Answer to Guest review ''Thank you for starting this rewrite i really wantes to read the oroginal but i couldnt force myself to reas it because of it is so incoherent.''
Author: THANK YOU! Really. I know I had readers on The Purpose, but no one ever wrote any reviews. I know I'm writing this story for my own fun, but if I can have someone to like my story too, that's even better! I changed so many details, removed entire scenes and placed new ones. I also added a lot of inner thoughts of my main character. Again, all reviews are welcome to make this story always better! Just write your thoughts! Here's chapter 4.
Desire is the starting point of all achievement. Not a hope, not a wish, but a living, throbbing desire that transcends everything.
The Purpose, Rewritten Chapter 4 The revelation
June 24, 1939
Another summer alone. Seth had taken a portkey with Kathleen this time. When he arrived, he headed straight for his bed. He let himself fall on the mattress with a loud thud, which made a letter that was on his bed fly away. Curious, he dragged his body on the bed and looked on the floor where the letter had fallen. His name was on it, and it was in his father's very neat handwriting. He took it quickly and tore the envelope open.
My son,
We are doing well, and we hope you are too. Flamel made things easier with the Apparition and we should be home for a little while next Christmas. Your mother told me about what happened last year with the prisoner. It took a long time, but you have a new present waiting for you. With Flamel's help and his knowledge of this wizard's past and our abilities, we managed to capture him from his old prison. We have already taken the time to put a lot of his blood in vials ready in your room. Flamel likes to warn you about many things, and he urged me to tell you to be careful of his blood since he was considered the strongest wizard after Dumbledore: Gellert Grindelwald. It was he who imprisoned Grindelwald in his castle in Nurmengard. We had to place enchantments and runes that were in his own prison cells on top of ours so he couldn't harm our servants and you. Know that it is Lazarus who takes care of feeding him, since he is invulnerable to his manipulations.
May you have a great summer Seth.
Elena and Nathaniel
That explained the reason for Dumbledore's absence for the past few weeks. He looked up from the letter and looked at his chest of drawers in front of him. There were ten golden vials all placed evenly for him to pick up. Curious, he got out of bed and went to get one. He opened the first one and smelled it. It smelled very spicy, and it tickled his nose. It reminded him when he smelled Flamel's blood for the first time. Should he really taste this? Should he go to the wizard first? Seth put the cap back on and placed the bottle as it was on the dresser.
Again, curiously, he walked towards the prison. He opened the front door of the cell, and the man was there. He felt the suffocating magic coming from the man, but also from the prison. He knew immediately that the prisoner couldn't do magic. He was sitting with his back to the bars, his back to Seth. Long brown hair, dressed in white and talking to himself. He could smell the spices on him just like the blood he had smelled earlier. He had several cuts on his wrists, probably from blood drawn. He knew that the world war in the wizarding world was over, and the so-called ruler was now in front of him.
"Gellert Grindelwald." Seth said.
Gellert's head turned when he heard his name. He got up slowly and went to sit on his bed. Seth saw dried blood on the floor. The servants had tried to remove the previous owner's blood from the cement floor with great difficulty. A flash of him vomiting blood flashed through his mind. A hoarse voice broke his thoughts.
''A child? What's a kid… doing here?'' Gellert asked before coughing.
The light was dim, coming from a small window in the cell, and no one could see Seth's features except for his height, which was pretty small. Seth approached the cell and wrapped his fingers around the bars, the light in Seth's face. Gellert tried to laugh, but only coughed again.
"Of course, you're the child of that vampire, aren't you? You look just like him!' Gellert said in a honeyed tone. "A blood ritual, that's for sure."
Seth was almost theoretically 24 or 13 in the wizarding world. His body had grown in spurts since last Christmas, much to Seth's delight, and since vampires normally never age, his father still looked like he was in his early twenties when he was made vampire.
"Perhaps." Seth replied.
Gellert ran his hands through his hair and sniffled.
"What's going on with my blood, then? Who is it feeding?'' asked the wizard.
"You are a wizard. And you were a perfect target." Seth explained.
Gellert scoffed and licked his lips.
"So, I have better taste than the others?" he asked.
"Something like that." Seth said with a shrug.
"I don't think I'll last that long if you're already out of what they took." Gellert said with a laugh.
"No, I wanted to see you before taking one of the vials." Said the prince.
Gellert ran his hands over his face.
"So, is this for you? And I thought vampires always took straight from the source and loved that shit. And why me? Huh!?'' Gellert said standing up, angry and speaking louder.
He was very tall, over six feet tall.
