Bella POV

The next day our closest friends and family came over to our newly redone mansion. The group was not as big as that of the party Molly had thrown a few months ago, but it was still quite large: Arthur and Molly, Fred and George, Percy, Bill and Charlie, Harry and Ginny, Ron and Hermione, Tonks and Teddy. Remus managed to make an appearance too, even though he looked awful. He really should have been in bed resting all day after the full moon. He was stubborn, though, and brushed off my offer to go rest upstairs in one of the beds or couches. He was determined to treat this like any other day, even though it had been just hours since he had been a crazed werewolf. I admired his strength and determination as much as I cursed him for being overly stubborn and stupid.

The biggest surprise of all, though, came when our fire place flared green and two someone's stepped out of it. I had been in the kitchen helping Molly and Esme cook lunch while it had happened, and hearing the commotion going on in the lounge room, went to see what all the fuss was about.

"Professor McGonagall!" I shouted, surprised.

My old transfiguration teacher brushed the lingering green powder and soot off her robes before turning to me with a small, tight lipped smile. She still looked the same as ever: black hair pulled back into a harsh bun, back ramrod straight and chin held high, square glasses perched on her nose. Her deep emerald robes and black slightly crooked witches hat were so familiar and welcoming I felt like running up to her and hugging her just for being the same person she always had been, for being a constant through all my life – although I'm not sure she'd be impressed with that. Instead I beamed at her, too distracted to be embarrassed when my hair turned canary yellow and my eyes golden. She always had been my favourite teacher, after all.

"Hello, Ynocencia," she said, and her voice was warm. I know I too had always been well-liked by her.

"What are you doing here, Professor?" I asked.

She shook her head, still smiling that small smile. "I am no longer Professor to you, dear. You've finished school. Although a lot of people –" she shot a look at Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny who all stood clustered to my left "– seem to be having the same issues with changing how they address me."

"Sorry Pro– umm –" I frowned, wondering what I was meant to call her now.

"You can call me Minerva."

"Sorry . . . Minerva." I frowned further. That just sounded . . . wrong. I decided them, after sharing a glance with my old fellow Hogwarts students, that I would probably still call her Professor McGonagall for the rest of my life.

The second person who had stepped out of the green flames after my old teacher, who I had failed –somehow, I'm not entirely sure how, considering his size– to notice cleared his throat behind me. I spun to face the noise and let out a strange half yell half squeal when I found myself craning my neck to look up at Hagrid.

"Hullo Bells," he cheered, smiling through his thick bush-like beard down at me.

Unlike with Professor McGonagall, I actually did rush over and hug this newcomer.

"Hagrid!" I wrapped my arms around his waist, or tried to since he was just too huge to hug properly, and beamed up at him. He patted me on the back and, if possible, his smile widened further.

"I'm dreadfully sorry I missed your big day, Bells," he told me. "Gwarp ran off and I had to go get him."

I pulled back and frowned up at him. "It's okay – just as long as you're alright? I was so scared when I heard that you'd disappeared without a trace and hadn't been seen or heard from for months." I made it clear, using my metamorphmagus magic to alter my appearance, that I was not pleased.

Hagrid hung his head, looking a bit ashamed. "Yeah, well, I didn't think that many people would mind, you know . . ." he trailed off with a half-hearted shrug.

The Cullen's had ambushed a startled Professor McGonagall, asking her all about Hogwarts and the Forbidden Forest and anything else they could think of while I had been talking with Hagrid. The collection of Weasley's who were running about the place had gone outside and were helping set up the tables and chairs for lunch – as well as ridding the garden of gnomes. I led Hagrid into a quieter, less crowded room and we sat down so we could talk a bit easier.

"So, tell me where you've been. What happened with Gwarp? Is he okay?"

Hagrid nodded his massive head, shrugging. "He's fine. He just got fed up with being cooped up in the Forbidden Forest and started off to go find his cousins. I was a bit distracted at the time, you see, so I didn't realise he was gone until he had nearly a week's head start on me. I sort of panicked and left straight away –I wouldn't want my brother to get hurt by the bigger meaner giants or anything– and didn't realise everyone else was in a panic. I found him just on the edges of giant territory and dragged him home."

