Finishing his meal, Leon looked at the address and had Mother ask for directions.
He didn’t know the local language himself.
But Mother did, he didn’t know why or how she had learned it, but he didn’t care to ask.
It was just a convenience to Leon.
Right now, his mind was churning over the possibilities of what this interaction was going to be.
That Vampire had clearly reacted to Leon in a very strong way.
Not in a predatory sense.
Leon could practically feel the Vampire’s desire to prostrate himself before him throughout the entire interaction.
And he’d been exercising significant self-control to not make a scene there in the restaurant.
India was not particularly tolerant of Vampires.
The mere fact that one had approached him in the middle of the day, at a public restaurant no less, spoke volumes about his effect on this world’s Vampires.
An effect that he may be able to leverage to substantial gains.
Mother led the way.
They moved through the town to an area that Leon would deem ‘middle-class’.
Not a wealthy area, but not a poor area of town.
The address led to a well-maintained house.
No indications that it was a Vampire’s Den.
Stepping up to the doorway Leon knocked.
The door opened before he’d even finished knocking.
Before him stood Draco, his pale complexion, the only real indicator that he was a Vampire.
For normal people that is.
In Leon’s sight he practically radiated a virulent red energy that he instinctually recognized as Vampiric in nature.
“Please come in… you and your guardian are welcome in my house.” Draco spoke with a very proper English accent and a rather formal tone.
“Thanks.” Leon said as he entered the house, glancing around, he found it to be a pretty standard home for a proper Englishmen.
It was almost eerie.
As if he’d entered a prop house.
Which it probably was.
“Nice place you’ve got here.” he started conversationally, “But how about we go to the real den?
You’ll probably be more comfortable.”
“That was the intention all along.
Follow me, if you will.” Draco said stiffly and turned on his heels.
They entered the kitchen where the Vampire fiddled with a few drawers before turning on the faucet.
Then he opened the door to the pantry.
Only, it wasn’t a pantry.
It was a deep dark tunnel that dove into the earth.
Lit by flickering incandescent bulbs all strung together by a bundle of wires that looked professionally installed.
Leon recognized the wires as mostly data transfer cabling, like coaxial and CAT series cables.
Which had him wondering what exactly they were walking into.
The tunnel wasn’t damp or dirty either.
It was only dark because the lights were spaced really far apart.
Otherwise, the walls and floors were tiled and smooth.
The tunnel actually gave off more of a ‘secret military base’ feel than a ‘Vampire Den’ feel.
The tunnel descended at least three hundred feet in a gentle decline, making the distance quite a long walk.
Finally they arrived at a doorway that opened into… a cubicle office space.
About a hundred Vampires sat at computers with headsets on, answering calls and… serving as Microsoft customer support?
“What is all this?” Leon asked, gesturing to the bustling office.
Draco looked confused as he answered, “We have to make a living somehow, don’t we?”
“I thought magic and electronic tech didn’t mix well?”
“…that is patently false.” Draco said after a moment, “Magic has no particular reaction to electronics.
We Vampires don’t really use magic the same as witches and wizards do though, wands don’t work for us.
We only have our blood magic and charm… you seem to be different though.”
Draco led Leon and Mother through the office, through three more floors of offices, and down to what essentially amounted to a small underground town.
“How can you all build this stuff without magic?” Leon asked as they walked.
Though he did notice a rather large crowd of Vampires shuffling behind them and trying to get a look at the newcomers.
“There are always witches and wizards willing to work for the right price.
They don’t care who is paying them as long as they are being paid well.” Draco said as they made their way towards what looked like a small, town hall.
Once inside, Draco led Leon and Mother to a large table where they all sat down.
“Now that we are here.” Leon said gesturing to their surroundings, “I suppose I should introduce myself, though you seem to already know who I am.
I am Leon McKinnon-Prewett.
Also known in certain circles as the Father of Coldharbour, the Lord of Infinite Energies, the Hunt, Madness, Order, and Knowledge.”
That last bit was a bit pretentious and only true for the people within his realms.
But Leon felt like a bit of Grandstanding was in order.
He was, after all, dealing with a secret enclave of Vampires.
“…I really don’t know what any of that means.” Draco responded after a few moments, “What are you?
Why do I feel like I stand before a primordial ancestor more ancient than even King Vlad?”
“As the Father of Coldharbour, Vampires fall under my domain.
I can grant Vampirism and I can take it away.” Leon said.
Draco’s whole demeanor seemed to change at that proclamation.
“You can undue Vampirism?”
Leon shrugged, “I haven’t attempted it with your specific kind of Vampires.
But I can grant and remove my own form of it.
I would have to run some tests.
