~^Chapter 6~^

July 25, 1991; 2:47pm, Hellsing Headquarters, Office

"How has the boy settled in, Walter?"

Integra stared wearily at the tumbler of bourbon in her hand. It was far too early in the afternoon to be drinking, however she felt the situation warranted it. Being coerced into becoming the guardian of an abused, emotionally scarred, wizard-child was a valid excuse in her opinion.

Of course she knew of, rather, suspected the abuse. The signs were clear as day to anyone with eyes and a brain. The secrecy of the goblins in describing the boy's situation. The fact that the contracts she signed specifically and unnecessarily forbade any type of abuse. Said boy's starved appearance, the way he flinched at most unexpected movement, and his apparent shyness and lack of emotional reaction to things were also dead give-aways.

Walter's grim appearance also confirmed her suspicions. The butler was pale and looked vaguely murderous as he came at attention in front of her desk. His voice was tightly controlled and cold as he answered.

"I suspect it shall take some time for him to become accustomed to such lavish accommodations. However he seems to be settling in nicely."

Integra sighed, "And his physical and mental state?"

"... Well, Sir."

The hesitation told the Knight a different story. Sipping from the glass, blue eyes speared the retainer with a demanding stare. Walter 's tone was sharp, startling Integra. She had not heard such a tone from him since she was a little girl. It was usually reserved for when she was doing or saying something exceedingly stupid, that she should know was incorrect.

"I gave Harry my word that I would speak nothing of it to you. The same oath that I am sure the goblins gave him before contacting you about becoming his guardian, to a lesser degree. I need only say that the medical supplies in his wash closet will have to be refilled."

The rebuttal stung, but Integra did not comment on it. Despite his supposed oath to the boy, he had given her all the information she needed. He had indeed been abused, however Walter had already seen to his injuries.

All for the better. The idea that a child had been abused was disturbing enough without having it confirmed. Integra was unsure if she could have personally seen to it without going into a rage at seeing the evidence first hand. Walter's foul mood was forgivable under the circumstances.

Her attention wavered back to the retainer as he continued on a less solemn note.

"All of his school things were purchased, including a messenger bird. He will need new clothing post haste. I can see to it in the morning with your approval, Sir."

"Of course, Walter."

"Very good, Sir. What arrangements have been made with Alucard? Doubtless he will wish to meet the boy himself."

Integra sighed and sipped from the glass. The burning liquid was soothing as she pondered her response. While she had given Alucard orders to remain unobtrusive, and to not bother Lord Potter, there were countless ways he could circumvent such broad and unspecific rules. She could keep the vampire confined to his rooms, but that would only exacerbate the situation if and when he were let out.

After a long pause, she sighed again. "I believe that the best course of action would be to introduce them, rather than let Alucard take matters into his own hands. Once Lord Potter is settled in and more at ease. If the boy is going to be living here, he needs to become use to Alucard and his quirks. He will also need to be trained in case Hellsing manor were ever attacked."

"With your leave, Sir, I would be willing to tutor him in weapons. Perhaps twice a week to begin with after he settles in?"

Nodding, Integra looked thoughtful as another, lighter, possibility occurred to her. Smirking slightly at Walter as she finished off the contents of her glass, she thought aloud, "Well, at least now the Queen and uncouth suitors will be forced to cease pushing for me to acquire an heir. Legally, Lord Potter is now my son, and therefor heir to Hellsing."

Walter laughed as he bowed out of the room, "Congratulations, Sir Integra."

Predictably, to Integra, the moment the door closed, Alucard appeared at his usual place by her side. He looked thoughtful and solemn, a different presentation than normal. The source of the sudden change intrigued her but she refused to ask her servant what was bothering him. She could guess.

"You were spying on our new arrival."

"Of course, Master. It is only right to assess his worth to the Organization."

Integra lit a cigar and inhaled slowly, waiting for the insane vampire to explain his presence in her office. For once, he obliged without prompting.