"Aren't you strong enough to do it yourself? Are you going to stay in this body all your life, hm?" He continued pointing at Seth. "Do you want me to help you, maybe?" he added in a honeyed tone as he put his arm between the bars and waited.
Seth had taken a few steps back. He already found that Gellert was very good at manipulating him. Gellert had escaped aurors several times simply by speaking with guards, rallying them to him.
"I don't need your help, Gellert. I vaguely remember your story and you wanted wizards to roam the world freely.'' Seth said, thinking Gellert might have more in common in what he wanted for vampires.
Gellert withdrew his arm from between the bars to hit them repeatedly with his fists, creating an infernal racket.
''YES! THIS IS WHAT I WANTED AND I WAS SO CLOSE!'' Gellert yelled before sitting down on the ground. "And here I am, in another prison, and I'm... a source of food for a creepy teenager." Gellert said, letting out a mocking sigh and ran his hands over his face again.
"Dumbledore is a strong wizard. How did you lose to him?" Seth asked.
Gellert looked at Seth irritably.
"Don't talk about what you don't know, boy." Gellert replied dryly.
''No, it is true. I don't know your background, but… you might be useful, after all. Personally, I want vampires to be free too, since I am one. And, to top it off, I was born a wizard." Seth said, pointing his wand at Gellert after it slipped into the palm of his hand.
Gellert scoffed as he stood up and went to rest his forehead on the bars.
"What are you trying to prove to me, young man. You have my blood, I gave you my arm, and I am the prisoner here!" Gellert spat.
Seth's eyes darkened and his wand emanated heat in his hand. With a simple spell, he could prove his words to him. Could he do it?
"Crucio." The prince muttered.
The curse hit Gellert directly on his chest and he fell to the ground before going into terrible spasms of pain. The fresh wounds on Gellert's wrists began to bleed again and Seth stopped the curse. The dark magic had filled his body, making him euphoric. He bent down and grabbed Gellert's right arm through the bars, pulled him until his head and body hit the bars of the cell and licked up the blood that flowed. A few drops were enough to feel a torrent of magic flow through his body and reinvigorate him completely. The effect was ecstatic, and he momentarily lost his mind.
He released Gellert and left the cell. Back in his bedroom was a giant mirror next to his dresser and Seth stood in front of it, looking at himself. He had grown, he was about 5 feet tall, slim, and fit and hairless. He pointed his face with his wand.
"Tergeo." Seth said and the blood on his face disappeared.
Two more months ahead of him. He had to learn or do something during this time, again. He could fall from any height, he could run fast, he could blend into shadows, talk to animals, and had incredible hearing in addition to being a wizard. Maybe he should stop thinking about wanting more. His goal was to have equality between wizards and vampires. So how could he accomplish this? Become a minister? No, not that. Become king? …One way or another, it was going to happen one day. He sat down on the floor, his legs crossed, still in front of the mirror, and held his head in his hands.
Kill anyone who opposes him? Convince Gellert to join him? This thought made him laugh for a moment. Gellert had fallen from above, he had to recover from his crushing defeat while the world recovered from the war, just like that one of the Muggles.
The evident thing to do would be to rally wizards to their cause, but for hundreds of years, only Flamels and Goblins were their allies. His father had told him that part of the problem was that vampires were created and roamed free without their creators, creating these Zeliths, devoid of consciousness.
As for wizards, they seemed to like muggles too much. Muggles… Muggles should worship us, just like the ones on his island. There are too many on the planet and they are destroying it. Luckily they could be… the food source for vampires. Seth chuckled. He lay on his back with his arms and legs like a star on the floor. He thought for a moment of Grindelwald. He had allies, admirers… Seth thought he could ask him how he did it, but Gellert would most certainly want something. in return, like his freedom. He decided that he would read as many books as he could before school this time and would consult Gellert, seeing how hard he would try to manipulate him.
OoOoO
July 1939
The library was in a mess because Seth had opened so many books. He had put them in places and, remembering information in one book, left his book there and looked in another and so on. He thought he finally knew all of the vampire history from the oldest source he could find. A wizard had failed an experiment or ritual, this part did not say what experiment or ritual it was, as it was handwritten on an old parchment and was almost entirely erased. Seth thought it was most likely a ritual to increase abilities, including living a very long life. The word God and Morgulben were written on the sides. Did gods exists?
