Foreword: I changed Tepes surname in the previous chapter to Dracula. I found out Tepes means the Impaler while Dracula means the son/spawn of Dragon/Devil in Romanian. I'll change it later.
Warning: Non-Beta, pardon me for the typos or the screwed up grammar because English isn't my mother language.
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any franchise in this story!
The first of September in 1992 arrived after the long and tiring summer break. After I packed my effects, I was taken to the King's Cross by Clara and Natasha.
This time, Natasha followed us to the King's Cross because she wanted to bid her farewell to me. The freckled girl was still in a sour mood after she found out that she couldn't follow me to my private school. She had become a student in Junior High School close to the orphanage in Yorkshire. At first, she too wanted to enrol to Hogwarts but it was impossible because she was a muggle. I easily denied her wish by telling her that my private school only accepts students via invitation.
"Study hard, work hard, don't create trouble for the teacher and your friend," said Clara as she hugged me closely. I savoured the warmth in my chest as I hugged someone I had seen as my own big sister, even though I never said that aloud.
After I could turn on or off my Gamer's Mind skill, I had turned it off without further ado. I couldn't help savouring the freedom from expressing my feelings openly. The decade-long of living with constant calmness had made me forgotten how good to express oneself. Of course, many quirked their brows because I had been grinning disgustingly like a loon.
I found out that even after I turned off the Gamer's Mind, it still passively protected my mind from any attempt at mind reading or malicious thing to my mind. It was only the calming effect of my Gamer's Mind that had been turned off.
Speaking of my two escorts, the sole matron of my orphanage was wearing rather conservative attire consisted of a dark coloured blouse and a long, matching skirt. She donned a beige coloured jacket on top of her blouse. She also put on a pair of high-heeled strapped sandals. Meanwhile, Natasha wore a simple white one-piece summer dress with a cute, little teddy bear attached on the breast pocket and long ribbon around her waist tied in butterfly knot on her back as the accessories coming as a set with the dress. Her feet were protected by a pair of pink-and-white girl's shoes.
"Who did you think I am? I'm not someone who'll openly give trouble to the other. Just you know that my dorm's head who's also the teacher of 'Physic' favoured me so much!" I boasted with a smug smirk after Clara released me from her embrace.
But, really, how my mind ever came to the idea that Professor Flitwick related with 'Physic'? The only relation between them I could draw on was how Professor Flitwick was basically the enemy of all physics in this world. As the matter of fact, Professor Flitwick taught his student from levitating an object to making fruits doing tap-dance on the table with swish and flicks of a wand and unintelligible incantations. It was basically a blatant middle finger to the logic of physic that scientist followed zealously.
At the funny irony, I snickered, earning weirded looks from Clara and Natasha
"Uh, Big Sis Carla, am I the only one who's worried about Dias' health?" Natasha whispered in a worried tone.
"No, you're not the only one, dear," replied Natasha.
I rolled my eyes at that. Then, I bid my farewell to Clara and the unwilling Natasha. After being separated from them, I pulled my trolley to Platform ¾. As I expected, the Platform was crowded with students, both old and new, as well as their family.
Along the way, I was greeted by some acquaintances I'd made in the past year. After I climbed the iron steps, I immediately searched for my friends, I supposed they were. I used a wandless 'Point-Me' charm subtly to take me there. I followed in the destination my left index finger pulled me into. Soon, I arrived in the compartment where my clique was staying in.
The moment I entered the compartment, all attention focused on me. I found Holly was sitting between the Patil twins while Su and Hermione were sitting across them with the bushy haired brunette sitting near the window. What made me feel weird was the cold treatment from the girls. I was at lost when I saw that.
After I levitated my trunk into the rack above us, I bewitched the door with locking charm, anti-Alohomora charm and transfigured the handle like what I had done in the past. I then sat down near the door, next to Su.
"Now, why all of you treat me like I'm a criminal who has murdered your beloved pet?" I asked the girls.
They stared at me with dirty gazes. Holly was the only one who didn't look in my direction; she was watching the Platform ¾ through the window.
"Maybe, you have forgotten something important."
It was Hermione who had said that. I turned my sight to her and stared silently, bemused.
"Boys, all of them are same," Parvati said with a suffering voice, confusing me even further. Her distasteful look offended me if I need to be honest with myself.
