"Are you sure you're comfortable attending school so soon after your father's death and your uncle's…" Walter trailed off, looking at Integra as the eleven year old read the Hogwarts letter that had been delivered that morning by owl.
Integra was pulled out of her daze by Walter's words. "Of course," she said, setting the letter down on her father's—no, her desk.
"Very well, then," said Walter. "We'll be going to Diagon Alley soon to get your supplies." With that he left, leaving Integra to her thoughts once again.
Unbeknownst to all but the most prominent wizarding families, the Hellsings were a powerful pureblood family. They kept themselves out of the magical eye, for the most part, working closely with the Muggle government in the 'paranormal' branch as vampire hunters. They only entered the magical community when it came to the schooling of the latest heir, for said heir had to be trained in the magic that held the family's vampiric servant in check.
Which was exactly why Integra felt the need to go to Hogwarts as soon as possible. She wanted to keep the destructive force that was her newly-acquired servant under control.
"Walter," said Alucard in greeting as he phased through the wall next to the butler. "I hear that my new master will be attending that wizard school—Hockwars or somesuch, wasn't it? Are you sure it's safe to send her alone?"
"Hogwarts," corrected Walter. "And it's one of the safest places in the wizarding world, especially with Dumbledore as headmaster and You-Know-Who defeated by Harry Potter."
"You-Know-Who?" inquired Alucard, arching an inky eyebrow. "You mean to say that you people are still afraid to speak his name? Pathetic," Alucard snorted before continuing. "Though you say it's the safest place, I still have an… uneasy feeling," said the vampire, furrowing his brows.
"And what would you have me do about it?" asked Walter, choosing to ignore Alucard's "pathetic" jab. He knew that when Alucard (quite possibly one of the most frightening beings in existence) was uneasy about something, there was a damn good reason behind it. But what could Walter do?
The vampire's eyes flashed bright red. "Send me."
"B-but," stammered Walter.
"I can be master Integra's protection."
"You're not a wizard, nor are you a child in need of schooling," protested Walter.
"I can always pretend," said Alucard as his form shifted into something much smaller and… cuter. Instead of a towering vampire in red, there was now a small boy roughly Integra's age clad in a school uniform. The youth had deep, somewhat sad brown eyes and dark wavy hair that fell to his shoulders.
Walter blinked, startled at the sudden and drastic transformation. "Even so, it wouldn't be right to send a powerful vampire to a school full of children without the headmaster's knowledge."
"So tell him," said the vampire as he phased through the wall from which he had come, not bothering to shift back into his usual form.
As Alucard had suggested, Walter sent an owl to Dumbledore regarding Alucard's attendance at the school as protection for Integra.
Within two days of the letter being sent, Walter, Integra, and Alucard found themselves in Dumbledore's office for a meeting with the Headmaster. He would determine if Alucard was safe enough to keep around students.
"So this is Alucard," said Dumbledore as he studied the small boy before him. "Not what I expected."
"I assure you, this isn't his usual look," said Walter with a glance at Alucard, who still hadn't shifted out of his young form.
"You say he's bound to the family and can only act violently on direct orders from Miss Hellsing?" inquired Dumbledore as he shifted his gaze to Integra.
"Yes," said Integra with a nod.
"May I inspect the seals?"
Integra nodded once more and Alucard offered one of his hands to the headmaster.
When Dumbledore touched Alucard's hand, the seals blazed red against the vampire's pale flesh. "Amazing," said the old wizard with a shake of his head as he magically prodded the seals. "The magic is very intricate and extremely strong, old as it is. How very fascinating."
After a few more moments of examining the seals, Dumbledore spoke. "He may come to Hogwarts as long as he behaves and is kept under tight control."
"Yes sir," said both Integra and Walter. Alucard simply rubbed his back of his hand as the seal disappeared. The magical poking made it itch.
As soon as Miss Hellsing and company left, Dumbledore settled into his chair and thought on his decision. It would be good to have a protective force at the school should something go amiss, unlikely as it was. It made Dumbledore slightly uneasy knowing that this protection came in the form of a vampire, but the knowledge that the vampire had exceptionally strong seals placed upon him gave the headmaster some comfort. He would have to study those seals sometime, they were very intriguing.