"A Vampire at Hogwarts"
                             by Troy A. Stanton


(Author's Note:  This is a work of fanfiction based on the "Harry Potter"
  series created by author J.K. Rowling.  The original characters found at
  Hogwarts are very much copyrighted by her, and the admittedly dark events
  depicted in this story are in no way meant to infringe on, tarnish, or
  otherwise reflect on the greatness of her original works.)



     His name was Aegis Skyblade, aged eleven now, and he was a vampire.  It
would have been a very dangerous folly to think of him as an ordinary vampire,
as he was certainly not that.  It had been four years since the murder of his
parents at the hands.... and fangs.... of his master, four very long and often
painful years since his exposure to a very rare and exotic magic ritual that
had transformed him into what his master called an essence vampire.  Blood was
enough to sustain him, as were the essence potions his master had taught him to
brew that drew on the life-force contained in certain plants and woodland
animals, but he had been created to subsist on something else entirely.
     Unfortuntely, at least from his perspective, he had yet to be told what
that substance was.
     He knew that he was an experiment of sorts, a lab rat being put through
the paces for some dark and sinister purpose.  What that purpose was continued
to be a mystery to him, but the realization three years ago of just why his
existence had been so forcefully changed had bothered him so greatly it had
cost him a week of sleep.  He later managed to find a measure of peace at the
notion, for if nothing else it meant he was safe from permanent harm as long
as he was serving a purpose under his master's care.
     The temporary harm he was routinely subjected to, however.... well, that
was something he was learning to tolerate more and more these days, much to his
master's approval.  The Cruciatus Curse no longer made him scream until his
throat became raw, but he was still hard-pressed to keep from making some sort
of sound of agony.  His reaction to variations of the curse was another matter
entirely, but his master only used them sparingly to make particularly salient
points.
     He shook his head to clear his thoughts as he cast yet another glance at
the shuttered window.  His master had long ago sealed the rest of the windows
with brick and mortar, being a true vampire who could not survive exposure to
the sunlight.  This one window was left available, albeit heavily shuttered
against even the strongest and the most penetrating of rays of sunlight.  When
asked about it, his master had calmly pointed out that it had been left open
for use by Adam, the fire-bat he had trained to deliver messages.
     "Would you have me use an owl that can be followed?" his master had asked
with idle amusement.  "A fire-bat can slip in and out of the Floo network as
many times as it wants, and very few creatures indeed will attempt to waylay
something in mid-flight that burns with Hellfire."
     He had only witnessed his master dispatching Adam with a message on rare
occasion but understood how it worked.  You simply put the letter, scroll, or
small object in the fire-bat's fire-proof pouch, stated whom you wished it to
be delivered to, opened the window (at night, of course), and quite literally
threw him out the window.  The Hellfire would ignite the instant Adam's wings
began to beat, which meant that you wanted as much distance between yourself
and him as possible when he started flying.  As for retrieving him, you merely
opened the window and waited while wearing a pair of leather gloves.  Adam had
been trained to dive through the window and quit flapping, essentially turning
into a flaming football that had to be caught before he ignited the carpeting.
Which, somewhat to his amusement, had been done at least once in recent memory
after his master had a most unexpected fumble during the interception....
     He sighed softly and cast another glance at the window, waiting for the
sun to finish setting so he could open the window.  His master had him both
geased and held in thrall, which meant there were certain things he was quite
unable to do even he wanted to.  One of the strongest geases prevented him from
ever opening the window when the sun was still up, thus running the risk of
exposing his master to the deadly radiance.  While the thought had very much
crossed his mind on occasion, he had long ago decided that he had more to gain
from remaining in his master's service than trying to free himself from the
blood-legacy that bound him tighter than any magical geas or thrall could ever
possibly do.
     As for forgiving his master for the murder of his parents and casting him
into a world of darkness from which there was no possible hope of escape or
release.... well, as they saying went, the jury was still out on that one.  He
now had innate powers and abilities that few beings had, power on the level of
wizened archmages and darklords.  Contemplating the situation tended to result
in the loss of several hours of time at a stretch as weighed the price he had
been forced to pay in exchange for those powers against what his life might
have been like had his master's dark gaze passed him by.  Would he have been
just another normal boy, or could the spark of potential his master had seen
been enough to allow him to have gained power on his own?  Would his name then
become a household name?  A prominent name, a respected name, a name like....
     "You're up early," a soft, dulcet voice whispered behind him, not so much
disturbing his train of thought as derailing it into a smoking ruin.
     He didn't bother turning around, doing his best to keep his expression as
neutral as possible while his blood briefly became icy with the shock of being
caught off-guard.  It wasn't the gentle tones of Elaine, his master's female
vampire companion, but rather the far more sultry and seductive voice of his
master's other female companion, Rivel.  He honestly couldn't say whether his
master was keeping them or they were keeping him, but it was enough for him to
know that neither woman was to be crossed.
     "I'm waiting for Adam," Aegis replied quietly.  He heard a soft creak of
stressed fabric as she approached him and turned his head, just enough to get
a good idea of what she was wearing this time.  While he had yet to understand
precisely why she wore what seemed to be a new outfit every night, he had to
admit that he found the majority of them to be visually appealing.
     Rivel gave him a soft smile as she tugged a wrinkle out of the front of
her jet-black evening gown.  The faintly-shimmering material seemed to cling to
her like a second skin, accenting her feminine curves in a rather dramatic way.
The dark canopy of her bat-like wings were barely visible behind her, neatly
folded against her back and only partially covered by the glossy cascade of
platinum-blonde hair that flowed over her shoulders.  It was perhaps not the
best method of masking their presence, but it made them as unobtrusive as was
possible for a succubus.
     "Really?" she purred softly as she drew near, a faint twinkle of sorts
seeming to form in her dark red eyes.  "And he asked you to catch him?" she
inquired, glancing down at the pair of well-burnt gloves in Aegis' lap.  "That
should be interesting to watch."
     He closed his eyes for a brief moment, trying to ignore the sudden surge
of dread that was rising up like a wave of nausea.  "The Master didn't ask me
to do this," he said, deciding it was best to get the matter out of the way as
quickly as possible.  "I sent Adam out yesterday on my own."
     That caused the demoness to freeze in mid-motion, her eyes widening in a
mixture of surprise and unease.  "Oh?" she said, her tone slightly unsteady.
She, like Aegis, knew all too well what it was like to do something that would
draw their master's displeasure, or worse, his wrath.  "I trust you know what
you are doing with this?" she inquired cautiously.
     "You need not worry about me, Lady Rivel," Aegis sighed quietly, already
feeling a tight knot forming in the pit of his stomach.  He doubted his master
would become enraged by his actions, but at the same time he knew that it was
not likely to please his master either.  "If I have erred, I will soon be made
aware of it and given the chance to learn from it."
     "Mmm, such confidence from one so young," she purred as she moved to sit
down on the floor cushions behind him.
     Aegis allowed his eyes to close at her light touch, feeling the tips of
her fingernails idly brushing through his dark mane of shoulder-length hair.
He was both intrigued and disturbed by her tendency for gentle affections, a
touch here or an absent caress there.  Every time she touched him, he recalled
the conversation he had overheard between her and his master, how his master's
voice had became unusually stern when he forbade her from attempting to tutor
the young boy in her arts until he was ready.  He had yet to fully understand
what that meant, as neither his master nor Rivel would answer his questions on
the subject, but something in the back of his mind warned him that it had to
do with the nature of his dark genesis.
     His master had sought to teach him as much magic as he could from the
beginning, gifting him with an ash-blackened wand crafted from dior wood and
infused with an incredible amount of power.  The lessons that followed were
exacting to say the least, and the young boy had seared more than a few spells
into his brain in an effort to avoid being subjected to the Cruciatus Curse.
His master firmly believed that pain was a most effective teacher, and Aegis
had been given little reason to doubt the tenet's truthfulness.
     Elaine would also take him aside to offer pointers on spellcasting every
so often, even showing him a new spell or three when she was in an unusually
good mood.  To say that he and the vampiress were friends would be a serious
mischaracterization, for though the lady vampire was more often than not kind
to him, she showed little interest in his unique nature and tended to leave
him to his own devices.
     Rivel, on the other hand, seemed to have taken a great interest in what
he had been transformed into.  Aegis had often got the impression that her
casual attentions were merely a way of passing the time while she waited for
him to grow older, a prospect that gave him less and less comfort each time he
sat down to truly think about what it meant.  He could cope with the notion of
being a grand experiment of some sort, or at least he usually could, but the
thought of becoming a student or a play-thing of the demoness was not the most
comforting concept that had occurred to him.
     "You can taste my blood if you want, little vampire," she had whispered in
his ear once, her fingertips gliding across his arms like rain runs across a
leaf during a gentle summer storm and her lips brushing against his ear like
the kiss of a feather.  Had he not come to favor the essence potions over the
taste of the samples of blood his master had provided, he might have indeed
taken her up on her offer, but his master had likewise heard her breathy words
and forbade him from complying with her desires.
     "You may sample one another when he is ready," the master had said in a
flat tone.  "But not before.  I welcome your help, Rivel, but I will not have
my efforts come to ruin because of your impatience.  Find your prey elsewhere
for the time being, for you will not find anyone suitable here anytime soon.
And you, young man, would be well-advised to pay very close attention to what
blood you savor, for that which you cannot assert dominion over will come to
dominate you in time, instead.  Remember that one well," he admonished darkly.
     The high-pitched screeching of a fire-bat registered on his mind, drawing
him back to the present.  He gently wriggled out from beneath her touch, one
hand having found its way into the collar of his tunic without his noticing
earlier, and headed over to the shuttered window.  He paused for a moment to
see if there was any magical resistance from the geas, and feeling none he
slipped the heavy gloves on before unbarring the latch.
