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Chapter 26: Deathday
It seemed that Halloween was fast becoming one of those days that just never went quite right for Vlad. Last year it had been a troll and a near encounter with death. This year, it was a deathday party for ghosts. The young vampire could only hope that this year's events unfolded more peacefully.
He hadn't told Draco where he would be going. That wasn't even an option. He could not afford any sort of connection with vampires here and if Draco should ask where he was during the entire night, Vlad would come up with something vague.
The Bloody Baron probably expected him to arrive in full vampiric regalia with the cape and colors to match. But Vlad decided that he would be attending the deathday party with his regular student uniform. The only thing that would distinguish him as anything other than a wizard would be if a ghost specifically asked him if he was vampire. Vlad had promised the Baron that he would say yes, he was a vampire should anybody ask.
The party would be taking place in the dungeons, not so far away from the Slytherin Common Room. Finding the passageway was not difficult; he had heard his fair share of Slytherins mentioning the mysterious long, thin, jet-black tapers, all burning bright blue, casting a dim, ghostly light on any who passed. Many knew of the ghost parties that took place down in the dungeons but few paid much attention to them. After all, none were ever invited and neither did they wish to be.
Vlad easily found the described path, the temperature dropping with every step he took. As he made his way closer and closer, he heard what sounded like a thousand fingernails scraping an enormous blackboard. It far from disturbed him. Even if it was unpleasant, it was not quite so different from some of the old music his own father listened to. Vampires enjoyed their share of classical music (quite frankly the only thing they would admit Breathers could compose decently), but several including the Count clung to the old ways and the hair-raising compositions that accompanied it.
As Vlad turned the corner, he caught sight of Nearly Headless Nick, the Gryffindor ghost, standing solemnly at the entrance.
"Ah, hello," the ghost said with a sort of neutral cordiality. "Vladimir, I presume?"
Vlad uncomfortably shifted his cloak. "Yes. Um, I'm here for –"
"You are the Bloody Baron's guest, yes. He did mention that he would be inviting one of the Slytherins this year to my deathday party. Welcome." The ghost bowed and swept Vlad inside with a sweep of his hat.
It was an incredible sight. The dungeon was full of hundreds of pearly-white, translucent people, mostly drifting around a crowded dance floor, waltzing to the dreadful, quavering sound of thirty musical saws, played by an orchestra on a raised, black-draped platform. A chandelier overhead blazed midnight blue with a thousand more black candles.
But Vlad was not caught in awe for very long. It was very similar to vampire celebrations and his mind was occupied by other questions. His deathday party? Nearly Headless Nick's? Hadn't it been the Baron's deathday party Vlad had been invited to? It hardly made a difference, but why did the Bloody Baron not mention it before?
The young vampire made a point of carefully maneuvering around the ghosts. He knew, from his own experiences with the Baron that they did not take being walked through very well. It reminded them that they weren't living. The Slytherin ghost had laughed then, after the explanation. Because apparently, Vlad felt "different" from the others who walked through. According to the ghost, the young vampire felt less harsh, less living than the others.
Vlad had refused to talk to the Baron for a good few weeks after that.
He passed a group of gloomy nuns, a ragged man wearing chains, and the Fat Friar, a cheerful Hufflepuff ghost, who was talking to a knight with an arrow sticking out of his forehead. He wasn't surprised to finally spot the Bloody Baron, gaunt and covered in silver bloodstains, standing at the perimeter of the room alone. The sight struck Vlad a little sadly because he had seen a long time ago that even other ghosts avoided the Baron. Why, the young vampire did not know yet.
The first thing Vlad said when he approached the Slytherin ghost was, "Care to explain?"
"It slipped my mind. I always forget who dies when," the Baron replied blandly.
"Even when it is your death?"
"Especially when it is my death."
Their conversation did not go any further before a call of hunting horns sounded and a dozen ghost horses came galloping through the windows, all with riders clutching their heads in their arms.
"The Hunt," the Baron said in explanation. "You could say they are something of celebrities amongst us."
Vlad could have surmised as much from the applause that accompanied their entrance. The majority of the ghosts present were excited to see these headless horsemen – all except for Nearly Headless Nick apparently. The Gryffindor ghost had a sour look on his face at their arrival and it struck Vlad that perhaps Nick wanted to be a part of the Hunt too but, considering he was only nearly headless, had been rejected.
The young vampire ran his eyes over the crowd again, but this time, he finally spotted the three small figures standing amongst the horde of ghosts.
"For all things evil…!" Vlad breathed out in horror, his eyes unable to peel themselves away from the forms of Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
"It's quite alright."
"Like garlic it is!" Vlad snapped, whirling upon the Baron. "You knew they were coming! That's why you didn't tell me this was Nearly Headless Nick's party! I would have realized that he would invite those three." And the young vampire would have. It was rather common knowledge that the three were as close as any student would get to the Gryffindor ghost.
"They haven't even noticed you. And look, they're already leaving. How rude."
It was true. As one of the headless horsemen greeted Nick and began interrupting his deathday speech, the three Gryffindors bolted as soon as they could. Vlad would have liked to join them.
"What if they did see me? What then?"
"They didn't. And even if they did, you could just say I invited you."
Vlad grit his teeth and turned away. What the Baron said was true, but the idea that they could have overheard him say he was a vampire sometime during the night terrified him. The last thing he needed was for those three to know.
