Vlad woke up slightly confused by his surroundings. He was in a small four poster bed, with green and silver hangings and coverings. Then it hit him. He was at Hogwarts in the room he would be staying in for the duration of his stay here, and it was the first day of classes. Vlad sat up with a start, all of his roommates were already up and getting ready for the day.
"Sleeping in on the first day, Dracula. Not a great start." His eyes flickered over to Draco who'd been standing by his own bed. Vlad didn't say anything, he thought it best to ignore him.
"What? Cat got your tongue?" Perhaps staying silent was not the best way to go when it came to Draco Malfoy, so he spoke up.
"No, I just have nothing to say to someone with their head so far up their own arse they can't see anything." Vlad retorted with a calm demeanour, as if he were just stating a fact. He'd quickly learnt from arguing with Ingrid that being calm was the best way to irritate someone hotheaded.
Draco scoffed, "You better watch out, Dracula. Just because you're Slytherin doesn't mean we won't make your life hell." It was then that Vlad realised that his plan for creating disinterest in himself was going down hill, Draco and his gang would probably keep badgering him forever. He needed to come up with a new plan, and soon. But first he needed to eat, so Vlad simply got up and started getting ready for his first day of school.
ooo
After Vlad enjoyed his wonderfully normal breakfast, something he could never have at home, he walked back down into the dungeons for his first class of the day. Potions.
It was something he had found slightly more difficult to pick up over the summer, but felt fairly confident with his skills. As he walked into the room he noticed that all the tables had two chairs, but only one set of equipment. This confused Vlad, would he have to work with someone else in this class? He'd never made a potion with someone else, what if there was a miscommunication and something went horribly wrong?
Vlad glanced at the clock and noticed that he was late! How had that happened? It didn't take him that long to get there from the Great Hall, did it? Vlad locked eyes with Professor Snape, Potions Master and Slytherin Head of House. The Professor narrowed his eyes at Vlad.
"As a new student, Mr Dracula, I would have thought you'd have come to class with plenty of time to spare. Five points from Slytherin." Snape's voice was cold and analytical. The students in the classroom were gobsmacked, Professor Snape almost never took points from his own house. Especially not for something as small as being a minute being late.
Vlad quickly found the nearest table and sat down, he was alone. Vlad once again caught Snape's attention.
"Mr Dracula, in potions you are required to work with a partner." His words seemed to be dripping with annoyance for the new student.
"I've never had any trouble working by myself before, Sir. Besides, there seems to an odd number of students in the class."
Snape quickly scanned the room, coming to the conclusion that the number was, in fact, odd, he looked down at Vlad. "You may work by yourself, Mr Dracula, but if there is one mishap I will pair you with someone a little more… Confident."
The Professor turned and walked back to the front of the room. "As I was saying before we were interrupted…" Snape's voice droned on and Vlad tuned out, he had already studied the whole text book over the summer so he wouldn't be left behind. He didn't even notice as his eye lids began to droop.
"Mr Dracula! If you're done sleeping during class, it's time to make the Shrinking Solution." Vlad looked up to Professor Snape's eyes to see he was rather angry looking. Not outrightly expressed on his face, but it was definitely there in his black, almost beady eyes. Vlad looked away and reached into his bag. He had prepared a sample of all the potions they would be required to make in class in case he didn't feel up to slaving away over a cauldron all lesson. He pass a vile to his Professor with a small smile on his face.
"Will this do, sir?" Vlad cringed internally, he hadn't intended to sound so sarcastic…
"For now."
ooo
Everyone in the class was shocked, but not as much as the Professor himself. Never had he had a student that blatantly disrespect him by sleeping during his class. To take it even further, the boy had produced a vile of the potion he was to make, so he could continue sleeping.
Not only that, but as Snape walked towards his desk at the front of the room he decided to test the boy's solution. By the amounts specified for certain ingredients, the solution should shrink anything it was placed on by half. So Snape brought out his wand, whispered a spell to measure a book on his desk, and wrote it down. He then proceeded to pour a small amount of solution on the book. It shrunk, like expected. He recast the spells to find the book was exactly half the size. He must find out who his teacher was. He was, admittedly, also curious about the boy's surname. I mean really, Dracula? There had to be something behind that. He would have to investigate that further before he confronted the boy.
When it was time to move on to the next class Snape dismissed them. "Everyone may leave," As Vlad went to stand up the Professor spoke again. "Everyone except you, Mr Dracula."
Vlad stayed seated until he was the only student left in the room. "Did I do something wrong, Professor?"
Snape looked at the boy with his coldly analytical eyes. "Not quite. Though, you're very lucky I didn't give a detention for sleeping in my class."
There was a heavy silence that Vlad was almost afraid to break, it was after a few agonising moments that Snape spoke again. "I am, however, curious as to who you were taught by previously. It seems you either have great talent, or an excellent teacher."
"Her name is Antoinette Knight, she tutored me for all the subjects I would be studying here. She is an amazing teacher." Vlad answered with a small smile.
"I take it then, that you did not attend school before Hogwarts?" Snape was becoming more and more curious. This boy appeared to be very bright, and by his answer had never even set foot in a school before now.