     A steady early-autumn breeze promptly blew the shutters inward, dazzling
the darkened chamber with pale flecks of crimson and amber.  The disc of the
sun itself had already slipped over the horizon, but there were still enough
clouds in the area to color the skyline with faded radiance.  He knew that it
wouldn't have been enough to hurt his master had he been around, but it more
than likely would have put him in an evil mood.
     He barely had time to glance at the dimming horizon before what appeared
to be a flaming comet came blazing across the open air.  Aegis quickly stepped
back as the fire-bat approached, the fiery messenger soaring up at an angle to
get his bearings before tucking his wings in and launching forward at a steep
ballistic angle.
     Aegis grunted as his master's envoy slammed into him with all the force
and grace of a lead weight.  He somehow managed to catch the flaming bat while
retaining his balance.  Even so, he was forced to take two steps back to avoid
falling squarely on his backside as he absorbed the bat's forward momentum.
The veil of flames surrounding the creature quickly vanished, leaving a heavy
tang of carbon and brimstone in the air.
     "Mmm, nice catch," Rivel purred as she reclined at an angle, absently
tucking one of the cushions beneath her hip.  "A little rough, perhaps, but I
think you did well for your first time...."
     Aegis said nothing as he waited for the fire-bat to get situated, holding
one gloved hand out so that the creature could hang upside-down from a pair of
fingers.  Adam eventually quit fluttering around and held still, making a very
soft rasping noise to indicate that he was comfortable and that it was safe to
open the fire-proof pouch strapped to his chest.
     "Indeed he has," a slightly whispery voice said from a patch of absolute
darkness on the other side of the room.  A pair of pale red pinpoints could be
made out if one looked closely enough at the swath of shadows and knew where
exactly to look, but otherwise it was all but impossible to discern just where
the vampire lord was standing.
     "Master," Aegis murmured with a respectful bow of his head.  Rivel made a
similiar gesture of her own, but remained both sitting and silent.
     "The window," the vampire said simply.
     Aegis immediately turned around and closed the window with his free hand,
making sure not to disturb the fire-bat any more than necessary.  While his
master had from little to no regard for the sanctity of life, depending on his
mood at any given moment, he frowned on any mistreatment of his rather unusual
messenger.  Whether that was from genuine caring or from the simple fact that
a great effort had been required to train Adam was unknown, but Aegis decided
awhile ago that when it came to the fire-bat, it really didn't matter why.
     The dark figure stepped out of the shadows, the sharply angular lines of
his face seeming to be composed in a mask of faint curiosity.  "So, my daring
young pupil," he said in a languid drawl, "It was you who dispatched Adam on a
rather curious journey, then?"
     "It was, Master," Aegis replied in as calm a tone as he could manage.  He
could tell from his master's demeanor that he wasn't in imminent danger of any
excessive punishment, but he knew that he still had a great deal of explaining
to do.
     "Explain," the vampire lord said simply.  To Rivel, his tone remained as
calm as before when he uttered the lone word.  To Aegis, however, his master's
voice resonated with the commanding echo of one who had him enthralled and was
using that particular bond to compel him to speak.  He would have told him why
anyway, having spent most of yesterday composing his thoughts and laying them
out to be as reasonable as possible, but the compulsion simply made it all the
more easier for the words to flow.
     "I've known for awhile now that you have been crafting and shaping me for
some purpose," Aegis said in a very carefully measured tone.  "Though I still
am not sure what that purpose is, it would stand to reason that I will one day
be sent forth from here to do your bidding.  That you have apparently gone to
the extreme length required to neutralize my vulnerability to sunlight speaks
for itself, for it means you wish me to spend time exposed to it.
     "You have likewise taught me powerful magic, and from what I understand
some of it is rarely found outside the hands of archmages.  You have molded me
into a very powerful wizard, but what you have yet to do is teach me about the
world out there, about the people who live within it.  I...." he trailed off as
a rather moderate anxiety attack suddenly gripped his heart in icy talons.
     "Go on," the vampire lord said calmly, tilting his head at a slight angle
as he studied his pupil.
     "I want to see it for myself," Aegis blurted out.  "I have no great love
for the sunlight, of course, but I should still like to see it every now and
then.  I want to see where I came from, what the world I was torn from is like
and what the people who still live in the world of light are like."
     Much to his surprise, his master started to chuckle softly to himself, a
look of ironic amusement creeping into his dark purple eyes.  "Is that all, my
young friend?" he said.  "Had you but asked, I would have mentioned that I was
indeed planning on introducing you to the 'world of light' as you put it.  It
would have been a rather closely-monitored transition, however, enrolling you
in a rather remote school for your.... social education," he chuckled.
     Aegis risked a glance at Rivel, noticing that she seemed to be more than
a little surprised at the development.  Her complexion was also a little pale,
indicating that the succubus was deeply worried about something.
     "So tell me what you have done, then," his master commanded in a neutral
tone, his moment of humor seeming to have passed.
     "I requested an application to a school of magic and spellcraft," Aegis
replied, doing his best to keep his breathing steady and even.  "I told the
headmaster who I was and what I had become, explaining that if I was to be
accepted it was to be for who I truly am.  I made no mention of your identity,
of course," he added quickly as his master's expression suddenly darkened.  "I
would not have named you even if the geas did not forbid it, for I wanted this
to be solely my own efforts and not drawing on any influences your name might
have garnered me."
     The vampire lord remained dangerously silent for what had to have been a
full five minutes.  "Had you mentioned this to me beforehand, I would have
laughed at the sheer boldness of your intent," he said slowly in a measured
tone.  "Had I seen what you had written and to whom, I might have even allowed
the message to be sent.  Regardless, what is done is done, and not even I am
able to reverse the hands of Time to rectify this.  Should this.... endeavor
of yours bring me the slightest grief or harm, I will see that you pay for it
and dearly so, for you will know pain like you have never known it before.  So
tell me, my bold student, to whom did the message go to?"
     It took a moment for the dark chill to fade to the point where Aegis was
able to speak properly.  "Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of the Hogwarts School
of Witchcraft and Wizardry," he finally said in what he thought was a rather
firm and level voice.
     "Hogwarts?" the vampire lord echoed, seeming to be genuinely startled by
the declaration.  "You.... you applied to be a student at *Hogwarts*?  You
asked *Dumbeldore* himself for an application?"
     "Yes, Master, I have," Aegis stated firmly with a curt nod of his head,
knowing that the brazen response would probably result in a Cruciatus Curse if
not one of the more exotic variants.  However, after spending so much time
fantasizing about the possibilities and finally finding the courage to risk his
master's wrath by actually putting ink to parchment and borrowing Adam to send
the letter, he was now determined to see things through to wherever it would
take him, be it beyond the castle walls or to a rather early grave.
     And after all that had happened to him in the past four years, finding
himself in the cold embrace of Death was not the more unnerving of potential
futures.
     As prepared as he was to face pain, Aegis Skyblade found himself to be
very much caught off-guard by his master's laughter.  While the vampire lord
possessed a sense of humor best described as unique, neither Aegis nor Rivel
could ever remember hearing him laugh that openly or heartily before.  It was,
both Aegis and Rivel would later conclude after a very quiet conversation, a
realization that was somewhere between unsettling and downright frightening.
     "Rivel," the vampire lord managed to choke out.  "Tell me that this is a
deliberate joke on Elaine's part inspired by that letter from her friend from
the distant realm...."
     "If it is, my lord, I know nothing about it," Rivel replied in a faintly
uneasy tone.  "In fact, if I may be so bold, judging from the look on Aegis'
face I would say that he is quite serious about it."
     The vampire lord seemed to sober up just slightly before looking over at
the stoic expression Aegis was trying to maintain, still carefully holding the
upside-down fire-bat in one hand.  "Hogwarts," he managed to say in a level
tone before bursting into laughter once more.
     Aegis glanced over his shoulder as he sensed a dark chill entering the
room.  A billowing cloud of icy mist was flooding the room from the direction
of the stairwell, hovering low to the ground as it surged forth.  The mist
crossed the full length of the room, briefly passing over Rivel's reclined form
before congealing around one of the armchairs.  The cloud began to thicken and
gather together before it Reassociated into a human form.
     "I see someone is in a good mood this evening," the Countess of Glenmont
said in a casual tone, one hand reaching up to brush a lock of chestnut-brown
hair out of her line of sight.
     "Aegis...." the vampire lord gasped before doubling over, clutching his
ribs as he struggled for air.  "Aegis... app.... app...." he started to say
before giving up and laughing aloud once more.
     Rivel sighed quietly and cast a deeply uncertain glance towards Aegis.
"It seems that Aegis has applied for a chance to study at Hogwarts," she said
to Elaine in a delicate tone.
     "Oh?" Elaine replied, her eyebrows promptly arching clear up to the top
of her forehead.  "And I suppose our master found the reply to be amusing?"
     "Actually, I don't think Aegis has had a chance to even open it yet," the
succubus said with a casual shrug, her wings fluttering briefly.
     "Not yet," Aegis said in a polite but extremely dry tone, casting a dour
glance at the still-laughing vampire lord.
     "B-B-By all means," the master said as he finally calmed down enough to be
able to both breathe and talk without choking.  "Let us see what our friend
Dumbledore has to say about your request."
     "You sent it to Dumbledore himself?" Elaine echoed, blinking hard.  She
studied Aegis' expression before exhaling softly and glancing away.  "That was
more than a little brave, my friend.  I hope you know what sort of risks you
exposed us to by sending the letter."
     "I am aware of the risks, my lady," Aegis replied calmly, giving her a
slight bow of his head.  "And as the master has already said, I shall be the
one to pay the price should a problem arise because of it.  If the three of you
will excuse me for a moment?" he added as he half-turned away from them.
     Everyone watched in relative silence as Aegis carefully opened the pouch
strapped to Adam's chest, extracting what appeared to be a fairly large letter
neatly folded into quarters.  He cast a cursory glance at the letter before he
moved over to the empty fireplace and set it down on the mantle.  He then very
gingerly transferred Adam to his half-hidden perch inside the fireplace near
the flue before taking the leather gloves off and laying them aside.  He cast
a hesitant look at the folded letter before taking a deep breath and picking it
back up again, unfolding it with a sharp flick of his wrist.