I narrowed my eyes at him, sceptical. "That's all? Nothing else happened? Those giants are awful, and for you to get away without even an encounter with them . . ."

Hagrid shifted on the couch, causing it to jump up and down like a seesaw. "Well," he mumbled. "I never said we didn't meet any of 'em . . ."

"Out with it, Hagrid."

"Well, they caught us while I was trying to convince Gwarp to come home. They weren't pleased to see us – especially since the Final Battle." We both winced. "They got a bit violent; nothing too bad though, nothing like the last time I was there, and Gwarp and I ran for it. They didn't follow, for whatever reason. And here we are."

I released a breath of air that I hadn't realised I had been holding. I was just too happy to see him to stay mad. As long as he was here, happy and healthy, that was all that really mattered. I was too giddy, seeing Hagrid, listening to his funny accent and grumbling voice while he talked. Besides my sister, Harry, Ron, and Hermione, Hagrid was probably one of my closest friends. While the others had always visited during our Hogwarts years, usually around once or twice a week, I had always made extra trips down to visit him by myself nearly every day.

"I can't believe you're a vampire, Bells," he said, chuckling. "If someone had told me a few months ago that little Yonnie Tonks would be a married vampire I would have laughed in their face. But just look at ya!"

I looked down at myself and shrugged. "Honestly, I'm still a bit stunned by it all, too, sometimes. The Cullen's are the kindest, most caring, amazing family anyone could ever want, and Edward's . . ." I sighed. How could I possibly describe him? How could I sum everything about him up in a few words? His smiles, his caring and kind nature, his sense of humour, his mind, his self-sacrificing ways, his love . . .

Hagrid held his bin lid sized hands up in the air, appearing like he was almost showing me he had no weapons on him. "Hey, no need to explain to me. I know all about vampire mates. I've met quite a few vamps over the years – flinchy lot they are. Always flight or fight. I'm glad you and your vegetarian coven are calmer and more civilised."

"Umm . . . thanks, I think?" I laugh lightly. Was this Hagrid's strange way of giving a compliment? Saying I was civilised? I laughed louder. Blimey, I had missed him.

"So, what other vampire's have you met?" I asked him. "Maybe the Cullen's know them."

Hagrid paused, seeming to think things over before replying. "Well, damn, what a way to test my memory, Bells. I meet them in pubs and such, so normally I'm not exactly thinking at my best." He blushed slightly as he admitted that. "I've met a few mated pairs. I have a vampire friend –well, as much as non-vegetarian vamps are ever friends, anyway– called Peter and he has his girl, Charlotte. They're pretty nice – a bit more normal then the others."

Jasper materialised in front of us so fast that it caused Hagrid to jump and grumble under his breath. He had obviously heard our conversation from the other room and decided to come join us. I wasn't surprised at all – in getting to know Jasper and the other Cullen's better they had all told me the stories of how they came to be changed and their human lives. I knew Jasper had a close friend, someone he nearly considered a brother, called Peter with a mate named Charlotte. What were the odds? They had to be the same pair that Hagrid was talking about.

"You know of Peter and Charlotte?" Jasper asked Hagrid incredulously. "Really?"

"Blimey, you're fast," Hagrid swore again. He shook his head to himself, pausing, before answering Jasper. "Sure I know of them. Charlotte's a really small blonde, tiny thing she is. Peter's crazy protective of her." Hagrid squinted at Jasper, evaluating something. "He's just a bit shorter then you, with hair so blonde it's near stark white. He can play a wicked banjo, too, and always challenges old Lenard to play offs. We place bets on them, even though Peter nearly always wins. He's a blast."

Jasper gave a short, bark-like laugh. "That's them. I haven't seen them in decades. Do you know if they're still in the area? I'll have to catch up with them . . ."

"Sorry, mate," Hagrid said. "I've been off with Gwarp, as you know. I wouldn't know if they're still here or not. I'll find out for you though."

"That would be great if you could. Thank you," Jasper said, giving Hagrid a nod and me a small smile before disappearing again. Hagrid grumbled something into his beard, something I didn't quite catch even with my impeccable hearing.

"Do you know any other vampires?" I prompted him.