Since I've turned off my 'Gamer's Mind' skill, I felt annoyance from the girls' unreasonable treatment. However, I considered myself as an adult among all of us. It would be unacceptable to my ego if I lost my patience because of the girls' childish treatment. In the end, I tried to remember what I've supposedly forgotten but I found nothing. However, the girls' cold shoulder treatment told me that I'd done something unforgivable.
"I give up," I raised my hand as I said that, "Tell me what I've done wrong till you all are treating me like this?"
The girls looked at each other in the eyes before they focused their attention on Holly. Speaking of the Girl Who Lived, she didn't deign my presence and treated me like I didn't exist.
I frowned at that. My mind slowly connected the dots. The reason behind the girls' cold shoulder treatment related to Holly. They assumed I've wronged her somehow. As matter of fact, we didn't even meet in the summer holiday. I then wrecked my brain a little more as I tried to gain insight to enlighten me of this event. It was after I realized that Holly's birthday was at the end of last July I finally realized the root of the problem. I couldn't help chuckling at their childishness.
"Really? You all are acting like this because I have forgotten Holly's birthday?"
At my light toned question, Holly stirred. She turned her sight in my direction and I held back my instinctive wince as I saw her cold gaze. It was like she was looking down on vermin. I then schooled my expression and gazed back to Holly. We had intense staring match; the tension spiked up in the compartment. The other girls even held down their breath. Inwardly, I thought a bit the reason for her unreasonable act. Why should she act like I have wronged her; it was only a birthday . . . Oh! I finally realized my fault.
Holly had never celebrated her birthday. As a matter of fact, she never had any pleasant birthday in the past decade. So, she should have felt her latest birthday as special circumstance because of the first birthday gifts she got from her friends. Unfortunately, I couldn't prepare any gift for her because of my business in Romania.
However, I was confused why she had this intense reaction just from me forgetting to send her a birthday's gift. Don't tell me she grew a crush on me or, God forbids, falls in love with me? That sounded surreal, though. Why should she fancy me? It wasn't like I tried to woo her in the past year. It was true that I had done my best to help her . . . Of course, that's the problem. She has grown a crush on me because I'd treated her with a care that was beyond the realm of friendship. It was like treating someone very precious, like family or something else.
I felt a headache crept into my head. I found another problem and it was related to women, again. It was just less than two weeks ago I've been forced to be Mina Dracula's fiancé. Now, I find another girl has a crush on me. Oh, joy!
Please, note my sarcasm . . .
Speaking of my undead fiancée, that vampire princess had moved into my neighbourhood last week. She had bought the biggest house near my orphanage and had visited the orphanage almost every day, much to Natasha's ire. The freckled girl realized Mina was her love rival at the first glance.
I didn't want to understand how a little girl below seventeen-year-old understood love or romance. As a matter of fact, I didn't want to waste my brain cells for that matter.
Although Vampire Ancestor wasn't a daywalker (a type of vampire that can walk under the sun) like the True Ancestor, they still could move under the sun. However, their statistics were halved because of the sunlight. For Vampire Nobles, they could only retain 1/10 of their statistics under the sun. On the other hand, the Lesser Vampires would burn out immediately under the sun.
Mina Dracula didn't go to King's Cross because there were too many wizards and witches in the vicinity; it also would get wrong attention.
But, I digressed since I was in the middle of another headache-inducing realization. This time was related to the Girl Who Lived.
I would dismiss Holly's silly crush if the effect wouldn't be so bad. She was still in a fragile state. A small feeling of being betrayed would return her back to her past self that hated males with passion. As a matter of fact, it could be worse, I supposed.
I hypothesized that the reason behind her growing crush was that of my kindness, attentiveness and care for her in the past year. It was quite reasonable for her who has hated males for long to feel more than friendship feeling after she accepted that not all males were bad and being treated like she was a precious thing. However, I never had any intention to make her into my lover. Not even a candidate. This was frustrating, to be honest.
I was tempted to tell her I already had a fiancée. However, I discarded that idea because it would open the lid of a can full of worms, so to speak. These noisy girls would try to find out who was my fiancée and if they found out that my fiancée was a vampire, somehow, it was going to be another problem I didn't want to deal with. Not including the fact that Britain's wizarding community was filled with the bunch of extremists and racists. It could be worse, I suppose. It was very clear from how they treated the muggleborn and the werewolves. I couldn't help imaging the troublesome days if my engagement with Mina Dracula came to light.
