July 26, 1991; 11:00am, Hellsing Headquarters, Integra's Office.

The all encompassing silence was broken at last, by Walter's entrance. He glanced around, obviously taking note of the situation, before approaching Integra with a short bow. If the Hellsing leader did not know her butler any better, she could have sworn she detected a hint of smugness about him as he offered her a folded parchment. Unfolding it, she shot a glance at the vampire and Harry, ensuring that quarter were behaving themselves, before turning her attention to the missive.

A sneer reached her lips as she glanced over the over-extravagant purple ink. She was tempted to burn the thing without reading it as soon as she spied the author, however sense kicked in before her temper could get the better of her. The Headmaster of Hogwarts school was assuredly not her most favorite person to deal with. He hid his motivations behind grandfatherly airs and sweets. A clever front for a coward. Thankfully she had not a reason to deal with him previous... before Harry's adoption, however.

Suspecting already what the letter contained, she non the less forced her gaze to the head.

'Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore

Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Supreme Mugwump

Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot

To: Sir Integral Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing

Leader of the Hellsing Organization

Knight of the Order of Twelve

Greetings and salutations,

It is my greatest pleasure to discover that young Harry Potter's disappearance from his relatives home in Little Whinging is indeed, no cause for alarm! While the method is highly

irregular, I must extend my greatest appreciation to you and your organization for rescuing

poor Harry from his bout of wandering.

After speaking with his relations, it has become clear to me that young Harry is suffering

from a severe lack of familiar structure in his life. This causes him to act out rashly,

often in the form of self-harm and running away from home. I blame myself heavily

for this, as I had at one time believed the home of his last remaining family to be the best place

to rear him as a young wizard. I severely neglected thought upon the possibility that his

Aunt and Uncle might be overburdened with another child to care for on top of their

son and careers.

Due to my position on the Wizengamot, I am well aware of your organization and duties there- in. It is believed by myself and others of the committee that the danger inherent in your line of work would be far too much for a young boy to handle. To say nothing of your vampire friend's appetites. Because of this, I feel the best option would be to remove Harry to my custody. The

matter need never reach the attention of the Ministry, save by way of official documentation. Certainly there is no need to over stress Harry through more forceful means.

I have taken the liberty of sending a trusted representative to your residence to oversee the proceedings. With your permission, of course, he will arrive at precisely six o'clock. I fear an emergency staff meeting at the school has prevented my personal attendance.

Please enclose your prompt reply, so that more solid arrangements can be made.

Sincerely,

Albus Dumbledore'

Crumbling the parchment in her clenched fist, she ground her teeth sharply to prevent a more violent reaction. How dare he? The sheer nerve of the man was far worse than that of the goblins! Glancing up at Walter, he bowed shortly and came to attention, awaiting her orders regarding the letter. He had no doubt read it to ensure its proper importance. Drawing in a deep breath, she carefully composed herself, lest the boy catch on to her mood and react.

Keeping her voice low, she calmly stated, "Compose an acceptance to allow this representative to dine with us."

Walter bowed and turned on his heel to follow instructions. Watching him go, Integra considered her options. The headmaster very much knew of the abuse, that much was clear. Why then, would he persist in lying about it. The answer came to her as her gaze drifted to Alucard and Harry.

The vampire was still kneeling before the boy. They appeared to be conversing in tones too low for her to make out. The boy was solemn and closed off as ever, not giving any hints to the topic. Under her watch, Alucard conjured a ball of shadow, offering it to Harry. After a moment of hesitation, he accepted the ball, staring at it with a strange expression.

Dumbledore was thought of to be the epitome of light. Nearly worshiped by some wizards for his pristine moral image, and benign countenance. What then, would people say, if they knew that the 'leader of the light' had allowed their savior to be physically, emotionally, and verbally abused? Either Dumbledore believed whatever asinine tale Harry's relatives had spun him... or he did not wish for there to be a paper trail.

