Harry had become a little bit obsessive about reading up about Dracula.

"It's crazy that muggles don't teach you this stuff." Ron said. "These people are our national heroes."

Harry nodded. On average the dark lord Dracual resurrecetd himself once every hundred years… only to be put down again by the very best vampire hunters in the world. And one of them was now their Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher."

"It's mad, isn't it?" Hermione asked. "We're all so concerned about Voldemort… but there's someone out there even more dangerous than him."

"Dracula doesn't have public support, though." Ron said, scowing. "You won't see the Slytherins worshipping him."

"Really?" Harry asked, surprised. "Why not?"

"Dracula hates all humans." Ron said. "Him coming back means that every creature of evil that has a bone to pick with humanity will try to destroy us all."

"Really?" Hermione asked. "Maybe House Elves will fight for their freedom, then?"

Ron glared at her. "That is the stupidest thing you've ever said."

She recoiled, looking a little shocked and put out. Harry thought it best to intervene.

"What kind of creatures?"

"The real nasty ones." Ron said. "Creatures like dementors… pure evil creatures that are incompatible with humans."

Harry felt a shiver run down his spine.

"He has dementors?"

"Of course not." Hermione said abrasively. "The Ministry has-"

"The Ministry's control over the Azkaban Guards is extremely limited."

The three whirled to see Charlotte Aulin standing right behind them, smiling serenly.

"P-professor!"

"I'm sorry, I couldn't help but overhear." She said kindly. "But since you're so curious… Perhaps I can answer your questions?"

Ron and Hermione looked at each other, and nodded.

"Excellent." Charlotte beamed, and then sat down next to them. A couple of passerby shot them surprised looks. "I hope you don't mind an impromptu lecture… but it is very important that you understand this."

She raised her finger and the blackboard on other side of the room began to slide over to them. Harry had known her for several weeks now, and had never seen her use a wand.

"Dementors are creatures born from despair and darkness. They are inherently tied to mankind's deepest evils and fears, and as such are perfect servants for Dracula. During times of strife, they absorb all of the despair and suffering of humanity and use it all to call forth Dracula's Castle."

A wry smile crossed her lips.

"That's how the Castle was summoned in the 40's, when it wasn't supposed to appear until 1999."

"N-nineteen ninety-nine?" Hermione stammered, looking horrified. "That's four years from now!"

"That is correct, yes. You will get to see the castle reappear in your lifetimes… but hopefully never again." A shadow crossed her face, but then she smiled.

"Dracula holds far more sway and influence over the Dementors than the Ministry does. By his very nature he can give them what they truly crave. The ability to torment people as they please."

Harry's hands balled into a fist. "No."

"I see that you understand the gravity of the situation." Charlotte said softly. "I have been told that you have mastered the Patronus Charm?"

"Yes."

"Excellent." Charlotte said, beaming. "I guarantee you, Potter… you will be saving more than one soul with that skill."

She stood up. Harry looked up at her.

"Most people have told me that I'm too young to need to learn something like that."

Charlotte looked down at him.

"When I helped destroy Dracula I was sixteen years old." She said. And then she walked away.

"Sixteen?" Hermione breathed. Her eyes were wide as saucers. "She was sixteen?"

"A lot of these vampire hunters are really young." Ron said. "They spend their entire lives training to kill Dracula. They say Maria Renard was ten year old when she did it."

"T-ten?" Harry said, aghast. "How iss that possible?"

"That's rich, coming from the boy who lived." Hermione sniffed. Harry gave her a startled look: He had momentarily forgotten that he had beaten Voldemort when he was one. "If you must know, Maria Renard was rescued by Richter Belmont. She didn't beat Dracula by herself-"

"Aulin didn't either." Ron said.

"Does anyone?" Harry wondered aloud. There was a very hefty silence.

"Simon Belmont did it." Ron said. "And then brought him back just to kill him again."

"Oh, you boys." Hermione said, growing impatient. "The instant we start talking about killing vampires you suddenly become interested in history." She stood up in a huff.

"It's cool, Hermione." Ron said defensively, as they quickly followed suit.

Harry followed behind the others as they argued. Something Hermione had said was nagging at him.

He had beaten Voldemort at one… how much of a threat was Dracula really compared to Voldemort?

Would all of this truly end in 1999?

…

Charlotte Aulin returned to her office. She had her nose in a book as she walked, and did not look up as she stepped through the door and shut it behind her.

"That might be bad for your eyes."

She blinked. Her eyes fell on a large boot on top of her desk.

"Keep your feet off of my things." She huffed.

Jonathan Morris grinned at her as he shifted his position. She set the book aside and glanced at him.

"What are you doing here?" She asked. "Julius can't be done with his training."

"The kid needs some time for himself." Jonathan said. "Lord knows I can't be with him every step of the way in 1999."

Charlotte nodded, a little bit apprehensively. Fifty years ago, when the ghost that had called himself Wind had told them of the great battle of 1999 that was prophesized to occur, it had seemed so far away that neither of them had seriously considered that they would live to see it. Their focus, at the time, was on defeating Brauner and the girls that they thought were his daughters.

But they had defeated Brauner, and Dracula too. Jonathan had gotten married and had four children of his own, while she remained an old maid dedicated to witchcraft. Both of them had survived, and the Day was fast approaching. Like Eric Lecarde and Jonathan Morris Senior before them, they were now training the next generation of Vampire Killers.