Yes, in the end, it was better my engagement with the vampire princess was kept as a secret until it was the appropriate time to bring it out.
Now, what shall I do to the Girl Who Lived? Of course, the TPO (Time, Place and Opportunity) gave me so many disadvantages and I could only continue to be friendly to her. In the end, my options were limited. First on the list, however, I need to apologize to her for forgetting her birthday.
"Sorry for forgetting your birthday," I apologized as earnestly as possible.
The Girl Who Lived seemed nonplused at that. She continued gazing me down with her cold gaze. I felt like a lowlife from her silent gaze. Please cease that look as soon as possible; I don't turn on my 'Gamer's Mind' at the moment and I don't think my fragile heart can take it any longer.
"In was very busy last holiday," I added. It wasn't a lie; I was really busy, "So, I've forgotten your birthday because of it. Sorry."
Holly said nothing.
It was Parvati who voiced others' curiosity. "What were you doing in the holiday, by the way?" asked Parvati.
"I have had business in Romania," I answered at once.
"Romania?" Hermione perked up, "That place is very good for a holiday. Nature is very fresh and there are many unpolluted highlands for hiking and camping. It's a good place to have a holiday."
I felt amused at Hermione's statement. If only she knows what I've done in that place. . .
"Romania, is it?" Padma chimed in, showing a disturbed expression which was mirrored by Su.
"I read a copy of the Magical Globe that there's something big has happened in there," said Su.
"The Magical Globe, excuse me, but what is it?" Hermione voiced her, my and Holly's confusion to the unfamiliar name.
"A name of the international magical newspaper," Parvati elaborated, "It's not like the rubbish known as Daily Prophet because it presents the fact of what's happening in the magical side of the world."
"I think, I'm going to subscribe one for myself," pondered Hermione loudly.
"I can help you if you want," Parvati offered her help, which was accepted by Hermione in a heartbeat.
"So, what's happened in the magical side of Romania, by the way?" inquired Hermione with a curious voice.
Su and Padma exchanged a gaze, silently communicating who'll speak. In the end, it was Su who explained what she'd found out from her copy of the Magical Globe.
"It's said that there has been a war between two large vampire covens and the numbers of the vampires spotted in Wallachia were beyond five thousand."
"Really?" Hermione blinked in disbelief. It must be a surprise for the girl when she heard a large number of vampires.
"Yes," Padma concurred, "It has been the biggest vampire movement in the past one and a half century. However, the strange thing, even by magical folk's standard is how the war ended in one night."
"How so?" Hermione pressed for an answer.
"Hermione," Su started, "In the history, magical or muggle, there's no war ended in a mere one night. It was strange enough that the winner of the conflict is the vampire coven in Wallachia. You see, the vampire coven that had invaded Romania brought more than five thousands army to attack the Romanian vampire coven and the Romanian vampire coven themselves was only around a thousand. It was beyond everyone's expectation that the Romanian vampire coven survived the attack. However, the way that all the invaders died with nothing remained is the reason behind the interest of many international magical organizations."
As Su explained to Hermione, I said nothing and listened to Su's explanation carefully. I was a bit nervous because of this subject. I had expected it would create a ripple in a worldwide magical community but I never expected it to be this big. Not only International Confederation of Wizards and Witches (ICW) took attention to this exceptional case. Other large magical organizations in the world also shifted their attention to this case.
In my stay in Dracula's castle, I only got detailed information about the international vampire circle. It didn't broach the subject of other large organization in this world. From Su's quick summary, I found out there were other large organizations such as the Veela Coventry in French, the biggest centaur herd in Mongolia (I didn't know why the small herd in Forbidden Forest stayed there and migrated to Mongolia), Taoist Association in China, Japanese's Onmyōji Organization (although they showed interest in the more simple and easy to use Witchcraft and Wizardry, Onmyōdō was still the main practice of Japanese's sorcerers), World's Biggest Shaman Tribe in Mexico, Alchemist Association in French, and many others.
The information shocked Hermione and Holly silly. It showed them that they were like a frog gazing the sky from the bottom of the well.
