"Mr. Cullen…" Harry started off.
"Harry, just like Ella, you don't have to call me formally while we are here. Call me Edward," he gently interjected.
"Right… Edward, I was wondering since I don't know you very well, could you tell me a little bit about yourself," Harry asked.
"Are you sure that this is something that you want to hear, Harry?" he asked. Harry nodded. Ron looked unsure and everyone understood his fear. "It's nothing to be afraid of, Ron. I'll start in the beginning. I was born in Chicago in 1901," he paused and glanced at Ron who was in shock, "Carlisle, my father for all intents and purposes, found me in a hospital in the summer of 1918. I was seventeen, and dying of the Spanish influenza."
"What's that?" Ron asked.
"It's a virus that causes an overreaction of the body's immune system," he said as he thought of a simple explanation for Ron.
"Who is most likely to hit?' Harry asked.
"Most victims were healthy young adults, in contrast to most influenza outbreaks which predominantly affect juvenile, elderly, or weakened patients," he explained.
"Why is it called the Spanish Influenza and not just an illness, like 'flu'?" Harry asked.
"The reason for that is because the first cases that were registered in the continental U.S, and the rest of Europe before getting to Spain, the 1918 pandemic received its nickname "Spanish flu" because Spain, a neutral country in WWI, had no censorship of news regarding the disease and its consequences. Spanish King Alfonso XIII became gravely ill and was the highest-profile patient about whom there was coverage, hence the widest and most reliable news coverage came from Spain, thus giving the false impression that Spain was most affected," he explained. "Ron, you need to understand that the world is bigger than Hogwarts and the whole magical community. What Ella and I went through before this time, it was a much, much bigger world than this. Harry has some basic understanding of the world outside of magic. That's why it is easier for me to explain it to him first before I mention anything to you." Ron was sitting there uncomfortable with the information that he was hearing from Edward because he was not a part of their world. So hearing it made him feel plagued. "As I was saying, I don't remember my human years well – it was a very long time ago, and human memories fade. I do remember how turning into a vampire felt, when Carlisle saved me. It's not an easy thing, not something you could forget."
"What about your parents?" Harry asked.
"They had already died from the disease. I was alone. That was why he chose me. In all the chaos of the epidemic, no one would ever realize I was gone."
"How did he… save you?" Harry asked.
"It was difficult…" he started off. "Not many of us have the restraint necessary to accomplish it. But Carlisle has always been the most humane, the most compassionate of us… I don't think you could find his equal throughout all of history." He paused. "For me, it was merely, very, very painful. He ached from loneliness. That's usually the reason behind the choice. I was the first in Carlisle's family, though he found Ella soon after. She was dying from the various cuts and bruises. She nearly lost all of her blood. Her body sustained so much pain that the doctors presumed her dead but her heart kept beating. Esme was next. She fell from a cliff. They brought her straight to the hospital morgue, though, somehow, her heart was still beating."
"So, does a person have to be dying to become like you?" Harry asked.
"No, that's just Carlisle. He'd never do this to someone who had another choice," he explained. The respect in his voice was profound whenever he spoke to his father figure. "It is easier he says, though," he continued. "If the blood is weak."
"Didn't he just have to… bite?" Harry asked. Ron looked at him as if he were crazy.
"Not exactly. When we taste human blood, a sort of frenzy begins, and it's almost impossible to stop."
"But Carlisle did," he said. "So is Carlisle the real reason that you don't kill people?"
"How did you know that we don't 'kill' people?" Ella asked.
"I overheard Dumbledore talking to McGonagall one day and it stuck in my mind," he explained.
"No, he's not the only reason. I don't want to be a monster. My family, we think of ourselves as vegetarians, right, 'cause we only survive on the blood of animals. But it's… it's like a human only living on tofu. It keeps you strong, but you're never fully satisfied," Edward answered. Once they got off the train, they went to the car park and got into their cars.
"Why do you do it? I don't understand how you can work so hard to resist what you… are. Please don't misunderstand; of course I'm glad that you do. I just don't see why you would bother in the first place," Harry explained.