You are the first Vampires I’ve met in this world.”
Draco looked like he had just short circuited.
“This world?”
Leon didn’t elaborate he left it at that.
In damn near any other situation the Vampire would have utterly dismissed all of these claims.
King Vlad’s presence felt like the man had the authority to tell any vampire what to do.
They would listen to him, but his presence was not enough to ensure that they would take his leadership to heart.
Leon’s presence was practically divine.
His words felt like laws.
It was a tremendously difficult situation to mentally deal with for Draco.
“I still do not understand.” Draco finally managed to get out.
Leon sighed, “It’s simple.
I am a conceptual Source of Vampirism.
Vampires are bound by blood.
Your blood recognizes an ultimate authority.
That is all you need to know.”
“I must report to Vlad… Give me a few moments please.” Draco stood and practically stumbled into an adjacent room.
Leon looked over at Mother who smirked, “They are tech savvy… might solve some of my manpower issues?”
That was actually a good idea.
But these Vampires were not bound to his will.
They were not as reliable as Dremora converts.
Or would not be if he got them to work for him.
Leon glanced at the entrance to the little town hall and spotted a crowd of Vampires gathered outside, looking in through the large open doors with obvious curiosity.
He waved at them before turning his attention back to Mother, “It is certainly a possibility.
But Tech Support does not mean great Programmers.
They have a script and instructions to deal with specific, current problems.
But it will probably be easy to train them into competent workers.”
“That would be all that I need.
I’ve got two ’employees’ now.
But just the three of us are not enough for the major Breakthroughs you want.
Internet infrastructure is not capable of handling the things you envision at this time either.”
“Have you started working on those games I told you about?
Many of them should be doable, especially minecraft.” Leon said.
“The premise and graphics are doable.
But its too much for anything other than top end computers to handle.” Mother started talking about the details, entities, too many calculations.
Things that Leon hadn’t considered.
Leon was so used to computers of the future that he was definitely overlooking the current capabilities with the ideas he kept sending Mother’s way.
Leon and Mother chatted for a surprisingly long time before Draco returned.
He looked paler than was normal for a Vampire as he approached.
“King Vlad extends an invitation to you Leon.
He invites you to visit his domain at your earliest convenience.
He is aware that you may not have time to visit Romania before your school year starts though and does not expect a visit until, at the earliest, next summer.”
Leon pulled out his notebook and checked the calendar.
He needed to be back in Britian within the next 48 hours to join the Weasley’s on their shopping trip to pick up Morty-5.
Then he had few days until September 1st.
He definitely didn’t have time to go visit the infamous Romanian king of vampires.
“He’s right about not having time,” Leon said as he jotted down a note, “I’ll try to make time over Christmas Break if I can.
How about you exchange contact information with my Mother?
We can keep in touch through her.”
“Gladly.” Draco pulled out a business card and handed it to Mother, and she did likewise.
“Now, since I’m here.” Leon said standing up, “Would any of you be willing to allow me to do some experiments?
I assure you that none of them will be intrusive or painful.
I just want to examine a Vampire in detail.” He spoke loud enough that the vampires gathered outside could hear him.
“How much you paying?” someone in the crowd shouted.
“How’s ten Galleons sound?” Leon called back.
Instantly, almost half of the crowd surged into the town hall.
Dozens of voices accepting his offer simultaneously.
Leon waved them down, “I only need one of you.” He scanned the crowd and randomly selected a man that looked like he was just out of his teenage years before becoming a Vampire.
The rest of the crowd looked forlorn.
But didn’t complain.
The selected vampire came up and stood before him.
“Do not resist.” Leon said as grabbed the Vampire and pulled him into the throne room of Coldharbour.
The he turned to Mother as he sat back down, “Guard me.” He said as he moved his mind to his avatar in Coldharbour.
Trusting that Mother could handle the Vampires if they tried anything.
Which he really didn’t think they would.
Their very blood was pressuring them to obey him.
They wouldn’t attack him.
Turning his attention to the young man before him in his throne room Leon turned the full power of his Daedric senses onto the Vampire while asking questions.
“When were you turned?”
“1985.”
The questions were mostly for the benefit of the Vampire, he was deep delving into the vampires Metaphysical makeup while testing a few theories that popped up as he observed.
What Leon found was nothing like the Vampires of the Elder Scrolls universe.
Harry Potter universe Vampires didn’t have souls.
That infectious Vampiric energy substituted as a soul, but it wasn’t a soul.
Leon could extract it if he wanted to, but it would just result in an instant corpse if he did.
The lack of a soul explained several things and raised several questions simultaneously.
The answers were interesting.
A wizard turned into a Vampire lost their magic.