Since everyone in the compartment was the studious and curious type, the discussion spiralled around the known state of magical community in other countries. Even Parvati showed she had a bit of Ravenclaw-ish trait in her as she didn't find the discussion boring. In the meantime, the two Ravenclaws (Su and Padma) promised to give us the copy of the 'Magical Global' later. Hermione had also insisted Parvati to help her subscribing her own copy of the Magical Globe later. It would be a lie if I said I wasn't interested to subscribe one for myself.
"Speaking of the latest news, I found out that Malfoy's father has been missing in past week," exclaimed Parvati suddenly.
My attention immediately focused on that.
"What do you mean?" I asked a bit hastily.
"Why are you suddenly interested, Lustburg? Don't tell me you fancy the Slytherin's Queenbitch and worry about her condition?" asked Parvati back.
Holly, Hermione and Su attention immediately focused on me. The intensity in their eyes as they waited for my answer disturbed me so much.
"Of course, not," I replied without missing a beat, "I'm curious. Malfoy Sr — Lucius Malfoy, I mean — is rumoured to be the one who holds the rein of Magical Britain's politic, no? Well, it's a rumour, but there won't be smoke without fire, right? Anyway, if not for the light faction spearheaded by Headmaster Dumbledore, it's said that the dark faction should have been the one which controls Magical Britain. He was also rumoured as one of the Imperiused Death Eaters, no?"
After a small pause and nods of acknowledgement from the girls, bar Holly, I continued, "That's also a reason why I'm curious about his disappearance. Who knows what that man is scheming when he's somewhere unknown, right?"
The girls' became pensive for a moment until Parvati opened her mouth.
"Eh, who cares?" she shrugged her shoulder, "That's adult stuff. We're still children. Instead of talking about boring stuff, why don't we talk something fun?" said the energetic one of the Patil twins.
Inwardly, I breathed out a sigh, relieved. I had lied to them. My interest in the Malfoy is that of Lucius' scheme for the second year. In the series, he supposedly didn't disappear all of sudden and pulled the string behind the whole Chamber of Secret fiasco by slipping Tom Riddle's Dairy Horcrux into Ginevra Weasley's cauldron.
Without Lucius Malfoy, I couldn't get my hand on the Dairy Horcrux. The Tom Riddle's Dairy, the Gaunt House's Ring and Helga Hufflepuff's Cup were the remaining Horcruxes left. If I lost the easy access to the dairy, I needed to move my House-elves. However, I wasn't sure if that was a good idea. If I moved my House-elves Black Ops, I must erase the Malfoy's existence to keep my Black Ops' existence secret.
It would bring unnecessary trouble if I erased their existence early in the game. Lucius Malfoy was quite prominent and well-known figure in Magical Britain after all.
I decided to inquire about Lucius Malfoy's disappearance to Padma since Parvati blew me up because she lost interest in topic unsuited for prepubescents. Fortunately, the older of the Patil twin entertained my curiosity and answered my questions patiently.
It seems that Lucius Malfoy's sudden disappearance in past week had gained the attention of many sides; light, dark and neutral respectively. Padma didn't know the real state of Magical Britain's politic but she told me her guess which matched mine; Magical Britain's politic, more importantly, the dark faction, was shaken. There were wizards in the dark faction tried to gain control but it wasn't that easy. Padma also mentioned how the Regent Lady of Malfoy House stepped in the politic field. Although Narcissa Malfoy, nee Black, couldn't return back the order in the dark faction, she had stabilized the dark faction's condition enough. Or at least, it was what the Patil twins and Su had read from their copies of Daily Prophet.
After I felt satisfied by Padma's quick summary of what happened in Magical Britain in the previous summer, I decided to pull back from the girls' conversation.
I had taken a mental note to ask my House-elves to gather information about this strange occurrence. I then watched the girls shared their summer holiday. I found out that Su Li returned back to her paternal family's homeland in far-east (I remembered that I'd asked Su if she could teach me how to tap my Ki and manipulate it and mix it with Mana like how Chinese's Taoist did it and I hoped she had positive news for me), the Patil twins returned back to India and had meeting with their family in India and Hermione spent her summer holiday with her family out of the country.
