Nope, still don't own!
So, we've made it through first year! There will still be some main plot points here and there from canon, but not nearly as much as Year One - that suited my purposes, but the story will start to grow into my own now.
Consider this dedicated to Alan Rickman, a terrible loss to muggle and magic folk everywhere!
On we go!
-YDHP-
Bertrand led he and Ingrid back onto the platform when it cleared, holding up a plastic disc Vlad recognised as a frisbee. "Oh yay, portkey!" Vlad sighed, he was not a fan of magical travel. "Well, unless you want me to explode out in the daylight, and then trek all the way back to Stokely, this is the way we travel Vlad." Reaching out a hand to the frisbee, Vlad closed his eyes and felt the horrible sensation of being pulled along. He stumbled and fell when they landed in the throne room of Stokely Castle, Ingrid looking much less affected as Vlad fought back nausea. She did offer a hand to help him up, his tutor asking if he was alright and Vlad nodded, not trusting himself to open his mouth. Their trunks and his carrier containing Phantom popped into existence next to them and Vlad moved to let his familiar out much to her contented pleasure.
"My son! You're back!" His father flitted into the room, clutching Vlad tightly and ignoring the other two people in the room completely. "Yes dad, I'm home for the summer, just like you knew I would be now get off!" The Count released him but continued staring at Vlad before realising there was another vampire in the room. "And you are...?" "This is the vampire tutor from Hogwarts, Bertrand." Bertrand stepped forward, bowing his head and offering his hand. "Bertrand du Fortunesa, it is my displeasure to meet you Count Dracula." The Count shook his hand briefly, looking pleased by the praise and offering the vampire a 'drink' immediately. Well, he demanded Renfield fetch blood but it was the same thing.
"You've grown so much Vladdy, twelve years old already!" Vlad had all but forgotten it was his birthday, exams taking up so much of his time but a house elf had popped into the Gryffindor boys dormitory with cake on the evening, much to the boys pleasure. "It was Ingrid's birthday too, she's fourteen now dad." "Yes, well she's a girl." Ingrid scowled but Vlad saw she was wearing the bracelet he'd acquired help from Professor McGonogall to transfigure from some rocks he'd picked up near the lake, and charmed to never break thanks to Professor Flitwick. "Why did they send you back with my offspring Mr do-Fortuna?" Bertrand's mouth twitched, clearly itching to correct the pronunciation of his name as he'd tried to do many times with Vlad, who could not hold the roll of the 'r' in his name.
"It transpires that the young Draculas have unique skills, even in the magical world and they sent me to ensure the children continue to work on their talents, as magic is not generally allowed to be performed outside of their school terms." Vlad shared a grin with Ingrid, their father had no idea he was to be a test subject. "Really? Show me these... unique talents then." Vlad and Ingrid both held out a hand, wands stowed away in their trunks as they lifted said luggage into the air, raising it to waist height (though Ingrid lifted hers slightly higher) in front of them. "Well, I can do that!" "Yes dad, but we aren't transformed vampires and this is different." Vlad lifted his trunk to rest in the corner, letting Ingrid put hers on top of it. There was little point in moving the trunk up to his room, his clothes needed laundering and his books would be more used in the throne room doing homework.
"Phantom, you little menace!" The familiar was scratching at his trunk, no doubt hunting for her toys and things hidden in there. "Fine you little pest!" Vlad lifted Ingrid's trunk out of the way, hovering it above his head to pull out his bag of Phantom's things. The cat-like ball of mischief purred when Vlad offered her a treat, being far too cute to be in trouble as she moved to kicking a light up ball around the castle floors. Dropping Ingrid's trunk back on top of his, Vlad turned to see his dad watching him closely. "So what else can you do?" Vlad shrugged, that was a loaded question in itself. Ingrid clicked her fingers (it wasn't necessary but she thought it made her powers seem more vampiric) and the Count's throne turned to a jelly-like substance beneath him, meaning he fell to the floor.
