“Why is a vampire in Hogwarts?”
“Do you think he’s going to kill us all?”
“Don’t vampires side with Dark Lords? Do you think he’s here as a spy for a new Dark Lord?”
“He has pretty eyes.”
Prince Shingetsu shook his head at the whispers that followed him as he made his way to Dark Creatures. Tobias was on his left and Nightmare on his right, the leash held in Shingetsu’s right hand. The whispers had followed him every day this past week much to Shingetsu’s annoyance. He knew also from reading Neville’s mind that he was getting almost the exact same treatment for being the Boy-Who-Lived. Shingetsu wasn’t sure what they were more interested about; the savior of the wizarding world or the vampire prince who was supposedly to drain them all dry as they slept.
“Are you okay Shingetsu?” Tobias asked his friend.
“Thinking about home is all Tobias. What about you? Do you miss your family?”
“Yes. I like being at Hogwarts but I do miss my family. Though I can’t imagine what it is like to be the only student of your kind in a school far from your nation.”
“It is difficult but I have Titus here who is not only our Defense Creatures Professor but also my guard and friend.”
They continued walking to Dark Creatures class which was on the fifth floor. They walked into the classroom and took seats in the back row. Nightmare lay down against the back wall so he would be out of the way of the students but near enough to Shingetsu so he could protect him if needed. The rest of the class filed in and took their seats. Titus appeared moments later through the door that led to his chambers. He walked to the front of the classroom and looked at the first years.
“Good morning class. My name is Professor Fang and I teach Dark Creatures. This class was requested by the headmaster to teach you about dark creatures that you will encounter in the magical world. Now does anyone have any questions before we begin?”
“Professor what makes you certified to teach this class?”
Titus looked at the student who was speaking. “Mr. Weasley is it?” At Ron’s nod Titus sighed. “That’s a rude question Mr. Weasley but to answer your question I am certified to teach this class because I am a vampire.”
There gasps of shock at the fact that they had a vampire as a professor. Titus shook his head at his students. “Why are you here?” Neville asked. “Why is the vampire prince here?”
“My prince is here because he was given acceptance to Hogwarts. I am here on bequest of the King and Queen of the vampires to guard their son during his seven years of schooling here and Headmaster Dumbledore offered me this position and this class to teach. Now as I said at the beginning we will be learning about dark creatures this year. Who can name some dark creatures for me?”
“Dementors,” Hermione said.
“Vampires,” Neville said glaring in disgust at Titus.
“Werewolves,” Shingetsu said.
“Hags,” Seamus said.
“Very good. These are just some of the creatures we will be studying this year. Does anyone know the two darkest creatures?”
“Vampires and werewolves Professor Fang,” Dean said.
“Correct Mr. Thomas. Now for the next three weeks we are going to begin studying vampires. Please turn to page 700 and we will begin our lesson.”
There was the sound of books opening and pages turning as the flipped to the requested page. Professor Titus wrote the chapter and page number on the board: Chapter 40: Vampires. Page 700. “Now when I call your name please read two paragraphs of the chapter out loud for the class. The rest of you are expected to follow along and take notes. Miss Granger if you will.”
“Chapter 40: Vampires. Vampires are perhaps some of the best known mythical creatures in both magical and muggle societies along with their cousins the werewolves.” Hermione paused and the class was silent. None of the humans would have guessed that vampires and werewolves were in fact cousins. Titus just waved a hand for Hermione to continue reading. “Legends of blood sucking fiends who rise from the grave at night in order to drain the blood of virgin girls have been around since ancient times but the legend of the vampire became popular in the muggle world with the book Dracula by Bram Stoker in the year 1897. A famous mortal named Vlad Dracula , otherwise known as Vlad the Impaler, may have sparked the idea for vampires and been the main idea for the famous vampire novel. Vlad Dracula was a noble who was born in the year 1431 in Transylvania to the House of Draculseti to father Vlad II Dracul and mother Cneajna of Moldavia.