He hesitated before answering. "That's a good question, and you're not the first to ask it. There are others of our kind…"
"There are more of your kind?" Ron shrieked.
Ella held onto Edward's forearm and answered, "Yes, there are others, we run into them from time to time. And they do kill humans. Our eyes will tell the difference."
"How so?" Harry asked.
"As you can see my family and my own eyes are golden or topaz color," she paused, both Harry and Ron nodded. "The other vampires will have red eyes, which signify that they prefer human blood. As Edward mentioned that we survive on the blood of animals, our eyes are topaz."
"In a way, Ella has answered your question, Harry. You see, just because we've been dealt a certain hand… it doesn't mean that we can't choose to rise above – to conquer the boundaries of a destiny that none of us wanted. To try to retain whatever essential humanity we can," Edward explained. Harry nodded, signifying that he understood that it was our choice as a family to deal with what we had.
"Edward, I know that you can read minds and Ella has already informed me of her talents… do the others have a special gift like both of you?" Harry asked.
"Well, Alice can see the future but it's subjective and it can always change. Carlisle brought his compassion. Esme brought her ability to love passionately. Emmett brought his strength, Rosalie her… tenacity. Or you could call it pigheadedness. Jasper is very interesting. He was quite charismatic in his first life, able to influence those around him to see things his way. Now he able to manipulate the emotions of those around him – calm down a room of angry people, for example or excite a lethargic, crowd, conversely. It's a very subtle gift."
"But he can also feel our emotions as well. In his human life, he was sensitive to people around him. It made him an empath," Ella added. Edward nodded.
"So where did it all start?" Harry asked.
"Why are you asking all these questions, Harry?" Ron asked. He seemed so frazzled by us, especially with the amount of information we're telling.
"I want to learn about vampires, especially about Ella and Edward. I mean Ella's the closest person that was there for my parents and I want to find out," Harry explained.
"I think that's a story for another time, don't you think?" Edward asked. "Besides we're almost home and we want you to get settled. Maybe during dinner, we can tell you another story." Harry and Ron nodded as they entered a driveway. The house was timeless, graceful, and probably a hundred years old. It was painted a soft, faded white, three stories tall, rectangular and well proportioned. The windows and doors were either part of the original structure or a perfect restoration.
"Wow," Harry said as he stepped out of the car, followed by Ron who had dropped his jaw wide opened.
"I take it you like it?" Ella asked.
"It… has a certain charm," Harry responded. Ella and Edward had led them into the house. The others had already arrived and unpacked. The inside was even more surprising, less predictable than the exterior. It was very bright, very open, and very large. This must have originally been several rooms, but the walls had been removed from most of the first floor to create one wide space. The back, south-facing wall had been entirely replaced with glass, and, beyond the shade of cedars, the lawn stretched bare to the wide river. A massive curving staircase dominated the west side of the room. The walls, the high-beamed ceiling, the wooden floors, and the thick carpets were all varying shades of white. Waiting to greet them, standing just to the left of the door, on a raised portion of the floor by a spectacular grand piano, were the rest of the Cullens. Harry's eyes fallen upon the beautiful instrument on the platform by the door.
"Have you ever seen a grand piano, Harry?"
"Well, I've seen them in magazines but never one up close," he responded.
"Edward, why don't you play a bit for Harry?" Ella asked.
"Are you trying to make me a show-off? It's rude, you know," he said.
Ella looked at Harry and whispered, "He's being modest."
Harry smiled, "I would love to hear you play."
"Well, play for him," Esme encouraged.
"Showing off is rude, Esme. You, of all people, know that," he said, trying to escape a corner that he's been backed into.
"There are exceptions to every rule," Esme replied.
He looked at Esme and then Ella exasperatedly, "All right." He went up to the piano and started to play Esme's song.
"It's something that Edward had written for Esme," Ella replied, recognizing the song.
"He composes songs too?" Harry asked, in shock.
"Yes, he does. He's written a song for me too," Ella responded. After Edward has finished playing, Ella said, "We should be showing Harry and Ron their rooms." Edward went to the car to get Harry's and Ron's suitcases. When he came into the living area, he saw them going up the stairs. On the wall, Harry and Ron saw what looked like a large picture frame but had several rows of graduation caps in it.