Flamel said the parchment was around 3000 years old, but he could be wrong. The wizard who had failed the ritual had felt the need for blood to sustain his life. He had lost his magical powers over time and developed new ones. His name was unknown and each time he sired a wizard, the wizard would have lost his powers, so most of the vampires thus spawned were Muggles from then on. His father himself had been sired by Emrick Vulken 500 years ago, and Emrick had been sired by a popular name known to the Muggle world: Vlad or Dracula. Seth had been the first to be born of vampires and to have magical powers. Their historian had written of this feat in a recent book, recounting Seth's life. The book was protected by a heavy spell that Flamel had cast. Seth had also read about the wizarding world and the recent war with Gellert Grindelwald, also following the many newspapers he wrote about. The capture and death of several of his disciples were mentioned there.
Seth thought Tom looked a lot like Gellert. Desires to prove to himself that he was better than everyone. He also had admirers, Seth saw it in the way others acted with Tom, only after two years.
If another Dark Lord were to arise, he might not want Grindelwald trying to take that place. A Dark Lord… should he let Tom become one? What was he supposed to do? Be by his side? Seth was going to become king and he had been raised by his father with all the same values, being those of loyalty to the Vulken family, justice and the power of their nation which was paramount, although difficult to have in the magical world.
He thought about the feelings he got from drinking blood or casting dark spells and knew that was something he would be very dependent on. He closed the book he had in his hands and the dust flew away. A book might be a good way to persuade Gellert to tell him what he wants to hear.
"He has very nice manners, this Grindelwald." Lazarus said behind him.
Seth chuckled.
"Has he ever seduced you, Lazarus?" Seth asked.
Lazarus licked his lips.
''Of course. Watching him eat one of those rare pieces of meat as he gives me one of his looks… mmm. I'm not sure your father made the right choice about who should feed him.'' Lazarus said. "Besides… he likes men, it shows."
"Because he knows you're not going to succumb to your desires." Seth said putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Hn. Every time I open the door to his cell, I feel his magic trying to attack me. He also twice tried to physically control me, but he didn't like the way I... countered. Normally, I respect the king's wishes, but I must admit that attacking him in turn was... inevitable.'' Lazarus said.
Seth chuckled again and removed his hand.
"Have you ever drunk wizard's blood before?" Seth asked.
''No. If he wasn't your prisoner, I don't think I could have held myself back for long. Especially… he is very interesting to listen to.'' Lazarus said.
"You will tell me so much. He's been the terror of the wizarding world for many years, Lazarus." Seth explained.
"Oh yes, I saw his memories in his blood. Hm…I could…assist you, my prince, if you feel like it.'' Lazarus said licking his lips again.
Although the idea was tempting, Seth couldn't imagine himself wanting help biting someone's neck.
"Thank you, Lazarus." Seth replied, dismissing the idea.
Lazarus shrugged and followed the prince to the dungeons.
"It's dark in here, it's not good for my complexion." Gellert mentioned when Seth and Lazarus arrived.
Seth suddenly had several ideas with his comment. He could easily get what he wants by giving accommodations in Gellert.
"How have you had such dedicated followers over the years?" Seth asked.
Gellert walked over to the bars.
"It's not hard when your desires are the same." Gellert said, cocking her head to the side.
But who would want vampires to be equal to wizards? Someone who would like their alliance...
Gellert stepped closer.
"What are your wishes, tell me?" Gellert asked in a low voice. "Are vampires treated fairly? You don't want that to change for the better? I didn't even know you existed." He continued.
''That is the problem. You do not know. We are not enough to be noticed. What the world has noticed are the Zeliths, these mindless beings driven mad by lack of blood and then putting us all in the same boat and branding us like animals." Seth said.
Gellert was silent for a moment and picked up the bars with his hands.
"You would have made an extraordinary ally… if only I had known. It's not...in my normality not to know." Gellert said, almost inaudible.
"What do you mean?" Seth asked.
"He's a seer, my prince." Lazarus said.
Seth suddenly realized why Gellert had been so efficient all his years, but he was still being supplanted by Dumbledore.
"Why was Dumbledore always one step ahead of you?" Seth asked.
Gellert pursed his lips and Lazarus chuckled. Seth turned to Lazarus and immediately understood.
"You and him? I can't believe it." Seth replied.
"Believe what? That Dumbledore isn't the saint you thought?
''No. Exactly the opposite. Behind his facade, when you know his past... he refuses to accept what he should be, when he should have been by your side. What happened?'' Seth asked with burning curiosity.
"Are you going to let me out of here?" Gellert asked.
Seth took out his wand and pointed it in various places.
"Lux pila." Seth said. Balls of light shot out of his wand and floated into Gellert's cell. "Every time I come, if you answer my questions, I will give you everything you want, except your freedom."
"Hn. How do you say… at your school? A real Slytherin? I can already imagine you're in that house…'' Gellert said letting go of the bars and going back to sit on his bed.