The latter would perfectly fit with what she knew of him as a political figure. He preferred a pristine image, free from fault, in public; while he conducted his shady dealings behind closed doors. Alucard glanced at her, a smirk tugging his lips, as if sensing her thoughts. The look was mirrored by her own, as she carefully locked the letter away in one of the desk drawers. She would be incredibly interested to meet this 'representative'.

July 26, 1991; 5:00pm, Hellsing Headquarters, East Wing Master Bedroom

After meeting Alucard for the second time, Harry had been dismissed to his bedroom. Albeit, Sir Integra had pointedly informed him that they would have a guest for dinner. He was understanding of the logic. She would not wish for him to be seen or heard by the guest, in case he embarrassed her, or offended the guest, with his presence. He did not wish to be a bother to her, after all the kindness she and Walter had shown him.

They had all treated him kindly, and not spoken a word of anger or disappointment at him. Not even the vampire! That conversation was still fresh on him mind, as he sat at the desk in his room. The ball of shadow was still maintaining its form, sitting unassumingly on one corner. Something nagged him to tap into his powers, to investigate it, however he forced the urge down. He had no wish to reveal himself to be a freak. Even though the vampire could manipulate shadows like him, Harry did not have the excuse of not being human.

"You have much potential, little Master. However you have much still to overcome. You are not afraid of the dark, are you?"

Harry nodded his head stoically, remaining silent. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end, as a familiar sensation brushed over his skin. Alucard's form seemed to blur for a moment before solidifying. An intimidating (under normal circumstances) grin was directed at him.

"Interesting..." In a more serious tone, "You should not fear the dark... You no doubt know from experience, that it is never the dark, but that which dwells in it, that should be feared."

Unable to hide mild curiosity at that, Harry finally spoke, though unsure of himself. "Don't you prefer the dark?" Alucard chuckled wickedly. The wizard found it odd that of everyone he had met, the vampire was the one he felt most comfortable with, despite his efforts at intimidation. After the initial fright had worn off, he found he rather preferred the vampire; he looked human, but he certainly was not. He wondered if he shouldn't assure Alucard that he would in fact be quite frightening to most children.

"Yesss. However I am of the darkness. Not a mere insect fluttering about blindly in search of the next meal or cheap thrill."

Considering a moment, Harry nodded. "So... I shouldn't be afraid of you?"

The question prompted a nasty chuckle from the vampire, but Harry felt no urge to cower in fear. Alucard seemed to notice as well, as a strange look passed over his features before disappearing behind a cheshire grin. The sensation passed through Harry once more, as before his eyes the vampire conjured shadows into a sphere. He hesitated greatly, but eventually accepted the offered 'object'.

"My master ensures that you have no reason to fear me... unless you chose to."

A smirk wormed its way across Alucard's lips, as he darted a glance at Sir Integra.

The conversation now felt rather surreal, as did his reactions to it. Logically Harry knew that he should be quite wary of anyone openly professing to be a vampire; even more-so at the knowledge that his guardian was the only thing keeping him from becoming a light snack. He simply could not bring himself to care beyond mere thought. Reaching out to prod the orb with a trembling finger, he nearly jumped from his skin as he suddenly felt a presence at his back.

"Skittish little mouse. Walter sent me to get you ready for dinner."

Alucard's wide grin gave the statement implied new meaning, causing some nerves to leap within Harry. For the most part he merely stared blankly for a moment, not quite comprehending the implication. Why would they want him ready for a dinner he would not be attending? Easily picking out the underlying confusion, Alucard frowned.

"Surely you did not think my Master so callous as to refuse you food?"

Harry hurriedly shook his head. "No! I mean... it was part of the contract... I just, didn't think she would want me at the table."

Curiously, Alucard found himself growing angry at the statement. It was clear from the boy's tone that the thought of eating from a table was foreign. While the vampire could care less, he did feel Integra's orders bearing down upon him. Quite frankly he also found he liked the human mouse. The boy was far less complicated to deal with than most others, and it was an interesting change of pace. There was also their curious conversation earlier. He found himself amused with the small human.

