Chapter 4
"Always on the look out for prey, the vampire will shun 'being the center of attention' unless it benefits them. Preferring the darkness to light, vampires are as unlikely to appear in the limelight as in the daylight…" (Excerpt from 'Blood Brothers: My Life among the Vampires' by Eldred Worple)
As they stepped of the train Ron, Hermione, Harry and Ginny quickly selected a carriage. Sidnay made to follow them, but he was quickly accosted by two men, presumably professors, one was very short wearing spectacles, the other was tall and rather lanky, with long red hair tied into a pony tail. The second man was young and wore his robes very unkempt. It was the second figure that Ron gazed at with surprise, "Bill? What are you doing here?"
Bill Weasley, for it was he, looked back at Ron with a benign smile, "Professor Weasley, Ron, and I'm the new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher. Gringotts is downsizing, and Headmistress McGonagle offered me the job, and I took it on for a year…but we're not here for you. It's this one were after." he gestured at Sid and said with another benign smile, and a wink "He's a dangerous creature he is."
Harry suddenly noticed that Sidnay had seemed to shrink back in his cape, as if hiding from something, but this seemed to have escaped Ron, who looked rather confused, "Dangerous? Whatcha mean Bi…Professor Weasley?" Ron asked looking rather perplexed, shooting Sid glances. Bill looked rather surprised when he replied, "You mean he didn't tell you? Sid's a…"but what exactly Sid was, Bill did not finished for at that moment, Sidnay through his hands up and said, "Ok ok ok, lets go than." and began to walk towards the castle his shoulders hunched, and Harry couldn't help thinking 'What is he hiding…' before shrugging and climbed with Hermione, Ginny, and Ron into a carriage and rode towards the castle…
(Change of POV to Sidnay)
The second Bill had begun to tell Ron, Sid knew that it was impossible to keep my identity a secret, and had an inkling that by the end of the evening he would have no privacy. As he got into the coach with the two professors, he noticed a third man, and a girl; both were dressed rather shabbily, and as Sid took a seat between Professor Bill and the short one, he could immediately tell what they were, but he remained silently staring at the floor. Bill broke the silence, "Remus, its good of you to bring her up here…everyone should have a shot at an education no matter…well…you know what I mean." The man he called Remus smiled and shrugged, "Well, she does deserve better than she's gotten recently… her parents…"he shook his head. For the first time Sid looked up and found that the girl was looking at him curiously, and for some reason Sid felt himself blush, and he looked away out the window and found themselves passing into the Hogwarts courtyard. Soon the coach stopped, and couldn't help but role his eyes, when he saw a few more teachers standing there, and thought to himself 'Oh for the love of…'Professor Weasley and Professor Flitwick (for it was indeed he) brought Sidnay over to a woman, dressed in fine robes, and who must obviously have been Headmistress McGonagle the replacement for Professor Dumbledore.
Sidnay and the girl were brought forward. Professor McGonagle looked them over, before speaking to the girl, "Maria…I hope that you understand that in coming here, we will strive to treat you fairly and equally, however…we cannot always guarantee that from everyone…"she gave the girl, Maria a sympathetic look. Maria replied, "Yes I know professor, but I want to come here…"she cast her eyes down slightly. Professor McGonagle gave her a knowing smile, before responding, "Very well, please just go wait in front of the doors to the Great Hall for sorting. Ill join you there shortly." As the girl, Maria left, professor McGonagle swung to look at Sidnay; the look in her eye told that Sid would not receive such deferential treatment.
She eyed Sid for a moment before saying, "Mr. Dracule. I have received many letters from parents demanding I deny you entrance to this school, and frankly I am inclined to agree…"she gave him a hard look, "But, Professor Dumbledore, for reasons we will never know, put your name down and defended you when he was alive, so…I will trust his judgment. There will be no tolerance of any shenanigans of any kind at this school. I am told the ministry gives vampires sufficient blood, so there will be no reason for you to hunt I trust." Without waiting for an answer, "After reading through your records with the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, I see no reason to trust you; your grades at your previous school were however exemplary. Do you understand all of this Mr. Dracule." She gave him another piercing gaze, and Sid replied coolly, "Very clear Professor McGonagle."
She nodded crisply, "Very well than. I notice you have made some additions to your wardrobe. You will need to rectify them in time. Now please go join Ms. Lupin at the door to the hall." Sid shouldered his guitar bag and walked through the doors, using the walking stick which bore the insignia of his clan as its handle, into the castle, his head held high, but his cheeks burning with rage, '…Bloody wizards. Think they know me. Who and what gives them the right to treat me like an inferior…like a criminal. I am a Viscount, and will in a matter of months be a Count… they have no right to treat me in this manner!" his escort turned a corner and through a door, he found himself in the waiting room to enter the hall. Maria was standing there with the man Remus chatting in hushed voices. The conversation ended abruptly as Sid turned the corner, and Maria gave the man an affectionate hug, and he disappeared through a door, and left the two of them alone.
Sid began to pace nervously, and as he spun on the spot, he caught a glance of the girl Maria. He noticed she was very beautiful' with a pale face, light brown hair down to her shoulders and unmistakable lavender eyes. He stopped pacing for a moment and stared at her, before shaking his head, and resuming his pacing. Presently the doors to the hall swung open, and Sid heard a voice from within the hall say "I would like you all to welcome, to our school, Ms. Maria Lupin, and Mr. Sidnay Dracula." With the mention of Sid's name the talking in the hall abruptly died, replaced with whispers 'Did she say Dracula?' he heard one girl whisper as he walked past. There was nothing else to do and with his head held high, his irritation rising stated "Count Dracula…" with a tone of correction in his voice, and he pushed up the brim of his top hat with his cane (the handle of which was in the shape of a dragon). The hall went dead silent.