He nodded. "There's Wane and Johnson, Carrie and Jim, and that little red haired she-devil Prue." None of those names seemed to ring a bell, and seeming how none of the Cullen's rushed into the room like wildfire like Jasper just did, I'm guessing they didn't recognise any of them either. "Then there are those two creepy old ones – they just give me the spooks, Bells." Hagrid shivered and fixed his warm black eyes on me, conveying his seriousness. But I already believed him. For Hagrid to call anyone, or anything, spooky or creepy – well, let's just say you know it's bad.

"Who are they?" I whispered, half afraid of the answer. The only old spooky vampires I knew or had heard of were the Volturi – but there were three of them, not two, unless one of them stayed at home while the others visited lowly, wizarding sum-filled pubs? The idea sounded impossible and farfetched even to my own ears. But the Volturi were the oldest vampires around. Who else could there be?

"I can't think of their bloody names," Hagrid grumbled. He sighed. "One of them is really typically vampire-like."

"Dracula?" I suggested.

He shook his head, apparently too busy trying to remember to take note of my smart-ass attitude. "No, no, nothing like that," he mumbled. "It's something with a V. Curse it all, I just can't rememb- Vladimir! That's it!" he beamed at me through his heavy beard, as proud as punch. "And the other one's just as freaky as he is."

I frowned. "Never heard of them before, I'm afraid. What's so creepy about them?" I had to admit it – I was intrigued by anyone that could make Hagrid view them as anything close to creepy, or freaky, or weird. They must really be . . . disturbing.

"They're just so old, Bells. It's not natural. They're from Romania, I believe, and were in rule before this Italian bunch that's on the vampire thrown now." This surprised me; I guess I never imagined anything or anyone other than the Volturi in rule. I made a quick mental note about it. I would have to ask Carlisle or even Hermione about it later. "They're ancient. Their skin is papery and worn-looking and they're just . . . wrong. I can't describe it. If you ever meet them they you would understand."

I hummed a vague acknowledgement, to let him know I heard what he said, but I was too emerged in my thoughts to answer Hagrid properly. Because – because one of the reasons, well it wasn't a reason but it was an added bonus, why we were going to Volterra was that the Volturi were old. They had, undoubtedly and especially because of Aro's mind reading, gathered a lot of knowledge over the years. Maybe Aro would know something that had to do with how I had kept my magic. But the thought was farfetched and impossible. They didn't know anything – Alice had seen as much in her visions, and Caius wouldn't be as enraged now if he did know anything.

But if someone was alive, someone who had been around longer than even the Volturi, they could possibly know something. Could possibly have seen something come and pass millennia ago, a vampire-witch or wizard-vampire, before the Italian rulers over took.

Maybe.

"Do you . . . do you know how to contact this Romanian pair?" I asked Hagrid carefully.

He was instantly suspicious. He peered at me with half-squinted eyes, frowning his massive caterpillar eyebrows. "No. They just turn up from time to time in the pubs. Why? You're up to something, Bella. I know what you're like."

I avoided meeting his searching gaze, furiously telling the metamorphmagus in me not to blush. "Hagrid, I still have my magic."

He nodded, still looking at me with suspicion written all over him. "I'm aware of that, yes."

"And we don't know why."

He nodded, his frowning deepening.

"If someone who has been around since – since, well, forever, they might know something. Seen something similar years and years ago. Might be able to shed some kind of insight."

He nodded. "I guess that makes sense. So that's why you want to see the two creeps?"

"Yes," I said truthfully. I fixed an eye on Hagrid, raising an eyebrow. "That's all. Hagrid, I'm a horrible liar. You know I'm telling the truth on this." He looked at me a moment longer before sighing and nodding. "Honestly, I don't know what you thought I'd be doing."

"I just –" Hagrid shook his head to himself. "It doesn't matter. But seeming how you're so eager to see these two blokes, why don't I tell you the next time I see them at the pub, eh?"

I hugged Hagrid hard. "Thank you, Hagrid! That would be great. I don't suppose you can think of anyone else who might know something? Any friends or acquaintances of yours?"

Hagrid was silent for a moment or two, head cocked to the side, considering. I waited patiently, trying not to cross my fingers for good luck. Finally Hagrid turned to me and said, "Sorry, Bells. I don't know anyone else who could know anything. But I'll keep an eye and an ear out for you."