Wizarding Magic was tied to the soul, so that was an obvious loss.
A Killing Curse just hit them and did nothing, same with the other Unforgivables.
All three of those spells were classified as soul magic.
The questions were strange.
What had brought on this strange version of Vampirism to start with?
Why were they averse to garlic?
Sunlight didn’t affect them.
Why?
The fact that Vampires could reproduce was also strange.
Technically speaking, they were living corpses without a soul.
Their Vampiric energy substituting a soul must somehow also make them capable of normal reproduction.
Also why did Vampires age and die?
It was pretty well known that aside from Vlad Drakul, the king of Vampires, all other Vampires seemed to have a lifespan of about 200 years, whether born or converted.
The conclusion of his examination?
Harry Potter Vampires are weird.
And while they definitely fell under his domain, they were not the same kind of creature that he knew about from the Elder Scrolls universe.
Examination done, Leon pushed the vampire out of Coldharbour and mentally followed along to his Earthly Avatar.
He extracted ten Galleons from his coin purse and gave them to the vampire who looked utterly stunned by what had just transpired, but accepted the coins and turned to leave.
As the Vampire moved through the crowd Leon heard him say to one of his friends, “He took me to Heaven…”
Leon shivered at the various implications that could come from that particular line.
But it was also curious.
Coldharbour had resonated with the Vampiric energy that made up the vampire’s pseudo-soul.
He hadn’t noticed as he questioned the Vampire.
But it had apparently given the guy the illusion that Coldharbour was Heaven… then again, maybe it was for vampires?
Goblin Dremora certainly saw it as heaven, why couldn’t vampires?
After some contemplation, Leon wondered what would happen if he infused the Soul Dust into a vampire?
Or maybe a Dremora soul?
Those experiments could wait.
But maybe that was a way to cure them?
Give them a soul with Soul Dust, then remove their Vampiric energy.
It could work.
“What just happened?” Draco asked, looking like his world no longer made sense.
“A business transaction.” Leon replied, “If you want to know more, just ask that guy.” He gestured to the still retreating form of the vampire whom he had examined.
“Now… I think its time for us to leave.” Leon said with a shrug.
∞∞∞
Draco watched as the being that was disguised as a human child left their Den with the creature disguised as its mother.
Draco could feel it in the depths of his very being that Leon, was far more than a simple human wizard child.
After the duo disappeared he sent for Toby, the one that had disappeared and reappeared at the hands of Leon.
A few minutes later Toby was seated across from him.
“Tell me what you experienced.
Every detail.” Draco ordered.
“Well, when the kid grabbed me, it felt like he pulled me in a direction that I didn’t know existed until that moment.
It wasn’t like a Portkey or Apparition.
Or even like our Blood Mist teleport.
It almost felt like sliding.
It wasn’t uncomfortable or jarring in the least.” Toby gesticulated wildly as was his habit when speaking, “A moment of slipping in a weird direction, then bam!
All of a sudden I’m inside a giant palace throne room.
And it was like, big bad evil guy type of throne room you know?
Like evil red symbols were everywhere and stuff, and the lighting was perfect evil ambiance.
10/10… But the thing is.
It felt like I had finally come home.
Like that place is where I belong.”
Toby had a wistful look on his face, “The first thing I noticed was a Human man sitting on a throne that was way too big for his size.
I don’t know how, but I knew that it was the same kid that pulled me into the palace, but it was a fully grown man that looked nothing like the kid.
Anyway, he opened his eyes and started asking me all kinds of questions for a few minutes.
Then everything slid in that impossible direction again and I was back.”
“Why did you say that he took you to heaven?” Draco asked.
“You know how the Thirst never goes away?” Toby pointed at his neck, “When I was there… I felt full.
Like… I didn’t even know that was possible.
I felt like I had finally quenched the thirst.
It was… I don’t know how to describe it.
But if I felt like I could stay there forever and fell thirsty again.
And everything just felt right Like the world accepted me or something.”
Toby took a deep breath before continuing, “And then, I was back.
And I started feeling like I’m continuously bleeding.
I never noticed it before.
It was always normal.
But now I can feel it.
It’s like I’m always seeping blood out of some unseen wound.
Steadily making the thirst worse and worse… If he offered to let me live as a butler in that palace… I’d be the best butler that ever existed.”
Draco didn’t know what to do with that information.
Other than report it up the chain to Vlad.
The picture that Toby painted was far beyond his expectations.
And so lacking in explanation that it left him frustrated.
After dismissing Toby and writing a report to Vlad he decided to go play Tech Support for a few hours to wind down.
It was always fun to put on a fake Indian accent to irritate the callers.
And right now, Draco needed to unwind a bit.