OoOoO
August 23, 1939
Gellert didn't give in as easily as Seth had hoped, but he learned more about Dumbledore's past than how to wage a war. Gellert managed to lower Seth's barriers, despite never opening his cell door without Lazarus with him, but only to give him his meal.
Once, a few days before school started, Gellert asked him to play chess with him. With Lazarus as the guard in the cell, Seth and Gellert got to play after Seth learned how.
After already a dozen games where Seth lost, he observed Gellert who opened a new game with the same movement every time.
"Your visions, how do they come to you?" Seth asked, mirroring the movement with his pawn.
"I don't ask for them. Most of the time, they come to me in reflections of mirrors, glass, or the reflection of water.'' Gellert said, moving his bishop three squares.
"And does that happen often?" Asked Seth who did the same.
"Not enough, of course, otherwise I wouldn't be here." Gellert said moving his knight.
Seth tried to imitate him, but after a few identical moves, Gellert took one of his pawns and saw that he couldn't imitate it.
"This game… you have to imagine all the possible scenarios to counter the opponent. That's what Dumbledore did, right?'' Seth asked as he was checked for the eleventh time. "It was the only way you couldn't see what he was going to do on election day…impressive. Even use a muggle to throw you off balance." Seth added.
Gellert replaced the chess pieces again.
"Want to try again?" Gellert said.
A door creak announced the arrival of a servant who held a bottle of wine and a goblet and handed them to Lazarus, who in turn placed them in front of Gellert.
''No, tomorrow. For now, I'm giving you another treat, which I'm sure you've been missing." Seth replied as he got up and walked out of the cell with Lazarus closing the door behind him.
The magic runes activated when it closed, leaving Gellert locked away as always. He picked up the unlabeled bottle of wine and removed the cork before smelling the aroma with delight. He poured himself a glass and swirled the liquid before drinking it, closing his eyes in contentment.
"They're going to drive me crazy." Gellert muttered.
OoOoO
September 1, 1939
On the train, Seth was very happy to see his young friends again. Yaxley and Nott, the lifelong friends who hung out with them, talked happily about their summer and how exciting third year should be with the new classes. Yaxley was looking at him with a little too much intensity. Seth frowned.
"Yaxley, do you want a picture of me?" Seth asked.
Yaxley's ears turned red, and Seth wondered why he could hear his heart beating faster.
"Corban, it's okay, I was just teasing you a little. You should change, we're almost there.'' Seth said to Nott and Yaxley who didn't have their wizarding school robes on.
Seth smiled at the thestrals who led them to the castle. The welcoming ceremony was again the same and the feast began with the usual uproar of laughter and conversation. Seth spoke quietly with Tom.
"My parents should be home this Christmas but not for long…maybe…maybe you'd like to join me?" Seth asked.
Now that everyone knew who his family was, he knew he could invite people over without having to make big reveals. Since Tom was still staying at Hogwarts because of the orphanage, he thought he might have a better time than staying in school.
"Do you have any books that we don't have here? Have the wizards you know left some for you already?" Tom asked.
Knowledge. Nothing interested Tom more than knowledge, and Seth gave a knowing little smile.
"You want to bet on who reads the most, Tom?" Seth grinned.
Tom shared his laugh briefly and looked at the staff table. Seth followed her gaze. The teachers were drinking, laughing and Dumbledore had a cylindrical object in his hand which suddenly exploded, and confetti flew and landed on the food and on the teachers' table, causing some of them to laugh at the transfiguration teacher.
Seth had taken Care of Magical Creatures and Ancient Runes and Tom had also taken Ancient Runes, but also Arithmancy. Yaxley had taken the same as Seth and Nott the same as Tom. Seth had an affinity with all creatures and seemed to be able to talk to them and the first lesson they had with the unicorns, he recognized the one he was always petting in the clearing. She had had a baby who had golden fur. Seth hadn't even waited for the teacher, Sylvanus Kettleburn, to tell them about unicorns and had already started petting her and whispering to her. Kettleburn made a move to stop Seth but let him when the unicorn seemed happy to be with him.
"Uh, yeah, so unicorns don't really like human contact, but are generally more comfortable with girls." began the professor.
''You see ? Vulken looks quite like a girl!" A Gryffindor said with a laugh.
His comment made the other Gryffindors laugh. The Slytherins sneered back at them.
"How about you shut your mouth, Weasley? You'll scare them away with your smell. '' Orion Black said.
The professor sighed.
"Enough kids, bullying will not be tolerated under any circumstances." He said pointing to Seth. ''Mr. Vulken has the right approach to all magical creatures here, he took the time to show his hands and the unicorn accepted his approach, rather… easily. You still impress someone as usual. Ten points for Slytherin.'' Sylvanus said and Seth gave a small smile.