"Thanks anyway, Hagrid. It's great that you even knew of Vladimir and his friend." I smiled at him before standing. Hagrid sighed before heaving himself to his feet after me, unfurling himself to his full height.

"Let's go get some grub," he grumbled. I followed him out of the room and outside, where everyone was seated and talking away around the assortment of conjured chairs and tables, waiting for Esme and Molly to come out with all the food.

I took a seat next to Edward and opposite Professor McGonagall. Lunch was served, and I spent the majority of it telling Edward and all the other Cullen's about the idea of contacting these Romanian vampires Hagrid knew of. Edward didn't seem too pleased with the idea of me meeting up with two someone's who frequented renowned shady pubs and bars and downright refused to let me go alone. "Besides," he added to his argument, face and voice serious. "With my mind reading I'll be able to pick up anything they might not tell us or just gloss over. It's a win-win situation – you're protected and we find out even if they don't verbally say anything."

What could I say to that? Edward relaxed, reading my face. We both knew he had won that one.

Once the human witches and wizards had finished lunch and all had a slice of Esme's chocolate cake, which they all told her was very nice, causing her to smile like she was the happiest person alive, I struck up a conversation with Professor McGonagall. We talked about how Hogwarts was: repairs were nearly finished and everything was nearly as good as new. We talked about the memorial service that had taken place to honour all those lives lost in the war, which I had missed because I had been on my honeymoon with Edward. I felt extremely guilty about that. We talked about how the Ministry was trying to find a new Headmaster for Hogwarts, and if they couldn't before September came around in a few months time, then she'd have to take the seat herself and they would find another transfiguration teacher.

Finally, though, I managed to sum up the courage to talk to her about my magic – and something else, too. After going over the details of my change and my resurfacing magic –for what felt like the millionth time– I finally summoned the courage to ask, "Professor McGonagall? Would it be alright, I mean could we, as in the Cullen's and myself, would we be able to – I don't know – I guess I'm . . ." I sighed to myself and told myself to spit it out. Professor McGonagall was looking very confused, but also amused, trying to keep up with my ramblings. "Would it be okay if I had your permission for the Cullen's and myself to visit Hogwarts? I would like to search in the library, for it is one of the largest wizarding ones in all of Britain, for any information on my magic and witches changing to vampires. The Room of Requirement would also be very helpful – and the rest of the Cullen's would very much like to see the castle after everything I've told them about it . . ." I bit my lip, scolding myself mentally for sounding like such a stupid, rambling git.

Professor McGonagall regarded me seriously through her prim square glasses, a single sharp eyebrow raised. "Of course you can, Ynocencia. Hogwarts and its resources are at your disposal, especially since you need them so much, as well as for how you helped in the war. Even if you only wanted to show the Cullen's around, you would still be allowed."

I blinked at her. I was stunned. I had been so certain she was going to tell me that it would not be allowed –Hogwarts wasn't exactly a tourist attraction, you know – and to have her say yes so easily . . . "Thank you," I squeaked, then cleared my throat and blushed my metamorphmagus blush at how awkward I sounded.

"But," she warned me. "You cannot come to Hogwarts until the other Professors and I have finished repairing the castle, the wards, the grounds, everything. We should be completely finished in about a month. Is that alright?" I nodded. We'd have to go to Hogwarts after our trip to Volterra, then. "Just owl when you want to come and we'll finalize it."

"Okay," I agreed easily, nodding. I was well aware that Alice and Rose were squealing down the table, obviously too excited for words at hearing the news. Emmett and Jasper were grinning widely and I laughed as I watched them bump fists over the table. "That would be wonderful, Professor," I told McGonagall, my smile so wide that it rivalled Emmett's. "Thank you so much."

The rest of our lunch passed too quickly for my liking. I wanted everyone to stay here, so I could hang out with them and talk and connect and just have everyone who had ever mattered for me in one place at one time. But that was selfish, and just because I was no longer human and didn't have human needs didn't mean it was the same way for everyone else. Soon Professor McGonagall and Hagrid flooed back to Hogsmeade, and from there to Hogwarts. Charlie apparated home, quickly followed by Bill and Fleur who both had to get up early the next morning for work. Harry and Ginny left early since they had an appointment together to go look at houses, since they were planning on moving in together. Soon Molly and Arthur, Fred and George, and Hermione and Ron were the only ones left.