                *               *               *               *

     Young Master Aegis Skyblade,

     I would like to begin by profoundly thanking you for contacting me with a
letter, for it both surprises and relieves me greatly to learn that you are
indeed very much alive.  Your grandmother was an associate of mine and we kept
in touch over the years.  The news of your disappearance following the murder
of your parents caused her no end of grief, and had she not passed away last
year she would have been most overjoyed to hear news of you.

     In regards to your request for an application to the Hogwarts School of
Witchcraft and Wizardry, I should like to point out that your grandmother was
also a Hogwarts student in her youth which automatically qualifies you for a
legacy slot.  As we typically have far less legacy applicants than allotted
positions, it is rare that anything more than a cursory review is needed for a
legacy applicant to be accepted.  At least, under ordinary conditions.

     I must admit to being deeply troubled by your profession of what you have
become, but I must nontheless thank you for your bravery and candor in being
direct about your situation.  While the decision of admission is largely in my
hands, I am obligated to take into consideration the potential for a dangerous
situation to arise from your attendance.  The safety of the other students is
paramount, not just to me but to the Ministry of Magic as well, and because of
my deep concern I must insist on a face-to-face interview before I decide on
whether to admit you or not.

     As I have business to attend to in Diagon Alley, I should like to make
arrangements for us to meet one evening at the Leaky Cauldron.  Perhaps this
coming Thursday would be best?  It is with considerable caution that I invite
your unnamed master as well, for there is much I would like to ask of him or
her about you, but I will understand if the offer is respectfully declined.
Should that be the case, I would ask that you bring an adult or guardian with
you, preferably one who can answer any questions I might have about your new
nature that you may not be able to explain to my satisfaction.  I must stress
the importance of this, for I cannot allow any unknown threats or dangers to
roam the halls of Hogwarts.

     Given the rather unique method of posting your original letter and the
risks you admitted you took in doing so, I will not expect to receive a reply
from you unless you are unable to meet with me as I have just suggested.  If
that turns out to be the case, I ask that you send me a second message with
your view of things, and we shall see if we can come to some sort of mutual
agreement from there.  Give my regards to your master, and I look forward to
meeting you soon at the Leaky Cauldron.


                                                Respectfully yours,

                                                Albus Dumbledore
                                                Headmaster, Hogwarts School
                                                 of Witchcraft and Wizardry