Harry looked up at Ella "Graduation caps?"
"Yeah, private joke. We matriculate a lot," Ella responded, smiling a bit.
"But wouldn't that be kind of miserable. I mean, repeating school over and over," he said.
"True, but the younger we start out in a new place, the longer we can stay there," she said. "But at Hogwarts, we'll be able to stay there as long as we want." Ella led them down a long hallway and came across two rooms. She opened both doors, "Both of you can pick one of the rooms for yourselves. You don't have to share a room together." Edward came up behind them and put down their suitcases by the wall. "We'll leave you both for a while to unpack. Come downstairs when you're hungry."
"Harry, why do you keep asking questions about them? They could kill us!" Ron exclaimed
"Ron, if they wanted us dead, they would have done it already," Harry told him. "There's nothing that could stop them from doing it. Besides I told you in the car that I want to know them better. How can I know them better if I don't ask them questions?" He picked up his suitcase and went inside one of the rooms. He put his suitcase on the bed and left it there. He decided to unpack later. He was a bit hungry. He decided to go downstairs. As he was going downstairs, he could smell cooking in the kitchen. He saw Esme and Carlisle in the kitchen making small talk as they cooked.
Carlisle looked up and saw Harry standing in the doorway, "Come in, Harry. I'm sure that you're hungry after the traveling."
"Yes, I am a bit hungry," he replied. "I was wondering about something and I am hoping that you could answer it."
"What is it, my dear?" Esme asked.
"Well, I was wondering if you could tell me a little bit about yourselves. Edward and Ella told me a little bit about you."
"Why don't you sit down, Harry?" Carlisle suggested. Harry sat down on one of the chairs near the nook and paid attention. "Now, where to begin our story? First of all, I am well aware that you were curious as to how I became a vampire, correct?" Harry nodded. "All right, let me tell you that I just celebrated my three hundred and sixty-second birthday," he paused and Harry was somewhat startled at how 'old' Carlisle was. He looked so much younger but then again the Cullens aren't human. "I was born in London, in the sixteen-forties. Time wasn't marked as accurately then, for the common people anyway. It was just before Cromwell's rule, though. I was the only son of an Anglican pastor. My mother died giving birth to me. My father was an intolerant man. As the Protestants came into power, he was enthusiastic in his persecution of Roman Catholics and other religions. He also believed very strongly in the reality of evil. He led hunts for witches, werewolves… and vampires."
Harry gasped, "Your own father was against vampires?"
Carlisle nodded, "They burned a lot of innocent people – of course real creatures that he sought were not so easy to catch. When my father grew old, he placed me, his obedient son in charge of the raids. In the beginning, he was disappointed in me because I was not quick to accuse, to see demons where they didn't exist. But I was persistent, and more clever than my father. I actually discovered a coven of true vampires that lived hidden in the sewers of the city, only coming out by night to hunt. In those days, when monsters were not just myths and legends, that was the way many lived. The people gathered their pitchforks and torches, of course, and waited where I had seen the monsters exit into the street. Eventually one emerged. He must have been ancient and weak with hunger. I heard him call out in Latin to the others when he caught the scent of the mob. He ran through the streets and I was in lead of the pursuit. I was twenty-three at that time. The creature could have easily outrun me and the rest of the mob but he was too hungry so he turned and attacked me. I tried to defend myself but he only bit me to the point where he thought I was dead. He had killed two men and made off with the third. I was lying on the streets bleeding. I had to leave because I knew what my father would do. He would burn all of the bodies that were infected by the monster. I crawled away from the alley that I had led them to. The mob continued to search the monster and his victim. I knew what was happening to me but I rebelled against it. I tried to destroy myself."
"Why?" Harry asked.
"Because I didn't want to become a monster."
"How did you try to destroy yourself?" Harry asked.
"I jumped from great heights. I tried to drown myself in the ocean, but I was young to the new life and was very strong. It was amazing that I was able to resist feeding while I was new to the life. The instinct is far more powerful then, it takes over everything. But I was so repelled with myself that I had the strength to kill myself with starvation."