Unconcerned with showing his opinion, he took note as Harry flinched at seeing the irritation. He was careful to at least keep his tone normal, if containing darker hints. "You do not appear to be a dog, but a mouse. Mice eat from tables even when uninvited. A mouse you are, so from the table you shall dine."

Being called a rodent caused a brief flash of some emotion, which Alucard found interesting. The boy-wizard certainly had the potential for bold action, if he were but given an opportunity. Certainly he would comply with Integra's plans – he was forced to – but once the little mouse grew more bold... Then he could really have some fun!

Tiring of playing psychologist, Alucard began to fade into the floor, grinning at the surprised Harry. For the most part, the wizard was merely dizzy from the strange encounter. The vampire almost sounded like he cared. But that was impossible, he shrugged off. No one cared for freakish Harry. Making his way over to the wardrobe, he decided it best to comply with Integra's order. Hopefully dinner would be over fast, so he could read more of his father's journal before bed.

July 26, 1991; 6:00pm, Hellsing Headquarters, Foyer

Tugging at his tie in annoyance, Severus found himself grossly out of his element. The manor was more lavish than even the Malfoys could boast, with hired help to reinforce the attempt at intimidation. His skilled gaze had picked out that even the butler was prepared for a fight. Not that he could blame them, with what they did for a living. It did not put him any more at ease with the mission Dumbledore had given him.

Obviously Potter would be substantially safer and better cared for here than anywhere. But of course, he knew the old man's motives. He only found himself curious at what had become of the child to land him in such a location. The headmaster had been so certain that his plan was foolproof. Then again, he had not taken into account the fact that the plan involved a Potter.

Once more adjusting the blasted noose about his neck, he nearly missed it when the retainer returned to direct him to the dining room. Some heat spread over his face at being caught in obvious discomfort, but he quickly composed himself, following the man down a short hallway and into a small dining area. He had nearly been expecting a ball room of sorts. Obviously the Hellsing family was secure in their authority. He knew from experience with purebloods that they often used illusions of space to throw off guests.

A woman stood at the head of the six person table, cold blue eyes meeting his dead on and holding him in a critical stare. The platinum blonde hair was nearly enough to cause him to suspect the Malfoys, except for her facial features bearing no resemblance. The chair to her left was already occupied, a mop of unruly black hair visible over the back rest. They were certainly confident, or considering Albus' offers, if they allowed the boy in his presence.

Standing behind the chair to the woman's right was a sight which nearly made Severus wish to laugh. Such explained their overconfidence in the least. He held no chance of success here, and they knew it. Goblins were creatures to never underestimate, and getting caught in a double-cross with them often meant painful and swift death. Orcs were worse by twenty-fold. Severus had never had reason to deal with them before, having no real wealth or estate to require an overseer. The notion made him respect Sir Hellsing, if loathing her, for her insight on how to effectively silence Dumbledore's attempts.

The other two chairs where guarded by muggles in uniform. Highly decorated military suits, which Severus vaguely recalled from his muggle learning as denoting a General or Lieutenant. The last seat at the bottom of the table was obviously his, as there was no one else in sight to claim it. The butler left him standing alone near the door, and out of his element. Drawing up every ounce of experience as a spy among purebloods, he waited with a feigned air of patience for the family head to indicate him welcome to sit or approach.

The posturing set his temper on edge, but he forced it down. He held no patience for such posh environments or attitudes, however orders were orders. Dumbledore would more than know if he deliberately sabotaged the old coot's plans through hostility. Best that he ride this out 'in character' and let them do the sabotaging themselves. Straightening his back almost instinctively, he inclined his head in greeting as Sir Hellsing at last approached him.

