A/N: To those re-reading these chapters because I've updated them, not much has really changed except fixing typos and a couple of extra paragraphs that don't really effect the rest of the story so feel free to skip to chapter 11.

ooo

HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore

(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Soc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Mr Dracula,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on 1 September, you will be joining our Third Year students. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

Vlad was confused, to say the least. Firstly, what the hell is a Mugwump and how can it be Supreme? And secondly, he didn't think wizards and witches actually existed, let alone a school for them! To be perfectly honest, the most average part was that an owl delivered it to his bedroom window. It couldn't be real… right?

Vlad decided the only way to get to the bottom of this was to investigate. So he ran down from his tower to see where Zoltan had gotten to.

ooo

As Vlad came stumbling down the stairs he ran directly into Zoltan.

"Master Vlad, what are you doing awake at this hour? You're normally asleep by 8:30. It's nearly 11." Zoltan said in his usual gruff voice.

"There was an owl at my window… And it brought me this." Vlad opened the letter for Zoltan to read. His eyes grew wide. How that was even possible for a stuffed Hellhound, he didn't know.

"You've been accepted by the wizards, Vlad!" Zoltan exclaimed. Hearing the Hellhound's cry the Count zoomed into the room with a grin on his face.

"Did somebody say my Vladdy's been accepted by the wizards?" The Count sounded almost happy, in his own, slightly sadistic way.

"You don't honestly believe there are wizards, Dad?" Vlad was still a bit hesitant, but could see how it might make sense. Vampires and Werewolves exist, why not wizards? Though he still thought it was a stretch. Come on, Vlad thought, People running around with sticks talking gibberish like "Abra Kadabra"?! He found it very difficult to comprehend.

"Of course there are wizards, Vladimir. Were you really naïve enough to think that we were the only creatures on this earth to posses magic? Though, of course, our magic is quite different from that of a wizard, they both come from the same ancestor." Said the Count demeaningly.

"Does this mean I'll be spending almost a whole year without-" Ingrid, who'd been listening for garlic knows how long, said eyeing him with sly smirk, "-Him?" It was apparent that only Vlad could hear the hint of jealousy in her voice.

"It says there's a list of all the things you'll need, Master Vlad." Zoltan cut in before anyone could respond to Ingrid's question.

"Yeah, it's upstairs on my bed I can go grab it." But before Vlad could take more than two steps his dad was back from his room with the list.

"Show off." Ingrid with a sneer before storming away.

Once Ingrid was completely out of earshot Zoltan turned toward the Count, "Master, might I suggest that you hire a tutor for Master Vlad. After all, the other students have been learning for two years and we wouldn't want Vlad to be seen as an imbecile."

"I might not be full Vampire yet but I'm standing right here, I can hear you." Vlad sneered, surprisingly reminiscent of his sister. Though he didn't storm out of the room, he and his sister were very similar sometimes, occasionally they could even work together and get along. Though that was usually a sign of the Apocalypse.

"Yes, yes. A marvellous idea. No son of mine shall never be second best. Unless, he wishes to be…" He paused, clearly trying to to be dramatic. "Disowned."

It didn't have quite the same effect as it did when he was younger. "Oh no! Not again!" Vlad rolled his eyes, "What's that now? The fourth time you've threatened to disown me? Come on Dad, you'd never do it…" Vlad paused for his own dramatic effect. "You love me too much."

"AH!" The Count made a noise that seemed to be crossed between a yell of anguish and a choke of disgust. "I am Count Dracula! I do not love."

Vlad just smirked playfully at his Father as waltzed up the stairs to his tower.

ooo

The Count, as picky as he was, put a lot of stock in finding the right tutor. It had to be an honourable vampire with powerful magic, a description which Vlad couldn't help but scoff at, what his Father meant to say was "evil" not "honourable". But they also had to have sufficient knowledge of Wizarding society and etiquette, and believable make it appear like Vlad was using "wandless" magic. I mean technically Vampiric Magic was wandless, but he can't just go around clicking to make things happen, he has to look as though he's performing the Wizard's Magic. Most of which would not be accomplished by clicking.

Finally, the Count found the perfect tutor, her name was Antoinette Knight. She tutored Vlad in Charms and Defence Against the Dark Arts on Monday, Potions on Tuesday, Transfiguration on Wednesday, Astronomy and Herbology on Thursday, and History of Magic and Wizarding culture and etiquette on Friday. Then on the weekend he had time to read over the texts he'd gotten for his minimum of two additional subjects that all third year students elect, Vlad had chosen Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, and Care of Magical Creatures. Additionally, his father also made sure Miss Knight taught his son about the Vampiric Powers he possessed and how to use them during their spare time, as well as some Wizard's Magic that Vlad had deduced was definitely not on the school curriculum.