"Is that even possible?" Harry asked.
"No, there are very few ways we can be killed," Carlisle responded. "I became very hungry and weak, eventually. I strayed as far as I could from the human populace, recognized that my willpower was weakening too. For months, I wandered by night, seeking the loneliest places, loathing myself. One night, a herd of deer passed my hiding place. I was so wild with thirst that I attacked without a thought. My strength returned and I realized there was an alternative to being the vile monster I feared. Over the next few months, my new philosophy was born. I could exist without being a demon. I found myself again. I began to make better use of my time. I was always been intelligent, eager to learn. Now I had unlimited time. I studied by night, planned by day. I swam to France…"
"Wait, you swam to France from London?" Harry asked, interrupting him.
"Yes, I swam. You see, as a vampire, breathing isn't a necessity," he answered. "When I got to France, I continued on through Europe, to the universities there. By night, I studied music, science, medicine – and I found my calling, my penance, in that, in saving human lives. I can't adequately describe the struggle. It took me two centuries of torturous effect to perfect my self-control. Now I am all but immune to the scent of human blood and I am able to do the work I love without agony. He finds a great deal of peace at the hospital."
"But you work as a professor at Hogwarts," Harry commented.
"I do, but only for appearances," he responded. Harry didn't understand that. "You see I am there more or less for Ella's sake." Carlisle could tell that Harry didn't understand. "What's happening to Ella is still unknown. The Hogwarts hospital staff does not have the means to treat vampires. Since I am a vampire and a doctor, I'm there in case something happens to Ella… something that you'll come to see over time." Harry nodded and left that subject alone. He already felt overwhelmed by what he's learned but he wanted to learn more anyway. "I did study in Italy for some time. It was there where I discovered that there were others there. They were much more civilized and educated than the wraiths of the London sewers. There were three men who are known as Aro, Marcus and Caius. They were nicknamed as nighttime patrons of the arts."
"What happened to them?" Harry asked.
"They're still alive, as they have been for who knows how many millennia. I stayed with them only for a short time, just a few decades. I greatly admired their civility, their refinement but they persisted in trying to cure my aversion to 'my natural food source' as they like to call it. They tried to persuade me as I did to them, but to no avail. At that point, I came back to London, hoping to find others to join my family. I was lonely but I found none. When the influenza hit, I was working nights in a hospital in London, I've been turning over an idea in my mind for several years, and he had almost decided to act – since I couldn't find a companion, I would create one. I wasn't absolutely sure how my own transformation occurred, so I was hesitant. I loath to steal anyone's life the way mine was stolen. It was in that frame of mind that I found Edward. There was no hope for Edward; he was left in a ward with the dying. I had nursed his parents and knew that I was alone. He decided to try and well, as you can see he's here with me." Harry had already eaten his meal while Carlisle was telling his story. It seemed that everyone was gathered around the nook listening to Carlisle's story. The only one that was missing was Ron.
"I think I should go check on Ron. He might be hungry and he's somewhat terrified of all of you," Harry said.
"Why would he be terrified?" Emmett asked.
"You're vampires and he thinks he's dinner," Harry replied. Everyone had to stifle their laughter as they saw Harry leaving the room to check on Ron. He approached the door and knocked before entering. "Ron, are you hungry? Esme and Carlisle made dinner for us. Don't you want to eat some food?"
"I'm sure that they poisoned it," Ron answered.
"I just ate it and I'm fine," Harry said. Ron was quite unsure what to do. He was hungry but he was terrified of the Cullens. "Come on, Ron, there's really nothing to be scared of. I'll be with you the whole time. Plus Ella and Edward will put everyone in place if the teasing goes too far."
At that moment, Ron's stomach angrily growled at him. "All right, I'll eat some dinner." They both left the room and went back to the kitchen. Harry and Ron had seen that everyone was sitting in the dining room, chatting away.
Esme saw them enter the room, "Ron, you must be starving. Why don't you sit down at the nook and I'll get you some food." Ron sat at one of the chairs by the nook and waited for Esme to heat up his dinner.