                *               *               *               *

     "Well?" the vampire lord inquired with uncharacteristic patience.
     Aegis exhaled quietly and quickly re-read the letter.  "He wants to meet
with me before he decides to let me in or not," he said simply.  "This coming
Thursday at the tavern in Diagon Alley."  He glanced up at his master with an
odd look in his eyes, absently folding the letter back up into a compact form
before sending it whizzing across the room like a frisbee with a casual flick
of his wrist.
     His master's hand seemed to twitch just slightly as he caught the folded
letter between two fingers, one steeply angled eyebrow arching up.  He cast a
very cool stare at the young boy before unfolding the letter and reading it for
himself.  His expression remained perfectly neutral as his eyes scanned the
neatly penned text, not noticing the surprised and uneasy looks being exchanged
between Elaine and Rivel.
     "Bold, my young pupil, very bold," he finally said in a tone devoid of any
semblance of emotion, his dark eyes still perusing the letter.  "However, not
nearly as bold as Dumbledore appears to be.  So he wishes to meet with me, does
he?  Very bold and very brave indeed," he murmured, mostly to himself as he
folded the paper back up into quarters.
     The vampire lord made a casual flicking gesture to his side, the compact
letter suddenly exploding outward into the shape of a tiny brown bat.  The bat
immediately zoomed forward and made a sharp turn to the right, heading over to
the chair Elaine was sitting in.  The bat surged upwards before darting back
down in a classic dive-bombing move.
     Elaine simply held out her palm, the bat morphing back into the compacted
letter just as it brushed against her skin.  She gave her master a subtle bow
of her head in acknowledgment before gently unfolding the letter.  She didn't
react as Rivel got to her feet and moved over next to her, casually sitting on
the edge of the armchair and laying her head alongside the vampiress' so that
their cheeks brushed against one another.
     The vampire lord studied Aegis in silence while the two women read the
letter for themselves, his gaze seeming to bore a hole through the young boy's
very soul.  Aegis simply looked back at him master and waited, knowing that he
would find out soon enough what sort of fate awaited him, as well as what sort
of punishment he would receive for daring to send the letter on his own.
     The veil of silence in the room was almost suffocatingly heavy, the air
itself seeming to become thicker with an undercurrent of tension with each
passing moment.  A minor eternity passed before Elaine lifted her head up from
the letter, her pupils slightly wide with surprise.
     "Interesting reading, is it not?" the vampire lord inquired calmly, still
intensely focused on Aegis.
     "Unexpected, to say the least," the Countess admitted softly.
     "Tell me something, young master Aegis Skyblade," the vampire lord said
in a faintly mocking tone.  "Tell me why I should permit this audacity."
     A dozen responses promptly flooded Aegis' mind, but one particular answer
made the hair on the back of his neck stand up.  It would be boldness indeed
to give voice to it, but for the first time since his dark transformation, he
felt like risking his master's wrath by pushing the envelope of his tolerance.
     "Curiosity," the young boy said simply, looking square at his master.
     "Explain," the vampire lord replied after a moment of studious silence.
     "You are probably pondering the possibilities for this even now," Aegis
explained in a very careful tone.  "Can I make it?  Will I be able to blend in
with the other students?  How long will it be before someone tries to have me
expelled or removed for being a vampire, or even killed?  What about my magic,
how does what you've already taught me compare with what they will teach and
the prowess of the other students?  I've come to know you even as you've come
to shape me, my master, I know you are curious about this and even as I speak
are wondering how you can use it to your advantage."
     The vampire lord looked back at him for a moment before a cruel smile
touched the corners of his lips.  His hand barely seemed to brush his side
before it came back up holding his wand, the sharpened and carbon-blackened tip
casually aimed at the young boy.  "Crucio Litonius," he murmured with a sneer.
     Pure agonzing pain immediately shot through Aegis' body, driving him to
his knees as a muffled scream erupted from his throat.  His nerves twitched and
spasmed under the onslaught, every fiber thoroughly convinced that it was being
electrocuted to the breaking point by the curse.  He was used to the raw pain
of the Cruciatus Curse, having been subjected to it on at least a weekly if not
daily basis for the past four years, but the variation was different enough to
render his resistance all but useless.
     The pain vanished almost as soon as it had come, which meant that it only
felt like an hour to the young boy.  "So you think you know me, do you?" his
master's voice somehow registered amid the deafening cacophony of his racing
pulse thundering in his ears.  "Are the workings of my mind that open to you
that you would claim to be able to read them?  Well?" he prodded darkly.
     Aegis knew that he had to respond or be subjected to even more pain.  "I
do not claim to be a mind-reader, my master," he rasped as he struggled to rise
to his feet.  "I can only guess at what your thoughts truly are.  I would like
to submit, however, that you have made some things obvious to us all, and that
is what I sought to comment on.  My immunity to sunlight, for example, and your
desire to make me a powerful wizard."
     "I would advise you to listen very closely, whelp," the master growled in
a very ominous tone.  Aegis could read little from the tone itself, but the
fact that the tip of his master's wand was starting to droop meant that it was
unlikely to be used again within the next fifteen seconds.  "You are far from
immune to sunlight's touch.  It will not destroy you instantly, and indirect
exposure will only irritate you after awhile, but you are still vulnerable to
direct sunlight.  Your blood powers will be rendered useless, and if you spend
too much time bathed in sunlight you will be overcome."
     "Aegis," Elaine spoke up quietly.  "You would be well-served taking your
master's words to heart.  I am old enough to have developed a fair amount of
tolerance for sunlight, enough so that I can stroll among the humans in broad
daylight if I wished, but even I have to be careful to limit my exposure.  You
are but four years removed from your blood-rebirth, and even with the added
powers infused into your dark blood you must still walk very carefully."
     Aegis glanced back towards his master before bowing his head deeply in
acknowledgement.  "Understood, Master," he said in a subdued tone.
     The vampire lord continued to stare at the young boy in silence, his dark
countenance revealing very little of what he might be thinking.  "At the risk
of overinflating your ego and sense of self-importance, you are correct on a
number of accounts," he finally said in a moderate tone.  "I have given you
your powers for a purpose, and the time is not yet right for that to be fully
revealed, but I am indeed curious as to how you measure up to others as you
presently stand.  I will permit you to meet with the archmage Dumbledore, as I
would very much like to hear what he has to say.  I will have to decline his
most generous offer to meet me as well, however" he added with a faint sneer.
"I am not about to risk exposure over something as minor as this."
     "I'll take him to Diagon Alley," Rivel offered quietly, her expression
seeming to light up with restrained hope.
     "Brilliant suggestion, my dear," the vampire lord promply replied with a
look of contempt.  "I'm sure nobody would give a succubus walking among the
mortals a second look.  Unless you've found a way to mask your demonic side,"
he prodded her, one dark eyebrow arching up.  "No?" he added as she remained
silent.  "Then I'm afraid you will have to remain here."
     Rivel sighed quietly and nodded her head glumly before turning to cast a
hopeful glance at Elaine.  The vampiress didn't miss the look and returned it
with slight wariness before sighing quietly herself.
     "I suppose you want me to escort him?" she inquired in a mild tone.
     "If you don't want to, I can go ask...." Rivel started to say.
     "I know who you'll ask," Elaine interrupted with a faint snort.  "And I'm
not sure he would say yes, let alone what Aegis would think of having him for
an escort.  No, I will take him to see Dumbledore, for I have a question or two
of my own I should like to ask of him.  Besides, I hear the spider shop over in
Knockturn Alley is letting them breed again and I'm curious to see what sort of
stock they have."
     The succubus blinked and sat back, a faintly uneasy expression crossing
her beautiful face.  "Eww," she muttered very quietly.  "Loom isn't enough for
you?" she asked, referring to the royal-blue spider that the vampiress had as
a familiar.
     "It takes two to breed, you know," Elaine reminded her.
     "Eww," Rivel muttered again, shivering at the mere prospect of finding a
thick web full of spider eggs one day.
     "Speaking of which," the vampire lord spoke up in an amused tone, "You may
wish to hold extremely still, my young student."
     Aegis blinked and immediately quit breathing.  He felt a faint tickle on
his ankle a moment later, glancing down to find Loom starting to crawl up his
leg.  While he wasn't afraid that the spider would bite him, he still found it
extremely unnerving to have the creature crawling over his body.  "Countess
MacDara?" he called out in as calm a tone as he could manage.
     Elaine just shook her head to herself as she stood up.  "Explain to me,"
she said very slowly, "Just how you can all but shrug off a Cruciatus Curse but
still look like you're going to faint whenever she wants to say hello to you.
She is very friendly, after all, and I honestly think she likes you."
     "I am flattered, of course," Aegis replied carefully, keeping a very firm
eye on the spider as it crawled up his thigh.  "However, there is very little
I can do to quell an instinctual reaction such as this.  Move her, please?"
     "A moment, Elaine," the vampire lord said as a dark smile crossed his
face.  "Perhaps we can use this moment as a learning experience."
     Aegis and Elaine promptly exchanged wary glances, the former wondering
what he would be subjected to this time and the latter worried about what it
would end up doing to her spider.  "I'm listening, my lord," Elaine replied in
a slightly clipped tone, watching as Loom reached Aegis' belt.
     The vampire lord chuckled quietly before making a gesture.  "You are now
in a bad situation, Aegis," he said carefully.  "Assume that the spider on you
is both venomous and hostile.  What would you do?"
     "Kill it," Aegis promptly replied, still watching Loom's progress as she
continued to climb higher.
     "Don't even think about it," Elaine growled in a dangerous tone, exposing
the very tips of her vampiric fangs.
     "And if you don't have your wand with you?" the master suggested, causing
Aegis to blink.  "You can't kill it, and you can't use magic.  Now what?  And
think aloud so I know you're doing it," he added with a smirk.
     "Now what indeed?" the boy muttered as Loom's ever-nearing presence began
to cause him to sweat.  "Well, if I can't remove her...." he started to say
before a flash of inspiration hit him.  "If *she* can't be removed, then what
if *I* were to be removed?" he stated before closing his eyes and turning his
focus inward, seeking to unlock the inherent powers of his dark vampire blood.
     His consciousness suddenly split into a hundred fragments, his senses
dividing again and again until he could see through a hundred pairs of eyes,
hear sounds through a hundred pairs of ears.  His body erupted into a hundred
pieces, each dark shard melding into a tiny black bat as he Disassociated.
     The experience was enough to send his conscious mind reeling, barely able
to cope with the shock of change and the flood of sensory input.  He couldn't
maintain the dispersed form for very long, but it was more than enough to let
him slip out from the grasping and hairy legs of Elaine's spider.  Loom was
sent tumbling through the air, instinctively curling up into a ball to protect
herself from the sudden encounter with the floor.
     Elaine cast an unamused glance at the cloud of bats as they breezed past
her in eerie silence, the buffeting of their wings barely stirring her hair.