“Vlad Dracula III gained his name from impaling his enemies on wooden stakes. He ruled in the years 1448, 1456-1462, and 1476. During that time he inflicted harsh punishments not only on his enemies but also on his subjects in order to keep them in line. A recorded account describes such a cruelty inflicted by Vlad the Impaler: ‘He roasted children, whom he fed to their mothers. And (he) cut off the breasts of women, and forced their husbands to eat them. After that, he had them all impaled.’ He was assassinated in 1476 at forty-five years old. It is thanks to this infamous mortal that the legend of vampires was brought back to the world when it had almost died out.”
The bell rang then. “I would like you all to read this chapter and take notes on it. Your homework is to write me a two foot essay on vampires due next Friday before class starts.”
The class filed out of the classroom except for Shingetsu and Tobias. “I’ll be out in a minute Tobias,” Shingetsu said to his friend. Tobias nodded and left the classroom so the two vampires could have some privacy. “Why did you decide to start with vampires Titus?”
“Prince Shingetsu, Dumbledore suggested that I start with vampires for the first lesson for Dark Creatures. He thought that since there would be a vampire professor and a vampire student at Hogwarts that the first lesson be vampires so the students could get to know more about us.”
“I doubt learning about vampires aside from what is in a Ministry approved textbook is going to make the humans like us Titus.”
“The young Tobias seems to like you sire,” Titus said.
“He’s the only one. Still I suppose one human friend is better than none. Dad and mom will be pleased when I write them.”
Titus pulled out a couple of blood lollipops and handed one to his prince. “Do you need anything else my Lord?”
“No Titus. If I need anything I know where to find you. I’m going to go hunting tonight. The blood lollipops and the goblets of animal blood aren’t filling me up. I suggest you go with me since you’re my guard and we wouldn’t want you being unable to teach the students or worse ‘attacking’ them,” Shingetsu said sneering at the word ‘attacking’.
Titus nodded. “How was your first week?”
“Well I have potions after lunch. My week has been miserable to be honest Titus. Except for making friends with a human nothing else has changed and I don’t think it will for our kind. I wonder if the Ministry is aware of our presence at Hogwarts? I don’t want to think what they will do to us or the nation if they find out we are here. The law hasn’t been broken for twenty years since you came here yourself when you were a kid. Still it bugs me that I was offered a position in this school. By all legal rights according to the Ministry we aren’t allowed here.”
Titus nodded in thought. “It bothers me as well sire but the only thing we can do is watch and not give the humans any reason to fear us. We best get down to lunch though before we miss it.”
The two vampires walked out of the classroom. Tobias was leaning against the opposite wall waiting for Shingetsu. Together the two vampires and one mortal walked down to the Great Hall for lunch. “Everything okay?” Tobias asked.
“Just stress is all Tobias. Hunger as well. I’ll be out tonight with Titus here so cover for me please? We’re going hunting.”
“Can’t you just feed off of me?”
Titus and Shingetsu stopped and stared at the mortal. “Why would you let two vampires feed off of you?” Titus asked.
“Because Shingetsu is my friend and you seem nice for a… well I don’t know how old you are but you seem nice for a vampire and a professor.”
“You’ve only been in my class one day and you think I’m nice?” Titus asked laughing. “I’m thirty-eight years old. We age every year just like humans do.”
“No vampire would ever feed from a friend. Even the few vampires that have human friends would never think to feed from their human friends for fear of either accidently turning them or draining them dry,” Shingetsu explained. “Your offer is a bit shocking to us and appreciated but if we were to feed off of the humans here at Hogwarts not only would I be expelled and Titus fired we would be in trouble with the Ministry. Even if,” he said holding up a hand to stop Tobias’s objection, “the human offered their blood to us willingly.”
“You could also be in trouble with the Ministry of Magic,” Titus said shaking his head. “The Ministry and the wizarding population would think that we manipulated your mind in order to give us your blood against your will or that we tortured you. They would never accept a human giving their blood to us of their own free will.”
“We would appreciate it if you not mention anything of the clans or the fact that we can walk in the daytime in your essay,” Titus said. “If that got out it would disastrous for our nation.”
“How so?”