"Tell me about this trip to Volterra, Yonnie," said Hermione, curling up on our couch, tucking her feet under her legs and getting comfortable. She smiled and thanked Esme when she came out with a hot chocolate for her before turning back to me. She was quite the sight, determined expression and strong eyes of an inquisitor in stark contrast with the sister of mine I could see, curled up on my couch with a mug of hot chocolate in her comfy clothes. "I know there's more to it than you're letting on. All of you Cullen's jump out of your skin and try to change the subject whenever someone mentions it," she accused, raising her cup and taking blowing across the brown surface before taking a sip.

I shook my head weakly to myself. I knew I had to tell them eventually, but I just didn't want to go over this right now. Selfishly, I just wanted to forget my fears, and just be Hermione and Bella, best friends. "It's nothing," I mumbled and avoided her gaze. I never was, or will be for that matter, a strong liar.

Hermione groaned. "Bella, please." She used her persuasive voice – the one she tried to deny she had.

I sighed and finally met her eyes. "Fine. But I haven't told anyone else this yet so you will have to keep it to yourself until I tell the rest of them – which will be very, very soon," I reassured her, seeing her eyes narrow and her expression turn calculating. "It's not a standard thing, newborns going to meet with the Volturi. That hardly ever happens. We're only going because once we found out that I still have my magic, and at this strength, Carlisle thought it would be best if we told the vampire rulers ourselves for they would be mad and view it as disrespect if they found out some other way, no matter if it's months or years later, especially since Carlisle is close friends with them. It would also be less dangerous, if they reacted badly and tried to recruit me or even go to extremes, because this would sort of, well, lessen the blow. Following so far?" Hermione nodded. I took a deep breath before telling her the rest of it – all of it. Although I hadn't been planning on telling them until after the council with the Volturi, it sort of felt good, like I had been granted a huge relief in telling one of my closest friends.

"Well," she said, leaning back in her chair once I'd finished speaking. I tried to wait as patiently as I could for her to share her opinion. "This is very . . . interesting. I really hope you will all be alright, Yonnie. You will tell me if there is anything I can do, right? If there is anything I could do to help?"

"You'd be the first person I would go to," I reassured her. She seemed to be thinking intently, on what I wasn't sure, and I decided to change the subject before she started harassing me about telling the others. "So, in all your readings on vampires who were wizards in their first life, what have you found? Anything interesting?" I asked her.

Her eyes lit up. "Yes. You would not believe how much I know on vampires, vampiric history, vampire rulers over time, now. It's quite amazing and is more accurate then muggle and wizarding histories since the people are immortal. I'm fascinated."

One part of that stuck in my mind: vampiric rulers over time. I remembered thinking earlier this morning that I should ask either Hermione or Carlisle about the vampires Hagrid had spoken of. Choosing my words carefully, I asked Hermione, "What do you know of the time the Romanians that ruled the vampire world? Hagrid mentioned that he runs into two of them sometimes at the pub."

"The Romanians?" Hermione repeated, as if for clarification. I nodded even though it was rhetorical. "They were the ones who were in place before the current Volturi. They governed using a council, a group of vampires. They were pretty harsh and sort of corrupt by power. They thought themselves really high and mighty and invincible – until the Volturi burnt them to the ground. I had no idea until now that there were two of them still alive. Back when they were in charge they weren't exactly on the friendliest terms with witches and wizards, but they weren't on unfriendly terms either. From what I gathered they were neutral to each other, wary but not hostile."

"Hmm." I hummed as I thought things over, drumming my fingers on the arm of the lounge absentmindedly.

"The rules back then were really different," Hermione continued. "They allowed humans to live in their cities and castles and did not hide the fact that they were vampires. Humans were in the know." I gaped at her. I hadn't been expecting that. Hermione shared a look with me that told me she had pretty much had reacted the same way when she found out. "They were feared, too. It is thought that sometimes they went out and massacred both humans and vampires for fun, but no one knows how true that is because it's thought that they did it in secret."

