those dastardly commas.