"The Dominus?" Charlotte repeated, puzzled. She looked in between them. "I've never heard of such a thing in my life."
"Yet Voldemort believes it is real." Alucard said, his voice heavy. "A fact that concerns me greatly. Voldemort is not one to put his faith blindly in legends and fairy tales… no. Whatever the Dominus is, it must exist."
"A weapon that uses Dracula's own power against him…" Charlotte murmured. "Such a thing would be extremely dangerous."
"You and I are of one mind, Charlotte." The Headmaster said heavily. "If such a thing exists, and is sought by Voldemort… that would suggest he intends to unleash Dracula's wrather upon the world once again."
"Voldemort was never a Dracula worshipper." Charlotte said, glancing towards Alucard.
"That is correct." The vampire said, nodding at her. "Voldemort believes that wizards- particularly those of Pure Blood- should rule over all others. He even calls himself Dark Lord… a title in imitation of my father, no doubt." Charlotte could hear a tinge of contempt in his voice. "He intends to use my Father's power… not serve him. A dangerous idea. Few would be foolish enough to attempt it."
"But Voldemort is no ordinary man." Dumbledore said, a little bit wistfully. "Do not underestimate his depravity, Alucard. Many in our world today fear him more than your Father."
Alucard's eyes flashed. But before he could respond Charlotte quickly stepped in.
"Dracula hasn't been revived at full power since the 1800's." She said quickly. "It's been so long that people have sort of forgotten how terrifying he can be."
Alucard's expression was dark.
"They will soon learn." He said. Charlotte felt a shiver run down her spine. "1999 approaches. On that day, mankind will see Dracula at his absolute most powerful. And then… mankind and the forces of darkness will meet for one final battle."
Charlotte stared at him.
"I daresay…" Dumbledore said. "That Voldemort's actions may be the catalyst for Dracula's Resurrection in 1999. We must understand his intentions."
Alucard nodded. He stood up.
"I will visit the city of Wygol." He said. "If I can learn any more about this Dominus, and the woman who used it… perhaps I can get to the bottom of this."
"Would you like me to come with you?" Charlotte asked anxiously. "Sending a vampire to a village full of Belmonts sounds like a bad idea…"
Alucard shook his head.
"I'll be fine." He said shortly. "You need to focus on what is happening at this school. You are a scholar, are you not? If you can find any records of the Order of Ecclesia… it would be a great help."
"I'll certainly try." Charlotte said. "Be careful."
Alucard nodded. To her great shock his entire body shifted into mist, and he slowly moved his way up out of the office and through the open window.
"I'll start now." Charlotte told Dumbledore. "Oh, I just hope I don't fall behind on my lesson plan."
Dumbledore's glasses glinted.
"You'll do just fine." He said. "I must say… you have done doing a very fine job."
…
The Death Eaters stood in a circle. Those few that remained to serve Voldemort in the early days of his return to power had spent the past several months preparing for this moment.
"Bring me the girl." He had commanded.
The girl had been dragged out of her hiding place in Malfoy Manor and lay bare naked on top of the dais. Her long black hair fell across her body in waves. The Glyph that had kept her in suspended animation for over a hundred years was still floating high above her head.
Voldemort raised his hand. The Glyph began to twist about her head, to writhe and twist, and then it shattered.
The girl opened her eyes.
"Who dares awaken me?" She asked. Her voice was hard and emotionless. "The Day has not yet come… for the Final Battle."
Voldemort looked at the girl.
"You are Shanoa." He said. "The girl who used the Dominus."
"I am." The girl said. She sat up and looked at him. Her eyes narrowed.
"You are not on the side of good." She said.
Voldemort chuckled.
"Good, evil, there is only power." He said.
"No." Shanoa said quietly. She slid her bare feet onto the stone floor and stood up to her height. "Power can be used to protect, or to destroy. Good or evil, it is nothing more than a tool to be used."
Her back tattoo began to glow with a radiant light. Dark black wings began to sprout from her back.
"Let me show you, then, the power of good!"
Voldemort raised his wand. Shanoa let out an intense scream as her wings vanished. She fell to her knees, gasping.
"You are in no condition to fight me." Voldemort sneered, as he stepped up to her. "Not after you rid yourself of the Dominus, the only weapon you had that could destroy Dracula."
Shanoa glared up at him hatefully through her long black hair.
"You hid all three pieces throughout the land, hoping that they would remain undisturbed until the final battle." He said. "And then you placed yourself in suspended animation, awaiting the day that you could fight Dracula once again…"
Shanoa glowered at him.
"How do you know these things?" She demanded. "Who are you?"
"I am Lord Voldemort… the man who will surpass Lord Dracula and become the new ruler of Castlevania!"
Shanoa screamed. The three pieces of Dominus sprung up around him as he spoke, and intense rays of light began shaking towards her.
"You are a catalyst for Dracula's power." Voldemort said. "As long as I have you, I can summon Dracula's Castle wherever I wish."
His smiled widened as Shanoa's screamed intensified.