Well . . . that wasn't good. I glanced around, half expecting Edward to burst through the door and go all protective of me at hearing this, but he was too distracted watching the Weasley twins do tricks on their brooms outside to pay too much attention to our conversation. I was sort of glad – but I knew it wouldn't be a good reaction I'd receive when I told him about this later. He wouldn't want me going at all when he found out that these vampires were so twisted they sometimes went out and hunted others of our kind just for fun. But I still had to go see them – and besides, that was when they were in power. They couldn't do those things now. They had to follow the rules or the Volturi would hunt them down.

"I hope I've been able to help you, Bells," Hermione told me gently, looking at me over the rim of her cup. Her inner inquisitor and internal encyclopaedia had been put away now that she'd found out what she'd wanted to know and had told me as much as she knew. She was all best friend now. I smiled at her, somewhat grateful and relieved. "I truly am sorry that I couldn't help you more with your magic."

"It's okay," I reassured her. "You've been more helpful then you could possibly ever know. We all would have been lost without you."

She smiled at me and we started chatting about more ordinary things, easier topics until Ron came in and said they had best be getting home. We all said our final goodbyes of the day to the leftover Weasley's that were still here, hugging and kissing everyone goodbye. I was sad when they all finally left, but still happier then I had been in a while at seeing them at all in the first place.

When Hagrid had said he'd send word whenever he saw the Romanian vampires next, I did not expect it to be later that night. Not long after everyone had finally left and I had finished telling the Cullen's everything Hermione had told me, an owl flew through the window and dropped a letter in my lap before flying out of our house like a bat out of hell. Obviously, unlike my Nemo, this owl was not comfortable around vampires. I opened the letter, scanned its contents, and before I knew it Edward, Jasper and I were apparating to Hogsmeade.

"Don't leave my side, okay?" Edward murmured, his voice low as his eyes darted everywhere, taking everything in. He laced his fingers through mine. Finally he seemed satisfied that there were no crazed vampires in the immediate area and turned to me. "Bella, love, it's not too late for you to go back to the house. It'll be safer there."

I huffed angrily. "Edward, I am coming and that is final. If anything goes bad, which it won't, I can have them immobilized and us out of there in two seconds flat. And besides," I reminded him, fixing a stern eye on him. "For all they know, I am an ordinary vampire tonight." I gestured at my face and body, where I was using none of my metamorphmagus magic at all. I looked like every other vampire – all ethereal features and shape, golden vegetarian eyes and flawless white skin. Jasper had decided that it would be wiser to not broadcast the fact that I was a vampire-witch until we had gone to the Volturi, or even after that. The Romanians might be less skittish if they thought we were all 'normal.'

Hagrid met us outside The Hog's Head. He clapped Jasper and Edward on the back and gave me a big kiss on the top of my head by means of greeting. I tried to hide my grimace at the disgusting stench of beer that clung to him. "Well, your three, your vamps are in there," Hagrid said, only somewhat coherent. He jabbed a thumb backwards behind him, the where the strange pub sat in layers of grime and dirty, stinking horribly of human sweat and . . . goats? "They're right at the back in the corner, they are," Hagrid continued to broadcast loudly. He swayed a bit as he turned and walked back inside, calling over his shoulder, "I've got Aberforth fixing me up some more firewhiskey, so I best be back and leave you lot to your vampire stuff. I wouldn't wanna be messing with those two anyway."

I blinked in stunned surprise, one word in all that he had said catching my attention: Aberforth? I had completely forgotten that Dumbledore's brother owned and ran the pub. I felt somewhat safer knowing that a sort-of friend was in there, even if he would be of no help if things became nasty. I shared a glance with Jasper and Edward before following Hagrid inside the pub.

Inside was noisy. Very, very noisy – especially to my vampiric ears. It was rowdy, too. People were everywhere, crowding heavily around the bar. Most kept their heads and bodies covered with long dense cloths and it was somewhat hard to tell which creature was human and which wasn't. I could smell the differences in scents, though. Even if they were hidden from my sight I could still smell the mixture of human, goblin, vampire, werewolf and – and was that an old trace of centaur? I shook my head to myself. No way, they never left the forest. I ran my eyes over the pubs inhabitants again, finding no centaur, even if I could make out Hagrid's wild head of hair as he loomed above everyone else at the bar.

"There are our two guys," Jasper said lowly, inclining his head slightly to where two pale figures sat somewhat cloaked in a dark corner.