"Ow!" Vlad couldn't help chuckling, he'd gotten in trouble for a similar stunt early on at Hogwarts. "Ah yes, young Vlad got detention for doing that to me sir." The mention of Vlad getting in trouble diverted attention from Ingrid, and Vlad flashed his tutor a grateful smile as his father congratulated him for getting in trouble. "Let's not forget you getting caught in the astronomy tower after midnight little Vladdy!" Ingrid brought up another of Vlad's transgressions during the year, though most people would probably be more likely to discuss the part where Harry and he had fought and beaten back Voldemort. Ingrid clicked her fingers again and the throne returned to it's normal shape and consistency, joining him at the table and shoving his arm affectionately. Clearly her warming to him hadn't completely faded now they were away from school, though Vlad expected it to cool over the time they were stuck in the castle with their dad as Ingrid's 'princess of darkness' side took over.
Bertrand had them spending half an hour each day practicing their powers, and by the end of their third week home Vlad wondered if the chairs of the throne room would actually hold weight given how they'd been changed into different materials, shapes, densities and colours repeatedly. Ingrid got first crack at trying to levitate their father, which surprisingly worked. So their strange immunity to the other was strictly between them, as Vlad had to lift his father down from the beams of the high ceiling. He could have got himself down but he was too busy shouting obscenities at Ingrid for putting him up there in the first place. Their summer homework was done by the end of week four, so that left them with two weeks to continue with vampire studies and whatever else they wanted to do with their time. Vlad was already itching to get back to Hogwarts, even if only to get away from his father constantly trying to convince him to drink blood.
He was periodically cheered by letters from his dorm-mates and Hermione, who sent her letters to him via her letters to Harry. Hedwig must have flown endless miles, and while it was clear the owl didn't like vampires, she let Vlad take and give her letters without savaging him so he considered it a plus. A couple of days from now Bertrand would head to pick Harry up, bringing him to the Leaky Cauldron pub that guarded Diagon Alley via portkey so they could join Hermione for school supply shopping. He and Ingrid had both been practicing the sun protection spells, and Bertrand and their father could both stand in sunlight for half an hour with little more than a prickling sense of discomfort, that plus the sunblock potion Bertrand had been sent would allow his tutor to escort them to do their school shopping. Vlad liked his tutor, he may be serious when it came to studies but otherwise he was fairly laid back, even cracking a smile or joke here and there when the Count wasn't around.
Whatever Vlad and his tutor had done to his relatives, Harry had no idea but it had done the trick. Harry was wary almost the entire time but they never let up the niceties, he was fed three times a day and not pushed to do chores. He did them anyway, both out of habit and a desire to 'earn his keep' so to speak. He was left alone to do his homework, no constant nagging and complaining about how 'weird' magic was when they found him reading 'Beginners Guide to Transfiguration' at the dinner table. Harry was endlessly confused, but Hedwig was thrilled to be let in and out of his window as she pleased and she didn't complain about the frequent trips to Hermione or Vlad, though she always seemed a little less thrilled on her return from Vlad. Maybe Phantom had been bugging her.
He was happy to hear Vlad's tutor would be coming to pick him up for the trip to Diagon Alley, able to go shopping with his friends as he'd been worried how else he'd go. He woke early the morning of the shopping trip, showering and dressing and wishing he could dry his hair magically at home as he scrubbed the messy locks with a towel and tried to smooth them down. Harry paced anxiously around his room waiting for the allocated time, jumping in surprise when two Draculas and their tutor appeared in his bedroom. "Hey Harry!" Vlad hugged him in greeting, and Ingrid didn't try to gouge out his eyes over the Gryffindor scarf hung on his wall so that was a win too. Harry went downstairs to inform his still strangely nice family he was off out for school shopping, receiving a bizarre reply of "Ok then Harry, have fun!" instead of the expected "whatever boy, just get out of my sight!" that comment would have gotten him normally.
