Vlad didn't go to Hogwarts, so no I don't own the characters!
Hoping to knock out this and the next chapter (Christmas!) by the end of the weekend!
With regards to Chosen One-shots, I'm officially out of ideas right now, so if you want more Vlad/Harry playtime you guys are gonna have to prompt me! You can guest review or PM me if you don't want your URL attached to it of course.
With that said, onwards!
-YDHP-
While they were all becoming firm friends, it was sort of clear that Vlad, Harry and Hermione were fast becoming something of a 'trio'. Between the troll, the run in with the Slytherins and Vlad sharing a love of studying with Hermione and a trust with Harry since he knew of his powers, the three of them were bonding well. Harry still complained when they dragged him to the library, but he always sat and finished his homework with the odd nudge and glare from either him or Hermione. It was early December and the three of them were heading down to Hagrid's after lunch (they didn't want to be hungry enough to try Hagrid's cooking again). Harry and Hermione were discussing a news article from 'The Daily Prophet' about a break in at Gringotts, Harry mentioning that Hagrid had visited the same vault that was broken into only the day before. "I wonder what it was they were after, I didn't really see what Hagrid picked up from there." Vlad was still deep in thought, Bertrand had mentioned he could smell that Vlad had been where they found Ron's unconscious form, but that he wouldn't turn him in so long as Vlad was more careful to follow the rules. His tutor was more interested in Vlad learning his vampire stuff and mastering his powers than him being a good student in general, but he also had a responsibility to keep him safe.
Hagrid was sat outside his cabin, carving a hunk of wood into something Vlad thought might resemble a flute. "Ello 'Arry, Vlad and 'Ermione. Lovely day for a stroll?" "You know we've come to visit you Hagrid. Or at least, Hermione has come to see Fang." True enough, Hermione was scratching the enormous dog behind the ears, much to the canines delight. "So, any more adventures since the troll?" Harry and Vlad shared a look, Vlad had naturally told Harry what happened while Hermione was recovering in the hospital wing. Harry nodded, so Vlad sat down on the grass, scanning the area to check there were no other students. "We had a... run in with the Slytherins, I think they are still bitter about Harry trouncing them in spite of Snape jinxing Harry's broom." "What're ye talkin' about?" "When Harry's broom went crazy, I looked up in the teachers box. Phantom was angry up there about something, and I'm not supposed to say that. Oops." Hagrid swore secrecy (which Vlad doubted mildly but ploughed on anyway) and gestured for Vlad to continue. "Snape was muttering under his breath and staring at Harry really really intently. Hermione caused a... distraction and when Snape stopped looking, Harry's broom stopped bucking around crazily." "Why would Snape put a curse on 'Arry's broom?" Vlad didn't want to answer with something harsh, in spite of Phantom's reluctance to go near the man. "Who knows? Why was he trying to get past that three-headed dog on Halloween?"
Hermione's eyes widened, but the intelligent girl held back from asking what they were talking about in favour of hearing the rest of the conversation... for now. "Who told ye about Fluffy?" Vlad choked in surprise, even his father wouldn't name a Cerberus 'Fluffy'. "Fluffy? You called a Cerberus Fluffy?" "What's a Cerber-us?" Shaking his head, Vlad looked at his friend. "A three headed dog, in mythology Hades had one to guard the underworld. You can give us the full story later Hermione, promise." Vlad winked at his other friend, Hermione clearly knowing exactly what he was talking about. "O' course he's got a name, he's mine. Bought 'im off an Irish fella I met down the pub las' year. Then I lent 'im to Dumbledore to guard the..." "Guard the what?" "Forget I said tha', it's top secret tha' is." "But Hagrid, whatever... Fluffy is guarding, Snape is trying to steal it!" "Nonsense, Professor Snape is a Hogwarts teacher!"
Vlad sighed, sometimes Hagrid's devout loyalty to this school could be translated as Ingrid-level stubbornness. "Hogwarts teacher or not, I know what I saw in that Quidditch game. And Harry saw him with an injured leg after the troll incident at Halloween. You have to keep eye contact to jinx a broom that way, and Snape was not blinking!" "Look kids, I dunno what you saw but Snape is one of the teachers protectin' the stone, 'e isn't abou' to steal it!" "Stone? What stone?" "I shouldn't 'ave said tha'. What tha' dog is guardin' is strictly between Professor Dumbledore, and Nicolas Flamel." Vlad picked up the strange name then. "Who's Nicolas Flamel?" Hagrid suddenly stood up, practically leaping into his boots and claiming he had something important to do and muttering "I should not 'ave said tha'" repeatedly under his breath. "Nicolas Flamel... I know that name!" Hermione dashed away then, and Vlad and Harry watched after her in confusion. "Give her half an hour, then we'll join her in the library?" Harry nodded, and the two of them sat down by the lake to watch some older students throw toast to the giant squid they were told lived in there.