The family head extended her hand, nearly crushing Severus' when he accepted the shake. He had not been expecting such a strong grip from a muggle woman of obvious noble birth. Hiding any reaction to it, he introduced himself neutrally, though loud enough for those at the table to be able to hear. He suspected introductions with them, given their obvious importance, however in pureblood society it was considered impolite to hide ones name from anyone in a personal room such as this.

"Sir Hellsing, I am Professor Severus Snape. I am employed under Headmaster Dumbledore at Hogwarts."

"I am Sir Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing."

She seemed just as neutral with her greeting. It gave Severus some hope that his presence was not being resented out of principle. Certainly if he were forced to dine with them, open hostilities caused by Dumbledore would make the experience all the more unpleasant. The Hellsing head directed him to his seat before returning to stand behind her own.

"Professor Snape, this is Harry Potter-Hellsing, heir to Hellsing, and my adopted son."

Severus would have fallen over if he had less self control. As it stood, his eyes merely grew a bit wide upon hearing such a proclamation, as his eyes sought out the child for himself. A wary green gaze pierced his own, freezing his heart for a fraction of a second. His eyes were so much like Lily's... Taking in the rest of the boy's appearance, he bit back a growl. Anyone with eyes and a brain could see the child was suffering from malnutrition, like-wise yellow skin could be picked out at the edges of his shirt. Only iron will kept him from aparating out to go throttle Dumbledore. Had he not warned the fool of an old man about those muggles? Had not Minerva as well?

The presence of the child and his condition strengthened his resolve. Provided the Hellsings were looking after him as any child should be, he would happily neglect argument for the child's relocation. Children were sniveling rats in his opinion, however, none deserved such treatment at the hands of a blood relation... He knew both first hand, and from Lily.

Nearly missing Sir Hellsing's introduction of the orc, he forcefully pulled himself away from the jade stare to nod politely.

"Head Goblin Bloodclaw, Harry's caseworker. And Lieutenants Ferguson and O'Mally, my trusted advisers."

Signaling everyone to sit, by claiming her seat, stilted silence encompassed the room. Curiously enough, it was Potter who spoke first. Severus found such odd, but judging by the topic the child brought up, he had inherited Lily's tenacity for learning. He was uncertain how to respond for a moment, having not anticipated Potter's actual presence within any meeting to take place with Hellsing. The front he was displaying now was certainly not his normal attitude towards others. Such could potentially injure the child upon attending the school.

"What do you teach, Professor?"

"Potions."

Short and straight to the point without being rude. The child blinked at him. Observing his features, Severus attempted to pick out the resemblance to James, but found himself failing. Aside from the hair and general cheek bone structure, he more strongly resembled his mother. He cursed Dumbledore all the more. Since he realized Potter would be attending the school this year, he had been psyching himself up to deal with a carbon-copy of James. This quiet, polite, Potter though, was difficult to hate. He suspiciously wondered if that had not been part of the Headmaster's plan.

"I've read some of my first year book. It sounds dangerous, but interesting."

The others at the table seemed content to merely listen to the exchange. Sir Hellsing had a look of careful neutrality, while Bloodclaw was observing Potter with a pleased little smile. The two muggles seemed unmoved by the talk of magic, or the orc, causing Severus to contemplate whether or not they were truly muggles at all. Though knowing of their line of work, he suspected this to not be the strangest conversation they had overheard.

"It is a highly delicate art. Few have the self discipline required for a true mastery or understanding of the components. Because of this, I run an extremely strict classroom to aid in preventing anyone blowing themselves or their classmates up."

The child nodded in understanding, gaze still guarded. He seemed to warm up to the adults surrounding him, if only slightly. Looking as if to comment further, Potter was interrupted by the butler's re-entrance with a cart.