Of course, the students would have laughed at his appearance sooner or later. Seth liked his long white hair, just like his father's, and his face was effeminate because of his vampire features. He picked up a brush and ran it over the snow-white fur of the unicorn, which whinnied with delight. The professor had continued his lesson by talking about how to take care of unicorns and also about their magical properties.
"Your first assignment will be to write 40cm about their magical properties and what they are used for." Finished Sylvanus.
Corban approached Seth and nudged him.
"Hey, you're not going to let Quidditch tryouts go again this year, huh? Our Seeker is really pitiful...'' Corban said as he stroked the unicorn.
Quidditch wasn't something he really cared about, since he preferred to read books a hundred times better while everyone else was away. But…he also thought that if he was the Seeker of Slytherins, he wouldn't be able to resist using his vampiric abilities to win every time and maybe it would draw too much attention to himself.
"Tryouts...it's tomorrow, right?" Seth asked and Corban grinned.
''Yes ! And besides, I try myself as a beater. I spent the whole summer there with my brother," Yaxley said.
His brother, Callum Yaxley, had started his first year and had been placed in Slytherins as well. They looked so alike that they looked like twins. The only difference was a scar that ran across Callum's face. Corban had explained that his mother died giving birth to him and that the spells that had been used to try to keep her alive retaliated against the fetus.
Since then, Callum had not had it easy with their authoritarian and extremist father on many subjects. Even Corban had confessed to still resenting Callum for their mother's death, but he still found a way to have fun with him.
OoOoO
The students talked more about Seth again in the hallways and the girls giggled when they saw him.
"He can see thestrals!"
"I wonder who he saw dead."
"Do you think his parents killed someone in front of him?"
"Did you see how nice the unicorns were to him."
And the chatter never seemed to stop.
"Have you seen the nifflers? It was covered in gold so easily!'
Seth sighed. He had attracted attention again.
"Are you having trouble with girls now, Seth?" Tom said.
Seth looked at Yaxley who was talking to Black and Nott at another table in the common room. He could hear them talking about him and Seth growled. He had tried out Quidditch as Corban had so wished, and he had caught the snitch in record times never seen before. The first Quidditch match was in a few hours, and he knew full well that no one was going to attend the shortest Quidditch match in history.
"Not just the girls apparently. '' Seth said and Tom let out a mocking laugh.
Flying through the air, hovering, he looked at the Hufflepuff Seeker in front of him and she gave him a fierce glare. Seth shook his head and looked away, where the snitch twirled around a tower at the edge of the field. Without counting on the sensitivity of his hearing where, concentrating on the golden snitch, he could also hear its rapid wings, he saw with an eagle's gaze everything that was around him. The frantic heartbeats were smothered by his will, using his magic to focus his aim. Edgard Hooch tossed the quaffle into the air, and as soon as it came down and the players twirled around on their broomsticks, Seth sped off, straight for the snitch. The snitch tried to scoot behind the tower again, but Seth heard its wings hover, and it slowed down just before turning and grabbed the rung of the tower in order to spin faster with the broom and a second later the golden snitch was in his hand. He swooped towards the flight teacher in midfield and landed beside him, brandishing the snitch between two fingers. Edgard had his mouth open, about to mount his broom. Thunderous shouts erupted from the bleachers and Abraxas' voice announced the winners.
"Slytherin wins! 150 points to 0! 47 seconds into the match is unheard of!" Malfoy yelled enthusiastically, his wand pointed at his throat, making it normal again.
Seth dropped the snitch and headed for the locker room. He took off his gloves when his teammates stormed into the locker room screaming. Seth put his hands over his ears and closed his eyes, irritated by the noise. He cried out as he felt himself being lifted into the air by two sixth and seventh year Slytherins.
"Vulken! Vulken! Vulken!''
The screams still echoed in his ears as he laid his head on his pillow later that day. Normally, Slytherins were quite calm and composed, but the joy of winning had made them lose their minds.
"Come on please, Seth, how did you do it?" Corban asked for the twentieth time.
"I'll never tell you, stop pestering me." Seth replied with a sigh.
"You took a potion, confess it, huh!" Orion said. "Or you cast a spell on your eyes! Anyway, if it continues like this, Hooch will examine you before the matches and we will find out!''
Seth was suddenly very scared. The transfiguration spell on his ears and eyes wouldn't escape anyone's Finite Incantatem. Although he could hide his ears under a headband, the color of his eyes would be different. He then wondered if Professor Hooch knew more than what was said in the Defense Against the Dark Arts book. He didn't even mention the color of the eyes, and he suddenly thought that the professor might understand a lie that he was also hiding his eye color.