The bats suddenly merged together and seemed to melt, disappearing into the
dark mass as Aegis tried to Reassociate himself.  A hard gasp could be heard as
he finished his task, the shock of the change momentarily leaving him winded as
his senses reoriented on his surroundings once again.
     "Well done," the vampire lord murmured in approval as the Countess knelt
down to scoop up her stunned familiar.  "Magic is extremely useful in almost
any situation, but sometimes you are unable to employ it, and so a new tactic
must be used.  Never forget what you are, Aegis, or what you can do."
     "There, there, it's alright," Elaine cooed as she lightly stroked Loom's
abdomen.  The spider seemed to take her time in uncurling herself, probing the
surface of Elaine's hand with one leg before trying to move the next.
     Aegis briefly patted himself down out of pure reflex before casting what
he felt was a suitably neutral look towards his master.  "I do not think it is
possible for me to forget what I am, my master," he said demurely.
     A faint smirk of satisfaction crossed the vampire lord's face.  "See that
you don't," he replied before he turned away and headed for the door.  "Take
him to Diagon Alley if you wish, Elaine, and give my regards to Dumbledore.
Just be careful when you do, for you know what will happen should any of this
prove to be folly at best and an invitation for disaster at worst."
     "My lord," Elaine murmured with a bow of her head as the vampire lord left
the room.  She waited until she was sure he had left, or at least as sure as
she could be given his nature, before turning to look at Aegis.  "Humor me for
a moment, my friend, and tell me why you chose Hogwarts of all places?" she
inquired casually as she made her way back over to her armchair, still cuddling
Loom as she went.
     Aegis paused to decide how to frame his reply, finally setting on a reply
that really wasn't one at all.  "It was a personal choice, my lady," he said in
a quiet but respectful tone.
     The vampiress paused in mid-stroke, lifting her head up to deliver a cool
glance at him.  "No doubt that it was," she replied with just the faintest hint
of an edge to her tone.  "I ask that you share it with me regardless."
     The young boy sighed silently as he realized that the dodge wasn't going
to work.  While the Countess had little direct power over him, he was keenly
aware of just how bad an idea it would be to defy her with a refusal.  "I have
often wondered what it would be like had my life not been changed like this,"
he said, choosing his words very carefully.  "Would I have been another nobody
like so many others, or would the same potential that the master saw in me be
enough to permit me to become a force in this world?  Much like another wizard
who also studied at Hogwarts."
     "The darklord whom few will openly name?" Elaine mused softly, one walnut-
brown eyebrow arched up in studious contemplation.
     "Actually.... I was thinking about Harry Potter," Aegis admitted.
     "Ah," the vampiress purred as she sat back in her chair, absently setting
Loom down on the armrest.  The gesture was done without thought and so Rivel
suddenly found herself uncomfortably close to the blue spider.  The succubus
cast a sidelong glare at Elaine before standing up and moving to sit back down
on the mass of floor pillows clustered together near the inert fireplace.
     "So you view him as a role-model, then?" Elaine inquired.  "Someone whose
footsteps you would wish to follow?"
     "If it pleases you to think of it like that," Aegis replied in an utterly
impassive tone.
     Elaine paused to give him another cool look.  "And how do you view him?"
     "A challenge," Aegis said, causing both Elaine and Rivel to blink.  "If a
boy like that, one who didn't even know about magic until barely a month before
his first lesson, if he can spend seven years at Hogwarts and emerge a force
that archmages would bow to.... why can't I?  Do I not have more magic at my
fingertips than he did at my age?  Can I not do far more than a normal human?
If the ordinary can become extraordinary, what can the extraordinary become?"
     A faint smile crossed the vampiress' face as she leaned back in the chair,
the tips of her fangs briefly visible.  "I would advise extreme caution with
such arrogance," she said quietly.  "Harry Potter was a child of prophecy and
thus no ordinary boy.  The first destruction of Lord Vo....  I mean," she said
as her throat seemed to involuntarily constrict, "The first destruction of the
darklord that will not be named, for example, is a feat that very, very few
fully-empowered wizards could accomplish, and Harry managed to do that when he
was just a single year old.  I do wish he would lift that geas," she muttered
in a very quiet rasp as she rubbed her throat and briefly shivered.
     "Be that as it may, my lady, I still wish to try," Aegis spoke up once he
was sure she was finished talking.  "And regardless of why, the wheels have
already been set into motion."
     "Aye, they have," the Countess admitted with a gesture before she leaned
forward to rest her elbows on her legs.  "But wheels can be stopped, my young
friend, and few brakes are forgiving when applied to the wheels with intent.
I cannot say for certain, of course, as I am not as bold or foolish enough to
suggest I am privy to the thoughts of the master," she said, pausing to let the
meaning of her words sink in, "But I am of the opinion that he will allow you
to attend Hogwarts if you are indeed accepted.  As to the odds of that actually
happening, however.... lets just say that I have my reasonable doubts."
     Aegis nodded his head in understanding.  "I am under no illusions either,
my lady, or at least I do not believe I am, but I wish to try nonetheless."
     A faint smile of genuine warmth crossed Elaine's face as she sat back in
the chair once again.  "Indeed," she purred quietly.  "As I said, I will take
you to Diagon Alley on Thursday and meet Dumbledore with you.  It is a rather
delicious irony that you chose to apply to Hogwarts this year, for it was only
the other day that I received word from.... an old fiend of mine, if you will,
that he had accepted a teaching position there."
     "Oh?" Aegis said, blinking in mild surprise and trying not to wonder too
deeply what she meant by an 'old fiend'.  "Anyone I know, perchance?"
     "No, but you will soon," Elaine replied with a coy smile.  "He will be the
Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, a position I am led to believe is rather
transient at Hogwarts.  He expects to remain there for a single year, although
I believe he would like to stay longer if permitted.  We shall find out soon
enough, though," she said with a dismissive shrug.
     "Do you know what you'll need?" Rivel asked quietly as she leaned back
against the cushions into what some might term a casually provocative pose.
     "I'm sure a list will be provided should I be accepted," Aegis replied as
he absently patted himself down again.  His wand was exactly where he had left
it, not seeming to have been disturbed in the slightest by the Disassociation
of his physical form.  The dior wood wand always seemed to bring him a small
measure of comfort when it was touched or held.  Whether that was due to the
nature of the dark wand itself or something else was still unknown to him, but
it was enough to know that he was all the more powerful with it at his side.
     "I'm sure they'll want you to have the usual basics," Rivel commented as
she started to toy with her hair.  "Robe, wand, cauldron, a trunk for stuff,
maybe a familiar for aid.  Tell me again what they use for transportation?" she
asked as she turned to Elaine.
     "Enchanted brooms," the vampiress said with open amusement.
     "That's right," Rivel nodded as she remembered.  "But surely you're not
going to need a broom to fly, right?" she added as she glanced back at Aegis.
     Aegis paused and glanced at the suddenly neutral look on Elaine's face
before taking a subtle but deep breath.  "To be honest, my lady, if I am going
to be a student at Hogwarts, I doubt I will be making use of any.... unique
abilities that I happen to possess as a vampire," he said carefully.  "Bear in
mind that I cannot remain Disassociated for very long, and that both the Master
and the Countess just explained to me that I will not be able to do so while in
the sunlight.  And since the school operates during the daytime like the rest
of the world, it is highly unlikely that my powers will be fully available to
me for extended periods of time."
     "Do you think that will bother you?" Elaine inquired mildly as she reached
out to brush a fingertip against Loom's abdomen.  "Being without your blood
powers for so long."
     "Should it?" Aegis replied calmly, drawing a startled look from Elaine.
"After all, I've only had them for four years, and it seems that the master has
focused most of his attention on my magical skills instead of my blood powers.
I would think that it means he knows I'm not going to be able to rely on them
like my magic."
     The vampiress cast a sidelong look at Rivel before sighing quietly.  "I
think I see your point," she said quietly.  "Interesting," she added, mostly to
herself as she continued to pet her familiar.
     "Surely you understand the purpose of my creation," Aegis prodded gently,
knowing that the topic was extremely sensitive.  He felt his stomach suddenly
drop clear down into his toes at the dark look his words elicited from her.
     "That is between you and your master," she said in a chilling tone.  "I
have no part in this.  I know what you are and why it was done, but it is not
for me to speak of.  Do not ask me about it again."
     Aegis bowed his head to her, knowing that he had probably already risked
bodily harm merely for bringing it up.  While it was rare for her to lift her
wand in anger, it was not unknown for him to be subjected to her displeasure in
a distinctly direct fashion if she was upset enough.
     "I don't think he would wish you to neglect your blood powers," Rivel said
from her spot on the floor cushions.  "What about the 'lesson' you had not even
five minutes ago?"
     Aegis cast a sidelong glance at Elaine as she made a soft grumbling noise
and murmured something incomprehensible to Loom.  "I will keep both my nature
and my magic in mind," he assured the succubus.  "I will just have to be aware
of which ones I can use in a given situation and plan accordingly."
     "A wise plan indeed," Rivel purred softly.  "And perhaps it might be just
as wise to practice both as often as you can.  You say you can't hold your bat-
form for very long?  Perhaps all you need then is a little practice.  I think
I can help you build up your.... endurance for such things...."
     "Rivel...." Elaine said in a warning tone.
     "Come, little vampire, let us play a game," the succubus said as she rose
to her feet and crossed the room.  She unlocked the window and opened it as
wide as it would go, letting in the cool evening air.  The horizon was still
faintly edged with pink and blue, but the rest of the sky was already well past
twilight and halfway into true night.
     "See if you can keep up with me," Rivel said as she spread her wings and
began to flex them, preparing herself for flight.  "Spend as much time as you
can in bat-form, rest when you need to, and we shall see just how long you can
last.  You might find it to be.... rewarding," she said suggestively before she
climbed through the window to stand on the narrow ledge outside.
     Aegis turned to look at Elaine, feeling a faint shiver run down his spine
at the look on her face.  "My lady?" he ventured, not at all sure what to make
of either the situation or the open coyness behind Rivel's words.
     "Just be mindful of the trees and the ground," Elaine sighed quietly, her
free hand coming up to rub the bridge of her nose.  "There are things out there
that still think a bat would make a tasty meal, so if you see anything try to
avoid it.  And the exercise will indeed build up your endurance," she added
wryly, making a face that one usually only sees after someone else has tried to
eat a relatively fresh lemon.
     "Aegis?" Rivel prodded lightly.
     He glanced over at her and nodded, pausing to cast one final look at the
expression on Elaine's face before turning his focus inward once again.  Even
before he could fully Disassociate, the succubus took wing into the night and
began a shallow glide across the terrain.  A torrent of bats erupted out of the
castle window a few moments later, clustered together in an unusually tight
flock, and the chase was on.
     "This is going to be a long week," Elaine sighed to Loom.