The meal was eaten in stilted silence, for which Severus was thankful. Small talk aggravated him, and it allowed a chance to more carefully observe ones surroundings. The orc dug into the roast with gusto, seemingly ignoring everyone else around him, though the wizard suspected the opposite. Sir Integra and her lieutenants ate with the poise and reservation expected from those trained for high society. The image they painted was deceiving, as he noted their eyes straying to him on occasion. Sizing him up. As for the child, he picked at his food with disinterest, only taking small bites when Sir Integra stared in his direction.

The display told Severus a great deal regarding the situation. The adults were displaying signs of protectiveness over Potter. Even Sir Integra, curiously, as her looks forced the child to eat more and more from his plate. Though he began to look a bit ill with only half his plate cleaned. After that point, the looks from Integra ceased. The two males seemed disinterested in the entire affair, aside from obviously following orders as armed guards should things get out of hand. The orc, as Potter's personal representative from Gringotts, would be here with the child's best interests in mind. The retainer like-wise watched from beside the door with a keen gaze.

It was when the plates were empty – for the most part, that Severus dreaded the inevitable point in which Sir Integra got to her feet, signaling the end of the pleasantries. The plates were left on the table, no doubt for a maid to pick up later, and they were motioned into an ante chamber off the dining room which Severus was irked to have missed during his observations. He was clearly out of practice as a spy, to have not noticed the potential exit or hiding place for an ambush.

The room was brightly lit, if a touch cold in décor. It was windowless and drab despite the lavish chairs and couches arranged in front of a grand fireplace. This was obviously a study of sorts. The soldiers remained standing with the butler near the door, only the key 'players' of the charade taking seats. Integra claimed a chair backed by the fireplace, the lighting throwing her features into shadows. Harry and the orc took their seats on a single couch. Thus left Severus with but two choices. He claimed the chair directly across from Sir Integra.

He was nearly expecting it, but still a touch surprised, as she finally got down to business. "What do you hope to gain by coming here?"

Such fragile ground he found himself on, as he was uncertain of just what Dumbledore had told her via their correspondence. However considering his notions of defection, he found himself substantially lacking in care. Eying her squarely, he decided to be candid.

"I am only here because Dumbledore, ordered me here. My objective was to remove Mr. Potter from your care."

Some perverse pleasure was had as even the orc looked surprised at such a proclamation. They had obviously anticipated some form of deceit. Hardly Severus' style when he had made up his mind regarding a situation. By Potter's dark, closed-off look at the idea, he had chosen correctly.

"You speak as if you have second thoughts about such orders.

"Loath though I am to aid a Potter, I would be remiss in helping displace a child once again, on a whim. I was sent to observe, and to either find legal fault with the situation, or exploitation to convince you to give him up. As I see no such thing, my work is complete. "

Even he had to admit to feeling uncomfortable under the woman's scrutiny. No doubt she was a commander of her forces through her own merit rather than inheritance. That fact garnered more than a little amount of respect, knowing what he did of standard leadership roles to those who embraced them fully. Impatience coursed through him as she paused a long moment to consider his words.

"What do you know of the headmaster's plans?"

Gritting his teeth as she asked the one question he could not answer in truth, he shook his head. "I know a great many things. But none of which I can speak. Certain... contractual obligations... I can say, however, that he believes his intentions to be for the greater good."

Expression darkening considerably, her fists tightened on the armrests. He knew that his meaning was fully understood. Good. He was thoroughly sick of needing to spell everything out for everyone. Rising to his feet, he bowed minutely as her glare was directed on him full force. Her next words, he was expecting and pleased by, as they solidified his resolve.

"Tell your Master that if any more attempts are made to abduct Potter, he will be pursued under the full extent of Hellsing and goblin law. Walter, see him out!"

July 26, 1991; 09:00pm, Hellsing Headquarters, East Wing Master Bedroom

Harry's head still spun from the meal, making him feel both exhausted and wide awake. The experience in itself had been nerve wracking, what with being forced to eat so much food with Integra's gaze bearing down upon him, and so many adults present. He had nearly shocked himself silly by actually speaking to the dark man. Potions had seemed like an interesting topic to him, but actually speaking when he was not spoken to was something he had not planned. And to a stranger no less!