They had reached the Great Hall by then and Shingetsu shook his head. “Tell you later when we’re alone.” Titus made his way to the staff table and Shingetsu and Tobias took their places at the Gryffindor table. They piled pot roast and baby carrots on their plates and dug in. “Shingetsu what’s your family like?”
Shingetsu swallowed a mouthful of pot roast before answering. “My parents are the king and queen of the vampire nation as well as leaders of our clan. My father’s name is Arashi and my mother is Yuki. My parents rule our nation and have for six hundred years. After six centuries they had me and then when I was five had my sister Hana.”
“Why did your parents wait six centuries to have you?”
Shingetsu shook his head. “Vampires can control when they have children and how many. There was a war going on between the vampires and the humans for twenty years. It nearly drove us extinct. My parents didn’t want to bring a child into that type of mess. Then another war sparked up ten years later between some vampire clans in the Far East. After sending some diplomats to try to sort out the problems we had to go to war again which took ten years. For the next century my father and mother had to build up the vampire nation again because humans took that time in our moment of weakness to begin attacking the clans around the world.
“My sister Hana is a sweet kid. She looks just like our mom. She loves flowers and being around nature. She also has a kind heart and is always wanting to help any of our nation in distress. My parents are also kind and dad is a brilliant leader. My mom likes to read and enjoys gardening which is where I think my sister got her love of flowers from. They were happy when I got into Hogwarts though they too wonder why I was given acceptance here. They bought Nightmare to protect me while at Hogwarts. In fact I should probably write them a letter telling them how my first week of school went.”
“Are all vampires able to perform magic?”
“All creatures have magic in them but only wizarding vampires can gain acceptance at a magical school. Titus is a wizard vampire. He was turned at eight years old by a rogue vampire. His parents cast him out of their home so the Fang family took him in and raised him as their own after seeking permission from my parents. Any child that is turned is usually cast out by their parents if their lucky. Other times the parents will kill them outright upon their turning.” Shingetsu lowered his voice to a whisper and leaned close to Tobias’s ear. “I am also a wizarding vampire. My human parents were murdered and I was near death when dad found me when I was seventeen months old. Dad saved my life by turning me. I don’t have any memories of my human parents or my life before I was turned. But please don’t tell anyone about this Tobias.”
Tobias nodded at his friend. “I swear on my life and magic that I will not reveal anything that Shingetsu Yamazaki has told me so mote it be,” Tobias said taking out his wand as he made the oath. There was a flash of white light as the magical oath took effect. Shingetsu just shook his head in wonder. “You are certainly full of surprises Tobias.”
Gryffindor made their way down to the dungeons for Potions which was with the Slytherins. Shingetsu saw how Tobias was shivering and pulled off his cloak. “Put this on. The cold doesn’t affect vampires. Neither does the heat.”
“Why?” Tobias asked slipping the cloak on and fastening the silver clasp.
“It has to do with how we are made. We can have children and we can turn others into vampires. When we turn someone we drain them to near death before mixing our blood with the child’s and then give them our blood while taking with little blood they have left. If a vampire turns another vampire the vampire who turned the human becomes their sire and the person who was turned becomes their fledgling, also known as ‘child’. When a vampire is born or turned something in their biological makeup changes allowing them to feel neither heat nor cold. I’m sorry. I haven’t studied medicine so I can’t tell you anymore as I don’t know a lot about it myself.”
At the door to Potions they met the Slytherins already waiting for them. Shingetsu raised an eyebrow when he saw the blond Slytherin Prince. Spoiled brat. He’s not rich as Hana and I are though. Nightmare let out a growl at the Malfoy heir and Shingetsu tightened his hand on the leash. Easy Nightmare. He hasn’t attacked me yet.
He is the son of a death eater. He needs to be destroyed before he turns into his father.
Give him a chance Nightmare. Besides we can’t just attack humans who are evil even if they do deserve it. It will land me in Azkaban and you won’t live to the next moon rise.
“Oh look it’s the Boy-Who-Lived,” Draco scoffed. “The poor little orphan who lost his parents. Going to cry for your dead mother Longbottom?”
“Buzz off Malfoy,” Neville said. “The Longbottoms are an ancient pureblood family unlike the Malfoys who only existed since the last century.”