                *               *               *               *

     It was close to daybreak before the vampire lord returned to what passed
for the living room, his eyebrows arching up at what he encountered.  Rivel was
sitting on the cushions with her back pressed up against the armchair, her hair
still in wild disarray and her wings prominently fluffed out.  She was cradling
Aegis' head in her lap, her fingertips lightly massaging and stroking the young
boy's forehead as he remained three-quarters asleep.  The exhaustion was still
etched into his features, leaving a profusion of lines on his face that made
him seem to be at least twice his age.
     "My lord," Rivel said very quietly, keeping her voice pitched low enough
to not disturb Aegis.
     "If I didn't know better," the vampire lord said in an ominous tone, "I'd
say that you have disobeyed me.  Explain why he has been weakened and why you
look like you have spent the entire night.... hunting, as you put it."
     "I have not, my lord," Rivel replied in a slighted tone.  "We spent the
night training outside, he in bat-form and I on soaring wing.  Though it seems
to have cost him dearly in terms of strength for the moment, he has improved
his ability to remain in that form and consciously direct it.  You should ask
Elaine if my word alone isn't sufficient, as she observed us at various times."
     "Have you, now?" the master said, his eyebrows arching up again.  "And
what, may I ask, prompted this little endeavor of yours?"
     Rivel looked down at Aegis, flexing her wings just slightly to try to work
out the aches and pains that were already setting in.  "A desire to play," she
said softly.  "He is still a child, and do not all children need to play every
so often?  You need not worry, I have not touched him."
     "She says as her hands remain on his face," the vampire lord mocked with
open amusement.  "You spoil him sometimes, my dear."
     "I want him used to my touch," Rivel murmured softly as she very lightly
ran her fingertips through Aegis' hair.  "Surely you will not deny me this."
     "I would not have him think of you as a mother," the vampire pointed out.
     "He will not," she assured him.  She hesitated for a moment before she
lifted her head up to look at her master.  "You will still keep your promise,
correct?"
     The master nodded his head slowly.  "When the time is right, my dear, and
not before.  Let the boy become a man first.  I know you grow impatient, but
only the sands of Time can tend to this task, one grain after another."
     Rivel nodded in resigned acceptance as her gaze fell back down to Aegis.
"And what of Hogwarts?" she inquired carefully, not sure if it was something
that should be discussed.
     "What of it?" the vampire lord replied in a curious tone.
     "Will you let him go?" she asked.
     He nodded to her as he casually leaned against the wall.  "If Dumbledore
sees fit to accept him," he answered.  "I will admit to being surprised by the
sheer boldness of his actions, but after thinking about it I think he has made
a rather wise move.  If I have indeed overlooked something in his training, he
will receive a solid instruction in the matter from his professors.  Indeed,
this will make an almost perfect test of how things have progressed," he mused.
     "Just as long as I am the first to instruct him in my arts," Rivel said in
a respectful but muted tone.
     "I doubt they teach that at Hogwarts," the master pointed out dryly.
     "What boy seeks a teacher for such things?" Rivel reminded him.
     "That depends on what defines a teacher," he replied with a soft laugh.
"You have made your point, my dear.  As I said, he will become your pupil when
he is ready to be, and not before.  Once night falls again you are free to take
him outside for further training, but after that he is not to be exhausted or
weakened by such exertion.  I want him fully rested up for his meeting with our
dear friend Dumbledore."
     "As you say, my lord," Rivel murmured with a bow of her head.
     "Where is Elaine?" the vampire lord said as he pushed himself off the wall
and turned back towards the hallway.
     "Tending to her carriage," Rivel replied.  "She said that she was going to
have something replaced before she had to set out for Diagon Alley."
     "She's taking her carriage?" the master echoed in mild disbelief as he
cast a surprised glance over his shoulder.
     Rivel shrugged in indifference, the gesture flexing both her wings and her
cleavage impressively.  "She said she wanted to make a suitable impression.  I
doubt she will leave it parked in Diagon Alley, but rather instead over in
Knockturn Alley.  Less likely to upset the locals," she explained lightly.
     "No doubt," he mused.  He glanced down at the still-asleep Aegis for a
number of moments before looking back up at the succubus.  "Put him to bed," he
instructed.  "As intriguing as his current situation looks, I should not like
to tempt either him or you any more than necessary."
     "As you command, my lord," Rivel said demurely as the vampire lord left
the room.  She waited several moments before she looked down at Aegis, sighing
very softly to herself.  "Soon, little vampire," she murmured as she eased his
head out of her lap and stood up.  She then knelt down to scoop him up, not the
easiest task in the world given his size and weight.  The difficulty was offset
by her demonic strength, easily triple that of what a human's might have been.
"Soon you will be mine, and then you will truly see what your dark nature can
do when fully unleashed...."
     The sound of her soft laughter of delight and anticipation continued to
echo in the hallway long after she carried Aegis to his bed, and only Adam was
able to hear the undercurrent of emotion in her otherwise dark tone.