"How are the kids?"

Charlotte sighed.

"Innocently naïve." She said. "It's hard to believe that we were their age when we killed Dracula."

Jonathan grinned. "There's a kid here who might give us a run for our money."

"You mean Harry Potter." Charlotte said. "He shows no extraordinary talent."

"No?"

"Compared to Julius, not at all." She said. "My opinion is that his victory over Voldemort must have been nothing more than a fluke. The Headmaster disagrees, of course-"

"I would take Dumbledore seriously if I were you. The guy's been around forever."

She huffed at him.

"I'm the foremost expert in this field, Jonathan."

"Oh yeah, I keep forgetting." He said. "You'll always be a kid to me, you know?"

He was trying to annoy her.

"Regardless my opinion is sound, and the Headmaster hasn't done much to dissuade me on that topic." She said. "However… there is no denying… that Voldemort has returned."

Jonathan sat in silence.

"We can't involve ourselves, Charlotte." He said. "We can't allow petty squabbles between wizards get in the way of the bigger picture."

"I know, I know." She said, exasperatedly. "It's just… Voldemort may be responsbile for the castle reappearing. The timing certainly is interesting-"

"1999 is four years away-"

"Either Voldemort summons the Castle early or it will appear here of its own volition in 1999." Charlotte said. "I think… we have to seriously consider this as a potential element in the final battle."

Jonathan looked at her.

"What do you suggest we do?"

"I want to know more." She said. "Whatever Voldemort's relationship to the boy is, it must be sinister in nature. I want to be near him as the situation develops. Besides…" She cast a look at the wall, where the very first of Dolores Umbridge's Education Degrees was pegged on the wall. "The Ministry of Magic is causing problems here. I need to prepare these people for the return of Dracula. I suspect… with things the way they are… that a lot of these children will die if I don't do something."

He stood up.

"It's settled then." He said. "I'll focus on getting the team together. And you can focus on what you're doing here."

"Thank you, Jonathan." She said gratefully. "It means so much to-"

"Yeah, yeah." He said, sounding bored, as he made his way over to the fireplace. "Be sure to write."

"And say hello to Stella and Loretta for me."

And then he was gone.

…

Albus Dumbledore stared forlornly out of the window.

"This thing he searches for." He said quietly. "He calls it… the Dominus?"

Severus Snape nodded.

"Yes."

"Does it truly exist?'

"The Dark Lord believes it does." Snape said. "It is a series of three objects that, when used in conjunction, channel the power of Dracula himself."

"Three objects…" Dumbledore whispered. He twirled his wand in his hand and stared down at it. "Such a thing does not exist. The Dominus… I have never heard of such a thing."

"There is a small village in Romania." Snape said. "Where the blood of the Belmont family runs deep. In that village it is said that, over a hundred years ago, a witch used the power of Dracula himself to destroy his Castle."

"No records of such an event exist."

"But there is something curious: the woman hailed from The Order of Ecclesia. A small religious sect that did exist and did try to kill Dracula through unusual means."

Dumbledore closed his eyes.

"You believe the Dominus to be real."

"I do." Snape said. "But what form it takes and how it works I cannot say."

"If it's power is so great to defeat Dracula, than Voldemort must not have it." Dumbledore said. "I trust that you will keep me informed on this matter."

Snape bowed his head, and departed.

Dumbledore stared at the window. He was still twirling his wand.

Three Hallows. Three pieces of the Dominus. What did it all mean? Was there some kind of connection? What was Voldemort planning to do with such an artifact?

There was, perhaps, one man he could ask…

…

Charlotte Aulin stepped forward lightly. She pushed open Dumbledore's door and stepped inside.

"Good morning Headmaster-"

The vampire sitting in the room looked up at her.

She was so surprised she dropped the spell book in her hand. Without even really thinking about it, she cast a curse. The vampire turned to mist, and it exploded into the background.

"Now, now, Professor." Dumbledore chided. "this is my guest."

Charlotte stared at the man as he got to his feet and took a bow.

"I have heard much of you ,Charlotte Aulin." He said. "I am Alucard. A pleasure."

Charlotte stared at him, open mouthed.

"T-the Alucard?" She stammered. "The one who fought beside Trevor Belmont?"

"Yes…. And Richter as well." He said. "I'm told your partner had to fight his memory when he mastered the whip."

"Yes…. H-he did." Charlotte said. In all of her years, she had never been permitted a meeting with Alucard. She had known that he was a real person, and was actively establishing organizations all over the world to fight Dracula, but they had never met in person. He had not even contacted her when she and Jonathan had beaten Dracula in 1945. He had apparently seen Dracula rise and fall so many times during his lifetime that it did not even truly mean much to him anymore.

"What are you doing here?"

"I was questioning him." Dumbledore said. "Professor… have you ever heard of the Dominus?"

…

A/N

Just beat the Dominus Collection and got fired up to work on this again.

I would like to emphasize that I chose to NOT have Jonathan marry Charlotte because the original creators are adamant that it would not happen. So I have made the creative decision to have him marry Stella LeCarde instead. Charlotte never married, but she, Jonathan, and the sisters are all really good friends.

I struggled with where I wanted the plot to go for a long time, but now I'm super confident about where the story is going. Thank you all for reading.