Chapter 10: The Vampire

Harry didn't hear anything more about Thomas Millstew for another month. In fact, he enjoyed a relaxing two-week break at Blackpool, six days of which were spend watching Holyhead Harpies playing Puddlemere United – Quidditch matches were not played locally. Wood gave another outstanding performance– United won 890-360. France had knocked England out of the World Cup after the selection committee decided to play the usual Keeper over Wood. However, France had lost to New Zealand in the final by a six hundred-goal margin because Parry had injured their Keeper with a well-hit Bludger in the England game.

Harry was drinking Firewhisky in the pub at Godric's Hollow, the Lion and the Phoenix, when he was approached by what he thought was a strange-looking woman. She had long black hair, a pale face and was wearing a red dress.

"Morning," said Harry.

"Good morning," replied the woman. "Is it all right if I – sssuck your blood?"

"I'd rather you didn't," said Harry.

"But, pleassse," said the woman in a hiss like a snake. "I am getting hungry, the Minisstry is not good to – my kind."

"Vampires?" asked Harry. If she wanted to drink his blood, why didn't she just bite him?

"Yesss. Pleassse," she begged.

"There's some blood-flavoured lollipops available at the bar," said Harry.

"Oh, Harry Potter iss ssso delightful," hissed the vampiress. "Much better than Thomass."

"Thomas?" inquired Harry, without asking how she knew his name.

"Yesss. Thomass Millssstew. My masster. He sssent me to," she dropped her voice, "kill you."

"Oh," said Harry. "I'm quite unpopular really."

"I cannot sssee why anybody could not like you, Harry," she said.

Harry had the strange idea that having a vampire fall in love with you was not a good idea. "What's your name?" he asked.

"Kellsssheee," spat the vampire. "You can call me Kelly."

"Er, OK," replied Harry. "Kelly," he added as an afterthought.

"Can you pleassse get me a lollipop?" asked Kelly. "Ass I have ssaid, I am hungry."

Harry went to get the lollipop; he had decided that it was better that having all his blood sucked out. He returned five minutes later with the foul-smelling red confection and handed it to Kelly.

"Thank you," she hissed.      

Who was this Thomas Millstew? Harry thought as he lay in bed that night. Why did he want to kill him so much? Was it really just because he thought he was an attention-seeking brat? But everyone had thought that three years ago, and then it was only Voldemort and his Death Eaters trying to kill him. Had Millstew been a Death Eater? Harry didn't think so; he seemed to be acting of his own accord. But why?

Kelly had been unable to answer these questions. Millstew had sent her to kill Harry in return for letting her drink the young man's blood, but he handed told her anything. It seemed he was too cowardly to stay for long in the same room with a hungry vampire. Harry had given her the spare bedroom at Saddle Cottage, which was, she told him, a fantastic improvement on the small cave where she normally resided. She had very few belongings apart from her clothes and no money at all.

Kelly came down to eat the next morning while Harry was making his breakfast. He'd managed to get a large tank of blood from the butcher in the village and he gave it to her.  Her face lit up and she hissed her thanks: "Harry iss ssso kind!"

"It's a pleasure," said Harry, trying not to hold his nose – the blood stank of death. Kelly had poured some into a cup and was drinking it down speedily with loud slurps. Some was splattering over the floor and Neddy was rushing backwards and forwards to mop it up.

"What do you want to do today?" asked Kelly.

"Oh, I don't know," replied Harry. "Sit around, go to the pub –"

"Sssee your friendsss?" interrupted Kelly.

"Why not?" Harry shrugged.

"I will take your too sssee mine."

Harry wasn't sure if he wanted to spend the day with a number of vampires, but he agreed. "OK."

Harry and Kelly Flooed straight to the S.P.E.W. Shop. Kelly had never used Floo powder before and Harry thought it wise to go first to warn Ron and Hermione.

"You're bringing a vampire?" shouted Ron.

"Harry, I'm not sure if this is a good idea," said Hermione.

"I know," said Harry, "but she hasn't bitten me at all and she's really poor – like house-elves," he added as an afterthought.

Kelly fell out of the fireplace with a crash and groaned. Harry helped her to her feet.

"H-h-hello," said Hermione nervously.

"Yeah, good morning," said Ron.

"Hello," replied Kelly. "What iss your namesss?"

"Are," said Hermione automatically. "What are our names? I'm Hermione Granger."

"Call me Ron," said Ron.

"Yesss," hissed Kelly. "Ron and Her-mi-oh-nee. Interessting namesss. I'm Kellsssheee – Kelly."

"Fine," said Ron in a falsely bright voice. "Would you like a drink?"

"Ron!" warned Hermione through gritted teeth.

"Yesss," replied Kelly. "I would like ssome water – my mouth doesss get bunged up with all the blood."

Ron left quickly into the back room to get some water.

"What iss thisss place?" asked Kelly.

"The Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare," said Hermione proudly. "We help look after house elves," she explained.

"I would donate," said Kelly. "But I don't have any money."

"I'll put in a Galleon for you," said Harry, and drew a gold coin out of his pocket. He still hadn't got a holiday job, and was wondering if he'd ever make any money. 

They stayed at Ron and Hermione's till after lunch, when they left to see Kelly's friends. "They can be very ssselfisssh," she warned. "Ssso be careful."

Kelly's friends appeared to live in a small stone cottage that was losing its roof. Kelly knocked quietly on the door, which shook slightly then walked in. "Ssssheekall!" she greeted, in what was unmistakably Vampirish.

There were about five other vampires inside the cottage, three male and two female, and they all greeted Kelly in similar hissing voices. "An kaisss iss dir?" asked the oldest looking vampire, who was wearing a tatty black cloak, pointing at Harry.

"Harry Potter," replied Kelly. "Kee iss tantre shut!"

"Harry Potter! Harry Potter!" chorused the vampires, but in a strange accent: "Harvey Votter! Harvey Votter!"

"Er – hello," said Harry. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Sssheen," replied the vampires, shaking their heads, but the oldest vampire spoke over them: "Yesss. There iss something you can do for usss. You have a wand?"

"Yes," said Harry, wondering what was coming next.

"Then can you protect us from our enemiesss?" asked the leader. "Becaussse if you can, we would pay you well."

"How much?" asked Harry.

"Oh, about ten Galleons an hour. We lose thousands when we are not protected."

Ten Galleons an hour! That was a lot of gold. "Who are your enemies?" asked Harry.

"The Nifflersss," hissed the leader. "We cannot do anything to ssstop them!" 

Harry spent the rest of the day protecting the vampire's gold from the hoards of Nifflers that kept coming to try and take it. Apparently, the three thousand Galleons were all that remained from a one million Galleon fortune that the vampire princes of the 1800s and before had owned. The vampire leader, Telkarr, would also had been a prince had the ministry of Magic not forbidden it. Instead he and his family, some of the last remaining vampires in Britain, had to live here in this small cottage. Kelly began to teach Harry Vampirish. By the end of the day he could count to one hundred, say 'hello' and goodbye', tell people who he was and where he came from, and he knew the words for 'Niffler', 'house', 'grass', 'vampire', 'wizard', 'good', 'evil' and 'Ministry of Magic'.

"You know what, Harry?" asked Kelly as the sun began to set.

"What?" inquired Harry.

"You are the nicest human I have ever met." She kissed him, and Harry felt sharp fangs pierce his lips.