                *               *               *               *

     Keeping track of time had never been Aegis' strong suit, even when he had
been fully human.  The arrival of Thursday evening seemed to take forever to
arrive, and yet managed to catch him almost by complete surprise all the same.
The sun wasn't even close to setting when he was gently nudged awake by a soft
voice and a most insistent prod on his shoulder.
     "Aegis," Elaine said yet again in a patient tone.  "I strongly suggest you
wake up before the sun sets, otherwise we will be well and truly late for your
meeting with Professor Dumbledore."
     "Mmmph?" the boy muttered as he cracked a bleary eye open.
     "Get out of bed before I have to use a more direct method," Elaine warned
him ominously.  She was already dressed in what she tended to call her corsair
gear, a loose-fitting tunic and breeches that men tended to favor when sailing
the open seas.  A sheathed rapier hung from a dark blue sash that had been tied
around her waist, both the sash and the sheath decorated with glittering blue
sapphires and gold threading.  Her knee-high boots were made of dark leather
and were securely tied, making her appear to be more of a bandit on her way to
a heist than a noblewoman preparing to meet a well-respected archmage.
     Aegis groaned as he tried to sit up, still acutely feeling more than a few
aches and pains in places he previously wasn't aware that could hurt like that.
Granted the two days he had spent pushing his Disassociative power to the limit
and perhaps just a touch beyond had resulted in a few remarkable improvements,
at least from his perspective, but by the same token it had also resulted in a
level of exhaustion he had never encountered before.
     "Aegis," the Countess prompted him.
     "I'm working on it," Aegis grumped sourly.
     Elaine raised a delicate walnut-brown eyebrow at his tone, thinking about
it for a moment before reaching for her wand.  "Expecto scintillula," she said
casually as she touched the suddenly-glowing tip to his backside.  There was a
sharp crackle as a minor spark of electricity was discharged, resulting in a
sudden burst of activity that was as predictable as it was expected.
     "I will be waiting in the stables," Elaine said once she was sure that he
was both awake and unharmed.  "Try not to take too long in the shower, as I am
not kidding about the time.  And if Rivel wakes up, don't let her delay you for
any reason," she added darkly before she turned away.
     "Understood, my lady," Aegis said quietly, one hand absently rubbing the
new sore spot on his rear.  It was hardly the first time he had been literally
jolted out of bed like that, but he was grateful for the fact that she tended
to use far less voltage than his master did.  He closed the door behind her and
quickly stripped down for a shower, his pulse starting to speed up as a feeling
of anticipation registered.
     The rumor that running water was harmful to a vampire was, as his master
had once put it, one of the biggest cartloads of prime-grade manure to be doled
out to the great unwashed in history.  He hopped into the shower the instant
the pipes were opened, counting on the initial icy shock of the unheated water
to rapidly complete the waking-up process.  He was not disappointed.
     Diagon Alley, he thought as soon as the hot water started to flow, thawing
both his body and his brain.  Accessible via a stable dimensional conduit in
the back alley of the Leaky Cauldron pub.  The pub itself is Unplottable where
it is anchored in the non-magical or 'Muggle' world.
     Albus Dumbledore, he continued to think at a rapid clip as he performed
the fastest ablution he could remember doing that actually got the job done.
Order of Merlin, First Class.  One of the most respected archmages known to
magical society, surpassing even Harry Potter in terms of political influence
and notoriety.  Headmaster of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
     "And I get to see both," he muttered to himself as he finished rinsing off
any lingering traces of soap before shutting off the water and almost literally
catapulting himself out of the shower.  It soon became obvious as he returned
to his room that someone else had the presence of mind to lay out a few things
for him to wear, a thought that made him stop in mid-motion for a few moments.
     He knew it had been either Elaine or Rivel who had gone to the effort, and
a faint chill at the base of his neck led him to believe it had been Rivel's
hands who had done the deed.  That meant the succubus had been in his bedroom
at some point earlier, most likely while he was dead asleep.
     One of these days, he thought warily to himself as he picked up the pair
of pants and started to climb into them.  One of these days somebody is going
to tell me what precisely is going on around here and why I was remade into an
essence vampire at a staggering cost instead of simply being turned into a more
common vampire.  That, and why the master permits a succubus to remain here.
Elaine I can understand, being a vampiress herself, but why a demoness as well?
One of these days....
     He quickly looked around the room as he finished getting dressed, trying
to see if he was forgetting anything of importance.  Boots are right there, he
thought quickly.  Hooded cloak next to them, wand is right here, that should be
everything....  Oh, yeah, the pendant, he thought with a mental sigh as he cast
a glance towards the top of his dresser.
     It was the only thing he owned aside from his wand that he well and truly
treasured, a memento mori of his parents and his mortal life.  It was a simple
pewter crest that hung from a thin silver chain, etched with the coat of arms
of his human bloodline.  He was fairly sure that there were other Skyblades who
still lived, distant relatives at best, but to date he had yet to encounter any
of them.  Not that he had been allowed to encounter much of anything since his
arrival at his master's castle, but even in his earliest memories....
     Enough, Aegis told himself as he shook his head rapidly to clear his mind.
He slipped the chain around his neck and tucked the pendant inside his tunic
collar before he sat on the edge of his bed to don the well-worn boots.  If he
ever met a relative, he'd worry about it then, but for the moment he had more
important things to worry about, like what Professor Dumbledore would decide.
     A simple flick of his arm drew the hooded cloak around his shoulders, the
silvery clasp seeming to secure itself of its own accord without conscisous
thought.  He paused to cast one final look around the room to make absolutely
sure that he wasn't missing anything before he yanked open the door and started
to stride into the hall....
     ....And promptly plowed face-first into Rivel's curvacious chest.  The
force of the impact briefly staggered them both, forcing Aegis to take a step
backwards to prevent an embarrassing loss of balance.  The succubus was equally
thrown off-balance, but a reflexive flapping of her demonic wings was enough to
counter the imparted momentum with virtually no change to her stance.
     "Good evening," Rivel muttered, making a slightly sour face as she visibly
repressed a cough.  "In a bit of a rush, are we?"
     "My sincerest apologies, my lady," Aegis replied with a subdued bow of his
head.  "And yes, the Countess is waiting for me downstairs."
     "The impatience of youth," she said dryly as she stepped to the side to
allow him to continue.  He immediately began to move past her only to come to
another halt as she gently took hold of his arm.  A simple tug was enough to
pull him into an embrace of sorts, her head dipping down to allow her lips to
brush against his in a soft but distinctly electrical kiss.
     The feeling was unlike anything Aegis could remember.  On a good day he
could still recall the loving kisses from his mother, but the sensation he was
presently being subjected to didn't come even close.  It was intense enough to
produce a disconnect in his mind, his immediate short-term memory essentially
being wiped clean by the literal flood of nerve impulses crossing his brain.
     "For luck," Rivel purred softly once the kiss was broken and the universe
began to make sense once again.  It took Aegis several moments to process the
spoken words and to numbly nod his head in reply.  She gave him a coy smile and
started walking down the hall, disappearing around a corner after a moment.
     He stood perfectly still to think about it for a moment before abruptly
shaking his head hard again, trying to figure out why he suddenly had a gap in
his memory.  I was getting dressed, he thought to himself, I've got my cloak