Draco glared and Crabbe and Goyle clenched their fists. “Can’t even go anywhere alone without your body guards can you Malfoy?” Neville continued. “Afraid that you’ll be killed or lose a fight on your own? At least my parents died for what they thought was right and protected me to the end. Whereas your father probably bribed and murdered dozens of people to stay out of Azkaban where death eater scum like you belong!”
Malfoy lost his temper then and shouted a curse. “Stupefy!”
Neville shouted dodging the red spell that was aimed at him and shouted “Expulso!” Malfoy screamed as he was blasted off his feet and into the opposite wall where he slid to the floor with blood trickling out of his head unconscious. Neville calmly pocketed his wand and walked into class with the rest of the students staring after him. “I think I’m going to be sick,” Shingetsu muttered closing his eyes. He disappeared back up the corridor. Tobias grabbed Nightmare’s fallen leash and bolted after his friend.
Snape came into the hallway then and hurried towards Malfoy. “What happened?!”
“Malfoy was taunting Neville Professor,” Hermione said. “And Neville used the Expulso curse on him before going into the classroom.”
Professor Snape levitated Draco. “Class dismissed for the day.” Snape levitated Draco’s unconscious body and poked his head in the classroom. “Detention for a week Mr. Longbottom and twenty points from Gryffindor for attacking a fellow student! Be in my classroom at 8PM tomorrow night. Class is dismissed so get out of my classroom.” With those parting words Snape made his way through the students and took Draco up to the Hospital Wing.
“I can’t believe Neville attacked Draco,” Hermione breathed.
“He deserved. Filthy death eater,” Ron snarled.
“That was no reason to attack him though,” Hermione said.
“You wouldn’t understand. You’re a muggle born. Death Eaters are followers of the Dark Lord. My dad works for the Muggle Artifacts Office in the Ministry of Magic and was in the Order of the Phoenix. He said that Lucius Malfoy bribed his way out of Azkaban.”
“I wonder why Prince Shingetsu ran off?” Hermione asked.
“He probably wanted to drain Malfoy dry,” Neville said coming out of the classroom. “Vampires can’t be trusted.”
“What did vampires ever do to you Neville?”
“Nothing but they’re dark creatures. Everyone knows that. They also followed Voldemort in last war.”
“Don’t say that name!” Ron shouted looking frightened.
“He’s dead Ron. Quit acting like a baby.”
“You know I thought for the Boy-Who-Lived that you would be more grateful to be back among your own kind,” Ron said.
“Considering how it was wizards who killed my parents and grandmother, a wizard who tried to kill me, and wizards who put me on the doorstep of abusive muggles who put me in an orphanage at three years old and forgot about me for eleven years before deciding I needed to come back to the magical world why I should feel grateful? You all abandoned me when my parents died and treated me as a hero for something that has never been done before. Dumbledore is strong. Why didn’t he stop Voldemort while he was in school here?”
“Voldemort went to school here?”
“Oh do the people of the light not know that Voldemort once went to school at Hogwarts? Shame they don’t obviously teach you anything useful at this school.” Neville shouldered his bag and made his way back up to Gryffindor Tower.
“Shingetsu! Wait up!” Tobias shouted as he and Nightmare ran to catch the young vampire.
Tobias caught up with Shingetsu as he ran into the bathroom. Shingetsu collapsed against the wall and leaned his forehead against the cool stone. “Sorry. It was the blood. I think I’ll go back to our dorm and go to sleep.”
“I don’t think you should go up there. Snape canceled class and gave Neville Longbottom a week’s worth of detention for attacking Draco Malfoy. Neville went back up to the common room.”
Shingetsu nodded. “Then I’ll just go sleep in the ROR.”
“ROR?”
“The ROR is the Room of Requirement or otherwise known as the ‘come and go room’. Titus found it in his third year. It’s up on the seventh floor. Come on and I’ll show you. The room can be anything you want it to be and it’s hidden. Not many people know about it.”
