Zaneta: Told you I would put a chapter up after two days
Omega: reading last review Short… my minimum is two A4 pages!
Zaneta: whacks Don't be mean, it just means our cliffies are evil.
Omega: glares
Zaneta: Anyway, chapter time!
Chapter 4- First classes
Harry looked at his timetable, "We've got Defence Against Dark Arts just before lunch," he stated, "Hopefully she won't put us off it."
"How many people managed that?" Ron asked.
"Two, Umbridge and Snape."
"That makes a third of them, oh well."
"What does that mean?"
Hermione looked at the two, "If you ask me this Professor Victoria doesn't seem too bad," she stated, "You saw how she turned the situation regarding those Slytherins to her favour."
"And she helped out Neville, she seems nice enough."
Harry ate thoughtfully, "No Snape, no Malfoy, this year is going to be a good one."
Third lesson came sooner than he thought, and soon they were sitting in a room that was lined with leather-bound titleless tomes. After taking a register (asking that everyone put their hand up as their name was called) she began with, "I trust everyone at least read some of the books on the reading list I sent out with your letters."
"Most of it was Muggle junk!" Pansy snapped.
"Miss Parkinson, I might've only joined the staff recently, but I am more than aware of Draco Malfoy's attitude between the magical and non-magical, and if you don't want to end up joining him I suggest you drop your superiority complex and keep your mouth shut." Professor Victoria retorted.
"Note to self," Harry told Ron, "Stay on her good side."
"I thought that would apply to any teacher Harry."
Harry sat up straight at the mention of his name.
"In case no one has figured this out yet, I have acute hearing, and nothing you mutter will go unheard. And drawing caricatures under your desk won't slip by unnoticed either Mr Zabini."
Blaise's jaw dropped, along with a scrap of parchment showing a picture of Professor Victoria with exaggerated features.
"Now, personally I prefer to be addressed as Seras, so you may call me that, but don't think that I'm going to go easy on any one of you just because I'm letting you address me by my first name, am I clear?"
There was a murmur of agreement.
"Good, now, following Miss Snooty-nosed Parkinson's outburst, can anyone tell me what the significance of a sanguine moon is to vampires?"
Hermione had her hand up at once, and after a moment, observing none of the Slytherins put their hands up, Seras let out a sigh, "There are copies of the books I recommended in the library. And since Miss Granger is so enthusiastic, I think she should answer."
"Vampires consider female blood impure during the sanguine moon, Muggles have longsince believed that this is in the onset of menstruation, but in the wizarding community the reasons have yet to be confirmed."
"Very well observed, ten points to Gryffindor." Seras answered, "Now, in case the question didn't help you figure it out, I will be focusing on dark creatures, in particular those Lord Voldemort might use alongside his human followers."
There was a gasp at this.
"Oh come on! You were babies when he fell the first time around, why should you fear his name? Besides, if you were to face him what would you say?"
"Like anyone is going to confront the Dark Lord anytime soon."
"Mr Zabini that is the second time you have acted out of line. Another and I will give you a detention," Seras retorted, "But if you were to think things through you'd remember that Potter has fought Voldemort several times, or don't you even bother to keep up to date with current events?"
The Gryffindors laughed at this comeback.
"Look at it psychologically, why is it that you don't pick a fight with me? Granted, the representatives of Salazar Slytherin appear to like being at the top of the ladder, but what sends them crashing down? Detention? Threats? No, it's being forced to eat the words they said to raise themselves because they sent them crashing down to earth. There are more things going on in this world than meets the eye, but you can spot these things if you look out for them. This is why, while I am nineteen, I was asked to fill this post while you are here."
"So you're not going back to the castle when this is over?"
"I have other duties primarily based in London. But enough about that, what makes something a monster?" Seras asked, looking around, "Come on! What do you feel makes a monster?"
"Put Voldemort in any form and you've got a monster." Harry murmured.
Seras chuckled, "True, you can be a human but still monster, but what is the definitive quality."
"That they kill without remorse for the lives they claim?" Hermione suggested.
"A valid point, many do kill without remorse, but then again, for some, it's simply instinct, hunting for prey, anything else?"
"To kill for no reason, or sadism?" Harry asked, remembering reading the term somewhere in the summer.
Seras smiled, "Another valid point, but not always, sea monsters don't necessarily kill anything on land or on the banks of their domains."
"Is it because something about them scares people? Many creatures deemed 'monsters' have smaller sections in books like 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them'." Terry Boot enquired.