"Look alive," the Slytherin ghost said wryly. "It seems we have finally been noticed."
Vlad looked up to see the horseman who had been harassing Nick come floating over. "Why if it isn't the Bloody Baron!" the ghost exclaimed. The rest of the congregation seemed uneasy, even the other riders. But this particular headless ghost was either fearless or foolishly brave to do what the others wouldn't. "How have you been doing?"
"Poorly," the Slytherin ghost replied curtly.
"That's good, that's good! Wouldn't want to be doing well, now would we?" The ghost caught sight of Vlad standing beside the Baron and he asked, "Now who would this be? I don't think I've ever seen you invite one of the students."
"My name is Vladimir, sir."
"Vladimir? No last name to stand proudly behind?"
It seemed the Bloody Baron had anticipated this. His lips were curved into the smallest of satisfied smiles and he eyed Vlad as if to ensure the young vampire would say the truth as he had promised.
Vlad licked his lips. He wasn't ready for this, but he couldn't go back on his word now. He could only pray that this particular ghost would be as clueless as the rest of the other ghosts in Hogwarts had been so far. "Dracula."
"Oh dear," the horseman chortled, his expression taking on a look of knowing and slight anger. "By my grave, you have gone and gotten yourself one as well, Baron." A satisfied smirk touched the rider's lips. "Saw mine and got a bit intimidated did we?"
"I hardly think yours was much to look at."
"No? My vampire has killed many, encouraged many to my following. They –" the ghost gestured at the rest of the crowd. "– might fear you and you might revel in your death, but you know I am stronger than you."
Vlad paled. What on earth were they talking about?
"You delude yourself." The Bloody Baron's voice was colder than ice and the rest of the ghosts murmured uneasily amongst themselves. "I believe your sense left you the day your head did, Sir Patrick. Your vampire is nothing but a scoundrel, a mere Halfling. What pride is there in that?"
"Well, yours is but a child – not even full grown," Sir Patrick snarled.
"But you recognized his last name just as I did."
The horseman shifted his head in his arms and scowled. "Dracula. It is difficult to not recognize it." The mention of Vlad's family name seemed to have settled Sir Patrick, or at least convince him to stand down. The ghost, so prepared for a confrontation, visibly composed himself and looked at Vlad in the eyes. "Born vampire, aren't you? You might think yourself superior amongst your species, boy, but don't forget for one moment that not all vampires like your family."
Sir Patrick's hostility did not rub well though, and Vlad only raised his chin in defiance. "That is old news, sir." It was actually a point of pride for his father to list the amount of enemies they had – enemies that either respected them too much to actually take action against them or too afraid to.
The horseman left then, floating back amongst the uncomfortable crowd and Vlad spent the rest of the evening huddled against the back wall trying to disappear.
~0~
The ghosts knew the Draculas. Of course they did, the Baron decided to explain later. They had all known from the very first day Vlad's name had been called for the Sorting. But they were too fearful, too struck by old memories of the Dracula terror to do much about it. Many of the ghosts at Hogwarts had died long ago, when wizards and vampires still mingled, and none of them ever forgot. This was what would keep their mouths shut about Vlad's secret because even though they probably wished to reveal it, they most likely feared the repercussions. Only the Slytherin ghost had bothered to speak to Vlad and he had made it clear to the others that the young vampire did not want his secret to be known.
Vlad hadn't been quite so sure whether to be thankful that the Baron had said what he did, or needled that he probably owed the ghost again. It was obvious the Slytherin ghost did not declare such a thing out of courtesy for his House's student, but for his own gain. As long as the other ghosts kept it secret and feared Vlad's family too much to go against it, the young vampire would always be pressed to comply with the Baron's meddling for only the Slytherin ghost had enough craziness in him to threaten Vlad.
As far as Vlad was concerned, it was just another horrible Halloween and left as soon as it seemed appropriate. He wasn't aware of what had happened while he was holed away at the deathday party until he stepped into the Slytherin Common Room to find everybody crowded inside and staring at him.
"Mr. Dracula," Professor Snape drawled. "We were all beginning to think you were the next victim already."
I know, this chapter was really short. Not even 2,000 words! But I cut it here for a reason. Partially because I figured it be better I update rather than not, and also this kind of concludes the introduction of Second Year. After this, the characters are actually into the main plot/conflict of the year.
I figured Vlad - being a vampire and all - would be less of a bother when passing through ghosts. He isn't fully undead yet, but he's not exactly human and completely alive either. Vampires that aren't mature yet are in a strange state of not-quite-dead and not-quite-alive.
And the whole conversation between Sir Patrick and the Bloody Baron might seem confusing now, but it will be cleared up later.
SPOILERS FOR THOSE WHO DID NOT SEE THE FIRST EPISODE OF THE NEW SEASON OF YOUNG DRACULA NEXT (but kinda important so you might want to read it once you have seen it).
I did NOT expect the first episode of the new season of Young Dracula to screw my plot over so royally. I honestly based a lot of things on the fact that Vlad is pure vampire and the son of Magda and the Count. So I decided I'm not going to open the can of worms that is "Vlad is actually half human." I am going to write the rest of the story with Vlad as a pure vampire because if I did introduce the other, I would have to change a lot of things or add a whole bunch. So yeah...no.
Till next time!