"He is certainly of the original Wallachian line. I can sense some of his power, and he looks remarkably similar to my old general. Those eyes are unmistakeable. He has been severely abused and neglected, but with some work, he could become a great asset."

"My orders still hold. You are not to approach him unless I say otherwise."

Alucard grinned and bowed mockingly, "Of course my Master. But what if he requests my presence?"

His tone gave the Hellsing a moment for pause. He sounded far too smug and knowing. She glared at him sharply and tapped her fingers hard against the surface of the desk.

"How would he know to request your presence, when he does not even know of your existence, vampire? Cease this intrusion at once, and return to your chambers. I have work to do."

With a smirk, he was gone. A feeling of foreboding encompassed Integra as she pondered his words. He knew something that she did not, and it irked her. The boy was just a child, surely he knew nothing of Alucard. The tales of the No Life King were lost during the Nazi invasions of the World Wars. Perhaps his family may have kept records of them, however it was unlikely. With a frown, Integra snuffed out her cigar.

Wondering about such things would do her no good. She had paper work to catch up on. Later, when she could meet with the boy at length, she would get her answers. Until then there was no use speculating.

July 25, 1991; 2:47pm, Hellsing Headquarters, East Wing Master Bedroom

Now alone for the first time all day, and no longer in pain, Harry breathed a quiet sigh of relief. Picking up the bag, he sat gingerly on the bed and opened it. He startled a bit as he peered inside and saw that the inside was far bigger than the outside; two trunks, a cauldron, and random books and scrolls of parchment that he realized must have already been inside the bag when he took it from Gringotts.

He stood and re-situated himself on the floor before reaching inside to tug at the handle of the black trunk. With an odd squelching noise the bag easily yawned wide enough for him to pull the trunk out. It came far more easily that he expected it to, landing him on his back from an overzealous pull. Wincing, he pushed the trunk off his lap and scowled slightly at the bag.

From observing it, it acted almost like a snake would when devouring our giving up the objects within. The concept intrigued him, however he had other goals in mind as he more carefully pulled out his personal school trunk. Next to come out were the loose books and scrolls, the letters and scroll from his parents being reverently set to the side, separate from the others. The items he did not recognize were stacked next to the bed for later investigation.

Task complete, he hesitated, hand hovering over his parents letters. Nerves enveloped him. What would the letters contain? They seemed fairly serious, from reading the first one from his Dad. Doubt warred with curiosity for a moment, before he realized that either way, he would need to read the letters in their entirety. Things were so confusing now that he was away from the Dusleys, and they were moving too fast; he could barely keep up. He needed all the information he could get if he wanted to follow through with any of his plans.

Before he could second guess himself, he snatched up the envelope and took out the parchments. His father's letter was set carefully on the edge of the bed, while the unread ones were kept in his lap. Drawing in a deep breath, he picked up the next letter in the stack, and read. It turned out to be from his mother.

'Dear Harry,

As I'm sure your father has already expressed to you, we love you, no matter what. Our deaths were not your fault. James and I took a calculated risk in going against the Dark Lord Voldemort, and it was Voldemort himself who chose to attack us and kill us. Writing this letter now, I am sure without a shadow of a doubt that James and I are dead by the time you are reading this.

We were two very important members of a resistance group known as the Order of the Phoenix. Voldemort was heading a war in England, and we were the only ones fighting his tyrannical, bigoted ideals. Three times we came against Voldemort face to face, and three times we refused his silver-tongued offers of wealth and protection, if only we defected to his ranks. It is not within the heart of an Evans or a Potter to lay down without a fight.

When you were born, we knew that we needed to go into hiding, to protect you. Doubly so because we heard news from an old friend of mine that a prophecy had been made, regarding you and the Dark Lord. You fit the prophecy perfectly, as far as we could tell. My friend only heard part of it before he was discovered and forced to flee. "The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches… born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies".