For the next matches, he had decided that he would wear a headband and tie his hair. He had refused to participate in Quidditch practices, and the captain had relented, since all he cared about was winning, and if Seth did what he had done again, he would leave him alone. Everyone in Slytherin suddenly seemed to forget the rumors about him and praised him. All for catching a snitch.
Seth also participated, every Tuesday evening, in the dueling club. He was surprised by Abraxas Malfoy's skills, since only he and Tom could make him lose his wand. Professor Flitwick, who organized these evenings, jumped on the spot after each duel.
As Orion had predicted, Hooch had asked for him in a room near the locker room, alone. Only he was accompanied by Dumbledore and Headmaster Dippet. He tried to remain impassive.
"You see me very sorry, Mr. Vulken, but your exploit of the last match leaves us no choice but to verify that you have not ingested substances that can help improve your performance. Although you are only in third year, it is also necessary to know if you have changed your physical abilities with transfiguration, or charms. Can I have your wand to start please?' asked Professor Hooch.
Seth hadn't put his wand in his locker room since Hooch had asked him to bring it. He handed it to him, and he did several tests, wanting to know what the last spells had been done in the last 24 hours. He hadn't taken off his transfiguration on his ears or on his eyes for more than a week. Although Professor Hooch saw nothing wrong with all the spells cast, he sighed. Hooch pointed his own wand at Seth.
"Finite Incantatem." Hooch said.
Seth felt his ears lengthen, but they were tucked behind the headband and wisps of hair were peeking over them. On the other hand, the three professors stared at him. His eyes were now an icy blue. Hooch looked at the Headmaster and Albus.
''What does that mean ? Explain yourself!" demanded Hooch.
Seth took a deep breath, having repeated the lie several times in his head.
"You know the controversy about me and my family because of my name..." Seth began and Hooch nodded. Albus just frowned and the Headmaster blinked. "Well, since my parents adopted me and changed my physical appearance to look like theirs by performing a blood ritual, my eye color is like theirs. I didn't want to be judged on my appearance any more than it already is, and I changed my eye color to a more...normal blue." Seth explained looking dejected.
Seth knew that Hooch and Dippet believed him instantly, but not Dumbledore, whose gaze still was on Seth who looked away while Hooch returned his wand to him. Hooch shook his head, still unable to believe it. He cast another detection spell on Seth before chuckling lightly.
"Well, either you are extremely talented or extremely lucky, Mr. Vulken. I can see that you are not using illicit substances to make your comrades win and that no spell was on your eyes, since the opposite should have happened.'' Finished Hooch before leaving the room.
The Headmaster followed him, and Dumbledore stayed for a moment.
"You should put this transfiguration back on your eyes before you go out, Mr. Vulken. I understand your discomfort very well and if I hadn't seen you eating like everyone else, we would have a whole other conversation.'' Dumbledore said with a serious tone. "Know that I respect the differences between all men. Nothing like a beautiful diversity in this world to make it interesting.'' He added before leaving, followed closely by Seth who smiled behind his back.
The game was no different from the last. Seth had seen the snitch in the flowerbeds near the ground. His gaze returned to the Gryffindor Seeker, a certain Abbott. He might would have found a charm in this teenager if he didn't have a scowl on his face right now. When the Quaffle was thrown, Seth dove towards the ground, dodging the players who had just swung towards the Quaffle.
He was racing towards the ground, but although he knew how to maneuver his broom, he didn't know if he would straighten his broom enough for what he intended to do, so, a few feet above the ground, he jumped of his broom and grabbed the snitch as it landed.
Twenty-one seconds.
A silence fell in the stands and the players stopped playing. Edgard hadn't bothered to pick up his broom, he walked straight to Seth.
"I watched you. It's impossible to tell where the snitch was so quickly, Mr. Vulken. Where's your wand?' Edgard asked.
Seth blinked and raised his eyebrows.
"In my locker room, sir." Seth said.
Even if he was telling the truth, Seth realized that he had robbed everyone of the hustle and bustle that a Quidditch match could bring. The Players had moved closer to Seth and Hooch, wondering what to do, hovering on their brooms.
"Vulken. You'll just have to wait before taking that golden snitch next time…'' Said the Slytherin captain, John Flint. "But...we won, right?" He added with a smile.
Hooch pointed his wand at his throat.
"Slytherin wins! 150 points to 0!'' Hooch said before lowering his wand and leaving.
Shouts of joy were heard from the stands, although they were less enthusiastic than the last time. Seth let go of the snitch, but it continued to spin around him.