Shaking his head in confusion, Harry headed upstairs to join the others with the portkey, finding themselves in a side room of the Leaky Cauldron seconds later. Vlad pushed down on his pocket, but Phantom's head poked out regardless. "You're a little pest Phantom! I only brought her so I can take her to the pet shop for a check up, it's not like she's common enough for most people to know much about her." Harry chuckled as Phantom fought her way free to curl up on Harry's shoulder before disappearing down his jumper. Ingrid smirked as the two young Gryffindors wrestled the small black bundle back into Vlad's hooded jumper pocket, then Vlad kindly waved his hand over Harry's damp hair and Harry felt it dry. "Don't want you catching your death Potter, especially after we survived the school year!" Harry nodded, smiling at his friend and feeling a whisper of magic brush past him. He thought Ingrid was doing something, but then it was over and they were being ushered out into Diagon Alley.
Harry tapped the brick he'd seen Hagrid tap before, the wall melting away to allow them access to the winding street bustling with shops. It was later than the letters went out, so it wasn't as busy as it could be though Bertrand attracted some strange looks, and Harry was glad the mans large presence seemed to keep most people away so he wasn't besieged by adoring fans. "Look, that's the guy who wrote all our new books." Vlad was pointing at the book store, a display saying 'Gilderoy Lockhart' was back by popular demand to sign copies of his autobiography 'Magical Me'. Harry already didn't like the look of their huge book list, but was soon distracted by a cloud of wavy brown hair in his face. "Harry!" Hermione besieged Vlad with a hug next, smiling brightly at them both and offering polite hellos to Ingrid and Bertrand.
"Have you seen? Gilderoy Lockhart! He's so... amazing!" Hermione was looking flushed, overly excited and her father was looking confused, though her mother looked similar. Harry and Vlad offered polite handshakes to both muggles, Ingrid considerably less relaxed in public than she was when it was just her and Vlad, occasionally Harry or Hermione too and therefore completely lacking in any polite mannerisms. "So, Gringotts first then?" Vlad suggested, and the three adults nodded agreement so their group headed off to the wizarding bank. The Draculas and tutor headed to the head goblin, who seemed to recognise them quickly as Harry was led to a cart and thrown down to his vault at breakneck speeds. He took a little more than Hagrid had last year, knowing it wouldn't quite make a dent in his pile of gold and silver if he did this for the next few years of school and wanting to be able to stockpile more sweets on the Hogwarts Express.
Harry had grown a little in the year, though his school robes fit him still he got another two sets slightly longer and larger. Vlad and Ingrid got new robes whether they wanted them or not, their grandmother who paid for their schooling apparently demanding they be dressed in no less than new, high quality robes and clothes. Harry was surprised when a box was added to his pile of new clothing, a bow appearing on the top and Vlad smiling. "New shoes, since I didn't get chance to get you a birthday present." Vlad never brought up Harry's second hand wardrobe or too-big clothes, and he hadn't even mentioned that Harry needed them but simply got them so Harry couldn't say no. Harry choked back a lump of emotion in his throat, nodding and thanking Vlad. Vlad simply smiled and didn't bring it up again, shrinking Harry's things down helpfully when Madam Malkin's back was turned.
Hermione, who had sent him a new jumper and a book on quidditch and broomstick maintenance for his birthday, plus a large box of muggle sweets, was done a few moments later and Ingrid finally conceded they could move along. The pet shop was noisy, and Hermione's parents were clearly entranced by all the magical animals. Harry noticed that Bertrand stayed very still, looking around in confusion and Harry wondered exactly what Bertrand was, he wasn't a wizard but he clearly knew about the magical world. The shop owner was thrilled to see Phantom, laughing at the origins of her name and getting a lick on the face from the bundle of fluff. Vlad was stockpiling more of Phantoms food, getting a promise of a delivery part way through the year if he paid now and chasing the familiar around the shop when Phantom wouldn't return quietly to Vlad's pocket. Harry spotted Ingrid looking at a tank full of bats and headed over, suddenly distracted by something biting down hard on his hand.
-YDHP-
I just realised Chosen Two lost two followers when I finished Year One, I'm wondering if the ending was terrible or if they weren't interested in Year Two... Oh well, here's the beginning of Year Two!