Harry had always been a weird child. His eleventh birthday drew closer and closer yet not once has he set foot inside a schoolhouse. As such, the only people he hung out with were his adoptive family. It may be because of his lack of friendships that he didn't quite understand humans all that much. For one, he had never seen another human in person. Sure he had read a lot about them. Books and games were the only form of entertainment they had in their mansion, yet he has never encountered a single one face-to-face. For Harry, humanity was a mystery. The information he read about them was highly contradictory, and it didn't help that all his sources were second-hand. Some may call Harry an extremely sheltered child, probably to a grade that can't be described as anything but unhealthy. They might be right.
As Harry kept mussing about humans, Mash Kyrielight, his sister, entered his room. She had black hair just like him, only she had a fringe that covered one of her eyes. Her black sailor uniform and skirt fluttered with the wind that came from the window. Talk about setting the mood. Harry could always trust his family, for one they had always supported him since day one. Even if they were a bit rude in pointing out his mistakes, they were never excessive in whatever punishments they gave.
"Good Morning Harry" she spoke, her calmed voice as soft and sweet as ever. Then her face scrunched up in a pained expression. Harry suddenly realized his blunder; he had left the window open to let some light in as he read. But the blowing winds had caused the curtain to reveal its light onto his sister, something she was less than appreciative of.
"I'm sorry for that, Tachie," Harry said, quickly pulling the curtain closed once more. "I can't see in the dark as well as you, so I opened up the drapes to read. "
"I-It's alright, I'm fine now," Tachie replied, her wince slowly reverting to her usual monotonous expression. "What are you reading this time? Or are you rereading your library from the start?"
"No, no, I just took a book from you. This one right here." She looked at the book Harry held out in his hand. "Dracula" by Bram Stoker. One of the few books she never got around to reading.
"You know that we Dead Apostles aren't the same as literary vampires right? Just because the sun hurts us doesn't mean it will kill us." Harry rolled her eyes as Tachie began her lecture that fell on deaf ears. He only looked with a face that feigned attention as he started to imagine what was going to be there for breakfast. Maybe cake? Father wasn't a fan of it but Harry was tired of eating the same damn steak each day. There's only so much beef one can put up with before they start feeling like a cow. Now was the question for what kind of— "Are you even listening?"
"Tachie, what sort of cake would be best for breakfast? I was thinking flan, but that's more custard than cake." She lets out a small sigh, the slight drooping of her shoulders the only sign of her disappointment.
"Fine, you win, I'll stop but just because tomorrow we have to go to the city." Now that got his attention. "Wait really?! Am I finally going to see the humans?!" Harry said, his voice full of glee and childlike wonder. Her face saddened. It was clear by now that Mash didn't want Harry to have to interact with other humans. While she had never told him personally the reason against it, she did have many heated discussions with their father on the subject.
"Yes, we will, but we won't just be walking around like tourists," Tachie stated. "We have to hold the promise to your mother. The letter has already been sent and father is reading it in his study."
Harry was already out the door before she finished, navigating through the grim and dark mansion with such fervor he relied on instinct more than memory. He went towards the study of his father, a secret room under the kitchen where he tended to most important affairs. Down the stairs that didn't seem to creak or make a sound from his rush, past the kitchen full of jars of blood and various organs. There he saw that the entrance to the study was open, a door in the floor that normally can't be seen due to magic. This was his father's study, the place where he carried out all of his important business behind doors sealed shut. But today the doors were open. He never leaves them open. Harry entered the room, Tachie following behind in a brisk walk, and saw his father in his usual spot. Kyrielight, a Dead Apostle Successor, was sitting in an armchair reading a book with a stare so sharp that it could kill any manner of poultry in midair.
"Is something amiss, Father? I thought you had been waiting for that letter since you came here." Even as Harry spoke, Kyrielight was still looking fiercely at the book that he had on his right hand. It took a full minute, during which Mash was able to arrive, to finally see Kyrielight close the book and look at his adoptive family.
"Oh, sorry for having you see that Harry," the man said in a low voice. "Something important has come up. Say Harry, do you happen to know what a boarding school is?" Harry looked confused. Boarding school? It was the first time he heard of such a term. Was it some kind of school where you make boards? Or a School that's inside a board like one of a game? A surfboarding school? He didn't think a whole school for surfboarding would be necessary, or feasible.
"I don't know, Father," Harry replied. "Can you tell me what it is?" Kyrielight looked at the black chalkboard on one of the walls, took a piece of chalk and began drawing. Mash sighed at the new attempt of her father to explain with drawings. The last time this happened he tried to explain the mythological system of the Greeks Harry ended up confused why the sun had four legs and no arms.
"You see Harry, there are certain schools where the students spend the entirety of their school year confined inside the school. The only exceptions being vacations and pedagogic outings, such as summer break or Christmas."
"Summer break? Christmas? Remind me what those are again?"
"Summer break is when students take a break from school for the summer and a Museum is a place where different pieces of art and history are preserved to be seen."
"Oh, I see. Why don't we go to a Museum?"
"Getting off-topic, Harry," Kyrielight scolded, his hand still flying over the chalkboard. "Now, Hogwarts is one of those boarding schools. It happens to also be one without pedagogic outings so you would only be outside the school during summer breaks at least until the third year, except for extremely rare occasions that probably won't happen." With one last strike on the chalkboard, Kyrielight turned to face the boy. Upon the board was a stick castle that had what seemed to be clouds or a lake, it was hard to tell with his drawings.
Harry knew that a storm was brewing. If the cold air that showed that his Father's reality marble was overtaking the house's Texture wasn't enough, his sister's shout was.