"There is a place." He said softly. "A place I have wanted to make my entire life. My own castle, A place where I can rule all those that come after me. I desire Hogwarts School of Witchcraft of Wizardry to be MY CASTLE!"
…
Dolores Umbridge smiled to herself as she lay down in her bed. Although there had been a bit of a mishap in regards to the Defense Against the Dark Arts position… She had quickly been able to petition the Ministry to get her more authority as the High Inqusitor for Hogwarts.
It was only a matter of time until this school was entirely under her cont-
She let out a shriek as the Earth beneath her began to rumble and shake. Her bed split in half, and she lay in a heap as she stared up at the ceiling.
What in the world had happened?
Before she could even process it, the window burst open. A laughing Imp carrying a lantern and a trident came barreling in, wildly darting around her room. Her precious plates fell to the ground, and her curtains were torn-"
"Stop it!" Umbridge screamed. "Stop it!"
The imp turned and looked at her. Without a moment's hesitation it darted forward, raising its trident high. Umbridge raised her hand and shot it with a curse, immobilizing it instantly.
She rolled out of her broken bed and hurriedly made her way over to it. It stared up at her with beady eyes as she raised her heel and crushed its head with her foot.
She could hear screams and panic in the halls: Things were flying by her window, and it wasn't long until another creature stepped inside.
It was a Harpy, bare breasted and wild haired. It shrieked at her as tried to claim through her window- Umbridge blasted it back out again with her wand.
"What is the meaning of this?" She demanded shrilly. "What-'
She glanced at the window, and her heart stopped.
It was like another castle had been built on top of Hogwarts. Dark towers twisted and writhed around the warm, inviting ones of Hogwarts. What had yesterday been empty space had become taken up with a dark, sinister looking structure that oozed malevolence.
Umbridge knew what she was looking at.
Dracula had returned.
"Professor AULIN!"
She tore out of her office and into the hall.
…
It was pandemonium.
Harry and Ron had been sleeping in the fifth year's boy's dormitory when the fire began to fill the room. Downstairs a giant Flame Demon was wreaking havoc in the common room, shooting flames every which way and enveloping the entire room in flame.
Harry was the first to wake up, and the minute he realized what was happening he immediately screamed at the others to get out of bed.
"Wha-' Ron asked sleepily, as Harry shook him awake.
"Get up, it's an emergency!"
Ron, Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnagan, and Nevile Longbottom all gathered their wands and did not even dress as they immediately tried to set to work to put out the flames. Before they could, however, they heard a scream from the girl's dorms.
"Hermione!"
Ron barreled forward, and blasted the door open with his wand. A creature had been waiting on the outside to ambush them was crushed by the door as he barreled through.
"Hermione!"
He stepped onto the girl's stairs without thinking about it, and immediately the entire thing turned into a slide. He fell downstairs, into the common room where the Flame Demon was still running amok.
"Ahhhh!"
Ron tried to flee from the Flame Demon by pressing himself back up against the slide, but something came barreling down towards him. Hermione landed on top of him.
"You idiot!" She snapped. "Do you not think!"
Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil were quick to come down the stairs as well, followed by Harry and the other boys from theirs. They all faced down the flame demon with open mouths. It turned towards them, and an intense wave of flame shot towards them. It took everything Harry and Hermione had to erect a barrier to stop it from touching them.
"We have to kill it!" Harry shouted.
"How!" Ron demanded. "Charlotte Aulin hasn't taught us how yet!"
Harry stared at it, and thought hard.
"Attack it with everything you've got." He said. He raised his wand. "Stupefy!"
A blast of red light shot from his wand.
The other seven witches and wizards soon followed suit. In spite of their inexperience, the sheer determination and desperation of their attack caused it to fall, stiff as a board.
"What about the others?" Harry demanded.
"We have to evacuate him…" Hermione said anxiously. "Ron, we're Prefects… we can't leave them…"
"Put all of the fires and get everyone down here." Harry said. "Now!"
It took some doing. All of the Gryffindors had been beset immediately, all at once. Many sustained severe injuries, especially the first years. But as more and more of the students rallied, more and more they began to control the tower.
"What happened?" Hermione demanded. "Where are they coming from?"
Harry cast a look at the window. Where they had once been a view from the lake below was now a replaced by a tall, dark tower that was right next to their own.
"Dracula's Castle…" Harry said quietly. "It has to be."
"D-Dracula?" Hermione repeated, appalled. "B-but he's not due back until-"
"Someone called him here early." Harry growled. "It was Voldemort! He's behind this!"
"You can't know that, mate."
"I know." Harry said grimly, as he waved his wand. "And I'm going to put a stop to it!"
Hermone bit her lip nervously.
"We're behind you every step of the way." Ron said. "What do we do first?"
"We find Professor Aulin." Harry said. "She's a Vampire Hunter, and she beat Dracula before. She'll know what to do."
"But first we need to secure the tower." Hermione said anxiously. "And then… Oh, Harry, how are we going to stop them from coming in?"
"We should be able to figure out something." Ron said. "Keep your head on, Hermione. We'll get through this."
Harry nodded, his expression set, as the scar on his head began to hurt.
What a horrible night to have a curse.