"That's a new snitch that one, Vulken, he'll follow you anywhere unless you give it back to Hooch." Flint explained as they headed to the locker room.
''Interesting. I'm going to keep it as a souvenir, since I'm going to listen to you and just wait for you to ask me to catch it, for the next games. I think everyone will like it if I do that." Seth said.
OoOoO
December 22, 1939
The holidays were approaching, and that meant Seth would be seeing his parents. Tom had taken the train with Seth.
"I prefer to tell you now. I live in a big castle and there are muggle servants. I don't think we'll see my parents before Christmas.'' Seth said.
"Muggle servants." Tom repeated with some interest. "You mentioned it before. I didn't know what house-elves were until Nott mentioned it."
Again, Kathleen had brought the portkey and was delighted to meet Tom. They were transported directly to the main hall of the castle. Seth hadn't taken the charms off his ears and eyes yet, and he didn't want to do that until necessary. Tom could hardly contain his amazement at seeing Seth's house.
"That's just the main living room. Hogwarts is at least twice as big, but here, there's a side entirely dedicated to hu… muggles." Seth explained.
"You can say human if you want. I can't believe being raised by vampires hasn't impacted the way you speak.'' Tom said blandly.
His tone of voice suddenly made him think of Gellert, who was still in his prison. If Tom were to find out, he would definitely ask questions, but Seth thought he would love to have someone like Tom who knew all about him and could help him accomplish what he wanted for his nation. He showed Tom the main rooms and where he would sleep.
"Do you want to see the library before you eat?" Seth asked.
"Of course." Tom replied.
Tom's eyes twinkled mischievously. He followed Seth where they passed several servants, who curtsied as they passed, and was taken to the library Seth had told him about. Seth gestured to the chair in front of a giant window.
"Take your time, this chair is very comfortable," Seth said.
The servants had cleaned up all the mess he had made over the summer, and he was rather glad they had, since pages had been opened at specific historical times.
"I'll be outside, Tom, if you need anything snap your fingers and the servants will come." Seth said and Tom nodded already looking at a book.
He went out through a nearby door and breathed in the pleasant winter air. He walked along the beach, away from Tom and any heartbeat. He thought everything was going pretty well with Tom. He never talked much, but Seth could still sense Tom's emotions, so he didn't need him to talk anyway. The icy ocean water hit his bare feet and sent shivers through his body. He walked away from the ocean and wiped his feet with a spell. The sun set over the ocean and made the sky very colorful. His stomach growled with hunger. He took a bottle out of his pocket and emptied the contents. Although a real meal would help, he instantly felt better and felt like he could have moved a mountain. No matter how many times he drank Gellert's blood, he was ecstatic each time and worried that he couldn't control himself. This year had been difficult for that, and he had started drinking the blood in the middle of the night, while he was in the forest, far from everyone.
He had not seen the time pass and decided to return to the castle. He could still feel Tom's aura in the library but as he went to fetch him, he saw that Tom had fallen asleep with a book in his hand. On a table near him were several empty wine glasses and an empty plate. Seth groaned and snapped his fingers. He didn't need to tell them what to do and they cleaned up around Tom right away. At least he had eaten, and apparently drank too.
"Tom." Seth whispered.
Tom didn't move. Should he take him to his bed? Or leave him there? Seth hesitated but thought that if Tom wanted to go to bed, he would wake up and go on his own. With that thought, Seth went to his room for the rest of the night, but asked for a meal to be brought to him.
OoOoO
December 23, 1939
Footsteps woke Seth. He took his wand from his pillow and cast a Tempus. It was four o'clock in the morning. He recognized Tom's scent and quickly put his transfiguration charms on him before opening the door.
"Tom?" Seth asked.
Tom hadn't changed, still wearing school robes.
"There's a book I can't touch." Tom said.
The only book protected by spells was that of the historical biography of the vampires.
"It is the historical compendium of the Vulken. Are you interested?" Seth asked, frowning.
"Why is it protected this way? There are some very advanced runes and an enchantment that I don't know about…but you have books on dark magic readily available.'' Tom mentioned.
Tom looked at him oddly.
"Family secrets are the most precious things you can have, Tom, don't you think?" Seth asked.
Tom stared at him for a moment and smirked.
"Surely, yes." Tom replied.
Seth looked him up and down.
"Do you want clothes to sleep in? Or to start your day?" Seth asked.
"I've slept enough." Tom said before going to the guest room.
Seth understood that he didn't need any help and that he was going to change. Seth took the opportunity to change too. A knock on his door was heard before it opened.
"My prince, I have prepared new vials in your absence. They're in your dresser…I didn't want them to be seen by your guest.'' Lazarus said.