on, and I was going to go downstairs.  And then.... what?  Bah, it can wait, he
thought in dismissal as he set off towards the staircase that led to the lower
levels of the castle.
     His pace began to pick up as he half-ran down the stairs, the feeling of
excitement and anticipation starting to build up again.  I should be able to do
this, he thought as he started leaping the stairs two at a time.  If someone
like Harry Potter can spend seven years at Hogwarts and emerge as powerful and
as famous as he is now, then surely someone like me can.... !!!!
     The world abruptly tilted at a sharp angle as he missed a step and started
to go sailing down the stairs.  He reacted purely by instinct, Disassociating
into the cloud of bats before he could hit the floor face-first.  His brain
caught up with events a half-second later, deciding it was best to make use of
his accidental transformation and soar down the rest of the winding staircase.
     Elaine looked up sharply as she heard the flapping of a hundred bats as a
dark flock emerged from the stairwell.  They quickly melded back together and
Reassociated into Aegis' natural form, leaving him on bended knee and just a
little winded from the effort.
     "Aegis," the vampiress sighed, giving him a stern look.  "I seem to recall
the Master giving you specific instructions not to exert yourself like that."
     "I tripped, my lady," Aegis explained as he gingerly stood back up.  "I
didn't intend to change forms like that."
     Elaine watched him impassively for a moment before deciding that he was
being truthful with her.  She simply made a gesture to the dark carriage that
was waiting for them, hooked to four destriers who were as black as the night
itself and had red eyes that burned like coals.  The countess' huge manservant
was sitting in the driver's seat holding the reins with an utterly impassive
look seemingly carved into his clay-like face.  Aegis had yet to figure out on
his own if he was a golem or not, but it was not a question he cared to ask of
the countess.
     Aegis moved towards the open carriage door before pausing for a brief
moment and stepping aside.  "Ladies first, is it not?" he said as he made a
similar gesture for her to enter instead.
     Elaine gave him a look of mild amusement before stepping inside the plush
carriage.  "Such gallantry," she said dryly as she sat down in the comfortable
armchair.  Her eyes remained fixed on Aegis as he climbed inside after her,
closing the door and securing it before taking a seat on the padded bench on
the opposite side of the carriage.  "Cale!" she called out sharply.
     "My lady?" an almost impossibly deep voice replied from outside.
     "Knockturn Alley," she said simply.
     "Understood, my lady," her manservant replied as he gently cracked the
reins.  The horses seemed to throw themselves forward with genuine eagerness,
not having been hitched to the carriage in some time.  The sudden change in
inertia was enough to send Aegis skidding off the bench, saved from meeting the
well-maintained carpeted floor only by flexing his knees and shoving himself
backwards as hard as he could.
     He cast a brief glance at Elaine as she smirked before tilting her head
back slightly and closing her eyes, apparently content to rest for the duration
of the journey.  The carriage was roomy enough that he could have stretched out
on the bench if he wanted to, and it was comfortable enough to make one very
seriously consider calling it a bed if they were so inclined to sleep.  He knew
that her chair could unfold into a full-sized bed as well, no doubt for those
long travels she said she had indulged in during her youth.
     Aegis wondered, not for the first time, just how old the dark Countess of
Glenmont truly was.  She had explained to him once that Glenmont had been her
family's ancestral home and that the title had come as a complete surprise,
being given to her as instructed in her uncle's will instead of being passed
down to her cousin as everyone had expected.
     He had sat down with a global map and a stack of somewhat ancient research
notes one idle day, determined to locate the lands that the countess had spoken
of with some fondness.  After a full week of frustration, he had confronted her
and all but demanded that she tell him just where she had come from, knowing
that he was risking a considerable amount of pain in doing so.
     Much to his surprise, she confessed that she was a planetar and that her
homeland actually resided in another world.  That had prompted a very quiet but
concise explanation of what a planetar really was: a traveller of worlds who,
for one reason or another, sometimes slipped between the cosmic threads of the
universe and ended up dwelling in another existence.  She refused to discuss
how she had left her original world and arrived in the present reality as Aegis
knew it, but he had gotten the impression that not only she but Rivel and his
master had been drawn here from the same point-of-origin as well.  A simple
question to his master had resulted in not only intense pain but a strong geas
never to ask *any* sort of question along those lines ever again, effectively
putting an end to the boy's curiosity about the subject.
     A change in the carriage's velocity drew him out of his thoughts, causing
him to peel back the edge of the window shade directly behind him to peer out
from under Cale's elbow.  The landscape was little more than a darkened blur
now, the overcast sky occasionally being blotted out as they passed under a
small canopy of trees.  He had only ridden in the carriage twice before, and
each time the journey had been nothing short of utterly fascinating.
     Even as he watched, the golem-like manservant gave a peculiar call as he
snapped the reins.  The destriers all seemed to rear up for an instant before
lunging forward at an even harder pace, sparks suddenly flying out from beneath
their hooves.  The sparks seemed to increase before they ignited into flames,
making it like the horses were galloping on hooves of fire.  The carriage began
to accelerate even more until they were at a velocity that no living animal
should have been capable of, save perhaps for a cheetah who was targeting a
gazelle and was pulling out all the stops.
     The air in front of the carriage suddenly began to glitter, resolving into
a silvery and an extremely intricate geometric object.  The shape quickly began
to unfold, spiralling open into a tunnel surrounded by a nimbus of soft blue
light.  The carriage drove straight into the tunnel without hesitation, the air
around it suddenly becoming suffocatingly heavy as microscopic pinpoints of
radiance blurred past them at dizzying speeds.
     Aegis clutched onto the cushions as he felt his lungs start to ache from
the change in pressure, seeming to be ready to implode at any moment.  He was
about to try to call out to the countess when the carriage emerged from the end
of the tunnel, returning the air to its former density.
     "Bah," Elaine murmured softly, her eyes still closed.  "I never did find
a way to do something about that compression effect.  Still, it's a small price
to pay for covering vast distances in a very short period of time.  I suggest
you sit back and brace yourself," she said as she swivelled the armchair around
so that she was facing the rear of the carriage.  "We don't have a lot of road
to play with here."
     Aegis thought it was best to comply with her instructions, quickly turning
back around and sitting properly on the bench.  The reasoning behind it became
starkly obvious as he heard a very sharp whistle, followed by the shrieking
sounds of both brakes and hooves being applied with sudden force.  The change
in inertia was enough to lift him up slightly and mash him flat against the
front wall of the carriage for what seemed like a minor eternity.  Gravity's
ever-present hold reasserted itself a few seconds later, dropping him back down
on the bench with a soft whumph that was almost completely muted by the thick
cushions.
     "Well, that wasn't so bad, now was it?" Elaine mused to herself as she
swung the armchair back around.  A faint click could be heard as the joint
locked back into place, securing the chair against further motion.
     "A delight as always, my lady," Aegis said as he tried to stand up.  His
senses were still disoriented just enough to make him wobble on his feet for a
few moments.  His sense of balance finally reoriented itself to the point where
things were no longer in subtle motion, allowing him to stand up straight.
     "Perhaps I should look into adding a few restraining devices, after all,"
Elaine observed with a faint chuckle as she stood up, seeming not to have any
lingering motion-related issues of her own.



To be continued (maybe)....
Last edit: 26 March 2005