"You can't just send him there!" Mash screamed in a sudden flurry of emotion. "If it being a magic school wasn't dangerous enough you are going to send him to one where he'll be all alone?!" Kyrielight instantly sighed and with a frown moved his hand.
"I'm not doing this out of my own will, Mash. Zelretch has made a pact, and if we don't send Harry he will. You have to remember that I am only his successor, not a fellow Ancestor. I simply lack the authority to challenge him." Mash knew this argument would go nowhere. Not wanting to anger her master anymore, she bit down on her anger. Seeing that Kyrielight smiled.
"Besides," he continued, "it was his mother's wish that he could live in Hogwarts. In her own words, those were the best of times she had before he came into this world."
While Mashu still seemed angry, she refused to say anything more. Harry on the other hand was quite terrified of the proposition. To be apart from his family for so long it was something that he didn't think he wanted. Yes, he was excited for a chance to prove himself to them, but he wasn't someone that would like to part from his family just for the wishes of someone he never knew. Besides, this mansion was all he had ever known. To suddenly leave it all behind was too shocking for him to accept.
"Uhh, father?" Harry asked meekly. "Isn't there a way for you to accompany me?" Kyrielight looked at Harry with sadness in his eyes, and Harry almost wanted to cry. It was one thing if he saw him angry. Father was always angry at something if he wasn't reading or eating. But to see him sad was something Harry always wanted to avoid.
"No Harry, there isn't one" The sad and simple way that he said it, almost as if he were admitting defeat made Harry look down. He didn't understand a thing. Harry wasn't stupid but he was once again confused. Why would these separations be made? What was so important about him of all people going to Hogwarts of all places?
"Don't worry at all Harry, we still have time to be together and you can always message us by letters" That was what Kyrielight said as he gave him a hug, Harry hugged him in response, there they laid a minute until Harry felt good enough to keep going.
Harry spoke to his father in his childish voice, almost too pure for the Bloodsucker.
"So, I think we need to go to the city right?"
Kyrielight smiled "Yes we do, now get ready because humans are diurnal and it's getting too dark for them" as he said that Harry smiled once again and went to get a more human outfit.
"Father, can I ask what is Tachie doing with us?" Harry's innocent question was not without reason. As Mash wasn't an old vampire, her sun resistance was poor to say the least. She wasn't so weak as to outright die but the mild effects were clearly present. She acted more than a little disoriented, her face even paler than usual and her eyes glazed over from under her sunglasses. Even a little bit of skin has burnt away despite her wearing eye protection and her carefully crossing under shadows whenever the chance presented itself.
"Only God knows, and I'm certainly no God," Kyrielight answered, his signature 'I don't care enough' expression clear as day. "Maybe she fears you will be attacked on the way. Maybe she fears that I don't have enough money. She may even be getting a feel for the place so as to do something stupid like following you to Hogwarts."
His bad temperament was only amplified by the sun. He didn't have a spare pair of shades, and Harry was sure that if they didn't get to the famed "Diagon Alley" fast then they would just break into the nearest roofed building and wait until nightfall. But on one last turn, they arrived at their destination. The Leaky Cauldron as it was called, which had the entrance to the famed wizarding shopping center.
Mash was the first to enter once they had found it, her hurried pace a secret to no one which raised its fair share of eyebrows. Harry entered next as Kyrielight brought up the rear.
"We are finally here!" Mash said. "Now father, where are we supposed to go?"
Her question made Kyrielight raise his finger to answer, but after a moment he lowered it back down. To be frank he had no idea either. He didn't even know how to pay in Diagon Alley, and he was sure that the name "Zelretch" wouldn't be of any help here.
But before his ineptitude was to be shown even more, a mountain of a man walked to them. He was almost three meters tall and incredibly wide with a great and unruly beard.
"Hello! Foreigners I take it?" The man spoke in a happy tone, almost as if he was talking to an old friend. "If the Hogwarts letter on the boy's hands is any indication, you have him enlisted here in Hogwarts right?"
Kyrielight took a mirror from his sleeve and checked himself. He didn't look so strange as to stand out so much. He even shaved his beard! That was when it hit him. For all of his personal grooming, he still looked like he came straight out of a vampire novel from the 1800s. Mash's everlasting sailor uniform was more socially appropriate, but the attire Harry wore was as stupidly out of place as his.
"Y-Yes, I suppose you could say that," Kyrielight said with a sigh, pocketing the mirror. "While we have lived in Britain for a while, this is the second time we have made contact with the magical side of it. As such we are at a loss over what to do."
The man looked confused for a second but didn't seem to take offense. "Well, it just so happens I came to take care of a small favor, although I arrived a tad too early. The name's Hagrid. It'd be a pleasure to help you lot in the meantime."
Kyrielight and Mash bowed and Harry quickly followed, a flustered Hagrid pulled out a pink umbrella for some reason.
"We are truly grateful for your assistance," the vampire replied. "I am Zelen Kyrielight and these are my adoptive children, Mash and Harry. I offer my thanks for helping us in our time of need."
Hagrid looked shocked for a second but recovered himself quickly. "Ya don't need to be so formal," he said, "I'm just another wizard here. Anybody would do the same."
Zelen very much doubted that but didn't elaborate further as he was more curious about the umbrella.
"Anyway, let's go to Diagon Alley"
Author's Notes: Thanks for reading until the end, it would be greatly appreciated if you all review this story to help both in its quality and my ever-dwindling motivation to write. And now that we are at it in which Hogwarts house would you put Harry in?.