It was at the suggestion of Headmaster Dumbledore that we went into hiding under the guise of a powerful spell called the Fidelius Charm. The charm works by cloaking the target from sight of all who do not know where the target is located. At first, James was going to be the Secret Keeper. As Secret Keeper of the charm, James would have been the only one capable of revealing our location to anyone. However Dumbledore convinced us that we needed to stay in contact with the Order, and as such, someone outside the charms effects would have to be chosen to keep the secret. Dumbledore himself wanted to be that person, however we did not trust him.

Dumbledore is a great man in his own right, but he is human. He had his own goals in the war, not just protecting people from Voldemort. Instead, we chose our friend Sirius Black as the secret keeper. Somehow, someone got to Sirius before the charm could be cast though. We are not sure who, but we suspect the Headmaster. Moments before the charm was set to be cast, Sirius came to us and said that he was not fit to be the secret keeper, due to his family ties to some of Voldemort's followers. He convinced us to go with another friend, Peter Pettigrew.

Peter was always a suspicious character to me, however with Remus' condition as a werewolf, he was too vulnerable to take up the position. Voldemort's followers could have easily gotten to poor Remus during his transformations. There was no one else we could trust. While I did not trust Peter, James did. It was either Peter or Dumbledore, since my only other trusted friend was... unavailable.

In the end, I don't think even James fully trusted Peter, but we had not other choice. We set it up so that everyone thought Sirius was still the secret keeper. The perfect decoy. If only Peter were not the rat his likeness suggested....

There are official documents contained in the envelope with these letters, which we and the goblins drew up, under oath, confiding the real identity of our secret keeper. If Sirius took the fall for us, and he is still alive, the Ministry will have no choice but to clear him of all charges pertaining to our deaths.

Also, if Remus John Lupin is still alive, and not in hiding, I would suggest contacting him. He can tell you more about us, and not just about our war efforts. Remus was a good friend, I am saddened that he may have thought we assumed him a spy simply because of his condition. If you can find him and he is alive and well, there are two letters for him. One from me, and one from James.

This letter may seem impersonal, and I am sorry for that. These things need to come to light before anything else. James was always the joker, thinking of fun before practicality. I know he told you about the animagus transformation. All I can say is I know you can do it. You come from several strong blood lines, with equally strong magical ties. Achieve the transformation as soon as you can; it will help you in the long run.

If you were placed with my sister and her husband, and if you are still with them for some reason, contact the Hellsing Organization, headed by Sir Arthur Hellsing, or his daughter, Integra Hellsing. They currently reside in the original Potter family home, and under the goblin laws, you are legally able to reside within the manor, with or without the Hellsings' consent. If my sister and her husband treated you as they treated me, get out of there. Hellsing can not refuse you.

The Potter Manor also contains important information about your heritage. The Head of Hellsing can tell you more. I only hope that they did not destroy anything after all these years. Ask Arthur or Integra about the No Life King. As Chieftain of Wallach, descendent of Jonathan Harker, and official owner of the estate, you have a right to know. The King can help you master some of your talents. Take care around him, however. If he is still in existence, he will still be the silver-tongued trickster and warmonger of the old tales.

Unfortunately this is my only letter to you. It will hopefully aid you in what ever life you chose to live. If you wish to know about me as your mother, my diary is in your father's old school trunk. Or if Remus and Sirius are still alive and well, they should be more than happy to regail you with wondrous tales of my life at Hogwarts. Time grows short, and this information must be preserved in Gringotts post haste, before anyone catches wind of it.

Know that somewhere in Heaven, angels are watching you, and guiding you no matter your choices.

Love,

Lily Evans Potter;

Your mother;

Chieftain of Wallach;

Master of the Mire'

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Note: Short, I know. I'm still not feeling 100% kosher, but hopefully this will tide you guys over for a little bit, while I plan out the next chapter, and the big meet-up between Harry and Alucard.