The more troubling notion of course came after the meal. The air had been buzzing with pent up meaning which had only become clear to him after the Professor stated his business. Why on earth would the Headmaster of Hogwarts want to remove him from Hellsing? Harry was insignificant. Even the vampire called him a 'mouse'! So why would someone whom he had never met want him? He broke out into cold sweats just thinking of it. At least with Hellsing he had chosen his lot willingly.

Bloodclaw had assured him that there was nothing anyone could do about his decision, as it was final on all fronts. But it did not dispel the anxiety and slight fear welling up within him. Further confusion warred at Sir Integra's reaction to the idea. She had seemed furious at the notion of him being taken away. But that could not be right, could it? She did not know him. The only reason she let him stay was because she had to.

What if she felt obligated? Rationalizing it to himself, it made sense. She might be worried that if Harry were taken away, he would kick her from the manor. He would never do that! But he supposed that she simply viewed him as an ungrateful burden. She had even admitted to him that his presence in the manor was disrupting her operation.

Before anymore thoughts of unrest could manifest in his overactive mind, he felt a prickling at the back of his neck. The odd sensation heralding Alucard's arrival did wonders for shocking him from his depressed musing. Schooling his features beneath the familiar mask, Harry turned to face the vampire. While his opinion of the being was still pending, he fancied Alucard was as inhuman as one could possibly get for conversation without requesting a trip to the gardens to see if the grounds housed a snake.

"So a fret over nothing, little mouse. Your emotions were tangible all the way from the basement."

The vampire seemed oddly solemn, given his previous attitudes around Harry. Though to the wizard, the vampire did seem rather moody on normal occasion since they had met. Despite the knowledge, Harry felt an odd mix of remorse and resentment for having disturbed the creature in some way. He was already experiencing dual emotions regarding his current situation without having someone point out the obvious.

"I'm sorry. I'll emote more quietly."

Contrary to Harry's expectation, the quiet snark prompted an amused chuckle from the being. He was slowly beginning to realize that things which would normally earn him a beating from the Dursleys, were actually held in good regard by these people. Though he supposed he should not take Alucard as an example. He could recall reading books about fictional vampires in primary school, and in most of the depictions, the vampires tended towards frowned upon behavior in polite society.

A smirk crept across Alucard's face, as if reading his thoughts. The notion made Harry uncomfortable. The smirk just as slowly disappeared. They stared at each other in silence for a long moment before the reason for his presence was announced.

"You were brave, if foolish, for so blinding reaching out for aid... The question remains, whether or not you are just as tenacious in overcoming the lingering burdens. Physical wounds heal... Mental scars never cease to fester until they are re-examined head on."

The inflection in his tone suggested an odd tenderness beneath the plain statement. But Harry shrugged it off as a trick of his own mind. He wanted people to care about him, so he imposed the impression on his rescuers. There was no conceivable reason why a vampire would care about him. In all likelihood the prompt in topic was Sir Integra's doing.

A frown tugged at the corner of Alucard's mouth, abruptly forcing Harry's thoughts to cease as mild nerves coiled at the perceived negative reaction. He was there-for surprised when the vampire knelt in front of him, reminiscent of their official meeting earlier. His tone was colder, though his expression did not change. It caused a shiver to pass down Harry's spine.

"Little mouse, it is by my own interests that I pursue your company. My orders were to leave you alone, but I confess curiosity is my eternal burden. I do not care about you further than my master does. But that does not imply a complete lack of regard. Know that when I speak with you, unless stated otherwise, I am doing so under my own power and interests."

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Note: Hopefully I didn't disappoint with this one. I've been busy getting college taken care of irl. It's consumed a large chunk of my time and energy the past few weeks, so I haven't had as much time to write. Yes, even less time to write than usual, if you can believe that from my normal lapse in updates.