The allotted time passed, and so the boys headed to find Hermione in her usual haunt - the library. She was poring over a huge tome, one that made even Vlad feel a little nervous. "I checked this out weeks ago for a bit of light reading." Harry looked at the girl in disbelief. "That's light reading?" Hermione simply glared in response, and Harry wisely fell silent. "There it is! Nicolas Flamel is the only known maker of the Philosophers Stone!" Harry and Vlad answered in concert. "The what?" Hermione rolled her eyes at both of them then, "honestly, don't you two read?" They both leaned in to see the passage she was pointing out. "The Philosophers Stone is a legendary substance, with astonishing powers. It can produce the Elixir of life, which will make the drinker immortal." Vlad cringed, he didn't need help there. "It also has the power to turn any metal into pure gold. The only stone currently in existence belongs to Nicolas Flamel, the noted alchemist." Cringing again, Vlad was forcibly reminded of his father pushing alchemy lessons on him. "He last year celebrated his six hundred and sixty fifth birthday, living alongside his wife who is thought to be around five hundred herself." If Hermione wasn't talking to them about a stone that makes drinkers immortal, he would have expected she was simply talking about vampires.
"So that's what... Fluffy" he still struggled to call the enormous beast that "is guarding. That's what Professor Snape was after." "Can you blame him? Makes metal into gold like Rumplestiltskin, and can make you live forever." Vlad shuddered at the vampire version of that story, where the power was it turned breathers into bottles of blood. He was glad that was only a fairytale. "Who'd want to live forever? How boring would that get?" Harry looked at Vlad in confusion before turning back to Hermione. "So what do we do about this? We can hardly guard the room, we aren't even supposed to know that dog is there." Vlad shrugged. "We should go back and talk to Hagrid, but not today. I doubt he'll be so receptive to us quizzing him so soon. Before Christmas break though, as I have to go home for Christmas." Hermione nodded. "Wait, Hagrid said Snape was one of the teachers protecting the stone, so maybe there are other things guarding it from the other teachers." "Won't Snape know what they are though?" "I guess we have to hope not for now."
Harry was trying to process everything being said, not being quite as quick-minded as Vlad and Hermione when it came to absorbing information. There was a magical stone, protected by a rabid monstrous hound that Hagrid had named Fluffy, Snape was probably after it and had tried to kill Harry on his broom. Oh, and the stone was probably in Hogwarts being guarded by magical obstacles from each professor. That was the gist of it as far as he could tell. Hermione and Vlad were talking in hushed whispers, not wanting to gather attention. "We better head down to the Great Hall soon, we've been here ages - it's almost dinner and I'm not being late because of you two in here again!" Vlad and Hermione both flushed slightly, they had been so absorbed in their work they hadn't noticed it was dinner time more than once. Hermione hastened to put away the huge book while Vlad checked out another book on dark creatures (possibly to check out the cerber-us) and then the trio headed down to find their friends at the table.
The trio gave it another week before they went to gently interrogate the gamekeeper, quietly discussing what they were going to ask him whenever they could escape the other boys. It wasn't that Harry didn't trust the other boys, but the more people knew, the more Vlad could get in trouble for even being in that corridor. Ron had gotten detention for being outside the room, Crabbe and Goyle having gotten one for duelling in the hallways and being out after curfew for no reason. Madam Pomfrey, who already seemed to like Vlad for whatever reason, had been fairly content with Harry's rushed "someone hexed her in the hallways, Vlad tried to chase them but lost them and I brought her here". Anyone could have put two and two together if they thought about the Slytherins being out after curfew the same night as Hermione got hurt, but so far nobody seemed to have done so.
Evening was beginning to fall as they strolled down to the hut, and Hagrid took more than a minute to actually answer their knocks. He tried to get rid of them, saying he was extremely busy and looking really flustered. Vlad quickly mentioned the stone and Hagrid reluctantly let them in. "I told ye, Professor Snape is helping protect the stone." "Are there other professors guarding it then?" "Aye, though I say it's a waste o' time, ain't nobody gonna get past Fluffy. Ain't a soul knows how, 'cept for me and Dumbledore." Hagrid was poking something large in the fire, the black mass almost egg shaped. He was humming rather contently, and Hermione was staring quite closely at it. "Is that... Hagrid is that a dragon egg?" Dragons!? Harry couldn't get any words to come out as Hagrid nodded. "Won it off a stranger I met down the pub. Seemed quite glad to be rid o' it, as a matter o' fact." Harry was sure that was likely, why would anyone want an egg that would hatch into a giant fire breathing lizard? Aside from Hagrid it seemed. "Why's it in the fire Hagrid?" Vlad's innate curiosity was out then. "A mother dragon would breathe flames on it when it's ready ter hatch." The egg was making an ominous rattling noise, seeming to shake in Hagrid's hands which were clad in thick oven mitts. He placed the egg down on the table, and Harry could see scorch marks as it met the wood, speaking of just how hot the surface of the egg was.