Edward's hand tightened its grip on my own as we followed Jasper through the mass of bodies to where the two vampires sat. The heard us coming and both turned to look at us simultaneously. Their eyes were ruby red, like all human-drinking vampires, but their skin was different from any other vampires I had ever seen before. It was papery thin and fragile looking, almost brittle. One of the vampires had startlingly blonde hair while the other had stark black hair. They both wore dark black clothes that looked somewhat modern but at the same time hinted at a very old style. I wondered which one was Vladimir and which one was the other – the one whose name I didn't know yet.

"Three of Carlisle Cullen's coven," the dark haired one noted quietly.

"How interesting," the blonde one agreed.

Jasper tensed beside me. "How do you know of us?"

The dark haired one waved a hand at the three chairs that sat empty around their small table. "Sit," he said. We all sat, Jasper, then me, and finally Edward. Of course Edward's protective side wouldn't want me to be sitting next to either of the pair. "And everyone knows about the vegetarian vampires. Words travels – and you can't deny that little tidbit wouldn't make very interesting gossip."

Jasper was still suspicious. I glanced at him from across Edward, worried. But I never got to say anything or try to reassure him in any way because one of the Romanians –the dark haired one– turned to me and said, "I am Stefan and this is my brother Vladimir." He gestured to his blonde haired companion. "Who would you be? This young man's mate?" He inclined his head towards Edward, who had me held tightly to his side, evaluating the other two vampires with an almost menacing expression. Protectiveness positively radiated from him. I suppressed a sigh.

I nodded and forced myself to try and smile a friendly smile at the Romanians. "I'm Bella Cullen. This is my mate, Edward, and our brother Jasper. It's a pleasure to meet you." There. That was polite, wasn't it? I hoped so. I hadn't bargained on having to make the introductions.

"Indeed." Vladimir leant back in his chair, evaluating us. I tried not to shift under the scrutiny. "What brings you to The Hog's Head? We have not seen you here before."

Edward took a deep breath beside me. I gave his hand a reassuring squeeze, telling him without speaking that I knew he could do this. "We came to speak to you, actually," he said, his voice calm and neutral, carefully composed and business-like. It was the voice Carlisle had used to negotiate the treaty with the wolves. I had to marvel at the similarities between father and son, even though they were not blood related. "You are the oldest vampires around –older even then the Volturi –" at the mention of the royal vampires name, the Romanians both let out a low hiss. Apparently they still had hard feelings for them for kicking them off their thrones "–and you have seen much in your lifetimes," Edward continued, ignoring their synchronised hissing. "We were wondering if you'd seen anything like what we were researching in the thousands of years that you've been alive."

"And what is this thing you've been researching?" Stefan asked dryly. Vladimir raised a blonde eyebrow at us.

"The way the change effects magic when wizarding humans are turned into vampires," Edward said.

"Well that's easy," Vladimir started.

"It just dies," Stefan finished. I shivered a little bit – these two reminded me of the Weasley twins, which I couldn't work out if it was a good thing or a bad thing. It was creepy, that was for sure, the way they all finished each other's sentences. I guess that's what comes of millennia of companionship – knowing each other inside out. Or maybe they really were brothers – Stefan had introduced himself and Vladimir as brothers after all. Maybe he had meant it in a literal sense, rather than the way we mean it when we introduce Jasper as our brother.

Edward frowned slightly, head cocked to the side. He was reading their minds; I could tell by the focused expression on his face. "You see, we have had cause to believe that does not always happen," he spoke slowly, seeming to choose his words carefully. "We were wondering if you knew anything extra, or had seen anything different, on the subject."

Vladimir narrowed his eyes at us further. "What do you mean you have cause to believe not all lose their magic?" He peered between the three of us with suspicion. I tried to keep my face from becoming guilty.

"Idle gossip," Jasper murmured, waving his hand dismissively. A light wave of acceptance washed outwards from him, just a nudging, too little for the Romanians to become even more suspicious. Not that they would realise it was Jasper, anyway – when he influenced your emotions you had a hard trouble telling which was your and which was not, not that the Romanians would even know that he was an empath in the first place. "You yourself said that word travels fast."

Stefan and Vladimir regarded him intently. I held my breath, waiting. Finally Vladimir nodded. "Yes, that is true. Which is why I am left wondering why I myself have not heard this gossip? It is rare that we are not informed of something like this quickly."

