My Darling Vladimir,
I received your letter about Patrick's brother, Remus. It is quite curious how he happens to be your teacher, although I know for a fact that your father would not approve. Not just because of his Werewolf heritage, but they have also met before. Let's just say that they didn't get on very well. I'd possibly go as far as to call them enemies.
If you have any questions on how to deal with a Werewolf, feel free to contact me.
Your Mother,
Magda Carmilla Elizabetta Bathoria Westernra
Vlad was rereading the letter he had received from his mother almost a week ago, it was the only one she'd sent him since he got here. He had asked her about Professor Lupin to see if he was correct in assuming that they were related by law. He was, at the present moment, walking to the Great Hall for dinner. He was going to confront Lupin, Hermione knowing was what finally pushed him into action. Even if doing it in front of the entire school was probably a bad idea and could potentially lead to his secret being revealed. He just had to do it now.
He was already late for dinner and all the students and staff were eating as he pushed open the huge doors, and made his way to the head table. He could feel the curious eyes of the whole school staring at him. When he was about ten meters away from the table he stopped, and spoke.
"I can't believe you." He was looking directly at Remus. "I trusted you, and you told her! I told you everything about me. You didn't even tell me that my own father hates you. I would have thought that's something you tell your nephew!"
The hall was filled with quiet gasps, everyone was confused to say the least.
"Who told you that, Vlad? Your mother? You should know not to trust her." This only made Vlad angrier.
"You know my mother too?! And how dare you call my mother untrustworthy! She may be a psychotic bitch at the best of times but at least she's honest." At this Remus laughed, yet there was no trace of it in his eyes.
"Of course I know your mother, Vlad. She married my brother."
Vlad scoffed and muttered, "Yeah, your supposed estranged brother."
"I can see why my dad hates you. We," Vlad gestured to himself and Remus, implying vampires and werewolves. "Could never get along, that's how the world has made us. Enemies."
Vlad turned and walked out of the hall, all possible hunger had left his body when he and Hermione had talked nearly an hour ago. The anger had been raging since.
ooo
Hermione had seen what went down in the Great Hall and felt that it only confirmed what she had previously believed. But what did she do now? She had to tell Dumbledore!
ooo
It was only two weeks until the end of the year and Vlad would be back in Stokely with his family. He was taking a much needed walk through the grounds after curfew, he'd figured he wouldn't bump into anyone. Not at this hour. Oh how wrong he was. As he walked around the edge of the Forbidden Forest he saw six figures emerge from underneath the whomping willow. He recognised all of them, except one, a pudgy man with very little hair. Three of them were his peers, Harry, Ron and Hermione, one of them his Professor / Uncle, and the last he recognised as Sirius Black, a man wanted for mass murder and escape from Azkaban.
Vlad was, admittedly, terrified. The Daily Prophet had said that Black was headed toward Hogwarts, but he's always assumed that it would be near impossible that the man would be able to gain access. It was only then that it registered in Vlad's mind that none of the others seemed to be bothered by Black, they all appeared to be concerned by the man Vlad didn't recognise. Something has to be wrong, Vlad surmised. He may not like Professor Lupin, but he knew he wasn't stupid enough to casually keep the company of a convicted murderer.
Vlad did the only thing he could think of that wouldn't bring suspicion to him but meant he could still see what was going on. He hid, and he spied.
"Remus, my old friend," This made Vlad pause, Remus was friends with Sirius Black? "Have you taken your potion tonight?"
This caused Vlad to look up where everyone else was looking, the full moon. Oh no!
He watched as the Black talked to Remus, trying to keep him in his right mind, but it wasn't working. The defence professor was turning into his wolf form and loosing himself as he went. When he was fully transformed Black was flung away from his friend. Snape then emerged from under the willow, only to be flung away also. Then, to confuse Vlad even more, a big black dog started to fight with the wolf. The dog diverted the wolf's attention and led it away from the Professor and three children. When Harry called out "Sirius!" Vlad was even more confused. He had no idea what was going on, he should have just stayed inside this evening.
In the distance Vlad could see that the dog was being thoroughly beaten by the wolf. Harry ran to where they were and Snape shouted at him to come back. Vlad knew he had to do something, Harry was basically defenceless against a werewolf. So he ran, he knew that he would have been seen but that didn't matter when people's lives were in danger!
Harry threw a rock at Lupin's head and the wolf turned on the boy.
"Harry! What are you doing?!" Harry turned to see Vlad coming up behind him.
"Vlad!?" Harry shouted back, then when the wolf was nearly in his face Vlad stepped in front of him and stared deeply into the wolf's eyes, his own turning yellow.
"Werewolf, you will turn around and find peace in the forest tonight, stay there until sunrise." Lupin did as he was told and for once Vlad was grateful the Count had forced him to take that Hypnotism book with him.
"What did you do!?" Harry looked shock, which was that surprising considering Vlad had just told a werewolf what to do and it listened. Professor Snape came up behind them, followed by Ron, who was holding onto Hermione for support. Everyone looked confused, except Snape, he looked almost smug, though Vlad was't sure why.
Harry gasped, "Sirius!" then ran down the hill the dog had fallen.
ooo
By morning the three Gryffindors were safely tucked away in the Hospital Wing. Vlad had asked them to please not tell anyone what happened, they assured him that they wouldn't. Though Ron did take a bit of convincing.
On his way back to the dungeons, Vlad was pulled from his thoughts by Professor Snape.
"It would seem, Mr Dracula, that I have enough evidence to prove my theory."
"And what, if you don't mind me asking Professor, is your theory?" Vlad made himself appear calm and innocent, but on the inside he was nervous that another person had figured out his secret.
"I think we both know to which I'm referring. Last night was the last piece I needed, thank you for intervening." The professor smirked at his student and walked away. Dammit! Vlad thought, Snape did figure it out. How come so many people at Hogwarts had to be smart? Why couldn't they be like the students at Stokely Grammar? There only two people that weren't family knew, Robin and Chloe. Well… The Van Helsings knew too, but nobody ever believed them.
ooo
"Albus, I have some important information. It's concerning a student." Snape had a file in his hand, he had compiled all of his evidence so that there was no way that the old Professor could tell him he was just being silly.
"And which student is this?" Dumbledore had a suspicious feeling he knew which student it was.
"Mister Vladimir Dracula." Snape lay the folder onto Albus' desk.
"I'm assuming it is about his Vampiric nature, yes?" He was really getting bored of this conversation, how many times was he going to have it over the years Vlad went to Hogwarts? Clearly the boy couldn't keep the secret to save his life.
"Yes, how did you know?"
"Severus, you were not the first person to notice something odd with the boy. However, I would like to have a look at the information you have gathered. It would make for some interesting reading, I believe." He reached for the folder and started to flick through it.
"He really isn't very good at secret keeping is he?" The Professor commented when he looked over the picture of the chalk board before and after Vlad had changed it.
"It would seem so."