A clawed... paw? broke free of the egg, and then a more solid rattling seemed to shatter the entire surface of the egg, and then there was a small, scrawny looking... dragon. It's wings were folded tightly against it's body, and it was hiccoughing tiny flames as it shook itself out. Hagrid actually reached out and tickled the dragon below it's chin, as though it was a cat. "Allo Norbert?" "Norbert?" "Well, 'e gotta have a name don't 'e?" Vlad, who never seemed to go anywhere without the book, was sketching out a picture of 'Norbert' in the note book his sister had given him. "What breed is he? I'm a little new to my dragon books." Hermione was looking closely at the dragon now, running a finger over it's bumpy spine. "I think he's a Norwegian Ridgeback, that's a rare breed." Vlad noted down the name, probably to look up later. Hagrid pulled out a box, full of blankets and fluffy pillows that he carefully lowered the baby dragon into before tossing what Harry hoped was a dead rat into the box. In spite of it's tiny mouth, Norbert managed to swallow the rat whole. A bang near the window sounded then, and they all turned around to see a flash of red hair. "That was Ron! He saw Norbert!" Vlad was the first up, chasing Ron along the grass. Hagrid was fixing a lid over the box of dragon and Hermione was sweeping up the egg shell pieces so Harry bolted after his friend.
"Vlad, let him go! Who's going to believe him?" Vlad was undeterred, and Harry wasn't sure what he did but Ron dropped like a stone in the middle of the field. Hermione caught up with them moments later, saying Hagrid must be crazy but that it was under control. Knowing Vlad didn't want his 'secret' getting out, Harry pulled out his wand to levitate Ron along. They floated the unconscious boy up to the hospital wing, Madam Pomfrey looking a little surprised that they were back so soon. "We were visiting Hagrid Madam Pomfrey, and we found Ron outside on our way back." The nurse took their flushed faces in and clearly didn't quite believe them. "Hmm, best be off to bed children. Mr Weasley will be fine tomorrow. Don't let it happen again! Mr Dracula, what have you done to your face?" Harry hadn't noticed, but he presumed a piece of the egg shell had cut Vlad when it burst open, there was a scratch down his cheek. Vlad seemed surprised himself, touching a hand to his injured face. "I have no idea, I don't remember getting injured." The nurse waved her wand at Vlad and the cut healed itself neatly, and the three kids dashed off upstairs. "You two are going to get us killed, or worse expelled!" Looking at Hermione in disbelief, Harry watched as she darted up to the girls dormitory before following Vlad to the boys. The others were already asleep, so they both changed quickly for bed in the bathroom and climbed into bed. "Hermione's right, we need to be more careful Harry." Vlad whispered into the dark. "Maybe you should stop dropping Slytherins all over the place, your sister might start taking it personally." Was his reply, and he caught Vlad chuckling quietly. Pulling off his glasses, Harry forced himself to drop off to sleep.
The trio took it in turns visiting Hagrid to 'help' with the dragon, and Ron made a point of ignoring them as steadfastly as possible unless it was in a crowded corridor where Vlad couldn't best him easily without tipping his hand. Ron at least suspected Vlad was above average in powers, Vlad had made the mistake of stunning the two guard dogs Ron never went anywhere without silently in front of him, and managed to drop him in a field whilst running without a single word. It was only two days before the students were due to leave for Christmas break, though Harry and the Gryffindor Weasleys were staying behind too so he wouldn't be alone. Vlad was supposed to be leaving too, but he was currently in the hospital wing. Norbert had bitten him, and the otherwise normal looking bite mark had turned green and black within hours. Vlad's hand was swollen and he couldn't attend class until it was sorted, as it was his writing hand. Hermione was making copies of all her notes for him so Vlad wouldn't fall behind, and Madam Pomfrey had said Vlad couldn't leave until his hand was healed as she couldn't keep an eye on him at home. The mysterious tutor Vlad saw was in the hospital wing alot, and Harry wondered if Vlad had to keep up his studies even though he spent all his time drinking potion after potion. They hadn't been able to say it was a dragon bite for obvious reasons, and the nurse seemed at a loss as to what was wrong with him.
Ingrid had stopped by a couple of times, and Harry could see Vlad appreciated the token gesture immensely. Even if Ingrid had only really said "if you aren't going home, neither am I so I thought I'd come check." Given the complete lack of progress, Vlad was forced to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas. Harry was privately thrilled, as Hermione had to go home for Christmas herself and he spent as much free time as possible being completely trounced by Vlad at 'wizards chess'. The great thing about Wizard chess was that Vlad didn't need his hands, the pieces responded to voice command. Well, Vlad's did, Harry wasn't very good at chess and his pieces liked to argue back alot. Vlad's hand finally started healing by Christmas eve, so Madam Pomfrey had said he was well enough to spend the night in his dorm and celebrate with Harry the next morning, but to come back after breakfast for more potions. Vlad had nodded dutifully, cradling his bandaged hand carefully as he followed Harry up to the common room. It was almost empty, only the older Weasleys and two younger students staying behind. In spite of not expecting presents, Harry thought this Christmas was already a huge step up on spending the holidays with the Dursleys and fell asleep smiling, even when Phantom clambered up to lick his face and purr loudly in his ear.
-YDHP-
Next episode is Christmas! Which means we get to begin the adventures of... the invisibility cloak!