"Well, no, actually. Before I went to a Muggle school, in a small town called Stokely." Vlad hated that word, 'Muggle', it made him feel all squirmy inside. It just feels like a word to use to demean other people, like 'Breather'. "But please, if you don't mind not telling anyone about that, I know how my house mates feel about Muggles."
"Mr Dracula, I was under the impression that you came from a powerful Pureblood family. Why would they have sent you to a Muggle school." Snape looked his student, he was an enigma trapped inside the body of a pale thirteen year old boy.
Vlad's eyes hardened into a glare, he knew he shouldn't glare at teachers but he couldn't help it. "You've been talking to Draco." Snape knew that, even though it was worded as a question, it wasn't. Vlad knew.
"He is my godson, of course I talk to him." The glare he was receiving was rather intense, but Snape managed to keep looking the boy in the eye.
Vlad stood up to leave, mumbling about not being able to say anything to anyone and how he was going to be late for Transfiguration.
ooo
When Vlad finally found the transfiguration classroom he walked in and was greeted with a stern look from Professor McGonagall. "You've finally made it, Mr Dracula."
"Sorry I'm late Professor, but I was kept back by Professor Snape. He needed to talk to me about some a private matter." Vlad made his way to the first available seat.
"Considering you were talking with a teacher, I won't dock points. But remember this, Mr Dracula, it's 10 points from your house if you're late again… Now, as I was saying today we will be learning how to transfigure one object in to multiple objects."
Vlad was slowly realising that he may have studied the subjects for this year a little too well. He'd already learnt this from Antoinette, and he didn't want to look like a lazy student again. But no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't keep his eyes open, it's just way too boring to listen to a speech on something you've already learnt.
"Mr Dracula, if you have time to sleep in my class you must have already mastered the spell." McGonagall said with her stern gaze. Garlic, what was happening to him? He never fell asleep during the day!
"I can perform the spell if you want professor." Vlad stated in a meek voice, having been caught sleeping in class again.
"Go ahead." She passed him the quill the other students were still trying to transfigure.
Vlad grabbed the quill and placed it on the table in front of him. He was slightly nervous about the spell, he hadn't quite mastered hiding it as wandless magic yet, but he'd do his best. He concentrated on the quill, and moved his right hand above the table in a practised motion. All the while he inconspicuously clicked the fingers on his left hand under the table.
The quill transfigured into multiple versions of itself on the table, surprising everyone. 'Where was his wand?' was the general thought being whispered around the room.
"Mr Dracula, if you could see me after class, it would be much appreciated." McGonagall turned away and walked back to the front of the classroom. The rest of the class was looking at him with either awe, or confusion.
ooo
Dumbledore was sitting quietly in his office reading over reports he needed to finalise. He was startled when he saw Minerva's patronus running into his office.
"Albus, come down to my office immediately. It's urgent." The cat relayed then disappeared. Dumbledore picked himself up from his chair and made his way to the fireplace to floo to Minerva's office.
ooo
When class had finished McGonagall took Vlad into her office, sent a patronus to Professor Dumbledore, and sat down.
"Have a seat, Vladimir." She gestured to the seat opposite her. Vlad noticed that she hadn't sat behind her desk, but on a couch near an empty fireplace.
"Vlad is fine, Professor." He relied politely.
"I have sent for Professor Dumbledore, he should be with us shortly. Here, have a biscuit." McGonagall sounded tired, like it had been a long day even though it was still the morning. After what seemed like forever Dumbledore stepped through green flames that had appeared and looked around the office to get some idea of what was important enough to send such a frantic message, but all he could see was Minerva and the new student Vladimir Dracula sitting on the couches before him.
"Minerva, what seems to be the problem?" Dumbledore asked with a hint of urgency in his voice.
"Mr Dracula here appears to be able to perform wandless and nonverbal spells. Something only extremely powerful wizards can do."
"And who says I'm not extremely powerful." Vlad said with a frown pout, even though he knew as far as Vampiric magic, he wasn't doing anything outstanding.
"Even if you were, no one, not even Merlin himself could tap into such power at your age." McGonagall looked at Vlad with a calculating stare.
"Mr Dracula, if you wouldn't mind, could you please step out the room for a minute or two?" Professor Dumbledore asked from his place near the empty fireplace. Vlad knew this wasn't actually a question as to whether he wanted to stay or not. If it was he would've stayed to hear them talking, but instead he got up and walked out the door.
"Albus, this boy, if not looked after properly, could be the next Dark Lord." The Deputy Headmistress finally let down the mask she always held in front of students, she looked worried.
"I am well aware of that, Minerva. But, unlike Tom, I see so much good in him. And it's not buried all the way at the back, it's right at the front. I believe that this boy has a kind heart. If not for his determination and drive, he most certainly would have been in Hufflepuff." McGonagall gave him a look.
"You see good in everyone, Albus."
"I do still agree with you though. We must nurture Vladimir, so that good inside him stays. If his power is placed in the wrong hands, we'll have a serious problem."