"Exactly, ten points to Ravenclaw, wizard or not, it's in human nature to fear what one doesn't understand." Seras answered, sitting down, "For many, the greatest fear of all, is what lies at the end of the road."
"What do you mean?"
"Death, it's a mystery that can never be solved by the living, even those who say that they died for a moment don't know. That's why people are so frightened of it. Yet, the things we can avoid, what we can't be hurt from, they make us curious, those things that help us achieve our goals, we long for, even if we have intelligence, instincts will kick in, and the first instinct of all is to survive."
Harry thought about this statement, "A mystery that can't be solved by the living," he repeated in his mind. That was when his mind flew back to the Ministry incident the summer before last, when Voldemort yelled something about death at Dumbledore.
Voldemort had declared that there was nothing worse than death.
Just then the bell rang for lunch, he packed up and made to leave when Seras asked, "Harry, could I have a brief word with you?"
He, Ron and Hermione stopped in their tracks.
"Don't worry, you're not in trouble."
"If that's so, can Ron and Hermione stay here with me?"
"I would prefer it if you were alone, but if you would feel more comfortable that way, then I don't see why they can't be here."
"It would Seras."
"Then grab a seat and bring it to the front desk."
They did, and Seras took out three folders, "Do you know what these are?" she asked.
The three shook their heads.
"They're your permanent records, containing all the key achievements and the trouble caused in all the time spent at Hogwarts, when you apply for a career this is what is used to summarise what you have done in school."
"A reference," Hermione muttered.
"Correct, however, the point is that I am more than aware of what you have done over the past six years, and that you have an incredible knack for finding trouble."
"Seras, I must…"
Seras held a hand up to halt their protests, "Don't worry, I was told the whole story."
Just then the door opened, "Sir Integra, I hope Miss Ganger and Mr Weasley's presences don't ruin everything."
"Not at all, maybe they can help with our understanding of the situation."
"Situation?"
Seras opened another drawer and took out some photos, "Tell me, do any of these ring any bells to you?"
Hermione took one photo, "That sign, that's the swastika isn't it? The sign of the Nazis during World War II."
"You're every bit as intelligent as we were told Miss Granger," the woman, Integra, answered, "Not many wizards know 20th century history from our perspective."
"My parents gave me a lot of books to read so that no one will wonder what I was up to, I'm the only one in my family with magic power."
"I see, anyway, these images were taken by Hellsing operatives under special permission in order to figure out what was causing the vampire infestation in the area. These, as you can see, were carved in the trees in the forbidden forest, among other places. You could say that it's their equivalent of the Death Eaters' Dark Mark."
Harry was half-noting this, and looking at the man who came in after Integra, he was tall, about 25, with black hair and eyes hidden beneath sunglasses. His outfit consisted of a black suit and a red coat, a fedora hat on his head. The pair made eye contact for several long moments before Harry turned to face Seras and Integra.
"So, what exactly is going on here? Why do we need to know this?"
Seras frowned, "Think Harry, why would Nazis, a World War II party, be attacking Hogwarts and Hogsmeade when they're supposedly non-magical. Were wizards even involved in World War II?"
The boys looked at Hermione, who looked thoughtful, "There was a goblin rebellion during the Holocaust, but I don't think Nazis came into it, otherwise it would be in History of Magic."
"Exactly."
"Who listens in that subject? Binns makes us doze off droning on and on like that."
Seras looked at Ron, before turning to Harry, "The point is, Voldemort has teamed up with the enemies of the Hellsing Organisation, Millennium, the Letztes Bataillion."
"Neo-Nazis in the extreme." Hermione muttered, "Considering everything that monster Hitler did it would be no wonder why they got along."
"Yes, anyway, we can give all the information we have about Millennium, but we don't have enough information about Voldemort, which is where you come in Harry."
Author's rants
Zaneta: Cliffy!
Omega: We're evil that way
Zaneta: Behave you.
Omega: Oi!
Zaneta: Anyway, it's preview time!
"Harry, listen to me, I'm 23, 6 years older than you, and you can clearly see the nature of what I am doing."
Seras, Integra and Alucard, against the decision of the Ministry, lets Harry in on what they know, to some extent, will the rest leak out? And how is Alucard going to react to Harry's story about Umbridge and the scar it left behind?
Find out in Chapter 5- Horcruxes and Swastikas
Both: Coming to you on the 26th January!