''Good. Thank you, Lazarus.'' Seth replied.
Lazarus bowed and left his room, followed by Seth. He offered Tom to tour the island on horseback when he arrived in the living room.
"It's cold." Tom said.
For some reason, Seth wondered why Tom didn't do heat spells on himself.
"Heat spells." Seth replied with a smirk. "Come on, come on."
"I...I've never ridden a horse." Tom said.
''I suspected a little. You can ride with me." Seth replied.
Seth started walking towards the stable and Tom followed him despite himself. The servants were still asleep, so Seth prepared the horse himself with a large blanket and put on the bridle. He whispered sweet nothings to the horse before pulling him out of his box. Then he leapt onto the horse gracefully under Tom's inquisitive gaze.
"How could you jump so high?" Tom asked suspiciously.
"Magic!" Seth laughed with a shrug and held out his hand to Tom who hesitated. "Come on, take my hand and I'll put you behind me."
Tom sighed and grabbed Seth's hand before he got pulled up sharply and placed behind him. Seth squeezed his legs, and the horse began to move forward, which caused Tom to put his arms around Seth in reflex to hold on. For now, he went slowly to let Tom get used to the movements of the horse.
He slipped his wand into his hand and muttered heat spells at himself, Tom, and the horse just before they exited the stable. Light snow was falling from the sky.
"Why can't the Ministry see the spells you perform?" Tom asked.
So, that's why Tom did not do the spells himself.
"The island is overloaded with magic and the beaches have so many enchantments that it is impossible for them to discern any spell here. Besides, we're not really in the same country." Seth explained.
''I can perform magic here?'' Asked Tom.
''Yes, you can.''
The horse walked slowly towards the plain through the snow that covered it.
"What's the fun of riding a horse?" Tom asked.
"You'll see in a moment. I advise you to follow my movements when the horse begins to gallop otherwise you will be tossed about in all directions. You have to squeeze your legs together when you feel like you're bouncing, okay?" Seth explained.
In response, Tom hugged Seth even tighter, and Seth smiled. He appreciated Tom's closeness, having not been allowed to have friends before starting Hogwarts. His only kind of friendship had been vampires who were too old and too respectful for his taste. Only Darthael was pleasant because he acted as if Seth was a brother, not a ruler. Darthael ran a bar in London, but that was all he knew. Seth squeezed his legs again and the horse started to trot. He waited for Tom to follow the movements before whispering to the horse to go faster.
Galloping on a horse was one of the things that made Seth extremely happy. It was way better than running anyway. To feel the wind in your hair, feel the strength of the horse and its happiness to be free. Vulken Island was beautiful: devoid of chemicals, pollution, and filled with magic and spells meant to ward off Muggles.
They arrived at the marina where containers and cargo carriers were located. A cargo boat was stationed there and workers were placing thing on and out of it.
"What is all this?" Tom asked.
"The place where we receive Liverpool merchandise. Although we have greenhouses in the winter to feed us, we buy a lot of food and equipment of all kinds from elsewhere.
"Do they all know about… about your family?" Tom asked.
''The workers, yes. Steven and Galéa, the two vampires who take care of the inventory and the protection of the marina are telepaths. The humans are aware that some magic exists to protect the island, but they've all been raised here for generations and have absolutely anything they want, as long as they serve us blindly. My father told me that it was different during the reign of Emrick, the one who sired him.'' Seth said.
"How so?" Tom asked, his breath hot on Seth's neck.
Seth steered the horse to the first container and Steven suddenly appeared, startling Tom.
"Because Emrick was a bully." Steven said in a smooth voice.
"All the stories Muggles know about vampires are because of Emrick and Vlad the Impaler. Humans escaped from the island and tried to convince other people of our existence. Of course, three hundred and fifty years ago, it wasn't easy to come here let alone try to get out of here alive if you weren't welcome..." Seth said.
Seth felt Tom move as if laughing silently. Steven stared at Tom with his icy blue eyes for a moment and looked back at Seth before curtsying briefly. The sun was beginning to illuminate the sky with its colors.
"Nin cóon, ho golodh cin na- a lamia, ho ped- na i gador in i dú." Said Steven in Venthyr.
A shiver ran down Seth's spine when he heard those words.
''What did he say?' demanded Tom dryly.
Steven smiled mischievously and nodded in greeting before heading back to the workers. Seth turned his horse toward the castle.
Venthyr translation
"Nin cóon, ho golodh cin na- a lamia, ho ped- na i gador in i dú."
"My prince, he knows you are a vampire. He spoke to the prisoner during the night.'