They continued up to the seventh floor. In front of a tapestry of troll Shingetsu walked back and forth three times in front of the wall and suddenly a pair of doors appeared. Shingetsu opened the door and beckoned Tobias in after him before shutting the door which vanished from view. Shingetsu waved his wand over the door and muttered some locking and warding charms. “Welcome to the Room of Requirement Tobias.”
They looked and found themselves in a cave. “These are the Caves of Sorrow. There are thousands of underground passages that go on for miles. They are used to bring vampires from the villages into the capital where the royal family lives if we’re attacked.”
“Why are the called the Caves of Sorrow?”
“They are called the Caves of Sorrow because during the War of Darkness, the war that lasted twenty years, many vampires died trying to get through the caves into the capital. Somehow a group of wizards found a couple villages as they were running through the caves and killed them all. Men, women, and children of two villages died before the army could get to their aid. Only four villagers, two from each village managed to escape and report to us what had happened.”
“What happened to the wizards?”
“We found them and killed them. If you don’t mind Tobias I’m going to sleep.” Shingetsu collapsed into the bed in the middle of the cave and fell asleep. Tobias looked at him before taking the other bed and lay there staring up at the cave ceiling thinking about everything he had learned this week from Shingetsu about his race.
That evening Tobias made his way back up to the Gryffindor common room on the seventh floor with Nightmare. Shingetsu and Titus were off hunting away from Hogsmeade. The two vampires had shadow traveled to a city in Tasmania. Stepping out from the shadows the vampire prince and his guard made their way down the street. “One thing I like about being a vampire of the Shadow Phoenix Clan is that we can get to places fast by shadow traveling. Of course it does us no good when there are no shadows to use,” Shingetsu said.
“I agree. I was scared when I became a vampire but Brian and Sheila Fang were wonderful adoptive parents for me after I was turned. They helped me see that being a vampire isn’t bad and that we aren’t monsters. I’m grateful to your parents for allowing me into the nation.”
“Well you were a vampire and vampires who are turned need somewhere to go. It is only among the vampire nation that they will find acceptance for being creatures. The human world won’t accept us. I find it sad really but I hope that eventually they will learn to accept us and our cousins.”
“I think the humans got a bit of a shock when they found out that the two darkest creatures are cousins,” Titus said before laughing.
“It’s true we used to be enemies but that was two thousand years ago after we both realized we needed to rely on each other in order to survive being hunted to extinction by the humans from both muggle and magical worlds. The War of Darkness was a terrifying time for us both. Thanks to my great grandfather and the king of the werewolves who discovered the link between our species we were able to join each other and get past our differences.”
They looked for a prison where they could apparate or shadow flame in and feed on someone. “I hate not being able to hunt at Hogwarts. You would wonder why we can’t kill the children of death eaters,” Shingetsu grumbled.
“I know. Most of them will probably end up following the next Dark Lord but some of them might be able to change if they meet the right people. Not all Slytherins are bad. I was friends with a few Slytherins and found them to stick with me even though I was a vampire. Many of the students think that Slytherins are all evil but they aren’t. While Hufflepuff for example is unlikely to produce many dark wizards all houses have had their fair share of bad wizards. It’s stupid to stigmatize the whole house.”
Shingetsu nodded. “Well I don’t have any hope for the Parkinsons, Malfoys, Goyles and Crabbes. They are either too stupid or too into power in order to think of anything else.”
After half an hour they saw a prison surrounded by guard towers and barbed wire electric fences. On the inside of the barbed wire fences they could see cement walls. “Seems kind of odd to have a cement wall inside a barbed wire fence. Wouldn’t it make more sense to have the barbed wire on top of the cement wall or have the barbed wire fence in and the cement wall out?” Shingetsu asked.
“It would be better that way. Perhaps Tasmanians do things differently than in other countries concerning their prisoners.”
Shingetsu and Titus shadow flamed inside the prison and causally walked around the prison. The vampires grabbed a couple of cell mates after a quick read of their minds to determine what they were locked up for. They began to feed on the two prisoners when a sound made Shingetsu snarl and grip the human tighter in his arms as his violet eyes turned red. Titus immediately dropped his meal and stood protectively in front of his prince with his wand drawn. They looked and saw four wands pointed at them. “What are you doing here?”
Moonbeam Den 