It wasn't a surprise when Holly told the girls that she spent her holiday in her unpleasant relative's house. Padma and Su, who were very attentive and thoughtful girls for someone at their age, reminded Holly that their family wouldn't mind if Holly spent her holiday in their place next summer, or in the next Yule Break and Boxing Day. Parvati also showed her agreement with her older twin sister plan to bring Holly with them for the next holiday.
Couldn't accept the fact that she was left behind by the Patil twins and Su, Hermione also offered her place and stated that her parents wouldn't mind if she brought a friend back home ("They will be delighted when they meet you, Holly! You see, I never had a friends because the whole accidental magic and all . . ." she began to ramble.) In the end, Su was the one who stopped Hermione by covering her motor-mouth with her hand.
From my position as the observer, I caught the glimmer of happiness in Holly's green eyes. She seemed oblivious to the fact. It wasn't like she understood the concept of happiness like normal children on her age. Dursley had done a large damage to her mind and it was something worth respect as she hadn't become a bat-shite insane from Dursley's treatment or lack thereof.
The topic of conversation changed to their experience in Diagon Alley. I found out that the girls had owl-mailed each other to meet up in Diagon Alley in the same day, which was also the day when the fraud Gilderoy Lockhart had been signing his book: the Magical Me. With exception of Holly, all the girls in the compartment were fallen for Lockhart's charm. I didn't know what that idiot had done to gain Holly's ire so much. I made another mental note to ask Wonky, the house-elf I'd tasked guarding the Girl Who Lived, about the shopping details later.
For the reason that the other girls were gushing about how charming, how handsome, how gallant . . . Yada-Yada-Yada . . . about Gilderoy Lockhart, Holly had lost interest in the conversation. Then, she shifted her sight in my direction. Her exasperated gaze immediately became cold as it laid on me.
I was taken aback by the sudden change in her attitude. The other also realized that fact. They alternated their gaze between me and the Girl Who Lived, right before their face spoke their realization and gazed at me coldly too. I needed a moment to think their reason and I remembered that I had apparently dished Holly's first proper birthday.
With a heavy sigh, I focused my attention on the Girl Who Lived. I put on a faint, strained smile as I gazed at her apologetically. "So, will you forgive me for forgetting your birthday?" I asked with a weak voice.
With a flawless 'Tsun-Tsun' (as the Japs called it), Holly folded her hands on her torso and then threw her face away from my sight. She didn't forget to harrumph too. Truly, I would conjure a board with 10/10 written on it for her perfect Tsun-Tsun action if the mood wasn't serious.
I swept my sight to the girls whom I found out were looking at me like I was a vermin. With the more strained smile, I asked, "Any good idea to help me earning Ms Potter's forgiveness, ladies?"
One-by-one, the girls shifted their gaze away from me and continued their conversation like nothing happened. They even treated me like I didn't exist. I didn't know whether I should laugh or cry at their response. It was too much for my unprotected mind!
Being dished is really painful!
Girls . . . I found out they had become the source of my trouble lately. I couldn't help wondering if turning off the calming effect of my Gamer's Mind was really a good idea. . .
Author's Humble Note:
- I realized many people are quite depraved after I found out the outcome of the votes. Well, I should not have been surprised. . . but still . . .
- Since many voted for the Female Malfoys to be something more than Dias' professional attendant. It means they will become . . . what? Concubines? Mistresses? Slaves? Not sure. However, I decided to tweak the outcome slightly. Since Narcissa was an adult, there won't be a problem to twist her character into blond-haired version of Bellatrix (with Dias as her target of her obsession) albeit a lot hornier. Meanwhile, Lyra would act like more calm and in-control Bellatrix with crazy and wild imagination behind her Occlumency's barrier.
- Unfortunately for you lots who wish for lemon, NSFW, or whatever the hell pornography is called in this site; there won't be any sex-scene, yet. At least, please wait until they reach their fourteens (Fifteen seems a bit longer for the pacing of the story) before you wish that to happen. I'm not comfortable to write an under-aged sex.
- Next time will be the sorting, how Dias will react to adorable and quirky Luna and what in the Merlin's twisted undies Lyra's mind is filled with, 'kay?
- Thank you for your reviews and supports so far. The follower almost hit 4 digits in less than a month since this story was published. I'm DE-LIGHT-TED! THANK. YOU!