Damn, they were smart. My grip tightened on Edward's hand – I was the one clutching him now. The tables had turned. Jasper didn't miss a beat though. "You're hearing it now, are you not? I only have just heard word of it, and wishing to know if it were possible or had ever happened in the past, I came here to you. Surely you can tell me if it's possible, or if it is nothing more than that – mere idle gossip?"

For a few excruciatingly long minutes I thought they were not going to believe him. But with a few more stronger nudges of accepting and open mindedness from Japer, they finally nodded their heads and began to talk in that weird way where they answer each other's sentences.

"Over the years we have seen many things," Stefan began, "Many witches and wizards changing into vampires, but never a vampire with a witch's ability. It is simply impossible."

"I would pay no heed to your gossip, if I were you," Vladimir recommended. "It will never happen because it never can."

I bit my lip. "What of things where the magic is instinctual, more so then your wand-using magic? Like an animagus or a metamorphmagus?" I held my breath, waiting for their response. Stefan and Vladimir both turned to me, ruby eyes unreadable.

"I have seen both those things be changed. They, too, lose their magic," Vladimir admitted. He shrugged. "Magic does not carry on into the immortal life. It is a simple fact."

"I have seen an animagus be bitten in their animal shape before, though," Stefan said, chuckling darkly. "That was an entertaining thing to watch. Poor idiot kept trying to turn human again but couldn't focus fully through the pain. She ended up a mixture of a racoon and a human – it was very nasty. She just about lost her mind, too, half savage beast and half sane human. It was a funny thing watching them try to kill her, she was as lethal as she was feral."

I guess the stories of the Romanians delight in horrible things were true, then. I felt sick to my stomach and turned to look, appalled, at Edward. But his eyes were riveted on the two old vampires in front of us and he looked absolutely disgusted – he was the first vampire, I thought, to ever have a physically sick expression on his face. I was confused for a second as to why his reaction was so intense before I realised he must be witnessing the thing in their minds as they remembered. I ran my thumb across the back of his hand, swallowing, trying to distract him. But for once, it didn't seem to work.

Jasper nodded and stood. "We thank you for helping us extract truth from gossip," he told the Romanian pair. I scrambled to my feet after him with Edward. The pair watched us with their smart, unreadable red eyes. I tried to suppress my shiver. They were very creepy – I could relate completely to Hagrid now.

"It was nice to meet you," Vladimir said. Stefan nodded his agreement. Jasper said something that summarized that we liked meeting them, too, but Edward was dragging me from the pub before he had finished speaking. I managed to say a quick goodbye and thank you to a very intoxicated Hagrid before making my way outside, taking deep breaths of clean, fresh, not-stale air. It was heavenly after being in the confining pub.

"They were awful," I confessed to Edward and Jasper as we started walking through the streets of Hogsmeade idly, going over our thoughts.

Edward nodded his agreement. "The things they did to that animagus-vampire – it was awful. I – I can't even repeat it."

I wrapped my arms around his waist, turning in his arms to face him fully. "It's okay." I kissed his Adam's apple lightly before following after Jasper.

"But they honestly did know nothing," Edward admitted after a few minutes of walking aimlessly in silence. "As far as they know –which is a lot, believe me– there has never been a vampire who retained their magical abilities before."

I sighed and tried to lift my sinking spirits. I just felt so helpless, so disappointed. No one knew anything – we'd been looking everywhere and checking everyone possible for months now. We'd been over books and books, reading every little detail, and nothing. Nothing anywhere. I was starting to believe that no one would ever know anything – and I would be stuck wondering for the rest of eternity. It was not a pleasant thought and left me with a twisted feeling in my gut.

"Let's just go," I told Jasper and Edward softly. "I just want to go home."

Jasper walked over and gave me a hug and a kiss on my forehead, much like Hagrid had done earlier that night. He didn't force happy feelings on me, and for once I was glad. I took a deep breath and tried to push the depressing feelings away from me on my own. It wouldn't help in any way or form to dwell on them all the time, feeling miserable. Taking note of my improving emotional climate, Jasper gave me a proud smile and took my hand. My other hand found Edward's, and wordlessly I closed my eyes and disapparated, eager to be home after a long exhausting night.