It hadn't taken Vlad long to get a hang on all his subjects, even though he had two years to catch up on. He managed to finish all they way through the first and second year curriculums with half the summer left to focus on being ready for third year.

Miss Knight was a great teacher, sometimes Vlad even forgot she was a vampire because she was patient and kind when Vlad did't pick up something as quickly as he usually did. He learnt all about the Wizarding World, the War, Hogwarts and it's houses, how he would be considered a "pureblood" and how that would help him in fit in with a lot of the students there. All in all, Vlad was excited.

ooo

The day was finally here! September 1st. The day he had been waiting all summer for. The day he would be getting on a train to take him to Hogwarts!

Antoinette had come to see him off. The Count had wanted to come but Antoinette had suggested otherwise, something about not really blending in. Vlad was thankful for it too, he didn't really feel like being "the new kid with the weirdo dad" on his first day, so he said his farewells to his dad and sister before he had headed to the station with Antoinette.

They had arrived with two minutes to spare, so Vlad gave Antoinette a big hug and whispered a quick thank you before running off to find a spot on the train.

Because of how late Vlad was it took him a while to find a compartment with any room in it. He finally came to one with only three students and a man sleeping in the corner. Vlad opened the sliding door and three pairs of eyes flicked to him.

"Hey, can I sit here?" He asked politely. He looked around the cabin, the three students were made up of two males and one female. The man he in the corner reminded him of someone, but he couldn't quite place who, he weirdly kept thinking of his Mother. It was the female who answered for the group.

"Sure! I'm Hermione Granger, and you?" The girl had brown frizzy hair and kind brown eyes.

"Vladimir Dracula. Call me Vlad." He extended his hand to shake hers.

"Vladimir… Dracula?" She questioned. Vlad felt worried for a minute, did she recognise his surname? Was he found out? No, he had to be sure first, the worst thing he could do would be to jump to conclusions.

"Uh yeah. You've read the books, huh?" Justifying that it was the most likely way she had heard of the name.

"Yes! Any connection? I mean, the idea for the story had to come from somewhere right?" She was clearly excited by the discovery.

"Yeah, distantly. My family comes from Romania."

"My brother, Charlie, works with Dragon in Romania! You're new right, what year you going into?" The red haired boy spoke from his seat.

"Third year, and yes, I'm new."

"I'm Ron Weasley, by the way. And this is Harry, Harry Potter." The redhead told him as he made his way to a space to sit.

"Nice to meet you." Said Harry, the other male student.

"And who's this guy then?" Ron asked, Vlad was getting the idea that he may be rather tactless. Though it was just a hunch.

"Professor R. J. Lupin." Hermione answered as if the answer should have been obvious.

"She knows everything," Ron said to Vlad, then turns to Harry. "How is it she knows everything?"

"It's on the suitcase Ronald." She sighed.

They laughed and continued on with light conversation for several hours, all the while Professor Lupin was pretending to be asleep in the corner.

This new boy, Remus thought, he smells like… Like… Vampire, but a whole lot more powerful, more powerful than any creature or wizard I've come across. This boy is capable of the greatest good, and the most devastating evil.

ooo

Approximately three quarters of the way to Hogwarts (according to Hermione) the train stopped abruptly. The three cognisant passengers of their compartment watched as the windows froze over, the air grow cold, and Ron's drink become a solid lump in a glass bottle.

It wasn't long before the perpetrator responsible for the sudden cold snap appeared.

Dementors.

It was at this moment that Vlad became eternally grateful for Miss Knight's tutelage. When they had covered the British Government, the Judicial System was briefly explained to him. Including Azkaban Prison and it's guards. So while Vlad was aware they could suck out a human soul, he A) should be fine because he's not a criminal, B) isn't strictly human, even though he hasn't come into his full Vampiric Powers yet, and C) do Vampires even have souls?

These three things made Vlad feel almost relaxed in the presence of the Dementor. Well, he would have been if it weren't for the fact that it was literally draining the happiness from the room. It was upon that realisation that Vlad noticed he wasn't really feeling any different to normal. Odd. He'd have to send Miss Knight a letter, perhaps his reaction was normal for someone of Vampiric nature?

After a few moments of contemplation, he saw Harry collapse! Eyes darting to the Dementor, what should he do? He bared his teeth in a silent snarl, but didn't know what to do from there. Would his powers work against Dementors? Could he shove the ghostly looking creature out of the compartment without his hand going straight through it? Before his brain had time to calibrate and think of a plan, the sleeping man in the corner awoke and pushed the Dementor away with a spell.

The man looked at Vlad and the other occupants, only to grab something out of his pocket.

"Here, have some chocolate".